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A Bunch of Everlastings, or Texts That Made History: A Volume of Sermons
It's the case with every great man in history that we don't know how he became great. They all seem to explode in popularity by something great they did at their mid-age. But how? What shaped their character? What paved the way for them to rise into such a position that we still read about them centuries after their death?
This book answers these questions about many notable figures. It's a collection of religious texts that inspired men to make history. "Here, then, was the man; what was the text that made him?"
Here is the verse that was the turning point in Thomas Chalmers' life, that made him rise from a minister in a small town to being called "Scotland's greatest nineteenth-century churchman." The text which Martin Luther discovered at young age which inspired his vision and drove his ambition. The literature that inspired Sir John Franklin to conquer the seas and be a great explorer of the Arctic. And many more.
If only one of these texts was able to motivate all those great men, what would reading all of them do to you?
"Of the books that have played the greatest role in molding me, I count many volumes by especially one F. W. Boreham." ~Ravi Zacharias, Christian author
This book answers these questions about many notable figures. It's a collection of religious texts that inspired men to make history. "Here, then, was the man; what was the text that made him?"
Here is the verse that was the turning point in Thomas Chalmers' life, that made him rise from a minister in a small town to being called "Scotland's greatest nineteenth-century churchman." The text which Martin Luther discovered at young age which inspired his vision and drove his ambition. The literature that inspired Sir John Franklin to conquer the seas and be a great explorer of the Arctic. And many more.
If only one of these texts was able to motivate all those great men, what would reading all of them do to you?
"Of the books that have played the greatest role in molding me, I count many volumes by especially one F. W. Boreham." ~Ravi Zacharias, Christian author
- GenresHistorical
202 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 1920
38 people are currently reading
89 people want to read
About the author
F.W. Boreham
204 books57 followersRev. Dr. Frank W. Boreham
(March 3rd 1871 – May 18th 1959) Served, and wrote, in the UK, New Zealand, and Australia.
(March 3rd 1871 – May 18th 1959) Served, and wrote, in the UK, New Zealand, and Australia.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 24, 2019
Boreham does it again! I loved these mini biographies with the emphasis on the words or verses that turned their hearts to the Savior and to a life of serving others. And I had an extra fun ride because the used copy I purchased had a lot of marginalia and that is delightful to me. Here are some of the many quotes that I loved in this volume:
"Thomas Chalmers had occupied all the years of his ministry on the Ten Commandments; he now discovered, not only that there are more commandments than ten, but that the greatest commandments of all are not to be found among the ten."
"You have taught me," he says, "that to preach Christ is the only effective way of preaching morality."
"The whole law," Bishop Lightfoot says, "was given to Moses in six hundred and thirteen precepts. David, in the fifteenth Psalm, brings them all within the compass of eleven. Isaiah reduces them to six; Micah to three; and Isaiah in a later passage to two. But Habakkuk condenses them all into one: 'The just shall live by faith!'"
"The saint is never cast in a mould: no two are alike."
"Let us not be too swift to pity! Pity, like charity, must be intelligent; it is too sacred a thing be wasted to be wasted or squandered."
"Mr. Chesterton says that 'God paints in many colours, but He never paints so gorgeously as when He paints in white.'"
"God writes everywhere and on everything. And a man whose eyes have been opened will find in the tree a volume of autobiography."
"It is all written down; nothing happens without leaving its record. God is a great believer in bookkeeping."
"There are books, books, books; books everywhere; the universe itself is but a massive volume beautifully bound. It takes a lot of reading, but God can make out every word."
"Sir James Simpson, the discoverer of chloroform, used to say that the greatest discovery that he ever made was the discovery that he was a sinner and that Jesus Christ was just the Saviour he needed."
"Thomas Chalmers had occupied all the years of his ministry on the Ten Commandments; he now discovered, not only that there are more commandments than ten, but that the greatest commandments of all are not to be found among the ten."
"You have taught me," he says, "that to preach Christ is the only effective way of preaching morality."
"The whole law," Bishop Lightfoot says, "was given to Moses in six hundred and thirteen precepts. David, in the fifteenth Psalm, brings them all within the compass of eleven. Isaiah reduces them to six; Micah to three; and Isaiah in a later passage to two. But Habakkuk condenses them all into one: 'The just shall live by faith!'"
"The saint is never cast in a mould: no two are alike."
"Let us not be too swift to pity! Pity, like charity, must be intelligent; it is too sacred a thing be wasted to be wasted or squandered."
"Mr. Chesterton says that 'God paints in many colours, but He never paints so gorgeously as when He paints in white.'"
"God writes everywhere and on everything. And a man whose eyes have been opened will find in the tree a volume of autobiography."
"It is all written down; nothing happens without leaving its record. God is a great believer in bookkeeping."
"There are books, books, books; books everywhere; the universe itself is but a massive volume beautifully bound. It takes a lot of reading, but God can make out every word."
"Sir James Simpson, the discoverer of chloroform, used to say that the greatest discovery that he ever made was the discovery that he was a sinner and that Jesus Christ was just the Saviour he needed."
October 27, 2021
This review was originally posted over at my website.
Dr. Andrew Corbett, who is currently preparing a documentary on the life of F. W. Boreham for the ABC, said this of A Bunch of Everlastings: "People have literally died clutching that book to their chests as they drew some last moments of comfort from the words Boreham had masterfully penned. I would rate this book as the one of the best books I have ever read." I read this book on his recommendation, and it did not disappoint.
The concept of the book is unique. Each chapter presents a thumbnail biographical sketch of a notable spiritual leader, but the focus with each historical figure is a particular Scripture passage—an everlasting, if you will—that was influential in that person's life. Characters addressed include Chalmers, Luther, Latimer, Cromwell, Knox, Cowper, Spurgeon, Carey, Wesley, and many others.
Some of the stories were familiar to me. For instance, the conversion of Spurgeon on a snowy day in that Artillery Street chapel. Or Andrew Fuller's statement to William Carey: "You go down into the mine and we will hold the ropes." Considering Boreham's significant influence on the Evangelical world both in England and America, I suspect that this book is the reason these stories are familiar to me.
The combination of Christian biography, Scripture highlights, and Boreham's style results in a read that is spiritually rich and profoundly charming. A few books, in my experience, run two hundred and fifty pages and finish too soon. A Bunch of Everlastings does just that. This Australian classic has been around for the better part of a century now. I wholeheartedly commend it to you for your joy and edification.
Dr. Andrew Corbett, who is currently preparing a documentary on the life of F. W. Boreham for the ABC, said this of A Bunch of Everlastings: "People have literally died clutching that book to their chests as they drew some last moments of comfort from the words Boreham had masterfully penned. I would rate this book as the one of the best books I have ever read." I read this book on his recommendation, and it did not disappoint.
The concept of the book is unique. Each chapter presents a thumbnail biographical sketch of a notable spiritual leader, but the focus with each historical figure is a particular Scripture passage—an everlasting, if you will—that was influential in that person's life. Characters addressed include Chalmers, Luther, Latimer, Cromwell, Knox, Cowper, Spurgeon, Carey, Wesley, and many others.
Some of the stories were familiar to me. For instance, the conversion of Spurgeon on a snowy day in that Artillery Street chapel. Or Andrew Fuller's statement to William Carey: "You go down into the mine and we will hold the ropes." Considering Boreham's significant influence on the Evangelical world both in England and America, I suspect that this book is the reason these stories are familiar to me.
The combination of Christian biography, Scripture highlights, and Boreham's style results in a read that is spiritually rich and profoundly charming. A few books, in my experience, run two hundred and fifty pages and finish too soon. A Bunch of Everlastings does just that. This Australian classic has been around for the better part of a century now. I wholeheartedly commend it to you for your joy and edification.
January 11, 2015
A Bunch of Everlastings could just as well be titled A Bunch of Encouragements or A Bunch of Short History Lessons. I found Boreham's work to be one of the most encouraging, most interesting, and most profitable books I have read or listened to. His style is engaging and easy to follow. His subjects are well chosen and well represented in brief chapters. He draws application from and makes comparison to fictional and non-fictional characters alike. But each character, each story, each anecdote is related to a particular text in the Bible. Boreham not only taught me so much about the personal stories of many famous historical figures, but he did it in a way that spoke to my soul, encouraging me and challenging me to find the same comfort, the same encouragement, the same conviction, and the same motivation in the Word of God. F. W. Boreham's A Bunch of Everlastings (Texts that Made History) is just the sort of book one delights to recommend to a friend.
March 2, 2014
Amazing men for God made real.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews