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encouragement for todays pastors

Book Notes: Puritan, Presbyterian, and Reformed

By Matthew Claridge–

J.I. Packer. Puritan Portraits: On Selected Classic Pastors and Pastoral Classics. Geanies House, Great Britain; Christian Focus, 2012.

We all know one can never go wrong reading J.I. Packer, certainly not when he’s writing on his most beloved topic: the puritans. This is a bit of a unique addition to Packer’s puritan corpus. Contained in these pages are a series of “introductions” Packer wrote for a collection of individual puritan reprints published by Christian Focus. Thus, we are treated to a smorgasbord of puritan pieces: Scougal’s The Life of God in the Soul of Man, Charnock’s Christ Crucified, Bunyan’s The Heavenly Footman, Mathew Henry’s The Pleasantness of a Religious Life, Owen’s The Mortification of Sin, Flavel’s Keeping the Heart, and three works by Thomas Boston. The volume rounds out with two biographical sketches of William Perkins and Richard Baxter and an epilogue outlining in a very pointed way how a puritan pastor should go about conducting his ministry drawing mostly from John Owen. Overall, this book represents a warm introduction to many puritan classics from a sure guide. Packer not only notes the strengths but also the weakness of each work. I found this balance helpful since in the giddy exuberance over the puritans (all warranted, of course), we often overlook some of the real human and flawed elements that are to found there as anywhere.

Michael A. Milton.  Finding a Vision for Your Church: Assembly Required. Philipsburg, NJ: P&R, 2012.

Finding A Vision  represents a kind of Presbyterian “9Marks of a Healthy church.”  I say “Presbyterian” only because of its author, but all in all this volume stands as a great reaffirmation and re-articulation of those core ministry objectives Mark Dever sought to capture. The fifteen chapters were originally sermons preached by Milton when he began a pastorate. As such, they are written with warmth, pathos, and practicality. But in addition to a good dose of Mark Dever, there  is a fair bit of John Piper as Milton casts a optimistic, God-glorifying vision of the church triumphant in its hope for heaven and confidence in spiritual harvests. Continuing a trend in many recent books, each chapter ends with study questions for further reflection and two appendices lay out a nuts-and-bolts blueprint for putting the book’s ministry vision into practice.

William Gouge.  Building a Godly Home: A Holy Vision for Family Life. Grand Rapids, MI: Reformed Heritage Press, 2012.

We should all thank publishers like Reformed Heritage for putting in the time to update and re-package puritan classics such as Gouge’s Of Domestical Duties. This particular volume, retitled Building a Godly Home, represents the first of three volumes which divide Gouge’s original work into more manageable chunks. Essentially, this first volume consists of on an exposition of Eph. 5.21ff. We are often tempted to chronolgical snobbery when reading old books like this, but once again I was pleasantly rebuked by the relevance of  Gouge’s thorough acquaintance with the text and its application.  The second and third volume promise even more detailed instruction on family matters,which comes as a surprise after exposure to the richness of just his cursory remarks here.

 

Ryan M. McGraw. Christ’s Glory, Your Good: Salvation Planned, Promised, Accomplished, and Applied. Grand Rapids, MI: Reformed Heritage Press, 2012.

In this slender, but by no means simple, book Ryan McGraw unpacks the gospel of Jesus Christ with doctrinal richness. “Gospel-centered” books of various sorts abound (all the better!), but McGraw provides here a much more comprehensive theological exposition than is often available focusing on classic Reformed theology. Each chapter moves logically and redemptive-historically through a discussion of Christ’s office of Savior beginning in eternity past with the “covenant of redemption” and ending with Christ’s eschatological reign. the topics McGraw covers would make a great preaching or teaching series, all the more so since he provides helpful applications of the doctrine following each chapter. Its a great pastoral compliment to John Murray’s classic, Redemption, Accomplished and Applied.

Joel R. Beeke and Terry D. Slachter. Encouragement for Today’s Pastors: Help from the Puritans. Grand Rapids, MI: Reformed Heritage Press, 2012.

This volume brings together the common theme of all the books considered here: puritanism and the reformed pastor. Its just an overall solid work of pastoral theology focuses on keeping the main thing the main thing as the puritans taught us. Its overall thrust is contained in the title, “encouragement.” Noting the worrying trends of pastoral burn-out, this book seeks to provide ballast and perspective for the struggling under-shepherd. this book cuts through the bewildering assortment of ministry manuals out there and places the pastor right where he belongs: at the foot of the crucified and victorious Christ.

Matthew Claridge is an editor for Credo Magazine and is Senior Pastor of Mt. Idaho Baptist Church in Grangeville, ID. He has earned degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is married to Cassandra and has two children, Alec and Nora.

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