J. I. Packer, T. Beougher, and Christianity Today observed the 300th anniversary of the death of Richard Baxter in 1991 with an article1 that prompted a friend to propose a book project: he asked me to research the life and writings of this pastor of pastors, in order to put together a booklet for church leaders, about 100 pages long, and written at a sixth grade reading level. I agreed.
About 1000 copies of the book were published and only a few remain at Lewis and Roth Publishers and Amazon.com. So, I have published the first edition, online, with a view to expanding and improving the original: Good Mr. Baxter: Sketches of Effective, Caring Leadership for the Church from the Life of Richard Baxter. You can now purchase the updated and improved second edition right here: Good Mr. Baxter: Sketches of effective, Gospel-centered leadership from the life of Richard Baxter
From Tim Challies:
“This short biography of only just over 100 pages does an excellent job of introducing the great Puritan pastor and writer Richard Baxter. As any short biography ought to do, this one led me hoping to find a much longer treatment of the life of this fascinating character.”
Reviews on Amazon.com:
“What Puritans should I read? And, which of the Puritan books are most important? And where do I start? I will answer the last question posed above. Good Mr. Baxter is a great place to start on Puritan studies. Even if you have been reading the Puritans for a time, this short book is a great review or overview of one of the prime preachers and writers of the Puritan world… He was the epitome of the good village parson who visited and watched over his flock… The advantage of Good Mr. Baxter is its brevity. The book consists of 13 chapters replete with quotes from Baxter. The book could be read through rather quickly; however, I think it is better suited for a daily devotional study. The book is especially useful for prompting pastors to read Baxter’s classic Reformed Pastor, but any Christian could benefit from reading the book.” Ben House
“Richard Baxter’s life and his commitment to ministry are inspiring enough, but Salisbury’s insightful treatment of his trials, his faithfulness and his writings bring a dimension to Baxter’s life that many might otherwise miss. I found myself encouraged to press on in ministry, in spite of trials or setbacks…” Susan Bauman
“A well written read about a man who loved his God. Buy a few copies and share with someone you love.” Marcia Ross
“Good MR. Baxter is an encouragement to me as a pastor and teacher of the Word. I would recommend this book to any believer, whether in the ministry or not, simply because of it’s focus on the heart of Christ. It inspired me to examine my own life and ministry, as well as deepen my longing to be used by God the way so many of the puritan pastors were. Before reading this book I knew very little of Richard Baxter, and though I know more now, I feel I have only just met him, and look forward to an expanded edition from Vance Salisbury in the near future…” Joel. L
Read the first edition of Good Mr. Baxter Online here>
- James I Packer & T. Beougher, “Go Fetch Baxter,” Christianity Today 16 1991: 26-28. [↩]
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