The Puritan Reader

Page 3 of 18

Waking Up: How Richard Alleine’s A Rebuke to Backsliders Can Save a Sleepy Soul

August 15, 2025 /

We have all been there. You are sitting in the same wooden pew you have occupied for ten years. You know the hymns by heart, and you are hearing the Word preached, but somewhere along the way, the fire went out. You aren’t out living a life of scandalous crime, but you are effectively just “going through the motions.” In our Reformed circles, we talk a lot about the perseverance of the saints, but we often forget that perseverance requires actually moving forward. His work, A Rebuke to Backsliders, is an urgent call for those of us who are “loitering” in the Christian life to wake up before the sun sets.

Your spiritual health might be failing while your life looks fine

Alleine makes a point that is often missed in our modern comfort. He explains that there is a difference between a total fall from the faith and a partial decay. You can still be a real Christian and yet be in a state of “consumption.” Just like a person can have a disease that eats them from the inside out while they still look healthy to a stranger, a soul can be wasting away even while attending every prayer meeting. This is a terrifying thought for many of us who rely on our church attendance as proof of our health.

Alleine uses the metaphor of “grey hairs” to describe this state. You don’t notice one grey hair appearing in the mirror, but eventually, your whole head has changed. He warns that we can lose our first love and our “spiritual appetite” so slowly that we don’t even realize we are starving.

Gray hairs are upon me though I knew it not. It is conspicuous, man, to everyone that observes thee; thy Religion, thy conscience, and all that Grace that is in thee, ’tis all grown gray.

Spiritual decay is a moth, not a fire

One of the most impactful insights Alleine offers is how backsliding actually happens. It rarely starts with a massive explosion or a sudden decision to leave God. Instead, he compares it to a moth in a closet. A fire would alert you immediately, and you would run to put it out. But a moth works in the dark, silent and slow, eating away at the fabric until the garment is useless.

This resonates with the Reformed understanding of the heart’s deceitfulness. Our “loitering” is often just a slow cooling of our affections. We don’t stop praying; we just stop praying with life. We don’t stop reading the Bible; we just stop letting it enter our conscience. Alleine’s point is that we must be as vigilant against the “moth” as we are against the “fire.”

This Consumption fretteth out the Heart as a Moth fretteth a Garment. If the Moth seized upon any Garment as fire doth, you would shake it off suddenly; but because it consumes but insensibly and by slower degrees, therefore it’s let alone till it hath done its work.

Our own righteousness can be our biggest distraction

Alleine pulls no punches when he quotes Isaiah, reminding us that even our “righteousnesses” are as filthy rags. For a confessionally Reformed person, this is familiar territory, but Alleine applies it specifically to the church. He argues that the special complaints of the church should be about the church’s own sins. We are often very quick to point out the drunkenness or profanity of the world while ignoring the “heart-idolatry” and “lukewarmness” in our own pews.

When we feel that we are “good enough” because we are better than our neighbors, we have already started to slide backward. Alleine suggests that the most dangerous backslider is the one who uses their past spiritual achievements as a pillow to sleep on today.

Our very righteousness is as filthy rags; ’tis but a ragged righteousness we have, a tottered, maimed, torn thing; the best we have is but as a rag, unprofitable as a rag.

Taking hold of God requires dropping your luggage

The title of Alleine’s text involves “taking hold of God,” but he makes it clear that your hands must be empty to do so. He identifies the “iniquity of covetousness” as the main idol that drives God away from a person. If our hearts are divided—half for God and half for our bank accounts or our reputations—we aren’t really holding onto God at all.

This is a direct challenge to our modern lifestyle. Alleine isn’t just talking about wanting to be a millionaire; he’s talking about any “earthly-mindedness” that makes us indifferent to God’s presence. He tells us plainly that if we want God to stay, the idols have to go. You cannot “loiter” in the world’s shops and expect to “flourish” in God’s house.

Your hands are full of dirt and ashes, empty them of these, or you can never lay hold on God. . . . For the Iniquity of his Covetousness I was wrath and smote him, I hid me and was wrath, and yet he went on frowardly in the way of his Heart.

The scary silence of a departing God

Alleine warns that there is a point where God simply lets a loitering soul alone. This is perhaps the most sobering takeaway. He describes “night” as a time of silence and sleep. When the light of the Gospel is removed, or when the Spirit stops “rebuking” us for our sins, we are in the most danger. A silent conscience is not a sign of peace; it is a sign of judgment.

If we continue to ignore the “alarms” God sends us through preaching and providence, Alleine suggests that God may eventually “loosen the reins of government” and let us run our own foolish course. For those of us who believe in the sovereign grace of God, the thought of being “left to ourselves” should be the most frightening prospect imaginable.

Night cometh when no man can work. . . . we give the alarm, but you will not take the alarm: this is the stirring of the soul which I am preaching of, when sinners are alarmed, and take the alarms.

Why you should read this book

You should read A Rebuke to Backsliders because your soul is more prone to wandering than you care to admit. Richard Alleine writes not as a judge, but as a concerned physician who sees a plague spreading through the camp. In a world that encourages us to be “comfortable,” this book is a necessary “spur.” It will help you identify the “grey hairs” in your own spiritual life and give you practical steps to “stir up” the grace that has grown cold. If you feel like your religion has become a carnal, lazy, or “formal” thing, this book is the alarm clock you have been sleeping through. It is time to wake up, for as Alleine reminds us, “the night cometh.”

Bite-Sized Belief: Why You Need Joseph Alleine’s A Most Familiar Explanation of the Assembly’s Shorter Catechism

August 4, 2025 /

Have you ever sat down with the Westminster Shorter Catechism and felt like you were staring at a brick wall of dense theology? You know the truths are vital, and as a parent or a church member, you want to internalize them, but the language can feel heavy. You want to lead your family in the “right path,” yet you struggle to explain what “effectual calling” or “justification” actually looks like on a Tuesday morning. Joseph Alleine, a 17th-century pastor with a heart for his people, noticed the same problem. In his work, A Most Familiar Explanation of the Assembly’s Shorter Catechism, he takes the grand architecture of our faith and breaks it down into “lesser parcels” so the light can get in.

Your home is meant to be a mini-cathedral

One of the most striking things Alleine emphasizes is that the primary responsibility for Christian education does not lie solely with the pastor on Sundays. He argues that householders have a “great responsibility” to teach those under their roof. In a world where we often outsource our children’s spiritual growth to apps or youth groups, Alleine calls us back to the family altar. He believes that every home should be a “Christian church” and a “house of prayer.”

This is not just about being a strict teacher. For Alleine, family godliness is about the “weighty charge of immortal souls.” He treats the home as a nursery for the kingdom of God. If the home is spiritually cold, the church will eventually feel the frost. By breaking the catechism into smaller questions, he makes the daunting task of family worship feel possible for the average person.

Let every family in your midst be a Christian church, every house a house of prayer, and every household a household of faith.

There is a dangerous difference between “knowing” and “knowing”

Alleine draws a sharp line between two types of knowledge: confused and distinct. He observes that many churchgoers have a “confused knowledge”—they know a concept exists, but they cannot explain what it is. They might use the word “grace,” but they couldn’t describe it if their life depended on it. On the other hand, “distinct knowledge” involves understanding the essence of a concept and knowing the scriptural grounds for believing it.

As a pastor, this hits home. It is easy to assume that because we hear the words every week, we actually understand them. Alleine warns that this lack of clarity stems from a “lack of humility and diligence.” He challenges us to move past vague religious feelings and toward a “sound account” of our faith. This isn’t just academic; it is about having a clear sight of Christ.

Confused knowledge merely acknowledges the existence of something without understanding its essence. . . . Distinct knowledge, on the other hand, involves comprehending the essence of a concept.

Conversion is a total makeover, not a paint job

When Alleine explains the “effective calling” mentioned in the Shorter Catechism, he shows us that the Holy Spirit does more than just give us a little help. He describes it as a work where the Spirit convicts us of misery, enlightens our minds, and actually “renews our wills.” He is very clear that we are naturally “as unwilling as we are unable” to embrace Jesus Christ on our own.

This takeaway is impactful because it reminds us of our total dependence on God’s power. We don’t just need better information; we need a new inclination. The Spirit makes us love the good we used to hate and hate the evil we used to love. This radical change is the only way a person moves from being “civilized” to being “sanctified.”

Are there new inclinations in the wills of those who are effectually called, so that they love the good they previously hated and hate the evil they previously loved? Yes.

Prayer is a heart-offering, not just a word-recital

In his breakdown of the Lord’s Prayer and the nature of petition, Alleine offers a necessary rebuke to our formal habits. He defines prayer as “offering our desires to God.” He asks a piercing question: is it actually prayer if we just repeat “lifeless words” without our hearts being involved?

This reminds us that God is looking for the “offering of our hearts.” Whether we are using a form like the Lord’s Prayer or speaking from the moment, the essence of the duty is the desire of the soul. He also points out that we must find our encouragement in prayer “solely from God” and not from our own worthiness. This shifts the focus from our performance to God’s sovereign power and fatherly willingness to help.

Is it considered prayer if we repeat a few lifeless words without offering our hearts and desires? No.

Self-examination is the daily medicine we often skip

At the end of the book, Alleine provides a list of questions for daily self-reflection that act as a spiritual health check. He doesn’t want us to wait until the Lord’s Supper to examine our hearts. He suggests we ask ourselves things like, “Did I not find myself on my bed when God was looking for me on my knees?” or “Have I spoke any lies in my business or trade?”

This is incredibly practical for the laity. It bridges the gap between high doctrine and the “business or trade” of our daily lives. It forces us to see if our “personal godliness” is actually affecting our tongue, our table manners, and our time management. For Alleine, a soul that doesn’t examine itself is a soul that isn’t making progress in holiness.

Why you should read this book

You should read A Most Familiar Explanation of the Assembly’s Shorter Catechism because it turns the “foundational principles of religion” into something you can actually talk about over dinner. Joseph Alleine writes with the urgency of a “messenger of Christ” and the tenderness of a father. If you feel like your spiritual knowledge is “confused” or your family worship has become a “hollow and lifeless profession,” this book is the guide you need. It doesn’t just explain the truth; it “lets in the light” so that you can truly enjoy God forever.

The Jailhouse Joyride: How Joseph Alleine’s The Saint’s Pocket-Book Proves You Are Richer Than You Think

July 1, 2025 /

We have all had those mornings where the weight of life feels like a heavy blanket we cannot throw off. Maybe it is the bank account, a nagging health issue, or that quiet, persistent voice of the accuser reminding you of yesterday’s failures. We often look for a quick fix or a motivational quote to get us through. But what if the answer was written by a man sitting in a cold, cramped prison cell in 1666? Joseph Alleine was a man who lost his physical freedom for the sake of the gospel, yet he wrote as if he owned the world. In his classic work, The Saint’s Pocket-Book, Alleine reminds us that if we are in Christ, we are not just surviving; we are spiritual millionaires. As a pastor who leans daily on the truths of our confession, I found this book to be a necessary jolt to the soul.

The Covenant is your legal deed to the universe

One of the most striking things Alleine does is use the language of the courtroom and the counting house to describe our relationship with God. He does not just talk about vague feelings of love. Instead, he presents the Covenant of Grace as a formal, legal “instrument of salvation.” He describes it as a deed that has been signed, sealed, and delivered by God Himself. This is deeply impactful because it moves our assurance away from our shifting emotions and onto the unchangeable “act and deed” of God.

For the believer, this means your inheritance is not a “maybe.” It is a settled matter. Alleine portrays God as a Father who has legally bound Himself to His children. This provides a rock-solid foundation for the weary Christian. When you feel like you do not belong to God, you can point to the “sacred blood” that ratified the contract.

Look, I make an everlasting covenant with you, ordered in all things, and sure; and I hereby solemnly deliver it to you as my act and deed, sealed with sacred blood, and ratified with the oath of a God.

God gives you His person, not just His things

It is easy to fall into the trap of treating God like a vending machine—we go to Him for peace, for help, or for stuff. But Alleine brilliantly shifts our focus in the section titled “The Voice of the Lord.” He explains that the greatest privilege of the covenant is that God gives us His very self. He does not just give us a physician; He becomes our physician. He does not just give us a guide; He is our guide.

This is a beautiful reflection of our Shorter Catechism, which reminds us that God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. Alleine takes those high attributes and brings them into our living rooms. He suggests that God’s eternity is the “date of our happiness” and His omnipotence is our “guard.” It is a deeply personal exchange where the Infinite One says to the finite sinner, “What I am to myself, I will be to you.”

I will be your God forever and ever… nothing in the world is so much your own as I am. The houses that you have built, that you have bought, are not so much yours as I am.

Your trials are actually grace-cups in disguise

Perhaps the most counter-intuitive takeaway from a man writing from a prison ward is his view of suffering. Alleine does not see persecution or pain as a sign that God has broken His promise. Instead, he calls these trials “grace-cups.” He argues that Christ has already drunk the “venom” of the curse, leaving only a “healthful potion” for us.

This perspective changes everything for the person going through a dark season. If we believe that every affliction is a “cure” rather than a “curse,” we can face trouble with a strange kind of cheerfulness. Alleine encourages us that even in the “wilderness,” God is speaking comfortably to us. The trouble does not move us because the Lord has “blessed the cup” before He hands it to us.

Your sufferings shall not be a cup of wrath, but a grace-cup; not a curse, but a cure; not a cup of trembling, but a cup of blessing to you; they shall not hurt you, but heal you.

You are allowed to argue with your own unbelief

Alleine includes a fascinating section called a “Soliloquy,” which is essentially a transcript of a soul talking to itself. He shows the believer how to “reason down” the doubts that jump out from the corners of the mind. When unbelief whispers that the promises are “too good to be true,” Alleine instructs the soul to fire back with the “veracity” of God.

This is an incredibly practical tool for spiritual warfare. Instead of just trying to stop thinking bad thoughts, Alleine shows us how to replace them with the “Voice of the Redeemed.” He teaches us to look at our own hearts for the “prints” of God’s work. If you find that you prize Christ above the world, Alleine says that is the “finger of God” and proof that the covenant is yours. It is a holy form of talking back to the devil.

Silence, then, O quarrelling unbelief! I know in whom I have believed… I have not built on the sand of mortality… nevertheless the foundation of God stands sure.

God provides the very conditions He requires

For many, the “conditions” of the gospel—faith and repentance—feel like another heavy law we have to fulfill. But Alleine highlights a glorious truth: God promises to “work in you” the very things He asks of you. He does not just demand a new heart; He promises to “take out the heart of stone.” He does not just command us to walk in His ways; He says, “I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes.”

This is the heart of reformed theology. Our “lame” obedience and “weak” faith are accepted not because they are perfect, but because they are His own gifts to us. This removes the pride of the self-righteous and the despair of the struggling. It turns the entire Christian life into a “Hallelujah” because even our ability to believe is a gift from the King.

I promise to make you mine, and to work in you the conditions which I require of you; I will circumcise your hearts to love me; I will take out the heart of stone.

Why you should put this book in your pocket

You should read The Saint’s Pocket-Book because your heart is prone to forget how much you are loved. Joseph Alleine’s writing is like a spiritual map that shows you the “veins of gold” hidden in your Bible. In a world that tries to define you by your productivity, your status, or your past, this book points you to a “marriage-covenant” with the King of Glory that can never be broken. Whether you are a seasoned saint or someone who is just beginning to explore the riches of grace, Alleine’s voice from the prison cell will help you find a freedom that no walls can contain. It is a treasure chest of comfort that fits right in your hand, reminding you that “the day of your death shall be the birthday of your glory.”

Faith for the Front Porch: Archibald Alexander’s Practical Sermons

June 21, 2025 /

Have you ever walked out of a church service feeling like you were handed a complex manual for a machine you don’t own? We often crave spiritual depth but find ourselves drowning in “abstruse disquisitions”—those fancy, high-level theological debates that seem to have very little to do with the fact that we were impatient with our kids this morning or are currently worried about our bank accounts. There is a common curiosity among us: is it possible to be deeply Reformed, holding fast to the Westminster Standards, without being totally disconnected from the kitchen table? In his collection of Practical Sermons, the first professor of Princeton Seminary, Archibald Alexander, proves that the highest truths are actually the most useful. He didn’t write these for other professors; he wrote them for families to read together when they couldn’t make it to a church service.

Alexander was a man who understood that a sermon isn’t a performance to be admired, but a message to be used. As a pastor who looks to our Confession for guidance, I find his approach refreshing. He doesn’t offer “life hacks” but rather shows how the grand doctrines of grace actually work when the rubber meets the road. Here are the most impactful takeaways from this shepherd’s heart.

Assurance is Found in the Doing, Not Just the Thinking

One of the most surprising points Alexander makes right at the start is that if you want to be sure that the Bible is true, you have to start living like it is. We often think that we need to reach a state of 100% intellectual certainty before we can truly obey. Alexander flips the script. He argues that obedience to Christ actually produces assurance of the truth. When you possession a state of mind that chooses to obey God, the “excellency of the truth” becomes visible to you in a way that mere study can never produce.

This is a vital reflection for the person struggling with doubt. Alexander explains that a blind man can be convinced the sun exists because he feels the warmth, but he still doesn’t see it. In the same way, unrenewed men might be convinced by logic, but the humble believer sees the beauty of Christ through the act of following Him. The light of the gospel shines brightest on those who are walking the path.

“If any man possess that state of mind which will prompt and lead him to choose the service of God, and determine to obey Him, he will be at no loss respecting the truth of my doctrine; for he will have such a view of the excellency of the truth which I deliver… that he will, at once, be persuaded of the divine origin of the plan of redemption.”

Your Pride is a Literal Blindfold

Alexander spends a significant amount of time on why it is so incredibly hard for us to see our own faults. We all have that one friend who can spot a flaw in everyone else but is totally oblivious to their own issues—but Alexander reminds us that, spiritually speaking, we are all that friend. He notes that pride and self-love create a “false medium” through which we view ourselves. It isn’t just that we lie to others; we actually successfully lie to ourselves.

This analysis is insightful because it explains why so many “moral” people feel no need for a Savior. They are looking at themselves through a mirror of their own making. Alexander argues that the closer we get to the light of God’s law, the more “secret faults” we will find. It is like letting a ray of light into a dark, dusty room; the light doesn’t create the dust, it just makes it visible. If you think you are growing in grace but don’t feel more sinful than you used to, you might actually be standing in the dark.

“The heart of every man is by nature deceitful; yea, the most deceitful of all things. Mankind know not their ownselves. They have not proved themselves by the test of God’s word; and, therefore, they know not what manner of spirit they are of.”

God Leads the Blind by Paths They Don’t Recognize

Perhaps the most comforting takeaway in the entire book is Alexander’s reflection on how God actually conducts our spiritual progress. We often have a “blueprint” in our heads of what a religious life should look like: steady growth, constant joy, and clear directions. But Alexander points out that God often brings the blind “by a way that they knew not.” He describes the Christian experience as one of unexpected turns, where the soul feels like it is recrossing the same territory or even sliding backward.

This point is essential for the layperson who feels like a failure because they are currently in a “dark” season. Alexander explains that God purposefully allows us to feel our own weakness and the strength of our remaining sin. He does this to empty us of self-confidence so that we might finally lean entirely on the “all-power” of Christ. What feels like a detour to us is often the most direct route to humility.

Spiritual Love is a Fire That Needs Fuel

In an age where we treat love like an unpredictable emotion that just “happens” to us, Alexander treats the love of God as a fire that must be intentionally tended. He warns us that we are prone to lose the fervor of our “first love” and sink into a state of spiritual sleep. Sloth is the great enemy of the soul. He argues that we must “keep ourselves in the love of God” by actively shunning things that damp the fire—like worldly ambition or the neglect of the closet—and by frequently meditating on the superlative excellence of Christ.

This reflection provides a much-needed push for the modern Christian. We shouldn’t sit around waiting for a “feeling” of love to return. Instead, we are called to use the means of grace—reading, praying, and social worship—to recruit our strength. Alexander reminds us that while God is the one who gives the increase, the husbandman must still plow and sow.

“A healthy state of piety is always a growing state; that child which grows not at all must be sickly. If we would enjoy spiritual comfort, we must be in a thriving condition.”

Why You Should Read This Book

Archibald Alexander’s Practical Sermons is a necessary read because it bridges the gap between the heavy-duty theology of the Westminster Confession and the messy reality of your daily life. It is rare to find a book that respects your intelligence while speaking directly to your heart’s anxieties. Alexander doesn’t just tell you what to believe; he shows you what those beliefs look like when you are sick, when you are grieving, or when you are simply tired of the world.

Our Real Mother Church in Our Irish Presbyterian Heritage by Archibald and Joseph Addison Alexander

June 2, 2025 /

Most of us grew up with a very specific image of our church history. We imagine a straight line of sturdy Scottish Covenanters marching out of the Highlands and across the Atlantic to plant the first Presbyterian churches in America. We think of bagpipes and tartans as the primary colors of our past. It is a relatable bit of pride to want a clear, heroic family tree. But as a pastor who stands on the Westminster Confession, I have learned that our history is often messier and more surprising than our tidy traditions suggest. In the fascinating collection of review articles titled Our Irish Presbyterian Heritage, the legendary Archibald Alexander and his son Joseph Addison Alexander pull back the curtain on a forgotten chapter of our story. They argue that if we want to find our “immediate mother,” we shouldn’t look to the hills of Scotland, but to the green fields of Northern Ireland.

Our Family Tree Has More Shamrocks Than Thistles

The most impactful takeaway from this work is the correction of our historical memory. We often represent our church as coming directly from the Church of Scotland. While that is remotely true, Archibald Alexander points out that the immediate origin of the Presbyterian system in the United States was the Presbyterian Church of Ireland. It was the ministers and people from Ulster who settled in the middle colonies—places like Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland—to lay the foundation for what would eventually become hundreds of presbyteries.

This matters because it changes how we see our identity. We didn’t arrive here as a formal mission project sent by a foreign power. Instead, several ordained ministers emigrated from Ireland and simply started doing the work. They were joined by some New Englanders, and together they built the house we live in today. Understanding that we are “Irish” in our immediate parentage helps us appreciate the grit and independence that have always been part of the American Presbyterian spirit.

“It is common to represent our church as having derived its origin from the Church of Scotland; and remotely this was the fact; but its immediate origin was from the Presbyterian church of Ireland, whence came most of the fathers who laid the foundation of that system.”

God Prefers Pursuing the Runaways

Another surprising insight from the Alexanders involves the character of the people who first settled in Northern Ireland. We like to think of our ancestors as a group of pious pilgrims seeking a holy land. However, the first colonists from Scotland were often “adventurers” or people fleeing debt and broken fortunes. They were described as an irreligious group who seemed to be running away from God rather than following Him.

This is a massive encouragement for any pastor or layperson who feels like their community is “too far gone.” The history of the Ulster church shows that God followed these people when they fled from Him. The mercy of God tracked down a group of debt-dodging adventurers and turned them into a community of vibrant faith. It reminds us that our church didn’t start with the “best and brightest,” but with those who were pursued by an unrelenting grace.

“Even the Scottish people, who flocked in great numbers to Down, Antrim, Londonderry, &c, are represented to have been an irreligious people, who seemed to engage in this enterprise rather to fly from God, than to follow their own mercy. But God followed them when they fled from Him.”

The Revival That Started with a Weak Link

Perhaps the most shocking part of the book is the account of the Great Revival in the 1620s. We usually expect revivals to start under the ministry of a theological giant. But this awakening began under the preaching of James Glendinning. He was not a solid or powerful man; in fact, the other ministers found him so “weak” that they advised him to leave the city and move to the country.

Yet, God used this “half-deranged” man to preach the terrors of the law to a careless people. Multitudes were seized with such a deep conviction of sin that they were found crying out for salvation. This shows that the Spirit of God is not limited by the “wisdom of man.” The work was so clearly divine because the instrument was so obviously fragile. It serves as a permanent wake-up call to any of us who think we have to be “perfect” before God can use us to change a heart.

“Here God made use of the ministry of this pious, but half-deranged man to begin a glorious work of grace; so that it was evident to all men that it was not by might, nor by power, nor by the wisdom of man, but by the Spirit of the Lord, that this awakening and reformation were produced.”

A Church That Found Its Form in the Army

Most people assume that church organization is a slow, quiet process that happens in committee rooms. But the actual birth of the first presbytery in Ireland was a military event. After a massive rebellion and massacre in 1641, Scottish troops were sent to occupy Ulster. These regiments didn’t just bring swords; they brought chaplains and kirk-sessions.

The very first Irish presbytery was formed in 1642 by these army chaplains. It is a wild thought to consider that a military invasion was the vehicle used to formally organize our mother church. Each regiment essentially became a local congregation with its own spiritual leadership. This part of our heritage teaches us that God can use even the “eater” to bring forth meat and the “strong” to bring forth sweetness. Our order and discipline were forged in a time of intense conflict and trial.

The Terrible Weight of the Black Oath

The book also reminds us of the high cost our ancestors paid for their convictions. Under the rule of men like Wentworth and Laud, Presbyterians were forced to take what was known as the “Black Oath.” This was a promise of unconditional obedience to the king in all matters. There was no room for “just” or “legal” commands; it was a demand for total submission of the conscience to the state.

The stories of families being ruined, dragged to prison, and chained in dungeons for refusing this oath are heartbreaking. It helps us understand why our forefathers were so protective of the “spiritual keys” of the church. They knew what it was like to have the government try to sit in the place of Christ. This history gives us a deep appreciation for the liberty we often take for granted and explains why our Confession of Faith is so careful about the limits of civil authority.

Why You Should Read This Book

You should read Our Irish Presbyterian Heritage because it will help you find your place in a story that is much bigger than your own local church. It is a necessary read for anyone who wants to see how God’s providence works through “unlikely” people and “strange” circumstances to protect His truth. Whether you are a pastor looking for historical depth or a layperson who wants to understand why we do what we do, the Alexanders provide a clear and insightful map of our family’s journey.

Reading this work will help you realize that you aren’t standing on a foundation built by human cleverness, but on a “tender vine” that God planted and protected through fire and storm. It turns our history from a dry list of dates into a living testimony of God’s faithfulness to every generation.

If our church heritage was built by debt-fleeing adventurers, organized by army chaplains, and revived through the preaching of the “weak,” what does that tell us about God’s plan for us today? The story of the Ulster church ensures that we keep looking to the Spirit rather than ourselves for our future strength.

How to Avoid Becoming a Relic: A Review of Archibald Alexander’s Letters to the Aged

May 15, 2025 /

We all have that one relative who seems to have given up on the world, spending their days in a chair with a distant look in their eyes. Or maybe you have looked in the mirror lately and noticed a new wrinkle or a gray hair that was not there last week. There is a relatable anxiety that comes with getting older—the fear that our best days are behind us and that we are slowly becoming irrelevant. In his deeply personal and pastoral work, Letters to the Aged, the first professor of Princeton Seminary, Archibald Alexander, tackles this fear head-on. He argues that old age is not a waiting room for the grave, but a season of unique power and vital duty.

As a pastor who looks to the Westminster standards for guidance, I found Alexander’s letters to be a bracing tonic. He does not offer hollow pep talks; he offers a “sober reality” grounded in the providence of God. Here are the most impactful takeaways from this shepherd’s guide to the autumn of life.

The Trap of the Eternal Sunshine

Alexander makes a surprising observation about our younger, more successful years. We usually think that a life of uninterrupted prosperity is the ultimate goal, but he warns that the heart actually hardens in this continual sunshine. When things are going too well, we imperceptibly lose our sense of dependence on God. We start to think our own mountain stands strong and we will never be moved.

He suggests that the briers and thorns of old age—the pains, the losses, and the physical decline—are actually God’s way of performing spiritual surgery. These trials are the medicine needed to restore our spiritual health. By breaking our grip on this world, God makes us reach more firmly for the next. This shifts our perspective from being victims of aging to being students in God’s school of sanctification.

“The heart hardens in this continual sunshine. Imperceptibly we lose the abiding, practical sense of our entire dependence and weakness… It is then good—it is necessary—to have the blindness of our minds and the hardness of our hearts removed by some means.”

Why You Should Keep Your Keys

There is a common cultural idea that retirement means handing everything over to your children and sitting in a rocking chair. Alexander flatly disagrees. He argues that many people date the start of their distressing melancholy from the moment they resigned their business and property into the hands of their kids. He warns that a mind accustomed to activity will prey upon itself if it has nothing to do.

This is a very practical piece of advice for the laity. Alexander encourages the aged to lighten their burdens but never to give up on study or useful work. He even suggests keeping control of your own property as long as you can. It is not about being greedy; it is about maintaining a sense of purpose and staying mentally sharp. Activity is the best defense against the mental decline and “stagnation” that often come with idleness.

“The mind long accustomed to activity is miserable in a state of stagnation; or rather, having lost its usual nutriment, it turns and preys upon itself. Lighten your burdens—but do not give up business or study.”

The Power of the Hidden Intercessor

One of the most impactful takeaways is Alexander’s encouragement to those who feel they can no longer do big things for God. He points to Simeon and Anna in the Bible—two very old people who spent their time in the temple praying. He argues that while the world honors the bustle and zeal of active workers, the most effectual service on earth is actually prayer.

If you can no longer preach, or travel, or work with your hands, you can still hold up the hands of those who do. Alexander sees the aged as a special band of intercessors whose lives are lengthened so they can wrestle with God for the sake of the church. This gives a massive amount of dignity to the shut-in or the infirm believer. You are not just waiting for the end; you are standing on the front lines of a spiritual battle.

“While Joshua and the men of war contend with the Amalekites in the battle, Moses assists by lifting up his hands in prayer… If you cannot preach, you can, by prayer, hold up the hands of those who do.”

Death is Just a Nap with a Better View

Finally, Alexander spends significant time helping the reader look at the grave without flinching. From a natural perspective, death is a “king of terrors,” a violent separation of soul and body. But for the person who holds to the promises of Christ, the nature of death has been entirely changed. It has been despoiled of its sting and turned from a curse into a blessing.

He encourages the aged to meditate on death as a “sleep” in Jesus. He points out that the transition is often much gentler than we imagine. For the believer, death is no longer a punishment but a rich gain. By keeping eternity in full view, the bereavements and pains of old age sink into insignificance. We are not losing our life; we are simply going home to the place where our friends have already gone.

“If eternity was in full view—would we be so deeply affected with our bereavements… They are only gone before to the place where we hope soon to follow them.”

Letters to the Aged is a necessary read because it treats the elderly with the respect they deserve while challenging them to finish the race well. You should read this book because it will help you realize that your gray hairs are a crown of glory when found in the way of righteousness. It pulls the reader out of the fog of “unprofitable repining” and places their feet on the solid ground of God’s faithfulness. Whether you are currently facing the infirmities of age or you are a younger person looking for a map of the road ahead, Alexander’s wisdom will teach you how to grow in grace until the very last hour.

The Reluctant Gardener’s Guide to the Soul: A Review of Archibald Alexander’s How to Grow in Grace

May 1, 2025 /

We have all had those seasons where our spiritual life feels like a car stuck in a muddy ditch. You are spinning your wheels, the engine is roaring, but you aren’t actually moving an inch. It is a common frustration to wonder why the initial “spark” of faith seems to settle into a dull routine of habits. We often find ourselves curiously asking: if I have a new heart, why does it still feel so heavy with the same old sins? In his classic work, How to Grow in Grace, the nineteenth-century pastor Archibald Alexander provides a bracing reality check. He suggests that we often misunderstand what growth looks like, expecting a microwave dinner when God is actually preparing a slow-cooked feast.

The Stunted Child and the Proof of Life

Alexander starts by laying down a non-negotiable rule: if something is alive, it must grow. He uses the simple image of a child to show that while some start out weak and others strong, the one thing they must do is develop. He warns that people who claim to follow Christ but never seem to change—or even start to slide backward—might just be “dead formalists.” They have a label that says “life,” but there is no heartbeat.

This is a powerful reflection for anyone who has settled into a spiritual rut. It reminds us that “staying the same” is not an option in the kingdom of God. If we want to enjoy the comfort of our faith or be of any use to the people around us, we have to be in what Alexander calls a “thriving condition.” Growth is the evidence that the Holy Spirit is actually at work in us.

“A healthy state of piety is always a growing state; that child which grows not at all must be sickly. If we would enjoy spiritual comfort, we must be in a thriving condition.”

Why Seeing More Dirt is a Sign of More Light

One of the most impactful insights in the book is how Alexander explains the discouragement we feel as we see more of our own sin. He argues that growing Christians often feel like they are becoming more wicked. He compares this to a person sitting in a dark, dirty room. If a single ray of light comes through the window, you only see the big pieces of furniture. But as the sun rises and the room gets brighter, you start to see the dust, the cobwebs, and the filth in the corners.

This analysis is incredibly encouraging. If you feel more sinful today than you did a year ago, it might not be because you are failing. It is likely because you have more spiritual light. You are seeing the “filth” that was already there but was previously hidden by your own ignorance. This increased knowledge of your own heart is a sure evidence that you are actually growing in grace and becoming more like Jesus.

“His increased knowledge of the fact is a sure evidence of increasing light.”

The Trap of the “One Day” Resolution

Alexander points out a very relatable habit that keeps us from moving forward: we make general promises to be “better” without ever getting specific. We resolve that in some “indefinite future” we will reform our lives, but we end every day without having made a single distinct advance. It is like a man who talks constantly about going on a trip but never actually packs a bag or puts a foot out the door.

To grow, we have to stop dealing with our hearts in the abstract and start dealing with them in detail. If we are cold in our love for God, we have to specifically meditate on His love for us. If we are prideful, we have to target that specific root. Growth happens when we aim for a particular improvement every single day, rather than just hoping that a “general piety” will somehow happen to us over time.

Faith Runs on Free Grace, Not Feelings

Finally, Alexander warns us against the danger of depending on “joyful frames” or emotional highs. He notes that young converts especially love the excitement, but God often lets them “walk in darkness” for a while to cure them of this. It forces them to stop relying on their own feelings and start relying on the unchangeable promises of God.

The only real “food” that makes the soul grow is the doctrine of free grace. When we try to mix our own efforts or our own “merit” into the equation, we become lean and feeble. Alexander insists that we must be “identified with Christ”—living by Him through faith alone. Until we stop trying to earn our keep and start resting in His finished work, our spiritual growth will always be stunted by our own self-dependence.

“Christians cannot but be lean and feeble when deprived of their proper nutriment. It is by faith that the spiritual life is made to grow; and the doctrine of free grace, without any mixture of human merit, is the only true object of faith.”

Why You Should Read This Book

Archibald Alexander’s How to Grow in Grace is a book you should read because it is a masterclass in the “long game” of holiness. It successfully avoids the fluff of modern self-improvement and instead points you back to the deep, sturdy roots of the Reformed faith. You should seek out this work to be reminded that while your growth may be gradual and often invisible, it is being fueled by an almighty Spirit who will not leave His work unfinished. If you want to move past the “microwave” spirituality of our age and build a faith that can endure the rugged storms of life, Alexander is the guide you need.

How to Handle the Heavy Stuff Without Getting a Headache: A Review of Archibald Alexander’s God, Creation & Human Rebellion

April 15, 2025 /

We have all been there. You are sitting in a church pew or a coffee shop, and someone brings up a “big” question about God that makes your brain feel like it is trying to run a marathon in deep sand. Maybe it’s a question about why we make bad choices if God is in control, or how one guy eating a piece of fruit thousands of years ago could possibly affect your life today. For many of us, theology feels like a private club for people who enjoy reading dusty books in dimly lit libraries. We have a relatable curiosity about the truth, but we often feel like we lack the secret decoder ring to understand it. In the lecture notes titled God, Creation & Human Rebellion, the first Princeton professor Archibald Alexander (as recorded by his student Charles Hodge) proves that the deepest truths about our souls don’t have to be buried in jargon.

As a pastor who lives and breathes the Westminster Standards, I found this collection of 1818 lecture notes to be a breath of fresh air. It is like sitting in a classroom with a spiritual father who is more interested in your soul than your test scores. These notes, salvaged from Hodge’s nearly unreadable handwriting, provide a clear-headed map for the Christian life. Here are the most impactful takeaways from this “hidden gem” of Reformed history.

The “Eye” and the “Light” Problem

One of the most helpful ways Alexander helps us understand our own minds is by explaining the relationship between our reason and God’s Word. He argues that reason is like the eye. It is an incredible tool that allows us to see, process information, and make judgments. However, an eye is completely useless if you are standing in a pitch-black room. To see anything, you need light. In this analogy, the Bible is that light.

This is a vital distinction for anyone who feels like they have to choose between being “smart” and being “faithful.” Alexander reminds us that we don’t use our brains to sit in judgment over God. Instead, we use our brains to see what God has actually said. Once we are sure the Bible is His Word, the most logical thing we can do is believe it, even when it talks about things that are far bigger than our tiny human perspective.

“Reason and conscience with liberty are necessary to make a creature capable of a moral law. … All knowledge superior to this was derived from revelation, the truths of which, however mysterious and beyond reason, he adopted with implicit confidence.”

The Myth of the “Blank Slate” Choice

We often talk about “free will” as if our hearts are a perfectly balanced scale, just waiting for us to toss a coin on one side or the other. Alexander pulls us back to reality by showing that this “indifference” is a myth. He explains that we are never truly “neutral.” Instead, we are the authors of our own choices, and those choices are always driven by what we actually want most at that moment.

This reflection is a massive help for the person who feels stuck in a cycle of bad habits. It shows that we aren’t just “falling” into mistakes by accident. We are choosing what matches our internal desires. To change the choice, the heart’s “appetite” has to change. This removes the idea that we are just passive victims of fate and reminds us that our choices are a direct reflection of who we are on the inside.

“Suppose a man, the temper of whose soul is virtuous… these are his strongest motives in the moment when, by passion or appetite, he is solicited to transgress. … The soul therefore determines its own acts of will, but according to its own nature or the prevailing inclination at the time.”

God Doesn’t Need a “Plan B”

A common brain-bender in church circles is the idea of “Middle Knowledge”—the theory that God looks into the future, sees what we might do in different situations, and then builds His plan around our potential choices. Alexander and Hodge shut this down with cold, hard logic. They argue that if God’s knowledge depended on what a creature might do, then God would be a student of His own creation.

This takeaway provides incredible security for the believer. It means God isn’t a passenger in His own universe, biting His nails to see if His plan will work out. He knows exactly what will happen because He is the one who ordained it. This isn’t about making us robots; it’s about making sure that the God we worship is actually in charge. If something is certain in the future, it’s because a certain God put it there.

“Anything is said to be contingent in the language of theology that in the nature of things might have been otherwise than it is. … That God knows things contingent is proved from His predicting them… and from His decreeing them.”

The Single Act that Changed the World

Finally, Alexander clears up the confusion about Adam’s first sin. Some people think it was just about a snack, but Alexander shows it was a “general apostasy”—a total walkout on God. He argues that it wasn’t just a mistake; it was a violation of the entire agreement between God and man. This explains why we are born with a “bent” toward doing the wrong thing. We aren’t born neutral; we are born as part of a family that already walked away from the King.

This is a powerful reflection for anyone wondering why the world feels so broken. Alexander reminds us that we didn’t just lose a few “bonus features” of being human; we lost the “image of God” as a functioning relationship. This makes the work of Jesus even more beautiful. If our problem is a total change of status, then we need more than a few tips on self-improvement. We need a whole new representative to fix what the first one broke.

“This sin must not be considered as any simple or particular sin but as a general apostasy from God, including the violation of the whole moral law… it appears that the first step belongs to the understanding, and that ever preceded transgression.”

Why You Should Read This Book

Archibald Alexander’s God, Creation & Human Rebellion is a necessary read because it successfully pulls the “heavy lifting” of systematic theology out of the ivory tower and brings it down to the level of the person in the pew. It is a book that respects your intelligence without trying to show off. You should read this because it will help you see the “grand design” of your own life and the world around you through the eyes of one of the greatest shepherds in American history. In an age where everyone is offering shallow “life hacks,” Alexander offers a solid foundation that can actually handle the weight of your real-life questions.

If you have ever wondered how a sovereign God, a fallen heart, and a broken world all fit together, these lecture notes are your best chance to sit at the feet of a master. It will remind you that while we may be “fearfully and wonderfully made,” we are even more wonderfully redeemed.

Bully-Proofing Your Faith: Archibald Alexander’s Evidences of the Holy Scriptures

April 1, 2025 /

Most of us have been there. You are in a conversation with a skeptical friend or browsing a comment section when someone treats the Bible like a collection of poorly written fairy tales. They might tell you that faith is just a blind leap in the dark or that science has long ago buried the “myths” of the prophets. In those moments, it is easy for a Christian to feel a bit like they have brought a butter knife to a gunfight. We curiously wonder if our faith is based on anything more than a feeling we got at a summer camp years ago. Archibald Alexander, the legendary first professor at Princeton Seminary, wrote Evidences of the Authenticity, Inspiration, and Canonical Authority of the Holy Scriptures to show that you don’t have to check your brain at the church door.

As a pastor who stands firmly on the Westminster Standards, I find Alexander’s work to be an essential fortress. He doesn’t just ask us to “believe because we say so.” Instead, he invites the reader to look at the cold, hard facts of history, logic, and the human soul. This book is a manual for anyone who wants to move from a fragile “I hope this is true” to a sturdy “I know this is true.” Here are the most impactful takeaways from this classic defense of the Word of God.

Reason is the Eye, Not the Light

One of the most helpful points Alexander makes early on is the proper relationship between our brains and our Bibles. Many people think that religion is the enemy of reason. Alexander turns that on its head, arguing that without reason, there can be no religion at all. We use our reason to examine the evidence, to interpret the words, and to understand the doctrines.

However, reason is like an eye. It needs light to see, but it is not the light itself. We don’t use our reason to sit in judgment over God, telling Him what He is allowed to say. Instead, we use our reason to see if God has actually spoken. Once we are convinced that the Bible is His Word, the most “reasonable” thing we can do is believe everything it says, even the parts that are way beyond our tiny human understanding.

“Without reason there can be no religion: for in every step which we take, in examining the evidences of revelation, in interpreting its meaning, or in assenting to its doctrines, the exercise of this faculty is indispensable.”

The Volcano of No-Religion

Alexander addresses a relatable curiosity: what would happen if the skeptics actually won and banished all religion from the earth? Some imagine a peaceful world of pure science, but Alexander points to the “characters of blood” written during the French Revolution as a warning. He describes man as a “religious animal.” If you take away the true God, people don’t become neutral; they just find new, often more violent and absurd things to worship.

He argues that atheism has no “bond of union.” It breeds suspicion and selfishness because it removes the ultimate restraint of a future judgment. He notes that even the most famous atheists often turn into the most superstitious people when a storm hits at sea. Religion isn’t just a private hobby; it is the very thing that keeps a society from turning into a “picture of hell upon earth.”

“It is the BIBLE which has delivered us from the horrid dominion of superstition, and it is the BIBLE which must prevent its return. Philosophy has had no hand in working out this deliverance from the horrors of idolatry.”

The Fisherman Who Beat the Empire

A truly surprising takeaway is Alexander’s analysis of how the Gospel actually spread. If Christianity were an imposture, it was the worst-planned one in history. The first preachers were “few and feeble” instruments—mostly unlearned fishermen from a despised nation. They didn’t have money, they didn’t have armies, and they certainly didn’t have the “man-pleasing” doctrines that people usually want to hear.

Instead, they preached a crucified leader and told people they had to give up all their sins and be ready to die for the truth. Alexander reflects that if a few Jewish mechanics tried to proselytize the world today without any help, we would laugh. Yet, these men turned the most polished and powerful cities of the Roman Empire upside down. Alexander argues that this is a “standing miracle.” It is impossible to account for their success unless you admit that God was actually with them.

The Book That Knows Your Secrets

While history and miracles provide “external” proof, Alexander spends significant time on the “internal” evidence—the way the Bible actually feels when you read it. He calls it the “power over the conscience.” Have you ever noticed that the Bible is the only book that seems to read you while you are reading it? It doesn’t flatter us. It describes the human heart as “deceitful and desperately wicked,” a description that matches our experience perfectly.

Alexander reflects that this “sublime sanctity” is something impostors could never fake. Wicked men would never write a book that is so focused on holiness and so honest about human failure. This takeaway suggests that the best cure for doubt isn’t just a better argument; it is a serious, prayerful reading of the text itself. The Bible shines with a celestial light that proves its own origin to anyone who isn’t squinting their eyes shut.

“This new creation is not an improvement, or a mending of the old principles of nature, but an infusion of new ones, and so is properly styled a creation.”

Why You Should Read This Book

You should read Archibald Alexander’s Evidences of the Holy Scriptures because we live in a world that is loud with objections and thin on actual answers. This book is a tonic for the soul.

Whether you are a parent trying to answer a child’s tough questions, a student facing skepticism on campus, or a pastor looking to strengthen the flock, this book provides the “intellectual armor” you need. It reminds us that our faith is not a “cunningly devised fable,” but a sure word of prophecy that has been tested in the fires of time and found to be pure gold. If you have ever felt like your feet were on shifting sand, Alexander will help you find the Rock.

Don’t Let the Pulpit Dribble: James W. Alexander’s Thoughts on Preaching

March 15, 2025 /

Have you ever sat through a sermon that felt like a lukewarm cup of tea—mostly water, a little bit of sugar, and no real kick? We have all been there. It is a relatable curiosity for any churchgoer to wonder why some messages stick to your ribs for decades while others evaporate before you even get to the car. As a pastor who keeps the Westminster Standards close at hand, I know the weight of the “preached word” is supposed to be heavy, yet too often it feels light. In his classic collection of reflections, Thoughts on Preaching, the nineteenth-century giant James W. Alexander pulls back the curtain on the study and the pulpit to show us that the secret to a powerful sermon isn’t a better personality; it is a deeper life of study and a heart on fire.

The Full Cask Principle of Preparation

One of the most surprising and convicting takeaways for any minister—and a vital insight for the people in the pew—is Alexander’s view on study. He argues that a preacher cannot simply “invent” a sermon on a Saturday night. Instead, he believes a pastor should be a “full cask.” If a man only studies exactly what he needs for his next twenty-minute talk, his knowledge will be brittle and thin. Alexander insists on a life of perpetual, broad study that keeps the mind saturated with divine truth.

This is important because it changes how we view the “work” of a pastor during the week. He isn’t just a CEO or a social worker; he is a scholar of the Word who is filling himself up so that his Sabbath message is an overflow, not a forced extraction. If a pastor is well-read and deeply meditative, you won’t get a “dribble” of thoughts; you will get a stream of life-giving truth.

“Fill up the cask, fill up the cask, FILL UP THE CASK! Then, if you tap it anywhere, you will get a good stream; but if you put in but little, it will dribble, dribble, dribble, and you must tap, tap, tap; and then get but little after all.”

Preaching the Alps of Theology

Alexander offers a sharp rebuke to the modern tendency to preach on small, trendy, or purely sentimental topics. He observes that some ministers spend their entire careers and never once tackle the “great themes” of the faith—subjects like the Atonement, the nature of God’s justice, or the Last Judgment. He uses a striking analogy: to describe the scenery of the Bible while leaving out these massive doctrines is like trying to describe Switzerland while ignoring the Alps.

This point is essential for the laity to understand. We often settle for “five ways to have a better week” because it feels practical, but Alexander argues that the “common mind” is actually better served by the great mountains of truth. These are the subjects that moved the martyrs and changed nations. When a preacher avoids the big questions, he might keep the congregation comfortable, but he leaves them unequipped for the real storms of life.

“Some ministers preach twenty years, and yet never preach on Judgment, Hell, the Crucifixion, the essence of saving faith—nor on those great themes which in all ages affect children, and effect the common mind.”

The Secret Power of Blood-Earnestness

We often talk about “eloquence,” but Alexander points to something much more raw and biblical: “blood-earnestness.” He reflects on a comment once made about the great Thomas Chalmers, noting that his strength didn’t lie in his vocabulary or his logic, but in the fact that he spoke like a man who genuinely believed his hearers were in mortal danger. This quality cannot be faked, and it cannot be manufactured by a speech coach.

This analysis is insightful because it explains why a technically “perfect” sermon can feel dead. If the preacher is more concerned with his grammar or his “paper” than his people’s salvation, the message remains a cold intellectual exercise. Alexander reminds us that the pulpit is a place of passion. A sermon should be like a burning flame, providing both light for the mind and heat for the heart. It is the inward experience of the truth that gives the speaker his authority.

Breaking Free from the Paper Shackle

Perhaps the most controversial point Alexander makes is his defense of extemporaneous preaching over reading from a manuscript. Now, he isn’t calling for a lack of study—far from it. He is calling for a delivery that is free, direct, and unconstrained by a “paper minister” mentality. He argues that when a man looks his congregation in the eye and speaks from a full heart, there is a mysterious, soul-to-soul connection that a read essay simply cannot achieve.

For the person in the pew, this is a call to value the “living word.” Alexander believes that the most effective discourses are often those where the preacher has studied so deeply that he can “forget” his notes and let the truth gush out naturally. This method protects the church from becoming a place of dry lectures and turns it back into a place of direct, personal address from God’s ambassador to his people.

Why You Should Read This Book

You should read James W. Alexander’s Thoughts on Preaching because it will completely ruin your appetite for “frothy” sermons. It pulls the high art of the pulpit down to the level of honest, practical experience, making it a gold mine for anyone who wants to understand what makes a ministry truly effective. For the pastor, it is a roadmap back to a substantial, passionate pulpit. For the layperson, it is a guide on how to listen and what to expect from the man who stands in Christ’s stead every Sunday.

In a world full of “trifle” and “froth,” this book reminds us that the preaching of the Word is God’s chosen method for changing the soul, and it deserves nothing less than our full strength and our most earnest devotion. It will challenge you to stop settling for “dribbles” and to seek after a ministry that is as solid as the mountains and as warm as a hearth fire.

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2026 The Puritan Reader

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑