Rasputin by Anthony Beevor

I saw this in bookshop and decided to get it on kindle. The current kindle system is very good iin that you can download a sample and when you have read that you have covered 10% of the book and so it is easy to download the rest and read. Typically, I am aware of Rasputin but could not have given you his dates or much else and there was no distinction in my mind between the rumours and the facts. Anthony Beevor makes a brave effort it give context and to distinguish fact and fiction but it is not easy. There seemed to be as much about everyone else as there was about Rasputin and with a large dramatis personae it was hard to keep upp at times. I think I've got a better hande on it now and there clealry is a connection between Rasputin's role and the fall of the house of Romanov. Beevor suggests it is the power of rumour. Certiny there is a lot of gullibility and suprstition going on here. Whether this will lead me on to other books by Beevor I am not sure.

Gimson's Heroes

I've really enjoyed reading this book of fifty well written short biographies. They vary appropriately in length and in the type of person chosen. From politicians like Ernest Bevin to poets like John Betjeman; from the famous, such as Nelson and Churchill to the lesser known, such as Burke and Shaftesbury, to some I was unaware of - such as Stan Hollis and Michael Wharton. There are ten women (Boudica, Bess of Hardwick, Elizabeth I, Mary Wollstonecraft, Jane Austen, Elizabeth Fry, Grace Daring, Florence Nightingale, Octavia Hill and Noor Inayat Khan) by design or happenstance. They are all British except the last, Nelson Mandela. The approach is fairly amoral and so one or two sneak through who I would not be keen on. When I was a boy my mother expected me to know about people like Alfred, Raleigh, Drake, Nelson, Livingstone and probably Shackleton. That way of thinking is less popular today but people likeGimson are still writing on thos elines and it is interesting to note.

Two Books about the Beatles

One of my sons likes to buy me books on the Beatles and the Nazis (two subjects I find pretty compelling). For my recent birthday, he got me John and Paul by Ian Leslie. I read this well written book that focusses on John and Paul and their relationship, especially in song writing, close after completing a previous book on the Beatles so I noticed what was in the previous book and what was missing. Truth is the Beatles are so well documented and there are so many disputes over certain stories that it is difficult to keep up. Very interesting stab this, which I enjoyed reading. Leslie suggests that with his marriage to Linda, Paul switched from being markedly promiscuous to being markedly monogamous, which he puts down to love of extremes, probably correctly. Ian Leslie is a champion of Paul over John but tries to be fair. I still find myself wanting to favour John, even though he was clearly a monster in many respects. I guess they are both very talented people with huge flaws whose relationship with one another is tangled and full of fascination. The book contains an interesting bibliography so I am in danger of spending even more time on this subject if I am not careful.

I was very drawn to the other book because it deals with The Beatles who I love to read about and Bob Dylan, who I know much less about but who draws me for several reasons. I also like the way journalists write books. Like scholars, they make a through search then collate and write. Unlike scholars, of course, they make it interesting. I knew a lot of the stuff in this book, I guess, but by no means all of it and some of it I had forgottenn, including John Lennon's born again phase. I had also not appreciated how conservative Dylan was from the beginning, despite his way of presenting himself. The book is full of fornication and drug taking, inevitably, and also an unsual amount of throwing up, usually missing from such books. Anyway, the book gives a fairly complete history of two incredible phenomena of the sixties and beyond and where their paths crossed. Fascinating.

Paul Mallard on Heaven

This is a delightful little book on a delightful subject. Orthodox, practical and full of illustrations it is no doubt the fruit of preached sermons and is easy to read. Relying mainly on Revelation but taking in many other Scriptures, this little bookby a veteran pastor, without being dogmatic where there is no need to be, will answer most of the questions that people have about this vital subject. It can be highy recommended. The closing chapters usefully show how this doctrine should comfort us, encourage us to be holy. and make us steadfast. There are a few books on this subject. Thsi is one of the best.

Where the music had to go

I have recently read a new book on my kindle - Where the Music Had to Go: How Bob Dylan and The Beatles Changed Each Other – and the World by Jim WIndolf. I was very drawn to this book because it deals with The Beatles who I love to read about and Bob Dylan, who I know much less about but who draws me for several reasons. I also like the way journalists write books. Like scholars, they make a through search then collate and write. Unlike scholars, of course, they make it interesting. I knew a lot of the stuff in this book, I guess, but by no means all of it and some of it I had forgottenn, including John Lennon's born again phase. I had also not appreciated how conservative Dylan was from the beginning, despite his way of presenting himself. The book is full of fornication and drug tking, inevitably, and also an unsual amount thrwoing up, ususally missing from such books. Anyway, the book gives a fairly complete history of two incredible phennomena of th sixties and beyond and where their paths crossed. Fascinating.

The World around the Old Testament: The People and Places of the Ancient Near East

As readers of this blog will be aware I have been reading this big book for a while now but have eventually now finished it. It was recommended at one of the recent Tyndale House gatherings. It's the sort of book I should have read when preparing for ministry I guess. Better late than never. Thirteen contributors introduce us to peoples and places either mentioned in the biblical text or from that part of the world. Those covered include the obvious Egyptians, Philistines, Babylonians, Persians and Greeks but also the Assyrians, Phoenicians and Transjordanians (Moab, Ammon and Edom) and further, the Amorites, Ugaritians, Hittites/Hurrians and Arabians. The essays are similar in length but necessarily vary in approach and some contain rather difficult passages that are not easy to negotiate. One huge disappointment is the pretty complete sell out to modern academia that means a very sceptical attitude is taken to Scripture. Not only is this not an evangelical postion but I would guess a lot is lost simply because the academic world is currently so atheistic. Copious footnotes and plenty of pictures add to the value of this very interesting book.

New Book on Tyndale and his language

It is good to see this book out in this anniversary year (Tyndale's New Testament first appeared in 1526) by a world expert on the English language and its development and the author of Begat (on the AV). He himself has been surprised at how large a contribution Tyndale actually made to the English language. Making use of all Tyndale's works not just his translations Crystal makes a very thorough job of analysing Tyndale and his language with the help of the OED and one or two other resources. Even linguophiles will nod perhaps at certain points, especially when he is trying to work out how much of the AV is Tyndale, but Crystal is good at keeping up interest. His extensive use of appendices is a wise move. I'd have liked more on Jehovah and atonement and Passover but Crystal is a linguist not a theologian. Do get hold of it.

Nine Books Read Recently

No Hopeless Future: Expositions on the Book of Ruth?Dale Ralph Davis

It is always good news when a new Dale Ralph Davis volume appears even if it is as brief as these five chapters. This one is a little different to the usual in that these are sermons that have been written down with no footnotes and only minor changes from the spoken versions. The ususal elements - striking illustrations, lightly worn schoarship and rigorous expsiton are there as in the other works. Thank you Christian Focus and Major Burnam (the original transcriber).

Thirty Second Theology: Questions and Answers to Build Your Fait/Sinclair Ferguson

This is a catechism for teeanagers with a modern twist. It covers the beatitudes, the commandments, the Lord's Prayer, etc. Baptists will bristle at some phrases.

The Great Post Office Scandal - the extraordinary story behind the recent ITV drama: The fight to expose a multimillion pound IT disaster which put innocent people in jail/Nick Wallis

This is a very full and thorough account of the terrible way a large number of Post Office Subpostmasters were treated up to around 2022. The problems were caused, it would seem, by errors in the Horizon computer system, errors that the makers Fujitsu and the Post Office who used it have been extremely slow to own up to. It is a lesson in how very wrong things can go when people are less concerned with honesty and kindness than they are with profit and reputation. The book is well written but inevitably a little tedious and drawn out at times. Glad to have got the full story (so far).

Entitled: the rise and fall of the House of York Andrew Lownie

I have also recently read a book called Entitled about Andrew and Fergie. It is rather a depressing book in many ways as it describes, I think fairly accurately, the lives of two once married individuals and the excesses that they have given themselves to down the years. I don't suppose they are very different to the average Jack and Jill but because they have been exposed to so many temptations and have so often given in, we end up with a pretty discouraging state of affairs, to the extent, in Andrew's case, that he appears to be guilty of punishable crimes. Not at any point in the book do they seem to have come under the sound of the gospel and they do not seem to realise the need to repent and find forgiveness in Christ, which is their only hope. We do not know how it will all turn out before they die but it would not be a surprise if more came out. Andrew Lownie has thoroughly researched the story. He presents quite a different version of how the infamous interview with Andrew came together and appears to be quite convinced that Jeffrey Epstein did not kill himself. He is also quite convinced that Andrew is guilty of sex crimes.

The Noble Liar: How and why the BBC distorts the news to promote a liberal agenda Robin Aitken

I was alerted to this book back in 2019 but only got round to reading it more recenty. Aitken is Roman Catholic and very conservative and one would not want to accept everything he says but he makes some good and helpful points with regard to the bias clearly detectable within the BBC. What he has to say about Tommy Robinson is most interesting. Other topics covered include feminism, religion and Islam. Well worth a read.

(These last three I read on kindle)

Christians and slavery Ian F Shaw

This is a book that needed to be written in light of there being so much discussion about this subject at the moment. Dr Shaw has writen very helpfully giving an accurate history of the relevant material and outlining the stance that various Christians took on the subject, people like Dabney and Machen coming out badly and Warfield and the Particualr Baptists much better. The second part of the book deals with some of the questions the history raises such as reparations and so on. It is a very helpful and interesting book.

100 Children's Books: that inspire our world/Colin Salter

Lovely book with two pages per book, one with writing and one with cover art. The books are for all ages and set out chronologically. Of the hundred books, I had read around twenty of them. Also some of the fifty listed as the second tier (eg Tom Brown's Schooldays). Some few books I had never heard of. One or two I thought I might like to try soon.

Then there have been two beautiful books aimed at children, beautifully presented. Beautiful books, aimed at kids I guess but lovely for all. These are

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost with illustrations by P J Lynch

The Fox and the Star by Coralie Bickford-Smith

Women of Grace and Guts

This historical work by Juila Jones covers a fairly little known aspect of mission in India at the beginning of the twentieth century. I suppose this is pretty ordinary and unspectacular work but it has produced fruit that continues to this day. The unusual aspect of what is presented is that it concentrates on the the work of women who, as the title suggests, are marked by grace and guts (Winifred Booth, Ruth Morling, Olive Elliot and others, including the many Indian Bible women). The story deserves to be rescued from the yellowing pages of the SBM Herald and presented in this way. This well reasearched, well illustrated work is well worth seeking out. (One or two typos but no-one is perfect).

Thomas Bilney: Forgotten Reformer

This brief little book seeks to rehabilitate the little known martyr Thomas Bilney. Information about Bilney is limited but Stuart Fisher has done a very thorough job in gathering what there is and presenting the material in a warm and devoted way. Two appendices show that Foxe's history can be relied on and that although Bilney recanted once he did not do so a second time. The timeline and the many illustrations add to the attractiveness of the book, part of an excellent Day One series.

Austin Walker on Robert Hall Junior

The Theology of Robert Hall Jr.: The Undermining of Calvinism among the English Particular Baptists (Studies in Baptist History) Paperback – 20 Feb 2024 by Austin Walker, 266 pages, H&E Academic ISBN 1774841398

This really is an excellent work in Reformed Baptist history, looking at a well known but rather obscure figure. It well deserves the honorary doctorate it is rumoured to have received. Rather than giving us a straight chronological account Dr Walker walks us around the subject several times but without repetitioin, enabling us to see the subject from several different angles. This work is the result of long and careful research. Robert Hall Jr is difficult to write about as his theological positions were not always predictable or stable. He appears to have rejected federal theology early on but come back to it but never to have properly embraced a full orbed Particular Baptist position. His open communion views are better known. Dr Walker's thesis that Hall and his teaching had a powerful and detrimental affect on Particular Baptists stands up well and his final warning is worth hearing.

Six Books Recently Read

Among books recently read are Loving the Law by Stephen Spinnenweber. This is This is a little stick of dynamite. It covers quite basic Reformed theology with regards to the Law and relies mainly on basic sources such as Calvin, the Westminster catechisms, Matthew Henry, Ernest Kevan and Puritan writers. Having said that I'm not sure where you would turn for a similar tome. I have plenty of books that take me through the Commandments but few that begin with a general piece on the three types of law and end with a discussion of the the three uses. Great stuff.

I also read a couple of books by the prolific Tim Chester. Angels is a very brief book that covers the basics fairly uncontroversially. Behind it, is a good reading list in the subject and allied matters. The temptation to speculate is pretty much avoided. I also read the first of a set of bite-size biographies have done. Istarted with Aidan of Lindisfarne as the most obscure. He competently cover the bases.

I also read a little book on Psalm 22 by Paul Mallard and Hope for all the earth an Old Testament survey by *. Short books are popular these days and Mallard's one excellently surveys Psalm 22 pointing firmly to the cross and to the resurrection. In six chapters he takes us from Good Friday to Easter monday. Mitchell CHase's work is the shortest of surveys of the Old Testament and is a useful primer or refresher for anyone who wants to get a good idea of the sweep of the Old Testament. Several significant dates are included without argument and incorporated in a chart at the beginning. I should know more of those dates than I do. They would be worth committing to memory.

Figureheads I picked up at the maritime museum in Greenwich. It is a lavishly illustrated hardback and a lovely introduction to the fascinating world of figureheads on ships. Sometimes a bit of detective work is needed on the figures that survive but mostly the book provides an insight into Greek legend, famous people and the history of the British merchant and royal navies.

Crossway Short Classics

As stated previously I have been working my way through a set of ten short classics published in a series by Crossway a few years back. I hav enow read them all and here are my notes on the final seven.

First a sermon by Spurgeon on not despising the day of small things (with a shorter piece for ministers). It is classic Spurgeon and very encouraging - just as it says on the tin. Once again the beautfiful cover and presentation adds to the joy of the experience. Like others in this series I could find the text elsewhere but it was so good to read it through in one sitting or so. I was more than encouraged.

The J C Ryle also has the same beautiful presentation as the others in this series. Yes, it can once again be found elsewhere but once again it was a worthwhile exercise to sit and read it once more in more or less one sitting. Really enjoying this series.

These two sermons (the Lord's work in the Lord''s way and No little people) are not the sort of thing one immediately thinks of when thinking of Francis Schaeffer but such notes were sounded throughout his ministry and can be found elsewhere in his written works. I liked this quote “Often men have acted as though one has to choose between reformation and revival. Some call for reformation, others for revival, and they tend to look at each other with suspicion. But reformation and revival do not stand in contrast to one another; in fact, both words are related to the concept of restoration. Reformation speak of a restoration to pure doctrine, revival of a restoration in the Christian’s life. Reformation speaks of a return to the teachings of Scripture, revival of a life brought into proper relationship to the Holy Spirit. The great moments in church history have come when these two restorations have occurred simultaneously. There cannot be true revival unless there has been reformation, and reformation is incomplete without revival.” (No Little People).

Th next I read was the surprise contribution to the set. A litte longer than some, it contains four sermons by the dual heritage African/White American, Lemuel Haynes. The final sermon is against slavery and has a strength that comes from the author's own background. All the sermons are brief and to the point and well worth reading by all. This is an extract from the larger book "Lemuel Haynes: Black Puritan, Black Republican", also in my library but only partly read.

Martin Luther is always worth reading though his writings make up a vast library. This recent translation of The freedom of a Christian by Robert Kolb makes it very easy to read and this work is a basic one and short enough to read in no time. Nice intro by Carl Trueman.

Really loved the Jonathan Edwards one on Heaven a world of love though I must have read it before as it is found in Charity and its fruits. Edwards simply describes heaven as it must be in terms of it being a place of love. This has the effect of making you long for heaven and long to be more heavenly minded now. There is a short section describing hell in similar terms which works well. So glad to have read what was for me the ninth book in the seriies.

The life of God in the soul of man by Henry Scougal is the longest of the series and well worth reading. I have long been aware of it (see https://publishdarticles.blogspot.com/2018/03/books-in-history-scougal-on-life-o... ) Scougal seems to come at things from a different angle to many and this would be a great book for a religious person.

Seven Books Recently Read

Robert Stephenson: an illustrated life (Shire) D J Smith

Having recently read the books on Telford and Brunel, it seemed obvious to turn next to the one on Robert Stephenson, which once again is brief, well illustrated and to the point. There are passing references to Telford and Brunel, and also Trevithick and Peto for that matter. I have known Stephenson as the inventor of the Rocket since childhood but I still could not explain to you why it was important. There were so many advances being made in the world of railways at the time that it gets bewildering. Stephenson seems a quiet man, diffident even. Like Brunel, he loved a good cigar. I had no idea he had spent time in South America.

Wind in the Willows (Chiltern) Kenneth Grahame

Just finished reading this lovely Chiltern Classics edition. I must have read it before now and been informed by the various TV versions that have come along at regular intervals. Like so much children's literature it was originally Kenneth Grahame's bed time stories for his son. I like the way that the chief animals (mole, rat, toad, badger) are perfectly human without any explanation and toad especially can interact with humans without any problem. Grahame is clearly a careful observer of creation and writes well. It is a very English book I guess and while reflecting its pre-Great War time, there is a timeless quality about it to some extent. It is a little mystical but has more to say about friendship than animism, I guess.

The Abiding Presence Hugh Martin (Christian Focus)

All my Christian life I have heard people recommend the writings of the 19th century Scots Presbyterian Hugh Martin but somehow I have never got round to reading anything by him. Then last month I was at a conference where one of his books was being given away to some and was only £5 to others and so I bought "The abiding presence" (originally Christ's presence in the Gospel history) and read it. The book begins by making the point that no ordinary book of memoirs concludes with the promise, ‘I am with you always, even to the end of the world.’ But the biography of Jesus is no mere commemoration of the departed; his promise makes the Gospel account a living history. He explores things very carefully and helpfully and provides us with a brilliant book of teaching. I particularly liked the way he pointed out that when Christ was baptised, he identified with us sinners and when we are baptised, we identify with him. It has made me want to read his other books.

All the Knowledge in the World: The Extraordinary History of the Encyclopaedia Simon Garfield

I often enjoy books by journalist types and I have enjoyed other things by Simon Garfield. This cleverly written (he employs an alphabetical approach) survey of the history of encyclopaedias is right up my street. We never had Britannica though my mother would like to have bought it and we certainly had other things in the same sort of league (including some second hand Arthur Mees and some Grolier volumes as well as the Waverley one volume and the Collins modern). This paperback takes you all the way from the earliest books of knowledge through to Wikipedia which has come only in the last 25 years. It was so unpredictable and yet here it is. Truth is you can't cram knowledge into a bottle really and our ultimate need is wisdom not more knowledge. Very enjoyable read.

Life and Works of Munch Amanda O'Neill

I love this series of books. Somehow I missed this volume on Munch's existence until recently. The Norwegian is a fascinating artist well worthy of inclusion alongside Monet, Manet, Modigliani and the others. There is the usual three page introduction then a series of 40 or so wonderful reproductions with short comments for each. There is something rather sad about Munch's life and works and yet dignified and life affirming too.

Life and Works of Arcimboldo Diana Craig

Well illustrated and informative like the others in this lovely series of which there are over fifty. The formula is a three page intro and then short comments with the pictures that appear on every page practically. Arcimboldo is a sixteenth century artist who served the Holy Roman Emperors of his day and yet he is almost Surrealist in most of his works - no wonder they liked him. (There are also some pen and wash sketches that are quite different to the oils). Unusually in this volume there are some paintings not by the artist or dubious, demonstrating how he was often copied. One of his most famous surreal portraits may be of Calvin.

The Emotional Life of Our Lord (Crossway Short Classics) B B Warfield

With its William Morris cover and its bijou presentation, this work is a joy to hold and the content deserves such treatment. With a foreword by Sinclair Ferguson and the briefest of biographical notes, this piece by Warfield, which is not in his published works, is a real gem. In his usual surefooted style, he explores the Gospel references to Christ's emotions or affections and draws careful conclusions. It is a blessing to read such warm and sober reflection on matters that lie at the heart of the faith. I must check out the other items in the series.

Eryl Davies Autobiography

I have been aware of the retired Welsh pastor and academic Eryl Davies all my Christian life, although I have rarely heard him preach and only met him once (when I was a student in Aber and wanted to subscribe to Foundations which he edited from its inception and for the next 19 years - it ws produced in those days using a plastic binder adn no staples). The story is of growing up a nominal Christian and being non-academic but siuddenly feeling called to the ministry and starting to train.

During the nine years it took he was converted through Vernon Higham and others and went on to pastor a denominational church in Maesteg. Eventually he led the church out of the Welsh Presbyterian denominatio because of its compromised position. They lost the manse and the church building but God provided. After Maesteg he went on to pastor the newly formed and student dominated bilingual church in Bangor, in his native North Wales.

After around 15 years there he became the lead tutor and then principal of a new EMW college that merged wih Barry Bible College (he had completed a PhD in philosophy while a pastor - partly possible because he and his wife Magwen went 13 years without children until a son and daughter were born to them). He served a good long stint there developing the work and supervising some 27 PhDs. He also writes about several trips to Korea and the many books on various topics he has written. Dr Davies is clearly a very spiritual man of great integrity. He is quite mystical but no charismatic.

He now looks after his wife Magwen who is quite unwell. As he reflects on his life, he is very thankful to God and his providence but find the periods of poverty he has known a little hard to accept (though he does). He tells us that Dr Lloyd-Jones was disappointed when he decided to leave the pastorate but came to accept the move. For some reason he wants us to know how, although he did not agree with him on several things, he reached out to Dr R T Kendall when he was in London and the fact that he has seldom consulted Spurgeon's sermons. I suppose the point is that he has been his own man throughout.

Beard Theology

My sister gave me this for my birthday and I read it straight away. It is a very thorough study of an obscure subject and a great read that appears to be reliable. Beards are not such an important matter in the grand scheme of things but it is good to know this history and there are a number of interesting sidelights on various subjects. I had read the Spurgeon quotes before but had never noticed that whereas most of the Reformers had beards (Luther the obvious exception though he dabbled), the eighteenth century evangelicals did not at all. Is there something in this? Probably not. The author is an Anglican blogger.

Shapers of Christianity

These twelve biographies originally appeared in the Banner of Truth Magazine. Some of the material can also be found in Nick Needham's church history series. They have value, however, as a collection and I enjoyed reading them all in one session. They give a sweep through the length and breadth of Christian history and are wrtitten succinctly, knowledgeably and judiciousy. Each one is brief and to the point but guarded in what it commends. A great book for anyone with no church history and anyone with a vast knowledge too. Great book.

Letters to my grandson: On first hearing and reading Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones

As with the proverbial London bus, first one and then another book on Dr Lloyd-Jones. Both are by Welshmen who knew him and heard him and both are very positive about him. Both quote in full the newly available journal entries from 1930 and 1931 that cast light on the Doctor's spiritual struggles. Whereas Philip Eveson's book seeks to defend the Doctor that by Geoff Thoams seeks only to promote him. The latter is written as a series of letters to my nephew and Geoff's grandson, Osian Alsop (it is weid to find yourself being referred to in a book about Llotd-Jones as happens once or twice). Eveson wants to defend the Doctor, I think, on everything, whereas my father-in-law's approach is to appreciate everything ge can but to ignore or deny one or two things and two criticise in certain places in order to avoid hagiography. Geoff's book is much more anecdotal and personal and chatty, partly due to his format. Both books are worth reading and now become part of the body of literature that any PhD student will need to consult. Geoff's book is spoiled a little by one or two slips (eg Osian Alsop not Osian Brady, Thomas not William Chalmers, to say Hilperton is a plant of Bradford on Avon glosses over a great deal of hurt and agaony). I think Isian is reading it and I hope the other grandchildren will and many others. Let's hope it will do good.

Baptised With Heavenly Power: The Holy Spirit in the Teaching and Experience of D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

I was sent a copy if this new book by Philip Eveson in the hope I might be able to commend it and give it some publicity. Having now read it I am happy to do what I can. It is a Mentor Christian Focus publication and costs around £17. it is a 421 page paperback.

Philip Eveson first heard Lloyd-Jones as a boy and as a fellow Welshman ministering in London got to know this leading minister of an older generation quite well. Since then he has listened to many of the recordings of Lloyd-Jones ad read more tha fifty of his publications. He is well placed therefore to present the leading elements in Lloyd-Jones's theology and pastoral practice. In this book he looks particularly at his Calvinistic Methodism, his understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer, in Revival and in preaching. Some sujects, such a shealing, are more briefly touched upon,

Mr Eveson is concerned to present Lloyd-Jones in the best light and to bring some clarity to the way his system is understood. It has often been misunderstood. He successfully defends Lloyd-Jones from the oft-heard claim that he was a closet charismatic rather than a mainline Reformed man and points out the importance of context when reading Lloyd-Jones and his tendency to use hyperbole in some instances.

I would guess Mr Eveson is happy with nost of the various nuances of Lloyd-Jones' theology. He was what we could call today an experiential Calvinist. He came to Baptist views but would speak of adult baptism and did not think the mode important. He was a creationist, a big fan of revival and held distinctive views about the baptism and sealing of the Spirit. It is good to have all that laid out very clearly. I would want to depart from his teaching on some things myself but one greatly admires his motives in teaching as he did and most of it was spot on. His approach was always very much a spiritual one in a good sense. His godliness shones through, as it does in the two volme biography by Iain Murray.

The book contains two appendices of previously unpublished material - a message on Evan Roberts and two entries in a journal made when he was in his early thirties. Rightly or wrongly I found comfort in the realisation that even Lloyd-Jones struggled with daily prayer and Bible reading. He was clearly a man of the same flesh as me but a brilliantly man, greatly used of God and a great guide for all who seek to serve the Lord faithfully..

It is great to know that tis very thorough piece of work is now in print. Let's hope it will be read and do much good.

Island Aflame by Tom Lennie

Finished reading this today. It is subtitled: The Famed Lewis Awakening that Never Occurred and the Glorious Revival that Did. I greatly enjoyed it. Written in what I suppose is a journalistic style, Mr Lennie manages to straddle the sceptical but sympathetic line (something I hgenerally aim at myself) as he seeks to explore the revivals in the Hebrides under Duncan Campbell in the late forties and early fifties. You cannot move in the (Reformed evangelical( circles I move in without hearing at some point about Duncan Campbell and the revival in the Hebrides - the two sisters who prayed, the sense of Gpd, the conversions, etc. What this book does, very helpfully, is to try and untangle fact from fiction, truth from exaggeration. It is meticulous and completes the task, I felt, very well, destroying the myth but preserving the core truths of what was undoubtedly a work of God. It means admitting that Duncan Cambell was a pathological liar and that the Free Church made some big mistakes but this sounds much more like what happened than anything else available. Check it out.