Classics of Reformed Spirituality Collection (8 vols.)

First published in 1585, The Marks of God’s Children by Jean Taffin became an instant classic in Dutch and French Reformed circles. Taffin offers comfort and encouragement to those engaged in spiritual warfare. Grounded in Reformed confessional orthodoxy, this spiritual reflection provides an astute understanding of the “marks” of God’s grace and salvation, and is still relevant today. This is experiential Christianity at its best.

The Duties of Parents is the best known-known work of Dutch Further Reformation leader Jacobus Koelman. Outlining 282 guidelines for Christian parenting, Koelman emphasizes the need for loving, thoughtful discipline. He describes the need for good schools and teachers, and encourages the latter to realize their great responsibility. The Duties of Parents gives readers an important glimpse at the theological and practical concerns of the developing Protestant tradition, and it offers practical application for raising children today.

First published in 1646, Spiritual Desertion offers comfort and consolation to believers whose circumstances cause them to wonder if God has abandoned them. Further Reformation leaders Gisbertus Voetius and Johannes Hoornbeeck demonstrate that the anxiety of doubting believers is proof that God has not abandoned them; rather, it is evidence of the work of the Spirit in their hearts.

In nine short books, this work by Teellinck shows believers the character of true godliness and the kingdom of darkness that opposes it. This volume includes an introduction by editor Joel R. Beeke that chronicles Tellinck’s life.

This is an excellent book on the subject of sanctification, asking questions such as: How does one flee from temptation? What is the best way for believers to open their hearts to God? Packed with scriptural guidance, this book answers these questions and many more about how to live in Christ.

This book clearly explains the main topics of the Reformed faith. Written in the catechetical style of question and answers, the book is noted for its succinctness and ample references to Scripture. The 40 brief chapters are characterized by careful doctrinal distinctions, and each one concludes with a question or two asking what the particular subject means for the faith and spiritual reflection of the reader. For today’s readers, it is both an ideal representation of the Dutch Further Reformation’s attention to doctrine and piety, as well as an invitation to carry on that spiritual legacy.

A Spiritual Appeal to Christ’s Bride consists of nine sermons preached by Jodocus van Lodenstein, one of the most prominent leaders of the Dutch Further Reformation. The sermons stress themes that are dear to the preacher’s heart: the need for the Holy Spirit to carry the Reformation further than the mind, the need for perpetual reformation and growth in piety, the need to cultivate holiness and self-denial, and the need to know and experience an intimate spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ the perfect Bridegroom. The book calls nominal Christians to a more profound commitment to Christ, stressing that only such a commitment can deliver the church from shallowness and unholiness. Today, more than ever, the church needs to heed this call to awaken from its spiritual slumber.

The two seventeenth-century essays translated and offered in this book were originally designed to help people of the Dutch Further Reformation derive the greatest benefit from celebrating the Lord’s Supper. Guilelmus Saldenus’ “The Efficacy of the Lord’s Supper” concentrates on the joy received in celebrating the sacrament and the sanctified living that it generates. Wilhelmus à Brakel’s “Edifying Discourses” instructs believers in preparing their hearts for the celebration, participating in the supper responsibly, and following up the meal in a spiritually beneficial manner.

Scripture tells us that Christians have three chief virtues necessary for living a truly virtuous and godly life before God: faith, hope, and love. In this book, Godefridus Udemans carefully explains the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Ten Commandments, using them as standards and guides for cultivating faith, hope, and love in our hearts. Udemans particularly excels in demonstrating the practical relevance of these teachings, making this not only an overview of Reformed doctrine but also a handbook for living blessedly forever.