# 72 Sermons on Isa 53 by Durham



## NaphtaliPress (Jun 8, 2006)

The Naphtali edition of James Durham's _Christ Crucified: 72 Sermons on Isiah 53_ has been out of print for a while. I know I will only get a small sample opinion here, but would folks like to see it back in print (i.e. would you buy it)? It is a very expensive book to produce and this time around I will be printing 1000 rather than the 500 last time. Retail last go around was $75, though I often had it on sale from 50 or less, and you could get it at a good price from some of the resellers like RHB. 708 pages in large hard back, I think 7x10, 1.5 to 2 inches thick or so. As usual, new critical edition, indexing, etc.
What do you think?

[Edited on 6-8-2006 by NaphtaliPress]


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## Contra_Mundum (Jun 8, 2006)

I'd consider it, however, lately I have spent a little extra on books already. I may not get anything new for quite some time.


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## NaphtaliPress (Jun 8, 2006)

Well, I'm not rushing into this, but if I do reprint I'll probably still have copies "for quite some time."


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## New wine skin (Jun 8, 2006)

Hey Chris
I am unfamiliar with this man and his work. With so many great books to buy and read, what sets this book apart? 

Thanks
Scott


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## NaphtaliPress (Jun 8, 2006)

Scott,
He has been considered among the Puritans one of the best of the best. His work on Scandal has shaped much of the historic Presbyterian view. Here is what Spurgeon says in his book on commentaries.

DURHAM (JAMES). Christ Crucified; or, the Marrow
of the Gospel, holden forth in Seventy-two Sermons on
Isaiah liii. Editions, folio, 4to., and 8vo. 3/- to 5/-
This is marrow indeed. We need say no more: Durham is a
prince among spiritual expositors.

On his other works (Ten Commandments, Job, Revelation), Spurgeon says things like: Whatever Durham has written is very precious. He has the pen of a ready writer, and indites good matter. This is a small book, and we have been unable to procure it. Orme only mentions it upon the authority of Watt's Bibliotheca. It is certain to be good, for Durham is always admirable. After all that has been written, it would not be easy to find a more sensible and instructive work than this old-fashioned exposition. We cannot accept its interpretations of the mysteries, but the mystery of the gospel fills it with sweet savour.


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## NaphtaliPress (Jun 8, 2006)

See an extract regarding Durham's works here
http://www.naphtali.com/item_desc/Isa53.htm
I thought I had his bio posted but didn't see it. He was one of the influenctial men of the day and tried to stay neutral and heal the Scottish church when it was rent by the Protestor/Resolution controversy in the 1650s.


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## NaphtaliPress (Jun 8, 2006)

Found it. See the biography from the NP edition of the Isaiah 53 work here:
http://www.naphtali.com/pdf/DurhamLife.pdf
Speaks of his conversion and subsequent ministry. Durham with David Dickson wrote the Sum of Saving Knowledge which appears in the traditional Scottish edition of the Westminster Standards.


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## New wine skin (Jun 8, 2006)

Great info! I will start saving my pennies for it.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Jun 8, 2006)

> _Originally posted by New wine skin_
> Hey Chris
> I am unfamiliar with this man and his work. With so many great books to buy and read, what sets this book apart?
> 
> ...



He is a very noteworthy Puritan. He was one of the co-authors of the _Sum of Saving Knowledge_. I recommend his commentary on Revelation.


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## Philip A (Jun 8, 2006)

I hope this isn't too far off topic, Chris, but are there any plans to reprint Durham on Scandal?

I'm not sure I would order the Isaiah work on purpose, but if it showed up by mistake - i.e. a switched order - I'm sure once I had it in hand I'd just have to take it


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## NaphtaliPress (Jun 8, 2006)

No stories out of school please.
There are supposedly a boat load of copies of Durham on Scandal in the hands of James Dickson Books in Scotland, so you might do him a favor and buy one from him. I would be surprised if he's sold out. Both GPTS and RTS have had, have or have plans to use or continue to use Durham on Scandal for an elective class. Duncan Rankin used to teach a summer course at RTS in Jackson on it. I've steered both schools James' way and I hope they've tried to take some off his hands. He has so many because the Free Presbyterian Book Room bought like 500 copies and then decide they didn't want to sell the book. So I took 250 back; well I guess James took the other 250.
http://www.jamesdicksonbooks.co.uk


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## NaphtaliPress (Jun 8, 2006)

BTW, not to disuade anyone to try to get Durham on Scandal with Durham on Isaiah 53 money  but I am convinced I am the kind of Presbyterian I am today, and the kind of publisher as well, in large part due to Durham's _Concerning Scandal._ Without the experience and lessons learned in publishing that book I would not be as careful I suspect today in my publishing work as I am, and I trust exposure early in my reformed life to that work kept me from the separatistic mentality into which not a few seem to fall.


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## Peter (Jun 8, 2006)

Chris, why didn't the FPs sell Durham on Scandal. Is _Scandal_ a Resolutioner apologetic?


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## NaphtaliPress (Jun 8, 2006)

Peter,
No, the work is anti separatistic. In theology Durham was a Protestor I think. I do not know that there was any theological reason for returning the books. I seem to recall, and maybe I'm wrong, that both sides in what came to be a split in the FPCS cited it to justify their points of view. I suspect though, the return, which was very, shall I say, bold to request, and highly unusual (overseas surface rate cannot be insured and I was absorbing any wear on the returning books as well), was practical; the book store manager at the time simply went overboard on the book and the quantity he took. If perhaps there was also some discomfort with the book that would most likely have been secondary rather than controling. However, it should not be a work that Presbyterians view skeptically. All the standard Scottish Theologians put a high premium and place on the work.


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## Don Kistler (Jun 9, 2006)

We've published two works by Durham: "The Blessed Death of Those Who Die in the Lord" and "The Unsearchable Riches of Christ," and they are both superb works. The latter has an unforgettable quote: "The goal of all preaching is to get all those who are outside the covenant within, and to get those who are within the covenant to live like it."


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## Semper Fidelis (Jun 9, 2006)

Just curious: if something is too expensive to print, does it make business sense to distribute it as an e-Book that is formatted cleanly as a PDF? Cost for distribution would be cheap and you could charge a nominal fee for the download.

You guys are the publishers so I thought I'd ask but many out of print classics are provided on sites like CCEL.org. The drawback is how poorly formatted they are if somebody wanted to print the whole or portions for themselves.


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## NaphtaliPress (Jun 9, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Don Kistler_
> We've published two works by Durham: "The Blessed Death of Those Who Die in the Lord" and "The Unsearchable Riches of Christ," and they are both superb works. The latter has an unforgettable quote: "The goal of all preaching is to get all those who are outside the covenant within, and to get those who are within the covenant to live like it."



I do believe since Durham on Scandal came out in 1990 that the bulk of his published material has been issued in new editions and of course the Song of Solomon has been photo reprinted by Banner and, I think, also Klock and Klock years ago. I would like to put the rest of the works that have not been republished in a single volume; but the time for that has been lacking of late. Maybe a collected works of Durham is something to discuss/kick around on the publishers forum?


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## NaphtaliPress (Jun 9, 2006)

Well, there would be no problem my issuing a PDF that looked exactly like the layout of the Isaiah 53 as printed, but I dislike ebooks really, and I'm not quite ready to give up on books yet. It just takes me some time to work up to a reissuing, and in this case it may very well require taking out some public storage space give the space 1000 of these would take up.



> _Originally posted by SemperFideles_
> Just curious: if something is too expensive to print, does it make business sense to distribute it as an e-Book that is formatted cleanly as a PDF? Cost for distribution would be cheap and you could charge a nominal fee for the download.
> 
> You guys are the publishers so I thought I'd ask but many out of print classics are provided on sites like CCEL.org. The drawback is how poorly formatted they are if somebody wanted to print the whole or portions for themselves.


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## Semper Fidelis (Jun 9, 2006)

> _Originally posted by NaphtaliPress_
> Well, there would be no problem my issuing a PDF that looked exactly like the layout of the Isaiah 53 as printed, but I dislike ebooks really, and I'm not quite ready to give up on books yet. It just takes me some time to work up to a reissuing, and in this case it may very well require taking out some public storage space give the space 1000 of these would take up.
> 
> 
> ...



It's just an idea to distribute an eBook where it makes no business sense to print the hardcopy and still allow a quality product to get into people's hands. For those, like you (and me frankly) that prefer something hardcopy, they could always print it for themselves. When I'm studying Calvin's commentaries I print out the portion I'm studying for a class and highlight it. It would be nice to have the actual book (of course lugging that around the Marine Corps is prohibitive) but I'm not sure I would want to mark up my nice books.

I'm just thinking out loud and providing some ideas. If you don't like them then I understand. You just seemed to be thinking that it was a good resource to get into folks' hands but wondering also if it would make business sense which is a very valid concern. A well-formatted electronic copy might be a good idea. I'll even be willing to host this eBook for free (I have 15 GB web hosting space with 2Mb/s unlimited downloads). You can test the model and see if you'd ever want to try it again.

[Edited on 6-9-2006 by SemperFideles]


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## NaphtaliPress (Jun 9, 2006)

I guess I'm not ready to commit a text that took years to complete to ebook land as of yet, when it may still be a saleable product. In fact it probably was the best selling book I have done to date. Funny that it was also the most expensive.


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## ChristianTrader (Jun 9, 2006)

> _Originally posted by NaphtaliPress_
> Well, there would be no problem my issuing a PDF that looked exactly like the layout of the Isaiah 53 as printed, but I dislike ebooks really, and I'm not quite ready to give up on books yet. It just takes me some time to work up to a reissuing, and in this case it may very well require taking out some public storage space give the space 1000 of these would take up.
> 
> 
> ...



Chris,
Have you considered the "lulu" route or something similiar. They even do hardcover now.


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## NaphtaliPress (Jun 9, 2006)

Hermonta,
Yes; I'm considering Lulu for some other projects that I am skeptical are worth risking $ tied up in inventory. However, unless I'm mistaken there are fixed sizes as well as materials so you are limited to their specs. I'm also pretty sure that the hard bound are still glued and you cannot get a good sewn binding out of POD (Matt would know this I'm sure since he uses Lulu). I would not want to do something the size of Durham's Isaiah 53 sermons except in sewn binding; it is an off size also so there would be some redesign issues. Call me picky. 


> _Originally posted by ChristianTrader_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by NaphtaliPress_
> ...


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