This book will make a lot of people happy. People who love Tim Keller are going to see this summary of his salient teachings as an addendum to his biography, especially if they read those copious endnotes, and be happy. Those looking for some rich devotional writing with the best theological precision will be happy. You’re probably catching on, but this book makes me happy.
I admire Keller, but for some weird reason I’ve listened to many of his sermons online while not getting around to reading his works. After reading this book, that process was certainly a mistake. What was I thinking? This work convinced me that I will read him going forward. Each chapter, as best as I can tell, synthesizes his most beloved books. These chapters leave you clamoring for more. I guess this book makes the publishers of Keller’s books happy too.
This book is well written. It doesn’t only propel you to Keller’s books, but says much itself. These chapters stirred me. I prayed some prayers of repentance for the challenge and conviction I encountered (sans the guilt that you know this moralism-hater was incapable of throwing) after several chapters.
I can’t tell you which chapters were the weakest as I found none I didn’t love. I can’t tell you which chapter I love most as I loved so many of them immensely. I can tell, though, that most of them found this reviewer wanting. If I were forced to list its worst feature I guess I’d say endnotes are annoying to keep flipping to when they are so many and too delicious to miss.
Rarely does a book so gallantly reach its aims, but here’s one that did.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
J. C. Ryle is finally getting his due. Many have enjoyed his work on the Gospels that have been available in one form or another for many years. Banner of Truth has taken on the task of gathering and reprinting many other works of this fervent man. They cut no corners either. He gets the deluxe treatment in these quality bindings with attractive dust covers. To be sure, they look sharp on the shelf, but they are best found in your hands.
Obviously, these books are individual releases, but Banner always gathers them in a lot they call the J. C. Ryle Classics Bundle and offers them in a more affordable way. To me their pricing structure is quite commendable considering the quality of their physical books as compared to the slipshod offerings of some Christian publishers.
Just as I received this set, one volume, “Christian Leaders of the Eighteenth Century”, went out of print (Banner usually brings great books back into print, and it is already back). Still, it was replaced in the classics bundle by a brand new release, “The Christian Race”, that I’ll check out later. Ryle had a second niche in biographical writing. I suppose those in this volume (Christian Leaders) are his heroes and who can blame him. A few well known (Whitefield & Wesley) and nine lesser known men who had God’s hand on them are what he covered. There’s a thread between all of them—revival. God did it, of course, but what men!
“Light From Old Times” is another biographical turn toward stalwart spiritual men. While I had heard of several of them, a few were new to me. Another unique feature is that several of them were martyrs. I must admit that such biography is on a higher plane, even dripping with ethereal beauty. Ryle is not here in a cradle-to-grave vein, but more an admirer explaining why they stand so tall. And tall they do stand, straight and stately.
Perhaps the most famous title in this collection is “Holiness”. I’ve heard it lauded by many for as long as I can remember. It’s not a doctrinal treatise on holiness, but dives deep into practical holiness. Lamentable as it is, most such books aren’t popular, but this one caught on. Strangely enough, this book has an impact far beyond its original target. He addresses certain shallow displays of Christianity popular in his day that’s not of particular interest these days, but the book is in no way hobbled by it. The reason for that success is the timelessness of the biblical material. It’s still just sermons, but they do somehow weave a unified whole that has something meaningful to say about practical holiness. Some sermons here use a Bible character—Moses, Lot, Lot’s wife— to great effect while others tackle a concept directly. Let’s call this one pure gold.
Next is “Practical Religion”. These 21 sermons are a cross between textual and topical. In my opinion, Ryle was especially good in these type sermons. To me, these type sermons are hard to put together and Ryle must have given lots of time to them. The subjects covered are all those he calls “practical religion”. He suggests it might best follow reading “Holiness”. The first sermon “Self-Inquiry” is almost totally topical, but what a catchy verse launches the sermon. The next one on “Self-Exertion” is more textual and revolves around the “strait gate”. The next sermon (“Reality”) is shorter, but piercing. For the preacher, it might suggest several sermons. A specialty of his is going after false professors. Then there are some straightforward sermons that might help even new Christians. In that stretch I thought the sermon on zeal stood out. In the sermon “Formality” the spiritual temperature rises again. In a sermon on the world he sensibly covers separation. That’s not always sensibly presented by many, but he is well balanced here. The sermons continue to be practical. The last 6 are on a clear trajectory to Christ’s Return and Heaven (except for those who went another way in The Great Separation).
“Knots Untied” is the Banner title that introduced me to Ryle outside his work on the Gospels. It piqued my interest and brought me back for more.
“The Upper Room” is a tidy collection of sermons and addresses gathered in old age from across his ministry. Two popular offerings of Ryle are included here: “The Duties of Parents” and “Thoughts for Young Men” that are often reprinted alone. I read them to advantage years ago. Before those two sermons are some exciting offerings by Ryle. Almost out of place among them, though, is an address on the simplicity of preaching. He got very practical with that article, but it does lay out some good things for any new preacher to consider. The sermons were my favorite in this book. While perusing these sermons, I felt a keen desire to return to these texts and preach them someday myself. That’s always a good sign of a successful sermon.
I’m not surprised that one of these volumes was entitled “Old Paths”. That is where he lived even in his day. Can you imagine what he’d say about our day? I suspect he’d be right too. The subjects are ones you’d think would never go sideways among believers as they are the core beliefs—inspiration, sin, forgiveness, justification, conversion, faith, repentance, etc.— though they often do. These are topical sermons. Few really do topical sermons well, but Ryle consistently does. There’s a mass of thoughtful learning here given in a pastoral style.
Finally, “Charges and Addresses” might not be the best of these books as it is certainly a hodgepodge. I’m guessing only those who really love Ryle will be attracted to this book. But here you are thinking about getting this lovely J. C. Ryle Classics Bundle, so I guess that would be you. Only the most revered authors get these type sermons in print. That’s Ryle.
You see loving hands putting this Ryle set together. Their work provides beauty for us all. Ryle loves Jesus, His Word, and possesses a pastoral tenderness that suggests he’s quite fond of us as well. You can’t go wrong here.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
Alexander Stewart…a man we didn’t know before, but are blessed to meet here. Banner of Truth keeps gifting us with a steady supply of biographies of unknown giants. Calling them “giants” is not hyperbole. Don’t let their relative unknown status fool you. They are men of renown in Heaven, something like a continuation of Hebrews 11. Alexander Stewart is a worthy addition to the publisher’s growing collection.
If you have read some of the previous biographies from this publisher, you know to expect a few things. The man is going to be pious, zealous, and living a life consumed by the Lord Jesus Christ. In most cases, revival taking place during his life, even though justly credited to the Lord, is consistently found. All of that is true of Mr. Stewart.
What is different about him from some of the other biographical subjects they have published? Probably the thing that stands out the most to me is how he came to Christ. He was a pastor before he became a Christian. That certainly is not ideal, but the story itself is fascinating. You will always be saying to yourself as you read, I think he’s close, and yes, he reaches the point of becoming a believer and jumps right into a very dedicated life. You almost wonder if this book could be a help because it seems likely that we live in an age where many people are even perhaps deeply involved in Christian work while they do not yet know the Lord.
From there, the biography is more to the general pattern, but it is a pattern that we should hope starts happening more again. Only God can bring revival, but this is what it looks like. A book like this will make you crave it.
This book, like the others, is beautiful and is of impeccable binding. It’s a little smaller in height and looks a little different while retaining a definite attractiveness. It may not take quite as long to read as some of the others, but it is an absolute blessing. I say keep sending these biographies our way, and while we are at it , let’s pray that the Lord starts sending these revivals again.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
Here is a beautiful resource. It’s strikes me as both one of a kind and all you would need of its kind. The Puritans are quite a resource, but I’m in that number of those who wouldn’t know exactly where to turn to tap it. Now I have it!
The first two sections make up the bulk of the book. The first, topical index, shows what workers those Puritans were. I can hardly find a subject they didn’t cover (except some unneeded modern junk). This is a treasure trove. The second, the Scripture index, opens up the Puritans for sermon prep as well.
The ten other shorter sections are simply fun. They are for when your interest grows and you want to get to know the Puritans.
I can’t imagine the amount of labor Mr. Martin put into this resource, but we are all richer for. Tracking down just one thing that would only take a few seconds to find in this book that would have taken you hours shows you just what a treat we have here. We need this one. And then for icing on the cake, we have it in this beautiful hardback edition.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
The best one yet! We are now 7 volumes into this incredible series. Spurgeon lovers are thrilled. All lovers of great sermons should be. Spurgeon was special. He is, without any hyperbole, unique in Christian history. For preachers, there could hardly be one greater than Spurgeon to teach you what life in a sermon looks like. As you can tell, I love Spurgeon!
So why is this volume 7 the best one so far? First, it’s bigger. There are more of these extraordinary sermons. The more Spurgeon the better. You’ll be surprised by the sheer weight of this volume in your hand. The design is like the previous ones, but even the hue of this one is best. Beyond the sermons are all those luscious pictures for the Spurgeon collector. The traces of a labor of love are everywhere apparent in this book.
Second, it is finished! If you take the time to read the introductory material, you will see that the editors decided to put all the remaining sermons in this volume. Now you can secure the whole set if you’ve not been collecting as you go.
The sermons themselves are best described as very full outlines, but follow Spurgeon’s usual way of preaching all over the Bible. All of them are great and some of them are exceptional.
Besides recommending and rating this volume highly, I must also thank the publisher for this whole project. What a gift for us. What an accomplishment by them. Do you want quality and beauty on your shelves? Then this is for you!
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
This beautiful set of Spurgeon’s early sermons continues in this volume 6. The spine of this collector’s edition is green but the exquisite look remains. What a set this is turning out to be!
The Foreward this time is by Mark Dever and focuses on Spurgeon and the art of preaching. He discusses the calling and what it entailed according to Spurgeon. From there, he discusses Spurgeon’s advice on preaching. All good stuff!
After reprinting the Introduction from previous volumes, and a few pictures of Spurgeon’s notes, the sermons begin with the first one a lovely one on Immanuel. I love how the notes always tell us if he had a later sermon on the text and whether there are similarities. I remember the later one on Jehovah Jireh but the one here really isn’t the same. The other notes are fascinating as well.
The sermons are awesome again. Anyone who loves Spurgeon needs these volumes! Anyone who loves preaching needs them too. I give it the highest possible recommendation!
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
Volume 5 continues this set of exquisite volumes of Spurgeon’s early, previously unreleased sermon notes. Though there is a more economical release of this book, I personally love these collector’s editions. If you love an heirloom volume, you will love this volume with its beautiful cover with marbled paper.
Don’t miss the Introduction that answers the question, who is Charles Spurgeon? Really it tells the story in a few pages leading up to the story of the notebooks where these sermons were found.
Beyond the lovely volume are the sermon notes themselves. Spurgeon had a gift, a gift directly from the Lord. He could stretch the text or spiritualize it on occasion but the warmth is always there. The Gospel always soars in his stuff as well. When he speaks of the Lord he speaks of a friend he knows and adores. His sermons could easily be identified among others. They are different, but good and often profound.
When you see these notes you will immediately be amazed that his gift came at a young age. Maybe they were better later, but they are excellent even here. He even tackles Ezekiel 1 here! As always, his texts are from all of Scripture. I especially enjoyed his take on a favorite of mine, Ezekiel 47. I’m fact, his sermons from the prophets are the best in this particular volume.
It’s hard to find words for how wonderful this book truly is!
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
It is so wonderful to see this awesome series resumed after a delay. It turns out that a change in editorship most likely brought on the hold up, but what we loved in the first three volumes is still on hand here. I especially love the beauty and durability of these collector’s editions , but if you need to save a few dollars there is a regular edition as well. To me, the collector’s is worth the extra expense.
While the sermons here might not be quite as good as his later ones that have been long in print, they are unmistakable Spurgeon and contain much more than potential. The focus on the Cross and the call to repent and be saved is everywhere just like you’d expect from him.
Be sure to read the introduction so you can understand what they are trying to accomplish here. Every reader will have their own favorites, but in this volume it is some of the sermons from the old testament prophets that I found truly classic.there are a few where are you a crack a smile like the one on Deuteronomy 22:11 called “Linsey-Woolen Forbidden”!
The work is simply gorgeous as well there are photographs of his sermons as well as indispensable notes on every sermon. You will learn a lot of things about Spurgeon in those notes as they are impeccably researched.
They have re-calibrated this series and it will now ultimately be nine volumes. We are almost halfway there and what a jewel the set will be! Plus, it will be easier on the wallet to secure these volumes one by one as they are released and at the end what a treasure you will have!
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
Maybe you are like me and already own most every book about Charles Spurgeon that has been written. At least those that are well known and have stood the test of time. Perhaps you were also like me and thought all of the most important books about Spurgeon had already been written. As it turns out, we were wrong. Enter this new book by Thomas Breimaier that makes a distinct contribution and approaches the study of Spurgeon from a heretofore untried method. He allows the sermons of Spurgeon to tell his theological biography.
Since this book is advertised as a scholarly study of Spurgeon, you might fear that that would add some amount of boredom to a book about him. Though the scholarly approach often slows down the excitement of a book, this book is saved by the words of Spurgeon himself. Spurgeon couldn’t be dull if his life depended on it!
I have never seen the terms “crucicentric” and “conversionistic” used so often in a book, and though they are so rare that they could not even pass my spellcheck, they are accurate descriptions of the essence of Spurgeon even if no one but scholar would use them. To be sure, for Spurgeon everything, and I do mean everything, is about the Cross and the need of salvation.
The book works too. You might think a book that studied Spurgeon’s preaching in terms of both style and theology couldn’t possibly share his life’s story as well. But it does. I’m not saying we have a new David McCullough here, but since it’s a biography you may already know anyway the story of a man we love is here.
The introduction discusses past works about Spurgeon and his sermons as well as describing the published sermons. Being familiar with all of those works myself, I feel this number is well done. The six chapters that approach Spurgeon both chronologically and involves the role of the Bible, his use of the text in both Old and New Testaments, and his later ministry all hold attention.
The truth is that Spurgeon was not a master expositor like, say, his contemporary Alexander McLaren, but he was likely the greatest preacher of the gospel we have ever known. His sermons will always remind us to magnify Jesus and never fail to call on the hearer to receive Christ now. Every preacher in the world needs a dose of Spurgeon and every listener needs a dose of such preaching. Yes, Spurgeon was tethered to the Cross and that’s worth reading in a world unmoored from it.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
If you are familiar with Church history, then you are likely aware of the spectacular period of Scottish church history beginning at the Reformation and extending throughout the 1600s. Besides some incredible believers and servants of Christ that we can be challenged by, there are all the thrills that any historical reader craves. Religion, palace intrigue, bloodshed, and rousing courage combined to make those costly days to follow Christ.
Banner of Truth dominates the market for this kind of history. They do it right as well. These two volumes by J.K. Hewison would catch your eye on any shelf among other books. The artwork on each volume is the best of any book I’ve seen this year. The binding is durable to last for years to come too. The word “heirloom” comes to mind. (Would make an exceptionally nice gift).
What is between the covers is captivating as well. It would be hard to fail as a writer with that kind of material to work with, but Hewison totally succeeded. He struck the right balance between a truly scholarly work and an enjoyable read. He was fair and didn’t sugarcoat the lives of believers either. Occasionally pictures are even provided.
This book can be used either as a reference to study persons or events or as a fine read with equal parts history and devotion. You will likely have your own favorite episodes as you read. For some reason, Mary, Queen of Scots, grabbed my attention.
If I were forced to only have one title on those magnificent Scottish Christians, this two-volume set would be my choice hands down!
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
The Reagan Review 