Haykin on Revival

Despite being cobbled together to some extent, as it uses material from elsewhere to tell its story, this is an excellent introduction or refresher course on the subject of revival and on 18th century church history more generally. It ends with eight theses regarding revival. it is well written, cogent and includes some important material that can be found elsewhere but not in such a succonct and well crafted form. This is a great resource.

In Writing 131 now available

A new edition of In Writing is now available from the Evangelical Library. It includes Phil Arthur's 2017 annual lecture on Martin Luther and a piece I have written on David Brainerd.

Westminster Conference 2017 Day One

About 120 of us gathered once again at the Regent Hall in Oxford Street for the Westminster Conference. Stephen Clark kicked us off with a fairly comprehensive and persuasive exposition of Word and Spirit touching on regeneration, assurance, guidance an other matters seeking to demonstrate the independence of the Spirit with regard to God's Word. With supporting quotations from Edwards, Murray et al I was more convinced than ever that this is a biblical approach. Some found the long paper hard work and certainly anyone unfamiliar with the arguments might have struggled. Robert Striven chaired and we had a worthwhile discussion on assurance.

Dovetailing neatly with the first session we had a paper in the afternoon from Guy Davies on the felt presence of God, majoring on Thomas Goodwin but including references to Owen. I chaired. I did fear there wold be nothing more to discuss after the morning session but we were able to discuss quite profitably God's felt presence and whether it should be sought. There is some divergence among us but a general unity.

The final paper was slightly different as we went back to Calvin and Reformed liturgy with Andy Young. This was again a useful paper and a good discussion under the strict chairmanship of Jeremy Walker. Inevitably one or two exclusive psalm singers felt obliged to make their points but otherwise we seemed to be able to help one another at the end of what had been a very good day.

Here's a quote from Thomas Goodwin I enjoyed

conscience itself, which is ordained, as the urine of the body, to shew the estate of the whole, and therefore is accordingly called good or evil as the man’s state is, this is apt in such distempers to change and turn colour, and look to a man’s own view as foul as the state of a very hypocrite.” (Goodwin Works III, p. 254.)

Looking forward to day two.

Westminster Conference Programme 2015

The programme for the Westminster Conference this year is as follows (you may need to click to enlarge the PNGs):

Baptist Covenant Theology

There are a number of books on covenant theology available at present. Just a few of them are actually by Baptists! This one is a composite thing beginning with a long article by Earl Blackburn and shorter ones by Fred Malone (Hermeneutics) and Walt Chantry (works, imputation and baptism). It is a real joy to read a book where you agree with almost everything unlike the usual experience where the Presbyterian suddenly heads off in a direction that you have no wish to go in. The book is really worth reading. It not only has the baptism debate in mind but also dispensationalism and new covenant theology, a movement that is quite strong among Baptists. The book accepts the existence of a covenant of works. Chantry links Jonathan Edwards with the views of John Cameron on page 122. It might be useful to know more about that.

Lord's Day September 7 2014

So back to it proper yesterday. We started low key with a sparse congregation for communion. Numbers then grew and grew until we were quite full for the morning service. In our studies in 1 Corinthians we have come to 1 Corinthians 13, which is a wonderful chapter but hard to do justice too. We just looked at the first three verses this week. It's powerful stuff. I am reading my Jonathan Edwards to keep me on track. Back home all five buys plus were with us, which was nice. Two are off back to Wales this week. In the evening numbers were much less. I preached from Isaiah 6 on the sovereignty of God in preparation for a series I want to do on five things God wants you to know. It was a good day then and we hope it did some good.

Bitesize Festo

There are three more modern biographies in the bitesize series so far. I have enjoyed skimming through Eryl Davies on Dr Lloyd-Jones and Mostyn Roberts on Francis Schaeffer.

Festo Kivengere, however, was only a name to me and so I read with even more interest South African Frank Retief's slightly outsized (by about 30 pages) biography of the East African evangelist and bishop. I must admit to wondering why EP had decided to put this book out about an Anglican Arminian who believed in women preachers and whose most famous book "I love Idi Amin" raises big questions with regard to his theology (Jesus called Herod "that fox"; he did not say he loved him). On the other hand, it is good to read about a real Christian and an African one at that who was clearly used of God and who was converted in a time of revival. Retief's epilogue, where he hides behind Jonathan Edwards, just about convinced me that this book ought to be out there and that it ought to be read. I wonder what someone like Conrad Mbewe would think of the book.

Puritans get it in the neck again

It's David Aaronovitch this time in today's Times ("If you’re Biggs, you believe that you’re big"). It starts off as a fair point about the way we all, like Biggs, tend to justify ourselves. It then turns to quoting R H Tawney and a rather lame claim that the Puritans were the biggest offenders in this very crime. Aaronovitch doesn't quote any Puritans to back up his point or seem to have much idea abut them in general but they look like a good dog to kick, however, and so he kicks as is the way these days.

In his sermon on The justice of God in the damnation of sinners from Romans 3:9 Jonathan Edwards closes by saying

 

O! what cause is here for praise! What obligations you are under to bless the Lord who hath dealt bountifully with you, and magnify his holy name! What cause for you to praise God in humility, to walk humbly before him. Ezekiel 16:63. "That thou mayest remember and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God!" You shall never open your mouth in boasting, or self-justification; but lie the lower before God for his mercy to you. You have reason, the more abundantly, to open your mouth in God's praises, that they may be continually in your mouth, both here and to all eternity, for his rich, unspeakable, and sovereign mercy to you, whereby he, and he alone, hath made you to differ from others.

Carey Conference 2013 07

Mike Reeves took us finally to that towering figure Jonathan Edwards. After a passing reference to Edwards History of the work of redemption he focused on two books by Edwards The Religious Affections and The End for which the world was created. This paper was again full of rich nuggets. I especially liked his reference to God's grace, which too often is thought as a thing (as when Romanists think of Mary as Full of grace in the sense that she is topped up with it and can dispense it rather than as the recipient of God's love and favour). He also recommended skipping over the first part of The End for which and going straight to the second part. The whole presentation was again marked by a mastery of the subject, infectious enthusiasm and attractive presentation.

Some sample quotations from Edwards

“The Devil once seemed to be religious from fear of torment: Luke 8:28 - "When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech Thee, torment me not." Here is external worship. The Devil is religious; he prays - he prays in a humble posture; he falls down before Christ, he lies prostrate; he prays earnestly, he cries with a loud voice; he uses humble expressions - "I beseech Thee, torment me not;" he uses respectful, honourable, adoring expressions - "Jesus, Thou Son of God most high." Nothing was wanting but LOVE.”

“True religion, in great part, consists in holy affections, love for Christ and joy in him.”

“He that is once brought to see, or rather to taste, the superlative loveliness of the Divine Being, will need no more to make him long after the enjoyment of God, to make him rejoice in the happiness of God, and to desire that this supremely excellent Being may be pleased and glorified And if this be true, then the main ground of true love to God is the excellency of His own nature, and not any benefit we have received, or hope to receive, by His goodness to us.”

Quotations on election and purpose

Election
Never confuse election with partiality. Partiality is favoritism that is corrupted by a willingness to pervert justice for the sake of the favored few; election chooses certain people out of God’s free decision and nothing else, and even then justice is not perverted: hence the cross.

Don Carson

Man' s chief end

The enjoyment of God is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied. To go to heaven, fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. Fathers and mothers, husbands, wives. or children, or the company of earthly friends, are but shadows; but God is the substance. They are but scattered beams, but God is the sun. These are but streams, but God is the ocean. Therefore it becomes us to spend this life only as a journey toward heaven, as it becomes us to make the seeking of our highest end and proper good, the whole work of our lives; to which we should subordinate all other concerns of life. Why should we labour for, or set our hearts on anything else, but that which is our proper end, and true happiness?

Jonathan Edwards

Sarah on George

This letter was written by Sarah Edwards, wife Jonathan Edwards, to her brother, James Pierpoint of New Haven about the visit of the evangelist, George Whitefield, who came to Northampton in October, 1740.

October 24, 1740

Dear Brother James,

I want to prepare you for a visit from the Rev. Mr. Whitefield, the famous preacher of England. He has been sojourning with us, and after visiting a few of the neighbouring towns, is going to New Haven, and from thence to New York.

He is truly a remarkable man, and during his visit, has, I think, verified all we have heard of him. He makes less of the doctrines than our American preachers generally do and aims more at affecting the heart. He is a born orator. You have already heard of his deep-toned yet clear and melodious voice. O it is perfect music to listen to that alone!

And he speaks so easily, without any apparent effort. You remember that David Hume thought it was worth going twenty miles to hear him speak; and Garrick said, 'He could move men to tears or make them tremble by his simple intonations in pronouncing the word Mesopotamia.' Well, this last was a mere speech of the play actor; but it is truly wonderful to see what a spell this preacher often casts over an audience by proclaiming the simplest truths of the Bible. I have seen upwards of a thousand people hang on his words with breathless silence, broken only by an occasional half-suppressed sob.

He impresses the ignorant, and not less, the educated and refined. It is reported that while the miners of England listened to him, the tears made white furrows down their smutty cheeks. So here, our mechanics shut up their shops, and the day-labourers throw down their tools, to go and hear him preach, and few return unaffected. A prejudiced person, I know, might say that this is all theatrical artifice and display; but not so will anyone think who has seen and known him.

He is a very devout and godly man, and his only aim seems to be to reach and influence men the best way. He speaks from a heart aglow with love, and pours out a torrent of eloquence which is almost irresistible. Many, very many persons in Northampton date the beginning of new thoughts, new desires, new purposes, and a new life, from the day on which they heard him preach of Christ and this salvation. I wish him success in his apostolic career; and when he reaches New Haven, you will, I know, show him warm hospitality.

Yours in faithful affection,
Sarah

Reading the Bible E

The devil has ever shown a mortal spite and hatred towards that holy book the Bible: he has done all in his power to extinguish that light; and to draw men off from it: he knows it to be that light by which his kingdom of darkness is to be overthrown. He has had for many ages experience of its power to defeat his purposes, and baffle his designs: it is his constant plague. It is the main weapon which Michael uses in his war with him: it is the sword of the Spirit, that pierces him and conquers him. It is that great and strong sword, with which God punishes
Leviathan, that crooked serpent. It is that sharp sword that we read of, Rev. 19.15 that proceeds out of the mouth of him that sat on the horse, with which he smites his enemies. Every text is a dart to torment the old serpent. He has felt the stinging smart thousands of times; therefore he is engaged against the Bible, and hate's every word in it: and we may be sure that he never will attempt to raise persons' esteem of it, or affection to it. And accordingly we see it common in enthusiasts, that they depreciate this written rule, and set up the light within or some other rule above it.

Jonathan Edwards (Distinguishing marks of a work of the Holy Spirit)

AHOCIA 100 Objects 24

We're on a roll now but I'm nowhere near a hundred yet. Ideas?

Home Schooled

One of the things to come out in the obituaries for Malcolm McLaren was that he was home schooled to the age of 10 by his grandmother. That set me thinking about famous home schooled people. There is a little room for argument over what home schooled means but I think the following lists are interesting adn hopefully accurate.

1. Ten famous Christians

John Owen
Matthew Henry

Jonathan Edwards

John (and Charles) Wesley
John Newton
John Witherspoon

William Carey
Dwight L Moody
Hudson Taylor

C S Lewis

2. Ten Authors

Hans Christian Anderson

William Blake

Robert Browning

Pearl S Buck
Agatha Christie

Charles Dickens

Sean O'Casey

George Bernard Shaw

Mark Twain
Phyllis Wheatley

3. Ten composers and artists

J S Bach

Anton Bruckner
Felix Mendelssohn
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Francis Poulenc

William Blake

John Singleton Copley
Evelyn de Morgan
Claude Monet
Andrew (and Jamie) Wyeth

Edwards Sermons

The Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University has made a sermon index for Jonathan Edwards’ sermons available. More on this here at Feeding on Christ.

Bio 7h David Brainerd

5. A dying saint - Final months, death, what followed (Mar-Oct 1747) He left Crossweeksung to travel further east. He visited his family and friends at Haddam on May 10. His sister Jerusha would be dead in just two months. On May 28 he arrived at Edwards' home. At this time he was much better and quite cheerful. For his remaining 19 weeks he was nursed by Edwards' daughter Jerusha. She devoted herself to him with great delight, looking on him as an eminent servant of Christ. They travelled to Boston together in search of a cure but there was to be none. By June he was worse. He took his last ride and prayed with the family for the last time on August 11. A room on the ground floor was set aside for him the following week as he could not climb steps. He went to church for the last time September 2. Edwards described his last days – his feet swollen, in constant pain, many indignities and bodily struggles. On the morning of October 4, his last Lord’s day, Edwards wrote 'as my daughter Jerusha, who chiefly attended him, came into the room, he looked on her very pleasantly, and said, ‘Dear Jerusha, are you willing to part with me? - I am quite willing to part with you: I am willing to part with all my friends: though if I thought I should not see you and be happy with you in another world, I could not bear to part with you. But we shall spend a happy eternity together.' On the Wednesday he discussed his Indian work with his brother John, who succeeded him in it. On Friday, October 9, the appointed day arrived and he died. His last words were said to be 'He will come, and will not tarry. I shall soon be in glory; soon be with God and his angels." He was buried on the Monday, Edwards conducting the funeral. Four months later, grieving Jerusha, just 18 years old, took sick and in five days, on February 14, 1748, joined David in heaven. She was buried next to him.

Brainerd's gravestone reads A faithful and laborious missionary to the Stockbridge, Delaware and Susquehanna tribes of Indians.

Bio 7d David Brainerd

7. It is chiefly Edwards who ensured his name was preserved for posterity. He preached at the funeral and also edited and published Brainerd's journals and papers to produce An Account of the Life of the Late Rev David Brainerd (1749). It is the most often reprinted and the best known of all Edwards' works. Like Wesley's abridgement of it in England, it quickly became a bestseller.
In the Yale edition Prof Norman Pettit points out that though the text is largely Brainerd's 'the volume as Edwards conceived it belongs to him'. Perry Miller calls it 'a rebuke both to enthusiasts and Arminians' (ie moralists). Edwards had already written several works and was about to work on his famous treatise Freedom of the will when these materials came to hand. (Freedom of the will did not appear until 1754). It seems the Brainerd project took priority because he saw it as providing an excellent example of the sort of qualities extolled in his previous book The Religious Affections (1746). It has been said that Brainerd is the phantom in the background of that work and others. Pettit draws attention to similarities between Brainerd's conversion and that of Edwards's wife Sarah, described anonymously in Some thoughts concerning the revival of religion in New England (1742). Brainerd's journal provided not only his own example but that of other conversions, all judged according to the criteria laid down in Edwards' Distinguishing marks of a work of the Spirit of God in 1741. Brainerd in turn undoubtedly influenced Edwards, who spent most of his last seven years working among Native Americans in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
Edwards' work omitted parts of the diary published in 1746 (portions dealing with his work at Crossweeksung Jun 19-Nov 4, 1745; Nov 24, 1745-Jun 19, 1746) [Mirabilia dei inter Indicos: or the rise and progress of a remarkable work of grace among a number of the Indians in the provinces of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Divine Grace Displayed: or the continuance & progress of a remarkable work of grace, etc. Together known as David Brainerd's Journal. Doddridge did an abridgement, 1748.] A complete edition appeared in 1765. Edwards also rewrote parts of Brainerd's testimony and diary, which can be tedious in its repetitions. He also omitted phrases he deemed unsuitable for the Christian public. The book contains a preface (10); Brainerd's edited papers interspersed with Edwards' narrative in 8 parts (378); further 'remains', mostly letters (33); reflections and observations (42); funeral sermon (12) [Page numbers refer to the Yale Edition whcih reinserts missing entries].
In 1822, Sereno E Dwight edited and published the life and diary entire, with letters and other writings. In 1884 a more thorough revision was prepared by J M Sherwood in New York.
These various editions of Brainerd's life, along with subsequent versions, have had great influence over the years. John Wesley (1703-1781) wrote 'what can be done to revive the work of God where it is decayed?' His answer? 'Let every preacher read carefully over the life of David Brainerd'. (He also thought Brainerd rather proud at times and in need of some Christian perfectionist teaching – but Wesley would!). Associates of William Carey (1761-1734) were expected to read the life three times a year! 'Let us often look at Brainerd in the woods of America, pouring out his very soul before God. Prayer, secret, fervent, expectant, lies at the root of all personal godliness.'
Henry Martyn (1781-1812), another missionary giant, said 'I long to be like him; let me forget the world and be swallowed up in a desire to glorify God.'
Among others influenced by it are Francis Asbury ('that model of meekness, moderation, temptation and labour and self-denial'), Thomas Coke, Samuel Marsden, Samuel John Mills, Robert Morrison, Livingstone, Chalmers, M'Cheyne, A J Gordon and Jim Elliott. The 20th Century Canadian preacher Oswald J Smith wrote 'When I feel myself growing cold I turn to Brainerd and he always warms my heart. No man ever had a greater passion for souls. To live wholly for God was his one great aim and ambition.'
'His story,' wrote Sherwood, 'has done more to develop and mould the spirit of modern missions, and to fire the heart of the Christian Church, than that of any man since the apostolic age.' 'Have a good look at him' wrote F W Boreham, 'he is a man in a million; he did more than any other to usher in the world's new day.'

Brainerd Resources

There are several resources for David Brainerd on the net. here and Edwards' presentation of his life beginning here. Many other sites link to the ccel edition. The superb Yale edition (Volume 7 in the Complete Works) is not yet available online but will be one day. See here.

The wikipedia entry here is brief but has plenty of links and a few pictures.
A nice page of quotes appears here.
Amazon.com currently lists about 12 biographies of Brainerd, of various lengths, available besides the Edwards one.
A biography (in pdf) of John Brainerd, David's brother and successor, is available here.

Edwardseanism

I'm also reading about David Brainerd in preparation for papers I have agreed to give next month. I found this interesting paragraph on p 95 of John Thornbury's biography.

On 20 February (1743) he recorded in his diary a conviction which not only typified his own outlook on the nature of true religion, but also reflected a particular slant on Puritanism that was beginning to grow in the minds of Edwards and some of his followers. He mentions preaching in the afternoon, at which time he ‘was able to speak closely against selfish religion; that loves Christ for his benefits, but not for himself. At the heart of Edwards’ theology was the persuasion that God, or the Supreme Being, as he was wont to be called, should be loved for his inherent loveliness of beauty. Indeed this is the distinguishing mark of true godliness. Everything else can be counterfeited. Even natural or unsaved people can have a sort of fondness for God as long as they think he is benefiting them. But only a genuinely regenerated person can have a deep and profound appreciation of God’s inherent glory. Brainerd, Bellamy, Hopkins and many others built on this concept and made it a fundamental part of their evangelistic ministries. ‘Selfish religion,’ that is, a piety rooted in a persuasion of God’s favour towards oneself, is suspect.