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Prepared by Grace, for Grace: The Puritans on God's Way of Leading Sinners to Christ
Few teachings of the Puritans have provoked such strong reactions and conflicting interpretations as their views on preparing for saving faith. Many twentieth-century scholars dismissed preparation as a prime example of regression from the Reformed doctrine of grace for a man-centered legalism. In Prepared by Grace, for Grace , Joel Beeke and Paul Smalley make careful analysis of the Puritan understanding of preparatory grace, demonstrate its fundamental continuity with the Reformed tradition, and identify matters where even the Puritans disagreed among themselves. Clearing away the many misconceptions and associated accusations of preparationism, this study is sure to be the standard work on how the Puritans understood the ordinary way God leads sinners to Christ. Table of
The Question of Preparationism
1. Preparation and Modern Scholarship
2. Precedents to Puritan Augustine to Calvin
3. Preparation and Early English Perkins, Sibbes, and Preston
4. Preparation for William Ames
5. Preparation in Early New England (I): Thomas Hooker
6. Preparation in Early New England (II): Shepard and Pemble
7. Preparation and the Antinomian John Cotton
8. Preparation at the Pinnacle of Westminster, Burroughs, and Guthrie
9. Preparation under a Scholastic Norton
10. Preparation and Later Puritan Goodwin and Firmin
11. Later Puritan Flavel and Bunyan
12. Jonathan Edwards and Seeking God
13. Continental Reformed Zwingli to Witsius
14. The Grace of Preparation for Faith
William Ames's Theological Disputation on Preparation
The Question of Preparationism
1. Preparation and Modern Scholarship
2. Precedents to Puritan Augustine to Calvin
3. Preparation and Early English Perkins, Sibbes, and Preston
4. Preparation for William Ames
5. Preparation in Early New England (I): Thomas Hooker
6. Preparation in Early New England (II): Shepard and Pemble
7. Preparation and the Antinomian John Cotton
8. Preparation at the Pinnacle of Westminster, Burroughs, and Guthrie
9. Preparation under a Scholastic Norton
10. Preparation and Later Puritan Goodwin and Firmin
11. Later Puritan Flavel and Bunyan
12. Jonathan Edwards and Seeking God
13. Continental Reformed Zwingli to Witsius
14. The Grace of Preparation for Faith
William Ames's Theological Disputation on Preparation
297 pages, Paperback
First published May 20, 2013
28 people are currently reading
77 people want to read
About the author
Joel R. Beeke
446 books348 followersDr. Joel R. Beeke serves as President and Professor of Systematic Theology, Church History, and Homiletics at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. He has been in the ministry since 1978 and has served as a pastor of his current church, Heritage Reformed Congregation, since 1986. He is also editor of the Banner of Sovereign Grace Truth, editorial director of Reformation Heritage Books, president of Inheritance Publishers, and vice-president of the Dutch Reformed Translation Society. He has written, co-authored, or edited fifty books and contributed over fifteen hundred articles to Reformed books, journals, periodicals, and encyclopedias. His Ph.D. (1988) from Westminster Theological Seminary is in Reformation and Post-Reformation Theology. He is frequently called upon to lecture at Reformed seminaries and to speak at conferences around the world. He and his wife, Mary, have three children: Calvin, Esther, and Lydia.
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July 12, 2013
Prepared by grace, for grace is written by Dr. Joel Beeke, president of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary and in my opinion, he is the Elisha of this generation with regards to the promotion of puritan theology and literature (J.I. Packer is the Elijah). In this book Beeke strives to do one thing: Introduce the reader to the doctrine of preparation and show that there is an unbroken theological lineage from John Calvin to the English Puritans.
To begin, I find it ironic that the Puritans are often accused of being verbose in their writings and yet in this book, Dr. Beeke is perilously close to following in their footsteps. In the opinion of this reviewer, 263 pages on the doctrine of preparation seemed too long and will leave most novice theological readers exhausted from the literary journey.
Yet if you have an interest in Puritan history or their theology, this book is fascinating. The author spends time with each key supporter of preparationism and therefore, the reader gets a bird’s eye view of the theological conflict surrounding this doctrine (primarily in the 17th century) and some of the extreme variations within.
As an example, one of these variations is found in Thomas Hooker who stated that ‘preparation of the heart for grace is most clearly seen when the individual is “content to be damned by God”’. In other words, a clear sign of a Holy Spirit awakening is when an individual finds God’s justice so sweet that they are content to experience His wrath, if God were to choose this for them. This reviewer had never heard of this theological perspective and though I also find Hooker’s view to be extreme and unbiblical, I appreciate Beeke’s research and honest assessment of it.
My favorite section is chapter eleven, Later Puritan Preparation: John Flavel and John Bunyan. This chapter is worth the price of the book. Beeke does a magnificent job revealing the concept of preparation throughout the pages of Bunyan’s legendary allegory, The Pilgrim’s Progress. I have read Bunyan’s work many times and yet I never saw what Beeke described. Therefore, I am convinced that this chapter will forever change the way you read Bunyan’s classic.
Another noteworthy aspect is the treasure of illustrations that Beeke includes in these 263 pages. Space will not allow me to describe each one, but I share my favorite, William Ames’ vivid illustration of drying wood. He states that
“Preparation is like drying the wood before putting it in the fire, which makes the individual more receptive to the Word.”
To be clear, all Puritans believed that the work of preparation was through the Holy Spirit, not by the ability of natural man. In other words, according to Ames, it is the Holy Spirit that begins to dry the wood to prepare it so the individual is ready to receive the grace of God by the gift of faith. To me, this illustrative treasure will help the readers practically understand the outworkings of this doctrine, especially if you are trying to describe it to someone else.
Conclusion
As I stated above, if you desire a comprehensive look at a specific aspect of Puritan theology, this book will captivate you. If you desire an introductory look at the Puritans and their theology, I would strongly encourage you to read Riken’s Worldly Saints.
To begin, I find it ironic that the Puritans are often accused of being verbose in their writings and yet in this book, Dr. Beeke is perilously close to following in their footsteps. In the opinion of this reviewer, 263 pages on the doctrine of preparation seemed too long and will leave most novice theological readers exhausted from the literary journey.
Yet if you have an interest in Puritan history or their theology, this book is fascinating. The author spends time with each key supporter of preparationism and therefore, the reader gets a bird’s eye view of the theological conflict surrounding this doctrine (primarily in the 17th century) and some of the extreme variations within.
As an example, one of these variations is found in Thomas Hooker who stated that ‘preparation of the heart for grace is most clearly seen when the individual is “content to be damned by God”’. In other words, a clear sign of a Holy Spirit awakening is when an individual finds God’s justice so sweet that they are content to experience His wrath, if God were to choose this for them. This reviewer had never heard of this theological perspective and though I also find Hooker’s view to be extreme and unbiblical, I appreciate Beeke’s research and honest assessment of it.
My favorite section is chapter eleven, Later Puritan Preparation: John Flavel and John Bunyan. This chapter is worth the price of the book. Beeke does a magnificent job revealing the concept of preparation throughout the pages of Bunyan’s legendary allegory, The Pilgrim’s Progress. I have read Bunyan’s work many times and yet I never saw what Beeke described. Therefore, I am convinced that this chapter will forever change the way you read Bunyan’s classic.
Another noteworthy aspect is the treasure of illustrations that Beeke includes in these 263 pages. Space will not allow me to describe each one, but I share my favorite, William Ames’ vivid illustration of drying wood. He states that
“Preparation is like drying the wood before putting it in the fire, which makes the individual more receptive to the Word.”
To be clear, all Puritans believed that the work of preparation was through the Holy Spirit, not by the ability of natural man. In other words, according to Ames, it is the Holy Spirit that begins to dry the wood to prepare it so the individual is ready to receive the grace of God by the gift of faith. To me, this illustrative treasure will help the readers practically understand the outworkings of this doctrine, especially if you are trying to describe it to someone else.
Conclusion
As I stated above, if you desire a comprehensive look at a specific aspect of Puritan theology, this book will captivate you. If you desire an introductory look at the Puritans and their theology, I would strongly encourage you to read Riken’s Worldly Saints.
June 20, 2013
“For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” (Romans 8:29-30)
“So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” (I Cor. 3:7)
The above passages make it clear it is God who does the calling of the elect. Often, this theological reality falls under the label of predestination. This perhaps begs the question as to how God does the calling. Does conversion involve an element of immediacy or does the watering take place over a period of time through a gradual process of wooing on the part of God through the Holy Spirit? The idea that God calls the elect is a subject many believers are aware of regardless of the debate that often rages as to the specifics of that doctrine as played out in Scripture. The process of calling, however, is one that is not often addressed in modern theological discussions. Fortunately, the great Puritan authors took the time to delve into this concept.
In their latest book, “Prepared by Grace, For Grace”, authors Joel Beeke and Paul Smalley attempt to provide the Puritan perspective on how they believed God leads people to a saving knowledge of Christ. Beeke is President and Professor of Systematic Theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary and has written numerous books on the Puritans and their theology. Smalley is the teaching assistant for Dr. Beeke. Together, they bring to bear a great book that investigates the process of conversion the Puritans called “preparation.”
Beeke notes “the Puritans’ view was that conviction of sin and active seeking of God’s mercy usually preceded conscious resting and relying upon Christ.” He also readily admits that for some scholars and for that matter many of the Puritan authors themselves, there was and remains a tension between this calling and the element of a works-based salvation or at a minimum, one that required man to do “something” to affect their salvation. The Puritans were very aware of that so their concept of preparation should not be construed as being outside traditional Reformed doctrine that declares God’s sovereign over all matters, in particular that of the calling of the elect.
By taking a historical journey through the writings of the Puritans, Beeke and Smalley provided a wide range of Puritan thought on the process of preparation. As with anything Puritan related, this is some deep theological “stuff” if you will so reading this book is not for the faint of heart. With that said, if the reader takes their time working through not only what the Puritans had to say on this issue but also the points of disagreement presented by scholars through the years, the reader will definitely have a much better grasp of the Puritan’s perspective as to the methodology God uses to both save and sanctify the elect through His grace.
In an age where far too many believers have a short-sighted and under-developed understanding of what God’s grace actually is and perhaps more importantly, how law and grace work together, the discussion presented by Beeke and Smalley on that matter of great theological importance was also refreshing. The great Puritan preacher William Guthrie wrote “of a preparatory work of the law, of which the Lord doth generally make use, to prepare his own way in men’s souls.” The law, according to Puritan authors such as Guthrie, was essential in the process of salvation and preparation for salvation as the sinner should be cognizant “he was born a rebel and outlaw unto God.” As noted by Beeke and Smalley, such a perspective as presented by Guthrie and a number of Puritan authors is perfectly consistent with Reformed theology and confessions of faith such as the Westminster Confession. The law convicts of sin as clearly outlined in Scripture. The law not only convicts the reprobate sinner of their broken relationship with their Creator, it also shines into the heart of the elect whereby the Holy Spirit sanctifies the believer by removing leaven (sin) from our lives. It is a matter of God’s grace that the law functions in both manners, grace to prepare the sinner for salvation and grace to sanctify the believer once that effectual calling has taken place.
Prepared by Grace, For Grace is an excellent overview of Puritan thought on the area of how God prepares the unregenerate for salvation and how God through the Holy Spirit sanctifies the believer. As revealed in Scripture, both are elements of God’s grace being poured out from before the foundation of the world. Grace is more than just a wishy-washy doctrine that denies the importance of preaching the gospel, affirming the continued importance of God’s law both prior to and after salvation, and something that is for the church only, meaning the post-cross church. As noted earlier, this is not an easy read as many quotes from a number of Puritan authors are used throughout the course of this book and anyone who has had even just a passing interaction with Puritan works will know they wrote in what we would consider today to be “antiquated” language or at least words and a writing style somewhat foreign to the modern reader. Nevertheless, those who take the time to engage what is in Beeke and Smalley’s excellent book, will find that time well worth the effort. God’s grace is a beautiful thing and understanding the importance of how God’s grace works to convict and sanctify the sinner is a the core of theological truth. This book perhaps has an essay type feel to it given the nature of the topic and the wide range of Puritan authors and their respective thoughts on the matter of grace and God's preparation and sanctification of the sinner. This essay style was not a detractor, however, it is worth mentioning as the sections of this book can be read independently with no loss of understanding of the topic at hand.
I received this for free from Reformation Heritage Books through CrossFocused Reviews for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
“So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” (I Cor. 3:7)
The above passages make it clear it is God who does the calling of the elect. Often, this theological reality falls under the label of predestination. This perhaps begs the question as to how God does the calling. Does conversion involve an element of immediacy or does the watering take place over a period of time through a gradual process of wooing on the part of God through the Holy Spirit? The idea that God calls the elect is a subject many believers are aware of regardless of the debate that often rages as to the specifics of that doctrine as played out in Scripture. The process of calling, however, is one that is not often addressed in modern theological discussions. Fortunately, the great Puritan authors took the time to delve into this concept.
In their latest book, “Prepared by Grace, For Grace”, authors Joel Beeke and Paul Smalley attempt to provide the Puritan perspective on how they believed God leads people to a saving knowledge of Christ. Beeke is President and Professor of Systematic Theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary and has written numerous books on the Puritans and their theology. Smalley is the teaching assistant for Dr. Beeke. Together, they bring to bear a great book that investigates the process of conversion the Puritans called “preparation.”
Beeke notes “the Puritans’ view was that conviction of sin and active seeking of God’s mercy usually preceded conscious resting and relying upon Christ.” He also readily admits that for some scholars and for that matter many of the Puritan authors themselves, there was and remains a tension between this calling and the element of a works-based salvation or at a minimum, one that required man to do “something” to affect their salvation. The Puritans were very aware of that so their concept of preparation should not be construed as being outside traditional Reformed doctrine that declares God’s sovereign over all matters, in particular that of the calling of the elect.
By taking a historical journey through the writings of the Puritans, Beeke and Smalley provided a wide range of Puritan thought on the process of preparation. As with anything Puritan related, this is some deep theological “stuff” if you will so reading this book is not for the faint of heart. With that said, if the reader takes their time working through not only what the Puritans had to say on this issue but also the points of disagreement presented by scholars through the years, the reader will definitely have a much better grasp of the Puritan’s perspective as to the methodology God uses to both save and sanctify the elect through His grace.
In an age where far too many believers have a short-sighted and under-developed understanding of what God’s grace actually is and perhaps more importantly, how law and grace work together, the discussion presented by Beeke and Smalley on that matter of great theological importance was also refreshing. The great Puritan preacher William Guthrie wrote “of a preparatory work of the law, of which the Lord doth generally make use, to prepare his own way in men’s souls.” The law, according to Puritan authors such as Guthrie, was essential in the process of salvation and preparation for salvation as the sinner should be cognizant “he was born a rebel and outlaw unto God.” As noted by Beeke and Smalley, such a perspective as presented by Guthrie and a number of Puritan authors is perfectly consistent with Reformed theology and confessions of faith such as the Westminster Confession. The law convicts of sin as clearly outlined in Scripture. The law not only convicts the reprobate sinner of their broken relationship with their Creator, it also shines into the heart of the elect whereby the Holy Spirit sanctifies the believer by removing leaven (sin) from our lives. It is a matter of God’s grace that the law functions in both manners, grace to prepare the sinner for salvation and grace to sanctify the believer once that effectual calling has taken place.
Prepared by Grace, For Grace is an excellent overview of Puritan thought on the area of how God prepares the unregenerate for salvation and how God through the Holy Spirit sanctifies the believer. As revealed in Scripture, both are elements of God’s grace being poured out from before the foundation of the world. Grace is more than just a wishy-washy doctrine that denies the importance of preaching the gospel, affirming the continued importance of God’s law both prior to and after salvation, and something that is for the church only, meaning the post-cross church. As noted earlier, this is not an easy read as many quotes from a number of Puritan authors are used throughout the course of this book and anyone who has had even just a passing interaction with Puritan works will know they wrote in what we would consider today to be “antiquated” language or at least words and a writing style somewhat foreign to the modern reader. Nevertheless, those who take the time to engage what is in Beeke and Smalley’s excellent book, will find that time well worth the effort. God’s grace is a beautiful thing and understanding the importance of how God’s grace works to convict and sanctify the sinner is a the core of theological truth. This book perhaps has an essay type feel to it given the nature of the topic and the wide range of Puritan authors and their respective thoughts on the matter of grace and God's preparation and sanctification of the sinner. This essay style was not a detractor, however, it is worth mentioning as the sections of this book can be read independently with no loss of understanding of the topic at hand.
I received this for free from Reformation Heritage Books through CrossFocused Reviews for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
June 28, 2013
'I hadn't really thought about it.'
'And yet, I don't remember not thinking about it.'
Those were my thoughts when I first received Prepared By Grace For Grace: The Puritans on God's Ordinary Way of Leading Sinners to Christ. When it comes to a doctrine of preparation, I have no 'formal' training. I don't recall it ever coming up in a seminary classroom…at least not in this form or description. And yet, I've had, since I discovered the doctrines of grace, some basic formulation of how God uses the Law, His Spirit, and the Word to convict sinners of sin and open their eyes to the need of a Savior.
Dr. Bekke and his teaching assistant, Paul Smalley, lay out in great detail what the history of this doctrine has been. It has not been without controversy (but I'm not sure which of the primary doctrines of grace have been left alone in that regard either). Even within the 'camp' of the Puritans, there was disagreement about how much God directed a soul's preparation to receive the gospel. The authors start with the doctrine and modern scholarship; then move all the way back to cover the period from Augustine to Calvin. From there, they move into the Puritan era, discussing the various thoughts of men like Richard Sibbes, Thomas Hooker and Thomas Shephard. During the pinnacle of Puritanism around the time of the Westminster gathering, men like Jeremiah Burroughs and William Guthrie weigh in on this particular teaching. Even though technically out of the time period of the Puritans, Jonathan Edwards was nevertheless a 'late born Puritan' and is given a chapter to himself in Bekke's work.
I do not think I could recommend this book to just any Christian. It is certainly not for the novice, the beginner on the path of godliness. It's not even directed at the casual Christian, sitting in most evangelical church pews or seats. This is a serious book for serious believers, for the doctrinally astute, for a upper college or seminary level student. Prepared By Grace for Grace is weighty, yet it's not ponderous. It is most certainly not 'milk' for babes in Christ. This would be that medium-rare cooked Kobi ribeye steak that only a connoisseur of the 'meat of the Word' will read and be able to use to great benefit.
'And yet, I don't remember not thinking about it.'
Those were my thoughts when I first received Prepared By Grace For Grace: The Puritans on God's Ordinary Way of Leading Sinners to Christ. When it comes to a doctrine of preparation, I have no 'formal' training. I don't recall it ever coming up in a seminary classroom…at least not in this form or description. And yet, I've had, since I discovered the doctrines of grace, some basic formulation of how God uses the Law, His Spirit, and the Word to convict sinners of sin and open their eyes to the need of a Savior.
Dr. Bekke and his teaching assistant, Paul Smalley, lay out in great detail what the history of this doctrine has been. It has not been without controversy (but I'm not sure which of the primary doctrines of grace have been left alone in that regard either). Even within the 'camp' of the Puritans, there was disagreement about how much God directed a soul's preparation to receive the gospel. The authors start with the doctrine and modern scholarship; then move all the way back to cover the period from Augustine to Calvin. From there, they move into the Puritan era, discussing the various thoughts of men like Richard Sibbes, Thomas Hooker and Thomas Shephard. During the pinnacle of Puritanism around the time of the Westminster gathering, men like Jeremiah Burroughs and William Guthrie weigh in on this particular teaching. Even though technically out of the time period of the Puritans, Jonathan Edwards was nevertheless a 'late born Puritan' and is given a chapter to himself in Bekke's work.
I do not think I could recommend this book to just any Christian. It is certainly not for the novice, the beginner on the path of godliness. It's not even directed at the casual Christian, sitting in most evangelical church pews or seats. This is a serious book for serious believers, for the doctrinally astute, for a upper college or seminary level student. Prepared By Grace for Grace is weighty, yet it's not ponderous. It is most certainly not 'milk' for babes in Christ. This would be that medium-rare cooked Kobi ribeye steak that only a connoisseur of the 'meat of the Word' will read and be able to use to great benefit.
July 3, 2015
The Puritans have been accused of departing from the gospel of grace recovered by the Reformation by teaching that sinners need to be prepared for salvation. Beeke and Smalley demonstrate that these charges arise from a lack of understanding concerning what the Puritans actually taught.
After helpfully laying the background for this debate Beeke and Smalley canvass what individuals taught about preparation, from Calvin to English Puritans, to New England pastors, to post-Reformation theologians on the continent. This survey enables the reader to see firsthand both the commonalities and the differences among theologians of this time regarding preparation. (One interesting difference was the tendency of the Dutch theologians to place regeneration at the first workings of the Spirit in the life of the elect in contrast to the English, who placed regeneration with conversion and saw the prior working of the Spirit as something distinct.) In general, Beeke and Smalley put to rest the charge that teaching preparation was opposed to the gospel of grace. Instead the Puritans saw preparation as the gracious work of the Spirit in bringing a person to the point of conversion. Though Beeke and Smalley are not above criticizing individuals for imbalanced presentations of the doctrine, they reject dismissal of the doctrine itself. Though a historical treatment, this is also a book that stirs the heart to evangelism.
After helpfully laying the background for this debate Beeke and Smalley canvass what individuals taught about preparation, from Calvin to English Puritans, to New England pastors, to post-Reformation theologians on the continent. This survey enables the reader to see firsthand both the commonalities and the differences among theologians of this time regarding preparation. (One interesting difference was the tendency of the Dutch theologians to place regeneration at the first workings of the Spirit in the life of the elect in contrast to the English, who placed regeneration with conversion and saw the prior working of the Spirit as something distinct.) In general, Beeke and Smalley put to rest the charge that teaching preparation was opposed to the gospel of grace. Instead the Puritans saw preparation as the gracious work of the Spirit in bringing a person to the point of conversion. Though Beeke and Smalley are not above criticizing individuals for imbalanced presentations of the doctrine, they reject dismissal of the doctrine itself. Though a historical treatment, this is also a book that stirs the heart to evangelism.
June 28, 2013
A well-written and thoughtful study of an under-emphasized doctrine (these days, at least). See my full review here: http://awonderfulprovidence.blogspot....
September 5, 2013
Hard to review this in a way. As a textbook surveying the Puritan view of preparationism it was good. Bit as a persuasive book on that doctrine it utterly failed. I was frustrated that the authors did not interact with the doctrine, in all of its iterations, against the biblical text.
July 20, 2013
Read my review here:
http://reformed-at-last.blogspot.com/...
http://reformed-at-last.blogspot.com/...
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