Thomas Boston (1676–1732), one of Scotland’s most beloved Puritan pastors, brings timeless pastoral wisdom to bear on one of life’s most searching questions: How should believers respond when their “lot” in life is marked by suffering, disappointment, or trial? In The Crook in the Lot, Boston draws from the well of Scripture and his own experience of affliction to teach that every “crook”—every hardship or unexpected twist in life’s path—is sovereignly designed by the hand of a wise and loving God.
Based on Ecclesiastes 7:13, “Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which He hath made crooked?” Boston unfolds a simple yet profound truth: whatever in our lives seems bent or broken has not escaped God’s notice but serves His perfect purposes. “The lot” refers to the sum of our earthly circumstances, while “the crook” signifies those particular trials that humble, test, or refine us. With deep pastoral insight, Boston guides readers to see beyond the immediate pain of affliction and to discern the divine wisdom behind it.
Boston’s writing, though centuries old, remains remarkably fresh and readable. His tone is gentle, searching, and sympathetic—born out of personal experience. Having endured physical weakness, family sorrows, and ministerial hardship, Boston speaks not as a detached theologian but as a fellow sufferer offering counsel to weary souls. His reflections are both doctrinally rich and warmly practical, offering medicine for hearts burdened by life’s crookedness.
This edition of The Crook in the Lot—faithfully produced in the beloved Puritan Paperbacks series—includes a foreword by Ian Hamilton, who aptly calls it “pastoral medicine prepared in the laboratory of Boston’s own sufferings.” The volume also features a brief biographical sketch of Thomas Boston and two additional expositions: on Proverbs 16:19 and 1 Peter 5:6, each complementing his main theme by exploring humility and submission under God’s mighty hand.
Jonathan Edwards once described Boston as “a truly great divine,” and this short work confirms why. Few writers have captured so clearly the mystery of God’s sovereignty and the comfort it brings to those who trust Him. Boston does not minimize the reality of pain; rather, he lifts the believer’s eyes to see that even the “crooked” parts of life are shaped by the same divine hand that promises to make all things work together for good.
ISBN | 9781848717589 |
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Pgs | 168 |
Dimensions | 18.1 × 12.1 × 1.1 cm |