I have been working on a new book on Abraham Booth—helping edit the doctoral thesis of Ray Coppenger for publication by Joshua Press. What a privilege! I met Dr Coppenger through his son, Dr Mark Coppenger, a colleague at Southern—and to whom I feel deeply indebted in a number of ways, not the least certain kindnesses he showed me over ten years ago when I applied to teach at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. The title of the new book—to be shortly released—is “A messenger of grace”: A study of the life and thought of Abraham Booth (1734–1806). Inspiration for the title—so apt for Booth—comes from these lines of William Cowper’s The Task, Book II, lines 395–407:
“Would I describe a preacher, such as Paul, Were he on earth, would hear, approve, and own, Paul should himself direct me. I would trace His master strokes, and draw from his design. I would express him simple, grave, sincere; In doctrine uncorrupt; in language plain, And plain in manner; decent, solemn, chaste And natural in gesture; much impressed Himself, as conscious of his awful charge, And anxious mainly that the flock he feeds May feel it too; affectionate in look, And tender in address, as well becomes A messenger of grace to guilty men.”