Voices from the Past: Puritan Devotional Readings

Voices from the Past #1

by Richard Rushing (editor)

Richard Rushing has compiled this book of daily devotional readings from his favorite Puritan authors because of the great help he has gained from their Works.

Genres: Devotional, Christian, Christianity, Theology, Christian Living, Faith, Nonfiction

418 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2009

Reviews

[Mark Loughridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great heart-starter for your devotions.

A good way to be introduced to the puritans.

A good selection of the puritans, well edited often presenting several pages of their writing in one compressed selection

Plenty of rich practical teaching

Whets the appetite.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Started reading in August. Tremendous selection of meaningful devotional passages. Worth the time and meditation.

[Lone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very sound and faith strengthening. Thank God for the puritans who never ever comprised the word of God.

[Nathan White · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would recommend this book over any devotional book I've every come across. It is a useful book on several fronts: as an introduction to the puritans, as a short but deep resource for family devotions, as a quick devotion for those with very little time (mothers!). This is an excellent work. The daily portions are easy to read and can be done so in less than 5 minutes, and this is accomplished without sacrificing anything to content! But I have three complaints which keep me from giving it 5 stars: 1) It is way too expensive. 2) It includes writings from Richard Baxter. His theology, particularly on justification and sanctification, is very dangerous and should not be in such a work. 3) A downfall of all devotionals: sometimes the context of some topics is left out for space and it can be a bit confusing/misleading if one is not already familiar with that particular writing or author. Other than this, a really, really good book.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

All meat, no milk.  How refreshing!  A devotional full of timeless, robust, wise, and searing yet often joy-inducing challenges.  Here is none of the modern pandering to self-esteem or fragile egos.  This is a devotional for believers determined to grow with a fuller understanding of, obedience to, and delightful in Christ's lordship.

[Christopher Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good collection of puritan thoughts on various topics and Biblical issues, but very heavy on the law. The burden of law is almost oppressive while reading this as a yearly study, with few gasps of Gospel to remind us that Jesus Christ bore our guilt and weight of sin for us.

[Douglas Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very fine devotional, culled from the writings of many of the Puritans. Very sound, very good, very worthwhile.

[Corrine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This devotional will challenge and edify you daily. It has been wonderful and an encouragement.

[christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent introduction to a variety of Puritan classics. I bookmarked and/or shared more than my average number of passages.

[Morgan Steward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing, inspiring, and encouraging book for your faith in Christ.

[Susan Kendrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another book I like to use in daily devotional reading. It contains a reading from a puritan author every day for the year. I think there is generally a lot of richness in the puritan writings but the archaic and dense language can make slogging through a book rather difficult. This way one gets a little taste of classic Christian literature sprinkled over every day.

[Lydia Curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a daily devotional of snippets of sermons or writings from puritan theologians. I love being able to reach for something that’s only a page long but full of rich theology, especially in busy and mentally draining seasons. This would be a great introduction to the puritans too.

[ladydusk · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this. I did not. It was OK. I finished this morning so I could just be done with it.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great devotional book overflowing with wisdom! It should not be the only Bible reading you do since the verses it references are short. But so much truth from the reformers!

[Eduardo Pacheco · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not a big fan of devotional books but I decided to give this one a chance since it is basically a compilation of Puritan writings.
There is a devotional for each day of the year, they are portions of the works of some puritans like
John Flavel, William Gurnall, Jhon Owen, Thomas Goodwin, Ezequiel Hopkins, Richard Sibbes, Thomas Watson, and others.
By reading this book you get the chance to taste the works of these men of the past.

I really enjoyed reading this book during my weekends. The chosen extracts are full of sound, challenging, and uplifting biblical doctrine.
I think this the best puritan-based devotional book I have read so far (yes, I think it is better than The Valley of Vision). The only "con" of this book is that there is no digital version of it. Hopefully, The Banner of Truth will fix that in the future.

[Elease · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started using this book last May when I was dealing with some troubling physical ailments. Not surprisingly, the first several weeks of devotions I read dealt with affliction. The Puritans sure knew how to respond to affliction! These readings were quite timely for me.
Thankfully, I discovered more than just teachings on affliction. And this collection of writings by thinkers who came long before me has been at times profoundly meaningful and challenging, and at other times a simple comfort in my day.
Highly recommend. Continuing with this one for a second year.

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daily devotional for 2020, and it was solid food for the soul.

Each day’s reading is about 2 mins 30 secs long (I know, since I audio recorded the passage each day), so it is definitely doable for busy Christians. The selection of Puritan authors, themes, and topics is thoughtfully done, with a helpful index page at the end.

You would scarcely find a better devotional, if you are looking to grow in the Christian faith. The ultimate compliment that I can pay is that I’m starting Vol 2 for 2021 for my daily devotions.

[Molly Moody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent devotional full of Biblical wisdom on one short page per day. I highly recommend.

[Josiah DeGraaf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great devotional.

Rating: 4 Stars (Very Good).

[James Hogan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful daily devotional. I read this (almost!) every day this past year and my soul was much delighted in the doing. As someone who appreciates the old Puritan writings, reading a little bit of one every morning was truly balm for the soul. Of course some of the selections are better than others and of course there were times I wondered how the selection reflected the verse chosen. Still yet. It is wonderful to meditate on God and His words and works, and these writings helped me do so. Heartily recommend this if any of you are looking for a new daily devotional!

[RevRonR · Rating 5 out of 5]

A totally awesome daily devotional! More than worth the time to read an digest. The Puritans display a devotion to God we rarely see in our day, unfortunately. But if you want to see how the real spiritual life looks like in the lives of Christians, then this is the daily reader for you.

[SK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended as a morning devotional for people struggling to find time. Provides a daily Scripture verse with an accompanying short excerpt of Puritan writing on the same theme. I found these writings so thoughtful, challenging, and surprisingly fresh for today.

[Caleb Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly rich devotional from a wide range of Puritan authors. Heart warming and convicting all at the same time. Definitely a devotional I would recommend even if you miss some days like me. Also serves as an excellent introduction to the Puritans!

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well put together. Very devotional. The whole book is quotable. This is definitely a book worth coming back to again and again for the rest of my life.

[Tammie Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a great daily devotional put together by Puritan writings. I recommend this book for those looking for a devotional.

Thank you to Richard Rushing and good reads.

[Brett Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been such a great devotional. I highly recommend Volumes 1 & 2.

[Douglas Domer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding year's worth of devotions. Very thought provoking and edifying!

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short read each day, but deep teaching from different Puritan writers. Most days there was much to meditate on.

[Samuel Rhinehart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing devotional book! Love the puritans.

[Joanna Morales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good devotional especially if you like the puritans. Every day has a portion of writing from a puritan with Scripture to meditate on.