E-books

I ordered some books today; some of them are ones I have wanted to get hold of for a while, and it is likely to be the last time I am able to spend that much money on books at once. I am sharing them with any readers who have an interest in puritanism, in case they are titles you may not be aware of and because at least a couple of them are worthy of pointing out a few things about:

The Above Title along with William Haller’s Rise of Puritanism are worthy of special note. Because until around 50-60 years ago, puritanism was very much still a dirty word, a by-word, and people really had a cock-eyed impresssion of who the puritans were, what they stood for, and the lives they lived.  These two books are two that earlier this century helped to set the record straight.  And perhaps started the tide turning, so that in those days, there was around 10-25 puritan titles printed in the preceding fifty years, that in the fifty years since then,  it well into treble figures, and around 50-60 new titles are being printed every year that was written by the puritans. Another book I ordered of which the same is true as the two preceding book is this one:

These 3 titles in particular I have wanted for some time. If we are going to either encourage their thought, or refute and reject any group of people’s thoughts or ideology then the least we can do, is have an informed opinion,  one not based on fable or folk-lore, or the BBC, but  by things that have been proved to be fact and some good men have set these things down on paper just for the very reason that we need not be ignorant.

A couple more I ordered as relatively inexpensive paperbacks were these:

If I had to pick just 2 or 3 as recommendations, it would either be William Haller,  Worldly Saint’s and/or Visible Saint’s. I’ve heard enough to know they changed the face of how the  puritans as a group of people are perceived, though sadly, much ignorance does still reign over this issue, which is the reason for this blog post, because today, we have no justification for ignorance to continue forever.

However, I do want to add a short anecdote I heard last weekend, as far as exhorting or reading the puritans.  That we can read all we like, it is only a walk and life to match, and  a heart cleansed by Christ’s blood in sanctification that will lead us to purer lives and purity in the puritan vein.  I heard  a well known preacher relate this tale the weekend and I shall use my own words to get across what he said. He knew a man who had a vast puritan library. He was very proud of his library. He was thought to be a pillar of the Christian community,  and a bright light.  But what no one outside of his home knew, was that next to his wonderfully spiritually rich puritan library, in the next room, he had a different kind of library, of shelf after shelf of triple X movies, and the police had raided him, and he was now in prison on pornography charges and was an active and practicing homosexual. AS Christ so wisely said, and it applies no less to good stuff as bad stuff, that it is not what goes in that defiles a man, (or improves him) its what comes out, as that shows what is in our hearts.

The Nonsuch Professor
Application
Having despatched that which is doctrinal, I now come to the discussion of that which is practical. And I shall here propose two considerations:

First, For the erection of singular principles.
Secondly, The direction of singular practices.

First, For the erection of singular principles.

Natural men obey natural principles, and spiritual men obey spiritual principles. No man can expect that bitter roots should produce sweet fruits. Though civil principles may be kindled at the torch of nature, yet sacred principles are lighted at the blaze of Scripture. continue

These are books I already had online and are mostly archived at my wordpress site.  Though new titles will be mixed among them, as more things get put online.

John Calvin–The Man and his Work–B.B. Warfield.

Prayer–The Privvy Key of Heaven–Thomas Brooks

A Matchless Portion–Thomas Brooks

A Warning to Professors–Jonathan Edwards

Memoirs of the Westminster Divines–James Reid

Two short Catechisms by John Owen

Calvin and his enemies–Thomas Smyth

John Bunyan’s Grace Abounding

The Life of Martin Luther–Philip Melancthon

The Life of John Calvin–Theodore Beza

The Souls Conflict Within Itself–Richard Sibbes

Matthew Henry’s Scripture Catechism Introduction

Matthew Henry’s Scripture Catechism Questions 1-10

Matthew Henry’s Scripture Catechism Questions 11-20

Matthew Henry’s Scripture Catechism Questions 21-30

Matthew Henry’s Scripture Catechism Questions 31-40

Matthew Henry’s Scripture Catechism Questions 41-50

Matthew Henry’s Scripture Catechism Questions 51-60

Matthew Henry’s Scripture Catechism Questions 61-70

Matthew Henry’s Scripture Catechism Questions 71-80

Matthew Henry’s Scripture Catechism Questions 81-90

Matthew Henry’s Scripture Catechism Questions 91-100

Matthew Henry’s Scripture Catechism Questions 100-107
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