Mr. Boulter's Example Commended

[Alexander Suarez]

Mr. [John] Flavel being in London in 1673, his old bookseller, Mr. Boulter, gave him this following relation, viz. That some time before, there came into his shop a sparkish gentleman to enquire for some play-books ; Mr. Boulter told him he had none, but shewed him Mr. Flavel's little treatise of Keeping the Heart, intreated him to read it, and assured him it would do him more good than play-books. The gentleman read the title, and glancing upon several pages here and there, broke out into these and such other expressions, "What a damnable Fanatic was he who made this book?" Mr. Boulter begged of him to buy and read it, and told him he had no cause to censure it so bitterly ; at last he bought it, but told him he would not read it. "What will you do with it then," said Mr. Boulter? "I will tear and burn it," said he, "and send it to the Devil." Mr. Boulter told him, that he should not have it. Upon this the gentleman promised to read it ; and Mr. Boulter told him, if he disliked it upon reading, he would return him his money. About a month after, the gentleman came to the shop again in a very modest habit, and with a serious countenance, bespoke Mr. Boulter thus; "Sir, I most heartily thank you for putting this book into my hands; I bless God that moved you to do it, it hath saved my soul; blessed be God that ever I came into your shop." And then he bought a hundred more of those books of him, and told him he would give them to the poor who could not buy them, and so left him, praising and admiring the goodness of God.

Source: https://archive.org/details/wholeworksofjohn01flav/page/13/mode/1up?view=theater

 

[Ploutos]

Question to my fellow PBers: what is such a book to you? What would you buy a hundred of to pass out to the lost?

 

[alexanderjames]

FYI, 'Keeping the Heart' is entitled 'A Saint Indeed' contained within volume 5 of the Works of JF.

 

[Jeri Tanner]

Source: https://archive.org/details/wholeworksofjohn01flav/page/13/mode/1up?view=theater

Listening to it on Audible right now, and it has done me a world of good. So thankful for it.

 

[davejonescue]

Question to my fellow PBers: what is such a book to you? What would you buy a hundred of to pass out to the lost?

Most likely nothing other than the Bible, but maybe not even that in America. Now days, a lot of these Puritan Classics, and the Bible in many different places, can be read for free on tablets or your smart phone. $1500 can probably go somewhere more needed in the body. Like a months sustenance for a missionary. Of course they didnt have that option in Flavel's day. For instance, I could spend $1500 to hand out 100 books, or $30 for 500 business cards with the link to the free Monerigm Library App which has close to 1,300 books.

But if I had to pick a single book, in my limited reading experience, it would either be:

Spiritual Refining - Anthony Burgess
Divine Characters in Two Parts - Samuel Crook

I am also enjoying very much Matrimonial Honor - Daniel Rogers, and am thinking it should probably be mandatory reading for anybody interested in marriage.