Included Works

Confessions (Books IV-XI)

Confessions is an autobiographical prayer by Augustine of Hippo. Written in 400, it is generally considered one of the first autobiographies, and "ranks among the great masterpieces of western literature." Separated into thirteen books, it spans the first forty years of Augustine’s life, including his dramatic conversion, and his thinking through of important Christian doctrine. This publication includes books IV-XI. Books IV-IX focus on his personal memories, while X-XI begin an introspective evaluation of these memories. Confessions is not only a picture of one man’s conversion; it is a guide to help others. He shares his legacy to encourage others to come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.

City of God (Books XI-XII)

In response to a swirl of allegations that Christians had caused the fall of Rome by angering Roman deities, Augustine of Hippo brought Christian philosophy to light in The City of God. Expounding on many profound questions of theology, such as the suffering of the righteous, the existence of evil, the conflict between free will and divine omniscience, and the doctrine of original sin, Augustine presents the whole of human history as the conflict between the city of man, and the city of God; the war between God and the Devil. This edition includes books XI-XIII. Here, Augustine analyzes the origins of the two cities, using the book of Genesis to show the origins of good and evil, and the original penalty of death given to Adam for his sins. The City of God has become a pillar of Christian philosophy, and still influences those studying important theological doctrines today.

Included Works

Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners

During his first imprisonment, John Bunyan (the world renowned writer of The Pilgrim’s Progress) wrote Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners. It is an autobiography of his spiritual journey from lostness and sin, to becoming a new creation in Christ. He describes everything from the feeling of conviction and his struggle with faith to his comfort found in the Holy Scriptures. As one of the most influential Christian writers in history, his story is not only a glimpse into the life of one man, but an encouragement for all believers who are in the midst of struggle.

The Pilgrim's Progress

The Pilgrim’s Progress is an allegory of the Christian life written by John Bunyan in 1678. He began work on it while in prison for preaching and holding a church service without a license or approval by the Church of England. The story unfolds following Christian’s journey to the Celestial City, along with the many pitfalls and distractions he encounters along the way. The Pilgrim’s Progress has been translated into over 200 languages, and is regarded by many as one of the most important works of religious English literature.

Miscellaneous Works

While John Bunyan is most well known for his work of fiction, The Pilgrim’s Progress, he was also a preacher who was imprisoned multiple times for defying the Church of England. Miscellaneous Works includes a collection of his sermons and most popular sayings. This collection includes Of the Trinity and a Christian, Of the Law and a Christian, Bunyan’s Last Sermon, and Bunyan’s Dying Sayings. Bunyan faithfully spread the Word of God in many different ways, and these works show his importance in Christian history as not only a fiction author, but as a preacher of the Word.

Included Works

Heretics

G.K. Chesterton believed that truth matters. In an earlier day, he claimed, the concept of orthodoxy was a good thing; heresy was, of course, regarded negatively. But in his day, at least practically, Chesterton believed the concepts had been flipped on their heads. Heresy now stood as a sign of courage, with orthodoxy being ridiculed as all that was wrong with the world. Never one to shy away from a battle, Chesterton responded to his society’s disregard for objective truth, and to the major philosophies with which they replaced it, with this classic work, Heretics.

Orthodoxy

Perhaps his most famous work, Orthodoxy is the positive counterpart to G.K. Chesterton’s Heretics. While Heretics critiques the various approaches to truth of the day, Orthodoxy, using the Apostles’ Creed, provides the only truth on which we can safely stand—the truth of the gospel. Intended by Chesterton to be read as a companion to Heretics, Orthodoxy is a pilgrimage to truth via the eternal realities of the Scriptures. While the world around him looked inward for answers, Chesterton pointed his reader outward, to the unchanging God, for the only true answers.

Included Works

God Glorified in Man's Dependence

The first published work by eighteenth-century pastor and theologian Jonathan Edwards, God Glorified in Man’s Dependence was originally preached in the fall of 1730 in Northampton, Massachusetts. After preaching the sermon again in Boston on July 8, 1731, to an assembly of clergy, Edwards was encouraged to publish the sermon, which focuses on the insufficiency of men to save themselves. Due to the overwhelming power of sin, man must depend on God, who is glorified in the redemption of sinners.

Christ Exalted

In August of 1738, Jonathan Edwards preached Christ Exalted out of 1 Corinthians 15:25–26. This sermon hinges on two key arguments: in our present age, evil is highly exalted in the world; and Jesus, in the work of redemption, highly exalts himself above all evil. Edwards closes by masterfully applying the glorious exaltation of Jesus Christ to the life of the Christian.

Freedom of the Will

The Freedom of the Will stands as Jonathan Edwards’ most significant contribution to Christian theology. In this classic work, Edwards argues against the notion of libertarian free will. He insists that human action is bound by human will, which in turn is bound by human nature and desire. Because humans are sinners by nature, our will, Edwards argues, is naturally bent towards sin. But because humans always do exactly what they want to do, they are responsible for their actions. As long as humans are in sin, their will is bound to sin; but when sinners repent and believe in Christ, God frees them of this bondage. Thus, true freedom of the will comes only to those who have been saved by the grace of God in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

Jonathan Edwards preached his most famous sermon, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, on July 8, 1741 in Enfield, Connecticut. Using the vivid imagery typical to his day, Edwards described the wrath of God and the horrible punishment of hell that all sinners deserve. But Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God is not merely a "hellfire and brimstone" sermon, as it has come to be known. The emphasis of Edwards in this sermon is the grace of God, by which he restrains sinners and offers them the chance to repent and be saved from their just punishment.

Included Works

95 Theses

The world changed on October 31, 1517. This fateful day birthed the Protestant Reformation, as German monk and theologian Martin Luther nailed 95 Theses—a request for an academic disputation—to the door of All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg. These theses decried the unjust and unbiblical Catholic practice of selling indulgences, and were quickly copied, reprinted, and spread around Germany and Europe, beginning one of the most significant cultural and religious events in the history of the western world.

The Bondage of the Will

The Bondage of the Will, published in December of 1525, is Martin Luther’s response to Desiderius Erasmus’ work On Free Will. Luther argues in this treatise that Erasmus—and others who hold a similar view of human freedom—has greatly overlooked the detrimental effects of sin on human nature. Due to the sin nature human beings inherit from the fall of man in Genesis 3, Luther argues, our will is bound, and can only be freed by the grace of God.

Included Works

Humility

The topic of Andrew Murray’s Humility, originally published in 1895, is rather straight forward from the title. While some books apply to a certain audience, Humility by Andrew Murray is relevant for all people, across all time. The minute someone thinks they have perfected their humility, they have found a new place to root their pride. And as Murray says, "The truth is this: Pride may die in you, or nothing of heaven can live in you." After over one hundred years, this book remains a treasure for all Christians to discover.

The Master's Indwelling

Andrew Murray was both an author and pastor in South Africa at the turn of the nineteenth century. The Master’s Indwelling is a collection of addresses that were given at the Northfield Conference in 1895, and later compiled into a publication in 1896. It includes a variety of topics centering on the Christian life, and the need to put God first in all things. Murray’s sermons show that all members of the church, across all time, have the same struggle with pride, and need the same encouragement towards the hope that is only available in Jesus Christ.

Absolute Surrender

"Our God delights in helping us. He will enable us to perfect, not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, what was begun in the Spirit." Absolute Surrender develops an understanding of the need for "absolute surrender" to God. Murray provides concrete steps for bringing about such surrender in one's life. He also describes both the fruit of surrendering, e.g. true experience of the Holy Spirit in one's life, and the different "stages" one goes through on the "path to Christian liberty." Anyone not fully experiencing Christian liberty will be enriched by Absolute Surrender.

Included Works

Lectures to My Students

Charles Spurgeon founded The Pastors’ College in London in 1856, at only twenty-two years of age. He supervised the training of up to eight hundred men at a time, lecturing once a week. Lectures to My Students is a collection of those lectures. Known as the Prince of Preachers, Spurgeon’s balance of levity and gravity, joking and pleading, is ample to encourage, convict, and shape pastors and ministers to this day.

All of Grace

All of Grace is Charles Spurgeon’s personal appeal to unbelievers to accept the free grace of God. His belief in the power of the gospel to save informs Spurgeon’s clear and open gospel presentation. Salvation, Spurgeon argues, is free, gratis, for nothing. Will we accept it? All of Grace serves as a perfect introduction to salvation for the sinner, and a compelling assurance of salvation for the saint.

Included Works

A Selection from Sermons on Several Occasions

Originally published in 1746, Sermons on Several Occasions is a collection of 141 sermons given by John Wesley throughout his life. The original volumes are separated into five books, the first two of which were compiled and edited by Wesley himself. This selection includes sermons from his first volume, which focus on salvation and the way to heaven. Some of the sermons include: Salvation by Faith, Justification by Faith, The Spirit of Bondage and of Adoption, The Means of Grace, and The Marks of the New Birth. Wesley’s preaching has influenced theological beliefs and teaching throughout the church, making his sermons stand as part of the legacy within the Christian faith.