Backdrop for a Glorious Gospel: The Covenant of Works according to William Strong

William Strong (ca. 1611-1654) was an influential leader at the Westminster Assembly and was greatly admired by his contemporaries. However, in modern time, even those most indebted to the Westminster tradition are unfamiliar with this stalwart of the seventeenth century.

In this book, Thomas Parr opens by introducing us to the significance of the life and ministry of Strong and then launches into a survey and summary of Strong’s teaching on the covenant of works. Along the way, this book shows that the condemnation from a covenant of works serves as a dark backdrop to display the glory of the covenant of grace.

248 pages

CONTENTS

Prologue: The Life of William Strong
1. The Curse of the First Covenant, Death
2. People in Adam Prefer the First Covenant
3. Sin Is Irritated by the Law
4. The Law’s Rigor and Coercion
5. All Those in Christ Are Transferred from the First Covenant
6. Transference by Union with Christ
7. The Law as a Covenant Abolished to All in Christ
8. To All in Christ, the First Covenant Serves the Second
Conclusion: Experimental Covenant Theology
Bibliography

“Up until the Restoration, William Strong’s grave was in Westminster Abbey. But with the return of Charles II, his body was disinterred and unceremoniously dumped into the obscurity of a mass grave. This small fact well illustrates the way that Strong, once influential enough to be buried in the capital’s leading church, has disappeared beneath the soil of history. This work by Tom Parr helps recover not only Strong’s memory, but also his thinking on covenant theology in his magnum opus. This is not only a fresh study, but one that proves to be vital for understanding the way that the covenant is threaded through the entire warp and woof of Puritan thinking.”

– Michael A. G. Haykin, chair and professor of church history, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“A proven path to becoming a solid theologian is to study one. Thomas Parr knows this and here he presents the Puritan William Strong as a theological mentor for us all. With Parr as our guide, we can follow Strong in his edifying treatment of the much-neglected topics of the covenant of works, union with Christ, and the covenant of grace. This is an edifying study and serious Christians will find it time well spent. Tolle lege!”

– Chad Van Dixhoorn, professor of church history and director of the Craig Center for the Study of the Westminster Standards at Westminster Theological Seminary