# Can you recommend any books on preparation for the Lord's Day?



## LeeD (Jun 15, 2013)

If there aren't books on the subject, then maybe there is a sermon you've read that you can recommend.


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## irresistible_grace (Jun 15, 2013)

I'm not sure exactly what you are looking for but I found Joel Beeke's book  The FAMILY at CHURCH  very helpful ... The chapter/section "Preparing for the Preached Word" may be most helpful as concerns the Original Post

The Family at Church - Reformation Heritage Books
The Family at Church - EBOOK - Reformation Heritage Books


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## ThyWord IsTruth (Jun 16, 2013)

Thomas Watson's "Ten Commndments" section on the 4th Commandment may be helpful.


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## Scott1 (Jun 16, 2013)

You will get some on that aspect of the fourth commandment in "The Lord's Day by Joseph Pipa."
http://www.ligonier.org/store/the-lords-day-paperback/

I'm not sure it has been published, but here is an extended quote about sabbath preparation from the Puritan, Stephen Marshall:
http://www.puritanboard.com/f36/sabbath-preparation-great-mystery-spiritual-life-75400/


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## au5t1n (Jun 17, 2013)

One thing that may be helpful is to track down the various Christian Directories that the Puritans wrote, many of which are online, and read their sections on the Lord's Day. They tend to have a section on keeping the Lord's Day, and those often address preparation. Here are two examples:

Lewis Bayly, The Practice of Piety: Practice of Piety: Directing a Christian How to Walk, that He May Please God. - Christian Classics Ethereal Library
Henry Scudder, The Christian's Daily Walk: The Christian's Daily Walk - Henry Scudder - Google Books

Those bookmarks take you to the top of the page where preparation for the Lord's Day begins to be addressed. You'll have to scroll down to find where it begins.

A little research and many more could be found.


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## Don Kistler (Jun 17, 2013)

George Swinnock had some good material on preparing for the Sabbath, but I'm afraid I can't remember the title of the specific work..

Also John Wells' book "The Practical Sabbatarian" had good material on this subject. But it's never been reprinted. It's about 900 pages or so.


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## reaganmarsh (Jun 17, 2013)

This isn't directly answering the question of Sabbath preparation but a couple of closely-related works spring to mind for hearing the word preached: 

William Ames in his Marrow of Theology (II.vii, pp. 254-258 in the Baker edition) asks the question of how we are to prepare for the hearing of the Word here: A Puritan's Mind » Hearing the Word

Thomas Watson also addresses this in his The Godly Man's Picture: "A Godly Man is a Lover of the Word," A Godly Man is a Lover of the Word


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## reaganmarsh (Jun 17, 2013)

I'm trying to reply to Dr. Kistler's post (#6 above) but my computer isn't cooperating. Sir, is this what you're referencing? 

The Table of Contents in Swinnock's Works, Vol. 1, shows that his book "The Christian Man's Calling" addresses the following subjects:



Chap. XV. How a Christian may exercise himself to godliness in hearing and reading the word, and of preparation for hearing

XVI. Of the Christian's duty in hearing

XVII. Of the Christian's duty after hearing

A good wish about the word, wherein the former heads are epitomised

XVIII. How a Christian may exercise himself to godliness in receiving the Lord's supper; and 1. Of the nature of that ordinance, and preparation for it

XIX. How a Christian may exercise himself to godliness at the table

XX. What a Christian ought to do after a sacrament

A good wish about the Lord's supper, wherein the former heads are epitomised

XXI. How to exercise ourselves to godliness on a Lord's-day

XXII. Brief directions for the sanctification of the Lord's-day from morning to night

A good wish about the Lord's-day, wherein the former heads are epitomised

A good wish to the Lord's-day


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## Don Kistler (Jun 17, 2013)

Reagan, it very well may be. But the quote I wrote down so many years ago I forgot to reference, so I'm not sure.






reaganmarsh said:


> I'm trying to reply to Dr. Kistler's post (#6 above) but my computer isn't cooperating. Sir, is this what you're referencing?
> 
> The Table of Contents in Swinnock's Works, Vol. 1, shows that his book "The Christian Man's Calling" addresses the following subjects:
> 
> ...


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## Peairtach (Jun 18, 2013)

Preparation for the Lord's Day is actually quite a simple and commonsensical matter, which is maybe why we have little on it in Scripture.

Goods that are needed for the Lord's Day e.g. foodstuffs should be bought beforehand. You should be careful to make sure that no unsuitable arrangements or appointments are made for that Day, including unnecessary and/or major travel. You can make formal spiritual preparation for that Day if you wish, although the Day itself is a spiritual preparation for the week, and on Saturday night one's thoughts naturally turn to the pleasures and duties of the Day.

Sent from my HTC Wildfire using Tapatalk 2


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