I cannot imagine anyone more qualified to write on the Puritan vision
for godliness than one of the eminent theologians of our day, the
revered J.I. Packer. With lucidity and skill, Packer takes the reader
through a brief history of the Puritan life and purpose. And yet this
work is not strictly an historical work. Much of the genius of this book
is in Packer's ability to take the reader into the inner workings of
the Puritan mind.
Like a expert mechanic, Packer opens up the
hood and shows the student the "engine" and its component parts within
the Puritan worldview. Subjects such as the conscience, revivalism,
preaching and the sermon, spiritual gifts, the Lord's Day, and marriage
and family are all addressed with thorough documentation.
One of
the special features of this work are the copious quotations from the
original source writings themselves. In each and every chapter, Packer
brings the reader into a close-encounter with the very men he calls the
"Redwoods" of Christian theology. (Foremost among them are Owen and
Baxter, over whose works Packer demonstrates thoroughgoing mastery). New
readers in this field will find that, having completed this book, they
have already met a few of the Puritans first-hand.
Rev. Matthew Everhard, Pastor, Faith Evangelical Presbyterian Church. Brooksville Florida.
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