Marrow of Modern Divinity (Hardcover)
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Publisher: Christian Focus
Author: Fisher, Edward
ISBN-10: 1845504798 | ISBN-13: 9781845504793
Binding: Hardcover
List Price: $29.99
Westminster Bookstore: $21.59
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"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."- Sinclair B. Ferguson
 See also Pastoral Lessons from the Marrow Controversy by Sinclair Ferguson
3 CD Set
Publisher's Description: An intriguing book, quite unlike any other The Marrow of Modern Divinity defies pigeonholing. 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.
390 Pages
Published October 2009
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"Both legalism and antinomianism are perennial dangers for the church and for individual Christians. When we begin to think of the Christian life primarily as a list of “dos” and “don’ts,” we are under the sway of legalism. When we begin to think that it is okay for us to go ahead and sin, because God will forgive us anyway, we are feeling the temptation of antinomianism.
The Marrow of Modern Divinity proclaims a gospel that can rescue us from both of these dangers. Filled with quotations from the great reformer Martin Luther and from the worthy Puritans, The Marrow emphasizes biblical, evangelical doctrines such as the sovereignty of God in the covenant of grace, the free offer of the gospel, assurance in Christ as the essence of faith, and sanctification by grace rather than by the law. Thomas Boston loved these grace-filled doctrines and discovered that they strengthened his hold on the precious gospel that he lived and preached."
- Philip G. Ryken, Senior Minister, Tenth Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
"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. Despite their mild-mannered appearance, these pages contain a powerful piece of propaganda. Read them with great care!"
- Sinclair B. Ferguson, Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, South Carolina
"The Marrow of Modern Divinity is one of the most important theological texts of all time"
- Derek Thomas, Professor of Systematic and Practical Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, Mississippi
The Marrow is a late 17th century work on the Christian life, set up as a dialog between four characters: a minister, a new Christian, a legalist and an antinomian. The author’s stated aim is to clearly and simply show the difference between the law and the gospel, thereby walking the middle path between legalism and license. He does this by opening part one with a discussion on the law as a covenant of works (ch. 1), the fulfillment of the covenant of works by Christ (or the covenant of grace, (ch. 2) and the role of the law for those in Christ (ch. 3). Part one closes with a passionate plea to find your soul’s rest in Christ alone.
The author weaves in quotes from many reformers and puritans throughout. Indeed, some have seen this work as little more than a clever anthology of quotations from some of the best reformational thinkers of the 16th-17th centuries (the catalog of names includes 64 people, ranging from Luther to Goodwin). Thomas Boston’s copious footnotes add to the already deep well of sources. Part two closes out the book with an exposition on the role of the Ten Commandments in the Christian life, accenting once again the dangers of both legalism and antinomianism. This particular volume is bookended by two helpful introductions and an early 18th century defense of the Marrow’s theology.
Christian Focus has done an excellent job formatting and binding this volume. By placing Boston’s more lengthy annotations on separate pages, his arguments, elaborations and corrections are far less intrusive (and much easier to read!) than in other editions. But why buy another book by an obscure, or in this case an unknown 17th century Christian? My simple answer is that this book explains the Law and Gospel more clearly and practically than any book I have read. I know of no other book that so forcefully sets Christ’s person and work at the center of the Christian life. So buy this book if you need to be reminded that there are no conditions for the covenant of grace that are not supplied by Christ, that the Gospel carries no demands but only good news and that the imperatives of the Christian life are not the demands of an angry judge from Mt. Sinai, but the response of love to the redeemer and king of Mt. Zion. In short, if you want to strengthen and deepen your love for Christ and his Gospel, buy this book. I don’t think it is an overstatement to say that God used this book to completely change the direction of my own life.
- Ben Dahlvang, Westminster Bookstore Staff
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