Thomas Boston’s Human Nature in Its Fourfold State is often regarded as one of Christian literature’s best discourses on human nature, tracing it from its perfect beginnings in Eden, through the fall of man, and on to its final state in eternity. According to Boston, the four states of man are the state of innocence, in which God made him; the state of nature, as he has unmade himself; the state of grace, as created in Jesus Christ; and the eternal state, as made by the Judge of All Things. Boston’s remarkable insight makes this book a must-listen for Christians the world over.

Originally published in 1737, The Crook in the Lot continues to bring comfort and inspire countless souls, and it remains one of the most beloved of all Puritan classics. Its depth of explanation regarding God’s role in our afflictions and sufferings is without equal.

Thomas Boston—a well-known, influential, and beloved Puritan—was famous for his ability to communicate sound biblical truths in a way that conveyed clarity and insight. In this Puritan classic, he not only reveals a theological understanding of the problem of pain and suffering but also preaches from tangible experience; Boston himself had problems in life that caused him great physical and emotional pain.

This short but powerful treatise remains deeply relevant today.