Swinnock, George - The Works of George Swinnock - 5 Vols. - James Nichol (1868)

An original 5-volume set of George Swinnock’s works. These are part of the well-known Nichol’s Series of Standard Divines of the Puritan Period. These were published in such a good fashion that they remain the most common volumes to copy for modern republication.

The Sword and the Trowel in1868 said of the works:

“These [Puritan] works have for the most part been unknown to the generality of those who are devoted to the study of theology. Only the productions of a few, such as Bates, Baxter, Charnock, Flavel, Howe, and Owen, were accessible even to those possessed of ample means. But now the writings of most of these ‘giants’ have been cheapened, and the almost lost works of Adams, Brooks, Cawdray, Clarkson, Goodwin, Sibbes, Henry Smith, and Swinnock (may we hope that Manton will be added?) as well as the commentaries of Bayne, Burroughs, Reynolds, George Greenhill, King, Torshell, Trapp, and many more are put within the reach of all. It was a noble enterprise on the part of Mr. Nichol to undertake to recover for us the hidden, almost lost, treasures of Puritan theology, to clothe them in modern handsome form and dress, and issue them at the very lowest of modern prices. . . .

“There is the indisputable fact, that the works of Howe, Owen, Charnock, Goodwin, T. Adams, Sibbes, and Brooks, have supplied more instruction, been productive to more thought, and have suggested more sermons to our leading Noncomformist preachers than any other uninspired writings.

“Provided there is depth of piety and aptitude to teach in the minister, the more knowledge he possesses the better, as is abundantly evidenced by the case of such men as Howe, Charnock, Owen, Adams, and Henry Smith, and even the apostle Paul.”