Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ
John Bunyan
BOOK
Release date: 1681
230 pages

Bunyan's book is a thorough exposition of one verse, John 6:37, which states (in the King James Version): "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." 

From this one verse, Bunyan unpacks an array of strands that run through the Gospel, weaving a tapestry that unveils the absolute promise of God to forever save all whom are his through the person and work of Jesus Christ.

There are times when you can glimpse the same allegorical style that would become so famously used in The Pilgrims' Progress (which was published in two parts, one before and one after Come and Welcome). Bunyan is a gifted writer, and one can only imagine his ability to communicate this text via sermon would be equally passionate.

Compared with other Puritan books, this one seems to lack a bit of the theological punchiness the others have displayed. Bunyan is certainly very sound in doctrine and there are a great deal of gems in these pages; but it doesn't quite match up to Sibbes and Flavel in my opinion.

However, this book (like every Puritan Paperback I've read so far) is unquestionably worth taking the time to read. Come and Welcome, while perhaps not the grandest of Puritan works, remains a decidedly helpful tool in understanding God's election, salvation, and assurance. B

REVIEW ARCHIVE

If you are interested in Timmy Brister's Puritan Reading Challenge for 2008, visit his site by clicking here. June's book (yes, I know I am two months late) is The Mortification of Sin by John Owen.

Here are some quotes from Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ:

Sin is strong. Satan is also strong, death and the grave are strong, and so is the curse of the law; therefore it follows, that this Jesus must be, by God the Father, accounted almighty, in that he has given his elect to him to save them, and deliver them from these, and that despite all their force and power. [18]

To see a man who was once dead in sin, possessed of the devil, an enemy to Christ and to all things spiritually good; I say, to see this man moving with his mind after the Lord Jesus Christ, is one of the highest wonders in the world. [26]

Am I coming, indeed, to Jesus Christ? This coming of mine is not to be attributed to me or to my goodness, but to the grace and gift of God to Christ. God gave first my person to him, and, therefore, has now given me a heart to come. [50]

No stubbornness of man's will can stand, when God has absolutely said the contrary. [60]

Man by nature is in darkness, and walks in darkness, and knows not where he goes, for darkness has blinded his eyes; neither can anything but Jesus Christ lead men out of this darkness. Natural conscience cannot do it; the ten commandments, though in the heart of man, cannot do it. This prerogative belongs only to Jesus Christ. [68]

Christ will not suffer any law, ordinance, statute, or judgment, to be partners with him in the salvation of the sinner. [106]

Our iniquities testify against us, and would certainly prevail against us, to our utter rejection and damnation, had we not an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. [111]

Coming to Christ is not by the will, wisdom, or power of man, but by the gift, promise, and drawing of the Father. [131]

Unbelief is the daughter of ignorance. [155]

All the good that is in Christ is offered to the coming sinner, without money and without price. He has life to give away to such as want it, and that has not a penny to purchase it; and he will give it freely. [196]

Faith sees more in a promise of God to help than in all other things to hinder. [202]

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Broken Angel
Sigmund Brouwer
BOOK
Release date: 05.20.2008
243 pages

A young girl named Caitlyn and her father Jordan are on the run, being hunted as fugitives while trying to escape the region known as Appalachia. Bounty hunters, law enforcement, and an underlying current of questionable loyalties keep this book moving at a wonderful pace.

Set in a not-too-distant future, Appalachia is a self-contained region within the United States, governed by the tyrannical Bar Elohim, a character who we only meet in passing. In fact, Brouwer really doesn't spend too much time on this world once he establishes its basic rules. While part of me would like to know more about how it came to be and the story of some of the ancillary characters, it was a wise decision on Brouwer's part to avoid that snare and simply stick to the story at hand.

So while I can't fault Brouwer for his decision, it did leave me feeling like there was much more that could have been said (sequels, anyone?). The conclusion, although serviceable, felt abrupt and almost too open-ended. Thinking back on it now, the reality is that not much was actually resolved beyond the main narrative thread of the story. Even that was more of "taken to a next step" than "resolved."

But, the story belongs primarily to Caitlyn and her father, and Brouwer does indeed tell us their story. As their journey takes them closer to the border with Outside, the truth about their past threatens to pull them farther apart. I don't want to say too much for fear of spoiling anything.

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by Brouwer's writing. I've not read anything of his before, but if the way he created dynamic characters and believable tension in this book is any indication of the norm, then I will certainly be reading more of his work in the future. B

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The Man Who Made Lists
Joshua Kendall
BOOK
Release date: 03.18.2008
297 pages

Although Peter Mark Roget is best known for the Thesaurus, the events of his life that led him to create such a work have not often been explored. In this book, Joshua Kendall attempts to delve into the persona of Roget and reveal the motivation and manner of a man who has become synonymous with synonyms.

Roget's actual Thesaurus, however, was a bit different than the one you might pick up in stores today. His goal was not to merely collect synonyms,  but to classify words into their proper ideas. So an entry on 'marriage,' for example, would also contain the words 'husband' and 'wife' and their synonyms. 

Kendall mentions the fact that some critics have bashed the Thesaurus for 'dumbing-down' the language, since any computer user can click a few buttons and magically substitute big words for little ones without knowing what they mean. But Roget's intention, as Kendall describes, was for people to use the Thesaurus to choose the right word for each situation, not randomly pick one. Roget held a high a view of language and assumed anyone who used a book such as his would as well.

Surprisingly, although Roget made word lists from early childhood, he didn't really begin work on his Thesaurus until he was in his 70s. The difficulty is that since Kendall is basically telling a chronological story of Roget's life, the Thesaurus lies near the end, and is not given near as much space in the book as it should. It actually feels a bit tacked on.

All in all, Kendall does a fine job of delineating Roget's life and putting the major events of it into sequence. But the finished product is a bit bland, lacking any kind of story arc or narrative tension. In short, you don't truly get to invest in these characters, and as a result, you don't really ever invest in their story either. C

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Merciless
Robin Parrish
BOOK
Release date: 07.01.2008
399 pages

In this, the third book of the Dominion Trilogy, the story of Grant Borrows comes to a violent, world-changing conclusion. A series of tragedies at the end of the second book (Fearless) usher in global chaos as time itself comes to a stop.

I am loathe to give away too much of the plot here, so I will say it this way: if you liked the first two, this one delivers more of the same. While some scenes and dialogue border on groan-worthy, the majority of the book works well in this sci-fi (or close to it) drama. Parrish also maintains a good sense of pacing, keeping things moving at a quick clip.

[Side note: I know attention spans are virtually non-existent these days, but I prefer chapters longer than one or two pages. This wasn't as bad as, say, a James Patterson novel, but was close enough to be noticeable.]

Although there is a bit too much explanation given by way of the clichéd "I might as well tell you since you'll be dead soon" monologue device, I have to give Parrish credit for clearly having the endgame in mind from the beginning (at least conceptually) of the trilogy and allowing the story to resolve itself without tying up every single loose end.

Parrish shows promise as a fiction writer and seems to instinctively know how to weave a strong tapestry of plot, character, and pacing. Even though the sequel door is left open, he would be best served by moving in a different direction and stretching his limits.

It's fascinating to see how a story that began as an online serial morphed into a trilogy of books that, while not quite capturing the epic feel they strove for, still manage to tell an engrossing tale. My guess is that although this story is over, it isn't the last one Parrish has to tell. B-

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The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment
Jeremiah Burroughs
BOOK
Release date: 1648
228 pages

Contentment is the topic at hand, and it is one that is much needed in our world today. I can only imagine how different Burroughs' world was in the mid-1600s, and yet the human condition was the same. By our nature, we are never satisfied with what we have.

What Burroughs does in this book is give each Christian pause, making us consider the true depths of our reliance on God and our faith in him. Are we able, like the apostle Paul, to say: "I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content." [Philippians 4:11]

This type of genuine contentment comes from a careful study of God's past mercies, present provision, and future promises. Although we will undoubtedly have trouble in this world, what is that trouble in comparison to the grace of God? Certainly for Christians, who have already received the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ; no calamity will ever befall us that can undo that truth.

Although this book is full of great counsel and help concerning contentment, I found it a bit difficult to get into at first. It seems a bit long in places, and borders on repetitive. I get the sense, however, that these were originally sermons on contentment that later made their way to book form. If that is the case, then the repetition is a bit more understandable as Burroughs likely reviewed previous messages as he led into new ones.

In a world that tells us we need more than we have, and that we actually deserve to have more than we have, Burroughs work on contentment stands as a pillar of clarity and a poignant reminder that regardless of affliction we are the ones Peter spoke of: "Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." [1 Peter 2:10]. We are entitled to nothing, yet God has given much. He is the source of contentment. B+

REVIEW ARCHIVE

If you are interested in Timmy Brister's Puritan Reading Challenge for 2008, visit his site by clicking here. May's book (yes, I know it is already July) is Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ by John Bunyan.

Here are some quotes from The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment:

Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God's wise and fatherly disposal in every condition. [19]

And good Jacob joined with his mother in lying to Isaac; not content to await God's time and use God's means, he made too great a haste and went out of his way to procure the blessing which God intended for him. Thus do many, through the corruption of their hearts and the weakness of their faith, because they are not able to trust God and follow him fully in all things and always. [24]

The world is infinitely deceived in thinking that contentment lies in having more than we already have. [45]

So this is the art of contentment: not to seek to add to our circumstances, but to subtract from our desires. [47]

There is strength in Christ not only to sanctify us and save us, but strength to support us under our burdens and afflictions, and Christ expects that when we are under and burden, we should act our faith upon him to draw virtue and strength from him. [63]

Before, the soul sought after this and that, but now it says, 'I see that it is not necessary for me to be rich, but it is necessary for me to make my peace with God; it is not necessary that I should live a pleasurable life in this world, but it is absolutely necessary that I should have pardon of my sin; it is not necessary that I should have honor and preferment, but it is necessary that I should have God as my portion, and have my part in Jesus Christ, it is necessary that my soul should be saved in the day of Jesus Christ. The other things are pretty fine indeed, and I should be glad if God would give me them, a fine house, and income, and clothes, and advancement for my wife and children: these are comfortable things, but they are not necessary things; I may have these and yet perish for ever, but the other is absolutely necessary. [92]

Consider what your condition is, you are pilgrims and strangers; so do not think to satisfy yourselves here. [95]

The greatest misery of all is for God to give you up to your heart's lusts and desires, to give you up to your own counsels. [109]

There is no work which God has made -- the sun, moon, stars and all the world -- in which so much of the glory of God appears as in a man who lives quietly in the midst of adversity. [122]

Are you the King's son, the son, the daughter, of the King of Heaven, and yet so disquieted and troubled, and vexed at every little thing that happens? As if a King's son were to cry out that he is undone for losing a toy; what an unworthy thing would this be! So do you: you cry out as if you were undone and yet are a King's son, you who stand in such relation to God, as to a father, you dishonor your father in this; as if either he had not wisdom, or power, or mercy enough to provide for you. [145]

Name any affliction that is upon you: there is a sea of mercy to swallow it up. If you pour a pail full of water on the floor of your house, it makes a great show, but if you throw it into the sea, there is no sign of it. So, afflictions considered in themselves, we think are very great, but let them be considered with the sea of God's mercies we enjoy, and then they are not as much, they are nothing in comparison. [209]

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