The Works of Thomas Goodwin

Daniel Ritchie · #1 (**permalink**) 03-26-2008, 08:55 PM

I have recently acquired some volumes of the Works of Thomas Goodwin. These seem to be a very valuable collection; volume 3, in particular, seems to have some real gems in it, I enjoyed reading his short work The Vanity of Thoughts Discovered, and am currently making my way through A Child of Light Walking in Darkness. What I particularly like about the latter book is that the short chapters mean that readers who do not have a lot of time on their hands can throughly digest what the author is saying in a chapter without having to stop when you are partially through it. Often I lose out when reading Puritan works, as I would need to set aside an entire day to fully read and digest a chapter. Furthermore, A Child of Light Walking in Darkness is an excellent treatment of the doctrine of assurance; from memory (I read this about 6 years ago) Joel Beeke heavily relied upon it when writing his PhD A Quest for Full Assurance.

Backwoods Presbyterian · #2 (**permalink**) 03-26-2008, 08:57 PM

Thomas Goodwin is one of the Puritans I know very little about. Thanks for this Daniel.

Daniel Ritchie · #3 (**permalink**) 03-26-2008, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Backwoods Presbyterian

Thomas Goodwin is one of the Puritans I know very little about. Thanks for this Daniel.

No problem brother. I think it does not help Thomas Goodwin that the only works that Banner published by him were the ones which (I suspect) are probably the hardest to read. It should be noted that Amazon sell the volumes individually, I recommend reading some of the stuff in volume 3 (which includes the two works I mentioned) first.

VirginiaHuguenot · #4 (**permalink**) 03-26-2008, 09:00 PM

I got my set last year and have been greatly blessed by Goodwin's Works.

http://www.puritanboard.com/f81/sale...goodwin-26196/

Quote:

Originally Posted by Backwoods Presbyterian

Thomas Goodwin is one of the Puritans I know very little about. Thanks for this Daniel.

You can read them online here if you wish:

Links and Downloads Manager - Educational Links - The Works of Thomas Goodwin Online - The PuritanBoard

Backwoods Presbyterian · #5 (**permalink**) 03-26-2008, 09:23 PM

Thanks for that VA, I'll keep that in mind for the summer. I might as well read what I am supposed to for class (even though it is terrible)...

Presbyterian Deacon · #6 (**permalink**) 03-26-2008, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Backwoods Presbyterian

Thomas Goodwin is one of the Puritans I know very little about. Thanks for this Daniel.

"Those blessings are sweetest that are won with prayers and worn with thanks."

"After thou hast prayed, observe what God doth towards thee; especially how He doth guide thy feet and heart after prayer; there is much in that. That which was the spirit of supplication in a man when he prayed, rests upon him as the spirit of obedience in his course."

Quote:

"Grace" is more than mercy and love, it superadds to them. It denotes, not simply love, but the love of a sovereign, transcendly superior, one that may do what he will, that may wholly choose whether he will love or no. There may be love between equals, and an inferior may love a superior; but love in a superior, and so superior as he may do what he will, in such a one love is called grace: and therefore grace is attributed to princes; they are said to be gracious to their subject, whereas subjects cannot be gracious to princes. Now God, who is an infinite Sovereign, who might have chosenwhether ever He would love us or no, for Him to love us, this is grace.

Backwoods Presbyterian · #7 (**permalink**) 03-26-2008, 11:05 PM

Thanks for those quotes Presby Deacon. Lovely.

JohnOwen007 · #8 (**permalink**) 03-27-2008, 04:57 AM

We must remember that this addition of Thomas Goodwin's works has some blemishes editorially. The editor took liberties such that the text was changed at various points from the original; some changes were insignificant, others more so.

This version is good as a way of getting into the heart of Goodwin. However, for an academic dissertation one would have to go to the 17th century originals.

Blessings.

AV1611 · #9 (**permalink**) 03-27-2008, 05:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnOwen007

We must remember that this addition of Thomas Goodwin's works has some blemishes editorially. The editor took liberties such that the text was changed at various points from the original; some changes were insignificant, others more so.

This version is good as a way of getting into the heart of Goodwin. However, for an academic dissertation one would have to go to the 17th century originals.

Blessings.

Goodwin on sources and 19thC editors « Thomas Goodwin