This excellent little book contains a selection of sermons and addresses by the faculty and friends of ‘Old’ Princeton. The chapters in this work were first published in the 2012 two-volume set Princeton and the Work of the Christian Ministry, and cover various aspects of the call, character, and work of ministers. My favourite chapter was The Scripture Doctrine of a Call to the Ministry by William S. Plumer. In our world today, we often lack patience and can tend to reject processes which take a long time to realise. One thing I found particularly insightful from Plumer was in his writing about divine providence and God’s timing:

"The acts of divine providence, until finished, are holy enigmas; and some of them remain such through our whole lives… The obstructions of your way may only be intended as trials of your faith and patience." (p. 15)

Coming from the eighteenth to nineteenth centuries, the focus on the work of the minister tends to be on the work of preaching. While we may find this a bit limited in its scope today (with our right inclusion of pastoral care as an important aspect), the chapters are edifying and generally helpful.

This book is available to purchase from Banner of Truth.

Phil Foster, Buccleuch Free Church, Edinburgh