Reformed doctrine of predestination - Boettner - XXII - Chapter 28 concluded

Required reading
Reformed Doctrine of Predestination by Loraine Boettner (Available from Amazon or free on the internet, here for example).  Conclude Chapter 28 (Calvinism in history) by reading point 11 (Conclude) and also read the Appendix.

My summary
Today Boettner concludes the Chapter and basically the book.

This last point once again lays forth the positive influence of Calvinism.

The evangelistic zeal of Calvinists is really hammered home with names like Augustine, Whitefield, Spurgeon, Carey, Martyn, Livingstone, Moffat, Morrison and Paton.

The last sentence sums up Boettner's thoughts on the benefit of Calvinism: 'We close with the statement that this great system of religious thought which bears Calvin's name is nothing more or less than the hope of the world.'

Then the Appendix gives a side by side comparison of the five points of Arminianism and Calvinism.

What grabbed me
A great quote from Spurgeon was included today: ''Many of our Calvinistic preachers do not feed God's people. They believe election, but they do not preach it. They think particular redemption true, but they lock it in the chest of their creed, and never bring it out in their ministry. They hold final perseverance, but they persevere in keeping quiet about it. They think there is such a thing as effectual calling, but they do not think they are called frequently to preach it. The great fault we find with them is, that they do not speak right out what they believe. You could not know if you heard them fifty times what were the doctrines of the Gospel, or what was their system of salvation. And hence God's people get starved.'

Do not starve God's people.  Feed them Calvinism.

One sentence final verdict
A book that explains in plain terms the basics of Calvinism and expounds the benefits of holding to such theology.

Next week's reading
Commence Prayer by John Bunyan (Available from Amazon or free here) by reading Chapter I (What true prayer is) of Part I (Praying in the Spirit).

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.