Equipping Center

Review Comments

This little volume by Thomas Vincent (1634-1678) would not be classified as a "devotional," but it will do more to encourage the reader's devotion to Christ than most books in that category. The book is, by the author's own description, practical application and exhortation, beginning with the premise that the life of a Christian is primarily one of love to Christ. The older language may be a small challenge to some readers, but not insurmountable and well worth the effort to read slowly and savor its riches.

Publisher's Description

The essence of Christianity is love. God is love, said the Apostle John. Obedience to God's commands is nothing more than a manifestation of our love to God. The Ten Commandments show how we are to love God and one another. Love, then, is of the utmost importance in true biblical Christianity. In this book, first written in the 17th century, and out of print since 1812, Thomas Vincent, known for his lectures on the Shorter Catechism of the Westminster Confession of Faith, expounds 1 Peter 1:8, whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory. This is one of the most poignant, tender books ever to come from a Puritan pen.