How does God bring His Word into our lives? The answer is: by the Holy Spirit. By the Spirit the Word was revealed and written. By the Spirit the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. By the Spirit the Word roots itself in the hearts of sinners and produces fruit. Calvin recognized long ago that the Holy Spirit is the bond of union between believers and Christ. Jonathan Edwards said that the Spirit is the sum of all Christ bought for His people with His precious blood. How precious then is the Spirit, and how important to know Him and His ways! In this book, a team of pastor-theologians uncover the rich biblical teachings about the work of the Holy Spirit. How was the Spirit involved in the human life of Jesus Christ? What is a spiritual person? How does the Spirit open the mind of sinners to trust in Christ? What does it mean to serve God in the power of the Spirit? How does the Spirit's sovereign work relate to our responsibility in evangelism? These questions and more are addressed in this book.“Geoffrey Thomas is known and respected far and wide for his love for the doctrines of grace and warm-heartedness as a pastor. I am grateful to have known him over the years and to be invited now to commend this festschrift with its helpful essays illustrating the importance of the Holy Spirit's work in saving sinners, in promoting their holiness and spiritual growth, and in supplying biblical preaching past and present.” — Maurice Roberts “Geoff Thomas is a Reformed statesman—one of the remarkable figures in the modern church who is truly committed to Reformed ecumenicity. For that reason alone, this tribute is appropriate. You will note that men from a number of church backgrounds (both credo-Baptist and paedo-Baptist) have contributed to this birthday present. Those readers who know Geoff have found much pleasure and edification in his company, and all who read these articles will find the same.” —Joseph Pipa, president, Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Taylors, South Carolina “What better way to give thanks to God for the gracious work of the Holy Spirit in and through a dear father and brother in Christ than by directing hearts and minds to grow in delight in and reverence for the Holy Spirit? This diverse collection of essays challenges us to search the Scriptures to know the Spirit, see His work, and stand in wonder and worship before the triune God.” — William VanDoodewaard, associate professor of church history, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, Grand Rapids, Michigan

For years, William Gouge's Domestical Duties has stood as the foremost Puritan treatment of Christian family life. Yet due to its size and antiquated expression, it has become almost unknown among current generations of believers. To help revive the usefulness of this classic book, Scott Brown and Joel R. Beeke divided Gouge's work into three manageable volumes, updated the language to modern standards, and have given it the title Building a Godly Home.In the second volume, A Holy Vision for a Happy Marriage, we find detailed counsel about the most important relationship in the family—husband and wife. Gouge carefully addresses what a fit marriage is and the proper way to enter into one. He then discusses the mutual duties married couples share in order for marriage to survive and thrive, as well as the duties specific to men and women respectively. Not only does he give detailed treatment of how these responsibilities are best expressed and too often hindered, but he also provides ample biblical motivation to set us on the right course. Christian husbands and wives will find much encouragement in this book.“Few issues spell countercultural Christianity as does a biblical view of the home and its various relationships and responsibilities. Those like the seventeenth-century Presbyterian William Gouge, who provided a lengthy exposition of domestic life as outlined in Scripture, got themselves into trouble with those who viewed biblical teaching burdensome (Gouge was vilified by wealthy city women, for example). But domestic reform is essential if we are to reflect godliness in the home, and Gouge's once enormously popular Of Domestical Duties is without equal in describing what it looks like. A masterful guide, Gouge is pastoral, clear-headed, thoughtful, and eminently Bible-focused as he writes about the tasks, ideals, and problems of Christian family life. Once as popular as Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress and Matthew Henry's Commentary, Gouge's Of Domestical Duties deserves a central place in the modern Christian home.” — Derek W. H. Thomas, Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, South Carolina

When thinking about Christ's birth, we often focus our attention on Luke's detailed gospel account. But to appreciate the main point of the story—that the eternal Son of God assumed our flesh-and-blood human nature—we need to learn from the rest of the Bible why Christ came to earth. Why did Christ come? In this book, thirty-one thoughtful meditations answer this vital question, and the answers encourage us to celebrate Christ's birth more deeply, see more clearly how it is connected with the rest of His ministry, and recognize its importance for our lives.“Can anything new be said about Christ's incarnation? Actually, a lot of old things that we may have forgotten! Like a multifaceted diamond, the question 'Why did the eternal Son become man?' admits a variety of answers. Probing some of those with wisdom bathed in the Scriptures is what makes this devotional guide so rich. It will be part of our family's Advent devotions and, I hope, a source of blessing for many others.” — Michael Horton, professor of theology at Westminster Seminary California and cohost of the White Horse Inn

For years, William Gouge's Domestical Duties has stood as the foremost Puritan treatment of Christian family life. Yet due to its size and antiquated expression, it has become almost unknown among current generations of believers. To help revive the usefulness of this classic book, Scott Brown and Joel R. Beeke divided Gouge's work into three manageable volumes, updated the language to modern standards, and have given it the title Building a Godly Home.In the first volume, A Holy Vision for Family Life, we hear the voice of a wise and loving mentor, calling us to the old paths laid out for the family in the Bible. Here is Gouge's helpful exposition of Ephesians 5:21–6:4, where he lays out the wife's voluntary submission to her husband, the husband's sacrificial love for his wife, the child's obedient honoring of parents, and the parents' nurturing leadership of their children. Reading it is like sitting down to coffee with a gentle grandfather and wise pastor. Come and allow your family to benefit from such wise counsel.

A Puritan Theology: Doctrine for Life offers a groundbreaking treatment of the Puritans' teaching on most major Reformed doctrines, particularly those doctrines in which the Puritans made significant contributions. Since the late 1950s, nearly 150 Puritan authors and 700 Puritan titles have been reprinted and catalogued by Joel Beeke and Randall Pederson in their 2006 collection of mini-biographies and book reviews, titled, Meet the Puritans. However, no work until now has gathered together the threads of their teaching into a unified tapestry of systematic theology. A Puritan Theology, by Joel Beeke and Mark Jones, attempts to do that. The book addresses Puritan teachings on all six loci of theology, covering fifty areas of doctrine. The book explores Puritan teachings on biblical interpretation, God, predestination, providence, angels, sin, the covenants, the gospel, Christ, preparation for conversion, regeneration, coming to Christ, justification, adoption, church government, the Sabbath, preaching, baptism, heaven, hell, and many other topics. It ends with eight chapters that explore Puritan “theology in practice.” Some chapters highlight the work of a specific theologian such as William Perkins, William Ames, John Owen, Stephen Charnock, or Thomas Goodwin on a specific topic. Other chapters survey various authors on a particular subject. The goal of A Puritan Theology is to increase knowledge in the mind and godliness in the soul. It was written for theologians, historians, pastors, and educated laymen who seek to learn more about Puritan theology.