Resources by Ramsbottom, Ben

Percy John Henry Topping: Born 26 March 2015; died 4 April 2015. Aged 9 days An address given at Bethel Chapel, Luton by Mr. Ben A. Ramsbottom, on Wednesday, 22 April 2015 at the funeral service. Readings: Mark 10:14; Job 19:25-27; Job 1:21; Psalm 23; Jeremiah 31:15-17; 1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 5l-57. Hymns: ‘Sovereign Ruler of […]

An address given at Bethel Chapel, Luton, on Lord’s Day afternoon, 8th June, 2014, on the occasion of the Sunday School Anniversary. Usually on these occasions I try to speak of something that is topical, but something that will be profitable and for the honour and glory of God. For a long time, my thoughts […]

Surely the best books are those that keep close to Scripture, and we have never known a book that keeps closer than this. The Christian’s Great Enemy1 opens up, explains and applies 1 Peter 5:8-11 – Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may […]

For many years we have been deeply concerned that there are so many people in our congregations who clearly possess the fear of the Lord, and yet who have never found any real assurance of their interest in Christ, and so have never openly professed the Saviour’s name. The sad thing is that so many […]

For years we had heard of Carson on Divine Providence (first published 1840) as a Christian classic but had never come across a copy. We always imagined it to be something like The Mystery of Divine Providence by the Puritan John Flavel. The two books could not be more different. We found Alexander Carson’s work most interesting […]

Tuesday, February 5th, 2013, was a very sad day in the history of our nation. Disgracefully, on that day the House of Commons, by a majority of 400 to 175, passed the Second Reading of the bill to legalise same-sex marriages. This is an affront to Almighty God. But not only is it contrary to […]

Until recently the name of Archibald Brown was just a name to us. We must confess, however, how interested we have become in reading his biography1, and now with pleasure we have read his sermons (twenty-two in the book2), and commend them to our readers. It will be said, ‘There is not the depth that […]

It has often been said: if you wish to start reading the Puritans, begin with Sibbes – the point being that he is simple and direct. (Others may suggest Watson or Swinnock.) Richard Sibbes (1577-1635), ‘the heavenly doctor,’ was one of the foremost among Puritan preachers and divines.The Love of Christ was first published under […]

The Banner of Truth has published The Select Practical Writings of John Knox1. We have had a spate of writings by or about John Calvin, and now new books are beginning to appear about John Knox (the 450th anniversary of the Reformation in Scotland and the approaching 500th anniversary of Knox’s birth). We welcome this. […]

All of you must surely have noticed the great emphasis there is on doctrine in the New Testament, the many exhortations given to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints. Equally, there are many solemn warnings given. ‘If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into […]

In the history of the church of God, we believe no man is worthy of more honour than William Tyndale. When we think of that dear man, in loneliness translating the Scriptures, often in a musty cellar or draughty attic, what he sacrificed for Jesus’ sake! How different from an eminent minister preaching to hundreds, […]

We must confess that we are fascinated with this book. Eighty-three letters by John Newton – and all but ten of them have lain in obscurity in the two hundred years since they were written! What a mercy that they have been found! John Newton was twenty-five years older than John Ryland, but took a […]

This is a book for children (aged 8-11), and we feel it is a good one. Briefly, simply and clearly the story is told, from creation, through the Old Testament, down to the New. Special emphasis is given to Genesis and the Gospels. Great reverence is shown for the authority of Scripture and much stress […]

This is a little gem – by which we mean that though small, its value is great. James Fraser (1639-1698), usually known as ‘Fraser of Brea,’ was a well-known Covenanter preacher. In the recently published Scottish Puritans, volume 2, there is a long, interesting account of his life, written by himself. This reaches almost 300 […]

Archbishop Loane is an excellent writer. He has a thorough knowledge of his subject and writes in a pleasing style, which along with the importance of the subject makes the book profitable. Makers of Puritan History1 deals with Alexander Henderson, Samuel Rutherford, John Bunyan and Richard Baxter. The times were stormy and the seventeenth century […]

Yet another work by Calvin to commemorate the 500th anniversary of his birth – but we must confess we really liked it, and in many ways were pleasantly surprised. This is an abridgement of Calvin’s massive, five-volume commentary on the Psalms, and is about a quarter of the original size. The author, in a very […]

The Banner of Truth has published Scottish Puritans: Select Biographies, edited by W. K. Tweedie, and when we began to read this set, we expected something similar to the much appreciated Calvinistic Methodist Fathers of Wales, We could not have been more mistaken; the two sets are completely different. Yet Scottish Puritans is a real […]

VOLUME 1 This1 is a fascinating book which we found hard to put down. Really it tells the wonderful story of the Evangelical Revival in Wales in the eighteenth century. What amazing gatherings there were and what blessing! Originally written in Welsh in 1895 by John Morgan Jones, assisted by William Morgan, this is the […]

Grey Hazlerigg once wrote, ‘A truth out of place and out of season may work in Satan’s hands like a lie.’ So Satan has often perverted the truth of predestination and God’s sovereignty to lull sinners into idle slothfulness. Fatalism is evil. God is not in it. There is no purpose, no point, no religion, […]

The Letters of Samuel Rutherford have again been reprinted in hardback and published by The Banner of Truth Trust. In former years some have contended that Rutherford’s Letters are the nearest thing to inspiration outside Scripture. It is a delight, therefore, to find that there has been a call for yet a further republication of […]

The Secret Key to Heaven – the Vital Importance of Private Prayer, was written by Thomas Brooks and published by The Banner of Truth Trust. It is a long time since we read such a profitable book – howbeit it comes with a gentle reproof for our spiritual slothfulness and indolence. The subject is the […]

Text: “Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south” (Psa. 126. 4). This urgent prayer seems to be with so many of the Lord’s people at present, a desire that the Lord in love and mercy will “turn again our captivity.” Did you notice that this prayer was mentioned right at […]

Sermon preached by Ben Ramsbottom at Bethel Chapel, Luton, on Lord’s day morning, April 10th, 2005. Text:“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8). This last week has witnessed some of the most amazing things […]