John Owen (1616-1683) is one of the most respected Puritan theologians. One subject he explored deeply was our fight against sin and temptation, which is probably best known from his work The Mortification of Sin in Believers (1656). Two years later, Owen published another book, Of Temptation (1658), which focuses specifically on our battle with... Continue Reading →
Quotes from The Art of Divine Contentment
In The Art of Divine Contentment, Thomas Watson is very skillful with his imagery and language to get his message on contentment across to the reader. The following quotes are some of my favorites. Note that these quotes are taken from The Art of Divine Contentment: In Modern English, a modern update of Thomas Watson's... Continue Reading →
God’s Sovereignty in your Suffering: The Crook in the Lot
When we go through trials, how do we reconcile our pain with the sovereignty of God? As a Christian, how can we glorify God in our suffering? The Crook in the Lot by Thomas Boston (1676-1732) attempts to answer these questions by looking at scripture. This week, I've released a new modern English translation, The Crook in... Continue Reading →
A Puritan Call to Contentment
Puritan Thomas Watson's book The Art of Divine Contentment (1660) is a challenging and encouraging call for Christians to pursue contentment in God. It is full of Watson's characteristic imagery and pastoral care. The central text comes from Philippians 4:11, where Paul states, "I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content" (ESV). After... Continue Reading →
About this book series
Christian Classics for the Modern Reader is an effort to bring 17th and 18th century books to today's readers. These books were written by orthodox, well-respected Christian pastors, theologians, and writers of the past. Most of these authors were Puritans who wrote in England and Scotland. Although these books are easily found in the public... Continue Reading →