Preaching Heavenly Love (Wisdom for preachers from the Song of Songs)

We are now in Melbourne and I have had a lovely day here with pastors and preachers looking at how to preach through Song of Solomon. Just over 20 came to Christ Covenant Church for the three sessions. They listened well and asked very good questions. Lunch and coffee was provided and it was a very good day. We are staying with Josh and Steffi Gurango. Josh is pastor of the church.

Day Off Week 27 2026

Slighty odd day in some ways. I had hay fever all day, which can happen even though I take an antihistamine every day throughout the season. I spent the morning cataloguing books in LibraryThing (I took loadsto the Evangelical Library on Monday). Eleri was home until lunch time then going out so we had our main meal at lunch time (salmon). Because of the hay fever I didn't feel like walking the Thames and then two books I ordered weeks back arrived so I decided to go to Caffe Nero, West Hampstead, and sit in the air conditioning, reading them both which I did (only 60 pages each). Very helpful but I got quite depressed after and so after watching the news I headed for bed.

Preachers and Preaching Route 66

It was great to have the opportunity recently to be interviewed by John Brand on the subject of preaching. The interview can be accessed on YouTube or at John's website. See here.

10 Duties of a minister according to 2 Timothy 4

1. Preach the word
2. Be prepared in season and out of season
3. Correct
4. Rebuke
5. Encourage
6. Do this with great patience and careful instruction
7. Keep your head in all situations
8. Endure hardship
9. Do the work of an evangelist
10. Discharge all the duties of your ministry (prayer, reading, visiting, etc)

Dr Lloyd-Jones Memorial Lecture 2023 Bavinck

 

This year's Dr Lloyd-Jones Memorial Lecture at London Seminary was given by Dr James Eglinton on Bavinck on preachers and preaching. This very interesting talk revealed that only one sermon by Hermann Bavinck survives but he and his protege, his nephew J H Bavinck, wrote on the subeject and so it is possible to address the subject. The emphasis was on persuasion which begins with knowing the culture and then applying the biblical message. Sadly, the lecture was delivered in the dark as there had been a power cut. It was only once the lecture was over that the lights came on again. About 30 or 40 were there. Dr Eglinton did very well in difficult circumstances. He has been lecturing all week at the seminary on Dutch Neo-Calvinsim (Kuyper, Bavinck et al).

Day Off Week 42 2023

Mosty reading as usual. I read a bu=it more of this big book on early evangelicalism I have mentioned. I also read the recently published Moses and the burning bush by the late R C Sproul. It is a real gem. Beautifully produced, easy to read and full of important doctrine. I also got out for a coffee and bought some gorgonzola. In the evening we went to the London Seminary for the Lloyd-Jones lecture. I'll report on that elsewhere.

10 Things preaching does according to Archbishop Grindal

Lambeth Palace, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In a letter to Queen Elizabeth I (who wasn't very keen on preaching) on December 20, 1576, Edmund Grindal wrote

By preaching of God's Word

1. The glory of God is enlarged
2. Faith is nourished
3. Charity increased.
4. The ignorant is instructed
5. The negligent exhorted
6. And incited
7. The stubborn rebuked
8. The weak conscience is comforted
9. All those that sin of malicious wickedness are threatened with the wrath of God
10. Due obedience to Christian princes and magistrates is planted in the hearts of subjects (for obedience proceedeth of conscience; conscience is grounded upon the Word of God; the Word of God maketh his effect by preaching. So as generally, where preaching wanteth, obedience faileth.)

Aberystwyth Conference 2022

Details of the coming conference in August are now available in various formats. See here. I am speaking on the Wednesday night, looking at John 3:1-8.

10 Puritan Types of Application

The Puritans were famous for the way they ordered their sermons, beginning with exposition of the text and establishment of the doctrine before coming to the application, which they called the use. They had several categories of use, as listed here.

1. Use of instruction or information
2. Use of doctrine
3. Use of confutation
4. Use of exhortation
5. Use of admonition
6. Use of reproof or reprehension
7. Use of comfort or consolation
8. Use of trial or examination (self-examination)
9. Use of lamentation or mourning
10. Use of dehortation (dissuasion)

300 Sermons

One of my many blogs is the Preached Sermons blog. There are now 300 sermons available there. The site has had 294, 000 hits over the ears. See here.

10 Christmas Day Texts

It is my pattern to preach a text on Christmas Day at our special morning service. Since 2007 I have done this ten times. Two of these Christmas Days were Sundays so there was no special service and once I preached in Aberystwyth and someone else was here. I preached Luke 2:19 on two occasions. These are the ten

1. Matthew 1:21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.
2. John 17:18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.
3. Luke 2:19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
4. John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
5. 1 John 1:1-3 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched - his we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
6. Luke 1:32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.
7. Job 42:11 All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the LORD had brought upon him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring.
8. Hebrews 1:1-4 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
9. Philippians 2:6, 7 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
10. John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

(Before 2007, I also preached Titus 3:4, Luke 2:30, Hebrews 2:10-18 and Luke 2:14)

Day Off Week 41 2021/Dr LloydJones Memorial Lecture 2021 Evangelism

This week's day off was slightly disjointed. I read most of Mike Mellor's book on pathos in preaching Preaching the heart of God. Challenging and helpful. I also finished the book on the Beatles that I bought last week, listening to the Beatles. In the evening we went up to the seminary to hear Rico Tice give the Lloyd-Jones lecture. I'll try to report on that some other time.

EMA 2021 Day 3

A decent third and final day at EMA. We began again in Luke 19, looking at verses 28-48 with former Proc Trust leader Willie Philip. The rest of the morning was spent with Nigel Styles, Director of the Cornhill Training Course, looking at Exodus, especially Chapter 15. All very informative and helpful if a little frustrating because on zoom. Thank you.

Go Teach

For many years now my wife has been one of the EMW representatives on the Go Teach committee. It has been a tough year for them, as for most of us, but they recently organised a thanksgiving service on Zoom because God, as ever, has been very gracious in the midst of it all. It was my privilege to preach on this occasion to about 30 or 40. Gareth James chaired the meeting. The text of the sermon can be found here. Meanwhile Go Teach's website is here.

(Go Teach Publications Ltd is a UK based registered charity, which publishes Bible teaching material for use with children and young people aged 3 to 14 years.

Go Teach began publishing dated Sunday School materials (under another name) in 1946. It is the longest established producer of such materials in the UK. Originally it was part of the work of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC).

Go Teach Publications Ltd was formed from that earlier work and became an independent charity and limited company in 1976.

Its work is now managed by a Board of Directors appointed by the Grace Baptist Ministry to the Young and the Evangelical Movement of Wales.

Go Teach Bible teaching materials are distributed in the UK and throughout the world.)

10 Popular Preachers listed by John Bacon in 1799

When the Eclectic Society met in January 1799 they discussed what made preachers popular or unpopular. At the beginning John Bacon listed a number of preachers of the day and what made them popular. Here are ten

1. [George] Whitfield was remarkable for feeling, susceptibility, force

2. [William] Romaine for realizing faith; he had one subject indeed but this was the panacea; there was some variety.

3. [John] Berridge gained in some degree from the place in which he preached; he was always in populous places; simplicity was his one object

4. Rowland Hill is irregular extravagant bawling &c yet something extraordinary; upright, devoted, comes out; fire, brilliance, genius; talks rather than preaches; strong comparisons but they interest; stories.

5. [William] Jay has great natural powers, memory

6. [Samuel] Medley had some party in his spirit; glib, jocular.

7. [William] Huntington had promptitude, was easy, pleasant, fanciful like a harlequin

8. [Henry] Venn of Huddersfield some tone but remarkably fiery; current; realizing; heavenly; rapturous, holy, quickening.

9. [John] Wesley good sense, promptitude, clear, treats all circumstances as belonging to a system not that in his ministry which would independently have been popular.

10. [Robert] Robinson of Cambridge had ease comprehension, no turns or twists but new views of things &c

(He also mentions forgotten preachers [Jehoiada] Brewer - possessed moderate talents but pathos was fervent affectionate savoury no peculiar tone to obstruct and rather aided his manner encouragement to diligence was one of his frequent topics perhaps compared with the drawling manner of some other dissenters he may be classed as above the average; [William Bromley] Cadogan - had no variety tone or dash but perception of subject determination sawing through energy reality he took by force the one object he kept in view; [William Alphonsus] Gunn - without extraordinary talents but gives direction and application to the truth no tone or twang addresses this and the other evidently a good man his preaching is not treating the subject so much as dealing in address deals in general truths; [James] Fordyce - an orator but it looked not like the real thing; gilded but it wore off. He also gives the names - [William] Dodd, Harrison and Hodgson)

Peter Swan

There was an obituary in The Times today about a man I'd never heard of called Peter Swan. It oozes with illustrative material for preachers. It can be accessed here.

This is the gist -

Commanding England centre-half who was tipped to become a football ‘great’ before his career was ruined by a betting scandal

Peter Swan effectively sold his soul for £50. That was the money the England footballer won from a bet after allegedly agreeing to fix the result of a football match in 1962. The decision cost him his career as a professional footballer, a place in England’s World Cup-winning side in 1966 and his self-respect.

When England beat Italy 3-2 ... in Rome in 1961, the Italian media had hailed Swan as “the best centre-half in the world” ... Swan would have played for England in the 1966 World Cup ....

Swan’s career started to unravel after training at Sheffield Wednesday one day. He got into a huddle with his team-mates David “Bronco” Layne and Tony Kay and agreed to bet against their own side. Kay had been approached by Jimmy Gauld, a veteran player at Mansfield Town who was involved in a professional betting syndicate.

Layne suggested that Wednesday always lost away to Ipswich and so why not choose their game against the Suffolk club on December 1, 1962. Swan, Kay and Layne each paid £50 to place a bet on Ipswich Town beating Sheffield Wednesday at odds of 2-1. The money was enticing. Swan had a growing family and Christmas was coming up. His wages were relatively modest. No one would ever know.

Ipswich ... won the match 2-0. In the event, Swan was not required to do anything to influence the result. “The game went like it always did at Ipswich. What if it had been 0-0 with five minutes to go? I don’t know .... But the only thing I had done wrong - and I knew I had done wrong - was the bet.”

The indiscretion was largely forgotten until, two years later, Gauld attempted to forestall financial ruin by selling his story to the Sunday People for £7,000 (£138K today) using taped conversations with Layne as evidence. Swan, Layne and Kay were banned from football for life and later faced criminal charges.

At Nottingham assizes in 1965 Swan .... was found guilty ... sentenced to four months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay £100 costs, his winnings on the bet .....

When Swan was released his banishment started to bite. He was not even allowed to attend matches. “When the wind blew you could hear the roar from Hillsborough at our house and that was hard. I played for a pub side and they got fined for having me. I wasn’t even allowed to go and watch my son, Carl, play. It was like they’d cut my legs off.”

He remained in the wilderness until 1972, when the Sheffield MP Joe Ashton and ... Sir Matt Busby successfully lobbied to have his life ban from football lifted .... He re-signed for Sheffield Wednesday and on August 12, 1972 made his first appearance ... in eight years at the age of 36. He then led the team out to a deafening roar. “I turned to where my wife, Norma, was sitting with our five sons. Gratitude and humility engulfed me. I felt like running into the crowd and embracing all those forgiving fans who had made my return the proudest day of my life. It was the day I regained my self-respect.”

Peter Swan was born one of eight sons in South Elmsall, near Pontefract .... He joined Sheffield Wednesday as an amateur at 15 and worked in the local pit during the week .... Swan made his debut against Barnsley in November 1955 and by 1958 was a regular .... His ascent coincided with a period of great success for the club .... He made his England debut ... in May 1960 and stayed in the team for the next 19 matches ....

Swan had married Norma Clifton in 1957. She predeceased him in 2007. ....

... After playing 15 games in the 1972-73 season he moved to Bury, where he captained the side and helped them to win promotion to the Third Division. He retired at the end of the 1973-74 season and became manager of non-league Matlock Town, guiding them to the FA Trophy in 1975. Swan applied for managerial vacancies at many league clubs, but the scandal counted against him and eventually he went back to running a pub in Chesterfield.

In an interview with The Times in 2010, during which he broke down in tears and admitted to feeling daily remorse, Swan warned that corruption was still rife ....

He remained proud of having played for his country and wrote to the Football Association to request a new England badge for his blazer after losing the original. He did not receive a reply.

Peter Swan, footballer, was born October 8, 1936. He died of pneumonia on January 20, 2021, aged 84

Compel Them To Come In

Whitefield and Spurgeon, great evangelists both, were strong Calvinists. Some seem to forget that. This little hard back from Christian Focus by Dr Donald Macleod, who always writes so well, is on the free offer of the gospel and is well worth reading wherever you may stand on this issue. Beginning with a sermon by C H Spurgeon on compelling them to come in, which is reproduced as an appendix the book, it deals with arguments against the free offer from man's spiritual bondage, predestination, limited atonement and divine security but then goes beyond that providing chapters on delivering the free offer, knowing where the fish are hiding and on the messenger himself. The latter part of the book I found particularly stimulating. We need books like this.

10 Books of the Bible Calvin never got to preach on

Calvin never preached on these. In some cases he did produce commentaries but he never preached these books as far as I am aware. I have asterisked where there are no sermons or commentary either.

1. Joshua
2. Ruth
3. Esther*
4. Proverbs*
5. Ecclesiastes*
6. Song of Songs*
7. Hebrews
8. James
9. I & II Peter
10. Revelation*

10 Longest Sermon Series Calvin preached

1. Isaiah (343)
2. Deuteronomy (201)
3. Acts (189)
4. Ezekiel (175)
5. Job (159)
6. Genesis (123)
7. I Corinthians (110)
8. I Samuel (107)
9. Psalms (94)
10. Jeremiah (91)

How to preach in a plague

... Neither can I acquit those ministers that in their sermons rather sank than lifted up the hearts of their hearers. Many of them no doubt did it for the strengthening the resolution of the people, and especially for quickening them to repentance, but it certainly answered not their end, at least not in proportion to the injury it did another way; and indeed, as God Himself through the whole Scriptures rather draws to Him by invitations and calls to turn to Him and live, than drives us by terror and amazement, so I must confess I thought the ministers should have done also, imitating our blessed Lord and Master in this, that His whole Gospel is full of declarations from heaven of God’s mercy, and His readiness to receive penitents and forgive them, complaining, ‘Ye will not come unto Me that ye may have life’, and that therefore His Gospel is called the Gospel of Peace and the Gospel of Grace.
But we had some good men, and that of all persuasions and opinions, whose discourses were full of terror, who spoke nothing but dismal things; and as they brought the people together with a kind of horror, sent them away in tears, prophesying nothing but evil tidings, terrifying the people with the apprehensions of being utterly destroyed, not guiding them, at least not enough, to cry to heaven for mercy.

Daniel Defoe A Journal of the Plague Year