Books read in February 2006 - III

I managed to get a couple of books in while I was away this week:

The Mystery of Providence by John Flavel (Banner of Truth) 221pp.
First foray into the Puritans this year. I came away with the strong sense that this man Flavel lived in another world. He had learned to look at events from the vantage point of heaven. Not that he as a creature could make complete sense of them, but from that place he was able to trust in caring hand of God while experiencing them. I greatly enjoyed this book. If you can get over the antiquated language and perhaps verbose mode of expression, this is well worth the read, not simply for mechanically learning about what the Bible has to say about providence, but for getting inside the mind of someone who has learned about it.

The Deliberate Church by Mark Dever (Crossway) 204pp.
I picked this up after hearing Dever speak at the Midlands Gospel Partnership meeting in Birmingham last month. Excellent book, apart from the strange views on baptism and church polity! However, it made for an interesting contrast with Mark Driscoll's book. Whereas Driscoll's book is a passionate popular plea for a radical approach to mission, Dever is a much more measured approach to building a healthy church centered around the gospel, from which all else flows. It is a very practical book and an excellent investment.