Puritan Paperbacks - Gems of Thought for Every Day in the Year

Book Description

In 1865 Clement Evans, a Liverpool publisher, issued a book called Gems of Thought for Every Day in the Year, from the Writings of an Eminent Divine of the Seventeenth Century. That ’eminent divine’ was William Gurnall (1616-1679), the Puritan minister and author of The Christian in Complete Armour.

As Joseph Hall (1574-1656), Bishop of Norwich, noted, ‘Every day is a little life: and our whole life is but a day repeated.’ Every day, therefore, should be a day to grow in our devotion to the Lord and in our understanding of his ways.

These ‘gems of thought’ from Gurnall’s writings will serve as helpful daily prompts for meditation, and will, if read prayerfully, lead readers to set their minds on heavenly things.

Author

William Gurnall was born in 1616, about 100 miles north of London, in a town where his father became mayor. Residents of this part of England were deeply attached to Reformation doctrines. An outstanding scholar, Gurnall attended Emmanuel College, earning multiple degrees, and then began ministering at a church in Suffolk during tumultuous times in English history, including a civil war, the beheading of a king and more. During all the political and religious upheavals, William Gurnall continued to preach about spiritual warfare and published his sermons. William Gurnall books include the three-volume set, The Christian in Complete Armour, and volumes are also available separately: volume 1, 2 and 3. This series has been called one of the greatest of all practical Puritan writings, with John Newton saying that, “If I might read only one book beside the Bible, I would choose The Christian in Complete Armour.”

Additional Information

Cover: Paperback
Number of Pages: 128
Publisher: Banner of Truth
Publication Date: 2026