LIVING IN A GODLY MARRIAGE
By Joel Beeke and James La Belle
Reformation Heritage Books. 268 pages. £11.58
ISBN 978 1 601 784 636
The authors set out their concern in the introduction: ‘Something must be done to recover marriage and restore it to its God-ordained blessedness to family, church and society, and that something must be done now.’
With that in view, they have ‘mined’ the writings and sermons of many Puritans who had a thoroughly biblical understanding of marriage. The first chapter is about the institution of marriage and its honour, and the second chapter outlines its purposes and benefits. This is helpful in our day when the very idea of marriage has come under much attack. The book is intended for a wide audience: those ‘preparing for marriage’, ‘recently married’ or ‘celebrating many years of marriage’. There is a lengthy chapter for those seeking a suitable spouse. Many unsuitable marriages would have been avoided if only Christians listened to this advice from Daniel Rogers: ‘If any object that waiting for a spouse of the Lord’s choosing may cause some to miss out on marriage altogether, we repeat our counsel: wait upon the Lord, commit your way to him, for he knows best what you need.’
