Prayer, Praise and Practical Godliness

Prayer. Praise. Godliness. These are not three separate duties. They are the three great pillars of the Christian life. In this valuable collection, Vincent Alsop (1630-1703), one of England's most gifted Nonconformist ministers, addresses two subjects that remain as urgent today as when he first preached them over three centuries ago. In "Duty and Interest United in Prayer and Praise," Alsop expounds 1 Timothy 2:1-2, calling Christians to the neglected duties of supplication, intercession, thanksgiving, and prayer for rulers and nations. In "Practical Godliness," his powerful exposition of Titus 2:10, he argues that holy living is both the ornament and defense of the Christian faith.

With pastoral warmth, sharp reasoning, and occasional flashes of wit, Alsop exposes a religion of empty profession and presses believers toward a life that visibly adorns the gospel of Jesus Christ. He shows that prayer is more than a formality, praise is more than words, and godliness is more than outward morality. True Christianity speaks to God in prayer and walks before men in holiness.

In an age marked by political turmoil, religious division, public controversy, and spiritual decline, Alsop's message proved remarkably timely. In an age little different from his own, it remains so still.

This updated volume, "Prayer, Praise and Practical Godliness" is a call to recover a Christianity that is both devotional and practical, rooted in communion with God and displayed through a life worthy of the gospel. Here is a timeless reminder that the strongest defense of the Christian faith is not merely sound doctrine confessed, but sound doctrine lived.

Vincent Alsop (1630-1703) was a reformed preacher of the Gospel of Christ and a well known minister in his day, being of great skill and preaching ability.

C. Matthew McMahon, Ph.D., Th.D., is a Reformed theologian, and pastor of Grace Chapel in Crossville, TN; part of the Biblical Reformed Synod of Christ the King. He is the founder and chairman of A Puritan's Mind, the largest Reformed website on the internet for students of the Bible concerning Reformed Theology, the Puritans and Covenant Theology. He is the founder of Puritan Publications which publishes rare Reformed and Puritan works from the 17th century, specializing in the Westminster Assembly. He is also the owner of Reformed.org, and the Center for Reformed Theology and Apologetics.