Description

Traditions to Treasure is the third and final volume in John Ritchies' Christian Heritage Series. Volumes 1 and 2, Torchbearers of the Truth (2017) and Trailblazers and Triumphs of the Gospel (2018), already well received, describe great servants of God who shone in the darkness of 14th to 18th century Britain, then others who pioneered with the Gospel in many countries abroad and at home. This third volume describes some other parts of our rich Christian heritage. The first topic is the formation of assemblies of Christians who gathered simply in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in the 19th century. Some of the early leaders of what became known as 'the brethren movement' are described, men such as JN Darby, JG Bellet, CH Mackintosh, R Chapman. The next section is about the hymns we sing, and those godly and gifted men and women who wrote them, selected from a much larger number who have given us so much to enrich our worship and our praise. These include Isaac Watts, Horatius Bonar, Philipp Bliss, Fanny Crosby, Frances Havergal. Even in this digital age we should not underestimate the value and importance of the printed page and the immense efforts made to produce these assets to begin with. So read next about the translation, production and distribution of Bibles and tracts, and the painstaking work of some of those who gave us the earliest aids to Bible study. Finally there are brief reviews of the work and achievements of some 19th century pioneers in the field of compassionate care for the poor and the needy - George Muller, William Quarrier, Thomas Barnardo, and William Booth.