The First Puritan(s) You Read?

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Reformed Covenanter

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Just out of interest who was the first Puritan author you read?

The first Puritan book I read was John Bunyan's Grace Abounding, way back when I was 18 and had only found out about Calvinism.

However, the book which really got me reading the Puritans was Thomas Watson's All Things For Good (originally titled the Divine Cordial) in the Puritan Paperback series just after I turned 19. After this I went on to read many of the Puritan Paperbacks and Soli Deo Gloria books, before moving on to get actual sets of works.

Between the ages of 19-21 I was a voracious reader of Puritan literature, but when I returned to study at 22 (I left school at 16 and worked for a number of years to fund University) I found I no longer enjoyed them as I did not have the time or the mental energy to read their stuff profitably. So now I am largely reduced to reading them on the Sabbath (except for some of the stuff that is very easy to read) and have to mostly stick to modern writers on weekdays. :violin:
 
Bunyan's "Pilgrims Progress" followed by Edwards "Sinners in the Hands of Angry God." Well more of a sermon than a book actually.
 
Pilgrims Progress followed by Grace Abounding for me. Scared me to death. Really caused some self examination on my part. God be PRAISED.
 
Believe it or not, "Sinners in the Hands of Angry God" Jonathan Edwards was required reading for me in High School, so that was my first exposure to the puritan writers. "Pilgrim's Progress" followed that.
 
I remember now that I read the diary of David Brainard before but for some reason, the providence of God no doubt, it did not have the effect on me that the Bunyan books did.
 
I remember now that I read the diary of David Brainard before but for some reason, the providence of God no doubt, it did not have the effect on me that the Bunyan books did.

Bunyan certainly seems to be a popular author among PB readers. While he is best remembered for Pilgrim's Progress, some of his other stuff is also superb, I have read a fair bit of the books in his works, but would love to read them all. :bunyan:
 
I started with John Owen's "The Death of Death" after becoming reformed through eschatology (David Chilton in particular).

My reading got a lot easier after that ;)
 
The first three were:

1) "The Mortification of Sin" by Owen
2) "Doctrine of Repentance" by Thomas Watson
3) "The Institutes" by Calvin (if he counts..)
 
I started with John Owen's "The Death of Death" after becoming reformed through eschatology (David Chilton in particular).

My reading got a lot easier after that ;)

That is a tough one to start with. I read it when I was 20, but have not read any of Owen's weightier works since due to time constraints (I still try to read his more popular stuff on the Sabbath though). :owen:
 
I started with John Owen's "The Death of Death" after becoming reformed through eschatology (David Chilton in particular).

My reading got a lot easier after that ;)

That is a tough one to start with. I read it when I was 20, but have not read any of Owen's weightier works since due to time constraints (I still try to read his more popular stuff on the Sabbath though). :owen:

Volume 5 on justification is invaluable.
 
I started with John Owen's "The Death of Death" after becoming reformed through eschatology (David Chilton in particular).

My reading got a lot easier after that ;)

That is a tough one to start with. I read it when I was 20, but have not read any of Owen's weightier works since due to time constraints (I still try to read his more popular stuff on the Sabbath though). :owen:

Volume 5 on justification is invaluable.

Strange that you should mention that, because I am hoping to read that volume in the near future. :cheers: :book2:
 
Had I known that four years later I would be asked this I would have made a note but alas I did not so it will forever be a mystery. Though the first "theological" work I read upon my conversion was Spurgeon's Defence of Calvinism and here I am ;)
 
Pilgrim's Progress for me (in high school).

:ditto:

I didn't realize until later that the private school I went to for a semester, where it was required reading, was using a reformed curriculum. God is so good! The second thing was Body of Divinity by Thomas Watson, then The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes, :) and then anyone doing the Puritan reading challenge knows all the others in order. :lol:
 
I think it was probably Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God which (an excerpt if not the whole, I can't remember) was required in the Roman Catholic High School I attended. I have read some of the Puritan Paperbacks but I can't remember which one was first.

A book by Peter Lewis called The Genius of Puritanism was my first introduction to many of the Puritans.
 
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