This encyclopedic resource provides biographical sketches of all the major Puritans as well as bibliographic summaries of their writings and work. Meet the Puritans is an important addition to the library of the layman, pastor, student and scholar.
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Intimidated students and busy pastors ask, 'Where do I start? The obvious answer to that question now is, Meet the Puritans. - Dr. David Murray --Endorsement
About the Author
Joel R. Beeke (Ph.D. Westminster Theological Seminary) is president and professor of systematic theology and homiletics at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, pastor of the Heritage Netherlands Reformed Congregation in Grand Rapids, Michigan, editor of The Banner of Sovereign Grace Truth, and author of numerous books.
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25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Resource,
By
This review is from: Meet the Puritans: With a Guide to Modern Reprints (Hardcover)
Through the past few decades there has been a great resurgence of interest in the Puritans. This resurgence seems to have begun with Martin Lloyd-Jones who would often refer to their works in his sermons. People would then ask "Where can I get these books?" Banner of Truth began to reprint the books and soon other publishers began as well. Today there are so many available to us that few people could afford to buy or shelve even a fraction of them. This choice has led to confusion as many people, intrigued by what they have heard about the Puritans, hardly know where to begin in reading them. Into this void step Joel Beeke and Randall Pederson with their new book Meet the Puritans.
Meet the Puritans is a resource designed to guide people through the reprints of Puritan writings that have been produced since 1956. The book provides "a brief biography of each Puritan author whose works have been reprinted since 1956 and a short review of those books. We hope this will help purchasers of Puritan books, interest other readers in the Puritans, and guide those already immersed in Puritan literature to further depths of study." It is more a reference book than one you would be likely to read from cover-to-cover, though if you wanted to, you certainly could. The format of the book is simple. After a Preface explaining how to profit from reading the Puritans, a brief word about where to begin and a brief history of English Puritanism, there comes a long list of authors. Each author has his own chapter containing a short biography and a list of his books that have been reprinted. There is a review of each book along with publishing information and the number of pages. And that is the heart of the book and continues for some 800 pages. Five appendices deal with collections of Puritan writings, Scottish divines, Dutch further Reformation divines, secondary sources on the Puritans and a final word on Puritanism courtesy of J.I. Packer. In short, this is a one-stop-shop for all you could want to know as a beginner to the Puritans. And if you are already a fan of their writing, this book will lead you further and deeper, guiding you to the best books available. One thing I would like to see in future editions of this book is a more thorough list of the best place to begin in reading the Puritans. The authors do offer a few suggestions, but they are only basic ones. I'd like to see a list of the top ten or twenty books they would recommend. Additionally, it might be nice to have a topical index of sorts, pointing to the best works on a variety of subjects so that a person looking for a Puritan work on worship or sin or other important topics could quickly and easily find the best resources. Quite simply, if you are interesting in reading the Puritans, this is a guide you won't want to be without! It is endorsed by a who's who of Reformed leaders and authors (the back cover alone has endorsements by Sproul, Piper, MacArthur, Packer and Mohler and there are many more inside!) and deservedly so. Best of all, it promises to be a book that will be updated as time goes on and as these great writings continue to be released.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful Homage To A Bygone Era Of Divines,
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This review is from: Meet the Puritans: With a Guide to Modern Reprints (Hardcover)
Randall Peterson and Joel Beeke excel in presenting to the modern reader the 'all-in-one' presentation of the Puritans. It goes without saying that the value of such a work is highly sought-after. The book is large and beautiful - a dust jacket enfolds the Westminster divines in sitting.
The keen theological acumen and reverential awe of the Puritans is most likely never to be repeated again. We therefore, can and must be willing to learn so much from these men and women who shaped the church so fresh out of the Reformation blocks. That they were a cultural phenomenon unparalleled upholds them as true followers of the faith, of Christ Jesus, for they were not only willing to privately profess, but at large and in the public domain, did not shy away from declaring the truth of the gospel. The biographical presentation is in alphabetical order, starting with the British divines. Then we are introduced to the Scots, and also the Netherland divines. There are too many great names, too many immeasurable sacrifices, too many theological contributions to mention - all in one book! Yet I cannot fail to mention the words of John Bunyan, kept in prison for 12 years for contravening the Act of Non-Conformity, who knew the cold and damp well at Beford jail: 'The Almighty God being my help and shield, I am determined yet to suffer, if frail life might continue so long...even till the moss shall grow upon my eyebrows, rather than violate my faith and principles.' p 106 From an historical point-of-view it is shattering to learn how much we profess today had its origin in that stage of the church's existence. The confessional creeds of Westminster etc. all stem from that solemn age. Yet their lives and ours are worlds apart. Their commitment to an all-encompassing faith was solid, never questionable. That they held that the government was calvinistically bound to honor God in the execution of all its responsibilities, and then sought to rear such a nation in New England, was of utter providence. A Scottish Covenanter covenanting with his God: 'I offer myself unto Christ the Lord, as an object proper for all His offices to be exercised upon. I choose Him as my prophet for instruction, illumination, and direction. I embrace Him as my great priest, to be washed and justified by His blood and righteousness. I embrace Him as my king to reign and rule within me. I take a whole Christ with all His laws, and all His crosses and afflictions. I will live to Him; I will die to Him; I will quit with all I have in the world for His cause and truth.' Ebenezer Erskine, p 685 The providence of God and the sovereignty of His majesty is ably and dramatically declared on every one of these pages. An inspiring, timeless contribution to the growing awareness of theological giants; of those who were not only called, but lived their lives as Puritans.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Meet the Puritans and their Works,
This review is from: Meet the Puritans: With a Guide to Modern Reprints (Hardcover)
Martyn Loyd-Jones contended that Puritan thought was not only about doctrine but a "desire to carry the reform, which had already happened in the matter of doctrine, further into the nature and life and polity of the Christian church." And in "Meet the Puritans: With a Guide to Modern Reprints" one finds a power-packed resource intended to direct the reader through the numerous Puritan works that have been reprinted since the 1950's.
Within this text of almost 900 pages one reads about Puritans like theologian John Owen (Owen, 1616-1683, was one of the finest Reformed theologians in history; pastor and chaplain to Oliver Cromwell; Dean of Christ Church, Oxford): "To preach the word . . . and not to follow it with constant and fervent prayer for its success, is to disbelieve its use, neglect its end, and to cast away the seed of the gospel at random." This significant book furnishes numerous biographical sketches of important and less known Puritan authors and a review of their works. Thomas Watson wrote: "To know that nothing hurts the godly, is a matter of comfort; but to be assured that all things which fall out shall co-operate for their good, that their crosses shall be turned into blessings, that showers of affliction water the withering root of their grace and make it flourish more; this may fill their hearts with joy till they run over." This work is aimed to assist those interested in Puritan books as a key reference work. Thanks be to God for the work of the Puritans and the labor of the modern publishers of their outstanding writings. Owen adds: "The whole creation is as a garment, wherein the Lord shows his power clothed unto men; whence in particular his said to clothe himself with light as with a garment (Psa. 104:2). And in it is the hiding of his power. Hid it is, as a man is hid with a garment; not that he should not be seen at all, but that he should not be seen perfectly and as his is. It shows the man, and he is known by it; but also it hides him, that he is not perfectly or fully seen. So are the works of creation unto God, he so far makes them his garment or clothing as in them to give out some instances of his power and wisdom; but he is also hid in them, in that by them no creature can come to the full knowledge of him. Now, when this work shall cease, and God shall unclothe or unveil all his glory to his saints, and they shall know him perfectly, see him as he is, so far as a created nature is capable of that comprehension, then will he lay them aside and fold them up, at least as to that use, as easily as a man lays aside a garment that he will wear or use no more." Thomas Manton (Manton, the king of preachers, gave spiritual counsel to Christopher Love before Love was executed in 1652, he was with Love when he was beheaded and preached his funeral sermon) declared "Works before conversion cannot engage God, and works after conversion can not satisfy God - all the endeavor and labor of the creature will never procure it" And C. Love said: "Blessed be God that Thou hast filled the soul of Thy servant with joy and peace in believing." Love added: "Most Glorious and eternal Majesty, Thou art righteous and holy in all thou dost to the sons of men, though thou hast suffered men to condemn Thy servant, Thy servant will not condemn Thee." Richard Sibbes observed: "When we grow careless of keeping our souls, then God recovers our taste of good things again by sharp crosses." The one and only John Bunyan proclaimed: "Do not even such things as are most bitter to the flesh, tend to awaken Christians to faith and prayer, to a sight of the emptiness of this world, and the fadingness of the best it yield? Doth not God by these things (ofttimes) call our sins to remembrance, and provoke us to amendment of life? How then can we be offended at things by which we reap so much good?.... Therefore if mine enemy hunger, let me feed him; if he thirst, let me give him drink. Now in order to do this, (1) We must see good in that, in which other men can see none. (2) We must pass by those injuries that other men would revenge. (2) We must show we have grace, and that we are made to bear what other men are not acquainted with. (4) Many of our graces are kept alive, by those very things that are the death of other men's souls.... The devil, (they say) is good when he is pleased; but Christ and His saints, when displeased." I love this quote from John Mason: "We need not be ashamed of that now, which we are sure we shall not repent of when we come to die." John Flavel famously said: "A hot iron, though blunt, will pierce sooner than a cold one, though sharper." S. Charnock noted: "Let us not satisfy ourselves with a knowledge of God in the mass; a glance upon a picture never directs you to the discerning the worth and art of it." James Durham rightly admonished: "Neither place, parts, nay, nor graces, will exempt any man from falling. O believers, what need is there to be watchful and humble!" This excellent resource is an outstanding way to begin one's study of the Puritans and their works. This book is also a fine fit for those who desire a more comprehensive and deeper pursuit of Puritan thought. ------ See the New Book that contends for the existence of God using moral absolutes by Mike Robinson: There Are Moral Absolutes: How to Be Absolutely Sure That Christianity Alone Supplies ------ or additionally see the dynamic new book on apologetics that draws from Puritan thought: [[ "God Does Exist!: Defending the faith using presuppositional apologetics, evidence, and the impossibility of the contrary"]]ASIN:1420827626
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