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

10 Famous goalkeepers

As someone who played in goals as a boy myself this list is of interest as a fine bit of trivia. (We are talking about soccer, of course).

1. Algerian born writer and philosopher Albert Camus played for Racing Universitaire Algerios (RUA) junior team (“All that I know most surely about morality and obligations I owe to football.”)

2. Spanish crooner Julio Iglesias played for Los Blancos Juniors

3. Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II) played for Krakow University

4. Opera singer Luciano Pavarotti played in goal for Modena Juniors before moving to the wing position

5. Writer Arthur Conan Doyle played for a team called Portsmouth F C (but unconnected to the present day team)

6. Writer Vladimir Nabokov played during his time at Cambridge

7. Scientist Niels Bohr played for Akademisk Boldklub (his lesser known brother Harrald played for the national side when Denmark took silver at the 1908 Olympics)

8. Revolutionary Che Guevara (in goals and not on the left wing due to asthma)

9. Religious oddity David Icke played for Coventry City

10. Boyband Westlife singer Nicky Byrne played for Leeds United youth who won the FA Youth Cup in 1997

Welsh Rugby and Popes

Could there be any truth to the urban legend that claims every time Wales win a rugby grand slam a pope dies?

The hypothesis, based on the deaths of Paul VI, John Paul I and John Paul II in years when the Welsh team dominated the Six Nations, was rejected by doctors in 2008.

However, a letter published in the British Medical Journal has claimed the study made the fatal error of ignoring coptic popes.

In a revelation that could see popes locking themselves in armoured mobiles for the remainder of the year following Wales' recent success, Dr Edward Snelson claimed the 2008 study was based on "false assertions".

He quoted the study's urban legend basis, "Every time Wales win the rugby grand slam, a pope dies, except for 1978 when Wales were really good, and two popes died.

"However they included only Roman Catholic popes in their outcome measures, thus altering the statistical analysis to create a potentially false reassurance," he wrote. ....

Read more here

New Book Coming Soon

It has taken a little longer than I had expected but I am hopeful that my book on What Jesus is doing now will be published by Evangelical Press next month. Available through the various channels I do hope it will be a help to many on what is sometimes a rather forgotten topic.

Death of Charles Colson

Charles Colson, the tough-as-nails special counsel to President Richard Nixon who went to prison for his role in a Watergate-related case and became a Christian evangelical helping inmates, has died. He was 80.

Colson's death was confirmed by Jim Liske, the chief executive of the Lansdowne, Va.-based Prison Fellowship Ministries that Colson founded. Liske said the preliminary cause of death is complications from brain surgery Colson had at the end of March.

More here. and here

10 Songs about life on the road

1. London – Thea Gilmore

(The hotel is just like yesterday's/And the city has no name/It just stands there in a grey haze/And my room is the same.)

2. Lodi - Creedence Clearwater Revival

(If I only had a dollar for every song I've sung/And every time I've had to play while people sat there drunk/You know I'd catch the next train back to where I live)

3. Homeward Bound – Simon and Garfunkel

(Each town looks the same to me/The movies and the factories/And every stranger's face I see/Reminds me that I long to be/Homeward bound)

4. Lonely hearts – Horslips

(Night has fallen again/And I hardly even saw the day/I just got out of bed/And somebody said/We're leaving right away./So I grabbed a cup of coffee/And made a bee-line for the door/As we drove through the night I could see the city lights/In the distance once more)

5. Super Trouper – ABBA

(I was sick and tired of everything/When I called you last night from Glasgow/All I do is eat and sleep and sing/Wishing every show was the last show)
6. I'm only sleeping - The Beatles
(Please, don't wake me, no, don't shake me/Leave me where I am, I'm only sleeping/Everybody seems to think I'm lazy/I don't mind, I think they're crazy)
7. The road – The Kinks
(If you play in a band that's the road that you take/Living in it, eating in it, sleeping in it/You wake up in the morning, what do you see?/The road)
8. All the way from Memphis – Mott the Hoople

(Yeah it's a mighty long way down rock'n'roll/From the Liverpool docks to the Hollywood Bowl/'N you climb up the mountains 'n you fall down the holes)

9. Radar Love – Golden Earring

(I’ve been drivin‘ all night my hand’s wet on the wheel/There’s a voice in my head that drives my heel/And my baby calls that she needs me here/It’s half past four and I’m shifting gear)

10. On the road again – Canned Heat

(Well, I'm so tired of crying/But I'm out on the road again/I'm on the road again.)

Lyrics London

I couldn't find these elsewhere so worked them out for myself. Yet another "miseries of being on tour" song then.

I am gonna call that number,
I don't really mean
To wake you from your slumber
While England is asleep.
The hotel is just like yesterday's,
And the city has no name.
It just stands there in a grey haze,
And my room is the same.

Well, I’m gonna call that number,
So far across the sea,
I wish I was in London,
That’s where I wanna be.

I love it when you miss me,
And I'm unhappy too.
Oh please don't you forget me
I am so in love with you.
Yeah, it won't be long now
And even though I know
I seem to leave my heart behind me
Every time I go.

Well, I’m gonna call that number,
So far across the sea,
I wish I was in London,
That’s where I wanna be.

Well, I feel so tired and lonely
I'm thinking of you, lover,
I wish you could console me
May be when it's over ...

I am gonna call that number,
Though I don't really mean
To wake you from your slumber
While England is asleep.
And the hotel is just like yesterday's,
And the city has no name,
It just stands there in a grey haze,
And my room is, my room is the same.

I’m gonna call that number,
So far across the sea,
I wish I was in London,
That’s where I wanna be.

Banner 2012 Final Session

The final session was from Alistair Begg on Titus 3. He simply worked his way through most of the passage so bringing to a close on the note of grace what has been a most helpful and useful conference. It has been good to be here.

The dates for next year are April 15-18. Among the speakers it is hoped will be Sinclair Ferguson, Jeremy Walker and Warren Peel.

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Sadly, Ted Donnelly was not able to take his intended final session and so Iain Murray stepped in to take the first session of the final morning. He spoke on controversies. Rich with references to church history and appropriate quotations he had several good things to say. (It will not be immediately clear why each quotation was given but they are worth reading anyway).

J Gresham Machen
"If we face the real situation in the Church and in the world, and decide, despite that situation, to stand firmly for the gospel of Christ, we shall be very likely indeed to find ourselves engaged in controversy. But if we are going to avoid controversy, we might as well close our Bibles; for the New Testament is a controversial book practically from beginning to end. The New Testament writers and our Lord Himself presented truth in sharp contrast with error , and indeed that is the only way in which truth can be presented in any clear and ringing way. I do not know all the things that will happen when the great revival sweeps over the Church, the great revival for which we long. Certainly I do not know when that revival will come; its coming stands in the Spirit's power. But about one thing that will happen when that blessing comes I think we c an be fairly sure. When a great and true revival comes in the Church, the present miserable, feeble talk about avoidance of contorversy on the part of the servants of Jesus Christ will all be swept away as with a mighty flood.
Luther
The Holy Spirit is not a sceptic, nor are what he has written on our hearts doubts or opinions, but assertions more certain, and more firm, than life itself and all human experience.
Archibald Alexander
"About this time General Posey had a mill built on his plantation, and the millwright was a Baptist by the name of Waller, a brother, I think, of a famous Baptist preacher called Jack Waller. I often talked with this man about his business and other matters ; but one day he unexpectedly turned to me and asked me whether I believed that before a man could enter the kingdom of heaven he must be born again. I knew not what to say, for I had for some time been puzzled about the new birth. However, I answered in the affirmative. He then asked whether I had experienced the new birth. I hesitated, and said, ' Not that I knew of.' ' Ah,' said he, ' if you had ever experienced this change you would know something about it ! ' Here the conversation ended ; but it led me to think more seriously whether there were any such change. It seemed to be in the Bible ; but I thought there must be some method of explaining it away ; for among the Presbyterians I had never heard of any one who had experienced the new birth, nor could I recollect ever to have heard it mentioned."
Benefits of controversy
1. God permits and sends this that things may be clarified
Latimer - Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man; we shall this day light such a candle, by God’s grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.
2. It brings divisions that are necessary and a blessing
Charles Hodge
God allows errors to arise, most of which will be found to be bottomed upon false deductions and consequences drawn out of the Word, many opinions built and fastened upon them. And God allows this to bring us back to the original, the Word of God, that there we might rectify all. It is a great consolation to know that dissensions... are not fortuitous, but are ordered by the providence of God, and are designed, as storms, for the purpose of purification. 
Dangers of controversy
1. Not discriminating between central truths and less necessary
2. Being distracted by what is not profitable
John Brown of Haddington
"I look upon the Secession as indeed the cause of God, but sadly mismanaged and dishonoured by myself and others. Alas! for that pride, passion, selfishness, and unconcern for the glory of Christ, and spiritual edification of souls, which has so often prevailed! Alas! for our want of due meekness, gentleness, holy zeal, self-denial, hearty grief for sin, compassion to souls in immediate connexion with us, or left in the established church, which became distinguished witnesses for Christ. Alas! that we did not chiefly strive to pray better, preach better, and live better than our neighbours.
3. Treating matters of belief as the only priority
4. Underestimating how much combustible material in all our hearts
Archibald Alexander
"It has long been remarked, that no spirit is more pungent and bitter than that of theologians in their contentions with one another; and it has often happened, that the less the difference, the more virulent the acrimony."
R Candlish
"For, apart from love, brotherly love in itself and by itself is not necessarily a virtue. Nay, it may be sin. It degenerates into sectarianism, partisanship, and the poor esprit de corps of a school, a class, a clan, a coterie. It worships idols of the tribe, the palace, the theatre, the cave. You love as brethren those who happen to agree with you in holding certain opinions, cultivating certain tastes, pursuing certain ends. You love them as brethren merely on the ground of that agreement. You draw together; you club together; you frequent one another's company; you take pleasure in associating with one another, in helping one another, and in serving one another. This is quite natural, and so far, all right. Congeniality of disposition, similarity of pursuits, obviously tend to create intimacy; and within due limits, that tendency is safe and good. But if that is all - if the bond of brotherhood is thus merely natural and human - if your unity is simply the result of your unanimity - if it springs out of yourselves, and, as it is almost sure to do, centres in yourselves; it may make you strong as an ecclesiastical corporation; it may make you proud and happy as a more choice and select spiritual company, dwelling apart, nearer the throne than many. But it does not enlarge or elevate the heart. Nor does it free the soul from the yoke of self. It is itself, in fact, little better than a sort of enlarged selfishness. It does not ascend heavenward. It draws down earthward what is heavenly. It is of the earth, earthy.
5. Not foreseeing the troubles that can come into the church with controversy
In conclusion he spoke of knowing yourself (some are too slow to enter controversy some too quick) and the need of repentance. He also quoted a letter by John Newton which can be found here.

Banner 2012 09

On Wednesday evening we had a helpful question session and then after the evening meal a second address from Alistair Begg, this time on Titus 2. Again it was very warm and beautifully illustrated with quotations and pictures. He began with a quotation from Dr Lloyd-Jones “The glory of the gospel is that when the church is different from the world, she invariably attracts it. It is then that the world is made to listen to her message, though it may hate it at first." He then observed how amazing it is that people today can square feminism, environmentalism and even yoga with Scripture. He then proceeded by isolating the verses addressed directly to Titus (2, 7, 15) and dealing with those first and then the various categories in the chapter before briefly tackling some of the other verses. He quoted Leo the Great on the deposit. It is "a thing not of wit, but of learning; not of private assumption, but of public tradition; a thing brought to thee, not brought forth of thee."

Banner 2012 08

Maurice Roberts of Inverness gave his second paper on the subject of sanctification. He took a systematic approach to his subject. Distinguishing between justification and sanctification. The first gives us the title to heaven, the latter the nature needed for heaven.

Again the message was slightly diffuse but there were again plenty of illustrations and included these points.

1. Sanctification is never perfect in this life

2. Sanctification cannot begin before regeneration

He also argued for the Ten Commandments as a rule for the Christian life. Beginning with the first table he went into some detail on this matter speaking about our pride and mentioned our lack of love. He cautioned against new covenant theology so common today.
Sanctification can be boiled down to this - doing what God has said.
He also looked at the first table, pointing out the close links between the commands. He spoke against minced oaths (gosh, crikey, etc).
He then spoke of the problem in sanctification which is our depravity or concupiscence or indwelling sin. The mind, the will, the emotions, the conscience and the memory are the soul faculties that are transformed when we are born again. The unbeliever is not able to say "no" to sin but the believer can and must.
Two practical points. In order to make progress we need to keep in mind two things
1. Mortification 2. Vivification
It is like gardening - we need to pull up the weeds and put on the manure (I'd have said fertiliser but you know the story there perhaps).
He mentioned addiction to Internet pornography as an example of a current problem and urged us to watch and pray. He mentioned the failures of David and Peter by way of example.
Repentance is our daily calling.
Encouragements in this hard and disagreeable part of living the Christian life include
1. To live a holy life pleases God and he takes note of it
2. It greatly honours the gospel
3. Our prayers will be heard (Isaiah 66:2)
Steps to be taken include
1. Read, study and memorise the Bible
2. Secret prayer
3. Disciplined life - keeping the Lord's Day etc
4. Humility
5. Meditate frequently on the cross
6. To be willing to go wherever he may send 
A sermon on God's Way of Holiness from 2005 by Maurice Roberts can be found here.

Banner Reports

Rather than one report session this year we have had a number of reports before the main sessions. So far we have heard from Carcassone, France. H is married to the eldest daughter of my elder (oops! Deacon)  Mike de Jong and is doing a sterling work.

We also heard from John Gibbon who has worked for many years in Mongolia. He was speaking in our church recently. He and his Mongolian wife are not able to live in the country at the moment but have plans to return to the far east.

Then this morning Sukra from Indonesia, still 85% Muslim, who, with his colleague also here, is involved with MERF and the work of Presbyterian churches in Southern Sulawesi.

Banner 2012 07

The first session on this Wednesday morning was Matthew Brennan's second message on John the Baptist. He suggested again that there are about 19 portraits or cameos of John in the New Testament. Having done two yesterday under the heading of John's view of Jesus he looked at another two today being on John's view of Jesus. He spoke of

3. John's perplexity

It is probably best to speak of John's perplexity rather than his doubts over Messiah. Campbell Morgan actually speaks of the "continuation of his courage". We too are often perplexed even though we may not know it at times. In our perplexities it is important that we do what John did and bring our perplexities to Jesus to have them resolved. When we do so there will be an answer. He does it in various ways. Notice, however, that in the answer there is nothing new.

4. Jesus's assessment of John

Without at all over simplifying he stressed that John truly was great and yet our privileges are greater. It is striking he said that though John rarely even met Jesus yet whereas John the Apostle is mentioned 38 times John the Baptist is mentioned 91 times (why then does James Stalker spend twice as much time on John the Apostle as on the Baptist in his book on the two?).

Very encouraging then.

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On Tuesday evening we had the first session from Alistair Begg who is to take us through the Book of Titus. This first session was on the opening chapter. Obviously not every verse could be covered but we had an excellent survey with lots of useful things in it.

He began by saying that the book, written at a critical moment in church history when Paul was about to die, is a personal letter but not a private one. It was meant to be read by the congregations. Even today churches need to have things straightened out. Once we straighten out one thing there will soon be something else to deal with. He spoke on

1. The greeting

The long greeting (only the one in Romans is longer) is not intended to inform Titus but to remind the congregations of important truths. When we teach Scripture we are in part telling the people what to expect from us. He also spoke of the way older men can be such a help to younger ministers.

2. Leadership

It is noteworthy that Paul starts here. We need to see how important this is. He protested against the feminisation of the Church of  Scotland and spoke of the great help that good elders can be - like those who defend the quarter back in American football. He then went through the various qualifications negative and positive.

3. The empty deceivers

He closed by warning against these who elders must be able to deal with.

Audio sermons by Alistair Begg on Titus can be found here.

Also here

Where are all the preachers?

This is my paper. I only gave 10 of my 12 points.

Where are all the preachers?

Our subject is not an easy one to tackle but having given some thought to the matter, it seems to me that there are a large number of factors that may well explain, at least in part, why there is an apparent lack of preachers in the churches typical of our circle. We were asked to consider the questions both of the shortage of preachers and of good preaching. This list chiefly looks at the matter of the fewness of preachers but I think has something to say to the other question too.

I would like to begin with three caveats.

1. We do not know for a fact that there is a shortage of preachers or of good preaching. We may be mistaken in either or both perceptions.

2. It may be that it is the Lord's will that there is such a shortage. It may well be the case that we are better off with too few rather than with too many, as the story of Gideon teaches us. Whereas in the past some became preachers who weren't called that is less likely now.

3. Many years ago I read a book by the late Leonard Ravenhill called Why revival tarries. Sadly, the only thing I remember about it was a chapter lamenting what was then the widespread practice of lobotomy. My fear is that someone will remember just one thing I say and come away with the false impression that I believe that we would have more preachers if we could only get rid of Christianity Explored or if only there were less assistant pastors. It would be unfair to caricature what I want to say in that way.

So 12 factors that may explain, at least in part, why there is an apparent lack of preachers.

1. The lack of conversions

It would be difficult to demonstrate that a lack of conversions leads to a lack of preachers but common sense would suggest that a shortage of conversions is likely to lead to a dearth of preachers.

2. The lack of revival

Again, proving such a thesis is almost impossible but it would seem that ministers are often called to the ministry in times of revival or at least when a measure of awakening is known, something very rare amongst us.

3. A lack of agreement on what constitutes a call

I have just spoken about being called to the ministry. Most men here will be aware that not everyone today would accept that there is even such a thing as a call to the ministry. If we accept, at least for a moment, that there is such a thing, it cannot be denied that any confusion over the matter is going to make it difficult for those who are called to know they are called.

4. The existence of so many assistantships and similar roles

When I began my ministry back in the eighties I would love to have begun with an assistant pastorate. Sadly, there were hardly any to be had. That has now changed to some extent and it is more common for men to begin that way. While that is probably a good thing in itself, it means that more men are tied up in assistant pastorates and so less are out leading churches and preaching. There has probably been a growth too in joint pastorates and perhaps parachurch roles too.

[5. The easy availability of vast numbers of sermons in recorded form

While this is probably a good thing in itself, it may well be that it has put some off attending churches, discouraged preachers who cannot preach as well as the internet giants and generally skewed a right understanding of what good preaching is.]

6. Trust in group work

Both in evangelical circles and in our own narrower Reformed ones there has been something of an epidemic of aids for small group evangelistic Bible studies. Whatever view we may take of this phenomenon it is not difficult to see the inevitable danger of it detracting from pulpit work and from preaching of a more conventional sort.

7. The rejection of the one man ministry

I am using a popular but emotive phrase for the sake of brevity. However we understand the changes that have taken place in the last few decades that can be placed under this heading and whatever we may make of such changes, the knock on effect is surely to discourage men from entering the Christian ministry as traditionally understood.

8. The growth of eldership

Again, this is not something that we want to decry necessarily. It can be argued, however, that some who might have gone into the ministry have settled for an eldership position supposing they can be just as effective while not entering full time ministry.

9. The growth of evangelical theology

There was a time when the study of theology was largely written off by evangelicals due to the incursions of liberalism. There has been a welcome resurgence of evangelical theology in more recent years which, while a good thing, has meant that some young men have such a high regard for good theologians that the ministry can appear a rather unattractive role in some ways.

[10. The ubiquity of the entertainment culture

We are a society where entertainment has a top heavy visibility and influence. Whereas the ministry once had a certain attraction as a role that draws crowds, that is now very limited and no doubt there are some busily contemplating a career in sport or sports journalism, in acting or in music who in another time or place would be giving much more consideration to preaching. At the same time, the entertainment culture can encourage preaching that is not necessarily the best for men's souls.]

11. The demise of the idea of a life career

Various changes have led to the current situation where a life career in one area is increasingly unusual. It is tempting to think then of the ministry as one of several options to pursue in life rather than giving one's whole life to such work as was once more common.

12. The downplaying of the idea of an educated ministry

While education itself can never improve preaching this phenomenon has probably led not only to poorer preaching but also to a lower view of what a minister is in general so again making the ministry a less attractive calling. No doubt other factor could be highlighted such as prayer, secret sin and the increase in educational opportunities outside the ministry but these twelve should be enough to be chewing on for now.