This is a copy of the original book. In this series, we are bringing old books back into print using our own state-of-the-art techniques. Generally, these books are created from careful scans of the original. This allows us to preserve the book accurately and present it in the way that the author intended. However, as we are working with old material, so occasionally there may be certain imperfections within the text. We are so pleased to ensure these classics are available again for generations to come.
Philip Doddridge, D.D. (Marischal College and King’s College, Aberdeen), was an English Congregationalist minister, educator, and author of over 400 hymns. First published in 1745, the accessibility and clarity of his The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul, with its emphasis on practical piety and advice on prayer, meditation, and self-examination, led to its translation into seven languages and its popularity across Europe and America, where it greatly influenced the Great Awakening and the eventual foundation of Methodism by John Wesley.
On the whole I think this was pretty good. My concentration was disrupted somewhat while reading it by other stuff I had going on at the time, and while not heavy reading, I wasn't always able to throw my whole attention into it, which limited the enjoyment of it to a degree. Without the distractions I would have finished it much quicker. Doddridge came across as a very pleasant and likeable character and worthy of emulation in many ways and I'm glad to have read it and learned more of him. One tends to hear some rather negative assessments of the fruits of his labours, but whatever the outcomes may have been of his method of teaching, it's hard to find anything here that he could be condemned for. The book was beautifully produced, such nice large and clear print on such thick paper, making it a pleasure to read in that respect alone.