Thomas Smyth (born in Belfast), pastor of Second Presbyterian Church in Charleston, S.C., from 1832-1873, gave several practical directions in a Manual for the members of his congregation. The following are twelve rules for promoting harmony among church members (that he appears to have taken out of William Plumer’s Manual for Church Members): 1. To […]

Newly published from Christian Focus Publications is Geoffrey Chang’s examination of C H Spurgeon’s Reformed ecclesiology and Baptist polity… here is an excerpt from the conclusion: More than a century has passed since his death, and yet Spurgeon remains remarkably relevant for modern-day pastors and church leaders. Much attention has been given to Spurgeon over […]

As the founding headmaster of a boys school, Alun Ebenezer is perfectly suited to write a book for young men. In 30 short chapters this little book encourages young men to embrace their masculinity, swim against the current tide of gender-confusion, and act as real Biblical men. Ever down-to-earth and practical Alun Ebenezer taps into […]

This little book of Meditations on the Sufferings and Death of the Lord Jesus Christ consists of 48 short pieces taken from Hawker’s The Poor Man’s Morning and Evening Portions. This extract is from Meditation 31 on the text ‘But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and […]

Sermons by William Gadsby (Gospel Standard Publications, 1991) Many have testified to the Christ exalting nature of William Gadsby’s sermons. It is to these that I have turned this week, and this extract from a sermon on ‘The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad’ (Psalm 126:3) illustrates Gadsby’s forthright style. […]

Back in 2006, long before The John Gill Project had been thought of, Gospel Standard Trust Publications had a similar idea and published an extract from Gill’s Body of Divinity on Justification. In 2009 we blogged about it… A few years back the Gospel Standard Trust published an extract from John Gill’s Body of Divinity. […]

In this fascinating little book we get a view into Watt’s life and hymns, and also his writings on various subjects. Here is part of what he writes about Meditation… How necessary and how useful a practice it is for a Christian to meditate often on the transcendent perfection and worth of the blessed God, […]

The John Gill Project is an admirable endeavour to make the rich spiritual writings of John Gill freshly available to a new generation. All of the intended books are taken from Gill’s Body of Doctrinal and Practical Divinity. The first two in the series have now been published: What is Theology? and Courage. Where there […]

Richard Sibbes was the Puritan known as the ‘heavenly doctor’ such was his ability to communicate the riches of knowing God. He is very quotable! This quote is taken from Josiah’s Reformation in which Sibbes draws on the example of God’s dealings with King Josiah, who was described as having a ‘tender heart’, to show […]

When flicking through this new(ish) publication I noticed how Jonathan Edwards wrote about his wife and the impact that her spiritual life had on her daily walk… Instead of neglecting the business of life, she performed it with greater alacrity as a part of her service to God, declaring that when it was thus done, […]

For a limited time we are running an offer on these books by the Bonar brothers. Horatius Bonar, regarded as one of Scotland’s finest hymn writers, presents the full beauty and sufficiency of Christ’s finished work as the only peace for troubled souls in God’s Way of Peace, and then in a companion volume God’s […]

We have now received stock of the latest book in the planned series taken from James Durham’s ‘A Treatise Concerning Scandal’. This one looks at the necessity of Church discipline, here is an extract… If individual Christians were zealous, loving, and prudent in their private admonitions; if ministers and elders were diligent, single-minded, grave, and […]