Ours is the first generation of Christians that has seriously asked the question, how much time can I spend on entertaining myself? In all the reading I have done in the sixteenth and seventeenth century, I have never once come across this question in any serious fashion. It is not that these...

The opening sentence of John Calvin's The Institutes of the Christian Religion alone is worth a lifetime's contemplation: 'Nearly all the wisdom we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.' What is it about Calvin that so inspires...

v. The sacraments of the old testament, in regard of the spiritual things thereby signified and exhibited, were, for substance, the same with those of the new. Why end the section on the sacraments with a statement as to the diversity and unity of old and new covenant sacraments? The reason seems...

iii. The grace which is exhibited in or by the sacraments rightly used, is not conferred by any power in them; neither doth the efficacy of a sacrament depend upon the piety or intention of him that doth administer it: but upon the work of the Spirit, and the word of institution, which contains,...

i. Sacraments are holy signs and seals of the covenant of grace, immediately instituted by God, to represent Christ, and his benefits; and to confirm our interest in him: as also, to put a visible difference between those that belong unto the church, and the rest of the world; and solemnly to...

vii. As it is the law of nature, that, in general, a due proportion of time be set apart for the worship of God; so, in His Word, by a positive, moral, and perpetual commandment binding all men in all ages, He has particularly appointed one day in seven, for a Sabbath, to be kept holy unto him:...

iii. Prayer, with thanksgiving, being one special part of religious worship, is by God required of all men: and, that it may be accepted, it is to be made in the name of the Son, by the help of His Spirit, according to His will, with understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith, love and...

v.The will of man is made perfectly and immutably free to do good alone in the state of glory only. According to the Augustinian/Bostonian grammar of sin and grace, heaven is a condition of non posse peccare (not able to sin). Unlike Eden, a condition of probation, in which it was possible to sin...

iii. Man, by his fall into a state of sin, has wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation: so as, a natural man, being altogether averse from that good, and dead in sin, is not able, by his own strength, to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto. Can the...

i. God has endued the will of man with that natural liberty, that is neither forced, nor, by any absolute necessity of nature, determined good, or evil There is something of interest about the location of this chapter within the Confession. It falls immediately after a chapter describing all that...

iii. In the unity of the Godhead there be three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. The Father is of none, neither begotten, nor proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father; the Holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the...

i. There is but one only living and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions; immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, most free, most absolute, working all things according to the...

Reformation Heritage Publications have just published Jeremy Walker's The Broken-Hearted Evangelist (see here http://www.heritagebooks.org/products/The-Brokenhearted-Evangelist.html ). One of the best books on passionate evangelism I know. Should be required reading for every Christian with Jesus-...

More books emerge than I have time to keep up with, but our friend Rob Ventura can help us here with sample chapters from forthcoming titles from Reformed Heritage Press (see his blog, http://books2look4.wordpress.com/ ). I've just finished reading Peter Enns' new book, The Evolution of Adam: What...

Zeal for Godliness Devotional Meditations from Calvin's Institutes (Evangelical Press) The year-long series of blog entries taken from Calvin's Institutes on Ref21 during 2009 is now available as a book. With contributions from Sinclair Ferguson, Ligon Duncan, Carl Trueman, Phil Ryken, Guy Waters,...

Reformation & Liberation Rediscovering the Legacy of the Reformers A Banner of Truth Reformation Day Conference Friday, October 28, 2011 6.30pm - 9.30pm Proclamation Presbyterian Church 278 South Bryn Mawr Avenue Bryn Mawr, PA Speakers: Rev. Dr. Liam Goligher Rev. Mark G. Johnston From...

Further to my blog (below) about the Vitco's CD on the Children's Shorter Catechism, I have now been given a URL to a site where the CD will cost around $7 less . Sorry to those who have already purchased one. See, here .

Del informs me that Trotter has been "rapping" again. This time, on the Trinity. He's teamed up with Colin Buchanan , the Australian musician and lover of Reformed doctrine on a CD called "God Rock". Rumor has it that the two of them are hoping to make millions from the "movie rights." You can...

"Any theology which cannot be communicated as gospel is of minimal value." So wrote John Stott ( Culture and the Bible [IVP, 1981], 38). And as I now think about the massive contribution he made to twentieth century evangelicalism, it is his communication of the gospel that comes to mind. His...

It's summer madness. No, Not the umpteen requests to join Google+ (please, what is this?). It's a record burning bits of the Bible. I blame it on the heat, except this is North Wales and one Rector Geraint ap Iorwerth has been burning pages of the King James Bible in its 400th anniversary year...

Just as my ego is in the ascendancy, I come across John Calvin's comment on Psalm 84:10, "I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness": 'He would rather be cast into a common and unhonored place, provided he were among the people of God, than exalted...

Clearly, Levy is a man of poor discernment (see the video tour of his library below). But now that I am on the topic of libraries, my recent move has required that I re-shelve my books. It is surprising what emerges when this happens. I discovered, for example, tattered copies of two addresses...

I've been undercover for too long -- life having taken a sudden detour a couple of months ago when I decidedly recall saying "no" only to find that what I really meant was"yes". As most folk may know (at least those whose Facebook friends includes yours truly, -- everyone except Carl, that is), I...