The Penitent Pardoned

by Christopher Love

It was once said that most of the beds in mental hospitals could be emptied if people could find forgiveness. Thankfully, Psalm 130:4 tells us, "There is forgiveness with Thee, that Thou mayest be feared." There is a pardon for the penitent, and therein is the good news of the gospel. In this scarce Puritan work based on Psalm 32:5, Christopher Love, a 17th century London preacher, explains the duty of Christians to confess their sins and the faithfulness of God to forgive them. And, as the psalmist said, "Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity" (Psalm 32:2).

144 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2002

Reviews

[Al · Rating 3 out of 5]

Christopher Love is very understandable, and this volume was a pleasure to read. The entire work is based on Psalm 32:5, and he goes into much detail and application on our duty to confess our sins, and the faithfulness of God to forgive them, through Christ, as the jacket says. There are five chapters which proceed in a logical progression from "Saints Are to Confess Their Sins" to "God's Forgiving Act"; "Objections Answered"; "The Riches of God's Pardoning Grace"; and "Cases of Conscience." If you've read ANY Puritan, you will know that within the text, teaching and application are arranged in outline, and this is no different. Love is one of my favorite Puritans because of the simplicity of his sermons and their impact through his obvious love of Christ.

[Dane Jöhannsson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read for the despondent soul.

[Blake · Rating 3 out of 5]

Christopher Love does a good job in developing the concept of repentance and change that comes about as a result. If you love old Enlgish and enjoy the Puritan style of writing, you'll enjoy this. It is insightful and Love does what many of the authors of old did by breaking each concept down into minute details. Though insightful in many regards, I found the weakness of the book to be related to the Hermeneutic that promotes the idea that Israel and the church are the same. But other than this point (which seems to come out at various points within the content), the book provides a good challenge for the reader to think about his/her life and the role of repentance and confession.