# Nicholas Byfield



## VirginiaHuguenot (May 29, 2007)

Nicholas Byfield, English Puritan (1579 - September 8, 1622) was the author of _The Pattern of Wholesome Words_; _The Promises, or a Treatise Showing How a Godly Christian May Support His Heart_ (recommended by Jacobus Koelman); _The Beginning of the Doctrine of Christ, or, A Catalogue of Sins_; a commentary on parts of 1 Peter; and _An Exposition upon the Epistle to the Colossians_ (which I have recently acquired) -- the product of his preaching through Colossians every week for 7 years; among other works. He was the half-brother of Richard Byfield (his father was also named Richard Byfield) and he was the father of Adoniram Byfield. William Gouge was present at Nicholas Byfield's autopsy and describes the findings in his preface to Byfield's commentary on 1 Peter 2. There is a brief biographical sketch of Byfield in _Meet the Puritans_ by Joel Beeke and Randall J. Pederson.


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## MW (May 29, 2007)

"The Promises" is an excellent piece of Puritan practical divinity.



> It will be profitable for us to consider briefly the worth of the promises; they are called the unsearchable riches of Christ (Eph. 3:6, 8), to assure us that he is a very rich man that hath his heart stored with the promises of God well applied. The Apostle Peter saith (2 Pet. 1:3) that they are great and precious promises, which God hath given to us. Promises in our hearts are better than pearls or precious stones in our chests. They are the inheritance God gives to his people in this life, and therefore they are called the heirs of promise (Rom. 4); a greater portion than any king on earth can give to his child. The very keeping of the records of these promises was a great prerogative to the Jewish nation (Rom. 9), and it is accounted a singular happiness for the Gentiles that they may now partake of those promises (Eph. 3:6). Little do we know what wrong we do to our souls, when we keep them ignorant of the promises; and it is one of the greatest offices under the sun to dispense these promises to man (2 Tim. 1:1; Titus 1:1-3).


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## VirginiaHuguenot (May 29, 2007)

Sweet!


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