Some Staff Picks from this Year's Inventory

Obadiah Sedgwick

Just as it is painful for eyes accustomed to darkness to be exposed to the blazing light of the sun, so it is often painful when the Holy Spirit shines the light of His Word upon the hidden sins of our hearts. In this exposition of Psalm 19:12, the Puritan Obadiah Sedgwick (1600–1658) exposes the nature of secret sins and explains how we can be cleansed from them.He also helps us understand the deceitfulness of sin, diagnose our secret sins, and combat the dominion of sin in our lives. In this treatise, a skilled physician of the soul performs spiritual surgery to show us the roots and the cures of our bosom sins.     

But Now I See: Eye-Opening Light from the Gospel of John

Gerald M. Bilkes

With pastoral warmth, Dr. Bilkes expounds each chapter of the Gospel of John with biblical depth, refreshing simplicity, and practical and spiritual application. As the author confronts us with the astounding claims of Christ, he presents Christ to us with the same names, titles, and symbols as the apostle John—Word, Lamb, ladder, bread, harvest, temple, feast, fountain, shepherd, resurrection, life, servant, way, truth, and life. Find in this devotional manual on John’s majestic Gospel such glorious themes as the new birth, the living water that Christ offers, the necessity of spiritual sight, the power of the cross, and the ultimate miracle of the resurrection. Savory, comforting, and gospel-centered, here is a smorgasbord for the spiritually sensitive palate.

Confession of the Christian Religion

Girolamo Zanchi

Girolamo Zanchi (1516–1590), an Italian contemporary of John Calvin and a protégé of Peter Martyr Vermigli, is perhaps one of the most overlooked Reformed theologians of the early Protestant orthodox period, especially considering the influence of his profound and prolific writings (his entire theological corpus exceeds five million words!). In this fresh translation of his classic and relatively little-known confession of faith, Zanchi walks through the loci of systematic theology with the precision of a scholastic theologian and the piety of a Reformed pastor, defining and defending such doctrines as the Trinity, the relationship between the law and the gospel, providence, the sacraments, justification, and the church with the full weight of biblical authority. This work is valuable not only as a significant document of historical theology, but also as a manual for devotional and meditative piety. To a degree that surpassed even many of his Reformed contemporaries, Zanchi was intimately familiar with the early church fathers as well as the medieval scholastic theologians. Both rich in soul-nourishment and robust in doctrine, this confession should be treasured as one of the choicest crystallizations of the Reformed tradition.  

Hope

Jeremiah Burroughs

Almost everyone senses a deep need for hope. Yet the value of hope is not in the subject of hope (the strength of one’s subjective feeling), but in the object of hope. For that reason, Christian hope is of a different quality than the hope of the world, for it is rooted in the One who is unchanging and unchangeable, and it looks to Him for salvation and eternal life with quiet waiting and confident expectation. In this exposition of 1 John 3:3, Jeremiah Burroughs answers questions such as these: What is the nature of Spirit-worked hope in the life of the Christian? What is the object of Christian hope? And what is the foundation of Christian hope? In his large appendix on Psalm 17:14, Burroughs contrasts Christian hope with those whose hope is in this world. In this work, it is evident that the Puritans taught a profound confidence that the world cannot give in the midst of the storms of life, the inevitability of death, and the onslaught of sorrow and anguish in life. The people of God always have a rock upon which they can base their confidence.

The Wrath of Almighty God: Sermons on God’s Judgment Against Sinners

Jonathan Edwards

The bold preaching of both law and gospel is not much in vogue today. Yet Jonathan Edwards, one of the foremost leaders of the First Great Awakening, understood that sinners will rarely flee to Christ for deliverance until they have seen the misery of their sin, the danger of their spiritual state, and the peril of eternal judgment that awaits them if they remain impenitent and unbelieving. In eleven sermons, including “Wrath to the Uttermost,” “The End of the Wicked Contemplated by the Righteous,” and “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” Edwards considers such topics as the wrath of God, the justice of God, the portion of the wicked, the punishment of the wicked, the eternity of hell, and the decisiveness of eternal judgment. As you sit under Edwards’s pulpit, you will find this collection of sermons to be both sobering and awakening.

God’s Way, Not Ours: Isaiah 1

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

In nine sermons which he preached at the Westminster Chapel in 1963, Martyn Lloyd-Jones here expounds the first chapter of Isaiah (who Augustine aptly called the fifth Gospel writer). In this series, the Doctor expounds for us the themes that defined Isaiah’s ministry—the majesty of God, the grace of divine revelation, the sinfulness of sin, the folly of backsliding, the hope of the gospel, and the necessity of repentance and faith. In awakening, practical, and plain language, Lloyd-Jones dashes to the ground every human substitute for salvation, including the idols of the world, the righteousness of the law, and even religious sacrifice. Here is vintage Lloyd-Jones, masterful as always in exposition, explanation, and illustration. This soul-searching collection of sermons makes for ideal devotional reading.

The History of the Puritans: From the Reformation in 1517 to the Revolution in 1688

Daniel Neal

Nearly unrivaled in church history for their combination of theological precision with personal piety, the Puritans continued the legacy of the Reformation by applying the full force of biblical truth rediscovered in the Reformation to the life of the individual, the family, the church, and the nation—all within a thoroughly Reformed framework. They were likewise spiritual physicians who excelled in experiential preaching, doctrinal formulation, and skilled casuistry (the precursor to modern-day biblical counseling). Our understanding of the works of the Puritans, as well as our appreciation of them, will be greatly enriched if we better understand the background in which they lived and ministered—particularly the background of their sufferings. Once an immensely popular four-volume set (twenty-one editions were produced by 1863), David Neal’s work has since fallen out of print and largely out of use. Not so much a collection of individual biographies, such as The Nonconformist’s Memorial by Edmund Calamy (1671–1732), this work is more a biography of the political and ecclesiastical life of the English nation in relation to the Puritans. Here you will find eyewitness accounts about the Puritans and their contemporaries that are found in few (if any) other places. Here you will also meet an assortment of kings, queens, pastors, bishops, and archbishops from the reign of Henry VIII until the Toleration Act of 1689. Ambitious in scope but tastefully abridged by Geoffrey Main, this is a wonderful companion to your collection of Puritan biography, history, and theology, such as Meet the Puritans or A Puritan Theology.

The Shorter Catechism Illustrated: From Church History and Biography

John Whitecross   

Stories have the power to capture our imaginations and to embed eternal truths upon our hearts for a lifetime. Through His parables, the Lord Jesus Himself used stories to communicate divine truths. In the early nineteenth century, John Whitecross, the father-in-law of the Scottish missionary John Paton (1824–1907), compiled hundreds of stories to illustrate the truths of the Westminster Shorter Catechism. Many of these stories come from the lives and ministries of prominent Puritans and Nonconformists. Reprinted and lightly modernized for modern readers, this work provides a wealth of material for personal enjoyment, finding sermon illustrations, or enriching Sunday School lessons.

We must wait on God every day—both in the joys of life and in the trials we face. Whether we stand in seasons of prosperity or walk through valleys of sorrow, the call remains the same: trust in Him, lean not on your own understanding, and rest in His providence. Waiting is not inactivity; it is a steadfast clinging to the Lord, knowing that He alone is our refuge.

Are you burdened with cares? Cast them on the Lord. Do you have responsibilities to fulfill? Know that God has assigned them to you and will provide the grace to carry them out. Are you struggling with uncertainty? Seek His wisdom, for He is the source of all truth. When suffering weighs heavily on your soul, submit to His loving discipline, trusting that He is working all things for your good.

Waiting on the Lord is not wasted time. It is a refining process—a sanctifying work in which our faith is strengthened, our hearts are humbled, and our eyes are fixed upon Christ, the author and perfecter of our faith.

“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

Excerpt taken from Hope, published by Reformation Heritage Books. Used with permission.

The apostle Paul prayed constantly for believers and churches all over the world. Paul was a remarkably busy person whose life was full of conflicts and trials. Yet he maintained a system of prayer. We can follow his example by keeping prayer lists and, with God’s help, using them to help organize our prayers. At times you will feel more burdened to pray for some than others, but press on even when you do not feel like doing so.

Divide your list into three categories: those you intend to pray for (1) every day, (2) every week, and (3) every month. A good friend in South Africa spends an hour or more on his knees in his study every morning from 5:00 to 6:00, interceding in this manner. My family and I are on his daily list. I cannot tell you how many times I have been encouraged by realizing that this brother is daily lifting up my worthless name to the Lord of Sabaoth. No wonder John Newton (1725–1827) considered his best friends to be those who prayed for him.

Pray through your church directory, dividing the list to cover a reasonable number of people each day. If you are a pastor, you will know their needs. Praying may be the most valuable work that a minister does. It may also be the most important ministry of church members.

Use other prayer directories to pray through a list of missionaries supported by your church or denomination. Read the e-mails and newsletters of missionaries you support and pray for them after you are done reading. Otherwise, you might forget.

Reading the Bible for Prayer

One reason your prayer life may be drooping is that you have neglected the Holy Scriptures. Prayer is a two-way conversation. We need to listen to God, not just to talk to Him. We do not listen to God by emptying our minds and waiting for a thought to spontaneously come to mind. That’s non-Christian mysticism. We listen to God by filling our minds with the Bible because the Bible is God speaking in written form. Our Lord Jesus Christ says in John 15:7, ‘If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.’

When you read the Bible, do so with the intent of responding to God’s Word with prayer. For example, read Ephesians 5 with its many commands for the church and marriage. This is rich material for prayer. Praise God for the love of Christ presented in verses 2 and 25. Turn the commandments into confessions of your transgressions of God’s holy law. And bring the laws of God to Him, praying for God to write them on your heart and the hearts of others. Every Scripture passage is fuel for burning prayers.

The Importance of Perseverance in Prayer

May God also sanctify us through seemingly unanswered petitions. Remember, in the waiting time between sowing and reaping, plants are growing. Though we may wait a long time before receiving an answer to some prayers, we must pray on, realizing that prayer itself as well as the trial of delayed answers helps our soul grow.

But if unanswered prayer is sweet, how much sweeter is answered prayer! ‘Good prayers never come weeping home,’ wrote Joseph Hall (1574–1656); ‘I am sure I shall receive either what I ask or what I should ask.’ God knows what is best for His children. He never denies us anything that we ask for in humble submission and according to His will. So pray on. Refuse to leave the Lord alone. Keep before you the encouraging words of Thomas Watson (ca. 1620–1686): ‘The angel fetched Peter out of prison, but it was prayer that fetched the angel.’

Excerpt taken from Taking Hold of God: Reformed and Puritan Perspectives on Prayer, edited by Joel R. Beeke and Brian G. Najapfour. Published by Reformation Heritage Books. Used with permission.

Puritan: All of Life to the Glory of God is an inspiring film that takes you on a journey through Puritan history, highlighting their enduring message of honoring Christ in all areas of life. Featuring insights from world-renowned theologians and scholars such as Joel Beeke, John Piper, Sinclair Ferguson, and many others, this documentary provides a deeper understanding of the Puritan pursuit of godliness.

What Makes This Documentary Special?

Through vivid storytelling, breathtaking visuals, and expert commentary, Puritan: All of Life to the Glory of God showcases how the Puritans:

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The Puritans’ legacy isn’t just for you—it’s for your family, friends, and church community. Share this free streaming opportunity and encourage others to discover how the Puritans sought to glorify God in all of life. Together, let’s be inspired by their example and strive to live for His glory in every area of our lives.

Take this moment to journey into the lives of men and women who shaped the faith we hold dear. Watch Puritan: All of Life to the Glory of God today, and let their story encourage you to live with greater devotion to Christ.

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Be inspired. Spread the word. Experience the Puritans.

Edward Reynolds

This six-volume set is without doubt one of the most significant Puritan reprints of the last decade. Charles Spurgeon once described Edward Reynolds as “a man of vast learning and thoroughly evangelical spirit.”[1&91; A preacher, peacemaker, and Presbyterian, Reynolds (quite surprisingly for a Puritan!) served as the bishop of Norwich between 1660 and 1676. In addition to a biography of his life, volume 1 of this collection includes three of Reynolds’s works—The Vanity of the Creature, The Sinfulness of Sin, and The Life of Christ. Volume 2 includes his exposition of Psalm 110, while volume 3 includes his Meditations on the Holy Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, as well as his sermons on Hosea 14. Volume 4 includes his commentary on Ecclesiastes, as well as several sermons—most notably on self-denial and joy, while volume 5 includes more sermons and treatises. Finally, volume 6 includes A Treatise on the Passions and Faculties of the Soul, where he deals with such topics as memory, imagination, understanding, the will, the conscience, and the passions. Volume 6 concludes with the sermon that was preached at Reynolds’s funeral. Quite sobering at times in a most welcome way (particularly in his excellent treatise on sin in volume 1), Bishop Reynolds is an eminently valuable and easy-to-read Puritan whose writings have stood the test of time.

Aaron’s Rod Blossoming: or, The Divine Ordinance of Church Government Vindicated

George Gillespie

This magisterial work, now accessible as a critical and annotated edition, is George Gillespie’s most forceful critique of Erastianism and his defense of Presbyterian church government in the Scottish tradition. Gillespie was a theological prodigy in the Church of Scotland. At only thirty years of age, he became the youngest delegate appointed to the Westminster Assembly, where he served—along with Robert Baillie, Alexander Henderson, and Samuel Rutherford—as a ministerial commissioner to the assembly from the Church of Scotland. In Aaron’s Rod, Gillespie defends the distinction between civil and ecclesiastical authority and opposes Erastianism, the idea that the civil government has authority over the church. Drawing from Scripture and ecclesiological writings throughout church history, Gillespie defends Presbyterian church government, considers issues surrounding excommunication and admission to the Lord’s Table, and discusses the twofold kingdom of Christ. Even those who are not of Presbyterian conviction will benefit from this work, not least for its historical significance. Most importantly, Gillespie draws connections between ecclesiology and Christology in his discussion of the mediatorial work of Christ in relation to church government.

The Complete Gathered Gold: A Treasury of Quotations for Christians

Compiled by John Blanchard

Among the treasure troves of theological and devotional writings that have been written through the centuries, some flashes of inspiration are so pithy, timeless, and memorable that they are like gems for their value and like seeds for their potential to stimulate meditation and inspire transformation of life. This work is perhaps the ultimate collection of such gems of spiritual insight. In this collection, you can hear the voices of early church fathers, Reformers, Puritans, and their successors up to the modern day on such varied and fruitful topics as Christ, faith, the gospel, justification, prayer, the promises of God, suffering, and zeal. This compilation of fifteen thousand quotations is ideal for pastors as well as for personal edification.

The Vanity of Thoughts: Puritan Treasures for Today Series

Thomas Goodwin

What do you think about when there is nothing to think about? And how can we sift vain thoughts from our minds and focus on what glorifies the Lord (Phil. 4:8)? It is to such questions that Thomas Goodwin directs his attention in this fine exposition of Jeremiah 4:14—ably modernized by Brian Hedges, yet without sacrificing substance. Our minds can be like beautiful palaces that house true, noble, and pure thoughts, or else they can be like sewers with vain, impure, and self-centered thoughts. Our God desires us not only to submit to Him in our emotions, our will, and our behavior, but also in our innermost thoughts—for our thought life is the spring of our feelings and actions. Let this treatise convict you for the vanity of your thoughts, lead you to trust more fully in the Christ whose thoughts were without sin, and guide you to greater depths of holiness in your thought life. Like any of the books in the Puritan Treasures for Today series, The Vanity of Thoughts can easily be read by young teenagers and is ideal for those who are new to the Puritans.

Worshiping on the Way: The Psalms of Ascent

Jonathan Landry Cruse

Whether in its description of the choirs of Solomon’s Temple, the churches of the apostolic age, or the praise that surrounds the throne of God, the Bible makes it clear that the people of God are a singing people. In particular, singing from the Psalms—the inspired songbook of Scripture—is one of God’s ordained means to illuminate the minds, ignite the affections, and shape the lives of His people. As a Reformed pastor and a gifted hymnwriter, Jonathan Landry Cruse is well-qualified to expound the Psalms of Ascents (Psalms 120–134)—fifteen sacred songs that apply as powerfully to pilgrims on their journey to the New Jerusalem today as they did for Israelites on pilgrimage to the earthly Jerusalem thousands of years ago. Cruse considers such topics as the church’s experience of divinely guaranteed security, divinely guaranteed redemption, and divinely grounded unity. In this book, you will encounter doxological reading for the joyful worshiper on the road to the Celestial City.

Bread for the Soul: Nourishing Your Faith Daily

Edited by Joel R. Beeke

Perhaps you feel like there is a trade-off between breadth and depth in your study of God’s Word. It can certainly be difficult to read Scripture broadly without sacrificing meditation; and it can likewise be difficult to meditate deeply without sacrificing breadth of reading. In this fresh edition of Milk and Honey (previously published by Reformation Heritage Books in 2010), a group of ministers from both sides of the Atlantic (including Joel Beeke, Gerald Bilkes, and Maurice Roberts) spread a spiritual feast and combine breadth and depth in delightful balance. As they guide us through the mountain peaks of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation, the authors provide soul-stirring meditations on key passages to the story of redemption and the Christian life. As you sit under the pulpits of these twelve men—each of whom are thoroughly biblical, warm, experiential, and practical—you will find that your mind, affections, and will are trained in godliness as you pursue holiness in your daily life. Plus, the quality of this book and the beautiful pictures of God’s creation throughout this devotional make it a perfect gift for a loved one.

Making Sense of Man: Using Biblical Perspectives to Develop a Theology of Humanity

Vern Poythress

Vern Poythress is not only gifted as a theologian, but also as a mathematician, scientist, and philosopher. Throughout his writing career, he has skillfully weaved insights from his manifold fields of expertise to help people better understand the Bible. This work on the biblical doctrine of man is a welcome contribution from his pen, for we live in a day of much confusion over the very nature of humanity. Our society does not know what to make of mankind; indeed, it hardly knows what it even means to be human. Some say that we are nothing but highly evolved animals; others say that we are preeminently sexual beings; others insist that we must define ourselves; and still others declare that we (along with the rest of nature) are in fact divine. All such narratives fall short of the biblical portrait of man as a unique creature made in the image of God, as well as a creature who can be redeemed and glorified through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Poythress takes us back to this biblical picture, discussing such topics as the image of God, embodiment, sexuality, the soul, original righteousness, the intermediate state, the covenant with Adam, the fall, sin, and the will.

Proclaiming the True God: The Doctrine of the Trinity in the Life of the Church

Matthew Barrett, Ronni Kurtz, Samuel G. Parkison, and Joseph Lanier

The classical doctrine of God is under attack. In the modern church, we need a recovery (or rediscovery, as the authors put it) of classic trinitarian theology in the wake of such erroneous and heretical views as the social Trinity and open theism. This book is based on sermons that the authors preached in 2021 when they served together as pastors at Emmaus Church in Kansas City, Missouri. In this work, you will find several pastoral yet no less scholarly contributions from these pastors on divine simplicity, the eternal generation of the Son, the procession of the Holy Spirit, and the inseparable operations of the Trinity. The last chapter, quite appropriately, addresses the believer’s experience of union and communion with the Trinity, as well as the beatific vision.

Things Unseen: One Year of Reflections on the Christian Life

Sinclair Ferguson

Adapted from the 2023 episodes of his excellent podcast (also called Things Unseen), Sinclair Ferguson provides meditations to help the believer renew his or her mind every day. Each of the fifty-two weeks of the year has a different theme. These themes include such topics as Scripture, worship, the fruit of the Spirit, the Ten Commandments, the passion of Christ, the Lord’s Prayer, the Trinity, the person and work of Christ, the Holy Spirit, the emotions of Jesus, sanctification, the sacraments, covenant theology, eschatology, angels, and the Second Coming. Here is excellent, edifying reading for those who want to spend a year with Dr. Ferguson!

To Change All Worlds: Critical Theory from Marx to Marcuse

Carl Trueman

Critical theory has taken the world by storm. From a Christian perspective, Trueman traces the roots and fruits of critical theory in modern society, showing how Karl Marx, the scholars of the Frankfurt School, and other ungodly philosophers contributed to the dissemination of cultural Marxism in the Western world and the ensuing transformation of society’s view of such matters as gender, sexuality, and race.

[1&91; C. H. Spurgeon, Commenting & Commentaries (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1876), 101.

Joseph Symonds

In diagnosing diseases, it is vital to recognize symptoms, find the root cause of those symptoms, and prescribe the correct cure. Spiritual desertion must be treated in much the same way, for it is a disease of the soul. In the throes of spiritual desertion, the believer may feel that God is distant; he may find that his heart is cold toward God; he may be overwhelmed with unbelief and the power of his corrupt nature; and he may even find himself quite depressed. With the skill of a caring spiritual physician (as well as typical Puritan precision), Joseph Symonds provides both diagnosis and prescription by examining the symptoms, causes, and cures of spiritual desertion.

(Reformation Heritage Books; paperback; 346 pages) $22.00 | $17.00

Knowing the Cross

Geoffrey Thomas

The cross of Jesus Christ is at the center of the gospel. In twelve edifying chapters, Geoffrey Thomas views the atonement that Christ made on the cross from various angles, including imputation, substitution, propitiation, redemption, and satisfaction. This makes for ideal devotional reading.

(Reformation Heritage Books; paperback; 144 pages) $14.00 | $12.00

The Lord Our Righteousness: Christ Is the Righteousness of a Sinner before God

Obadiah Grew

In this exposition of Jeremiah 23:6, Obadiah Grew—a very readable Puritan—unpacks the doctrine of justification. He proclaims the sinfulness of sin, the foolishness of trusting self, the fullness of God’s free and sovereign grace, the necessity of Christ’s righteousness, the sufficiency of Christ to save sinners, the experiential reality of union with Christ, and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness. This treatise is excellent for Christians who struggle with guilt and condemnation, for the righteousness of Christ alone—not one’s own performance—is the only ground of comfort for the child of God. Here is a book to help get your eyes off of self and onto Christ.

(Reformation Heritage Books; paperback; 112 pages) $16.00 | $12.00

Sanctified by the Spirit: John Owen, Habits of Grace, and Biblical Counseling

Colin R. McCulloch

The biblical counseling movement is still relatively young, having entered the evangelical world little more than fifty years ago. Since that time, it has come to be dominated by two paradigms—the habituational model of Jay Adams (1929–2020) and the heart-motivational model of David Powlison (1949–2019). Taking us well beyond the establishment of the biblical counseling movement to the Puritans—and in particular to John Owen, the Puritan who developed a remarkably robust doctrine of the Holy Spirit as well as His work in sanctification—Colin McCulloch shows how the pneumatology and soteriology of John Owen provide valuable insights for biblical counselors, as well as a corrective to the views of both Adams and Powlison. Gleaning heavily from Owen, the author shows that through “Spirit-infused habitual grace,” the Holy Spirit sanctifies the believer and helps him or her gradually overcome sinful habits. McCulloch contends that this more historical and Puritan-minded model, while acknowledging insights in both the habituational and heart-motivational models, is more biblical and balanced than both.

(Reformation Heritage Books; paperback; 232 pages) $30.00 | $18.00

Theology, Piety, and Mission: The Influence of Gisbertus Voetius on Missiology and Church Planting

Ronaldo Lidório

Sketching the orthodoxy, piety, and missiology of Gisbertus Voetius (1589–1676)—one of the foremost luminaries of the Dutch Further Reformation (or the Nadere Reformatie movement)—Pastor Lidório ably demonstrates how Reformed orthodoxy, experiential piety, and dynamic evangelism coalesce to form a relevant and forceful paradigm for Christ-centered missions in the twenty-first century. The author highlights the centrality of prayer, doctrine, holiness, compassion, biblical worship, dependence upon the Holy Spirit, and Christ-centered preaching to effective missions work. Drawing from his experience as a pioneer missionary in Ghana, Lidório weaves together the fabric of this historical-theological treatise with captivating (and no less moving) stories of Christ’s work on the mission field. Here, then, is a comprehensive, practical vision for pursuing the Great Commission with boldness and fidelity to Scripture—perfect for missionaries, church planters, theological students, and believers in the pew alike.

(Reformation Heritage Books; paperback; 125 pages) $16.00 | $13.00

A Treatise on the Law and the Gospel

John Colquhoun

It is against the backdrop of our failure to keep the law of God—and our righteous condemnation under that law—that the gospel becomes unspeakably glorious. At the same time, it is impossible to pursue true obedience to God’s law until we have been delivered through the gospel. There is constant interplay between law and gospel throughout Scripture, and it is that interplay that the Scottish minister John Colquhoun (1748–1827) so ably captures in this classic treatise. With a firmly covenantal perspective, Colquhoun traces the moral law from Eden to Sinai, then shows how the gospel transforms the believer’s relationship to the law. The law no longer condemns the believer, who is dead to the covenant of works, Colquhoun says; rather, it becomes his rule of life as he responds to the free and sovereign grace of God with gratitude. This work is ideal for understanding the classic Reformed understanding of the relationship of law and gospel in biblical-theological and practical perspective.

(Reformation Heritage Books; paperback; 336 pages) $30.00 | $22.00

The True Believer: The Marks and Benefits of True Faith

Jonathan Edwards

What is saving faith? Answering that question in the course of eight sermons, Jonathan Edwards explains the difference between saving, Spirit-worked faith and the so-called “faith” of the unregenerate. In these messages, Edwards warns unregenerate, nominal Christians (or “professors of religion,” as he calls them) of their precarious spiritual state. Those who think that they are out of reach of God’s mercy should read Edwards’s first sermon in this compilation, “Pardon for the Greatest Sinners.”

(Reformation Heritage Books; paperback; 315 pages) $20.00 | $15.00

Other New Titles

Daily Doctrine: A One-Year Guide to Systematic Theology

Kevin DeYoung

In this clear, precise, and comprehensive treatment of systematic theology in the Reformed tradition, broken down into bitesize pieces, Kevin DeYoung provides 260 days of doctrinal teaching that is useful as a condensed handbook of systematic theology as well as a devotional (one can read through the entire guide in one year at the pace of just five entries per week). The author touches on every major doctrine of the faith, drawing from the wells of classical and Reformed theology, including the early church fathers, the Reformers, the Puritans, and later luminaries such as J. C. Ryle, Herman Bavinck, and Louis Berkhof. DeYoung considers foundational and eminently practical matters of the faith—such as the names of God, the attributes of God, prayer, the incarnation of Christ, the resurrection of Christ, and justification. He answers questions that Christians have asked for millennia: what is the image of God (day 79)? Is every sin the same in the eyes of God (day 86)? Do James and Paul contradict one another in their teaching on justification (day 178)? What will heaven be like (day 250)? And what is “the first resurrection” of Revelation 20:5 (day 259)? And he discusses more technical questions about such matters as perichoresis, Amyraldianism, and the extra Calvinisticum. Presented in a beautiful clothbound format, the physical book will last for generations, while the doctrines within will last for eternity.

(Crossway; hardcover; 409 pages) $32.99 | $22.50

The Way of the Spirit in Bringing Souls to Christ

Thomas Allen

In ten sermons from the gospel of John (John 16:7–10; 7:37), Thomas Allen (a little-known Puritan minister) shows how the Holy Spirit draws souls to Christ by showing to them the sinfulness of sin, convicting them for their sins, and displaying to them the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. Above all, we read here how Jesus Christ freely welcomes all sinners to Himself to receive fullness of forgiveness and everlasting life.

(Northampton Press; hardcover; 216 pages) $30.00 | $21.00

Still, there must be pastors and teachers “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:12). The ministry isn’t better than other vocations. But for some, becoming a minister is the best work because God has called them to it.

Just how God calls men to the ministry is too often needlessly unclear. As a result, men give little thought to the possibility of gospel service, and believers fail to help them find their calling. If God calls ordinary Christian men to become pastors, we should know how he does it.

How Are Men Called to the Ministry?

Put simply, qualified men are sent by the church to speak for Christ(Rom. 10:14–15). That sending process will be different for every man. But the pattern is less like the dramatic call of the Old Testament prophets, and more like Timothy’s pathway to ministry.[i&91; Timothy was raised in a godly home (2 Tim. 1:5), was converted to Christ as a young man, and developed a good reputation in the church (Acts 16:1–2). When Paul met him, he “wanted Timothy to accompany him” (v. 3). So “the council of elders laid their hands” on him to set him apart for the ministry (1 Tim. 4:14; see 2 Tim. 1:6). Even Timothy’s story isn’t programmatic. But it can help demystify the calling process. He had no “Damascus road experience.” He was a faithful and gifted man taken from another calling to serve the church.

So how do men like Timothy enter the ministry today?

Prayer

Jesus once appointed seventy-two men to preach the gospel. But because the harvest is great and the workers few many more are needed. It is not uncommon for denominations and church networks today to have pastoral vacancy rates of 10 to 20 percent. And even churches that aren’t vacant would benefit from more pastors, evangelists, and church planters. So “pray earnestly to the Lord for the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Luke 10:2). Pray for pastors who reflect God’s heart for the church (Jer. 3:15), to “plant, water, and harvest a people for [his&91; name.”[ii&91; If you are wondering if you might be called to the ministry, pray that the Lord would help you be faithful in your present responsibilities and humbly respond to the possibility of a life of gospel ministry.

Encouragement

Pastors and elders should seek and equip faithful men whom God might use to shepherd the flock (2 Tim. 2:2), testing potential future pastors long before they go to seminary. Parents also have an important role. William Perkins wrote that “Every Christian parent, by virtue of his general calling, is to dedicate some of his male children (as much as possible) to the service of the ministry, if they have gifts and inclination of nature for that calling.”[iii&91; Perkins might sound overly ambitious. But his intention is exactly right. Without encouragement, perhaps even yours, many young men might simply shrug off as far-fetched thoughts of a pastoral calling.

Ordination

Ultimately no one knows if he is called to the ministry until achurch officially calls him to pastor their congregation and charges him to take heed to the flock that the Holy Spirit has called him to help oversee (Acts 20:28). The internal call that a man might sense must be confirmed by a literal external call and the laying on of hands. But along the way there will likely be indicators of a man’s calling to the ministry.

What Are Possible Signs to a Call to the Ministry?

In addition to understanding the calling process, a man considering the ministry—and his church—should evaluate his qualifications. John Newton identified three signs of a ministerial call: desire, competency, and ordination.[iv&91;

The Sign of Desire

Paul’s first word on pastoral qualification commends a man’s desireto be a pastor (1 Tim. 3:1). This desire is not a “naturalistic sense of attraction”: a desire to be heard, a craving for reputation, power, or wealth.[v&91; But a called man will want to be a pastor. A friend in pastoral ministry explains that “you must feel that burden, that tug of the heart, that nagging, piercing prod from the Lord that he,” at least perhaps, is calling you “to this holy task.”[vi&91; The internal call might not begin as strongly as that. But unlike many other vocations, the ministry requires a genuine passion for the work.

The Sign of Competency

A man who may be called to the ministry must meet the biblical qualifications of an overseer (1 Tim. 3:2–7; Titus 1:6–9). He must have a high view of Scripture and an eagerness to obey it. He must be wise and kind, courageous and loving, convictional and sympathetic. He should possess a great capacity for discouragement and a willingness to receive both just and unjust criticism, knowing his weaknesses. He should be self-disciplined and self-controlled. He must have sufficient intellect and communication skills to rightly handle the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15). He may not be “a recent convert” (1 Tim. 3:6; see 1 Tim. 5:22) but have a proven track record of Christian service. A good pastoral candidate will be generally competent, likely to succeed in any field but especially equipped for pastoral work.

The congregation and her leaders should help affirm, or possibly deny, a man’s sense of calling, considering among other things his performance in a good seminary.

The Sign of Ordination

Ministers must be sent by the church. Today, all it takes to becomea “pastor” is to say it is so. But as Charles Spurgeon wrote, “An ambassador unsent would be a laughing-stock.”[vii&91; A man truly called by God to the gospel ministry will be noticed, affirmed, equipped, supported, examined, authorized, and commissioned by the church of Jesus Christ.

Puritan John Arrowsmith simplified the requirements for a “lawful calling” into the gospel ministry: “ability, inclination, and separation (ordination).”[viii&91; A man who is called by God to the ministry will be faithfully carrying out the vocation in which God in his providence has placed him (1 Cor. 7:17). He will be inwardly constrained to pastor God’s people. And his gifts will be recognized by the church, which will ratify his inward call.

That calling, like all others, is great. No man is sufficient for these things. But God is “our sufficiency” (2 Cor. 3:5). After all, gospel ministry is God’s ministry. People plant and water. But God provides the growth (1 Cor. 3:6). God allows people, including ministers, to assist in the transformation of lives. But he is the Lord of the harvest. Ministers are just men through whom the merciful God cares for his people. Knowing that, we should want him to raise up men for the job. So we pray and work, trusting that he’ll do it.

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[i&91; “An extraordinary, divine declaration is not an element of this internal commission…The external calling is also not extraordinary in nature.” Wilhelmus á Brakel, The Christian’s Reasonable Service, ed. Joel R. Beeke, trans. Bartel Elshout (Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books, 1993), 2:121, 122.

[ii&91; “Pastoral Prayer (Long)—1,” in Liturgical Forms and Prayers of the URCNA, https://formsandprayers.com/prayers-meditations/#...

[iii&91; Perkins, “A Treatise on Vocations,” in The Works of William Perkins, vol. 10, ed. Joseph A. Pipa and J. Stephen Yuille (Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books, 2020) 51–52.

[iv&91; Cited in Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1954), 33–35.

[v&91; Joel Nederhood, “The Minister’s Call,” in The Preacher and Preaching: Reviving the Art, ed. Samuel T. Logan, Jr. (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 1986), 35.

[vi&91; Jason Helopoulos, The New Pastor’s Handbook: Help and Encouragement for the First Years of Ministry (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2015), 29.

[vii&91; Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, 24.

[viii&91; Quoted in Chad Van Dixhoorn, God’s Ambassadors: The Westminster Assembly and the Reformation of the English Pulpit, 1643–1653,Studies on the Westminster Assembly (Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books, 2017), 109.

Reading through Spurgeon’s sermons often throws up interesting insights about the act of preaching, if only because Spurgeon did it so often and, typically, so well. You do not need to read much to find that he is fundamentally a textual-expository preacher, focusing on and expounding a short passage of Scripture. Usually, he breaks his sermon down into a number of points—regularly three, but not artificially or monotonously (in fact, the variety of Spurgeon’s three-point sermons is worth a study of its own). He typically announces his outline toward the beginning of his sermon, giving his congregation a sense of where he is going to go. Then, as he proceeds, he announces and summarizes his points, moving on from one to the next. For preachers, this is a question of homiletics—specifically, the construction, balance, and proportion of the sermon.

What is particularly interesting is how often Spurgeon finds himself under pressure of time. His sermons, when read, are usually in the forty to forty-five-minute range, and he seems committed to this kind of length. With this in mind and with his structure in place, he aims to make each sermon its own coherent whole. However, preaching with fairly minimal notes and seeking to be responsive both to the Spirit working in him and the people listening to him, he regularly makes comments about hurrying on, about the passage of time, about having to be brief, about needing to summarize. Some of his sermons are not, as a result, the most finely-polished examples of the homiletical craft. Also, sometimes he seems quite deliberately to move from shorter to longer points, or vice versa, as if to build momentum or develop an argument. At other times, it can feel as if he is riding a sprightly horse, trying to keep a tight rein with a view to getting safely and soundly to the end of his gallop. And, usually, Spurgeon lands his sermonic aircraft without either the endless circling of some pulpit pilots or the harrowing thump and smoking brakes of others.

As we see a master of his craft managing his material in this way, what might we learn? I suggest that we can learn the importance of a good structure, a responsive heart, and an adaptable man.

First, we learn the importance of a good structure. That well-ordered and thoughtfully organized outline serves Spurgeon well. Within the overall plan of his three points (or however many there may be), he often has identifiable sub-headings. Sometimes, these are broken out within the printed sermons. He may have a logical argument that proceeds through each point or one that varies from point to point. If you look at the notes that he took into the pulpit, it is this developed outline that is usually before him. This provides a number of advantages. He can always see where he is in terms of his structure compared to his available time. He knows where he has gone and where he needs to get to. If he becomes pressed for time, he is able to prioritize to keep his sermon coherent and complete.

Second, we learn the importance of a responsive heart. While it is not always easy to gauge from a written sermon, one still has a sense, from the rhythm of Spurgeon’s words, phrases, and sentences, when he is preaching with particular freedom. Remembering that written outline, the reader begins to be carried along on a wave of holy eloquence, a more deliberate or expansive declaration of particular points—how much more if one were a hearer! There are at least two dimensions to this. One is the preacher’s responsiveness to the Holy Spirit in the very act of preaching. In dependence upon him, thoughts can fill the mind and words the mouth as the theme or topic is illuminated as it is handled. This might lead either to a distinctive and penetrating concentration of material, in which an element of the sermon acquires a laser focus, or to a holy overflow of material, in which descriptions of the Savior or considerations of Christian experience seem to bubble out of the preacher. The other element is the preacher’s responsiveness to the people listening to him. Spurgeon often refers to the tears of his congregation (regularly in connection with his own) or to other impacts that the sermon has upon his hearers. He is preaching with his eyes on his congregation and his heart toward them. In Spurgeon, the lively pulpit dynamic, triangulating between the Holy Ghost, the preacher, and the hearers, is vibrant and potent. He seems to be highly sensitive to it, willing to give himself to the current of the moment and allow the sermon to develop, as a whole or at particular points, in a way dictated by the immediate influence of the Holy Ghost and the discerned needs or appetites of the congregation.

Third, we learn the importance of an adaptable man. Taking into account both the overarching structure of his sermon, with the desire to complete it coherently and forcefully, and his responsiveness to the influence of the Spirit and the presence of the people, Spurgeon shows himself supremely adaptable. If his first point bubbles over, he will tell people that he needs to press through the second in order to address the third properly, and the second might then become little more than a slightly developed list of headings. If his whole sermon gushes along, he might close with an abbreviated series of appeals rather than an extended series of applications. If the conclusions or applications are exploding, he will corral the whole with a few pithy words. In this sense, the spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophets (1 Cor. 14:32). This is not some wild rollercoaster ride in which no one has any idea what will happen next. This is a man responsive to the help of the Holy Spirit and so thoughtfully and deliberately managing his material as he goes.

Spurgeon’s practice does not permit us simply to ‘wing it’ in our sermons. The Holy Spirit helps us in our studies as much as in the pulpit, and—for all his gifts—Spurgeon is a man who enters the pulpit prepared to preach. He does that dependent on the Spirit of Christ, which means he is sensitive to the influences of the Spirit on both preacher and hearers. With that in mind, not a slave to his outline but sustained by it, he is able to adapt as he preaches, as the occasion and situation demands. Sometimes, that puts him in a holy hurry. The results may not always be the most highly polished and sweetly proportioned productions of the pulpit, but they are delightful examples of a living man preaching to living men in the presence of the living God. Even if preaching different kinds of sermons and accounting for our different gifts, this remains a good model for the man of God.

An extraordinary sensation has recently been produced in London by the preaching of a young Baptist minister named C. H. Spurgeon. The crowds which have been drawn to hear him, the interest excited by his ministry, and the conflicting opinions expressed in reference to his qualifications and usefulness, have been altogether without parallel in modern times. What renders the present case remarkable is, the juvenility of the preacher,—his hold on the public being established before he had attained his twentieth year; and his first appearance in London being that of a country youth, without any of the supposed advantages of a College education or ordinary ministerial training.[1&91;

A year later, the excitement had not waned:

Never, since the days of George Whitefield, has any minister of religion acquired so great a reputation as this Baptist preacher, in so short a time. Here is a mere youth,—a perfect stripling, only twenty-one years of age,—incomparably the most popular preacher of the day. There is no man within her Majesty’s dominions who could draw such immense audiences; and none who, in his happier efforts, can so completely enthrall the attention, and delight the minds of his hearers.[2&91;

It was clear a new force had entered the nation's religious world. The curtain had opened on one of the most brilliant preaching careers in church history. London would witness a ministry whose storied success would defy belief if it were not so meticulously well-documented.

Spurgeon would demonstrate exceptional staying power in defiance of the many prophecies and prognostications of his critics. The rustic and rough-hewn youth who first arrived in London in 1854 would minister there for thirty-eight years as the pastor of the largest Protestant church in Christendom until he died in 1892. In those years, he would execute a ministry of unparalleled success—one that seemed to elude rational explanation. Even by the end of his life, onlookers were still trying to grapple with what they had witnessed. In the week following his death, a Church of England journal recorded,

Every now and then some one takes the world by storm. Without succeeding to anybody else’s post, the newcomer makes for himself a definite place in the world’s consciousness, and a recognised influence, for good or for ill, in some department of the world’s work. He may be a statesman, soldier, poet, artist or preacher, but he is unique. That is the type of man whose influence lives on, and whose figure becomes historical. If we mistake not, Mr. Spurgeon belongs to this small class of persons whose career seems independent of circumstances just as their genius is independent of training.[3&91;

Sometimes, in the history of the church, God simply raises up a man—a standard-bearer, a pathfinder, a trailblazer, a tribune, a bright and shining light—and places him in the middle of events. No material or logical account of the events can erase the certainty that one has observed a kind of supernatural intervention in the affairs of men. No study of origins, heredity, intellectual influences, natural events, or social and cultural circumstances can provide an entirely satisfying rationale for the thing. After such fruitless attempts, one must simply step back and say, “The hand of the Lord hath done this.”

If God was pleased to do this in days past, he may be pleased to do it again in our own. God worked in unusual ways to bring Spurgeon to London and set him up as a preacher of extraordinary fruitfulness in that city. Christians should be encouraged by this to pray that God would raise up faithful preachers to reach the present generation. He can do so at any time and by whatever means he chooses. He does not depend on ordinary human means. He is the one who raises up ministers and sends them as gifts to his church (Jer. 3:15; Eph. 4:11-12). Spurgeon’s arrival in London, seemingly out of nowhere, reminds us that God will work out his purposes in his way and in his time, and it may be that he does this by means we least expect. However he does it, he will make it plain that he is the one who gives ministers to his people, and he is the one who ultimately prepares them for their work.

[1&91; The Friend, n.d., quoted in C. H. Spurgeon’s Autobiography, Compiled from His Diary, Letters, and Records by His Wife and His Private Secretary (London: Passmore and Alabaster, 1898), 2:63.

[2&91; The Morning Advertiser, February 18, 1856, quoted in C. H. Spurgeon’s Autobiography, 2:72.

[3&91; Record, February 5, 1892, quoted in W. Y. Fullerton, C. H. Spurgeon: A Biography (London: William and Norgate, 1920), 73.

John Arrowsmith was a minister, scholar, college master, and theologian in England during the Puritan era. In these roles, he crossed paths with many names familiar to readers of the Puritans, including Richard Sibbes, Thomas Goodwin, William Strong, and other delegates to the Westminster Assembly (1643-1653). In his biographical introduction to Plans for Holy War, Dr. Chad Van Dixhoorn describes Arrowsmith as one of the assembly’s most respected scholars. Indeed, he was regularly appointed to special committees where he put his pastoral and scholarly wisdom to good use.

Arrowsmith’s various talents were on full display in his final work, Plans for Holy War, published two years before his death. In this lengthy treatise, Arrowsmith traces the theme of spiritual warfare throughout the Scriptures, beginning with Genesis 3:15. Like many Puritan authors, Arrowsmith leaves no stone unturned, mining a myriad of biblical texts for concepts, principles, and applications for the spiritual soldiers under his care. But what makes Arrowsmith stand out among his peers is his command and judicious use of classical sources.

Van Dixhoorn notes:

“The one other aspect of Plans for Holy War that neither the translator’s nor editor’s introductions can fully capture is what the works says about the impressive extent of the author’s scholarship and reading. Here we are reminded again that Arrowsmith was no amateur theologian with Olympic confidence. He was drawing on a rich life of scholarship that is inadequately summarized in terms of statistics.”[1&91;

While most Puritan ministers were well-versed in these sources, Arrowsmith’s talent for weaving quotes and allusions into his pastoral writings stands out even among his most learned peers. Perhaps this stems from his distinction as a superior Latinist (this first edition of Plans for Holy War was translated from Latin by Dr. David C. Noe), which granted him more immediate command of these sources.

In any case, reading even a few lines of Arrowsmith’s writing reveals that he employed his learning in a manner that helps his readers better understand the truths from each biblical text. Contrary to the caricature of scholasticism as esoteric sophistry, Arrowsmith’s citations (of both Christian and pagan sources) are warm and life-giving. Arrowsmith himself calls this marriage of devotional and academic writing a “Scholastico-Pastoralis” style. As Noe says: 

“His winsome, brilliant, and diligent appropriation of the Christian tradition, as well as his dedication to the truth, his affability, and his wit, are good models not only for students of theology but also for students of the ancient languages Arrowsmith loved and whose study he vigorously championed.”[2&91;

In the excerpt below from Book 1, Chapter 5, Sections 8-10 of Plans for Holy War, the extent of Arrowsmith’s theological and pastoral insight is on full display. After Arrowsmith has established that all Christians are spiritual soldiers in Christ’s army, he encourages the believer by answering a crucial question:

What resources does Christ provide for His soldiers to claim victory in spiritual combat?

§ 8. First, then, let us discuss the weapons. People think an unarmed man is unwarlike. When it is time to join the battle, then he is called to arms. The weapons Christ supplies are denoted by a twofold character in the sacred literature. They are called “weapons of light” (Rom. 13:12), that is, most gleaming (in Romans 13). And this Paul does, if I am not mistaken, as an allusion to the practice of those same Romans. It was their established practice to dispatch soldiers to the line decked in shining armor. Thus Juvenal: “His silver shone in arms alone.”^[3&91; Suetonius, when writing about Julius Caesar, says, “He kept his soldiers so stylishly equipped that he decked them out with polished weapons of silver and gold. This was as much for their appearance as that they would grip them more resolutely in battle from fear of loss.”^[4&91; Onosander’s advice also had this aim: “A general must see to it that his army gleams, equipped with shining armor. For his soldiers look more awe-inspiring when sparks, so to speak, flash off their armor.”^[5&91; But even the very lightning is cast into shadow when compared to the light of spiritual weapons—I mean the light of knowledge, true godliness, and joy. In another passage, these are called the “weapons of righteousness” (2 Cor. 6:7). Within this title we note a luminous difference between our weapons and worldly ones. For the weapons of the world are generally dedicated to unrighteousness, and “sin is granted legal standing.” This was the poet’s complaint.^[6&91; We also note that famous passage of Antigonus where he mercilessly lambasts a man who provided him a commentary on the nature of justice while attacking foreign cities. Is there not also this bit about Marius, “who denied that he could hear the laws over the commotion of weapons”? Not to mention that anecdote of Pompey:^[7&91; “Did I put on armor so that I could meditate on the laws?”^[8&91; Horace really nailed it when he described Achilles’s savagery like this:

The laws, he claimed, were born for some but not for him to heed.

Whate’er he had he’d gained by might, and force of manly deed.^[9&91;

§ 9. Second, let us look at the soldiers’ pay. Wars depend on two motivating forces: iron and gold. From the former, weapons are forged, and from the latter, salaries are paid. The mark of a good general is to see to it that, if at all possible, these are not diminished. For, the Apostle says, “Who ever served as a solider at his own expense?” (1 Cor. 9:7). So by this very argument, Paul claims that ministers of the gospel are owed a fair wage. Consequently, nothing is so unfair as when soldiers enjoy the pay owed them, while ministers of the Word are either begrudged their salaries or it is denied that these are due them. This is not the way Christ acts as commander, who “established by a particular law”—ὁ κύριος διέταξε^[10&91;—“that those who proclaim the gospel should live from the gospel” (1 Cor. 9:14). If men regard this divine regulation I just mentioned (oh, how shameful that some consider this to be petty grasping!), the soldiers of Christ will not have to go without their pay. He will be, O man of God, whoever you are (provided you really are a man of God)—though you be treated very shamefully by the men of this world—the “Almighty will be your most precious gold, and your silver, and your strength” (Job 22:25). This is how the words of Eliphaz are rendered in the Junio-Tremellius version.^[11&91;

This is the third consideration: a good general will supply provision. A famished army cannot maintain its discipline, as Cassiodorus remarks,^[12&91; and commonsense proves it. Recall the famous Gaspard de Coligny,^[13&91; butchered in that Paris slaughterhouse. He had this to say about the army: “If anyone wants to build a brilliant army, he must begin with the stomach.” By this he meant that the daily ration was absolutely indispensable. This is such a keen concern to our general that He does not refuse to nourish us by His own Spirit and feed us on His word. No, He does more than that. So no one in His camp suffer hunger, He even stoops to offer us His own blood for drink and His flesh for food. Scriptural proof of this concept is very clearly given in the Evangelist: “My flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him” (John 6:55–56).

§ 10. Fourth, we have the commander’s example. The vigorous commander will go out ahead of His army not merely in words but also in actions. Thus, one of the Caesars—I am not quite sure who, but unless I am mistaken, it was Julius—when something difficult needed doing, would typically address his soldiers like this: “I do not say, ‘Advance, soldiers,’ but, ‘Let us soldier on together.’”^[14&91; As Lucan said of Cato,^[15&91;

He went ahead on foot, his spear clutched tight

Before the faces of his host surprised,

And showed them how to bear the task nor did

He give command.^[16&91;

Abimelech, in the book of Judges, said to his men: “What you have seen me do, do quickly” (Judg. 9:48). And what of Christ? Let us listen to Him directly. “I have given you an example, that as I have done for you, so you should do yourselves” (John 13:15). And let us hear what Peter says about Him: “Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow in His steps” (1 Peter 2:21). Augustine sings in unison with both when he says, “The words of your Word are our lessons, the deeds of your Word our examples.”^[17&91; In another passage, moreover, he says, “Christ’s whole life was an instruction in proper morality.”^[18&91; Likewise, Leo wrote, “In vain are we called Christians if we do not become imitators of Christ. He said that He was the way: the teacher’s conversation was to be the student’s pattern, and the servant would choose that humility that his master followed.”^[19&91;

Fifth, there is help. It is truly the commander’s duty to come to the aid of even a common soldier when he is in danger. Trajan^[20&91; reportedly dressed his soldiers’ wounds with his own hand.^[21&91; And when they ran out of bandages, Trajan did not even spare his own clothing but tore it all up for tourniquets and poultices. The sacred Scriptures teach us that Christ our Lord offered up Himself—I do not mean His clothing but His very flesh—to be torn asunder that “by his wounds we might be healed” [Isa. 53:5&91;. Yet He is always present through His Holy Spirit to bring needed help to Christians and ministers as they toil. For this reason, Paul wrote to the Philippians, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me: Christ” (Phil. 4:13). He does not, of course, mean all things without exception, for he could not create a world. But when he says “All things,” he means by this phrase whatever is in accord with his own calling, as Calvin notes.^[22&91; For now, I do not want to tarry over particulars. It will be sufficient just to touch briefly, as it were, on the main points of these topics. Do we need help reading? “Christ opened the disciples’ minds that they might understand the Scriptures” (Luke 14:45). We acknowledge that the Spirit of Christ is the doorkeeper to the holy books. No one may gain access to enter into these inner holy places if Christ does not admit them. Do we need to pray? Let us heed the Apostle as he writes to the Romans: “The Spirit with us bears our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groans” (Rom. 8:26). Augustine, in his Confessions, remarks eloquently as follows: “There is nothing, O Lord, that You hear from me that You have not first spoken to me.”^[23&91; What about preaching? If there is any power in our words, it is owed to Christ. For Paul says, “The one who worked through Peter as an apostle of the circumcision also worked through me as an apostle among the gentiles” (Gal. 2:8). Finally, what about hearing? The Lord is said to have “opened Lydia’s heart to heed what Paul was saying” (Acts 16:14). And concerning the Spirit of Christ, Gregory Nazianzus says, ᾧ μόνῳ Θεὸς καὶ νοεῖται καὶ ἑρμηνεύεται καὶ ἀκούεται (“Through the Spirit alone God is understood, explained, and heeded”).^[24&91;

One of my all-time favorite hymns to sing is “Praise for the Fountain Opened,” more commonly known by its first line, “There is a Fountain.” Written sometime in the 1770s by William Cowper, it was eventually published in 1779 by Cowper and John Newton within their Olney Hymns. The Only Hymns were intended for Newton’s rural church parish but proved to be immensely popular and went through many printings over the next several decades.

I’m sure you know the hymn well. The first and third stanzas are some of my favorites:

There is a fountain filled with blood

Drawn from Immanuel's veins;

And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,

Lose all their guilty stains…

E'er since by faith I saw the stream

Thy flowing wounds supply,

Redeeming love has been my theme,

And shall be till I die.[1&91;

Indeed, we ought to praise God for the fountain opened, for through it, even the most wretched, vile, and ungodly of sinners may be washed clean and forgiven their sins!

Yet, as familiar as the hymn may be, it may be just as surprising to learn that William Cowper struggled against terrible bouts of depression. Despite his faith in Christ, expressed through some of the greatest Christian poetry ink ever put to paper, Cowper not only contemplated suicide but attempted it on several occasions. In fact, in 1772, he had what today would be described as a mental breakdown. He believed that God had abandoned him and prescribed him to eternal damnation and was demanding he take his own life.

The Lord was, thankfully, quite gracious to Cowper, who was himself surrounded by Christian friends who helped to care for him. Some of the greatest pastors of the time, like John Newton, even befriended him and encouraged him through his bouts of spiritual struggle and depression. When Cowper did eventually die, it would be of natural causes and not because he took his own life. He died believing in Christ and trusting that the salvation he had been gifted was secure.

Perhaps you can relate to Cowper in some ways. I know I can. Though we often like to try to pretend that spiritual depression is not real or that we ourselves don’t experience it, often the truth is that we simply don’t want to talk about it. But, like Cowper, we sometimes must walk through the shadowed valley of death to be reminded that our Good Shepherd will neither leave us nor forsake us.

Spiritual Depression is Real

Some people are predisposed towards fits of melancholia. For seemingly no good reason, they start to feel sad, beaten down, and depressed. Some call it "the blues." Others, "depression." Likely, you can relate, at least some of the time. Even I go through these bouts and fits.

As a pastor, I like to call these bouts of melancholy "Monday." See, every week, I toil over my sermons and teachings. I study and exegete the Word of God, parse over the original languages, study various commentaries, and pour my heart, body, and soul into this prep work. This is essential work because, as R.C. Sproul once said, empty heads simply cannot nourish zealous hearts. Only after the Scripture has been poured into me can I hope to pour something worthwhile out. Then, after all the anticipation and build-up, Sunday comes. I stand at our church's pulpit and once more pour out everything I've worked on the previous week.

Then, “Monday” happens. If I'm not careful, I get hit with waves of melancholy. Thoughts and regrets begin to pummel me. Thoughts like, "I should have said this better," or, "I should not have said that at all." Pretty soon, if I don't redirect my thoughts and energy elsewhere, I can find myself wallowing in self-regret and misery. To make matters worse, Sunday worship could have been terrific. Everyone may have greeted me with a smiling face and a warm handshake or hug. There's seemingly no rhyme or reason to it.

Yet, there it is. “Monday” comes and overwhelms the soul. You may call it something else, but we all experience it at one point or another. The question is, why?

It is simpler to understand than we may first imagine. When we get our eyes off Jesus, we get distracted from the things that really count and bring us joy. When our eyes begin to wander, we inevitably fix them upon ourselves and find that we are just like the Narcissus of legend—we love to navel gaze and stare at ourselves. In doing so, we quickly become miserable. It turns out that Friedrich Nietzsche got something right: When you stare into the abyss, the abyss will stare back. Without Christ, the depravity of man is so great that all we are is a dark abyss. Stare long enough, and you won’t like what you find.

If you find yourself battling a bout of spiritual depression, then there is one thing you must do: Fight for joy.

Fighting for Joy

I've often found this to be true when counseling fellow believers: Those who encounter the greatest bouts of spiritual depression, who claim to lack joy, are those who have gotten their eyes off Christ—and this is a perennial danger for all believers. It’s why the writer of Hebrews wrote, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:1-2).

The great cure for spiritual depression is Christ. If you want to find joy in the darkest of nights, contemplate Christ. Direct your gaze, your heart, and your thoughts upon Jesus.

Thomas Watson, in his book The Great Gain of Godliness, tackles this very issue of spiritual depression and encourages the Christian to do this very thing. Set your sights upon Christ and His glory and you will discover that there is, undeniably, a peculiar joy that attends itself to the one who regularly takes time to contemplate Christ. As Watson beautifully puts it, “He whose head gets above the clouds—has his thoughts lifted high, has God in his eye, is full of divine raptures, and cries out as Peter in the transfiguration, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here!’”[2&91;

Sometimes, as we walk through the shadow of the valley of death, the mist and fog can cloud our view so that we cannot see Jesus alongside us. But lift your head above the valley, climb to the top of the mountain, and you will find that Jesus is that Good Shepherd, always by your side. When we think of all the benefits that are yours in Christ and all that Christ did to accomplish your salvation, we cannot long remain in the muck and mire of spiritual depression. Soon, the fog and mist will lift, and you will behold your Savior in the glory of triumph.

A genuine and true contemplation of Christ may, at times, be a battle. But it is a battle worth waging. Watson continued, “Some complain that they have no joy in their lives; and truly, no wonder, when they are such strangers to heavenly contemplation.”[3&91; The one who never contemplates Christ can never have joy.

Permit me to ask you, dear reader, along with Watson, “Would you have your spirits cheerful? Let your thoughts be heavenly! The higher the lark flies—the sweeter it sings. Just so, the higher a soul ascends in the thoughts of God—the sweeter joy it has!”[4&91;

Spiritual Depression Cannot Separate You from Christ

One of the sweet joys that contemplation of Christ brings to the believer is the knowledge that, despite how we feel in particular moments of spiritual depression, the truth of God and His Word does not change. This is, ultimately, what Watson desired believers to know as they battled this form of suffering. It’s the truth that Cowper had to grasp to defeat his trials. And it’s the truth that will deliver us from the thickest of spiritual fogs. Perhaps Octavius Winslow gets to this truth the best:

We must here, however, guard a precious and important truth; viz., the indestructible nature of true grace.

Divine grace in the soul can never really die; true faith can never utterly and finally fail. We are speaking now but of their decay. A flower may droop, and yet live: a plant may be sickly, and yet not die. In the lowest stage of spiritual declension, in the feeblest state of grace, there is a life that never dies. In the midst of all his startings aside, the ebb and the flow, the wandering and the restoring, the believer in Jesus is kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.' He cannot utterly fall; he cannot finally be lost.

The immutability of God keeps him, the covenant of grace keeps him, -the finished work of Jesus keeps him,- the indwelling of the Spirit keeps him, and keeps him to eternal glory.[5&91;

Beloved, look to Christ! Spiritual depression is temporary. Our joy in Christ is eternal and His love for us is secure. Contemplate these truths. Contemplate Christ. Contemplate the wonderful fountain opened to us and the salvation that is ours in Christ. And, when spiritual depression comes, put it to death by finding joy in your Savior.

[1&91; William Cowper, Praise for the Fountain Opened, https://hymnary.org/text/there_is_a_fountain_filled_with_blood_dr.

[2&91; Thomas Watson, The Great Gain of Godliness (West Linn, Monergism Books, 2019), 131.

[3&91; Ibid.

[4&91; Ibid., 132.

[5&91;Octavius Winslow, Personal Declension and Revival of the Soul (Carlisle: Banner of Truth, 2021), 2-3.