by Owen Stockton
in ePub, .mobi & .pdf formats
Owen Stockton’s Love Among the Ashes: Consolation When Suffering Loss by Fire is a profound pastoral work written in the aftermath of the Great Fire of London in 1666. This timeless treatise provides theological insight and compassionate guidance for those enduring personal loss and hardship, specifically focusing on how to respond with faith and trust in God's providence during times of crisis. Stockton draws from Psalm 20, using the devastating fire as a backdrop to explore the themes of divine sovereignty, human frailty, and the need for repentance and spiritual reflection in the face of suffering.
Throughout the book, Stockton offers practical counsel on how Christians can bear afflictions with a spirit of contentment and hope, emphasizing that trials are not random but ordained by God for His glory and the believer's spiritual growth. He explores how suffering should lead the believer toward self-examination, repentance, and deeper dependence on Christ. The book also addresses the temptation toward despair, urging readers to find peace in the promises of Scripture and the unchanging character of God. Notably, Stockton speaks not only to those who have suffered loss but also to those who have been spared, calling them to gratitude and spiritual vigilance.
Love Among the Ashes is not merely a reflection on a historical event but a powerful devotional work relevant for all who face loss or hardship today. Its pastoral warmth, rich scriptural foundation, and theological depth make it an ideal resource for personal devotion, pastoral counseling, and group study. Stockton's reflections remind the reader that true consolation comes not from material restoration but from the presence of God Himself, who remains faithful in every storm.
Owen Stockton (1630–1680) was a Puritan preacher and theologian known for his pastoral care and theological writings during a time of religious upheaval in England. Educated at Christ's College and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, he served as a fellow and lecturer before being ordained in 1655. Stockton was ejected from his ministry in Colchester after the Act of Uniformity in 1662 but continued preaching in private gatherings despite persecution. He authored several works, including A Treatise of Family Instruction and Consolations in Life and Death. Stockton's legacy reflects his commitment to pastoral ministry, Puritan piety, and theological education, evidenced by his endowment to Gonville and Caius College and Harvard College.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREF. To the Reader.
1. CHAP. I. Question 1. How May such Persons as have Sustained Great Losses by the late Fire, bear their Affliction with a Contented and a Cheerful Spirit?
2. CHAP. II. Q.1. Continued: Some Things by Way of Practice for the Obtaining and Promoting a Quiet, Cheerful, and Contented frame of Spirit under this Affliction, of the Loss of your Estates, Useful also for other Afflictions.
3. CHAP. III. Q.1. Further Continued: Objections that Hinder the Contentment of those that have Suffered Loss in their Estates, Removed.
4. CHAP. IV. Question 2. What use should they make of their Affliction, who have lost their Whole, or Any Part of their Estates by the late Dreadful Fire?
5. CHAP. V. Q.2. Continued: Touching on Combatives to Temptations from Despair and Great Loss, such as Forsaking God and Self-Murder.
6. CHAP. VI. Question 3. What shall they render to the Lord for his Mercy, whose Houses and Goods were Preserved from being Consumed by the late Dreadful Fire?