New critical edition of James Durham's Commentary on Revelation now complete in 3 volumes

[NaphtaliPress]

Four years, 3 big 7x10 volumes, and 1,768 pages later, I'm very happy this multiyear project has made it to completion. Not just a lot of text work, but working with the 1653 manuscript early form of the lectures published after his early death in 1658 and doing lot of new research on James Durham for the new biography, annotated bibliography, and chronological table of all the known Durham sermons and lectures which he accomplished in a ministry of six years at Glasgow cathedral kirk. RHB should have a promo out by end of week and better pictures.

A Commentary upon the Book of the Revelation: Volumes 1, 2 & 3 (Durham)

Puritan and Reformed books at discounted prices.

www.heritagebooks.org

 

[Logan]

Outstanding accomplishment, Chris. Thank you for all your work!

 

[JH]

Thank you for your labours, as I don't know of many (if any) others focusing on publishing historical Scottish Presbyterian work. May God get the glory

 

[CathH]

Superb.

 

[MarrowMan]

Just picked up the 2nd and 3rd volumes. I wish I had been patient until the whole set came out so I could've saved some money versus buying all 3 individually.

 

[Deleted member 12919 by request]

What’s next on the docket?!

 

[AReformedFundamentalist]

Amazing. I assume he held/holds to the postmillennial position?

 

[NaphtaliPress]

What’s next on the docket?!

NPSE is in partnership of Naphtali Press and Reformation Heritage Books. RHB does the production and fulfillment, while I do text development (research, text collating) to the print ready layout stage. RHB makes their money on sales and I raise money each year via sponsors. For 2021-22 there were 83. Sponsors get the books, which has a front section noting their sponsorships (like the old subscription way of publishing) and custom bookplate for that year. For 2022-23 I have the third volume to do of George Gillespie's Shorter Writings and if enough sponsors commit, a second project may be Durham's lectures on Song of Solomon. It is the one remaining work by Durham that I have not edited for a new edition (it was last published in 1840 and any recent editions are photo reprints of that edition). So I usually on Facebook and PB hit everyone up for sponsoring about this time of year; October I think for this year given the Durham has hit late and Gillespie v2 is likely not due out till January. I am also on the editor team of the Works of Samuel Rutherford, which is strictly an RHB project. Somehow in the next 12 months I also have to create texts of R's Against Pretended Liberty of Conscience and Survey of Spiritual Antichrist, for one big double volume, which is volume 7 of a projected 13 I think; they are not going in order.

 

[Deleted member 12919 by request]

NPSE is in partnership of Naphtali Press and Reformation Heritage Books. RHB does the production and fulfillment, while I do text development (research, text collating) to the print ready layout stage. RHB makes their money on sales and I raise money each year via sponsors. For 2021-22 there were 83. Sponsors get the books, which has a front section noting their sponsorships (like the old subscription way of publishing) and custom bookplate for that year. For 2022-23 I have the third volume to do of George Gillespie's Shorter Writings and if enough sponsors commit, a second project may be Durham's lectures on Song of Solomon. It is the one remaining work by Durham that I have not edited for a new edition (it was last published in 1840 and any recent editions are photo reprints of that edition). So I usually on Facebook and PB hit everyone up for sponsoring about this time of year; October I think for this year given the Durham has hit late and Gillespie v2 is likely not due out till January. I am also on the editor team of the Works of Samuel Rutherford, which is strictly an RHB project. Somehow in the next 12 months I also have to create texts of R's Against Pretended Liberty of Conscience and Survey of Spiritual Antichrist, for one big double volume, which is volume 7 of a projected 13 I think; they are not going in order.

You are a blessed man to be involved in such work. Praise the Lord.

 

[NaphtaliPress]

Amazing. I assume he held/holds to the postmillennial position?

The terms post, pre and a- are modern so it would be anachronistic to say he "is" post, but if you were to try to place his work it would go to there. His historicist postmil I guess would be what folks would say. But the value is not as Spurgeon noted in Durham's understanding of the "mysteries," but in his making helpful application of the text to his hearers/readers.

 

[NaphtaliPress]

You are a blessed man to be involved in such work. Praise the Lord.

Indeed; and it was all the Lord's kind providential working over many years which I couldn't have planned or foreseen if not worked against at times. You don't just walk in and land a series copublished with RHB or get invited to join a team like for Rutherford's works. Never expected I'd be busier now than at anytime since the mid 1980s doing full time what was never that till these last few years.

 

[Regi Addictissimus]

The promo is going out today. We had a few setbacks.

Below is a screenshot of a photo I took of the set.

 

[Regi Addictissimus]

You are a blessed man to be involved in such work. Praise the Lord.

I can vouch that this is indeed a blessing from the Lord to be involved in such projects. These works are no small task. Only the Lord could sustain and bring together the many pieces involved.

 

[Regi Addictissimus]

The promo is live: Click Here

 

[NaphtaliPress]

Nice and very kind write up! NPSE is up to six volumes now at RHB (at one of the links) with a seventh in the works and an eighth if the translation work can get done.

The promo is live: Click Here

 

[TheInquirer]

If I were looking for one of the best Puritan era commentaries on Revelation, would this be it?

 

[Deleted member 12919 by request]

The Inquirer is inquiring.

 

[NaphtaliPress]

While there were several commentaries before Durham, if you go by popularity of editions and reputation, THE puritan comment on the Revelation of John is Durham's. But not for his interpretation per se, which is certainly not in fashion, but for his practical applications to the reader, as Spurgeon noted. Our day's scholar Richard Muller also commends him. See the quotes in the RHB promo in Robert's post #14.

 

[TheInquirer]

I got sucked into the pre-order price of Charnock so this will have to wait but when I am ready to add a Puritan era commentary to the collection, this will be it. Thanks.

 

[JimmyH]

I got vol 1 directly from Chris, vol 2 from RHB, and vol 3, from RHB, is on the way.
When he was working on this project I was afraid either I would go home to be with the Lord before he was finished, or he would precede me and I'd never get volumes 2 or 3.
Now all I have to do is read them before 'that day' comes. (When you're 73 you take each day with gratitude and don't presume on how many you've got left)

 

[NaphtaliPress]

Hopefully reading them takes less time than it took me to get all three volumes to print!

I got vol 1 directly from Chris, vol 2 from RHB, and vol 3, from RHB, is on the way.
When he was working on this project I was afraid either I would go home to be with the Lord before he was finished, or he would precede me and I'd never get volumes 2 or 3.
Now all I have to do is read them before 'that day' comes. (When you're 73 you take each day with gratitude and don't presume on how many you've got left)