THE REIGN OF GRACE

Author ABRAHAM BOOTH Publisher EERDMANS

Here is a book of solid, old-fashioned theology.  Its author was English; born in 1734 he was largely a self-taught man coming from humble beginnings.  As the title suggests this book propounds what is known as the reformed theological position.  It emphasizes God’s sovereignty and choice in all things pertaining to life and salvation.  Early in his life Booth had written and published a poem entitled “On Absolute Predestination,” in which he mocked the doctrine he later espoused and expounded in this particular book.  In his mature years regarded what he had composed earlier as an attack on God’s grace and an insult to Him.  Instead of magnifying God he had belittled Him and was profoundly repentant for the pride of his thought and action in being such an ardent proponent of what he thought to be man’s rights and part in the salvation of God.  This total turnaround in the author adds weight to this particular book, he writes with a gracious understanding of the fullness and freeness of God’s offer of unrestricted mercy.  As he unfolds the doctrines of grace he connects God’s election with His calling and pardon and right through to sanctification and glorification showing towards the end how all this is based upon the Person and work of the Lord Jesus.  He covers a lot of ground and is most reasonable as he considers and refutes opposing ideas.  This is regarded as a classic work on this subject and although it is written in a style that is somewhat archaic to twenty first century readers it magnifies God and His grace in all His ways.  There is a memoir of the life of Booth included in this particular edition of the book and also an introduction by Thomas Chalmers that is thought provoking to say the least as he concentrates on the New Covenant.  There are various criticisms leveled consistently against what is generally known as “Calvinism.”  For instance, that election by God is unfair to man, and another that it encourages a false security and disconnects justification from being holy and doing good works.  This particular book is helpful in the way the author refutes these false notions and shows that by grace all these things are connected in one whole.  

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