One of my ongoing reading projects involves reading the best of the Puritans. While I have not reviewed each of these books, I have read them and, in most cases, read them in community as part of a project I call “Reading Classics Together.” Here are some recommendations if you are just getting started with the Puritans.
Begin With…
Here are a few titles that are a little bit on the simpler side:
Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices
Brooks shows how Satan opposes Christians and non-Christians.
The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment
Contentment is rare but precious; Burroughs describes how the Christian can achieve it.
Advance To…
Once you have become accustomed to Puritan writing you may want to try some more difficult works:
The Religious Affections
This is a brilliant work that calls you to love the Lord with your affections.
Modernized
If the original prose proves too difficult, these bring the best of John Owen into language that is far easier to read:
The third of Lundgaard’s adaptations of Owen, after The Enemy Within and The Glorious Christ. Its purpose is to draw our attention to the triune God—not so we can admire him from a safe and comfortable distance, but so we can truly draw near.
If you have wanted to read a classic but have been intimidated by the original, or perhaps even incapable of understanding it, this is just the answer.
Resources
A Puritan Theology
This is a massive but very readable work that provides a systematic theology through Puritan writing. The final eight chapters challenge us with how we should be more like the Puritans.
Meet the Puritans
This book introduces you to the most important Puritan authors and offers brief descriptions of their works.
