Lord's Day September 8 2019 Plus

This weekend I was down in Wiltshire once again - preaching this time at Providence Baptist Chapel for Guy Davies at the church's anniversary. There was a Saturday afternoon meeting to which those from other churches were invited and we had a decent turn out for the meeting in the large chapel, followed by a nice tea. Psalm 133 had gone well at a recent midweek meeting and so I decided to look at that - it seemed an appropriate subject for a church anniversary. What I had not calculated on was the presence of at least some who were once in the same church but not now. Anyway, where angels fear to tread ... I put it down to the providence of God. It was nice to chat with Dr Oliver and others afterwards.

I spent the night with a widower in the church who I had met some years ago at a Grace Baptist Assembly. John is well on in age and not so well but he looked after me very well and we had some sweet fellowship. I noted how we were both converted through evangelists - they really have a knack of reaping.

Sunday went fine as we looked at John 4:13, 14 and 1 Corinthians  15:55-57 in the large back room. I found there were people I had met before and other connections, which is always delightful. I had a lovely afternoon with Guy and Sarah who saw me int the train to London after a quick look at the Westbury white horse. See here. (I had come by car with the family en route to Cardiff).

Lord's Day in Bradford on Avon

I was preaching last Lord's Day in Bradford on Avon. It was a full day as they begin with Sunday School where I gave my paper on John Cennick (this time entitled The Apostle of Wiltshire). I preached on Ephesians 2:8-10 and Isaiah 42:8. It was good to be there. We know quite a few there to some extent including the previous pastor Robert Oliver and his wife Rachel. We also know the present pastor, Robert Strivens. He an his wife were with us 10 years before moving there. It is an ageing congregation but faithful and prayerful. One oddity is that we had lunch with Eleri's sister and family. With several others they no longer belong to Bradford but worship in a new church in nearby Hilperton (where I have also preached in the past). Not all the issues that led to this state of affairs have been fully resolved or seem likely to be, sadly. It was good to be there, nevertheless. The sermons are currently on the church website. Reuben Saywell was preaching here.

10 White Horses Observable in the South of England

1. Uffington White Horse Oxfordshire 1000 BC
2. Westbury White Horse Wiltshire 1778
3. Cherhill White Horse Wiltshire 1780
4. Marlborough White Horse Wiltshire 1804
5. Osmington White Horse Dorset 1808
6. Alton Barnes White Horse Wiltshire 1812
7. Hackpen White Horse Wiltshire 1838
8. Broad Town White Horse Wiltshire 1864
9. Pewsey White Horse Wiltshire 1937
10. Devizes White Horse Wiltshire 1999

East Tytherton

Maud Heath's causeway, Wilts

E Tytherton Moravian Church

Maud Heath Monument

Maud Heath Monument on the causeway

We were in Wiltshire last weekend and so on the Saturday I took opportunity to visit East Tytherton near Chippenham. I knew about the place through my studies of John Cennick. He put the headquarters of the Moravian church there. The current buildings are 18th century ut later than Cennick's time. The other thing in the area is a causeway financed in Mediaeval times by one Maud Heath. We saw the causeway itself and two monuments to her.

On the smaller monument from 16 it says

"To the memory of the worthy Maud Heath of Langly Burrell Widow who in the year of Grace 1474 for the good of travellers did in Charity bestow in Lands and houses about Eight pounds a year for ever to be laid out on the Highways and Causey leading from Wick Hill to Chippenham Clift. This piller was set up by the feoffees in 1698. Injure me not."

On the larger monument from 1838, which overlooks the Chippenham flats, it says

'Thou who dost pause on this aerial height

Where Maud Heath's Pathway winds in shade and light

Christian wayfarer in a world of strife

Be still and consider the Path of Life.

It is sundial and there other inscriptions on three sides. On the side of the dia, facing the rising sun, the passenger is called on, generally, to remember the fleetness of the passing moment - Tempus volat (time flies). On the side fronting the meridian sun is the inscription to remind us Dum tempus habemus, Operemur bonum (while we have the time let us do good). The inscription fronting the setting sun, addressed to the evening traveller, is redibo tu nunquam (you will never return).

As Latn declined English words were added thus on the three sides

Haste, traveller, the sun is sinking now - He shall return again - but never thou.

Life steals away. This hour. oh man, is lent to thee. Patient to work the work of him who sent thee.

Oh early passenger, look up - be wise. And think how, night and day, time onward flies.

In the other direction one can see a white horse in the hillside (Cherhill?).

Happy 40th Ian

Last Saturday we travelled down to Wiltshire to join my wife's brother-in-law*, Ian, marking his fortieth birthday. A number of family and a few close friends gathered in North Bradley to chat, to eat, etc.

The "etc" included watching rugby. Wales were playing Scotland, which after last week didn's seem so important though we kept a radio handy to know the score, which didn't sound too encouraging. Ian's friend Chris lives in North Bradley and so he invited us (about 10 or 11 of us I think) to watch the last 30 minutes in his front room. Well, as we all know now it was an incredibly nail biting close and Wales got it - just! Great jubilation from the Welsh men, an the English were happy enough too.

Ian is a cricket fanatic so it also included more or less the same bunch heading across to a nearby park to play a modified cricket game in which (mostly Ian) furiously hurled the ball at a basket ball post hoping for an edge off the batsman. Great fun. As light faded we lost the ball.

Great to be with all the family - ours and Ian's (all believers upwards of their teens). Every blessing for the future Ian. I chose the Emily Maguire song for the tune mainly but it's all about heaven I guess - no place we'd rather be.

(* excuse the pedantry)

Visiting Dad 10

I'm a bit behind with my blogging as I settle back into life here in London. We began our journey back last Tuesday, travelling first to Cardiff where we stayed the night with Eleri's sister Fflur and the family. It was very sunny and Glyn did a nice barbecue for us all.
The next day we spent with Eleri's other sister, Catrin, in Trowbridge. She and Ian also looked after us well in the garden - where the boys helped Ian dig up his potatoes and played with a slow worm. We also went down to Bradford to the canal and then played in the park.
While we were with Fflur we went to see my dad in Panteg hospital. He was none too good and slept most of the time. I think we caught him on a bad day but at present they say his main problem is clinical depression. With no appetite he is not eating - another cause for concern. It is difficult to know what to do at this distance.

Afon Lwyd

Had a nice day in Cwmbran on Monday with the family. Walked along the Afon Lwyd (Grey River - so named from the days of industrial revolution). A warm day for October. Popped into Trowbridge en route home.

Weekend West

On Friday we packed the car and headed west. Our first port of call was Trowbridge where Eleri's sister Catrin lives. This was a brief overnight stay to say hello and catch up on news. Ian was playing cricket for the Bradford 39ers against a pub team. (The high standard is clear from this clip). I know next to nothing about cricket and we didn't hang around too long I'm afraid. The next day we moved in to Cardiff where we met up with our three eldest boys returning from their CCIW camps, which seem to have gone well. We stayed overnight with Eleri's other sister Fflur and the children (Glyn's away on an EMW camp in Quinta).

On the Sunday we all attended Emmanuel Baptist, the FIEC church Fflur and Glyn belong to. They meet in a 1960s building on the Gabalfa housing estate. There were several away including the pastor John Woolley. The preacher was John Legg, a retired minister and a member of the church (an elder I presume). He preached from Galatians morning and evening (2:16 and 5:5, 6) on justification by faith and Faith, hope and love. I don't think I'd heard him preach before. He lectures on Romans at WEST and has written six books for EP. In the afternoon we popped over to Eleri's cousins (he lives in Cardiff but they attend the Welsh speaking church) where they were nearly all gathered including her youngest cousin who is married to an American serviceman. He was making a flying visit from Las Vegas where they are based.

Anyway more later.

Holidays

Our kids are back in school today which seems a little strange after the holiday weekend. Eleri's sister and family were here from Saturday afternoon. They went yesterday but before that we took a bus into town and did Trafalgar Square and 1700-1900 in the National Gallery (Van Gogh, Monet, etc). See here and here. It has snowed more than once over the weekend here but it all came to nothing.

Sunday was good with quite large congregations morning and evening including various visitors. It was good to look at the resurrection once again.

Last Friday we headed down to Wiltshire, where Eleri's other sister lives. We met up with them and Eleri's parents and the other sister and family. We are 17 all told and so careful arrangements were necessary. Eight of us slept in one home, six in another and two of our boys stayed with a friend down that way. We also met up in a village hall in North Bradley and had our Saturday lunch on a barge at the Lock Inn (see here) some of us sampling their famous boatman's breakfast. Good stuff.

Previous to that, of course, I was in these lectures on the atonement from Garry Williams. We spent a great deal of time looking at chapters in Owen and Edwards but also looked at Socinus and the Amyraldians as well as one or two other things. At the end Garry went over the important paper he gave at the EA Symposium in 2005 against Joel Green. You can read it here.

Meanwhile the proofs for my new book on regeneration came so I have been busy sorting that out. More here.