The Marrow of Modern Divinity (Edward Fisher)

Description

An attractively laid out edition of the Christian classic with explanatory notes from well–known puritan Thomas Boston

An intriguing book, quite unlike any other The Marrow of Modern Divinity defies pigeon–holing. It was written in the 1600s by an author of whom we know little, yet it proved to be a critically important and controversial theological text.

Penned as dialogue between a minister (Evangelista), a young Christian (Neophytus), a legalist (Nomista) who believes Christianity is a set of rules to be obeyed and Antinomista who thinks it’s okay to sin because God will forgive him anyway, it makes for a wonderfully insightful book that remains tremendously relevant for our world today.

This newly laid out and eagerly awaited edition includes explanatory notes by the famous puritan Thomas Boston, an introduction by Philip Ryken and an historical introduction by William Vandoodewaard.

Sample Chapter

The Marrow of Modern Divinity

Endorsements

Anyone who comes to grips with the issues raised in The Marrow of Modern Divinity will almost certainly grow by leaps and bounds in understanding three things: the grace of God, the Christian life, and the very nature of the gospel itself. I personally owe it a huge debt.

Sinclair B. Ferguson, Chancellor’s Professor of Systematic Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, Mississippi

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION 17

A Journey into the Past:Th e Story of Th e Marrow of Modern Divinity 21

Searching for E.F. 22

The Two Fishers 23

Looking in London 25

Concluding the Case of Edward Fisher 26

Scotland and The Marrow 28

The Marrow of Modern Divinity in the Twenty-first century 31

PART ONE 33

BOSTON’S PREFACE 35

TO THE HON. COLONEL JOHN DOWNES 38

TO THE READER 40

INTRODUCTION  45

Differences About the Law 45

A Threefold Law 46

1. OF THE LAW, OR COVENANT OF WORKS 52

The Nature of the Covenant of Works 52

Adam’s Fall 55

The Sinfulness and Misery of Mankind by the Fall 56

No Recovery by the Law, or Covenant of Works 58

The Covenant of Works Binding, though Broken 60

2. OF THE LAW OF FAITH, OR COVENANT OF GRACE 63

Of the Eternal Purpose of Grace 63

Of the Promise 70

The Promise Made to Adam 70

The Promise Renewed to Abraham 72

The Law, as the Covenant of Works, Added to the Promise 80

The Promise and Covenant with Abraham, Renewed with the Israelites 86

The Covenant of Grace under the Mosaic Dispensation 88

The Natural Bias Towards the Covenant of Works 101

The Antinomian Faith Rejected 112

The Evil of Legalism 115

Of the Performance of the Promise 118

Christ’s Fulfilling of the Law in the Room of the Elect 119

Believers Dead to the Law as the Covenant of Works 121

The Warrant to Believe in Christ 144

Evangelical Repentance a Consequent of Faith 162

The Spiritual Marriage with Jesus Christ 165

Justification before Faith, Refuted 168

Believers Freed from the Commanding and Condemning

Power of the Covenant of Works 172

3. OF THE LAW OF CHRIST 185

The Nature of the Law of Christ 185

The Law of the Ten Commandments a Rule of Life to Believers 186

Antinomian Objections Answered 198

The Necessity of Marks and Signs of Grace 200

Antinomian Objections Answered 202

Holiness and Good Works Attained to Only by Faith 203

Slavish Fear and Servile Hope not the Springs of True Obedience 216

The Efficacy of Faith for Holiness of Heart and Life 218

Use of Means for Strengthening of Faith 223

The Distinction of the Law of Works, and Law of Christ,

Applied to Six Paradoxes 224

The Use of that Distinction in Practice 235

That Distinction a Mean Betwixt Legalism and Antinomianism 241

How to Attain to Assurance 243

Marks and Evidences of True Faith 245

How to Recover Lost Evidences 247

Marks and Signs of Union with Christ 247

4. OF THE HEART’S HAPPINESS, OR SOUL’S REST 252

No Rest for the Soul Till it Come to God 252

How the soul is kept from rest in God 253

God in Christ the Only True Rest for the Soul 261

Conclusion 265

PART TWO 267

TO THE RIGHT HON. JOHN WARNER, LORD MAYOR OF THE MOST

RENOWNED CITY OF LONDON 269

THE AUTHOR TO THE WELL-AFFECTED READER 271

INTRODUCTION  273

The First Commandment 276

The Second Commandment 281

The Th ird Commandment 286

The Fourth Commandment 294

The Fifth Commandment 297

The Sixth Commandment 304

The Seventh Commandment 307

The Eighth Commandment 309

The Ninth Commandment 312

The Tenth Commandment 314

The Use of the Law 317

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE LAW AND THE GOSPEL 339

APPENDIX: Th e Occasion Of Th e ‘Marrow’ Controversy 345

Queries Agreed unto by the Commission of the General Assembly 346

Query I. Whether are there any precepts in the gospel that were not actually given before the

gospel was revealed? 347

Query II. Is not the believer now bound, by the authority of the Creator, to personal obedience to the moral law, though not in order to justifi cation? 350

Query III. Doth the annexing of a promise of life, and a threatening of death to a precept, make it a covenant of works? 352

Query IV. If the moral law, antecedent to its receiving the form of a covenant of works, had a threatening of hell annexed? 353

Query V. If it be peculiar to believers to be free of the commanding power of the law, as a covenant of works? 354

Query VI. If a sinner, being justifi ed, has all things at once that are necessary for salvation? 357

Query VII. Is preaching the necessity of a holy life, in order to the obtaining of eternal happiness, of dangerous consequence to the doctrine of free grace? 358

Query VIII. Is knowledge, belief, and persuasion, that Christ died for me, and that he is mine, and that whatever he did and suff ered…instated in God’s covenant of grace? 361

Query IX. What is that act of faith, by which a sinner appropriates Christ and his saving benefits to himself? 370

Query X. Whether the revelation of the divine will in the word, aff ording a warrant to offer Christ unto all, and a warrant to all to receive him, can be said to be the Father’s making a deed of gift and grant of Christ unto all mankind? Is this grant to all mankind by sovereign grace? And whether is it absolute or conditional! 371

Query XI. Is the division of the law, as explained and applied in the Marrow, to be justified, and which cannot be rejected without burying several gospel truths? 373

Query XII. Is the hope of heaven and fear of hell to be excluded from the motives of the believer’s obedience? And if not, how can the Marrow be defended, that expressly excludes them, though it should allow of other motives? 374

INDEX 377

Product Details

Title: The Marrow of Modern Divinity 

Author: Edward Fisher

Publisher: Christian Heritage

Pages: 392

Binding: Hardcover

Size: 23.0 x 18.4 x 3.6 cm

ISBN: 9781845504793