Bible Reading Plans Written BY Puritans?

[Jason Poquette]

Greetings all,

I'm leading a Sunday school class for a few weeks with the specific goal of encouraging the habit of daily Bible reading and study. Having reviewed some of the passages from Scripture ABOUT Scripture, we then used Thomas Boston's "Directions for Reading and Searching Scripture."

His first advice is to "follow a regular plan." And this raised the question by a class member: "Did Thomas Boston, or any of the Puritans, actually write or use a specific plan that we know of for Bible reading?"

Other than THIS plan written by the Puritan Nicholas Byfield (1577-1622), I am not currently aware of any others. That seems surprising to me. I love the Puritan authors like Owen, Watson, Goodwin, Brooks, etc. But I know almost nothing of their actual practice or "plan" for daily Bible reading and study.

Does anyone else know of a Bible reading plan produced by, or regularly used by, any of the actual Puritans in the 16th or 17th century?

Blessings!

 

[MChase]

I believe William Gouge’s plan was more or less 5 Chapters at 3 stated times. So by the end of the day he’d have read 15 chapters and went through the Bible approx 4 times a year.

 

[C. M. Sheffield]

It should be pointed out, the daily reading plan set out in The Book of Common Prayer would have likely been used by some Puritans; especially those who remained in the Church of England. It takes you through the Psalms every month, through the Old Testament once in a year, and through the New Testament twice.

 

[Jake]

There is a daily plan in the 1611 KJV in the front. I wonder if some Puritans used it?

https://imgur.com/paEdafW

 

[JH]

I believe William Gouge’s plan was more or less 5 Chapters at 3 stated times. So by the end of the day he’d have read 15 chapters and went through the Bible approx 4 times a year.

If you find the source on this later, please let me know. Gouge is great

Edit: for some reason thought you were talking about William Bridges, who wrote The Christian Ministry. I'll still take the source if you come across it though

 

[C. M. Sheffield]

William Bridges, who wrote The Christian Ministry

You mean Charles Bridges.

 

[JH]

You men Charles Bridges.

:Facepalm:

 

[C. M. Sheffield]

:Facepalm:

Don't beat yourself up. I had a spelling mistake in my reply. We are beggars all!

 

[MChase]

If you find the source on this later, please let me know. Gouge is great

Edit: for some reason thought you were talking about William Bridges, who wrote The Christian Ministry. I'll still take the source if you come across it though

William Gouge, The Lives of the Puritans Volume 3, Benjamin Brook, Christian Classics books at BibleStudyTools.com

Read William Gouge of The Lives of the Puritans Volume 3 from author Benjamin Brook. Find more Christian classics for theology and Bible study at Bible Study Tools. ...

www.biblestudytools.com

 

[py3ak]

In The Practice of Piety Lewis Bayly provided a simple reading plan:
1. Read 3 chapters a day, with meditation: morning, noon, and night.
2. Read 6 extra chapters the last day of the year.
3. Read as many Psalms as chapters, according to the Church-Liturgy.
4. Read the Apocrypha at pleasure, and believing only what is agreeable to the canonical Scriptures.

The value of his plan is less in the mechanical breakdown than it is in the directions on reading so as to lead into meditation.

 

[BertMulder]

Greetings all,

I'm leading a Sunday school class for a few weeks with the specific goal of encouraging the habit of daily Bible reading and study. Having reviewed some of the passages from Scripture ABOUT Scripture, we then used Thomas Boston's "Directions for Reading and Searching Scripture."

His first advice is to "follow a regular plan." And this raised the question by a class member: "Did Thomas Boston, or any of the Puritans, actually write or use a specific plan that we know of for Bible reading?"

Other than THIS plan written by the Puritan Nicholas Byfield (1577-1622), I am not currently aware of any others. That seems surprising to me. I love the Puritan authors like Owen, Watson, Goodwin, Brooks, etc. But I know almost nothing of their actual practice or "plan" for daily Bible reading and study.

Does anyone else know of a Bible reading plan produced by, or regularly used by, any of the actual Puritans in the 16th or 17th century?

Blessings!

Robert Murray M‘Cheyne’s Bible Reading Calendar

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[C. M. Sheffield]

Robert Murray M‘Cheyne’s Bible Reading Calendar

An excellent resource, to be sure, but not one from the Puritan era (c. 1550-1700).