50 People Every Christian Should Know

50PeopleEveryChristian

ShouldKnow

50PeopleEveryChristian

ShouldKnow

LearningfromSpiritualGiantsoftheFaith

WarrenW.Wiersbe

©2009byWarrenW.Wiersbe

PublishedbyBakerBooksadivisionofBakerPublishingGroupP.O.Box6287,GrandRapids,MI49516–6287www.bakerbooks.com

Combinededitionpublished2009

PreviouslypublishedastwoseparatetitlesLivingwiththeGiants,©1993byWarrenW.WiersbeVictoriousChristiansYouShouldKnow,©1984byGoodNewsBroadcastingAssociation,Inc.

PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica

Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans—forexample,electronic,photocopy,recording—withoutthepriorwrittenpermissionofthepublisher.Theonlyexceptionisbriefquotationsinprintedreviews.

LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationDataWiersbe,WarrenW.50peopleeveryChristianshouldknow:learningfromspiritualgiantsofthefaith/WarrenW.Wiersbe.p.cm.Includesbibliographicalreferences.ISBN978-0-8010-7194-2(pbk.)1.Christianbiography.I.Title.II.Title:FiftypeopleeveryChristianshouldknow.BR1700.3.W542009270.0922—dc22[B]2008045366

Chapters2,9,12,15–21,23,25–29,31,33–39,41,42,44,48–50©1971–1977bytheMoodyBibleInstitute,reprintedbypermissionofMoodyMonthly.Chapter24©1984,1985byBacktotheBible.Reprintedbypermission.

Chapters1,3–8,10,11,13,14,22,30,32,40,43,45,46originallyappearedasarticlesinGoodNewsBroadcaster,copyrightbyTheGoodNewsBroadcastingAssociation,Inc.,Lincoln,NE68501.Usedwithpermission.

Contents

Preface

1.KatherinevonBora(1499–1552)2.SamuelRutherford(1600–1661)3.MatthewHenry(1662–1712)4.JonathanEdwards(1703–1758)5.GeorgeWhitefield(1714–1770)6.CharlesSimeon(1759–1836)7.ChristmasEvans(1766–1838)8.JohnHenryNewman(1801–1890)9.RichardTrench(1807–1886)10.AndrewBonar(1810–1892)11.RobertMurrayMcCheyne(1813–1843)12.F.W.Robertson(1816–1853)13.JohnCharlesRyle(1816–1900)14.FannyCrosby(1820–1915)15.AlexanderMaclaren(1826–1910)16.J.B.Lightfoot(1828–1889)17.R.W.Dale(1829–1895)18.JosephParker(1830–1902)19.J.HudsonTaylor(1832–1905)20.CharlesH.Spurgeon(1834–1892)21.PhillipsBrooks(1835–1893)22.FrancesRidleyHavergal(1836–1879)23.AlexanderWhyte(1836–1921)24.DwightL.Moody(1837–1899)25.GeorgeMatheson(1842–1906)26.C.I.Scofield(1843–1921)27.F.B.Meyer(1847–1929)28.W.RobertsonNicoll(1851–1923)

29.HenryDrummond(1851–1897)30.R.A.Torrey(1856–1928)31.ThomasSpurgeon(1856–1917)32.SamuelChadwick(1860–1932)33.CharlesE.Jefferson(1860–1937)34.W.H.GriffithThomas(1861–1924)35.A.C.Gaebelein(1861–1945)/B.H.Carroll(1843–1914)36.G.CampbellMorgan(1863–1945)37.JohnHenryJowett(1864–1923)38.J.D.Jones(1865–1942)39.GeorgeH.Morrison(1866–1928)40.AmyCarmichael(1867–1951)41.FrankW.Boreham(1871–1959)42.JosephW.Kemp(1872–1933)43.OswaldChambers(1874–1917)44.H.A.Ironside(1876–1951)45.ClarenceEdwardMacartney(1879–1957)46.WilliamWhitingBorden(1887–1913)47.AlvaJayMcClain(1888–1968)48.A.W.Tozer(1897–1963)49.W.E.Sangster(1900–1960)50.WilliamCulbertson(1905–1971)

NotesFurtherReading

T

Preface

hesebriefbiographiesoriginallyappearedasmagazinearticles,thirty-twooftheminMoodyMonthlymagazine(1971–77)andsixteeninTheGoodNews

Broadcaster,published by Back to the Bible Broadcast. TheMoody MonthlyarticleswerecompiledintoWalkingwiththeGiantsandListeningtotheGiants,bothpublishedbyBaker; and theothers intoVictoriousChristiansYouShouldKnow,co-published in 1984 byBack to theBible andBaker.The biographiesfrom the twoGiants books later became Living with the Giants, which waspublishedbyBakerin1993.At the request of the publisher, I wrote the chapters on Clarence Edward

MacartneyandAlvaJayMcClainespeciallyforthisvolume.Itpleasesmethat there isstillaninterest inChristianbiography.Oneof the

goals in my writing ministry has been to encourage Christians—especiallypastors—to“digagaintheoldwells”(seeGen.26:18)andgetacquaintedwiththegodlyleadersofthepastwhokeptthelightshininglongbeforewewereeveronthescene.Ihaveheardfrompeopleindifferentpartsoftheworldwhohavereadthesestudiesandbeenhelpedbythem.Manyofmyreadershaveespeciallyappreciated the bibliographical information and have searched for theseforgottenbooks.Ihopetheyfoundthem!Many Christians today are so fascinated with the latest religious fads and

celebrities that they forget that all of us are “like dwarfs on the shoulders ofgiants,”toquotetheFrenchphilosopherBernardofChartres(d.c.1130).Inhisessay “History,” Emerson reminds us, “There is properly no history; onlybiography.”Irejoicethatinrecentyears,atleastintheUnitedStates,therehavebeen an increase in published biographies, both popular and academic, and Ihope this continues. We must remember the warning issued by GeorgeSantayana,“Thosewhocannotrememberthepastarecondemnedtorepeatit.”Thepastisnotananchortodragusbackbutaruddertohelpguideusintothe

future. I havebeenhelpedgreatly inmyown life andministryby reading thehundredsofbiographies,autobiographies,andhistoriesthathaveenabledmetowrite these chapters, and I trust you will benefit from reading them.When Istarted theMoodyMonthly series, I was pastoring Calvary Baptist Church in

Covington, Kentucky, near Cincinnati. Then we moved to Moody Church inChicago (1971–78) and then to Back to the Bible Broadcast in Lincoln,Nebraska(1979–89).Themagazines Ioncewrote forareno longerbeingpublished. I’mgrateful

thatthesearticlescanbeconservedinthisvolume,andItrusttheywillinformandinspireyou.

WarrenW.Wiersbe

N

1

KatherinevonBora1499–1552

ovember 10, 1983,marked the five hundredth anniversary of the birth ofMartinLuther.Wehaveheardagreatdealabout thiscourageousreformer

and his ministry. But I want to focus our attention now not on Luther thepreacherandleader,butonLutherthehusbandandfather;forIwantyoutomeetKatherine von Bora, the nun who became Martin Luther’s devoted wife. Hecalledher“Kitty,myrib,”andhelovedherdearly.Katherine was born January 29, 1499, at Lippendorf, Germany, about six

miles south of Leipzig.When hermother died five years later, her father putKatherineintoaboardingschool,andthen,whenshewasnine,placedherintheCistercianconventatNimbscheninSaxony.Itwasnotaneasyplaceforalittlegirltogrowup,butatleastshehadprotection,food,andfriends.OnOctober8,1515, shewas “married toChrist” and officially became a nun.Little did sherealizethat,twoyearslater,adaringWittenbergprofessornamedMartinLutherwould nail his ninety-five theses to the church door and usher in a religiousmovementthatwouldchangeherlife.AstheReformationdoctrinespreadacrossGermany,numbersofmonksand

nuns became believers and sought to escape from their convents andmonasteries.Someofthenunswhosoughtfreedomwereseverelypunished,andsomewhoescapedwerebroughtbackintoevenworsebondage.TwelvenunsattheNimbschenconventsomehowgotwordtoLutherthattheywantedtogetout,andhearrangedfortheirescape.OnEaster evening,April 5, 1523, abravemerchant andhisnephew,Henry

andLeonardKoppe,droveawagonloadofbarrelsintotheconvent,puteachofthe twelve nuns into a barrel, and drove away.When a suspiciousman askedKoppewhathewascarryingin thebarrels,hereplied,“Herring.”Threeof thegirlswerereturnedtotheirhomes,buttheothernineweretakentoWittenbergwhere husbands would be found for them. Two years later all of them had

husbands—exceptKatherinevonBora.Luther did his best tomatch herwith a godly husband, but all his attempts

failed.Theonemanshereallyfellinlovewithranoffandmarriedanothergirl.LutherurgedhertomarryPastorCasperGlatz,butsherefused.Shewaslivingwithsomeof the leadingcitizens inWittenbergand learninghow tobea ladyandmanageahousehold,sothosetwoyearsofwaitingwerenotwasted.Finally,she let it be known that ifDoctor Lutherwere to ask her to be hiswife, shewouldnotsayno.ItwasnotthatLutherwasagainstmarriage,butheknewthathewasamarked

manand that, if hemarried, hewouldonlyput hiswife and family intogreatdanger.Heurgedotherstomarry,ifonlytospitethedevilandhisteaching(thepolicyofRomeconcerningmarriedclergy).Howcouldamanwhowasdeclaredahereticby thepope and anoutlawby theKaiser take awife and establish ahome?Butas themonthspassed,Lutherweakened.Hewrote toa friend, “If I can

swingit,I’lltakemyKatetowifeereIdie,tospitethedevil.”NottheleastofLuther’sconcernsweretheeconomicfactorsinvolvedinmarriage.Heacceptednopaymentorroyaltiesforhisbooks,hisownincomewasunsteadyandmeager,andhewasknownforhisgenerositytoanybodyinneed.Ifhewantedtodeprivehimself thatwasonething,butdidhehavetheright toforcehiswifetomakesuchconstantsacrifices?OnJune13,1525,Dr.MartinLutherandKatherinevonBoraweremarriedin

a private ceremony at the Black Cloister, the “converted monastery” whereLutherlived.Asperthecustom,twoweekslatertherewasapublicceremonyatthe church. A host of friends attended, and the couple received many choicegifts.Ofcourse, theenemyimmediatelycirculatedslanderousstoriesabout thecouple,but fewpeoplebelieved them.Onemanevensaid that their firstchildwouldbetheAntichrist.Luther was forty-two years old and Katherine was twenty-five. Would the

marriage succeed?History records theglorious fact that themarriagenotonlysucceeded,butsetahighstandardforChristianfamilylifeforcenturiestocome.ThechurchhistorianPhilipSchaffwrote:

Thedomestic lifeofLutherhas farmore thanabiographical interest. It isoneof the factorsofmodern civilization. Without Luther’s reformation clerical celibacy, with all its risks and evilconsequences,mightstillbetheuniversallawinallWesternchurches.Therewouldbenomarriedclergymen and clerical families inwhich the duties and virtues of conjugal, parental, and filialrelationscouldbepracticed....Viewedsimplyasahusband-father,andasoneofthefoundersof

theclericalfamily,Lutherdeservestobeesteemedandhonoredasoneofthegreatestbenefactorsofmankind.

Whileweareatit,let’sgivesomebouquetstoKatherinetoo.Itwasnoteasyto convert a rundown cloister into a comfortable home. Nor was it easy toconvertahyperactiveprofessor-preacherintoapatienthusbandandfather.ShealwayscalledhimDoctorLuther,butLutherhadanumberofpetnamesforhisKatherine. “Kitty, my rib” is perhaps the best-known nickname, but he alsocalledherSelbander,whichisGermanfor“betterhalf.”Itwasnotunusualforhimtorefertoheras“myLordKate”oreven“DoctorKatherine”(shewasanexcellentnurseanddispenserofherbalmedicines).Whenhefeltshewasgivingtoomanyorders,hequietlycalledherKette,theGermanwordfor“chain.”“Thereisalottogetusedtointhefirstyearofmarriage,”saidLuther,andno

husbandknewthisbetterthanhe.Accustomedtoplanninghisownday,Lutherhad to learn that another mind and heart were now involved in his schedule.“Wives usually know the art to ensnare a man with tears and pleadings,” hewrote.“Theycanturnandtwistnicelyandgivethebestwords.”Buthehadnothingtofear,fornobodywasabettermanagerofahouseora

home than Katherine Luther. She transformed the old cloister into a fairlycomfortablehouse,and,liketheenergeticwomanofProverbs31,shelaunchedinto various enterprises to feed and sustain her household. She kept cows formilkandbutterandformakingcheesethat,saidherguests,wasbetterthanwhattheypurchasedat themarket.Shestartedapiggerybecauseherhusband likedpork,andthisgaveLutheranewnameforhiswife:MyLordKate,MistressofthePigsty.She turned a neglected field into a productive garden and even planted an

orchard.Whatproduceshedidnotuseherself,shesoldorbarteredatthemarketandusedthe incometopurchase itemsfor thehome.Sheevenstockedapondwithfish!“HaveInotathomeafairwife,”Luthersaidproudly,“orshallIsayboss?”ItwasnotlongbeforetheBlackCloisterbecameacrowdedandbusyplace.

Catherinehadnotonlyherownchildrentocarefor—sixofthem—butalso(atvarious times) her own niece and nephew, eleven of Martin’s nieces andnephews,variousstudentswhoboardedwiththem,andever-presentguestswhocametoconferwithherfamoushusband.BeforetheReformation,fortymonkshad lived in the Cloister; now, nearly as many joyful Christians lived there,learningtoserveoneanother.

Lutherwisely permitted hiswife to be in charge of themanagement of thehome.Tobeginwith,hewas far toobusy toworryabout such things,and,hehadtoadmit,shedidafarbetterjobthanhecoulddo.Katherinenotonlycaredfor him and the household, but sheministered to the needs of people all overWittenberg.Shelistenedtotheirproblems,gavethemcareandmedicineintheirsicknesses,counseledthemintheirsorrows,andadvisedthemintheirbusinessaffairs. The town recognized that the Luther household was an exemplaryChristianhome,andmuchofthatsuccesswasduetoKatherine.ItwasnoteasybeingmarriedtoMartinLuther.Hewouldlethisfoodgetcold

whilehedebatedtheologywithhisguestsoransweredthequestionsofstudents.“Doctor,”saidKatherineonedayasthedinnergrewcold,“whydon’tyoustoptalkingandeat?”Lutherknewshewasright,buthestillsnappedback,“IwishthatwomenwouldrepeattheLord’sPrayerbeforeopeningtheirmouths!”Onedayhesaid,“Allmylifeispatience!Ihavetohavepatiencewiththepope,theheretics,myfamily,andKate.”Butoutof thosemealtimeconversationscameoneofLuther’s finestbooks,

TheTableTalkofMartinLuther.BakerBookshasreprintedtheeditioneditedbyThomasS.Kepler,andIrecommendittoyou.Asyoureadit,keepinmindthatitwasKatherineLutherwhoreallymadethebookpossible.Itwasather tablethatthesesparklingconversationswererecorded—whilethefoodgrewcold.Luthercalledmarriage“aschoolforcharacter,”andhewasright.Herealized

thathisownlifewasenrichedbecauseoftheloveofhiswifeandfamily.WhenIwasteachingthehistoryofpreachingtoseminarystudents,IreviewedLuther’sphilosophyofministryandreadmanyofhissermons,andIwasimpressedwiththemanyallusionsandillustrationsdrawnfromthehome.Iwasalsoimpressedwith Luther’s Christmas sermons, and I wonder if they would have been aseffectivehadheremainedanunmarriedman.Asineveryhome, thereweretimesof trialandsorrow.TheLuthershadsix

children:Hans (b.1526),Elizabeth (b.1527,d.1528),Magdalene (b.1529,d.1542),Martin(b.1531),Paul(b.1533),andMargaret (b.1534).Lutherwouldariseatsixeachmorningandpraywiththechildren,andtheywouldrecitetheTenCommandments, theCreed, and theLord’s Prayer, and then sing a psalm(Lutherhimselfwasanexcellentmusician).Hewouldthenhurryoff topreachortolectureandwouldbebusytheentireday.ButLutherwasnotarobustman,andhehadmanyailmentsthatoftenstruck

him without warning. On several occasions, Katherine prepared to become a

widow,but theLordgraciouslyhealedherhusbandandrestoredhimtoher. In1540,itwasKatherinewhowasdespairedof,herconditionconsideredhopeless.Dayandnightherhusbandwasatherside,prayingforGod’smercyonherandthe children, and theLord graciously answered. Six years later, itwasMartinwho was being nursed by Katherine, but his recovery was not to be, and onFebruary18,1546,heenteredintoglory.IamsurethatoneofhisfirstactsofworshipinheavenwastothankGodforKatherine.LetmesharetwoofmyfavoritestoriesaboutKatherineLuther.At family devotions onemorning,Luther readGenesis 22 and talked about

Abraham’ssacrificeofIsaac.“Idonotbelieveit!”saidKatherine.“Godwouldnothavetreatedhissonlikethat!”“But,Katie,”Lutherquietlyreplied,“Hedid!”During one very difficult period, Luther was carrying many burdens and

fightingmanybattles.Usually jollyandsmiling,hewas insteaddepressedandworried. Katherine endured this for days. One day, she met him at the doorwearingablackmourningdress.“Whodied?”theprofessorasked.“God,”saidKatherine.“Youfoolishthing!”saidLuther.“Whythisfoolishness!”“Itistrue,”shepersisted.“Godmusthavedied,orDoctorLutherwouldnot

besosorrowful.”Hertherapyworked,andLuthersnappedoutofhisdepression.ItisinterestingtoreadLuther’sletterstohiswifeandnotethevariousways

he addressed her: “To the deeply learnedMrs.Katherine Luther,my gracioushousewifeinWittenberg”;“Tomydearhousewife,KatherineLuther,Doctress,self-martyr at Wittenberg”; “To the holy, worrisome Lady, Katherine Luther,Doctor, at Wittenberg, my gracious, dear housewife”; “Housewife KatherineLuther,Doctress,andwhateverelseshemaybe”!AfterLuther’sdeath,thesituationinGermanybecamecriticalandwarbroke

out. Katherine had to fleeWittenberg, and when she returned, she found herhouseandgardensruinedandallhercattlegone.Thentheplaguereturned,andKatherineandthechildrenagainhadtoflee.Duringthattrip,shewasthrownoutofawagonintotheicywatersofaditch,andthatwasthebeginningoftheendforher.HerdaughterMargaretnursedhermother tenderly,evenashermother

hadnursedothers,but therewasnorecovery.KatherinediedonDecember20,1552,atTorgau,wheresheisburiedinSt.Mary’sChurch.Onhermonument,youwillread:“TherefellasleepinGodhereatTorgauthe

lateblessedDr.MartinLuther’swidowKatherinevonBora.”They could have added: “Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou

excellestthemall”(Prov.31:29).I suggest thatwemakeeitherJanuary29orJune13“Pastors’Wives’Day,”

not only in honor of Katherine von Bora, but in honor of all pastors’ wiveseverywhere—thatgreathostofsacrificingwomenofGodwhomakeitpossiblefortheirhusbandstominister.Isalutethesewomenwhomustoftenturnhousesintohomes,whocarrytheburdensoftheirpeopleaswellastheirown,whodowithoutthatothersmayhave,whocheerfullybearcriticism,andwhodoitalltothegloryofGod.Bytheway,whathaveyoudonelatelytoencourageyourpastor’swife?

A

2

SamuelRutherford1600–1661

nEnglishmerchant,travelinginScotlandintheseventeenthcentury,madethisentryinhisjournal:

In St. Andrews I heard a tall, stately man preach, and he showed me the majesty of God. Iafterwardsheardalittlefairmanpreach,andheshowedmethelovelinessofChrist.IthenwenttoIrvine,where I heard preach awell-favoured, proper oldman,with a long beard, and thatmanshowedmeallmyheart.

ThefirstpreacherwasRobertBlair,whoministeredatSt.AndrewsinEdinburghformorethanaquarterofacentury.ThethirdpreacherwasthegreatCovenanterandprofessoroftheology,DavidDickson,whosecommentaryonthePsalmshasbeenreissuedbyBannerofTruthandisworthowning.The“littlefairman”wasSamuel Rutherford, one of the most paradoxical preachers Scotland has everproduced.“For generations Rutherford has inspired the best preaching in Scotland,”

wroteAlexanderWhytein1908;andyettodaythismanisalmostforgotten.HeshouldbeknownasthesaintlywriterofTheLettersofSamuelRutherford,butmostpeopleassociate thenamewithMrs.A.R.Cousin’s song“TheSandsofTimeAreSinking,”whichwasinspiredbystatementsfoundinhisletters.(ThishappenedtobeD.L.Moody’sfavoritesong.)Rutherfordwasbornin the littlevillageofNisbet, in theshireofRoxburgh,

about1600.Apparentlyhelivedarathercarelesslifeduringhisyouth.“Imustfirsttellyouthatthereisnotsuchaglassy,icy,andslipperypieceofwaybetwixtyou and heaven, asYouth,” hewrote to his friendWilliamGordon. “The oldashesofthesinsofmyyoutharenewfireofsorrowtome.”Toanotherfriendhewrote,“Likea fool, as Iwas, I sufferedmysun tobehigh in theheaven,andnearafternoon,beforeeverItookthegatebytheend.”HeenteredtheuniversityinEdinburgh in 1617, beganhis theological studies in 1626, and in 1627waslicensed to preach. That same year he was called to Anwoth. His life and

ministrythereputthatlittlevillageonthemap.Thirtyyearsbefore, thecongregationatAnwothhadenjoyedtheministryof

another man of God, John Welsh, the son-in-law of the famous John Knox.Welshoftenlefthisbedinthemiddleofthenight,wrappedhimselfinawarmplaid,andintercededforthepeopleofhisparish.Whenhiswifewouldbeghimtogobacktosleep,hewouldsay,“IhavethesoulsofthreethousandtoanswerforandIknownothowitiswithmanyofthem.”ItisinterestingthatbothWelshandRutherfordwereexiledbecauseoftheirpreachingandtheiroppositiontotheking’s encroachments upon the church.When hewas on his deathbed,Welshreceivedwordthatthekinghadliftedtheban;sohearose,wenttothechurch,andpreachedasermon.Hethenreturnedtohisbedanddiedtwohourslater!IvisitedRutherford’schurchatAnwothandwassurprisedtofindtheruinsof

abarn-likebuilding,sixtybytwentyfeet.Itcouldnothaveseatedmorethan250people; and yet Rutherford faithfully ministered there for nine years. “I seeexceedinglysmallfruitofmyministry,”hewroteaftertwoyearsatAnwoth.“Iwould be glad of one soul, to be a crown of joy and rejoicing in the day ofChrist.”Mrs.A.R.Cousinputitthiswayinhersong:

FairAnwothbytheSolway,Tomethoustillartdear!

E’enfromthevergeofHeavenIdropfortheeatear.

Oh,ifonesoulfromAnwothMeetmeatGod’srighthand,

MyHeavenwillbetwoHeavens,InImmanuel’sland.

The people of the congregation knew that God had sent them a dedicatedpastor. They said to their friends, “He is always praying, always preaching,alwaysvisitingthesick,alwayscatechizing,alwayswritingandstudying.”Oftenhefellasleepatnight talkingaboutChrist,andoftenhespokeofChristwhilesleeping.(Spurgeononcepreachedasermoninhissleep.Hiswifewrotedownthemainpointsandgavetheoutlinetohimthenextmorning—andhewenttothetabernacleandpreachedit!)In1630Rutherford’swifedied;hewasalso to lose twochildrenduringhis

Anwothministry.But in spite of difficulties and the smallness of the place inwhichheministered,Rutherfordneversoughttoputhimselfintoalargerplace.“Hisownhandplantedmehere,”hewrotein1631.“AndhereIwillabidetill

thegreatMasterof theVineyard thinkfit to transplantme.”“Transplanted”hewould be, but not in the manner he anticipated. For in 1636 RutherfordpublishedAn Apology [Argument] for Divine Grace, a book that assailed theweak theology of the day and aroused the opposition of Archbishop Laud’sparty.RutherfordwastriedinEdinburghonJuly27,1636,andwasbanishedtoAberdeen and warned never to preach in Scotland again. He remained inAberdeen fromAugust 20, 1636, to June 1638,where hewas known as “thebanishedminister.”ItisimportanttonotethatRutherfordwasnotimprisonedormadetosufferphysically.Hewasexiledfromhisministryandmadetosufferinanevengreaterwaybybeingforbiddentopreach.Buthistoryrepeateditself,foroutoftheexilecameoneofthemostspiritual

devotional books ever written. Out of Paul’s imprisonment came Ephesians,Philippians, and Colossians; out of Bunyan’s imprisonment came Pilgrim’sProgress;andfromRutherford’sexileinAberdeencameTheLettersofSamuelRutherford.Ofcourse,Rutherforddidnotwritetheseletterswithanythoughtofpublication.He died on March 29, 1661; and in 1664 an edition of 284 letters was

published in Rotterdam, edited by his former student and secretary, RobertMcWard. The title of this first edition was Joshua Redivivus, or, Mr.Rutherfoord’sLetters.JoshuaResurrectedseemsatfirsttobeastrangetitle;butif you think about it and read some of his letters, it begins to make sense.McWard considered Rutherford to be a second Joshua, who spied out thespirituallandofCanaanandcamebacktosharethepreciousfruitswithothers.Thethirdeditionofthebook,issuedin1675,contained68additionalletters;the1848editionadded10more.Bythe1863editiontherewere365letters,oneforeachdayoftheyear.Whywould anyonewant to preserve and read these letters?After all, they

wereneverwrittenforthepubliceye:theywereintimateletters,writtenfromapastor’sheart,tohelppeoplehecouldnolongerministertopublicly.Two-thirdsof the letters were written during Rutherford’s years of exile, when hisministerialburdenforhispeoplewasespeciallyheavy.Buthere,I think,isthevalueoftheletters:theyare“hearttoheart,”andfocusonthespecificneedsofrealpeople.Rutherford’sencouragementandspiritualcounselarejustashelpfultodayastheywerethreecenturiesago.Let me confess that there are times when Rutherford’s writing is a bit too

effeminate forme. I am sure the problem iswithme and notwith the saintly

author.Rutherford,ofcourse,steepedhiswritinginScripture,quotingprimarilyfromIsaiahandtheSongofSolomon.Istartedkeepingalistofreferencesandallusions while reading the letters, but I finally gave up. There were just toomanyofthem.Rutherfordhadthreefavoriteimagesofthechurchinhisletters:thebrideof

Christ,thevineyardoftheLord,andtheship.Therearehundredsofreferencesto thebride,andMrs.Cousin includeda fewof theminhersong.There isnoquestionthatSamuelRutherfordhadanintimatecommunionwithhisLordandwasnotafraidtotalkaboutit.

TheBrideeyesnothergarment,ButherdearBridegroom’sface;

Iwillnotgazeatglory,ButonmyKingofGrace—

NotatthecrownHegiveth,ButonHispiercedhand:

TheLambisallthegloryOfImmanuel’sland.

TheallusionstothevineyardarenotsurprisingsinceAnwothwassituatedinfarmingcountry,andthenautical imagestemsfromAnwoth’sproximitytotheSolwayontheRiverFleet.“Haveallinreadinessagainstthetimethatyemustsail through the black and impetuous Jordan,” he wrote to John Kennedy in1632,“andJesus,Jesus,whoknowethboththosedepthsandtherocks,andallthecoast,beyourpilot.”HewrotetohisclosefriendLadyKenmure,“Lookforcrosses,andwhileitisfairweathermendthesailsoftheship.”Rutherford’s letters were not written for speed readers or frantic pastors

looking for sermon outlines. These letters must be read slowly, meditatively,prayerfully.Thisperhapsexplainswhythispricelesscollectionisalmostignoredtoday:wearetoobusyandtoopragmatic.Ifabooktodaycanbereadquicklyandeasily,withoutdemandingtoomuchthinking,andifitcontainstwoorthreeoutlinesorpromotionalideas,thenitiswellonitswaytopopularity.However,ifabooklikeTheLettersofSamuelRutherfordcanonlyministertotheinteriorlife,makeJesusChristverywonderful,andcreateinthereaderadeeperloveforGodandthesoulsofmen,thenitmayhavetofightforsurvival.BeforeyoudismissRutherfordasanimpracticalmystic,letmesharewithyou

theother sideofhis lifeandministry,whichpromptedmyearlier reference tohim as “one of the most paradoxical preachers Scotland ever produced.”

Rutherfordwasnotonlythewriterofdevotionalletters;hewasalsotheauthorof a number of theologicalworks that placed him among the leading thinkersandapologistsofhisday.InadditiontoAnApologyforDivineGrace,thebookthatprecipitatedRutherford’sexile,healsohelpedwritethefamousWestminsterConfession of Faith, and tradition states that he wrote the famous ShorterCatechismbasedonthatgreatconfession.Thestoryisworthtelling.InMarch1638itwaspossibleforRutherfordtoleaveAberdeenandreturnto

Anwoth.HislastletterfromexileisdatedJune11,1638,andhisfirstletterfromAnwoth is datedAugust 5, 1638. InNovember of that year, hewas officially“vindicated” by the Assembly, and he settled down to minister again to hisbelovedflock.Butin1639hewascommissionedtotakethechairofdivinityatSt.Mary’sCollege,Edinburgh,andreluctantlyheobeyed.Thenin1643hewassenttoLondontorepresenttheScottishchurchattheWestminsterAssembly.HetookRobertMcWard, one of his students, to be his secretary—little knowingthat one day McWard would give the world the classic book of letters. Heremained in London untilNovember 1647,when he returned to Edinburgh tobecomeprincipalofSt.Mary’s.However,whileinLondonin1644hehadpublishedabookthatwastotake

GreatBritainbystorm,abookthatalmostledRutherfordtothegallows.ItwascalledLexRex(Latinfor“TheLawandthePrince”).Inthatday,anybodywhowrote about the monarchy had better be loyal or prepared to make a quickgetaway; Rutherford was neither. When he was involved in controversy, hisstubbornness and devotion to truth could be as strong as themysticismof hisletters.Hewasanardent apologist, andhecouldwield the swordwithdeadlyblows.NodoubthisdeeploveforChristandthechurchgavehimcourageanddaringinthetheologicalarena.WhathewroteinLexRexwouldcauselittleexcitementtodaybecauseweare

accustomed to democracy and civil rights; but in the days of Charles I andCharlesII,acallfordemocracyandconstitutionalrightswasasummonsforthehangman.Infact,whenCharlesIIwascrownedinScotlandin1651,Rutherfordopposedhispolicies and,becauseofhis convictions,brokewithhis twoclosefriends,BlairandDickson.RutherfordwrotetoLadyKenmure,“TheLordhathremovedScotland’scrown,forweownednotHiscrown.”OnOctober16,1660,thecommonhangmanburnedLexRexatthecrossofEdinburgh,andonMarch28,1661the“DrunkenParliament”indictedRutherfordandthreeotherChristianleaders.Butbythattime,theauthorofLexRexwasonhisdeathbed;hisreplyto

theofficialsummonswas:“Ibehoovetoanswermyfirstsummons,andereyourdaycome,Iwillbewherefewkingsandgreatfolkcome.”HediedonMarch29,1661.Hislastwordswere,“Glory,glorydwellethinImmanuel’sland!”ShouldyouwishtogetacquaintedwithRutherford,Isuggestyoubeginwith

theexcellentessaybyMarcusLoaneinhisMakersofReligiousFreedomintheSeventeenthCentury.YoumightalsoreadthechapteronAlexanderHenderson,another“manoftheCovenant.”ThensecuretheeditionofRutherford’sLettersedited by Andrew Bonar, because this is by far the best: it is complete. Thebiographical and historical notes help the reader identify people, times, andplaces;theglossaryofScottishtermsisinvaluable;andthelettersarearrangedinchronologicalorder.Donotplantoreadthisbookinonesitting;readaletteror two a day and let the Spirit of God quietly speak to your heart. Granted,Rutherfordisnotforeveryone;butifheisforyou,thenenjoythisfirstmeetingaslongasyoucan.AlexanderWhytepreachedaseriesofsermonsfromRutherford’sLetters,and

they were published under the title Samuel Rutherford and Some of HisCorrespondents. You should read the first two sermons before you begin theLettersthemselves;theyareanexcellentintroductiontothebookanditsauthor.Afterreadingseveraloftheletters,youcanseehowWhyteinterpretstheminhissermons. By the way, Whyte also brought out an edition of the ShorterCatechisminhisHandbooksforBibleClassesseries.AndinthesameseriesisJohn Macpherson’s fine history of the Westminster Confession entitled TheWestminsterConfessionofFaith.OneofthebeststudiesofRutherford’slifeandcharacteristhatbyA.Taylor

Innes in The Evangelical Succession series. It is called simply SamuelRutherford,andAlexanderWhytehimselfcalledit“thefinestthingthathaseverbeen written on Rutherford.” Alexander Smellie’s classic volumeMen of theCovenantshouldalsobeconsulted.“Ilooknottowinawaytomyhomewithoutwoundsandblood,”Rutherford

wrotein1630;shortlybeforehisdeaththirty-oneyearslater,hewrote,“Forme,Iamnowneartoeternity....Fearnotmen,fortheLordisyourlightandyoursalvation.”It is best that we remember Samuel Rutherford not as the courageous

apologistor thedogmatic theologianbut as themanwho lived soclose to theSavior’s heart.His penwas always ready towrite of the things “touching theKing.”In thisdayofheadacheandhaste,perhaps it isgoodforus toheedhis

invitationtoaclosercommunionwithourLord.ThenwecanjointhetestimonyMrs.Cousinputonhislips:

WithmercyandwithjudgmentMyweboftimeHewove,

AndayethedewsofsorrowWerelustredwithHislove.

I’llblessthehandthatguided,I’llblesstheheartthatplanned,

WhenthronedwhereglorydwellethInImmanuel’sland.

S

3

MatthewHenry1662–1712

uitable to everybody, instructive to all” is the way Charles Spurgeondescribedwhatisprobablythebest-knowncommentaryontheBiblewritten

in the English language, Matthew Henry’s Commentary.1 Since it was firstpublished more than two hundred and fifty years ago, this commentary hasappearedinmanydifferenteditions,includingacondensationinonevolume.Spurgeonrecommendedthateveryministerofthegospelreadstraightthrough

MatthewHenry’sCommentaryat leastonceduringhis lifetime.Perhapshegotthis idea from hismodel, GeorgeWhitefield, who carried his set ofMatthewHenryonallofhistravelsandreaditdailyonhisknees.MatthewHenrywasbornatBroadOaks,Shropshire,England,onOctober18,

1662.His father,PhilipHenry,wasaNonconformistministerwho,alongwithtwothousandotherclergymen,hadbeenejectedfromhischurchbytheActofUniformityissuedthatyearbyCharlesII.Thesecourageousmenhadrefusedtocompromise their convictions and give “unfeigned consent and assent” to thePrayerBook.TheyalsorefusedtosubmittoEpiscopalordination.PhilipHenryhadmarried anheiress of a large estate inBroadOaksnamed

Catherine Matthews. Her father was not in favor of the match and told hisdaughter,“Nobodyknowswherehecamefrom.”ButCatherinewiselyreplied,“True,butIknowwhereheisgoing,andIshouldliketogowithhim!”Matthew was physically weak, but it was not long before his strength of

intellect and character made themselves known. At the age of three, he wasreading the Bible; by the time he was nine, he was competent in Latin andGreek.Hespenthisfirsteighteenyearsbeingtutoredathome,inanatmospherethatwasjoyfullyandlovinglyChristian.Helovedtohearhisfatherpreach.AsermononPsalm51:17firstawakened

inyoungMatthewadesiretoknowtheLordpersonally.Hewasonlytenyears

oldatthetime,buttheimpressionwaslasting.Whenhewasthirteen,Matthewwroteanamazinglymatureanalysisofhisownspiritualcondition,adocumentthatreadslikeanordinarypaper.Often,afterhearinghisfatherpreach,MatthewwouldhurrytohisroomandpraythatGodwouldsealtheWordandthespiritualimpressionsmade to his heart so that hemight not lose them.God answeredthoseyouthfulprayers.InJuly1680,Matthewwassent toLondon tostudywith“thatholy, faithful

minister,”ThomasDoolittle,whohadanacademy inhishome.Unfortunately,the religious persecutions of the day forced Doolittle to close his academy;MatthewreturnedtoBroadOaks.InApril1685,hereturnedtoLondontostudylawatGray’sInn.Hewasagoodstudent,butheneverlosttheburningdesiretobeaministerofthegospel.A year later he returned to Broad Oaks and began to preach whenever

opportunitypresented itself, andonMay9,1687,hewasordained.Beforehisordination,heputhimself throughaheart-searchingself-examination inwhichhe seriously studied his own Christian experience, motives for ministry, andfitnessforservice.Thepapercontainsbothconfessionoffaithandconfessionofsin.Heconcludedthathewasnotenteringtheministry“asatradetoliveby”ortomakeanameforhimself.Healsoconcluded,“Ihavenodesignintheleasttomaintainaparty,ortokeepupanyschismaticalfaction.”Throughouthisministry,MatthewHenry lovedandcooperatedwithallwho

trusted Christ and wanted to serve him, no matter what their denominationalconnections.Even the leaders of theEpiscopalChurch admitted thatMatthewHenrywas a good and godlyman. This document ought to be read by everyprospectiveministerbeforehecomestoordination,anditwouldnothurtthoseofuswhoarealreadyordainedtoreviewitonoccasion.AgroupofbelieversinChesterinvitedMatthewHenrytobecometheirpastor,

andonJune2,1687,hebegantwenty-fivehappyyearsofministryamongthem.Thoughhewasindemandtopreachinotherchurchesinthearea,hewasrarelyabsentfromhisownpulpitontheLord’sDay.HewasmarriedinAugustofthesameyear.OnFebruary14,1689,hiswife

diedinchildbirth,although,bythemercyofGod,theirdaughterlived.Matthewmarried again on July 8, 1690, andGodgave him andhiswife nine children,eight of them girls, three of whom died during their first year. His only son,Philip,was bornMay 3, 1700, but he did not follow his father’s faith, or hisgrandfather’s.Hisinterestslayinthisworldandnotintheworldtocome.

GodblessedtheministryinChestersothatanewsanctuarywaserectedandwasdedicatedonAugust8,1700.TheeffectivenessofMatthewHenry’spulpitministryreachedeventoLondon,andseveralchurchestheretriedtosecurehisservice.ButhelovedhispeopleatTrinityChurchinChester,andrefusedeachinvitation.Matthewwasusuallyinhisstudybeforefiveo’clockeachmorning,devoting

himselftothepreparationofhisexpositionoftheWord.Hehadbreakfastwithhis family and always led them in worship, reading and expounding somepassagefromtheOldTestament.Hethenreturnedtohisstudyuntilafternoon,when he would set out to visit his people. After the eveningmeal, he wouldagain lead the household in worship, using a New Testament passage for hismeditation.Heoftenquestionedthechildrenandtheservantstomakesuretheyhadunderstoodtheteaching.Ofteninthelateevening,hewouldput inafewmorehoursofstudybefore

retiring.“Takeheedofgrowingremissinyourwork,”hewarnedfellowpastors.“Takepainswhileyoulive. . . .TheScripturestillaffordsnewthings,tothosewhosearchthem.”Itwasnotunusualforhimtopreachseventimesaweek,andyethewasalwaysfreshandpractical.“Noplaceislikemyownstudy,”hesaid.“Nocompany likegoodbooks,especially thebookofGod.”WewonderwhatMatthewHenrywouldthinkofthoseministerswhorushaboutallweek,wastingtime,andthen“borrow”anotherman’ssermonfortheLord’sDay.ThekeydateinMatthewHenry’slifeisNovember12,1704;onthatdayhe

startedwriting his famousCommentary.OnApril 17, 1714, he completed hiscommentsontheBookofActs;buttwomonthslater,onJune22,hesuddenlytookillanddied.MatthewHenrywasnotpastoring inChesterwhenhewascalledhome.On

May18,1712,hehadbegunhisnewministryinHackney,London.Oneofthefactorsmotivatinghismovewashisdesire tobe closer tohispublisher ashisCommentarywasbeingprinted.Hehadministered twenty-fiveyearsatTrinityChurch,Chester,andonlytwoyearsinLondon.ThefuneralservicewasheldonJune25,andhewasburiedatTrinityChurch.MuchofthematerialinHenry’sCommentarycamefromhisownexpositions

ofScripturegivenat familyworshipandfromthepulpit.There isalsoagreatdealofPhilipHenryinthesepages,especiallythepithysayingsthatseasontheexposition. Matthew’s purpose in writing the Commentarywas practical, notacademic.HesimplywantedtoexplainandapplytheWordofGodinlanguage

thecommonpeoplecouldunderstand.Severalofhispastorfriendsgathereduphisnotesandsermonsandcompleted

theCommentaryfromRomanstoRevelation.Whenyoureadtheirexpositions,youcanseehowfarshorttheyfallofthehighstandardsetbytheoriginalauthor.In truePuritan fashion,MatthewHenryhad theability toget to theheartof apassage,outlinethepassageclearly,andthenapplyitstruthstodailylife.True,there were times when he spiritualized the text and missed the point; butgenerallyspeaking,hedidhisworkwell.Onedoesnothavetoagreewithallofhisinterpretationstobenefitfromhisobservations.In1765,JohnWesleypublishedaneditedversionoftheCommentary,hoping

tobring itwithin the reachof theaverageChristian reader.He felt thecurrentversion was too large and too expensive. But, at the same time,Wesley alsodeletedallthatMatthewHenryhadtosayaboutelectionandpredestination.Healsoomittedan“abundanceofquaintsayings”andthustooktheseasoningoutof the dinner. In his preface,Wesley remarked that he used to wonder wheresome preachers “whom I greatly esteem” obtained the “pretty turns inpreaching”thatheheardintheirsermons;but,afterreadingMatthewHenry,hediscoveredtheirsource.Ihaveasuspicionthatthiswasagentlecriticismofhisestranged friend,GeorgeWhitefield,who used to readMatthewHenry beforegoingintothepulpit.YouwillnotfindMatthewHenrygrapplingwithbigproblemsasheexpounds

theWord,or always shedding lightondifficult passages in theBible.For thiskindofhelpyoumustconsultthecriticalcommentaries.HedidnotknowagreatdealaboutcustomsintheHolyLand,sincetraveltotheEastwasquitelimitedinthat day. Again, the student will need up-to-date commentaries and Bibledictionaries to help him in that area. However, for a devotional and practicalapproachtoBibleexposition,thiscommentaryleadstheway.I must confess that I have not followed Spurgeon’s advice to read straight

throughMatthewHenry’sCommentary, but I have used itwith profit over theyears.IthinkHenryisespeciallygoodinGenesis,Psalms,andthefourGospels.I have never consulted hisCommentary early in my sermon preparation, butratherhavelefthim(andMaclarenandSpurgeon)untilafterIhaddonemyowndiggingandmeditating.OftenjustasentencefromMatthewHenryhasopenedupanewareaofthoughtformeandhelpedmefeedmypeople.IwassurprisedtodiscoverthatMatthewHenryisquotedinourtwoleading

books of quotations. Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations has fourteen Henry

quotations and The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations (3rd edition) has six.ApparentlyMatthewHenryistheoriginatorofthephrase“creaturecomforts”aswellasthepopularsaying“Allthisandheaventoo.”PerhapssomeenterprisingreadercouldminesomeofMatthewHenry’spithysayingsandputthemintoabookforus.If youwant to get to know this expositor and his father better, secureThe

Lives of Philip and Matthew Henry, published by Banner of Truth. MatthewHenrywrotethebiographyofhisfather,anditisaclassic.J.B.Williamswrotetheson’slife,butitisnotasexciting.When hewas on his deathbed,MatthewHenry said to a friend, “You have

beenaskedtotakenoticeofthesayingsofdyingmen—thisismine:thatalifespent intheserviceofGodandcommunionwithHimis themostpleasant lifethatanyonecanliveinthisworld.”

I

4

JonathanEdwards1703–1758

t is unfortunate that many people imagine Jonathan Edwards as a rantingPuritan preacher, pounding the pulpit and trying to frighten sinners into

heaven.Of course,most of thesepeople haveprobablynever readhis famoussermon“Sinners in theHandsofanAngryGod”orevenexamined the lifeofthis godlyman. For Jonathan Edwardswas a quiet scholar, a loving father, aconcernedpastor,aburdenedmissionary,andamanwholovedGodandlongedmorethananythingelsetoglorifyhim.Edwards was born into the home of Reverend Timothy Edwards in East

Windsor,Connecticut,onOctober5,1703.Hewastheonlysoninthefamily;hehadtensisters.HecamefromgoodPuritanstock,especiallyonhismother’ssideofthefamily.HerfatherwasReverendSolomonStoddard,reveredpastoroftheCongregationalChurchatNorthampton,Massachusetts.StoddardwastheacceptedspiritualleaderofthechurchesintheConnecticut

Valley;infact,somepeoplecalledhim“Pope”Stoddard.Hepastoredthereforfiftyyears,andunderhisministryatleastfivespecialspiritualawakeningshadbeenexperienced.JonathanEdwardsreceivedhisschoolingathome;atanearlyagehelearned

Latin,andlaterhetookonGreekandHebrew.Hehadtwopassionateinterestsinthose early years—science and religion. He watched spiders and wrote anamazing essay about them. He saw the mind and heart of God in creation;everythinginnaturerevealedtohimsomethingaboutGod.But his interest in spiritual things was remarkable for a boy so young. He

prayed five timeseachday.Withsomeofhis friendshebuilta“booth” in theswamp, and there they would gather together to discuss spiritual matters andpray.Imustconfessthattheboys’clubsmyfriendsandIformedinouryouthfulyearscenteredmorearoundfunandgames.

In 1716, when he was thirteen, Edwards entered Yale college, where heinvested four years in undergraduate study and then twomore years studyingtheology.ItwaswhilehewasatYalethathehadtwolife-changingexperiences.The first was his conversion when he was about seventeen years old. SincechildhoodhehadrevoltedagainstthedoctrineofthesovereigntyofGod.Butasheread1Timothy1:17,hehadaremarkableexperienceof thesenseofGod’sgreatnessandglory,andallhistheologicalobjectionsdisappeared.“AsIreadthewords,”hewroteinhispersonalaccount,“therecameintomy

soul, andwasas itwerediffused through it, a senseof thegloryof thedivineBeing;anewsense,quitedifferentfromanythingIeverexperiencedbefore....Fromaboutthattime,IbegantohaveanewkindofapprehensionsandideasofChrist,andtheworkofredemption,andthegloriouswayofsalvationbyHim.”EdwardswasnevercontenttohaveonlybookknowledgeofGod.Hesought

toexperienceGodinhisownlifeinapersonalway.Hewasnotanivory-towertheologian,spinningwebsofwords.Healwayscenteredontheexperienceoftheheart;itwasthisconvictionthatbroughthimmanyspiritualblessingsaswellasmanyspiritualbattles.His second crisis experience was more intellectual than spiritual, although

Edwards would never divorce the mind and the heart. He read John Locke’sEssay Concerning Human Understanding and made an about-face in hisapproach to the problem of how people think and learn. He came to theconclusion that“knowledge”wasnotsomethingdivorcedfromtherestof life,but that a man’s senses helped to teach him truth. In other words, sensoryexperienceand thinkingmustgo together.Again,Edwardssawthe importanceofunitingthemindandtheheart.This approachwould govern his philosophyof preaching for the rest of his

life.Hewould first aim for theheart andmove the affectionsbefore trying toinstruct themind. In one of hismost important books,A Treatise ConcerningReligious Affections, Edwards wrote, “True religion, in great part, consists inholy affections.”1 However, he opposed emotion for emotion’s sake. Hecarefully explained the difference between shallow emotionalism and trueaffectionsthatpreparethewayformenandwomentoreceiveGod’struth.OnJanuary12,1723,JonathanEdwardssolemnlydedicatedhimselftoGod.

Earlierhehadmadealistofresolutionsthathereadonceeachweekandsoughttoobeydaily.Fromtimetotime,headdedtothislistashesawspecialneedsinhislife.Heuseditnotasalawtobindhim,butasacompasstoguidehimandas

amirrortohelphimexaminehisprogressinhisspiritualwalk.OnFebruary15,1727,JonathanEdwardswasordainedandbecameassistant

tohisgrandfather,SolomonStoddard.OnJuly20ofthatsameyear,hemarriedSarahPierrepont,anexemplaryChristianladywhoborehimelevenchildren.Itis worth noting that Jonathan Edwards used to spend at least one hour eachevening with his children before they went to bed. He often studied thirteenhoursaday,yethe took timeforhis family.Heandhiswifewereveryhappytogether; theirmarriage and their homewere a testimony to the goodness andgraceofGod.InFebruary1729,SolomonStoddarddied,andJonathanEdwardsbecamethe

pastorofhis church,perhaps themost important congregationoutsideBoston.SpirituallifeintheAmericancolonieswasverylow,andtherewasadesperateneed for revival. Preachers were generally well-educated, but they lacked aburdenforsoulsandpowerinpreaching.Someofthemwerenotevenconvertedthemselves!“I am greatly persuaded,” wrote George Whitefield when he visited New

England,“thatthegeneralityofpreacherstalkofanunknown,unfeltChrist.Andthereasonwhycongregationshavebeensodeadisbecausedeadmenpreachtothem.”Butthepreacherswerenottheonlyonestoblame.Whilethefoundersofthe

churches had, for themost part, been converted peoplewho fearedGod, theirchildren and grandchildren were too often unconverted but baptized churchmembers.The churches operated under what was known as the Half-Way Covenant.

Thispermittedpeopletounitewiththechurchiftheyhadbeenbaptizedbuthadnot made a profession of faith in Christ (they were baptized as infants, ofcourse). Their children were then baptized as “half-way members,” but theywerenotpermittedtosharetheLord’sSupperorvoteinchurchelections.But Solomon Stoddard had gone even further in opening the doors of the

church to unsaved people. He decided that the Lord’s Supper was a savingordinanceandthatunconvertedpeopleshouldnotbebarredfromthetable.Theresult, of course, was a church composed largely of unconverted people whogavelipservicetothedoctrinebutwhohadneverexperiencedthelifeofGodintheirownhearts.Obviously,thenewpastorandhisflockwereonacollisioncourse.Edwards

had experienced eternal life in an overwhelmingly personal way. It was hisconviction that truthmustbeexperienced in theheartaswellasunderstood inthemind. Inhis studyof theWord,heconcluded thatchurchmembershipandthe Lord’s Supperwere for saved people alone. He realized thatmany of the“childrenofthecovenant”inthecolonieswerelivinginsin,apartfromGod,anddestinedforeternaldestruction.In 1734 he preached a series of sermons on justification by faith.The time

wasripe,andtheSpiritbegantomove.Inthenextyear,Edwardssawmorethanthreehundredpeople unitewith the church.Somenotable sinners in the townwere converted, and some remarkable events took place. Thiswas one of theearly phases of the spiritual movement in America historians call the GreatAwakening,whichcoveredaperiodfromabout1725to1760.WhenevertheSpiritworks,thefleshandthedevilstarttoworktocounterfeit

God’s blessing; and it was not long before excesses appeared in the revivalmovement.GeorgeWhitefieldhadjoinedthemovementin1740,andinsomeofhismeetings people fainted, cried out with fear, and even experienced fits ofshaking.Whitefield,likeEdwards,didnotencouragetheseactivities,buthadnocontroloverthem.MinisterswhoopposedreligiousenthusiasmopenlycriticizedEdwards and accusedhimof leading thepeople astray, soEdwardswrote andpublished a book on how to discern a true working of God’s Spirit: TheDistinguishingMarksofaWorkoftheSpiritofGod.Itisstilltodayoneofthebeststudiesofreligiouspsychologyavailable.That same year (1741), Edwards was invited to preach at Enfield,

Connecticut, and on July 8, he preached “Sinners in the Hands of an AngryGod,”perhapsthemostfamoussermoneverpreachedinAmerica.ThetextwasDeuteronomy32:35:“Theirfootshallslideinduetime.”There

isnoquestionthatEdwardshadonepurposeinmind:toshakethepeopleoutoftheirreligiouscomplacencyandintothesavingarmsoftheLord.Edwardswasalwaysquietinhisdelivery;hereadfromamanuscriptandrarelylookedatthepeople.Hedidnotpoundthepulpitorshout.HesimplyopeneduptheScripturesandwarnedlostsinnerstofleefromthewrathtocome.The Spirit of God broke into the meeting, and many people came under

conviction.Somecriedout in fear.Aministersittingon theplatformpulledatthepreacher’scoattailsandsaid,“Mr.Edwards!Mr.Edwards!IsnotGodalsoaGodofmercy!”Edwardshadtostoppreachingandwaitforthecongregationtobecomequiet.Heconcludedthesermon,ledinprayer,andclosedthemeeting.

Thosewhoremainedafterwardtotalktothepreacherwerenotnecessarilyupsetorafraid.Infact,peoplewereimpressedwiththecheerfulnessandpleasantnessoftheexpressionsonothers’faces.Concernedwiththesalvationofthelost,JonathanEdwardscouldnotcontinue

tolivewiththecompromisingsituationthathehadinheritedatNorthampton.In1748,heinformedthechurchthathewouldnotreceiveasnewmemberspersonswho had not given evidence of salvation, nor would he permit unconvertedpeople to come to theLord’s table.Even thoughministers in that day had farmore authority and respect than they do today, this step was daring and wasviolentlyopposedbymostoftheotherchurchleaders.Therefollowednearlytwoyearsofdebateanddiscussion,andtheresultwas

the dismissal of the pastor. Edwards preached his farewell sermon on July 1,1750, a pastoral message that showed no animosity or bitterness, althoughcertainlythepreacherwasamanwithabrokenheart.Histextwas2Corinthians1:14, and his emphasiswas onwhatwould happenwhenministersmeet theircongregationsatthefuturejudgment.HistoryhasproventhatEdwardswasrightandhiscongregationwrong.The

colonial churches that rejected the working of God and refused to examinepeople as to their spiritual experience eventually turned from the faith andbecameliberal.ThechurchesthatfollowedWhitefieldandEdwardscontinuedtowin the lost, send out missionaries, and train ministers who were true to thefaith.Anunconvertedministryandanunconvertedmembershipare thedevil’schiefweaponsinopposingtheworkofGod.Jonathan Edwards moved his wife and large family to Stockbridge,

Massachusetts,whereheministeredasamissionarytotheIndians.Hisincomewas reduced, of course, and yet God provided all their needs. Freed frompastoraldutiesandchurchproblems,Edwardsnowhadmoretimetostudyandwrite; during those Stockbridge years (1751–58) hewrote several of hismostimportantworks,someofwhichwerepublishedafterhisdeath.In1757hewasnamedpresidentofPrincetonCollege,anofficethathisson-in-lawAaronBurrlaterheld.Hetookoffice in1758whenasmallpoxepidemicwas invading thearea;hecaughttheinfectionthroughaninoculationthatbackfired,andonMarch22hedied.Wehavehadmorethantwohundredyearstoevaluatethelifeandministryof

Jonathan Edwards. He was perhaps the greatest thinker that America everproduced,andyethehadtheheartofachild.Hewasagreattheologian,andyet

hisbooksandsermonstouchlifeandreachintotheheart.Hewasarareblendofbiblical scholar and revivalist. He had a longing to see people know Godpersonally, but he refused to accommodate his theology just to get results.Hewas also aman concerned aboutmissions. Even theEncyclopedia Britannicaadmits,“Byhiswritingsandexample,hegaveimpetustotheinfantevangelicalmissionarymovement.”Edwardswasnotafraid togivehispeople soliddoctrine.HisResolution28

reads:“Resolved tostudy theScripturessosteadily,constantly,andfrequently,sothatImayfind,andplainlyperceivemyselftogrowintheknowledgeofthesame.”Somepreachers today seem tohave time for everything elsebutBiblestudyandthepreparationofspiritualnourishmentfortheirpeople.Itiseasytoborrow a sermon from a book or listen to a recording of another preacher’smessage.Edwards used imagination in his preaching. Like every good teacher and

preacher,heturnedtheear intoaneyeandhelpedpeople toseespiritual truth.Heknewthatthemindisnotadebatingchamber—itisapicturegallery.Hewasa courageousmanwhoheld tohisbiblical convictionseven though

they cost himhis church and the loss ofmany friends.He stoodwithGeorgeWhitefield when many were opposing him. Edwards encouraged spiritualawakeningeventhoughheknewtherewouldbeexcessesandabuses.Hewouldhave enjoyedBilly Sunday’s reply to the criticwho said that revivals did notlast: “Neither does a bath,” saidSunday, “but it’s good to have one once in awhile!” Edwards preached for decisions in an era when ministers were notsupposedtodisturbthecongregation.TheWorksofPresidentEdwards,asinglevolume,maybeavailable inyour

local library. Ola ElizabethWinslow has written one of the best biographies,JonathanEdwards,publishedbyMacmillan in1940.Shealsoeditedahelpfulanthologyofhismostimportantsermonsandwritings,JonathanEdwards:BasicWritings(NewAmericanLibrary).JonathanEdwardsonHeavenandHellbyDr.JohnGerstner(BakerBooks)is

a fascinatingandvery readablestudyof this important subject.Dr.Gerstner isperhapsourleadingevangelicalscholarwhenitcomestothelifeandtheologyofJonathanEdwards. For a satisfying but readable study of Edwards’s theology,read Jonathan Edwards, Theologian of the Heart, by Harold Simonson(Eerdmans).Ournationisdesperatelyinneedofspiritualawakening.Butouremphasison

evangelism apart from doctrinewill certainly not do it. TheGreatAwakeningwastheresultofsoliddoctrinalpreachingthataddresseditselftoboththeheartandthemind.Itwaspreachingthatdaredtoexposesininthechurch.AndGodusedittosweepthousandsintohisfamily.Perhaps it is time thatwe dug again these oldwells and learnedwhy their

watersflowedwithlifesofruitfullyandsobountifully.

O

5

GeorgeWhitefield1714–1770

HeavenlyFather,” prayed a twenty-two-year-oldpreacher inLondon, “forThydearSon’ssake,keepmefromclimbing.”

ThatyoungpreacherwasGeorgeWhitefield,andhehadeveryreasontofearpopularity and promotion. Great crowdswere coming to hear him preach thegospel, andhundredswere being converted to faith inChrist.Hewas the boywonder of London. His preaching shook both Great Britain and the UnitedStates,andtheresultsarestillwithus.HistorianstellusthatWhitefieldpreachedfromfortytosixtyhoursaweek,a

totalofmorethaneighteenthousandsermonsduringthirty-fouryearsofpublicministry.HecrossedtheAtlanticthirteentimesandministeredextensivelyintheAmericancolonies.HepreachedtothousandsthroughoutGreatBritain,andthisincludedthreetripstoIrelandandfourteenvisitstoScotland.“Ihad ratherwearout than rustout,”he tolda friendwhoprotested thathe

preachedtoooften.Heoftenquotedtheadage,“Weareimmortaluntilourworkisdone.”WhenitislearnedthatWhitefieldwasnotahealthyman,thatheoftenhadseverespellsofvomiting,and thathearoseeachmorningat fouro’clock,thisrecordofministrybecomesevenmoreamazing.Weneed tomeet thisboypreacherwhomDr.D.MartynLloyd-Jonescalled

thegreatestpreacherthatEnglandhaseverproduced.George Whitefield was born in Gloucester on December 16, 1714, into a

respectablefamilythatownedandmanagedtheBellInn.Whitefieldwasbuttwoyearsoldwhenhisfatherdied,andwhenhismotherremarriedeightyearslater,thematchwasanunhappyone.Young George had a good memory and a glib tongue, so he excelled in

making speeches in school and acting in plays. Little did he realize that hisyouthfulpublicappearanceswouldhelptopreparehimforhispulpitministry.

Ofcourse,asayoungster,hegotinvolvedintheusualsinsofyouth,eventothe point of stealing money from his mother. But even in the midst of hischildhoodcorruption(ashetermedit),hehadtheconvictionthathewouldonedaybeaclergyman.“Iwasalwaysfondofbeingaclergyman,”hewroteinhisJournals,and“usedfrequentlytoimitatetheministersreadingprayers,etc.”1Whenhewasaboutfifteen,heleftschooltoassisthismotherintheworkof

the inn. He continued to read the Bible even though he was not a professedChristian,andduringavisitwithhisbrotherinBristolhefoundgreatdelightinattendingchurch.Hemadevowsandapparentlyhadsomeadolescentemotionalreligiousexperiences;butnosoonerhadhereturnedtoGloucesterthantheoldlifeovertookhimagain.By theprovidenceofGod,Whitefielddid return to school and thenentered

Oxford,wherehemetJohnandCharlesWesleyandbecameapartoftheirHolyClub. While the Wesley brothers and their friends were moral and religiouspeople, theydidnotasyetknowmuchabout thenewbirth.TheirChristianityconsistedmainlyofreligiousexercises,mutualexhortation,andministrytothepoorandneedy.JohnWesleygaveWhitefieldacopyofHenryScrougal’sspiritualclassic,The

LifeofGodintheSoulofMan;andthereadingofthatbookopenedWhitefield’seyestothemiracleofthenewbirth(atthattime,Wesleyhimselfknewnothingofaregenerationexperience).Whitefielddidnotenterintotruelifeandlibertyimmediately, but at least hewasmoving in the right direction. Finally, in thespring of 1735, he cast himself on God’s mercy and experienced new life inChrist.He then returned to Gloucester, where he lived with friends for several

months.He began his lifelong practice of reading theBible on his knees andstudying his Greek New Testament (Whitefield was a competent Greek andLatinstudent).HealsopurchasedthefamousMatthewHenryCommentaryandreaditcarefully.Infact,thesetbecamehisconstantcompanioninallhistravels.Hegatheredaroundhimasmallgroupofnewbelievers,manyofthemhisold

“partners in crime,” and theymetweekly for Bible study, prayer, andmutualedification.ThiswasthefirstMethodistSocietyevertobeorganized.ItcomesasasurprisetomanypeopletolearnthatitwasGeorgeWhitefield,notJohnandCharlesWesley,whofounded theMethodistChurch.TheWesleysentered intoWhitefield’s labors,andeventuallyweregiventhe leadershipof themovementbyWhitefield.

WhitefieldreturnedtoOxfordinMarch,1736.TheWesleyshadalreadysailedto Georgia to work with General Oglethorpe in the new colony. On June 10,1736,GeorgeWhitefieldwasordainedasadeaconbyBishopMartinBensoninGloucester; and on June 26, he preached his first sermon. The curiouscongregation—manyof themrelativesandfriends—wereamazedat thepowerand spiritual wisdom of the young preacher. In fact, someone reported to thebishopthatWhitefield’ssermon“drovefifteenpeoplemad.”ThebishopsaidhehopedthemadnesswouldnotbeforgottenbythenextSunday.Thatwas the beginning of amiracleministry. In July,Whitefield graduated

from Oxford; for the next two months, he ministered in London as a supplypreacherforafriend.HethenpreachedforfourmonthsinOxford,followedbyamarvelous ministry in Gloucester, Bristol, and London. Thousands came tolisten, andhundredswerebrought to theSavior.Hepersonallycounseledwithhundredsofseekingsouls.Whereverhepreached,thecrowdsweregreatandthebenefitswerelasting.On February 1, 1738, John Wesley returned from Georgia, a weary and

defeatedman.Hisministryinthecolonyhadbeenafailure;and,unfortunately,hehadleftbehindabadnameandanumberofdeterminedenemies.WhitefieldhadfeltacalltoserveinGeorgia,andhewasreadytosailwhenWesley’sshiparrivedinEngland.Forsomereason,WesleydidnottrytoseeWhitefieldpersonally;buthedid

try to persuade him not to go to Georgia. In his earlier years, John WesleybelievedincastinglotstodetermineGod’swillforhimselfandforhisfriends.HadWhitefieldlistenedtoWesleyatthattime,whatalossitwouldhavebeentothepeopleoftheUnitedStates.OnFebruary2,1738,Whitefieldsetoffonthefirstofsevenvisitstothecolonies,visitsthatweregreatlyblessedbyGodandhelpedtospearheadtheGreatAwakening.Whitefield arrived in Savannah, Georgia, onMay 7. The very next day, in

London, JohnWesley “very unwillingly” attended that meeting in AldersgateStreetwherehisheartwas“strangelywarmed,”andhe found theassuranceofpersonalsalvationthroughfaithinChrist.HethenbegantopreachtheWordandgraduallyenteredintotheministriesthatWhitefieldhadleftbehind.WhitefieldreturnedtoLondoninDecemberandfoundhimselfexcludedfrom

allbutfourLondonchurches.HepreachedagaintothousandsandexperiencedamightyworkingoftheSpirit.HeandtheWesleysjoinedforcesinthesharingofthe gospel. On January 14, 1739, Whitefield was ordained as a priest of the

ChurchofEngland;throughouthisministry,heremainedtruetothoseordinationvows. Though hisministrywas interdenominational, hewas always a faithfulsonoftheChurchofEngland.Finding that he was excluded from the established churches, Whitefield

decidedtotaketotheopenair;onFebruary17,hebeganhisoutdoorpreachingatKingswood near Bristol. “Itwas a brave day for EnglandwhenWhitefieldbeganfieldpreaching!”CharlesSpurgeontoldhisstudents.Whitefieldcollectedtheminersandtheirfamilies,abouttwohundredpeople,andpreachedthegospeltothem.“BlessedbeGod!”saidtheevangelist,“Ihavenowbrokentheice!”From that day on, huge crowds gathered wherever Whitefield set up his

portable pulpit, from among both the poor and the upper strata of Englishsociety. Even the little children crowded close to the preacher to hear him.Whitefield followed this practice both in Britain and in America. BenjaminFranklin calculated thatWhitefield’smessage could be heard clearly by thirtythousandpeopleatonetime.Whitefieldbegantoorganizesocietiesandplacematurebelieversover them

to supervise the growth of the converts. By this time JohnWesley was alsopreaching in theopenair, followingWhitefield’sexample; themovement tookonthenameMethodist,fromtheHolyClubthathadbeenfoundedatOxford.Both thepreachers and the convertswerepersecutedbyunbelieving rabble,

sometimes with the approval of the resident clergy. It was not unusual forWesley andWhitefield to be peltedwith stones and dirt—orworse, to have adeadcathurledattheirheads.But,liketheapostlesofold,noneofthesethingsmovedthem,andtheycontinuedtopreachtheWordandorganizesocieties.Whitefield had two reasons to be interested in America. One was the

preaching of the Word, and the other was the founding and managing of anorphan’shomeinGeorgia.WhilepreachinginBritain,heoftentookanofferingforthehome;andhealsoencouragedhismanyAmericanfriendstosupportit.Foralongtime,thehomewasaheavyburdenontheevangelist,anditprobablycosthimmoreinhealth,time,andenergythanitwasworth.Atonepointhewasafraidofbeingarrestedforthedebtsincurredbythehome.Wheneverhevisitedthecolonies,healwaysmadehiswaytoGeorgiatocheckonthework,superviseconstruction, and encourage the workers. The spiritual influence of GeorgeWhitefieldoncolonialAmericacanneverbefullyestimated.ItisnosecretthatJohnandCharlesWesleywereArminianindoctrine,while

WhitefieldwasmoreCalvinistic.TheWesleysopposedthedoctrinesofelection,

predestination, and the securityof thebeliever.Oneday,CharlesWesley evencalled John Calvin “the firstborn son of the Devil!” Whitefield begged theWesleys not to bring their doctrinal differences into the pulpit, but the menrefused to listen.WhileWhitefield was ministering in America, JohnWesleypublishedhissermonon“FreeGrace”inwhichheopenlyattackedWhitefield’stheology.ThispainfulconflictultimatelydividedtheMethodistsandledtothefounding

ofaCalvinisticMethodistbranch,whichwasparticularlystronginWales.Likemost disputes, therewere faults andmistakes on both sides, because even themost saintlymenaremadeof clay.Wesley’s emphasisonChristianperfectionirritated Whitefield; and Whitefield’s proclamation of the doctrines of graceupsetWesley.However,itistoWhitefield’screditthathestrenuouslysoughtreconciliation

and fellowship with the Wesleys. He did his utmost to keep the controversyprivate.Finally,Whitefielddidtheonethinghisfriendshadhopedhewouldnotdo:heturnedtheentireministryovertoWesleyandsteppedasideasleader.“Ihavenoparty tobeat theheadof,”hewrote,“and throughGod’sgraceIwillhavenone;butasmuchasinmelies,IwillstrengthenthehandsofallofeverydenominationthatpreachJesusChristinsincerity.”When his followers protested his decision, he said, “Let my name be

forgotten, letmebe troddenunder thefeetofallmen, ifJesusmaytherebybeglorified....Letuslookabovenamesandparties;letJesusbeourallinall....Icarenotwhoisuppermost.Iknowmyplace...eventobetheservantofall.”2HesentalettertothegodlyLadyHuntingdoninwhichhesaid,“Oh,thatImaylearnfromallIseetodesiretobenothingandtothinkitmyhighestprivilegetobeanassistanttoallbuttheheadofnone.”Whitefieldspenttherestofhisdaysas“anassistanttoall.”Themorepopular

hebecame,themoretheoppositiongrewandtheslanderincreased.HewasevenmimickedontheLondonstage,andobscenesongswerewrittenabouthim.Heignored themallandcontinued tomagnifyJesusChrist.Theoppositionof theunbelieversdidnotpainhimasmuchasthedivisionofthebelievers.“But,oh!Thatdivision!”hewrote.“Whatslaughterithasmade!”Early in hisChristian life andministry,Whitefield developed a love for all

God’speoplewhoheldtothefundamentaldoctrinesofthefaith.Whenhewasonlytwenty,hewroteinhisJournals:“IblessGod,thepartitionwallofbigotryandsect-religionwassoonbrokendowninmyheart;for,assoonastheloveof

Godwasshedabroadinmysoul,Ilovedall,ofwhatsoeverdenomination,wholovedtheLordJesusinsincerityofheart.”3It was during his seventh visit to America, on September 30, 1770, that

George Whitefield died, in the Presbyterian parsonage at New-buryport,Massachusetts.Heisburiedthereatthechurch.ThefactthatWhitefieldpreachedintheopenairtocrowdsofthirtythousand

andevenfortythousandpeopleisofitselfastounding.HewasthetruefounderoftheMethodistChurch,andyethehandedhisleadershiptoanotherinordertopreserve“theunityoftheSpiritinthebondofpeace.”Heraisedgreatamountsofmoneyforthecareoforphansandthepoor,andhehelpedtoestablishseveraleducationalinstitutions.But perhaps greater than all these accomplishments is the life of the man

himself.Spurgeoncommented:OftenasIhavereadhislife,IamconsciousofdistinctquickeningwheneverIturntoit.Helived.Othermenseemtobeonlyhalfalive;butWhitefieldwasalllife,fire,wing,force.Myownmodel,ifImayhavesuchathinginduesubordinationtomyLord,isGeorgeWhitefield;butwithunequalfootstepsmustIfollowinhisglorioustrack.4

I suggest that you secure the recent two-volume biography of GeorgeWhitefieldwrittenbyArnoldA.Dallimore.Donotpermitthesizeofthebookstofrightenyou.Thesevolumesreadlikeanexcitingtaleofadventure;theyarenotintheleastdullandacademic.Thisisprobablythemostscholarly,andyetthemostreadable,biographyofanevangelicalpreachertoappearinmanyyears.You will learn a great deal of church history, and have a better grasp of thesituationtoday,afterreadingthesevolumes.Then,secureWhitefield’sJournals,publishedbyBannerofTruthTrust.You

may evenwant to read the Journals as you read the biography. Its pages arefilledwithspiritualnuggetsthatcannothelpbutenrichyourownspirituallife.

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6

CharlesSimeon1759–1836

he year 1759 was a good one for producing leadership in Great Britain.WilliamPitttheyoungerwasborninthatyearandbecamethegreatpolitical

leader during theNapoleonicwars. That same year also gaveBritainWilliamWilberforce, theChristian statesmanwho led the fight against slavery.But theman of that year who fascinatesme themost is Charles Simeon, a neglectedevangelicalleaderintheAnglicanChurch,anaristocratwhousedhismoneyandpositiontofurtherthecauseofthegospelatadifficulttimeinchurchhistory.HewasbornonSeptember24intoawell-to-dofamilyinReading,England.

His father, Richard Simeon, was a wealthy lawyer, and Charles grew upaccustomed to affluence. He entered Cambridge in 1779, enrolling at King’sCollege. Extravagant in his dress and rather handsome in features, Simeonattractedattentionandtookadvantageofit.Although he was not an outstanding student, classes were not particularly

difficult for him, and he alwaysmanaged to enjoy a good time.His first realproblemarosewhenhediscoveredthat,atLentenseason,hewouldhavetojointhe other students inHolyCommunion.Religious life atCambridgewas verylow, but the traditions were carried on routinely, and the young men wereexpected to cooperate. “Satan himself was as fit to attend as I!” Simeonremarkedinlateryears.Hewasanunconvertedsinner,andheknewit.Although he fasted and prayed and even read books on Christianity, the

heavenswerebrassandhereceivednolight.Heknewthatmostoftheothermenwere alsounconverted andwould, likehim, bluff theirway through; but eventhisdidnotgivehimpeace.At some point early in HolyWeek, Simeon ran across the statement, “The

Jews knewwhat they didwhen they transferred their sin to the head of theiroffering.” Instantly,Simeongrasped the ideaofa substitutedying forhis sins;andhebegantohavehope.

Byfaith,he laidhissinsonJesusChrist;but itwasnotuntilEasterSundaymorning that thefullassuranceofsalvationgrippedhim.ItwasApril4,1779,and he awoke with praise on his lips. He attended chapel, shared in theCommunionservice,andfeltanearnesstotheSavior.Hisconversiondidnotexcitehisfamily; infact, theyresistedhisattempt to

witness to them. He found no Christian fellowship at the university, yet hemanaged to keep growing and living faithfully during his student years. Hisevangelicalzealmadehimnotafewenemies.Hewasstillanaristocratandhadmuchtolearnabouthumilityandservice.He was ordained a deacon of the church in 1782 and began preaching

whenever he had opportunity. During the summer, he filled the pulpit at afriend’s church and soon saw thebuildingpackedwith attentive listeners.Thezealous youngmanwith the clear gospelmessagewas attracting attention. Infact,sofilledwasthechurchbuildingthat theillustriousparishclerkevenlosthisreservedseat.Theangryclerkrejoicedwhentheregularpastorreturnedafterhissummerholiday,sayingtohim,“Iamsogladyouarecome!Nowweshallhavesomeroom!”Simeon was appointed minister of Holy Trinity Church, Cambridge, on

November9,1783,inspiteofoppositionfrompeoplewhodidnotappreciatetheyoungman’s evangelical zeal or doctrine. The next day, Simeon preached hisfirstsermonatthechurch.Thebuildingheldaboutninehundredpeople,butmostofthemembersstayed

homeinprotest.Simeonpreachedtothevisitorswhocametohearhim.Thenthepewholderslockedthedoorsofthepewstopreventvisitorsfromusingthem.So,Simeonplacedbenches in theaisles;but thechurchofficers threwthebenchesintothechurchyard.SimeonstartedaSundayeveningservicetoreachtheneedysinners,andtheofficerslockedthechurchdoors.ItisdifficulttobelievethatCharlesSimeonremainedatHolyTrinityChurch

forfifty-fouryears,thefirstthirtyofwhichwerefilledwithconstantopposition,persecution,andharassment.HehadbeenordainedSeptember28,1783,andhetookhisordinationvowsseriously.Simeonhadaveryhighviewoftheministryandwasdeterminedtodohisbesttobefaithful,nomatterwhattheuniversity,thechurchofficers,orthetownsmenmightdo.Duringthefirstfourteenyearsofhisministryhe laboredalone,but thenhewas allowed tohave assistantswhosharedtheloadwithhim.OneofhisyoungassistantswasHenryMartyn,oneofthefirstmissionariesto

India.Someyears agoHenryMartyn’snamesake,Dr.D.MartynLloyd-Jones,gavemywife andme a guided tour ofCambridge, centering onHolyTrinityChurch.Heenjoyedshowingusthe“upperroom”whereMartyngavehimselftoChrist for service, aswell as the famous pulpit fromwhich Simeon faithfullypreachedtheWord.SimeonrealizedthatitwasthepreachingoftheWordofGodalonethatcould

change livesandchange thechurch. In1792,hestartedsermonclassesfor theyoungmenwhoweretrainingforministryattheuniversity.Sincetherewerenospecialministerialcoursesforstudentstrainingforthechurch,Simeon’slecturesmetarealneed.ItwasnoteasyfortheseyoungmentoassociatewithSimeon,because he was an object of scorn and ridicule. They were known as“Simeonites”or“Sims”totheotherstudents.But God blessed Simeon’s ministry, and the church began to prosper. The

zealouspastorusedtoriseatfoureachmorningsothathemightdevotehourstoprayer and study of the Bible. He himself had received no training in Biblestudy,sermonpreparation,orpastoralministry.Hewasteachinghimselfthathemightbeabletoteachothers,andGodmethisneeds.Hisconvictionsabouttheministryandpreachingarestillworthconsideringtoday.“Myendeavor,”hewrote,“istobringoutofScripturewhatisthereandnotto

trust in what I think might be there.” He also said, “Take theWord as littlechildren without enquiring what human system it appears to favor.”1 SimeonmadeitclearthathewasneitheraCalvinistnoranArminian,butratheraBibleChristian. “Be a Bible Christian and not a system Christian,” he advised hisstudents.Of course, in Simeon’s day, the great controversy over doctrine centered

aroundJohnWesleytheArminianandGeorgeWhitefieldtheCalvinist.SimeonhadadelightfulpersonalmeetingwithWesleyonDecember20,1748.Wesleyrecorded in his journal: “Iwent toHinxworth,where I had the satisfaction ofmeetingMr.Simeon. . . .Hegaveme thepleasing information, that there arethreeparishchurchesinCambridge,whereintruescripturalreligionispreached;andseveralyounggentlemenwhoarehappypartakersofit.”2ButSimeonhasleftuswithamorecompleterecordoftheconversation.“Sir,”saidSimeontoWesley,“IunderstandthatyouarecalledanArminian;

andIhavebeensometimescalledaCalvinist;andthereforeIsupposewearetodrawdaggers.ButbeforeIconsenttobeginthecombat,withyourpermissionIwill ask you a few questions, not from impertinent curiosity, but for real

instruction.Pray,Sir,doyoufeelyourselfadepravedcreature,sodepravedthatyouwouldneverhavethoughtofturningtoGodifGodhadnotfirstputitintoyourheart?”“Yes,Idoindeed,”Wesleyreplied.“Anddo you utterly despair of recommending yourself toGod by anything

youcando;andlookforsalvationsolelythroughthebloodandrighteousnessofChrist?”“Yes,solelythroughChrist.”“But,sir,supposingyouwerefirstsavedbyChrist,areyounotsomehowor

othertosaveyourselfafterwardsbyyourownworks?”“No,ImustbesavedbyChristfromfirsttolast.”“AllowingthenthatyouwerefirstturnedbythegraceofGod,areyounotin

somewayorothertokeepyourselfbyyourownpower?”“No.”“What, then,areyoutobeupheldeveryhourandeverymomentbyGod,as

muchasaninfantinitsmother’sarms?”“Yes,altogether.”“AndisallyourhopeinthegraceandmercyofGodtopreserveyouuntohis

heavenlykingdom?”“Yes,Ihavenohopebutinhim.”“Then,sir,withyourleave,Iwillputupmydaggeragain;forthisisallmy

Calvinism;thisismyelection,myjustificationbyfaith,myfinalperseverance:itis, in substance, all that I hold, and as I hold it: and therefore, if you please,insteadofsearchingouttermsandphrasestobeagroundofcontentionbetweenus,wewillcordiallyuniteinthosethingswhereinweagree.”AlwaysburdenedtohelpotherspreachtheWord,in1796Simeonpublisheda

bookofonehundred“skeletons”ofexpositorysermons,andincreasedittofivehundredoutlinesfiveyearslater(heclaimedthathehadputoverseventhousandhoursofworkintothosefivehundredoutlines).HehaddiscoveredAnEssayonthe Composition of Sermons by the French preacher Jean Claude, and hadreceivedgreathelpfromit;sohetranslateditandmadeitavailabletoEnglishreaders.Eventually,thislittlebookofsermonskeletonsgrewintoalargesetofbooks

containing2,536outlinesandcoveringtheentireBible.3Hiscriticscalledthese

skeletonsnothingbutavalleyofdrybones,butCharlesSpurgeonrecommendedthem.“Beaprophet,”hesaid,“andtheywilllive!”Ashegrewingraceandinhisministry,Simeonhadtobattlehisaristocratic

nature and learn love and humility. In his early years hewas demanding andautocratic,buttheHolySpiritprevailed,andhelearnedtoministerinlove.Hewas orthodox in his doctrine, but he knew that orthodoxy alone was notsufficientforaneffectiveministry.Hewrote:“True,youarenottokeepbackthefundamentaldoctrinesofthegospel:buttherearedifferentwaysofstatingthem;andyoushouldadoptthatwhichexpresseskindnessandlove,andnotthatwhichindicatesanunfeelingharshness.”Hesawthepastorasacombinationofspiritualfather,heavenlyambassador,

and watchman on the wall. He often quoted Ezekiel 33:8 and reminded hispeoplethattheministermustwarnaswellasencourage.Thetexthechoseforhisownepitaphwas1Corinthians2:2,anditaccuratelydescribeshisministry.“Myaim in thestyleofpreaching,”hesaid,“is todo it soplainlyandsimplythat all may understand and be ready to say, ‘I could have made as good asermonmyself.’”Simeon was concerned that evangelical men be assigned to the various

churches,soheusedhiswealthto“buyup”beneficesandgivethemtoqualifiedmen. In those days, in the Anglican Church, the buildings and ministry ofvarious churches were actually owned by wealthy patrons, and the right toappoint the pastor could be purchased. Simeon set up a Patronage Trust tooversee this specialministry, and as a result, godly evangelicalmenwere putintothechurches,muchtotheregretoftheliberalopposition.SimeontraveledwidelyinGreatBritain,preachingwhereverthedoorswere

open tohim.Hewas always true to theAnglicanChurch,buthewasopen tosincerebelieverseverywhere.HehadaspecialburdenformissionsandhelpedtofoundtheChurchMissionarySociety.HealsohadaburdenfortheJewsandcame very close to a premillennial view of the future of Israel.He founded achapelinAmsterdamforwitnesstotheJewsthere.In 1813, Simeon instituted what he called “conversation parties,” informal

Fridayeveningfellowshipsatwhichhewouldanswerquestionsrelating to thespiritual life. These parties were the means of encouraging many youngChristiansinthefaith.Healsostartedsummer“houseparties”forclergymenandtheir wives, to give them opportunity for relaxation combined with spiritualfellowship andencouragement.Simeonmightwell be considered the fatherof

thesummerpastoralinstituteprogram.In1832,Simeoncommemorated the fiftiethanniversaryofhisministry,and

by this time he had either silenced or outlasted all of his enemies.He gave adinner for severalhundredof thepoorer churchgoers, receivedcongratulationsfrommanyfamouspeople,andpreachedastirringsermonfrom2Peter1:12–15.Therewasharmonyin thechurch, thebuildingswerebeingrenovated,andthegospelwasgoing forthwithclarityandpower.Hehadcomea longway fromthosedayswhenhischurchofficershadlockedhimoutofhisownchurch.Itwas thecourageouspreachingof theWordofGodthathadbroughtabout

the change. Simeonwrote that his test for preachingwas:Does it humble thesinner?DoesitexalttheSavior?Doesitpromoteholiness?Criticsmightcallhistwenty-onevolumesofoutlinesdeadskeletons,buttheythrobbedwithlifewhenhepreachedthem.Atoneservice,alittlegirlaskedhermother,“Mama,whatisthegentlemaninapassionabout?”Theanswer:hewasinapassiontoproclaimJesusChristandhimcrucified.CharlesSimeondied,honoredandfullofdays,onNovember13,1836.Even

thoughitwasmarketday,thetownclosedalltheshopsforhisfuneral,andtheuniversitycanceledalllectures.Nearlytwothousandpeople,includingtherobedacademiccommunity,paidtributetothemanwhohadremainedtruetotheWordduringfifty-fouryearsofdifficultministry.Thepeoplewouldnothearhisvoiceagain, but the word that he preached would go on, and the men he hadinfluencedandtrainedwouldcontinuetheministry.CharlesSimeonbyHandleyMoule(InterVarsityPress),isawarmbiography

writtenbyaBiblescholarsympathetictoSimeon’sposition.AmorerecentworkisCharles Simeon of Cambridge by Hugh Evan Hopkins (Eerdmans). If youwanttoreadsomeofhisuniversitysermons,secureLetWisdomJudge,editedbyArthurPollardandpublishedbyInterVarsityPress.Simeon’sBibleoutlineswerereprintedsomeyearsagobyZondervan,butarenowoutofprint.WhatdoesCharlesSimeonsaytoustoday—eventhoseofuswhomightnot

totallyagreewithhisviewsofthechurch?Foronething,preachtheWord.Foranother, stay with the job in spite of opposition. He would also urge us toreproduce ourselves in others so that the ministry might continue and grow.Finally,hewouldsettheexamplefordisciplinedprayerandstudy.HespentthefirstfourhoursofeverydaywithGod,andhegrewbecauseofit.ThearistocratinthepulpitwastrulyanambassadorfromGod.

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7

ChristmasEvans1766–1838

ohanna Evans gave birth to a son on December 25, 1766; she and herhusband,Samuel,decidedtonamehimChristmas.Theirhumblehomewasin

Llandyssul, Cardiganshire,Wales, a land ofwild scenery and fiery preaching.LittledidtheyknowthattheirboywouldgrowuptobecomeoneofthegreatestpulpitmastersWaleswouldeverproduce.SamueldiedwhileChristmaswasachild,sohismothersenthimtothefarm

ofherbrother,JamesLewis.Christmasremainedthereforsixmiserableyears.Lewis was a cruelman and a drunkard. Christmas received no education—atseventeenhecouldneither readnorwrite—andnomoralor religious training.Hewasrepeatedlyinvolvedinfights;onlytheprovidenceofGodkepthimfrombeingkilled.Oncehewasstabbed,andoncehenearlydrowned.Inoneofthesebrawls he lost his right eye; for the remainder of his life he had to daub theemptysocketwithlaudanumtoeasethepain.When Christmas was seventeen, he left the farm and went to work for a

Presbyterian minister. He was caught up in a revival in the church and wassoundlyconverted.Withinashorttimehelearnedtoreadandwrite,andheevenbegantoministerinasmallway.Inthosedaysitwascustomarytoholdcottagemeetingsforthepoorerpeople,andEvansusedtooccasionallypreachorpray.He later admitted that he memorized sermons and prayers that he found inbooks.As he studied his Bible, his religious convictions changed, and in 1786 he

joined the Baptist church. So effective was his ministry of theWord that thechurchordainedhimin1790andsenthimtoanareawheretheworkwassmallandstruggling.HetookhisbridetoLleyn,trustedGod,andsawatimeofrichblessing.The preaching tradition inWales is a very strong one. In those days, huge

crowdsofpeopleattendedpreachingfestivals tohearmendeclare theWordof

God. These annual gatherings would draw as many as twenty-five thousandpeopleintothenaturalamphitheaters.TheWelshpeoplehavepoetry,song,andpreachingintheirblood.Andthemoredramaticandimaginativethepreaching,thebettertheylikeit.Christmas Evans first came into prominence at a Baptist Association

preaching festival. The crowd was waiting for two of their spellbindingpreacherstoshowupwhensomeonesuggestedthatitwouldbeagoodthingtowarm up the crowd so they would be ready. One of the ministers suggested,“Why not ask the one-eyed lad from the North? I hear he preaches quitewonderfully.”ChristmasEvans instantly agreed topreach and tookColossians1:21ashistext.One of the traditions of Welsh preaching is “catching the hwyl.” I once

discussed this subject with the late Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, himself aWelshmanandamasterpreacher.HeexplainedthattheWelshwordhwylmeans“thecanvasofaship.”Inpreachingitrefersto“catchingthewindoftheSpirit”and being carried along with great spiritual power. Often the preacher wouldmove the crowds by raising his voice to a high-pitched falsetto—“oratory onfire”—ashewascaughtupinthepowerandunctionoftheSpirit.ChristmasEvanscaughtthehwylthatday.Thepeoplebegantomovecloserto

thepreacher,amazedthatthetall,bony,ill-dressedfarmyouthhadsuchpowerwithwordsandoverpeople.Hewasthetalkofthefestival,thenewestpreachingsensationinWales.In1792EvansandhiswifemovedtotheIslandofAnglesea(orAnglesey)in

northwestWales; there heministered for twenty years.When he arrived therewere ten small Baptist societies meeting, some of them torn apart bycontroversy. Evans rode his horse from meeting to meeting and eventuallydevelopedtwentypreachingplaceswherepeopleeagerlyassembledtohearhim.Withinafewyears,hesawmorethansixhundredpeopletrustChristandenterthefamilyofGod.Twice in his long life,ChristmasEvansmade a special covenantwithGod.

The first timewasonApril10,1802. Itwasa solemncovenantofdedication,with thirteenparagraphs spellingouthispersonal commitment to JesusChrist.Hesignedeachparagraph“Amen.C.E.”ItistouchingtoreadthiscovenantandtorealizethatGodhonoredhisfaithanddedication.ChristmasEvanswasaself-taughtman.HetaughthimselfHebrewandGreek,

andhereadthemeatyworksofmenlikeJohnOwenandJohnGill.Thoughhe

hadbutone eye, hewas a constant reader, either inhis simplehomeorwhileridingtoapreachingappointment.HeoftenpreacheddailyandtwiceonSunday,andwhilehewasriding,hemeditatedandwrotehiseloquentsermons.Mrs.Evans died in 1823, and in 1826ChristmasEvans remarried, resigned

fromtheAngleseaministry,andacceptedasmallBaptistchurch inTonyvelin,Caerphilly. Unfortunately, the jealousy of younger ministers and the barbs oftheologicalcontroversyweredamagingtotheworkinAnglesea,andEvansfeltitwas time tomove.Theseproblemsare reflected in thesecondcovenant thatEvansmadewiththeLordonApril24,1829.Ashewasreturninghomefromapreachingmission,aspiritofprayercame

upon him, and he stopped to commune with God, weep, and pray. He wrotefifteen requests of God and signed each one “Amen. C.E.” Here are a fewquotations:

GrantThyblessinguponbitter things,dobrightenandquickenme,moreandmore, anddonotdepressandmakememorelifeless.

Suffermenottobetroddenundertheproudfeetofmembers,ordeacons,forthesakeofThygoodness.

Helpmetowaitsilently,andpatientlyuponThee,forthefulfillmentofthesethings,andnottobecomeenraged,angry,andspeakunadvisedlywithmylips,likeMoses,theservantoftheLord.Sustainmyheartfromsinking,towaitforfreshstrengthfromZion.1

Godgavehimanewexperienceoffaithandpower,even thoughtheenemyopposed the preaching of theWord. In 1832, Evansmade his finalmove andbecame pastor of a dying church at Caernarvon, where thirty members werestrugglingundertheweightofadebttheycouldnotpay.Evanswroteinhisjournal:“Ihavebeenthinkingofthegreatgoodnessofthe

Lorduntome,throughoutmyunworthyministry;andnow,inmyoldage,Iseetheworkprosperingwonderfullyinmyhand,sothatthereisreasontothinkthatIam,insomedegree,ablessingtotheChurch.”Whenhehadbeenatthechapelsixyears,Evans,hiswife,andayoungpastor

setoutonapreachingmissiontoraisefundstopayoffthecripplingdebt.HeputanoticeintheWelshMagazineaskinghisbrethrentoprayforandsupportthisspecialendeavor.“ThisismylastsacrificefortheRedeemer’scause,”hewrote,anditwas.ButGodprosperedthemissionandgreatcrowdsheardhimpreach;evenwhenthemeetinghousewasfilled,crowdsstoodoutsideandlistened.Buttheundertakingwastoodifficultfortheoldpreacher.OnSunday,July15,

hepreachedtwosermonsinSwansea—inthemorningontheProdigalSon,andin the evening onRomans 1:16.He preached again onMonday on a favoritetext,“andbeginningatJerusalem.”Whenheconcludedthemessage,hesaidinaquietvoice,“Thisismylastsermon.”Hebecameillthenextday;andonFriday,July 20, 1838, Christmas Evans was called to Glory. His last words were,“Goodbye!Driveon!”Christmas Evans often counseled younger pastors, and his philosophy of

ministry isworthsharing today.Hewrote toone:“Consider, in the firstplace,the great importance, to a preacher, of a blameless life.” Then he added, “Iremember the words of Luther, that reading, prayer, and temptation arenecessarytostrengthen,andtopurifythetalentsofaminister.”Weexpecthim togive thisadvice:“Alwayshaveabook to read, insteadof

indulginginvainconversations.StrivetolearnEnglish....Rememberthis,thatyou cannot commit some loved sin in private, and perform the work of theministryinpublic,withfacilityandacceptance.”Evans could preach with power both in English and Welsh, and in both

languageshisaimwastohonorChrist.“Thegospel,asaglass[mirror],shouldbekept cleanandclear in thepulpit,”hewrote, “that thehearersmay see thegloryofChristandbechangedtothesameimage.”2Whenasked about style anddelivery,Evans said, “Preach thegospelof the

graceofGod intelligently,affectionately,andwithoutshame—all thecontentsof the great box, from predestination to glorification. . . . Let the preacherinfluencehimself; lethimreachhisownheart, ifhewould reach theheartsofothers;ifhewouldhaveothersfeel,hemustfeelhimself.”EvanslikedtocomparetheministryoftheWordtothatofaminer,whotakes

theorefromtheearth,meltsit,andputsit intothemold.“Thegospelislikeaform, ormold, and sinners are to bemelted, as it were, and cast into it.”Heurged young preachers to be faithful to “the form of sound words” that Paulwroteabout(2Tim.1:13).With all of his reputation for pulpit eloquence and evangelistic zeal, Evans

shouldperhapsberememberedmostasamanofprayer.Heneverworriedaboutthetheologyorphilosophyofprayer;hesimplyprayed,andGodanswered.Hehad three stated times for prayer during the day, and he regularly arose atmidnighttoseekthefaceofGod.Heenjoyedthesolitudeofhislongjourneys,whenhecouldprayandmeditateonthedeepthingsofGod.Thepassioninhispreachingarosefromtheburninginhisheart.

Fromahumanpointofview,ChristmasEvansseemedanunlikelycandidateforbecomingaspiritualgiant.Bornandraisedinpoverty,subjectedtobrutality,deprived of formal education, lacking in the physical graces that usuallyattractedothers,thischildofWaleswascertainlyatrophyofthegraceofGod.Deaf to the slanders of his enemies andblind to the obstacles aroundhim, hecourageouslyandsacrificiallycarriedthegospelthroughouttheland,andmanyfoundsalvationbecauseofhisministry.During his long and difficultministry, he never received a large salary. He

couldhavecarvedoutareligiousempireforhimself,buthepreferredtofollowtheLordintothesmallanddifficultplaceswheremenneededthebreadoflife.Instead of embroiling himself in the hairsplitting theological discussions andcontroversiesoftheday,hegavehimselftothepreachingofthegospelandthegreattruthsthatundergirdthatsavingmessage.Inshort,ChristmasEvanswasamanofGodwhogavehimselfunsparinglyto

thework of theministry.God used him to bring life to dead sinners, to deadchurches,andtoChristianswhosespiritualexperiencewasdead.“Lifeistheonlycurefordeath,”hesaid,“nottheprescriptionsofduty,notthe

threatsofpunishmentanddamnation,nottheartsandrefinementsofeducation,butnew,spiritual,DivineLife.”3Perhapsthatistheprescriptionwemostneedtoday.

I

8

JohnHenryNewman1801–1890

fpeopletodaythinkatallofJohnHenryNewman,itisprobablyastheauthorof the familiar hymn “Lead, Kindly Light.” Those who are somewhat

acquainted with church history will identify him as one of the leaders of theOxford Movement, which shook the Church of England and eventually ledNewman himself into the Church of Rome. But it is Newman the preacher Iwanttoexamineinthischapter,themanwhomW.RobertsonNicollcalled“themost influential preacher Oxford has ever known,”1 and whom AlexanderWhyteadmiredsomuchthathewroteNewman:AnAppreciation.Newman was born in London on February 21, 1801. His family would be

identified with the moderate evangelicals in the Church of England. At agefifteen,Newman experienced conversion.Hewas educated atTrinityCollege,Oxford, where he fell under the influence of Richard Whately. “He,emphatically,openedmymind,and taughtme to thinkand tousemyreason,”Newman laterwrote inhis famousautobiography,Apologiaprovita sua. Thiswas probably the beginning ofNewman’s drift from the evangelical emphasisandintotheHighChurchparty,andeventuallytotheChurchofRome.However, it was his dear friend Richard Hurrell Froude who influenced

Newmanthemost.“HetaughtmetolookwithadmirationtowardstheChurchofRome,”Newmanwrote, “and in the same degree to dislike theReformation.”Froude did more than this: he introduced Newman to John Keble—brilliantOxford scholar, humble Anglican pastor, and a man utterly devoted to theChurch of England. Keble is remembered today as the writer of “Sun ofMySoul,ThouSaviorDear,”takenfromhisonce-popularbookofreligiouspoetry,TheChristianYear.In1824Newmanwasordained,andin1828hebeganhisministryasvicarof

St. Mary’s, Oxford. I can never forget stepping into that historic church onesummerdayandactuallyclimbing thestairs intoNewman’spulpit.As I stood

there,IcouldhearfaintlytheOxfordtrafficoutside;butIquicklyfoundmyselfcarried,via imagination, toaSundayafternoon serviceatwhichNewmanwaspreaching.Thechurchwasfilledwithworshipers,mostlytheyoungerfellowsofthecollegesandtheundergraduates.Newmancamein—“gliding”isthewayoneobserverdescribedit—andmadehiswaytothepulpit,whereheadjustedthegaslamp,laidhismanuscriptbeforehim,andtheninamusicalvoicethathaunted,began to preach in a way that penetrated one’s very being. “It was from thepulpit of St. Mary’s that he began to conquer and to rule the world,” wroteAlexanderWhyte,oneofNewman’smostardentProtestantadmirers.Therestofthestoryneednotdelayus.OnJuly14,1833,Keblepreachedthe

“assizesermon”atSt.Mary’s,andhisthemewas“nationalapostasy.”Itwasthissermon thatgavebirth to theconcern that eventuated inwhatweknowas theOxfordMovement(nottobeconfusedwiththeOxfordGroupMovementbegunbyFrankBuchmanandlaterrenamedMoralRe-armament).Theburdenof themovement was spiritual renewal in the Church of England. Newman, Keble,Froude,E.B.Pusey,andtheirassociatessoughttorestorethespiritualauthorityof the church and to return the church to its ancientmoorings. Theirmotiveswerecommendable;theirmethodsperhapsleftsomethingtobedesired.One of their chief ministries was the publication of “tracts for the times.”

Variousmen—notallasgiftedasNewman—wroteonsubjectspertainingtotheChurchofEngland.ThecriticsnoticedaRome-wardtrendinthetracts,butthewriterspersisted.ItwasTractNinetythatwrotefinistoNewman’sleadershipinthemovementandhisministryatSt.Mary’s.Inthisfamouspamphlet,Newmantried toprove that theThirty-nineArticlesof theChurchofEngland couldbehonestly interpreted from a Roman Catholic point of view. The result wasofficialcensure—thepoliticsofthecontroversiesfrom1833to1845areworthyofstudy—andNewmancoulddonothingbuteitherstepasideorrecant.Deeplyhurtby thechurch leadershehad thoughtwouldencouragehim,Newman leftOxford; and on October 8, 1845, he was received into the Roman Catholicchurch.IfindthehistoryoftheOxfordMovementfascinating.Initonefindsevents

and leaders thatparallel situationswehave today.There is reallynothingnewunderthesun.Peopletodaywhowantto“purify”or“renew”thechurchwoulddowell to readupon theOxfordMovement and then avoid itsmistakes.TheOxfordMovementbyR.W.Church,deanofSt.Paul’s,isthebestintroduction.Amoremodern study isTheOxfordConspiratorsbyMarvinR.O’Connell. It is

desirabletoreadNewman’sownaccountinApologiaprovitasua,andkeepinmindthathewrotethissometwentyyearsaftertheseevents.ButnowtoNewman’spreaching.Between 1824, when he was ordained, and 1845, when he left Oxford,

Newman preached over one thousand sermons, ten volumes of which areavailabletoday.HiseightvolumesofParochialandPlainSermonsrepresentthebestofhispulpitministryatSt.Mary’s.SermonsBearingonSubjectsoftheDayandFifteenSermonsPreachedBeforetheUniversityofOxfordaretwovolumesthat complete the Protestant years. Discourses Addressed to MixedCongregations and Sermons Preached on Various Occasions come from hisRomanCatholicyears.I was amazed when I learned that Whyte had been such an admirer of

Newman; for if any preacher emphasized the grace ofGod and the gospel ofJesusChrist, itwasWhyte.YetWhyte told a friend that hevaluedNewman’ssermonsmore than thoseofF.W.Robertson!OnMarch14,1876,Whyteandsome friends visited Newman at the oratory in Edgbaston and were receivedgraciously.WhyteevenincorporatedinhisCatechismarevisionfromNewmanthatclarifiedthedoctrineoftransubstantiation.ThereisnoescapingthefactthatAlexanderWhyteadmiredJohnHenryCardinalNewman.Letusbeginwiththeobviousreason:Newman’ssermons,notunlikeWhyte’s,

weredirectedtotheconscience.“TheeffectofNewman’spreachingonusyoungmen,”wroteWilliamLockhart,“wastoturnoursoulsinsideout!”Inthis,WhytewasakindredspiritofNewman, for fewevangelicalpreacherscanexposesinand“performspiritual surgery” likeAlexanderWhyte!But another factorwasNewman’s“other-worldliness.”He, likeWhyte,hadanutterdisdainofearthlythings.WhytereveledamongthemysticsandconstantlycalledhiscongregationtoalifeofrealityinthethingsoftheSpirit.WhileWhytewouldpointsinnerstothe Lamb of God, however, Newman would find this life of the Spirit in asacramentalsystem.Newman’s ability to examine a text and then develop it into a sermonwas

somethingWhytegreatlyadmired.“For,letanyyoungmanofrealcapacityoncemaster Newman’s methods of exposition, discussion, and argumentation; hiswayofaddressinghimselftothetreatmentofasubject;hiswayofenteringuponasubject,worminghiswaytotheveryheartofit,workingitout,andwindingitup,” wrote Whyte in his Appreciation, and that man would “soon make hispresenceandhispowerfeltinanyofournewspapersormagazines.”2

AddtothisNewman’spureEnglishstyle—“thequietperfectionofhisEnglishstyle,” wrote Whyte’s biographer—and you can understand why the oldCovenantersomuchappreciatedthepreachingofCardinalNewman.WhytewascarefultopointouthisdisagreementswithNewman,nottheleast

of which was Newman’s neglect of preaching the good news of salvationthroughfaithinJesusChrist.WhenNewman’ssermonsare“lookedataspulpitwork,aspreachingtheGospel,”wroteWhyte,“theyarefullofthemostserious,and even fatal, defects. . . . They are not, properly speaking, New Testamentpreaching at all. . . .As an analysis of the heart ofman, and as a penetratingcriticismofhuman life, their equal is nowhere tobe found.But,with all that,they lack the one all-essential element of all true preaching—the message tosinfulmanconcerning thefreegraceofGod. . . .Newman’spreaching—andIsayitwithmorepainthanIcanexpress—neveroncetouchesthetruecore,andrealandinnermostessence,oftheGospel.”3Whybother to read the sermonsofamanwhodidnotpreach thegospel, a

manwhoeventuallypreachedhimself rightoutofanevangelical traditionandintoasacramentalsystem?BecauseNewmancanhelpteachushowtopreachtoa man’s conscience, how to get beneath the surface and apply spiritual truthwhere it is needed. Newman was a better diagnostician than a dispenser ofhealingmedicine(“InevertakedownNewman’ssermonsformyrecoveryandmycomfort,”admittedWhyte);but it iseasier toapply themedicineafteryouhaveconvincedthepatientofhisneed.It isworthnoting thatNewmanwarnedagainstmagnifyingpreachingabove

the otherministries of the church. In this, I think, hewas reacting against thetendencyonthepartofsomeevangelicalsofthedaytoturntheirpreachersintocelebrities.Newman believed strongly in the continuity of the church and theneedforsermons tominister to thebodycollectively.Hehimself shunnedandeven fled frombecoming“apopularpreacher,”andhehad littleconfidence inmenwhousedthepulpittopromotethemselves.ItisunfortunatethatNewmandidnotknowthebetterevangelicalmenofthat

day.He saw only (or perhaps onlywanted to see) aministry that emphasizedcorrect doctrine and dedicated zeal, but lacked Christian character and truespiritual power. R. W. Church described evangelicals as people with “anexhausted teaching and a spent enthusiasm.” The evangelical churches were“respectable”andpopularwithmenofposition,but(addedChurch)“theywereonveryeasytermswiththeworld.”4IftherewasonethingNewmanhatedwith

aholyzeal, itwasa religionofwordswithout reality,words thatdescribedanexperiencebutfailedtoeffectitinthelivesofpeople.Newmandesiredtoelevateworshipinthechurch.WhileIdonotagreewith

his sacramentalism, I do applaud his purpose; it is my conviction that trueworshipisthegreatestneedinourchurchestoday.Howeasyitistohavewordswithoutpower(Paulwasawareofthis—read1Thessalonians1:5)andprogramwithout substance, especially in an evangelical church. Newman would haveagreedwithWilliamTemple’sdefinitionofworship:“toquickentheconscienceby the holiness ofGod, to feed themindwith the truth ofGod, to purge theimaginationby thebeautyofGod, toopenup theheart to the loveofGod, todevote the will to the purpose of God.” We do not experience this kind ofworship inmanychurches today, andoften thepreacher is toblame.Newmanspokeaboutthe“rudeness,irreverence,andalmostprofaneness...involvedinpulpit addresses, which speak of the adorableworks and sufferings of Christ,withthefamiliarityandabsenceofawewithwhichwespeakaboutourfriends.”Nexttoirreverenceandthe“unrealityofwords,”Newmanabhorredpreaching

thattriedtocover“threeorfoursubjectsatonce.”Heinsistedthateachsermonhaveadefinitepurposeexpressed inaconcrete statement.“Definiteness is thelifeofpreaching,”hewrote inLecturesandEssaysonUniversitySubjects,“adefinitehearer,notthewholeworld;adefinitetopic,notthewholeevangelicaltradition;and,inlikemanner,adefinitespeaker.Nothingthatisanonymouswillpreach.”5 Of course, the ultimate aim of all preaching is the salvation of thehearer, but this can be accomplished only when the preacher is prepared andknows what his aim is. We preach to persuade, and we must preach to theemotionsaswellastotheintellect,alwaysusingsimpleandconcretelanguage.The thing that impressesme aboutNewman’s sermons is their freshness of

spiritualexpression.Hedidnotpreachonthe“topicsoftheday.”Hecarefullyexplained some first principle of the Christian life, some doctrine of theChristianfaith,andweddedittothepracticallifeoftheworshiper.Heshunnedoratoryandsought tomake themessageof theWord themost important thingand themessenger the least important.Hedidnotevendebate thegreat issuesinvolved in the Oxford Movement. Rather he strengthened and extended themovementbyavoiding the issuesanddealingwith the fundamental truths thatgaverisetotheseissues.TherearemencalledbyGodtopreachontheissuesofthehour,andweneed

their ministry. But for permanent strengthening of the church, we also need

preacherswhowilldigagaintheoldwellsandleadusintelligentlydowntheoldpaths andwho, renouncing cheap pulpit rhetoric,will focus thewhite light ofrevelationon thehumanheartandexamineus in that light. Inshort, todayweneed preaching that appeals to the conscience, penetrating preaching, clinicalpreaching,preachingthatmovesmentocry,“Menandbrethren,whatshallwedo?”Newman’spreachingdidthis.Butletusgoonestepfurther:letusapplytheblessedmedicineofthegospel

(somethingNewmandidnotdo)andreply to thoseunderconviction,“Believeon theLord JesusChrist, andyou shall be saved!”Newmanwould run to thebeatenmanatthesideoftheroadandpourinthewine;buthecouldnotpourintheoil.IfyouwanttogetacquaintedwithCardinalNewman,startwithNewman:An

Appreciation byWhyte. Then secureThe Preaching of John Henry Newman,edited by Newman scholar W. D. White. White’s scholarly introduction willacquaint you with Newman’s world and his philosophy of preaching. I thinkbothNewmanandWhiteweretoohardontheevangelicals,butthisisaminorfault in an otherwise capable essay. White included thirteen sermons thatNewmanconsideredhisbest.IfyouareinterestedinowningmoreofNewman’ssermons, visit your local Catholic bookshop orwatch the used-book stores inyourarea.The best modern biography of Newman is Meriol Trevor’s two-volume

Newman.ThefirstvolumeissubtitledThePillaroftheCloud,thesecondLightinWinter.Theauthorhasalsoabridgedthisworkintoaone-volumeeditiontitledNewman’sJourney.Newmanwrotematerialsotherthansermons,someexcellentandsomenotso

good.ANewmanReader, edited byFrancisX.Connolly,will give you a richsamplingofhiswritings.Myfavoriteeditionofhisautobiography,Apologiaprovitasua,istheoneeditedbyDavidJ.DeLaura.ItcontainsallthenecessarytextsofNewman’scontroversywithCharlesKingsley,plushelpfulnotesthatclarifymaterialinthetext.One final observation: When I read Newman’s sermons, I find myself

examiningnotonlymyheartbutalsomypreaching.Ifindmyselfasking:AmIafaithfulphysicianofthesoul?AmIpreachingtotheconscience?AmIfaithfultodeclaretruth,notsimplymy“cleverideas”abouttruth?DoIofferChristastheonlyRedeemer?DoIgetbeneaththesurfaceandhelpmyhearerswheretheyneed it most? While I disagree with Newman’s theology, I appreciate his

preachingandhavelearnedfromit.

T

9

RichardTrench1807–1886

he life ofRichardChenevixTrench contained ingredients so diverse as toseemalmostcontradictory.Ascholarbynature,hispositionintheAnglican

churchforcedhimintoprominence,wherehefoughtandlostunpopularbattles.Born into a comfortable and cultured family, he recklessly identified with anabortive“studentinvasion”tofreetheoppressedpeopleofSpain,aventurethatcouldhavecosthimhislife.WhenhereturnedtoCambridgein1831topreparefortheministry,headmittedtoafriendthathehadforgotten“well-nighall”hisGreek.YethewroteSynonymsoftheNewTestament,aclassicinGreekstudiesthatisstillvaluabletoday.Trenchwasnotrecognizedasagoodpreacher.Buthistwomonumentalworks,Notes on theParables ofOur Lord andNotes on theMiraclesofOurLord,havehelpedmanypreacherspreparebettermessages.Trenchwouldhave rejoiced tostayoutof thepublicarenaand inhisstudy,

but circumstances dictated otherwise. He became dean ofWestminster Abbeyand eventually archbishop of Dublin. Perhaps it was the outworking of the“Peter Principle” (each person rises to his level of incompetence), becauseTrenchwasnotcutouttofightchurchbattles.Hewasborntostudyandtowrite.Wordswerehispassion.Twoofhis classics, thoughabit outdated, are still

helpful and most enjoyable: On the Study of Words and English, Past andPresent.OneofthegreatestthingsTrenchdidwastoproposetothePhilologicalSocietyonJanuary7,1858, that“anewand independentdictionaryshouldbeprepared.” The resultwas themonumentalOxford EnglishDictionary (OED),originally published in ten huge volumes and now available (micrographicallyreproduced)inone.OneoftheassistantswhoworkedwithJamesMurrayonthegreat OED was George H. Morrison. In later years he would be known asMorrison ofWellington, one of Scotland’s greatest preachers.Whenever I usemyOED,IthinkofTrenchandMorrisonandgivethanks.RichardTrenchwasbornonSeptember5,1807,inDublin,Ireland.Hisfather

belongedtotheAnglo-Irisharistocracy,andhismother,aculturedChristian,hadtraveledwidely.Shegreatlyinfluencedhiminhisloveforbooksandpoetryandin his desire to write. Early in his school career he displayed his love forlinguisticstudies.Whenhersonwasonlyfifteen,Mrs.Trenchwrotetoafriend:“MysonRichardhasacravingforbooks....Hecannottakeanairingwithoutarminghimselfagainstennuibyoneormorevolumes....HewishesmuchweshouldpurchaseacertainPolyglot and luxuriates in the ideaof finding fifteenreadings of the same passage in Scripture.”1 Trench entered Trinity College,Cambridge, in October 1825. He became a member of an elite group knownfamiliarlyas theApostles. In thisgroupweremenwhowouldonedaygreatlyinfluence England: F. D. Maurice, the Christian socialist; Alfred Tennyson,futurepoetlaureate;ArthurHallam,afriendofTennysonwhosedeathinspired“InMemoriam”;andothers.Trench received his BA in 1829 and then spent the next year traveling. In

Spainhesawthedesperateneedofthepeople.WhenhereturnedtoEngland,hethrewhimself inwith a groupof idealistic youngmenwhoplanned to invadeCadiz and set the masses free. Why would a scholar get involved in such adaring venture? Partly from heredity: his mother’s family was of Huguenotorigin,andTrenchwasattracted toanything thatsmackedofchivalry.Whileastudent at Cambridge, Trench had been fascinated by Spanish history andculture.Butperhapsthemainreasonwashisownneedforachallenge.Hewaslivingratheraimlessly,whichmadehimsomewhatdepressed.TheliberationofSpain was just the tonic he needed. However, the whole enterprise aborted.Someofthemeninvolvedwerearrestedandshot.Trenchneverspokeabouttheeventinlateryears,nordidheevervisitSpainagain.Theexperiencesouredhimon all revolutionarymovements, a fact that played an important rolewhen hebecamearchbishopofDublin.Trench returned toCambridge inOctober1831 to study forholyorders.He

wasmarriedonMay31,1832;thefollowingOctoberhewasordainedadeacon.No churcheswere available at that time, so once again Trench found himselfdriftingandwaiting.InJanuary1833hebecamecuratetoHughJamesRoseatHadleighinSuffolk,aposthehelduntilSeptember,whenRoseleft tobecomeprofessorofdivinityattheUniversityofDublin.Herewemeetoneofthosequirksofhistorythatmakesuswanttoask,“What

if...?”WhileTrenchwasservingatHadleigh,twoimportanteventstookplacethatultimatelyshooktheAnglicanchurchtoitsfoundations.ThefirstwasJohn

Keble’s “assize sermon” preached at St. Mary’s, Oxford, on July 14. ThatsermonmarkedthebeginningoftheOxfordMovement,althoughnobodyknewitatthetime.Thesecondeventgrewoutofthefirst:Rose,impressedbyKeble’ssermon on “national apostasy,” invited a number of his clerical friends toHadleigh to discuss ways to stir the church and bring about needed changes.Keble did not attend the conference, nor did his good friend John HenryNewman.HowmuchTrenchparticipatedwedonotknowforcertain;probablyhewasonthefringesofthemeetings,beingonlyalowlycurate.Butsupposehehadbeencaptivatedby thechallenge?Supposehehadbeen

enlistedby the influentialRichardHurrellFroude, themanwhoperhapsmorethan anyother influencedNewman, themanwho eventually left theAnglicanfor theRomanchurch?WouldTrench’s skillshavemadeanydifference in theOxfordMovement?Hewasdefinitelynotafighter,buthewasascholar.Hewasnot a strongpreacher, but hewas a capablewriter.His sympathies did not liewitheithertheevangelicalpartyorwithRome.Hecouldneverhaveabandonedthe Anglican church because his roots went too deep into her traditions. Butcouldhehaveinfluencedotherstoremain?Wewillneverknow.Onceagain,Trenchfoundhimselfwithoutaplaceofministry.Hereturnedto

livewithhisfatheruntilJanuary1834,whenheacceptedacuracyatSt.Peter’s,Colchester.Butahealthproblemendedthatministryalmostbeforeitstarted.Hetraveled inEuropewithhis family,arrivingback inEngland inJune1835.OnJuly5,hewasordainedtotheAnglicanpriesthood.InSeptemberhebecametheministerofSt.Peter’s,Curdridge,wherehe served for sixdelightfulyears.Atlasthecoulddevotehimselftostudyandservice.In1841,hepublishedhisgreatworkontheparables.Thoughbooksontheparablesarelegion,Trench’svolumeisoutstanding.Be

suretopurchasetheeditionthat includesEnglishtranslationsof thequotationsfrom the church fathers. It is unnerving to have the archbishop write, “Thegreatest insight into this truth isgivenbySt.Augustine,”andthenfollowwiththreeparagraphsofLatin!EvenCharlesH.SpurgeonrecommendedTrenchonthemiraclesandparables,althoughheadmitted thatTrench’sdoctrinewasnotalwaystohistaste.During his ministry at Curdridge, Trench became a close friend of Samuel

Wilberforce,thirdsonofthegreatWilliamWilberforcewhoseassociationwiththeevangelicalsintheChurchofEnglandhelpedhiminhisvictoryoverslavery.Samuelwasanenergetic leaderwhosepersonal charmwonhim thenickname

“SoapySam.” Ifoppositesattract, thenweshouldnotbesurprisedatTrench’sfriendship with this future bishop of Oxford and Winchester. Wilberforceenjoyed ecclesiastical politics as much as Trench detested them. WilberforceaskedTrenchtobecomehis“examiningchaplain”forordination,ahighhonorindeed.At the close of 1844, Trench moved to Itchenstoke, where he served for

elevenyears.Therehepreparedhisgreatbookonthemiracles,anotherclassic.Healsogot involved in Irish reliefministry.Since Irelandwas the landofhisbirth,hevisitedandtriedtoassistthemultitudessufferingfromthe1846potatoblight. This experience opened Trench’s eyes to the real weaknesses andproblemsoftheIrishChurch.Trench was appointed professor of divinity at King’s College, London, in

February 1846. At last he was in his element. The students not only profitedfromhislectures,butactuallyenjoyedthem.Thesubstanceofhislecturesonthevocabulary of the Greek New Testament appears in Synonyms of the NewTestament.Hebelievedthat theologymustbegroundedonthestudyofwords.“ThewordsoftheNewTestament,”hesaid,“arethestoikeia[elements,ABCs]ofChristiantheology.”WhatatimeTrenchwouldhavehadwithacompletesetoftheTheologicalDictionaryoftheNewTestamenteditedbyGerhardKittelandGerhardFriedrich!OnJune21,1856,astatementappearedintheTimesthatRichardTrenchhad

been appointed the new bishop of Gloucester and Bristol. The news hiteverybodylikeasonicboom,especiallyProfessorTrench.Hewasevenaccusedof planting the item so he would get the appointment. His friend SamuelWilberforce intercededwithQueenVictoria,andTrenchwasabsolved;but theconsequences were most unpleasant to the quiet scholar. He received nearlythreehundredlettersfrompastorsaskingforplacesinhisdiocese!TheLordhadsomethingbetterforthemanwhowouldnotpromotehimself.

OnAugust 15, 1856,WilliamBuckland died and the deanery ofWestminsterbecamevacant.OnOctober23TrenchwasinstalledasdeanofWestminster,theidealplaceforthescholar/pastor.Itwasadifficultmoveforhimandhisfamily,fortheywereaccustomedtothelovelyEnglishtowns.Nowtheyhadtoliveinthebusy,dirtycity.Atthattimetheabbeywassurroundedbyslums,describedbyonepastorasa“reekingandirreclaimablecenteroffilthandmisery.”Nobody expected the new dean to do anything more than enjoy “learned

leisure”butTrenchsurprisedthem.HeandotherLondonclergyweredistressed

thatgreatecclesiasticalcenterslikeSt.Paul’sandWestminsterAbbeywerenotbeingusedtoreachthemasses.Complicatedchurchrulesgovernedwhocouldandcouldnotpreachinthesehistoricpulpits.OnDecember3,1857,Trenchandhis associates decided to open the abbey for Sunday evening services, anunprecedented idea at that time. No doubt the great success of Spurgeon’seveningmeetingshelpedthemmaketheirdecision.OnJanuary3,1858,thefirstSundayeveningservicewasheld.Theweatherwascoldand icy,and thedeanwascertainnobodywouldattend.Butacrowdgathered,Trenchpreached,andthe servicewas somewhatof a success.Theproblemwas that the servicewasnot “popular” enough, the building was too cold, and the common people inattendancedidnotfollowtheliturgytoowell.Trenchpersisted,however,andhisexperimentencouragedSt.Paul’stofollowhisexample.TrenchwouldhaveenjoyedremainingatWestminster,butthefailinghealthof

RichardWhately,archbishopofDublin,meantthatasuccessorwouldbeneeded.Andwhowould be better than scholarlyDubliner Richard Trench?When hisfriendWilberforcesuggestedthemove,Trenchwrotehim:

Englandismyworld,thelandofallmyfriends;theEnglishChurchseemstofeelfulloflifeandhopeandvigor,ofwhichIseelittleintheIrish.ThenIknowmyselfdeficientinsomeofthemostneedfulqualificationsfortheepiscopate.Ihavefewornogiftsofgovernment,littleornopowerofrallyingmenroundmeanddiscipliningthemintoharmoniousaction.2

Trenchhimselfhadtoldafriendyearsbeforethatnoonecouldwishtobeabishop who was not a hero or a madman. But on January 1, 1864, he wasconsecrated archbishop of Dublin and was introduced to one of the mostperplexingproblemsinEnglishchurchhistory:thedisestablishmentoftheIrishChurch. The Episcopal church in Ireland was a Protestant island in a RomanCatholicsea.Itwasthechurchofthewell-to-doEnglishlandowners,notofthecommonpeople.Asamissionarychurch,ithadfailed.ThepoorcitizensaccusedtheIrishChurchofbleedingthepeople.Therewerelessthan700,000adherentstotheIrishChurch,while4,500,000peopleclaimedloyaltytoRome.ThescholarlyTrenchlackedtheexperienceandabilitytohandlesocomplex

anissue.Hewasnotadiplomat;helackedthepoliticalknow-howtoplayonegroup against another.On July 26, 1869, theDisestablishmentBillwas givenroyalassentandthebattlewasover.Trenchhadlost.Hewasthengiventhetaskofreconstructinganewchurch.Thisprecipitatedcontroversiesthatthelearnedarchbishopwasunabletohandle.Bravelyhestayedathispost,doingthebesthe

could with a bad situation. On November 22, 1875, he suffered a disablingaccidentwhilegoing toLondon forameetingof theNewTestamentRevisionCommittee.Inthespringof1883,hewaslaidlowwithbronchitis;bythefallof1884,itwasobvioushewouldhavetoresign.ThishedidonNovember28;onMarch28,1886,hedied,andwasburiedinWestminsterAbbeyonApril2.WhatchoicevolumesofGreekwordstudiesandChristiantheologymightthis

man have written had he not become involved in ecclesiastical politics? Isbecominganarchbishopnecessarilyapromotion?WouldnotTrenchhavemadea greater contribution to the church by remaining in “learned leisure” atWestminster?ThissamefateovertookJ.B.LightfootwhenhewastakenfromtheuniversityandmadebishopofDurham.Thoseofuswholovethestudyofwords (andwe have good company inG. CampbellMorgan and JohnHenryJowett) are tempted to wish that Bishop Wilberforce had minded his ownbusinessandnotmovedRichardTrenchtoDublin.

O

10

AndrewBonar1810–1892

ne of the richest experiences you can have is reading the diaries andjournalsofgreatmenandwomeninChristianhistory.AmongmanythatI

enjoy, perhaps my favorite is Andrew Bonar: Diary and Life edited by hisdaughter,MarjoryBonar,andpublishedbyBannerofTruthTrust.Most people know Andrew Bonar as the brother of hymn-writer Horatius

BonarandtheclosefriendofRobertMurrayMcCheyne.Hewasalsotheeditorof the best edition of Samuel Rutherford’s Letters, and the author of both adevotionalcommentaryonLeviticusandChristandHisChurchintheBookofPsalms,whichhasbeenreprintedbyKregelPublications.Butwhenyoureadhis journal,youwillmeetandlearn to lovea trulygreat

manofGod.He livedand laboredatacritical time in thechurch inScotland,andGodusedhiminwonderfulwaystoupholdhistruthandbuildhispeople.AndrewAlexanderBonarwasbornonMay29,1810,inEdinburgh,Scotland,

the seventh son of James andMarjoryBonar.Hewas surrounded by spiritualinfluences, but not until he was twenty years old and in college did he haveassuranceofhissalvation.Later he became a divinity student, and during that time cultivated his

friendshipwithMcCheyne.Heservedasanassistantpastorandcitymissionaryin Jedburgh and at St. George’s in Edinburgh. In 1836, he candidated at St.Peter’sChurch,Dundee,butthecongregationcalledMcCheyneinstead.In1838,Bonaracceptedacall to thePresbyterianChurchinCollace,where

hewasordainedandremainedforeighteenfruitfulyears.Whenhearrived,therewereprobablyonlyhalfadozentruebelieversintheparish,butGodsentrevivalto theareaandmany turned toChrist.WhileBonarandMcCheynewereonaspecial missionary deputation to the Holy Land in 1839, God used WilliamBurnstobringafreshwindoftheSpirittoMcCheyne’schurchinDundee,and

theblessingspreadtootherchurches.1843wasadifficultyear forministers andchurches inScotland, for in that

yearmorethanfourhundreddedicatedministerslefttheEstablishedChurchandfoundedFreeChurch.Thosewhosecededprotested themodernistic tendenciesofthedenominationandtheinterferenceofthecivilcourtsinchurchaffairs.AtCollace,Bonarpreachedinatentuntilthecongregation,whichhadforfeiteditsproperty,couldbuildanewplaceofworship.In1856,BonarbecamepastorofanewchurchonFinniestonStreetinaneedy

areaofGlasgow;andthereheremaineduntilhisdeathonDecember30,1892.Before long,whathadbegunas a smallworkhadgrown to a congregationofmore than a thousandmembers,with a strongSunday school program and anevangelisticoutreach into thecity.Theworkwasdifficult,butBonarpreachedtheWordandtrustedGod.Whenafriendaskedonedayhowthingsweregoing,Bonar replied, “Oh, we are looking for great things!” When his friendadmonishedhimnottoexpecttoomuch,Bonarreplied,“Wecanneverhopefortoomuch!”A confirmed premillennialist, Bonar enjoyed preaching about the return of

JesusChrist.Hehadaremarkableabilitytoremembernamesandfaces.Onedayheaddressedbynamealittlegirlonthestreet,andsheranhomeandannounced,“Mother,Mother,heknowsme!”HecoulddetectwhenamemberwasabsentonSundayandduringtheweek

would visit to see if there was a special problem or need. He also had amarveloussenseofhumor.Onechildcalledhim“theministerwiththelaughingface.”Onedayhe toldan invalidhewasvisiting, “Ihaveanewmedicine foryou:‘Amerryheartdoethgoodlikemedicine.’”WhenamantoldBonarhehadfelt an angel touch him during an illness, Bonar said, “Have you a cat in thehouse?Don’tyouthinkitmayhavebeenthecat?”Hebelievedinpastoralwork,particularlyvisitinginpeople’shomes.“There

isablessingrestingonvisiting,”hewrotetoapastorfriend.“Whatelseisfittedtomakeusknowthestateofourflocks?Wereitnotfortheirgoodbutonlyforourown,isnotthisdepartmentofworkmostimportant?Itisonlythuswecanknowourpeople’sspiritualstate.”Heusuallyvisitedeveryafternoonfromoneo’clocktofive,walkinggreatdistancestobringencouragementandhelptohisbelovedpeople.IthinkthegreatestvalueoftheDiaryandLifeisitsrecordofBonar’sinterior

life.Hewas able to accomplishmuchwith people in public because he spent

timewithGodinprivate.Therearescoresofreferencesinthesepagestoprayer,meditation,andself-examination.Theyalsorecordtimesofdiscouragementanddefeat,whenBonar felt hehad failed theLord andhis people.God’s choicestservants rarely evaluate their own ministries with accuracy and balance, andoftenBonarwastoohardonhimself.During theKilsythRevival of 1839–40,Bonarwrote tohis brotherHorace:

“PrayforCollace.Wehavenomorethanafewdropsasyet,andIbelieveIamtoblame.IworkmorethanIpray.”Laterhewroteinhisjournal:“Iwaslivingvery grossly, namely, laboring night and day in visiting with very littleprayerfulness. I did not see that prayer should be themain business of everyday.” Again, he wrote: “I see that prayerlessness is one of my great sins ofomission.Iamtooshort,asktoolittle,askwithtoomuchwantofforethought.Then,toolittlemeditationuponScripture.”He discovered that even his books and his literary ministry could create

problemsinhisspirituallife.“Triedthismorningspeciallytoprayagainstidolsin the shape of my books and studies. These encroach upon my directcommunionwithGod,andneedtobewatched.”AshewaswritingChristandHisChurchin theBookofPsalms,henoted inhisdiary:“IdistinctlyseenowthatSatan’schiefwayofprevailingagainstmeisbythrowinginmywayagreatdeal of half literarywork, half biblical.”When hewas preparingRutherford’sLetters, he wrote: “A piece of extra work this year has been an edition ofRutherford’s Letters, which I fear has been a snare tome, inasmuch as it hassometimesshortenedprayer,yetithasalsohelpedme.”Bonar tried to keep each Saturday evening as a time of prayer and special

preparation of his own soul for the ministry on the Lord’s Day, a practice Istronglyrecommendtopreacherstoday.Buthediscoveredthathewasespeciallyvulnerable toSatan’s attacksonSaturday evenings andMondaymornings.Heoften sought for “Saturday assurances” from God to encourage him for hisSundayministry. He observed that Christ, after a busy day ofministry, aroseearly to pray (Mark 1:35); and he tried to follow that example on Mondaymornings.In spite of his success as a pastor, preacher, and writer, Bonar often saw

himselfasafailure in thepulpit.OnDecember5,1857,hewrote inhisdiary:“GotsuchasightoftheimpotenceofmypreachingthatIfeltasifIneednevertoattemptitmore.”OnedayhereceivedspecialencouragementfromProverbs23:16,“Yea,myreinsshallrejoice,whenthylipsspeakrightthings.”Hewrote

inhisjournal,“Christlisteningtooursermons!”Bonarrealizedthathecouldnotgoonforever,nomatterhowmuchhispeople

lovedhim.ThereisadeeplytouchingentryinhisdiaryforSeptember11,1890,whenhewaseightyyearsold.

IseedistinctlythatmyLordisteachingmeto“gloryinmyinfirmities”andtobewillingtobesetaside.Myvoicefails;someofmypeople,specially theyoungerpart,goingelsewhere;myclassmelts away.Someverymortifying casesof ingratitudeson thepart of some;my influencewithbrethrenmanifestlydeclines—allthisissaying,“Hemustincrease,butImustdecrease.”

OnOctober14,acommitteemetwithhimtoarrangetocallasuccessor.“Ireadwith themNumbers27:15–18,andprayedwith thanksgiving,and thebusinesswentonpleasantly,”hewrote.“Oh, I don’t think anything about growing old,” Bonar once told D. L.

Moody’s associate,Major D.W.Whittle. But those closest to him detected agradualfailingofhisstrength,eventhoughhecontinuedinministryasmuchaspossible; andafteronly twodaysof illness,hewenthome togloryonFriday,December30,1892.EachtimeIreadBonar’sDiaryandLife,Ifindsomethingnewtoponder,orI

amremindedofsomethingIhadalreadyreadandunderlinedbuthadforgotten.His personal character has always impressed me. He was not envious at thesuccessofothers,but rejoicedatGod’sblessing,even ifhedisagreedwith themethods other men used. When many Calvinists were opposing Moody andSankey,Bonarwasprayingforthemandlaboringwiththem.MoodyinvitedhimtoministerathisNorthfieldConference,and in1881Bonar sailed toAmericaandministeredinseveralcities.LikeF.B.Meyer,HenryDrummond,andmanyotherministers of theWord, Bonarwas greatly helped by his friendshipwithMoody.I have also been impressedwithBonar’s emphasis on evangelism.He kept

twotexts(intheoriginalHebrew)inhisstudy:“Hethatwinnethsoulsiswise”(Prov.11:30)and“Foryetalittlewhile,andHethatshallcomewillcomeandwillnottarry”(Hab.2:3).WhenthechurchinFinniestonStreetmovedtoanewlocationin1878,“Hethatwinnethsoulsiswise”wascarvedinHebrewoverthefrontdoor.BonarhadaspecialburdenfortheJews,andhehopedthatthetextwouldnotonlyattractthembutalsoremindhisownpeopleoftheimportanceofwitnessing.

AlthoughBonarwascriticizedbysomeandignoredbyothers,hestucktohispremillennial interpretation of the Word and greatly advanced the study ofprophecyinGreatBritain.HeviewedtheLord’sreturnasapracticalmotivationforlifeandministry.Hisviewscloseddoorsforhim,buttheyalsoopenedmanyhearts.BonarnotedinhisdiaryonJuly5,1847,“Ihavebeenmuchimpressedwith

thesinofchoosingmytextwithoutspecialdirectionfromtheLord.Thisislikerunningwithoutbeingsent,nomessagebeinggivenme.”Healsotriedtorelateeachtexttotheneedsofhispeople.“IfeelasifIhadnotgotmysubjectfromtheLord,”hewrotein1858.“Thiswholematterhadledmetosearchintomyfeelingstowardmypeople,andIhavediscoveredthatIdonotsufficientlythinkof themindividuallyandprayfor them. . .Lord,givemea largerheartandaholiertome.”In my own preaching ministry, I have quoted some of Andrew Bonar’s

“spiritualsayings,”andIwanttoclosewithsomeofmyfavorites.

ThebestpartofallChristianworkisthatpartwhichonlyGodsees.

IftheFatherhasthekingdomreadyforus,Hewilltakecareofusontheway.

LotwouldnotgiveupChrist,buthewouldnotgiveupmuchforChrist.

Letusbeaswatchfulafterthevictoryasbeforethebattle.

GodlikestoseeHispeopleshutuptothis,thatthereisnohopebutinprayer.HereinliestheChurch’spoweragainsttheworld.

Loveisthemotiveforworking;joyisthestrengthforworking.

WehavegotmorefromPaul’sprison-housethanfromhisvisittothethirdheaven.

Hehadacardinhisstudynearthemantelpiecethatread:

Hewhohastrulyprayedhascompletedthehalfofhisstudy.

Thesinsofteachersaretheteachersofsins.

Bewareofthebadthingsofgoodmen.1

BonarwaspleasedwhentheUniversityofEdinburghgrantedhimaDoctorofDivinitydegreein1873.ButwhenhewasmadeModeratoroftheFreeChurch

Assembly,hesaid,“Alas!HowfardownourChurchhascomewhenitaskssuchasmetotakethisoffice!”“Manywantsalvation,buttheydonotwanttheSavior.”Finally,“Youneednotbeafraidoftoomuchgrace.Greatgracenevermakesa

manproud.Alittlegraceisveryapttomakeamanbepuffedup.”IhopeyouwillgetacquaintedwiththisdelightfulmanofGod—awholesome

exampleinministry,andasaintwhoencouragesustoliveintheHolyofHolieswithGod.

I

11

RobertMurrayMcCheyne1813–1843

tisnotgreattalentsGodblessessomuchasgreatlikenessestoJesus.AholyministerisanawfulweaponinthehandofGod.”ThosewordswerewrittenonOctober2,1840,byRobertMurrayMcCheyne,

pastorofSt.Peter’sChurchinDundee,Scotland.TheyaretypicalofMcCheyne,for“likeness to Jesus”was theemphasisofhis lifeandministry. “IheardyoupreachlastSabbathevening,”astrangerwrotehim,“anditpleasedGodtoblessthat sermon tomysoul. Itwasnot somuchwhatyousaid,asyourmannerofspeaking that struck me. I saw in you a beauty in holiness that I never sawbefore.”Iwonder if this “beautyofholiness” isnot amissing ingredient inministry

today.Wehearpeopleboastingthattheirpastorisagoodexpositor(andthereisnothingwrongwiththat),agoodcounselor,amanwhois“funtobewith”;werarelyhearpeoplesay,“OurpastorisaholymanofGod.”ThepeopleinDundeecouldsaythatofMcCheyne.Robert Murray McCheyne was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on May 21,

1813.Hisfamilydiscoveredearlythathewasaprecociouschild:at theageoffour,while recovering froman illness, he learned theGreek alphabet andwasable to write the letters on his slate. He entered Edinburgh University inNovember,1827,stillanunconvertedyouth.ThedeathofhisbrotherDavidin1831stirredhimdeeply,andasaresulthetrustedChrist.Thatyear,McCheyneentered theDivinityHall and dedicated himself to theministry of the gospel.Oneofhisfellowstudents,AndrewA.Bonar,becamehisclosefriend;anditisBonarwho, in 1844, publishedTheMemoirs and Remains of the Rev. RobertMurrayMcCheyne,todayrecognizedasagreatChristianclassic.He was licensed by the Presbytery (along with Andrew Bonar) on July 1,

1835; the following November he began his ministry as an assistant in thechurch at Larbert, near Stirling. From the very outset of his ministry, he

withdrewhimselfintotaldependenceupontheLord.HefedhimselfdailyontheWordofGod,andeachLord’sDaywouldsharehisspiritualnourishmentwiththe congregation. “I see amancannotbe a faithfulminister, until hepreachesChrist forChrist’ssake,”hewrote inhis journal,“untilhegivesupstriving toattractpeopletohimself,andseeksonlytoattract themtoChrist.”WewonderwhatMcCheynewould thinkof all the so-calledChristian celebritieswehavetoday—andthepeoplewhorunafterthem.On August 14, 1836, McCheyne was asked to be a candidate at a new

extensionchurchthathadopenedinMayinDundee(AndrewBonarwasalsoacandidate).ThepopulationofDundeehadgrown in recentyears tomore thanfifty thousand; and there was a desperate need for a church in the northwestcorneroftheexpandingcity.Itwouldnotbeaneasyplaceforministry,fortherewas a great deal of poverty and vice, and theminister would have over fourthousand souls in his parish. “A city given to idolatry and hardness of heart,”was the way the youthful preacher described Dundee. But then he added,“Perhaps theLordwillmake thiswilderness of chimney-tops to be green andbeautifulasthegardenoftheLord,afieldwhichtheLordhathblessed!”The church called McCheyne to be their pastor, and he was ordained and

installedonNovember24,1836.HewouldministeratSt.Peter’slessthansevenyears;hepreachedhislastsermonthereMarch12,1843,andwascalledhomeonMarch25.Butinthosefewyears,hemadeanimpactonScotlandthatisstillfelt, and that spiritual impact has continued over the years and has spreadthroughoutthechurch.ThereasonthatMcCheyne’slifeandministrycontinuetoenrichusisbecausehewasatruemanofGod.Tobeginwith,McCheynewascarefulandconsistentinhisdevotionallife.It

was his happy custom to spend time before breakfast reading the Scriptures(three chapters a day), singing hymns (he was an excellent musician), andpraying.Hefollowedthecounselofgodly,seventeenth-centuryAnglicanJeremyTaylor:“If thoumeanest toenlargethyreligion,doit ratherbyenlargingthineordinarydevotions than thyextraordinary.”This isgoodcounselfor today.FartoomanyChristiansarescurryingaroundlookingforspecialmeetings,thinkingthat extraordinary experiences will make them better Christians. In my ownministry in pastors’ conferences, I have discovered that too many ministersneglecttheirdailydevotionaltime,orhurrythroughit,sotheycangetinvolvedin“moreimportantmatters.”Another factor was McCheyne’s sincere burden for souls. He wrote to his

friend,Rev.W.C.Burns:“I feel thereare twothings it is impossible todesirewithsufficientardor—personalholiness,andthehonorofChristinthesalvationofsouls.”Earlyinhisministry,in1834,whenheheardthatasinnerhadturnedto Christ through hearing him preach, McCheyne wrote in his journal: “TheprecioustidingsthatasoulhasbeenmelteddownbythegraceoftheSavior...Lord, I thankThee thatThouhasshownme thismarvelousworking, though Iwasbutanadoringspectatorratherthananinstrument.”WhenMcCheynepreached,itwasoutofafullheartofloveforhispeople.He

lamented in his journal: “In the morning was more engaged in preparing thehead than the heart.”When his friendBonar toldMcCheyne that his text thepreviousSundayhadbeen, “Thewicked shall be turned intohell,”McCheyneasked,“Wereyouabletopreachitwithtenderness?”Heusedtopray,“GivemeThygentleSpirit,thatneitherstrivesnorcries.”Hepreparedhismessagescarefullyandwasadiligentstudent.“Beatenoil,”

heused to say, “beatenoil for the lampsof the sanctuary” (referring toExod.27:20).Hebrought into thepulpit freshmanna thathegatheredhimself inhispersonal fellowship with the Lord. No borrowed sermons, no last minuteconcoctions.His sermonswereconsidered long,but theywere fullof spiritualnutrition.Hewrotetoafriend,“Icannotsaythatmysermonsaremuchshorter,thoughIhavetriedtoshortenthem.”Hereceivedmanyinvitationstopreachandhad a difficult time refusing. In one of his last letters, he wrote, “I preachedtwenty-seventimeswhenIwasaway,intwenty-fourdifferentplaces.”McCheynedrewspiritualhelpfromthegreatsaintsofthepast.Inhisjournal

and letters, you find him mentioning such classics as The Letters of SamuelRutherford(anothersaintlyScot),TheMemoirsofHenryMartyn,TheChristianMinistrybyCharlesBridges,TheLifeandJournalofDavidBrainerd,RichardBaxter’sCall to theUnconverted, andTheWorks of Jonathan Edwards.Howmuchricherwewouldbeifwewouldrefusethebooksofthehouranddiscoveragainthebooksoftheages.BecauseofhissaintlylifeandSpirit-anointedministry,McCheynewasenvied

bysomeministersandcriticizedbyothers,buthemaintaineda lovingattitudetowardall. Infact,herejoicedat theblessingsGodgave tohisbrethren in theministry.WhileMcCheynewasonamissionarytourfortheChurchofScotlandin1839,arevivalbrokeoutinhischurchundertheministryofRev.WilliamC.Burns.Onhearingthegoodnews,McCheynewrotetoBurns:“Yourememberitwas theprayerofmyheartwhenweparted, thatyoumightbea thousandfold

moreblessedtothepeoplethanevermyministryhadbeen.”During a period of illness, he asked several ministers of different

denominations to take his place, and for this he was publicly criticized. HepublishedanopenletterintheDundeeWarder,inwhichhestatedthat

allwhoare trueservantsof theLordJesusChrist, sound in the faith,called to theministry,andownedofGodtherein,shouldloveoneanother,prayoneforanother,bidoneanotherGod-speed,ownoneanotheras fellow-soldiers, fellow-servants,andfellow-laborers in thevineyard;and,sofarasGodofferethopportunity,helponeanotherintheworkoftheministry.

HewasamanwithalargeheartandagreatloveforthepeopleofGod.McCheyne had never been a strong man, and he overtaxed himself in his

work.Once he fainted in the pulpit, and often he had to lie still for hours toencouragehispalpitatinghearttoquietdown.Hebecameillatachurchmeetingon March 13, 1843, and had to be put to bed and given constant medicalattention.Hebecamedeliriousonthetwenty-first,buteventhenwasrepeatedlyprayingorquotingScripture.OnSaturdaymorning,March25,whilehisdoctorwasstandingby,McCheyneliftedhishandasiftogiveabenediction,andthensteppedintoeternity.“Livesoastobemissed!”wasoneofhisfavoritesayings.Betweensixand

seven thousand people assembled for the funeral procession; business wasalmostatastandstillinGlasgow.HewasburiednexttoSt.Peter’sChurch,andhis grave can be visited today. I recall standing there one quiet June evening,readingtheinscriptiononthemonument.Thenwewereusheredintothevestrywhere the church officer opened a closet and brought out McChenye’s ownBible.Iamnotgiventosentiment,butImustconfessthatIwasdeeplymovedasIturnedthepagesoftheBibleandreadMcCheyne’sownannotationsinthemargins.ItwasahighandholyhourIcannotforget.Hewasonly thirtyyearsoldwhenhedied, andhehadministered less than

seven years at St. Peter’s Church; yet his ministry and influence go on (it isinteresting that two of his models in the ministry also died young: DavidBrainerd,atthirty;andHenryMartyn,atthirty-two).TheMemoirsandRemainsof the Rev. RobertMurrayMcCheyne, by his dear friendAndrewBonar, is aChristian classic that should be in every believer’s library. Get the completeBanner of Truth edition, not a condensed version, and do not speed-read thebook; read it carefully andmeditate onwhat you read. I have often turned toMcCheyneindry,disappointinghoursandhaveneverfailedtofindrefreshmentformysoul.

“TogainentirelikenesstoChrist,”hewrote,“Ioughttogetahighesteemofthehappinessofit.IampersuadedthatGod’shappinessisinseparablylinkedinwithHisholiness.”1May our happiness be in his holiness and in a growing likeness to Jesus

Christ.

I

12

F.W.Robertson1816–1853

t isAugust 3, 1841.AyoungBritish preacher is visitingGeneva, hoping torestore both his faith and his broken health. He visits the celebrated Henri

CaesarMalan,theSwissevangelicalleaderwhosefearlessministryhasarousedtheresentmentoftheestablishedchurch.Theyoungpreacheropenshishearttothemanforhetoofindshispositionintheestablishedchurchanuncomfortableone. As the two pastors discuss matters both theological and ministerial, thegodlyMalanlooksathisvisitor,shakeshishead,andannounces:“Youwillhaveasadlifeandasadministry!”Theprophecywas fulfilled.Theyoungmandied at the ageof thirty-seven,

after only thirteen years of ministry; when he died, he considered himself afailure.Nevertheless,withinafewyearsofhisdeath,hisprintedsermonsweremaking an impact on thinking Christians (and even unbelievers) that has notdiminished to thisday.He liveda sad,almost tragic life,andhisministrywasfilled with both physical and emotional pain, yet Frederick W. Robertson isknownas“thepreacher’spreacher,”andhisfailurehasturnedintosuccess.RobertsonwasbornonFebruary3,1816,inLondon.Hisfatherwasacaptain

intheRoyalArtillery,andRobertsonspenthisfirstfiveyearsatLeithFortnearEdinburgh. In 1821, Captain Robertson retired and moved the family toYorkshire,whereyoungFrederickgrewupenjoyingtheoutdoorsanddreamingof a soldier’s life. Both his father and grandfather had served gallantly in thearmy;histhreeyoungerbrothersweretofollowintheirsteps.ButnotFrederick.Thoughhepreparedhimselfandappliedforhiscommission, twoyearspassedbeforeheheardfromtheCrown.Butbeforethat,somethinginterfered.In March 1837, a neighbor introduced him to Mr. Davies, a devoted

clergymanwhoaskedRobertsonwhatheplannedtodowithhislife.Whentoldthattheyoungmanplannedtoenterthearmyandwaseventhenwaitingforhiscommission,Daviesasked,“Haveyoueverconsideredthechurch?”Robertson

replied,“No,never!Notthat!Iamnotfitforthat!”Afterfurtherconversation,RobertsonaskedDavieswhathe shoulddo; thewisepastor said, “Doasyourfather likes, and pray to God to direct your father aright.” In true militaryfashion,Robertsonfollowedhiscounsel,andCaptainRobertsondecidedthattheplace forhis sonwas thechurch.OnMay4,1837,RobertsonenteredOxford.Fivedayslaterhisarmycommissionarrived.Robertson was disappointed in Oxford. The students, having little sense of

dutyordevotion, jestedaboutsacred things; theAnglicanchurchwasseethingwithdivisionanddebate.JohnHenryNewmanwaspreachingatOxfordatthattime,andthefamousTractarianmovementthatultimatelyledNewmanbacktoRomewas getting underway.Robertson’s studieswere not too systematic, nordid he strive to win prizes. He did focus attention on the Bible, and eachmorning while shaving he tried to memorize certain portions. His biographerclaimed that Robertson memorized allof the New Testament in English andmuchofitinGreek!On leaving college he plunged into his ministerial career and on July 12,

1840,wasordainedbytheBishopofWinchester.Interestinglyenough,thetextof the ordination sermon was “Endure hardness as a good soldier of JesusChrist.”ThatwasexactlywhatRobertsonwouldhavetodoforthenextthirteenyears,andattimeshewouldbetemptedtoquit.Hisfirstsermon,givenaweeklater,wasonIsaiah55:1:“Ho,everyonethatthirsteth!”Apparently he andMr. Nicholson, the rector, got along beautifully, for the

youngmanhadamindtowork.Nicholsonwasinpoorhealth,andmanyofthepastoral responsibilities fell to his young assistant, who performed themwithsympathy and success. Unfortunately Robertson developed the bad habit of“unwise self-dissection” during that year, and the constant examination of hisspiritualconditiondidnotmakeforspiritualhealth.Hebecameoverlysensitivetohisfaultsandgraduallyovercriticalofthefaultsofothers.Helivedtoounderaself-inducedconvictionthathewasgoingtodiesoon,andthisoutlooktendedtomakehimmelancholy.His morbid attitude only made his symptoms worse. The doctors

recommendedthathetourtheContinent,andinJuly1841hesetoffforGeneva.ItwastherehemettheSwisspreacherCésarMalan.ItwasalsotherethathemetHelenDenys, daughter of aBritish nobleman; theyweremarried after a briefacquaintance.The Robertsons returned to England, and in 1842 he began hisministry at

Christchurch,Cheltenham,workingwithArchibaldBoyd,therector.Boydwaswhatwasknowninthosedaysas“apulpitgiant,”andRobertsonlearnedmuchaboutpreachingand studyingduringhis fiveyears atChristchurch.Up to thispoint Robertson had been somewhat careless about sermon preparation,sometimesleavingituntilSaturday!Nowhesawthatrealpreachingwasbornofpainstakingworkandagonizingprayerandstudy.But he had his problems in Cheltenham. To begin with, Robertson was

ministering to the wealthy, and his heart was with the poor. The city was “aresort for the lame and lazy and rich,” and Robertson had no desire to be apopular preacher to a pleasure-seeking society. But hismost difficult problemwaswith theevangelicals inCheltenham.Robertsonhimselfhadbeenbroughtupintheevangelicaltradition,buthewaspainedbythebitterness,narrowness,anddownrightmeannessthatseemedtocharacterizesomeoftheirleaders.Theirpublications seemed to thrive on name-calling, tests of orthodoxy, and thereaffirming of traditional truths in the same traditional language. WhenRobertson’spreachingdidnotcompletelyconformtotheirstandards,theybeganto shoot at him. “I standnearly alone,”hewrote, “a theological Ishmael!”Hewastooconservativefortheliberalsandtooliberalfortheconservatives.At this point, “the sudden ruin of a friendship . . . accelerated the inward

crisis,”andRobertsonwasplungedintoaspiritualconflictthatshookhimtohisveryfoundations.“It isanawfulmoment,”hewrote,“whenthesoulbegins tofind that the props onwhich it has blindly rested so long are,many of them,rotten,andbeginstosuspectthemall.”Itwashis“darknightofthesoul.”1He left hiswife and children inEngland, took a leave of absence from the

church,andheadedonceagaintotheContinent, tostrugglealonewithhimselfandhisGod.Evenhis dreams afflictedhim.Hedreamed thatmembersof thechurchweregossipingabouthimandtearingdownhiswork.Hewouldawaken,gobacktosleep,andthendreamhewasbeingreproachedforworkleftundone.Neither change of scenery nor strenuous exercise up and down themountainscouldcurehisdeepmelancholyandthepainfulconvictionthathisministrywasa failure. He returned home, resigned from the church, served as interim atanother church for twomonths, and thenmoved to Trinity Chapel, Brighton,wherehewastocarryonabraveandnobleministryforsixbriefyears.Brightonwasa fashionableseasideresortofaboutseventy thousandpeople,

one-fourthof themholidayvacationers.Therewere thirteenAnglicanchurchesinthecity,aswellasnineteenindependentchurches,aQuakermeeting,aJewish

synagogue, and a Roman Catholic church. But the churches seemed to makelittle difference in the lives of the people, who were interested primarily inpleasureandmoney.Everyweekendanewarmyofpleasure-seekersinvadedthecity from London, and the worldliness of Brighton became a burden onRobertson’sheart.He turned to thepoorand to theworkingmenof thecity, and thisupset the

richofthecongregation.Herefusedtobelabeled,andasaresulthewaslibeled.Hissermonsweretoopointed,andhedaredtonamethesinsoftherichrightinthepresenceof their servants!Anonymous letters attackedhim; someof theseevenfoundtheirwayintothelocalnewspapers.Becausehedaredtosearchintothe truth of the Bible and let the Bible open up its own message, he wascondemnedbythosewhorestedonasecondhandfaithandneverknewthe“darknightofthesoul”throughwhichhehadwonhisownconvictions.One of the main organs of criticism was The Record, published by the

evangelicalpartyofthechurch.WhenoneofhisLondonpastorfriendswrotetoTheRecordtodefendhim,Robertsonwrotetothankhimandsaid:“TheRecordhasdonemethehonortoabusemeforsometimepast,forwhichIthankthemgratefully.Godforbidtheyshouldeverpraiseme!Onenumberalonecontainedfourunscrupulous liesaboutme,onnobetter evidence than that someonehadtold them,who had been told by somebody else.”ButRobertsonwas human,andthesebarbsoftenpenetrateddeeplyintohisheart.Atingeofbitternesscreptintohispersonality,thoughhewasalwayskindtopeople—includingthosewhodifferedwithhim.In1852theyoungmenofthecongregationpresentedapublictestimonialto

theirpastor,whichhegratefullyaccepted.However,heconfessedinalettertoafriend,“Inthemidstofthehomageofacrowd,Ifeltalone,andasiffriendless.”Hesensed that theendwasnear; thephysicaldemandsofhisministrywere

too much for him, let alone the strenuous demands he made on himself insermon preparation. He suffered from splitting headaches. Often hewould sitaloneforhours,grittinghisteethandsilentlywagingwaragainstindescribablepain.Atnighthesleptwithhisheadagainst therungofachair.Therewasanabscess in his brain, and nobody could do anything about it. A group of hisfriendsraisedthemoneytoprovideanassistantforthechurch,butthevicarofBrightonrejectedthemantheychosebecauseofalong-standinggrudgebetweenthem!Robertson’s last sermon at Trinity concluded a series on 2Corinthians; the

textwas,“Finally,brethren,farewell!”Itprovedtobeprophetic.OnAugust12,1853,hewrotehislastletter;hisclosingwordswere:“Hiswillbedone!Iwritein torture.” When his physician and his wife tried to move him to a morecomfortableposition,hesaid,“Icannotbearit;letmerest.Imustdie.LetGoddoHiswork.”OnAugust15,1853,hefinishedhiscourse.Twothousandpeopleattended his funeral, and all ofBrightonwas draped inmourning. Even somewho had bitterly attacked him realized that he had taught them somethingimportant and, evenmore, that he had lived before them themessage that hepreached.One is tempted to ask, “Whywas such an effective preacher so constantly

discouragedandovershadowedbyadarkcloudoffailure?”Nodoubttherewerephysical reasons:Robertsonwasnotarobustmanandtheseedsofdeathwereworking inhisbodyyearsbeforehis friendsknew theywere there.Apastor’shealthmaynot be as important ashisdoctrine, butPauldoesnot separate thetwoin1Timothy4:6–8.“Iamimpressed,”saidPhillipsBrooksinhisLectureson Preaching, “with what seems to me the frivolous and insufficient way inwhichthehealthofthepreacherisoftentreated.”Bodilyweaknessneednotbean obstacle to a successful ministry (witness McCheyne and Brainerd, forexample), but certainly it is no advantage. ItwaswhenElijahwasweary andhungrythatheenteredthevalleyofdespairandsatunderthejunipertree.AsecondfactorinRobertson’sattitudewas,Ibelieve,disappointment.Hehad

alwayswanted to be a soldier, andwhen hewasmade aminister instead, hecontinuedtolivelikeasoldier.Hereadthe“warnews”ofhisdayeagerlyandoften imaginedhimself leadingabattalion tovictory.Heconfessed toa friendthat he could not witness militarymaneuvers without experiencing a chokingsensation. He often wore a dragoon cloak, and the emphasis on duty in hispreaching is obvious. Hewould have fled fromBrighton the first year of hisministry,hadnotasoldier’ssenseofdutykepthim there. Iamnotsuggestingthathewasnotdedicatedtotheministry,orthatheministeredinahalf-heartedway,butratherthathisconceptoftheministrywasprimarilymilitant,andinwaryou either win or lose. In ministry the victories are not always that definite;Robertson was never really able to evaluate honestly the good he was doingthroughhispreaching.Perhaps a chief causeofdepressionwashis tendency tobe a loner.Hehad

fewclosefriendsorconfidants,probablybecausehedidnotwanttobecrushedbyanotherbrokenfriendshipashehadbeeninCheltenham.Evenhiswifedoes

not seem to have entered into his ministry the way a pastor’s wife normallywould.Therearesuggestionsinhislettersthatheandhiswifedidnotagreeonchurchmatters—andthatonmorethanoneoccasionshewasright!Becausehecouldnotfindagroup thatagreedwithhimandbecausehehad

toomuchhumility tostartoneofhisown,he identifiedhimselfwithnogroupandultimatelyendedupcriticizingallofthem!Hisministeriallonelinessrobbedhimofthebalanceheneeded,bothemotionallyandspiritually.“Iwouldratherlivesolitaryonthemostdesolatecrag,”hewrote,“shivering,withallthewarmwrapsoffalsehoodstrippedoff...thansitcomfortablyonmoreinhabitedspots,whereotherswerewarmina faithwhich is true to them,butwhich is false tome.” It seems to me that his alternatives are not honest: a man can haveconvictionsandstillhavecompanions.Again,thisisthesoldierinRobertson:hewasonthedefensive,alwaysprotectinghiscitadeloftruthandneversuspectingthat others were trying to defend it too. The pastor is a lonely enough manwithoutmakingthesituationworse!What is Robertson’s contribution to our preaching today? Perhaps his “six

principles”stillhavesomethingtosaytous:(1)establishpositivetruthinsteadofonlydestroyingerror;(2)sincetruthismadeupoftwooppositepropositions,look for a doctrine large enough to include both; (3) preach suggestively, notexhaustively; (4) startwithChrist’s humanity, thenmove to his deity (Brookswouldsay,“Findtheplacewheretruthtoucheslife”);(5) truthworksfromtheinwardtotheoutward;and(6)trytofindthebasisoftrutheveninerror.Wemaynottotallyagreewithallthesepropositions,butwemustconfesstheygiveusagreatdealtothinkabout.Robertson’s weakness was in the area of systematic theology. His Oxford

training was definitely inadequate here, and even during his own personalstudiesheneverdid arrive at concrete statements of thegreat doctrinesof thefaith. Principal A.M. Fairbairnwrote: “The very incompleteness of hisworkwasthesecretofhispower.Hesaidwhatmanyhadbeenfeeling,buthedidnothelpthemanytotranslatetheirfeelingsintoarationalsubstituteforwhathesovigorously swept away.”2 It is his vagueness that attracts people of differentschools, but we must confess that this vagueness leaves the soul a bitdissatisfied.Robertsonwasnot,asisoftenclaimed,the“fatherofthetwo-pointsermon.”

He learned it fromhis beloved rector atChristchurch,ArchibaldBoyd.But itwasRobertsonwhoperfectedtheapproachandmadeitpopular.IfeelIwould

tireof itweekafterweek, aswouldmycongregation,but it isworth studyingandincorporatingintoourownkitsofhomileticaltools.BeforeyourushoutandpurchaseeverythingbyandaboutF.W.Robertson,

acquaintyourselfwiththeman.IsuggestyoustartwithThePreachingofF.W.Robertsonedited byGilbert E.Doan Jr., a volume in the excellent Preacher’sPaperbackLibrarypublishedbyFortressPress.Alongwithabriefbiographyandafinestudyofhispreachingare tenofRobertson’sbestsermons.Donot readthese sermons quickly! Read them carefully, slowly, meditatively, beginningwith “The Loneliness of Christ,” which is perhaps Robertson’s mostautobiographicalsermon.If you find yourself excited by what you read, then secure The Soul of

Frederick W. Robertson by James R. Blackwood. This is the best study ofRobertsonyouwillfind;itisbasedoncarefulscholarshipandafinesympathyfor the man. (The author is a son of the eminent Princeton professor ofhomiletics, Andrew W. Blackwood.) You may also want to read Lewis O.Brastow’sstudyofRobertsoninhisRepresentativeModernPreachers.If at this point you are still interested, then purchase StopfordA. Brooke’s

definitive Life and Letters of Frederick W. Robertson, available in severaldifferent editions. Brooke spent eight years writing this book. At times it istedious,but for themostpart itpermits thepreacher tospeakforhimself.Theauthor’smostsubjectivechapterischapter7inthefirstvolume,wheresomeofhisviewsneedtobetakenwithagrainofsalt.Ofcourse,youwillthenwanttoaddall ofRobertson’s sermons and addresses toyour library, index them, andrefer to themasyoustudy.Youwillalsowant to readasermonnowand thenjustforyourownedification.InhismonumentalAHistoryofPreaching,EdwinC.DargancalledRobertson

“one of the most pathetic and powerful figures in all the history of Englishpreaching.”3Perhapsso,butcouldwenotuseinthechurchtodayabitmoreofthe“soldierspirit”thatgivesamanthecouragetokeepministeringinspiteofthe odds?Robertson once suggested that all clergy be “forced to serve in thearmy for five years previous to ordination, tomake themmen.”Wemay notagree with this suggestion, but we do agree with Paul’s admonition—andRobertson’sordinationcharge—to“endurehardnessasagoodsoldierof JesusChrist.”

B

13

JohnCharlesRyle1816–1900

eware of divisions. One thing the children of the world can alwaysunderstand, if they do not understand doctrine; that thing is angry

quarrellingandcontroversy.Beatpeaceamongyourselves.”SowroteBishopJohnCharlesRyleinhisfarewellmessagetotheministersof

theLiverpoolDioceseonFebruary1,1900,asheclosednearlytwentyyearsoffaithfulministryamongthem.Fourmonthslater,onJune10,hedied,butheleftbehindaspirituallegacythathasenrichedbelieversandstrengthenedthechurch.TheChurchofEngland,towhichRylebelonged,wasnotaunitedpeople.For

years there had been a high-church faction that promoted ritual and alwaysseemedtobedriftingnearertoRome;abroad-churchgroupthatwastolerantofdiversereligiousemphasisbutnot tooenthusiasticfor thegospel;and then thelow-churchsegment,knownas theevangelicals. Itwasto this lattergroupthatBishopRylebelonged.Theevangelicals in theChurchofEnglandgrewoutof thegreat revivalsof

Whitefield andWesley.Convertswho left thenational church andunitedwithindependent groups were called Methodists. But those who remained in theAnglican Church and were true to their doctrinal convictions were calledevangelicals, and they were a great and glorious host. Some of the greatestgospel-preaching ministers in English church history were a part of theevangelical movement—men like William Romaine, Henry Venn, CharlesSimeon, William Grimshaw, John Fletcher, and John Newton, who wrote“AmazingGrace.”Itwasnot easy to be an evangelical in the established church.Evangelicals

would not be recognized by those in authority, and would probably not bepromotedorofferedthebetterchurches.Themajorityoftheclergyenduredthepresence of the evangelicals the way a fishing party endures gnats andmosquitoes—always hoping they will somehow go away. Evangelical clergy

werenot appointed to theboardsof various churchministries or, for themostpart, asked to preach at important church functions. But the evangelicalspracticedtheirfaithandmademonumentalcontributionstoboththechurchandthenation.Itwastheevangelicalswholedthefightagainstslavery,childlabor,poorfactoryconditions,andtheabuseofthepoorandtheinsane.Muchofwhatwevalueinmodernsociallegislation,andperhapstakeforgranted,grewoutoftheministryofWesleyandWhitefieldandtheirsuccessors.Theevangelicalsalsofoundedanumberofeffectiveorganizationstopromote

thespreadofthegospel:theChurchMissionarySociety(1799),ReligiousTractSociety (1799), British and Foreign Bible Society (1804), and several more.TheyhadaburdenforIsraelandstartedamissionboardforwitnesstotheJews.Inbothhomeandforeignmissions,theyledtheway,seekingtowinthelostandbuild new churches. They shocked their more proper brethren by daring topreachout-of-doors,asJesusandPauldid.Theyevenheldevangelisticservicesinunconsecratedbuildings.For all of this, of course, theywere criticized;buttheironlyconcernwastopleasetheirMaster,sotheykeptrighton.John Charles Ryle was bornMay 10, 1816, in Macclesfield, Cheshire, the

center of the great silk industry in Britain. The Ryle family had long beenestablished there and were quite prosperous. Several of their men, includingRyle’sfather,hadservedasmayor.Therewasastrongevangelicalelementinthefamily’s faith,goingall thewayback to1745,whenJohnWesleyhimselfhadpreachedinthatregion.AtagetwelveRyleenteredprepschool,leavingin1827toenterEaton,from

which he graduated in 1834. He then enrolled in Oxford, and in the year hegraduated (1837) he was soundly converted. His sister and cousin had beenconvertedearlierandhadwitnessedtohim.Aseriousillnessjustbeforehisfinalexaminations also gave him time to reflect on his life and consider spiritualthings.HehadattendedoneoftheparishchurchesoneSundayafternoon,butneither

thesermonnorthehymnsmadeanyimpressiononhim.Butwhenamanbegantoread thesecondScripture lessonfor theday, theWordgrippedRyle’sheart.ThepassagewasEphesians2,andwhenthereadergottoverse8,hereaditwithspecial emphasis: “For by grace are ye saved—through faith—and that not ofyourselves—it is the gift of God.” Young Ryle believed thatWord, and Godsavedhim.Inpreparation for sharinghis father’sbankingbusiness,Ryle studied law in

London, but after six months he had to return home because of ill health.However,hesoonrecoveredandenteredintobusinesswithenthusiasm.Hewasconsidered one of the most eligible bachelors in the district: young, popular,successful, and a devoted Christian. But he was afraid of women. His fatherofferedhimahouseandalargesumofmoneyifhewouldmarry,buteventheseincentivesdidnotmovehim.InJune1841,thebankfailedandthefamilylosteverything.Ryle’sfatherhad

followed some bad advice and had hired an untrustworthy manager; thecombination of the two brought ruin. The family was left with Mrs. Ryle’sdowry,somepersonalproperty,andtheirclothes.Mr.Rylespentthenexttwentyyears paying back every cent of his debt, with each member of the familyassistingineverywaypossible.EvenwhenJohnwasrectoratHelmingham,heworethreadbareclothesinordertosavemoneyandassisthisfather.Hefirmlybelievedthathisfather’sspiritualfallingawaywastherealcauseforthefailureofthebank.Before theyear1841wasover,youngJohndetermined thatGodhadcalled

himtotheministry.HewasordainedDecember12andpreachedhisfirstsermonDecember 19. He began his ministry at Exbury and then was appointed toWinchester;thesebriefexperienceshelpedpreparehimforthelongerministriesthatweretofollow.From1844to1861,heservedatHelmingham,wherehehadaratherdifficulttimewiththelordofthemanor,whotriedtorunboththetownand the church. Rylewent through the valley during those years, burying hiswifeoflessthantwoyearsin1847andhissecondwifein1860.From1861 to 1880,Ryleministered at Stradbroke, and during that time he

metandmarriedhis thirdwife.Thesewerehappieryears.Forone thing, therewasnorichlandlordthrowinghisweightaroundand,foranother,Ryle’speopleloved him and were eager to hear the Word preached. He led them in thephysicalrestorationoftheoldchurch,makingcertainthatthepulpitwasgivenitsproperplaceofprominence.Hehadtheworkmencarveonthepulpit“WoeisuntomeifIpreachnotthegospel!”Whentheworkmenhadfinished,hetookatoolandunderlinedtheword“not”withadeepgroove.In1880,JohnCharlesRylewasappointedthefirstBishopofLiverpool,anew

diocesethathadbeencarvedoutoftheChesterdiocese.Howdidithappenthatan evangelical was appointed to this important position and given theopportunity to build an evangelical ministry from the ground up? From thehumanpointofview, theappointmentmayhave justbeenapieceof religious

politics,butGodcertainlyoverruleditforthegoodofhischurch.AttheFebruary1880election,PrimeMinisterBenjaminDisraelisufferedan

overwhelming defeat at the hand of Gladstone. Disraeli was anxious that astaunchProtestantbeappointedto thenewpost,andtheleadingchurchmenofLiverpoolwerebehindhim.ThefactthatLiverpoolwasGladstone’shometownmadeDisraeli’sdecisionevenmoresignificant.Rylewasgivenaverylittletimeto consider the offer because timewasworking against them; he immediatelyaccepted, and three days before Gladstone took office all the formalities hadbeencompleted.OnMay4,OxfordUniversityconferredtheDoctorofDivinitydegreeonhim,

andonJune11hewasconsecratedasbishop.ItisdoubtfulthatRylewouldeverhave been considered for the post had he not proved himself to be a sane,spiritual evangelicalwhowaswilling to listen to those he disagreedwith andignorethosewhothrewstonesofaccusationfromthefringesofthecamp.Ryleletitbeknownfromthebeginningwherehestoodonthegreatdoctrinesofthefaith;healsomadeitclearthathewasgoingtousehisnewpositiontopromoteharmony,notconflict,inthechurch.OneofRyle’sfirsttaskswastobuildaministryinLiverpool,andthishedid,

gathering around him like-minded Christians whowanted to share the gospeland build churches. Instead of raisingmoney to construct an ornate cathedral,Ryle used the funds available to extend the church. He built ninety places ofworshipandstaffedthemwith136ministers.Heestablishedaministryof“Biblewomen” to assist the resident clergy and to take the gospel to the poor. Heorganizedministries for children and even used secular buildings for religiousservices. He was too conservative for the liberals and too liberal for theconservatives,sohewasattackedfrombothsides.Buthevaliantlycarriedonapositiveministry, neverdishonoring theSavior or diluting thedoctrinesof theReformedfaith.Beforelong,churchlifeintheLiverpooldiocesebegantotakeonanewspiritofexcitement,andGodbegantobless.Alwaysamanwithagreatheart,Rylesawnothingwrongincooperatingwith

thenonconformists, includingD.L.MoodyandIraSankeywhentheycametoLiverpoolin1883.HisfriendlyattitudetowardtheMethodistsrankledsomeofthemoreexclusiveAnglicanclergy,buttheircriticismsdidnotdisturbhim.OnFebruary1,1900,BishopRyleresignedfromhischarge.Hehadlivedto

see nearly one-fourth of the parishes in his diocese staffed by evangelicals.Whenhewasburied inLiverpool,hisoldBiblewasplaced inhishand in the

coffin.Twotextswerequotedonhisgravestone:Ephesians2:8and2Timothy4:7,whichstates,“Ihavefoughtagoodfight,Ihavefinishedmycourse,Ihavekeptthefaith.”BakerBooks has reprinted a number ofBishopRyle’s books, including his

monumentalExpositoryThoughtsontheGospels,asetthatoughttobeineveryBiblestudent’slibrary.TheBestofJ.C.Ryleisagoodsamplerforthereadernotyetacquaintedwith thisgiantof thefaith.HisbooksHoliness,TheNewBirth,andCalltoPrayerdealwithessentialsoftheChristianlife.TheTrueChristianis a collectionofRyle’s sermonsonmany subjects that relate to theChristianlife.Ryle was always a true son of the church, but he took a very definite

evangelicalinterpretationoftheThirty-NineArticlesoftheChurchofEngland.HeexplainshispositioninKnotsUnited,publishedbyJamesClarke.Banner of Truth Trust has reprintedWarnings to the Churches, a series of

addresses that focus primarily on the church and itsministry (several of thesechapters also appear in Knots United). Ryle’s biographical studies, FiveChristianLeadersandFiveEnglishReformers,arealsoavailable fromBannerofTruth.Ryle’ssuccessor,BishopChavasses,startedtheconstructionoftheLiverpool

Cathedral,withthelayingofthefoundationstonebyKingEdwardVIIin1904.QueenElizabeth II shared in the service of dedicationwhen the buildingwascompletedonOctober25,1978.Itisabeautifulsandstonebuilding,andmywifeand I visited it a few years ago. It was the south choir aisle Iwas especiallyinterestedin,forinthataisleisamonumenttothegloryofGodandinhonorofhis servant,BishopJohnCharlesRyle.However,hisgreatestmonument isnotman-made.Itisinthelivingchurch, in the livesofmenandwomenwhoeventodayaretouchedbyhisministry.“Iamfirmlypersuaded,”hewrote,“thatthereisnosystemsolife-giving,so

calculatedtoawakenthesleeping,leadontheinquiring,andbuildupthesaints,asthatsystemwhichiscalledtheevangelicalsystemofChristianity.Whereveritisfaithfullypreached,andefficientlycarriedout,andconsistentlyadornedbythelivesofitsprofessors,itisthepowerofGod....Wehavethetruth,andweneednotbeafraidtosayso.”

I

14

FannyCrosby1820–1915

believemyselfstillreallyintheprimeoflife!”wroteFrancesJaneCrosbyatthe ageof eighty-three.She lived twelvemoreyears, andwhen shediedon

February12, 1915, thenews flashed around theworld thatAmerica’s belovedcomposerofgospel songs,FannyCrosby,washomewithherLordandat lastcouldsee.Donald P. Hustad, a recognized authority on hymnology, has called Fanny

Crosby “themost prolific and significant writer of gospel songs in Americanhistory.” She wrote more than eight thousand songs, most of which are nowforgotten. But many continue to minister to God’s people: “To God Be theGlory,” “BlessedAssurance,” “PraiseHim!PraiseHim!”“Redeemed,” “Jesus,KeepMe Near the Cross,” “Rescue the Perishing,” “All theWayMy SaviorLeadsMe,”andothers.TheHopePublishingCompanyhashundredsofFannyCrosby’spoemsintheirfilesjustwaitingtobesettomusic.ShewasborninPutnamCounty,NewYork,onMarch24,1820.WhenFanny

was only six weeks old she developed a minor eye inflammation, and thedoctor’s careless treatment left her blind. “It seemed intended by the blessedProvidenceofGodthatIshouldbeblindallmylife,”shewroteinherdelightfulautobiography Fanny Crosby’s Life Story, “and I thank Him for thedispensation.” The doctor who destroyed her sight never forgave himself andmovedfromthearea,butFannyCrosbyheldnoillwilltowardhim.“IfIcouldmeethimnow,”shewrote,“Iwouldsay‘Thankyou,thankyou’—overandoveragain—formakingmeblind.”In fact, sheclaimed that if shecouldhaveher sight restored, shewouldnot

attempt it. She felt that her blindnesswasGod’s gift to her so that she couldwrite songs for his glory. “I could not havewritten thousands of hymns,” shesaid,“ifIhadbeenhinderedbythedistractionsofseeingalltheinterestingandbeautifulobjectsthatwouldhavebeenpresentedtomynotice.”

Shewroteherfirstpoemwhenshewaseightyearsold.Hereitis.

Oh,whatahappychildIam,AlthoughIcannotsee!

IamresolvedthatinthisworldContentedIwillbe.

HowmanyblessingsIenjoyThatotherpeopledon’t!

SoweeporsighbecauseI’mblind,Icannot,orIwon’t!

Fannywasgreatlyinfluencedbyhermotherandgrandmother(herfatherdiedwhenshewasveryyoung).WhenthefamilymovedtoConnecticut,aneighbor,Mrs.Hawley, read toher fromtheBibleand taughtherBiblestories. It seemsunbelievable,butbythetimeFannywastenyearsold,shecouldrecitethefirstfour books of theOldTestament and the fourGospels! She could also repeat“poemsalmostwithoutnumber.”Shesometimescomparedhermindtoawritingdesk,withlittlecompartmentsfilledwithinformationreadilyavailable.Itwasclear thatFannywouldneed formaleducation, soonMarch3,1835,

hermother tookher to the famous Institution for theBlind inNewYorkCity.She proved to be an excellent student in everything except mathematics. Inrebellionagainstthesubject,shewrotethefollowingpoem:

Iloathe,abhor,itmakesmesick,TohearthewordArithmetic!

Before long, she became the resident poet for the school, and thesuperintendentwasconcernedthatthegrowingpraisemightgotoherhead.Sohecalledher intohisofficeandgentlywarnedher tobewareofpride.HealsourgedhertousehergiftstothegloryofGod.“Hiswordswerebombshells,”shelater admitted, “but they did me an immense amount of good.” But the realbombshell fell some months later when she was instructed not to write anypoems for three months. It was a great trial to the young girl, because eventhough she did not write them down, the poems came into her mind almostunbidden.Thenastrangethinghappened.Anotedphrenologistcametovisittheschool

and offered to “read the bumps” on the heads of students and faculty. Hecorrectlyidentifiedtheleadingmathematicalgeniusintheschool,andwhenhe

cametoFannyCrosby,hesaid,“Why,hereisapoet!Givehereveryadvantagethatshecanhave;letherhearthebestbooksandconversewiththebestwriters;andshewillmakehermarkintheworld.”Thenextmorning,thesuperintendentcalledFannytohisofficeandsaid,“Youmaywriteallthepoetryyouwantto.”In1844,shepublishedherfirstbookofpoems,anditcontainedthefirsthymn

she everwrote: “AnEveningHymn.”A secondvolumeofpoems followed in1851anda third in1858. It is interesting tonote that in the1851volumeshenotedherdeclininghealthinthepreface,yetshelivedforsixty-fourmoreyears!FannyCrosby’sfamilywasagreatspiritualinfluenceinherlife,andsowas

HamiltonMurray,oneoftheinstructorsattheschool.ButitwasonNovember20, 1850, that FannyCrosby received the assurance of her salvation. She hadbeenattendingrevivalmeetingsat theBroadwayTabernacleMethodistChurchinNewYorkCity,andhadevengone to thealtar twice.But itwasduring thesingingof“Alas!AndDidMySaviorBleed?”thatGodmetherneed.“Myverysoulwasfloodedwithcelestiallight,”shesaid.“ForthefirsttimeIrealizedthatIhadbeentryingtoholdtheworldinonehandandtheLordintheother.”FannyCrosbywasmarriedin1858toAlexanderVanAlstyne,whohadalso

beenastudentat theschoolfortheblindand,likeFanny,hadtaughtthere.Hewasagiftedmusicianandaperfectpartnertothepoetess.HediedonJune18,1902.During the 1850s and early sixties, FannyCrosbywrote the lyrics tomany

popularsecularsongs,someofwhichwereevenusedinminstrelshows.Buttheturning point of her life came on February 2, 1864, when she met WilliamBradbury, thefamoushymnwriterandpublisher.“Formanyyears, Ihavebeenwantingyoutowriteforme,”hetoldher.“Iwishyouwouldbeginrightaway!”She did begin, and the result was her first gospel song, “Our Bright HomeAbove.” Little did anyone realize that God would use her to pen over eightthousandsongsinthenextfifty-oneyears.How did Fanny Crosby write her lyrics? “I never undertake a hymn,” she

explained,“withoutfirstaskingthegoodLordtobemyinspirationintheworkthatIamabouttodo.”Ithelpedhertoholdasmallbookinherhand,somethingsheoftendidwhenshelecturedorgaveconcerts.Shewouldprayandmeditateuntilshewasintherightmood,andsometimesshewouldquoteseveralhymnstoherselftoprimethepump.Thentheideaswouldcome,andshewouldwritethe song in hermind and commit it tomemory.At times, shewould have asmanyasfortydifferentsongsstoredawayinhermind.Shewouldleteachsong

liestillforafewdaysbeforedictatingittoafriend,whowouldthensenditofftothepublisher.Likemanyprolificwriters,FannyCrosbyusedvariouspseudonyms; in fact,

she used nearly two hundred. Some of them are Julia Stirling, Frank Gould,Carrie M. Wilson, Lyman Cuyler, Victoria Stewart, Maud Marion, and EllaDale.1D.L.Moody’sassociate,MajorDanielWhittle,wrotemanyhymnsunderthepseudonym“ElNathan,”sothiswasnotanuncommonpractice.WeareshockedtolearnthatFannyCrosbywaspaidanaverageofonlytwo

dollars for each of her poems, although in later years it was increased to tendollars (of course, a dollarwent further back in thosedays).But she certainlyearnedeternalrewardsthroughherministryofsong,andwetodayarethericherforherfaithfulness.FannyCrosbywasjustafewweeksawayfromherninety-fifthbirthdaywhen

shewascalledhome,ahopeshehadoftenwrittenabout inhersongs.For thefirsttime,shecouldseeand,bestofall,shecouldseeherSavior.Haveyouevernoticed how often she wrote about seeing in her lyrics? Watch for thesereferencesthenexttimeyousingaFannyCrosbysong.Perhapsthebestknownofallisthechorusof“SavedbyGrace.”

AndIshallseeHimfacetoface,Andtellthestory—Savedbygrace.

FannyCrosby’sLifeStoryhasbeenlongoutofprint(IfoundmycopyinanoldbarninRumney,NewHampshire),butyoucansecuretworecentbookstohelp you get better acquaintedwith this charming lady.FannyCrosby SpeaksAgain,editedbyDonaldP.Hustad,isacollectionof120previouslyunpublishedpoems by Fanny Crosby. The brief foreword and the pictures enhance thevolume. It is published by Hope Publishing Company. The second volume isFannyCrosbyby Bernard Ruffin (Pilgrim Press), a careful biography of thiscomposerwhomtheauthorcallsaProtestantsaint.HerHeartCanSeebyEdithL. Blumhofer is excellent. It is part of the “Library of Religious Biography”publishedbyEerdmans.It was said of another blind hymnwriter, GeorgeMatheson, that Godmade

himblindsohecouldseeclearly inotherwaysandbecomeaguide tootehrs.This same tribute could be applied to FannyCrosby,who triumphed over herhandicapandusedittothegloryofGod.

Y

15

AlexanderMaclaren1826–1910

earsago,everyScottishfatherwantedasonintheministry.DavidMaclarenwasnoexception.AgiftedlaypreacheranddedicatedChristianbusinessman inGlasgow,Maclarendidallhecould toencouragehis son.OnedayhetookhimtoseetheReverendCharlesStovel,apastorfriend.“Doyouthinktheladwouldmakeaminister?”Maclarenasked.Thepastorthoughtforawhile,thenreplied,“Well,perhapshemight.”It was a historic ecclesiastical understatement, for Alexander Maclaren

becameoneofthegreatestpreachersofthenineteenthcentury—anerathatgaveus Charles H. Spurgeon, R. W. Dale, Joseph Parker, and Henry Liddon. Hisprinted sermons are models of scholarly, yet practical, exposition. HismonumentalExpositionsofHolyScripture is an excellent homiletical tool thathas continually proved its worth ever since the first volume on Genesis waspublished in 1904. “A man who reads one of Maclaren’s sermons,” said W.Robertson Nicoll, “must either take his outline—or take another text.” Onelistenersaid,“Thismanisaprophet,andyoumusteitherlistenandswallow,orflee.”Parkersaidtherewas“nogreaterpreacherthanAlexanderMaclarenintheEnglish-speakingpulpit.”Howdidhedoit?Theanswerissimple:throughhardwork,disciplinedstudy,

andconcentrationontheoneimportantthing—preachingtheWord.Heturneddownmostspeakingandsocial invitations.Hestayedhome,didhiswork,andbuiltagreatchurch.“Ibeganmyministry,”hetoldagroupofyoungpreachers,“withthedeterminationofconcentratingallmyavailablestrengthonthework,theproperworkoftheChristianministry,thepulpit....IhavetriedtomakemyministryaministryofexpositionofScripture.”Maclarenwouldweepifhesawhow some pastors today rarely if ever preach; they prefer bringing in guestluminaries to disciplining themselves to study and preach the Word of God.

Maclaren was known to devote sixty hours to the preparation of a singlemessage.Hewasborn inGlasgow,Scotland, in1826.His fatherwas recognizedasa

capable expositorof theWord; even thoughhisbusinessoften tookhimawayfromhomefor longperiodsof time,DavidMaclarenhadagodlyinfluenceonhis son. (By theway, the family namewas originally spelled “McLaren,” butduringhisstudentdaysAlexanderchangedit.“IdonotliketheHighlandwayofspelling the name,” he wrote to his family. You will see both spellings inhomiletical literature.) After wrestling with the doctrine of election, youngAlexanderfinallyyieldedtoChristandin1840wasbaptizedintothefellowshipof the Hope Street Baptist Church. (Some books, including the biography byCarlile,incorrectlygivetheyearas1838.)The familymoved toLondon, andMaclaren enrolled inStepneyCollege in

1842. He immediately proved to be a leading student. He loved Hebrew andGreek and graduated with honors in both. All his life, Maclaren read twochapters a day in the original, one from theOld Testament and one from theNew.HedidhissermonicworkdirectlyfromtheHebrewandGreek.In 1845 he was sent to preach at a run-down church in Southampton; the

peopleweresoimpressedtheycalledhimtobetheirpastor.Aftergraduationthefollowing year he began his ministry at Portland Chapel, a church that hadsuffered greatly under an incompetent pastorwho had plunged them into debtandgiven the church a bad reputation in the community.Thebuildingneededrepair,andthechurchwasnotevensureitcouldpaythenewpastor’ssalary.“Iftheworstcomestoworst,”Maclarenwrotehome,“IshallatalleventsnothavetoreflectthatIhavekilledaflourishingplant,butonlyassistedatthefuneralofawitheredone....Thedifficultieswillkeepmebusyandpreventmyrelapsingintoidleness.”Yearslaterhetoldministerialstudents:

IthankGodthatIwasstuckdowninaquiet,little,obscureplacetobeginmyministry;forthatiswhatspoilshalfofyouyoungfellows.Yougetpitchforkedintoprominentpositionsatonce,andthenfritteryourselvesawayinallmanneroflittleengagementsthatyoucallduties...insteadofstoppingathomeandreadingyourBibles,andgettingneartoGod.IthankGodfortheearlyyearsofstruggleandobscurity.1

It isworth noting that JosephParker,G.CampbellMorgan, andCharlesH.Spurgeon all began theirministries in small places, and during those “hidden

years”laidthefoundationsfortheirfutureworks.The work at Portland Chapel prospered. Debts were paid, the building

repaired, and the district awakened to the young preacher.His hardwork andgodlylifewerepayingspiritualdividends.In1856Maclarenmarriedhiscousin,MarionMaclaren;heclaimedlaterthathisministrywouldhavebeenimpossiblewithout her. Two years later he was called to preach at Union Chapel,Manchester.Heacceptedand therebegananamazing forty-five-year term thatgavehimthename“MaclarenofManchester.”Helovednature,andyethewasplacedinthemidstofanuglymanufacturing

city.Hewasshyandretiring,yetsurroundedbythousandsofpeople.HewasastudentoftheWord,andyetthecosmopolitanpopulationthatwouldattendhischurchwouldexpecta“messageforthetimes.”Thedemandswouldbeheavy,andyethemustfindtimetostudy,meditate,andpray.History repeated itself: thechurchgrewandhad tomove intoanewedifice

thatseatednearlytwothousand.Maclarenhadchangedhislocation,butnothisdisciplines.He still refusedmost invitations and concentrated on studying theWord and feeding his people.Hewas not a visiting pastor, and he repeatedlychallengedtheadagethat“ahome-goingpastormakesachurch-goingpeople.”Heremindedministerialstudentsthattheadageistrueonlyif,whenthepeoplecometochurch,theyhearsomethingworthcomingfor.Maclaren’s natural shyness led many to think he was proud and aloof. He

rarely gave interviews to the press. His first was to Arthur Porritt, the notedChristian journalist, who tells about it in his charming book The Best IRemember:

Dr.Maclarenwas ratheranexasperatingsubject foran interviewer.Hesaid themost interestingthings,downrightindiscreetthings(whichofcourse,makethebest“copy”),buthavingsaidthemhewouldpursehislipsinaroguishwayandsay,“I’mthinkingthatthatwillnothavetogointotheinterview;you’llleaveitout,won’tyou?”2

Onevacation he had his picture taken by a local photographerwhodid notknow how famous his customerwas. The photographer put the portrait in hiswindow and was amazed at the number of people who wanted to purchasecopies—but hehaddestroyed thenegative! “Thatmanmight have toldmehewasfamous,”hecomplained,“buthedidn’tlooklikeit!”Maclarenwassimplyobeying his own admonition: “To efface one’s self is one of a preacher’s firstduties.Theheraldshouldbelostinhismessage.”

Itwasprobablyfearofbecomingapopularidolthatmotivatedhimtorefusean invitationmanywish he had accepted—the opportunity to deliver theYalelecturesonpreaching.Hewasbeggedtoaccept,buttothistoohesaidno.Surprisingly,Maclarenwashauntedallhislifebyasenseoffailure.Oftenhe

suffered “stage fright” before a service, but in the pulpit he was perfectlycontrolled.HesometimesspokeofeachSunday’sdemandsas“awoe,”andhewascertainthathissermonwasnotgoodenoughandthatthemeetingwouldbea failure.After accepting an invitation to preach at some special occasion, hewould fret about it and wonder if there were any way to escape. After themeeting he would lament that he had done poorly. Sometimes he becamedepressed,butthenhewouldsay,“Well,Ican’thelpit,Ididmybest,andthereIleaveit.”Maclaren was a perfectionist and an idealist. Hence he was never satisfied

withhisownwork.Perhaps that ishow theLordkeepsgiftedpeoplehumble,andMaclarenwasboth.Maybe there is awarninghere forpreachers: letGodevaluateyourministry,foroftenwhenwethinkwearedoingourpoorest,wearereallydoingourbest.Woetothemanwhobecomessatisfiedwithhisministry!To Maclaren, preparing messages was hard work. He often said he could

never prepare sermons while wearing slippers: he always wore his outdoorboots.Studyingwaswork,andhetookitseriously.Whenyoureadhissermons,youcanquicklytellthattheywerenot“manufactured”betweenconferencesandcommittee meetings. Maclaren was an expositor; he let the Bible do its ownpreaching.Hestudiedapassageintheoriginallanguage,meditatedonit,soughtitsdivinetruth,andthen“openeditup”insuchawaythatwewonderwhywedidn’t see it before. No artificial divisions, no forced alliteration, nothingsensational; just divine truth presented so simply that any listener (or reader)couldunderstandandapplyit.If you have not readMaclaren, startwithThe Best of AlexanderMaclaren,

editedbyGaiusGlennAtkinsandpublishedbyHarperin1949.Herearetwentyof Maclaren’s choice messages, a homiletical “sampler” that will whet yourappetite for more. Then get the three-volume series Sermons Preached inManchester. Week-day Evening Addresses, The Secret of Power, A Year’sMinistry,TheWeariedChrist,TriumphantCertainties,andTheGodoftheAmenare other titles to watch for, and there are many more. His greatest literaryachievementistheExpositionsofHolyScripture.The standardbiographiesare:AlexanderMaclaren,D.D.:TheManandHis

MessagebyJohnCharlesCarlile;Dr.McLarenofManchester:ASketchbyhiscousin and sister-in-law, E. T.McLaren,who explains the spelling of the lastname;andTheLifeofAlexanderMaclarenbyDavidWilliamson.ThereisalsoanarticleonhiminPrincesoftheChurchbyW.RobertsonNicoll.Whatwasthe“secret”ofMaclaren’sministry?Itcouldbesummarizedintwo

words:devotionanddiscipline.HewasdevotedtotheLord,andhewalkedwiththeLord.“Power for service is second,” he told theBaptistWorldCongress in 1905.

“Powerforholinessandcharacterisfirst.”Hesaidtoagroupofministers,“Thefirst,second,andthirdrequisiteforourworkispersonalgodliness;withoutthat,though I have the tongues of men and angels, I am harsh and discordant assoundingbrass,monstrousandunmusicalasatinklingcymbal.”HefedonGod’sWord—notasabookforsermons,butas thesourceofhis

spiritual lifeandpower.Hemeditated longhoursandsought tounderstand theheartandmindofGod.Whenhediscoveredatruth,hefirstappliedittohimselfand thensought thebestwaytoshare itwithhispeople.Butdevotionwithoutdisciplinecanbecomeshallowmysticism,andthispitfallMaclarenavoided.Hescheduledhis timeand saw to it that noneof itwaswasted.Heknewhow toenjoy a vacation or an evening of relaxation, but even those times wereopportunities for meditation and preparation. He did more by doing less. Heknewhowtosayno.Hedidnotfeelobligedtoattendeverymeeting,sitateverytable,orgraceeveryplatform.“ThisonethingIdo”characterizedhislifeasitoughttocharacterizeourlives

today.WemaynothaveMaclaren’sgifts,butcertainlywecanseektofollowhisexample.

T

16

J.B.Lightfoot1828–1889

heEnglishRevisedVersionoftheNewTestamentwasplacedinthehandsof theBritish people onMay 17, 1881, culminating ten years ofwork by

fifty-four outstanding scholars. Public response was predictable: this newversion, with all its announced accuracy, could never replace the AuthorizedVersionwithitsbeautyand,aboveall,familiarity.TheAnglican clergywere confused: could they legallyuse thenewversion

whenonlytheoldversionwasofficiallyauthorizedbythechurch?Themaninthestreetwascriticalandskeptical.Afterall,thetranslatorshadpromisednottodeviate toomuchfromtheKingJamesVersion,andyet theyhadmade36,000changes.Perhaps the newversionwasmore accurate, but the public preferredtradition to scholarship. PrimeMinisterWilliamGladstone stated the problemclearly:“Youwillsacrificetruthifyoudon’treadit,andyouwillsacrificethepeopleifyoudo.”ButCharlesH.Spurgeonputthefingerontherealproblem:“ItisstronginGreek,weakinEnglish.”Indeed the new version was “strong in Greek,” and one reason was the

presenceontheNewTestamentCommitteeofthe“Cambridgetriumvirate”—B.F. Westcott, F. J. A. Hort, and J. B. Lightfoot—names that still stand forscholarshipinNewTestamentstudies.Ofthethree,Lightfootwasundoubtedlythebestscholar.Infact,OwenChadwickcalledLightfoot“thegreatestscholarin the Jerusalem Chamber.”1 In his memorial essay on Bishop Lightfoot,W.Robertson Nicoll called him “pre-eminently the scholar of the Church ofEngland.”2IfyouhaveeverusedLightfoot’scommentariesonGalatians,Philippians,and

Colossians,oranyofhisstudiesonthechurchfathers,youprobablyagreewithNicoll’sconclusion.ButwhatyoumaynotknowisthatBishopLightfootwasagodlyman, a teacher of pastors, and a preacher with a burden for lost souls.“Whengoodnessisjoinedtoknowledge,itcountsformuch,”wroteNicoll,“and

when these are crowned by spiritual power, paramount influence is the result.Lightfoothadallthree.”3JosephBarber Lightfootwas born in Liverpool onApril 13, 1828.Hewas

taughtatKingEdward’sSchool,Birmingham,by thenotedJamesPrinceLee,whosepupilsseemedtocaptureeveryprizeandmoveintoplacesofinfluence,particularly in the church. Lee taught Lightfoot to love the Greek NewTestament; and the teacher saw in the pupil tremendous potential for bothChristiancharacterandscholarship.“Givehimtherunofthetownlibrary!”Leeordered.At age nineteen, Lightfoot entered Trinity College, Cambridge, where he

studiedunderWestcott.(“HewasWestcott’sbestpupil,”Hortlateradmitted.)Hecapturedseveralhonorsandprizesandseemeddestinedforateachingposition.In1854hewasordainedadeaconintheChurchofEngland,andin1858hewasordainedasapriest.ThenextyearhebecameatutoratTrinityCollege,andin1861 was named Hulsean Professor of Divinity. So popular were his NewTestamentlecturesthattheyhadtobegiveninthecollege’sgreathall.TenyearslaterhewasmadecanonofSt.Paul’s,sharingtheministrywiththegreatHenryLiddon and Dean R.W. Church. He was named LadyMargaret Professor ofDivinityin1875,anditseemedthathisministryasscholar,writer,andteacherwasestablished.Butin1879hewasappointedbishopofDurham,andthescholarhadtomake

themostcriticaldecisionofhislife.InthelastpublicmessageBishopLightfootpreached, on June 29, 1889, he confessed that he had spent a “long wakefulnight” making the decision to leave Cambridge and a life of scholarship forDurhamandalifeofadministration.HewrotetohisfriendWestcott:

AtlengthIhavesentmyanswer“Yes.”ItseemedtomethattoresistanylongerwouldbetofightagainstGod.Myconsolationandmyhopeforthefutureisthatithascostmethegreatestmoraleffort,thegreatestventureoffaithwhichIevermade.NowthattheanswerissentIintendtohavenoregretsaboutthepast.

Westcottcalledthedecision“akindofmartyrdom,”andperhapsitwas.In the months that followed, Lightfoot received letters from all kinds of

people urging him to continue his studies and writing in spite of his newministry. In a memorial sermon to Lightfoot, given on November 24, 1929,George R. Eden said: “Few men can have passed through such an agony ofchoiceasweknowhesuffered....Yetthechoicewasmade—uponhisknees,‘wrestlingwith theAngel in prayer.’” It is interesting to note thatR.W.Dale

warnedWestcottin1883:“Forgivemeforsaying—donotletthemmakeyouabishop.IdonotknowwhatDr.LightfootmayhavedoneforDurham;forthoseofuswhoareoutsidehehasdonenothingsincehiselevation.”What did the great Greek scholar do for Durham and for the Church of

England?Hisyearsasbishoparestillcalled“thegoldenageofDurham.”Westcott preached the consecration sermon (April 25, 1879) and urged the

newbishop to “choose between the important and the routine . . . and do theimportant.”Lightfootdidsogladly,delegatingroutinematters tohisassociatesand concentrating on the things only a bishop could do. Lightfoot was giftedwith the mental, physical, and spiritual equipment a man needs to make asuccessof suchahighoffice.Hehada robust constitution anda loveofhardwork.Anearlyriser,heputintwoorthreehoursofstudybeforebreakfast,andheoftenremainedathisdeskwhentherestofthestaffhadgonetobed.Hehadaremarkablememoryandcouldtellasecretarywhereaquotationwasinagivenbook,evenitslocationonthepage.DuringaholidayinNorway,hewasseencorrectingproofswhileridingina

cart on a rather precipitous road. He was a gifted linguist, fluent in French,German, Spanish, Italian, and Latin, as well as Greek; he was able to useHebrew,Syriac,Arabic,Coptic,Ethiopic,andArmenian.HeenjoyedtellingthestoryabouttheprofessorwhoisolatedseveralnewbornbabiestodiscoverwhatlanguagetheywouldspeakifnotinfluencedbyEnglish.Afterapause,Lightfootwouldsay,“ThepoorlittlechildrenspokepureHebrew.”The new bishop was a worker and an innovator, much to the surprise and

delightoftheclergyunderhisjurisdiction.Oneofhisfirstinnovationswasthe“Brotherhood.” Never married, Lightfoot each year “adopted” several youngmenwhostudiedwithhimforayearbeforetheirordination.Itwasaninternshipprogramonthehighestlevel.Butthebishopmadeitcleartoapplicantsthatthefellowshipwas“abrotherhoodinChrist,notanexclusiveassociationofcliqueor caste,” and that their unionwasbasedon“participation in a commonworkand the loving devotion to a common Master.” The bishop was their leader,teacher,example,andspiritualfather.AsonememberoftheBrotherhoodputit,“Weread,weworked,becauseLightfootwasworkingandreading.”MenintheBrotherhood—“thesonsofthehouse,”asthebishopcalledthem

—werekeptbusy.TheybreakfastedwithLightfootat7:45,at8:15wereinthechapel for morning prayers, and by 9:00 were either reading or listening tolectures. They ate lunch at 1:15, then scattered for practical ministry in the

diocese.Eachmanwasassignedadistrictwhereheworkedwithresidentclergy.The men gathered during the week to share experiences and learn from oneanother,alwaysunderthewatchfuleyeofthebishop.Astheprogramdeveloped,BishopLightfootsetasideSt.Peter’sDay(June29)foranannualreunionofthe“sonsof thehouse.” (Spurgeon followeda similarpatternwith themen inhisPastors’College.)The bishop viewed the Christian ministry highly, and he applied high

standardstohimselfbeforeheappliedthemtoothers.Hisessay“TheChristianMinistry”inhiscommentaryonPhilippiansupsetmorethanoneAnglican,whosawitasadeparturefromChurchofEnglandtradition.HisfriendCanonLiddonrequested him to withdraw the essay, but Lightfoot refused to do it. “TheChristianminister,whateverelseheis—andIshallnotenteruponcontroversialquestions—is,beforeall things,apastor,ashepherd,”saidLightfootinhislastpublicappearanceinhisdiocese.Bishop Lightfoot also blended scholarship and Christian devotion. I once

listened to an impassioned sermon by a well-known preacher on theimpossibility of being both “a soul-winner and a deep Bible student.” Theapostle Paul would have smiled at that sermon, as would Charles G. Finney,Jonathan Edwards, R. A. Torrey, Charles Spurgeon, and J. B. Lightfoot. AllGreekstudentsshouldwriteontheflyleafoftheirGreekNewTestamentthesewordsofBishopLightfoot:“Afterallissaidanddone,theonlywaytoknowtheGreekTestamentproperlyisbyprayer.”Lightfoot’s own walk with God was the secret power of his life, and his

concerntoobeyGodandhelpothersfindChristmotivatedhim.Hereorganizedhisdiocesesothatpastorswouldbeabletoreachmorepeopleandbuildmorenew churches. A great admirer of John Wesley, Lightfoot organized layevangelistswhohelpedcarrythemessagefromdistricttodistrict.Hemobilizedthewomenof thedioceseandencouragedthemtoserve in“sisterhoods”orasdeaconesses. Before long, Durham was vibrating with new power andexcitementbecauseagreatGreekscholarhadplacedhimselfandhisambitionson the altar that he might serve God. What he said to the Brotherhood, hepracticedhimself:“Yougowhereyouaresent,youworktillyoudrop.”Lightfoot is best remembered as a writer. His commentaries on Galatians,

Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon ought to be in every pastor’s library.ThesescholarlyworksarepartofaseriesthathehadprojectedwithhisfriendsWestcott and Hort. The series was not completed, but Westcott did publish

excellent commentaries on the Gospel of John, Hebrews, and the Epistles ofJohn. Lightfoot died before he could write his commentary on Ephesians tocompletethequartet.LightfootalsowrotefourarticlesforSmith’sDictionaryoftheBible (Acts,Romans,1Thessalonians,and2Thessalonians)andpublishedthedefinitiveeditionofTheApostolicFathers.Thelatterworkdemolishedtheposition of the Tübingen school that centered around F. C. Baur, theGermancritic.Moreofahistorianthanatheologian,Lightfootwasathomewithancientdocumentsandtextualproblems.When an anonymous author attacked his friend Westcott in Supernatural

Religion, Lightfoot took up his pen and wrote a series of articles for theContemporaryReviewthatpushedthebestsellingbookoffthemarket.HisfactsweresodevastatingthatthepublicrejectedSupernaturalReligion,andthebookendedupgluttingtheused-bookstores.Lightfoot’sbookOnaFreshRevisionofthe English New Testament is still available, as are several posthumouscollections:OrdinationAddresses,LeadersintheNorthernChurch,CambridgeSermons, Sermons Preached on Special Occasions, Sermons Preached in St.Paul’s,andHistoricalEssays.Lightfoot had requested that no official biography be written; however, a

memoir,BishopLightfoot,waspublishedanonymouslyin1894.HortwrotetheexcellentarticleonLightfootinTheDictionaryofNationalBiography;infact,itwasthelastthingHortwrotebeforehisdeath.LightfootofDurham:Memoriesand Appreciationswas edited by George R. Eden and F. C. Macdonald, andpublishedin1933.WestcottdidnotheedDale’swarning.Notonlydidhebecomeabishop,but

he succeeded Lightfoot atDurham.And his successorwas one of Lightfoot’sstudents, Handley C. G. Moule, also a Greek scholar and writer ofcommentaries. Durham was privileged to have men who combined academicexcellencewithspiritualfervor,resultinginabalancedministry.ThedayafterBishopLightfootdied,oneof the leadingBritishnewspapers,

theTimes,said:“HewasatonceoneofthegreatestTheologicalscholarsandaneminent Bishop. It is scarcely possible to estimate adequately as yet theinfluenceofhis life andwork.” Inpreparinghis “sons” forordination,BishopLightfootused tosay:“Forgetme,forget the[ordination]serviceof tomorrow,forgetthehumanquestioner.Transportyourselvesinthoughtfromtheinitialtothefinalinquiry.Thegreatdayofinquisition,thesuprememomentofrevelation,iscome.ThechiefShepherd,theuniversalbishopofsoulsisthequestioner....

The ‘Wilt thou’ of the ordination day is exchanged for the ‘Hast thou’ of thejudgmentday.”Thisisgoodcounselforallofus,butespeciallyforthosewhoserveasministersandwhowanttohearourMastersay,“Welldone.”

W

17

R.W.Dale1829–1895

henever John Angell James stepped into the pulpit of the Carr’s LaneCongregationalChurch inBirmingham,England, he silently prayed that

God would give him a successor who would carry on the great work of thechurch.Carr’sLanewasoneof themost influential churches inGreatBritain,andJameshadbeenitspastorforoverfiftyyears.Hehadarighttobeconcernedabouthissuccessor!HowGodprovidedthatmanisaremarkablestory.JameswroteareligiousbestsellercalledTheAnxiousInquirerAfterSalvation,

which sold some 200,000 copies within the first five years of publication. Acopy of this book fell into the hands of an assistant schoolteacher in the littlevillageofAndoverinHampshire,andthereadingofthatbookledtotheyoungman’sconversion.RobertWilliamDalewasfourteenyearsoldatthetime.Tenyears later, in 1853, he was installed as co-pastor of the famous Carr’s LaneChurch; in 1859, when James died, Dale became the sole pastor. He devotedthirty-sixyears to thatonechurch.WhenDaledied in1895, thechurchcalledthefamousJohnHenryJowetttosucceedhim,andheremainedthereuntil1911.It was during Jowett’s ministry at Carr’s Lane that A. T. Pierson made thestatementthat“Carr’sLaneisthefinestchurchintheworld.”The transitionfromJames toDalewasnoteasy,either for thechurchor for

theyoungsuccessor.JameswasCalvinisticinhisleanings,althoughhepreachedtheWordofGodandnotadoctrinalsystem.“IdonotseemtofindmuchaboutCalvinismin theBible!”heoncetoldafriendwhoaskedhimwhyhewasnotpreaching more Calvinistic sermons. When Dale began questioningunconditionalelection,totaldepravity,andlimitedatonement,someofthesaintswerehorrified.WereitnotforthefactthatJamesprivatelyintervenedandtoldhisunhappyleaderstobepatientwiththeirassociate,Daleprobablywouldhavebeen dismissed. In fact, early in his ministry as co-pastor, Dale felt he wasdefinitely out of place at Carr’s Lane. An opportunity opened in a church in

Manchester,andsomeofDale’sfriendsurgedhimtoacceptthecall;loyaltohissenior pastor, Dale laid the matter before James and asked him to make thedecision. Without hesitation, James replied, “Stay!” And Dale stayed!Subsequenteventswouldindicatethatthedecisionwasawiseone.R.W.Dalewasaperplexingcombinationofpreacher,theologian,politician,

anddenominationalleader.Mostpastorsarehappytoencouragetheirmemberstogetinvolvedinmattersofgovernmentwhiletheythemselvesconcentrateonspiritualmatters.ButDale’sconvictionsdrovehimrightintothemiddleofsomeof England’smost explosive political issues. Dale saw no difference betweenGod’sworkinginthechurchandhisworkingingovernment.Tohimtherewasno separation between the secular and the sacred. Godwas just as concernedaboutthegovernmentofBirminghamashewasthegovernmentofCarr’sLaneChurch.For thisreason,nearlyone-thirdof the750-pagebiographywrittenbyhissonisdevotedtomattersofBritishpolitics.Thoseofuswhohaveneverbeeninitiatedintothemysteriesofhomerule,parliament,andtheBritisheducationalsystemwillprobablyreadthesepagesdutifullybutnotveryprofitably.Itwasasa theologianandapreacherofdoctrine thatDaleexcelled.“Ihear

you are preaching doctrinal sermons to the congregation at Carr’s Lane,” anexperiencedpreachersaid toDaleonedaywhen theymeton thestreet.“Theywillnotstandit.”Dalereplied,“Theywillhavetostandit.”Andtheydid.FromthesedoctrinalsermonscamesomeofthebooksthathelpedmakeDaleafamousman: The Atonement, Christian Doctrine, The Living Christ and the FourGospels,andChristandtheFutureLife.HisbooksontheTenCommandments,Ephesians,andJamesarefamiliartomostwell-readpastors.There is an interesting story in connectionwith his bookTheLivingChrist

andtheFourGospels.DalewaspreparinganEastersermonwhen the truthofChrist’sphysicalresurrectionburstuponhimwithcompellingpower.“Christisalive!” he said aloud; “He is alive—alive!”He began towalk about the roomsaying to himself, “Christ is living!Christ is living!”Not only that followingEaster Sunday, but for months afterward he exulted in the theme of theresurrected Christ. He even began the practice of having a resurrection hymnsungeachSundaymorning,justtoremindthepeoplethattheywereworshipingalivingChrist.Daleworehishaircutshort,buthadafullbeardandmoustache.Someofthe

olderpeopleinhischurchwerescandalizedwhenthemoustacheappeared,andseveralevenwroteletterstothenewspapersinprotest!Theyfeltitgavehim“an

airof levityandworldliness.”There isno record thatanybodywasupsetoverhissmoking.“Foodanddrinkhecouldforegowithoutapang,”wrotehisson,“butcutofffromtobacco,hewaslittlebetterthanalostsoul.”AdarkthreadofdepressionranthroughDale’slife,andoftenhespokeof“the

strange, morbid gloominess” that he had to battle, sometimes for weeks at atime.Theseperiodsofdepressionmayhavehadtheirphysicalcauses,but it islikely that Dale’s own personal struggles with doctrine and duty were partlyresponsible.Oncehewrote,“Idonotenvythosewhowalkthroughlifewithnoquestionings, no mental struggles.” These seasons of depression would comewithoutwarningandoftenleaveassuddenlyastheycame.OnedayDalewasinadepressedmood,walkingdownaBirminghamstreet,

whenapoorladypassedhimandsaid,“Godblessyou,Dr.Dale!”Heaskedhername,butsherefusedtogiveit.“Nevermindmyname,”shesaid,“butifyoucouldonlyknowhowyouhave

mademefeelhundredsoftimes,andwhatahappyhomeyouhavegivenme—Godblessyou!”Asshehurriedawayshe seemed to take thedarkcloudwithher.Dale said,

“Themistbroke, thesunlightcame,Ibreathedthefreeairof themountainsofGod.” (Churchmembers take note: sincere appreciation is goodmedicine forfaithfulpastors.)Shortly after he became the sole pastor ofCarr’sLane,Dale began to have

sinceredoubtsaboutthetraditionalChristiandoctrinesofman’simmortalityandeternal punishment.When he attempted to preach on judgment, he found theexperience“costly.”Fifteenyearslater,in1874,hepubliclycommittedhimselftothedoctrineofannihilation—theideathatonlythosepossessingeternallifeinChristwouldliveforever.WhenMoodyandSankeycametoBirminghamin1875fortheirfirstrevival

meeting,Dale threwhimself into the effortwith enthusiasm.Years later,DaletoldG.CampbellMorganthatD.L.Moodywastheonlypreacherwhomhefelthadarighttopreachabouthell.“IneverheardMoodyrefertohellwithouttearsinhisvoice.”Manyof the clergy inBirminghamwereopposed to theMoodymeetings,somebecauseofhissimplegospelmessageandothersbecauseofhis“Americanmethods.”Morethanonepreacherpublishedratherseverecriticisms,includingArchibaldCampbellTait, thearchbishopofCanterbury.Dale rose toMoody’sdefenseandpublishedapamphletcalledTheDayofSalvation:AReplytotheLetteroftheArchbishopofCanterburyonMr.MoodyandMr.Sankey.No

doubtDaleandMoodyhadtheirowndisagreements,butthisdidnotkeepthemfrom being friends and laboring together to win souls. Dale reported that hereceivedabouttwohundrednewmembersfromthemeetings,andheconcludedyearslaterthataboutseventy-fivepercentofthem“stoodwell.”Nowforaninterestingsequeltotheseevents:nineyearslaterMoodyreturned

toBirmingham,andagainDalecooperatedwiththemeetings.ButDalethoughthedetectedachangeintheevangelistandintheconverts.Moody’semphasisin1875 had been the free grace of God, but now his emphasis seemed to berepentance“asthoughitwereadoingofpenance.”DalewrotethatMoodywas“justasearnest,asvigorous,asimpressiveasbefore.Peopleweredeeplymoved.Hundredswentintotheinquiryroomeverynight.Buttheresults,asfarasIcanlearn,havebeeninconsiderable. . . . Ihaveseennoneof theshiningfaces thatusedtocometomeafterhisformervisit.”DaledidtheChristianthingandwrotetoMoody, sharinghis convictions; the evangelist replied thatDale’s letterhad“set him a-thinking.” Whether it was Moody’s preaching or Dale’s doctrinalvantage-pointthathadchanged,wedonotknow.WhetherornotDale’stheologyisagreeable,itmustbeadmittedthatitwasa

livingrealitytohimandnotadeadabstraction.Whathebelieved,hesoughttolive—nomatterthecost.Ifhisbeliefsledhimtothelectureplatformtoopposethe state church, or into the political arena to fight for better education, hewillinglyobeyed.In1877DalewasinvitedtogivetheYalelecturesonpreaching,andthereis

every indication that hewasquite a success.His series is publishedunder theprosaic titleNineLecturesonPreaching. It isnot anexcitingbook,but it is ahelpful one. When he returned home, Dale tried to persuade Charles H.SpurgeonandAlexanderMaclarentoaccepttheinvitationtolectureatYale,butbothrefused.Spurgeon’sreplytotheinvitationwas“Isitonmyowngateandwhistlemyowntunesandamquitecontent.”Dalewasamanwholovedthecity,andthecityofBirminghaminhisdaywas

hardlytheGardenofEden.Dalecouldhavepastoredacomfortablechurchinaquiettown,buthechosetoministerinthecity.This,hefelt,wasGod’scalling.While on a European holiday in 1863 he wrote to his wife: “The Lake ofLucerne...isbeforeme—thenoblestscenery,assomethink,inallEurope;butIdeclarethatthereisnothinginthismagnificentviewwhichmakesmefeelhalfthethrillIhavesometimesfeltwhenIhavelookeddownonthesmokystreetsofBirminghamfromtherailway,asIhavereturnedtomyworkamongyouaftera

holiday.Thethoughtofhavingtodo,moreorlessdirectly,withallthatmassofhuman thought and action, which is covered with the ceaseless smoke whichhangsoverus—thethoughtthatyouandItogethermay,withGod’shelp,savemultitudes—sends theblood throughone’s veinswith the exultation andglowwhich themostmagnificentaspectsof thematerialuniversecannotcreate.” Inthisdaywhenourgreatcitiesdesperatelyneedasteadyevangelicalwitness,thiskindofexcitementisheartening.Mayhistribeincrease!In June 1893, G. Campbell Morgan began his ministry at theWestminster

RoadCongregationalChurchinBirmingham,England;amonthlaterhevisitedDr.andMrs.Dale in theirhome.Sincehewasnotagraduateofa recognizedcollege or seminary, Morgan was concerned about his “inadequatequalifications” as a pastor in the great city of Birmingham. He shared hisconcernwithDale, andDale solved theproblem immediately. “Never say thatyouareuntrained!Godhasmanywaysoftrainingmen.IpraythatyouwillhavemuchjoyinHisservice.”TwoyearslateronMarch13,1895,Dr.R.W.Daledied,bringingtoaclose

thirty-six years of ministry at Carr’s Lane. An unfinished sermon lay on hisstudy desk. The last sentence read: “—that, after our mortal years are spent,there isa larger, fuller, richer life in—.”Thesentencewasbroken,but the lifewascompleted.ThebiographyofDalewrittenbyhisson,SirA.W.W.Dale,waspublishedin

1898 byHodder and Stoughton in London.Be prepared towade through 750pagesofmaterial,someofwhich—particularlythesectionsdealingwithBritishpolitics—ispainfullydull.ButPrincipalA.M.Fairbairn’sappendixon“DaleasaTheologian”isprobablythebestanalysisofDale’sdoctrinalpositionyouwillfind anywhere. I especially like the sentence, “He ceased to be a CalvinistwithoutbecominganArminian.”Regardless of his theological classification, R. W. Dale is a man worth

knowing, especially in this day when there is a tendency for us to divorcetheology from ethics and from the practical ministries of the church. AsFairbairnput it,“It isnotsimply theheart, it is thewholeman thatmakes thetheologian.”1Perhapsweneedthiskindofwholenesstoday.

I

18

JosephParker1830–1902

f somehomiletically inclined archangelwere to permitme to select anothertimeandplaceinwhichtolive,Iimmediatelywouldasktobetransportedto

GreatBritainduringthereignofQueenVictoria.Whataparadiseforpreachers!On any given Lord’s Day you could hear Charles H. Spurgeon at theMetropolitan Tabernacle or, at the other end of the spectrum, Canon HenryLiddonatSt.Paul’s.PicktherightyearandD.L.MoodymightbeinLondonoranyoneofadozenothercities inGreatBritain;F.B.Meyerwouldbeleadingpeople into a closer walk with Christ; William Booth would be thunderingagainstthesinsofthecity;andAlexanderMaclareninManchester,R.W.DaleinBirmingham,andAlexanderWhyteinEdinburgheachwouldbeopeningtheWordtocrowdedcongregations.But if IwereinLondononaLord’sDayandhadalreadyheardSpurgeonpreach,IwouldhastentotheCityTempleandtheresitatthefeetofJosephParker,whosecongregationsweresecondinsizeonlytothoseofSpurgeon.Thatsaintlyfriendofgreatpreachers,W.RobertsonNicoll,saidofParker,“Ihaveneverheardhimpreachwithoutsaying, ‘Iwant tobeabetter man.’” The popular evangelist John McNeill called Parker “MatthewHenry up to date—the Glad-stone of the pulpit.” Without benefit of formaltraining,thissonofaNorthumbrianstonemasonministeredtheWordofGodinpower formore than fiftyyears,andhisministrycontinues today in thebooksthathehasleftus.Joseph Parker was born on April 9, 1830, at Hexham-on-Tyne,

Northumberland, and spent the first twenty-two years of his life in that town.Whilejustalad,hewasledtofaithinChristbyhisfatherandhisSundayschoolteacherwhile the three of themwerewalking home from church one summerSundaynight.He soonbegan to teach aSunday school class and to study theBiblediligently.Infact,heusedtogetupat6:00eachmorninginordertohavetime for reading, and hemetwith a localministerwho tutored him inGreek.

OneJuneafternoonin1848,hepreachedhisfirstsermon.Hestoodatthesawpitonthevillagegreenand(ashedescribedit)“brokelikeasuddenthunderstormonthatruralcalmwiththetext:‘ItshallbemoretolerableforTyreandSidonatthe judgment, than for you’ (Luke 10:14).” The assembled saints had alreadyheard two speakers, but Parker was sure God wanted him to preach; so heborrowed a New Testament from the second speaker, opened his mouth, andpreached!“Inaccompanyingmyfriendstotheplaceofmeeting,”hewrotethatsameyear,“theideaofpreachingdidnotoccurtomymind.Iwentoutahearer;Icamebackapreacher.”1In1851hemarriedAnnNesbitt,andthenextyearhewent toLondonasan

assistant to John Campbell at Whitefield’s Tabernacle. Campbell recognizedParker’sgiftsjustasreadilyashedidhislimitationsanddeterminedtoassisttheyoungmaninhisdesiretopreachthegospel.Nearlyhalfacenturylater,JosephParkerwould lay the cornerstone for the newWhitefield’sTabernacle, and hewouldbeknownasoneofthepreachinggiantsofhisday.Heremainedat thetabernacleuntilNovember8,1853,whenhebecamethe

pastoroftheBanburyCongregationalChurchinOxfordshire.Theplacewasrundown, but before long it was throbbing with activity and a new and largersanctuaryhadtobebuilt.DuringhisfiveyearsatBanbury,ParkertookcoursesattheUniversityCollegeinLondonandalsomanagedtopublishfourbooksthatmet with moderate success. He also had seven invitations to other churches,none ofwhich he accepted. “All theBanbury dayswere happy so far as theycould be made happy by friendship and love and sympathy,” he wrote in APreacher’sLife.“Averyhappylifeisthelifeofacountrypastor.”Buthewasnottoremainacountrypastor.InJuly1858,heacceptedacallto

theCavendishStreetCongregationalChurchinManchester.“Iwasnevermorecoldlyreceivedinmylife,”hesaid,describingthefirstSundayhepreachedasaguestminister.HepreachedtwoSundaysandthenwasaskedtopreacha thirdSundayinasmuchasthenextman,SamuelMartinofWestministerChapel,hadbeenforcedtocancel.Itwasawealthychurch,andthecoldnessofthepeoplein“theirGothic sepulcher” irritatedParker. “Everyman seemed to be looking atmeoverthetopofamoney-bag!”ButtheLordconquered,andParkeracceptedthecall.ThatsameyearAlexanderMaclarencametotheUnionBaptistChapelinManchester,andthetwomenweretobecomeclosefriends.In1862,ParkerwasgrantedanhonorarydoctorofdivinitydegreebytheUniversityofChicago.HepublishedfourmorebooksduringhiselevenyearsinManchesterandshared

inthewiderworkoftheCongregationalUnion.“Itneverenteredmymind that I could leaveManchester,”hewrote. “What

couldanymandesiremorethansometwothousandregularhearers,oneofthefinestbuildingsinNonconformity,andoneofthegreatestcitiesinthecountry!”ButonOctober22,1867,adeputationfromthePoultryChapelinLondonmetwithParkerandaskedhim tocomeand rescue theirwork.Thechurchhadanillustrious past. It had been founded in 1640 by that eminent divine ThomasGoodwin,meetingfirstinAnchor-Lane,ThamesStreet.Itmovedfourtimesinthenexttwocenturies,finallysettlingatPoultryinCheapside.Buttheareawaschanging,andtheministryhadtofindbothanewlocationandanewleaseonlife.ThechurchissuedaformalcalltoParkeronNovember7,1867,andonMarch

11,1868,hedeclinedthecall.ButtheyrenewedthecallonJune25,andParkergaveitseriousconsideration.ThePoultryChapelhadbeenwithoutapastorforfifteenmonths,andthesituationwasdesperate.ParkerwasveryhappywithhisManchesterministryandhadnoearthlyreasontomakeachange.Buttherewasadivinereason:theHeadofthechurchwantedhimtoministerinLondon.OnSeptember 19, 1869, Joseph Parker began thirty-three phenomenal years aspastoroftheCityTemple.HepreachedforthreeyearsintheoldPoultryChapel,then sold it and built a new auditorium at theHolbornViaduct in theCity ofLondon (London consists of twenty-eight boroughs, plus the City of LondonwheretheLordMayorandhiscouncilfunction).OnMay19,1874,thenewCityTemplewasopenedwithLindsayAlexanderofEdinburghbringingthemessagefromJohn1:16.FromthatpulpitParkerpreachedthreetimesaweek:twiceonSundays and at noon every Thursday. His Sunday congregations filled theauditorium,whichseatedthreethousand;hewouldaddressathousandormoreatthenoondayservice.WhatkindofamanwasJosephParker?HisclosefriendW.RobertsonNicoll

warnsus:“Toestimatearightapersonalitysogreat,socomplex,andsomany-sidedasthatofDr.Parker,isatasksodifficultthatIshrinkfromattemptingit.”2He then proceeds to give us the finest study on Parker that you will findanywhere!Some called Parker an egotist. The famous theologian P. T. Forsythe

remarked, “At one time I thought Dr. Parker was a good man touched withegotism;Ihavecometobelievethatheisanegotisttouchedwithgoodness.”InhischapteronParkerinTheBestIRemember,ArthurPorrittcommented:“The

judgment was harsh; but Dr. Parker always drew the lightning. Men eitherbelievedinhimimplicitlyorvotedhimaposeurandacharlatan.”3Tobeginwith,hiswasastrongpersonality.Hewasa lawuntohimself,and

nobodyinsideoroutsidehischurchdaredtoannulthatlaw.Afterthestewardstook the collection, they handed it over to him.Hemanaged all the financialaffairs of the church— and gave an accounting to nobody. When they weredesigning his new church, the architects asked himwhat style of building hewanted,andhereplied:“Anystyle!ButbuildmesuchachurchthatwhenQueenVictoria drives into the city shewill say, ‘Why,what place is that?’—and shewillbetold,‘ThatiswhereJosephParkerpreaches!’”Anegotist?Perhapsnot.Adramatist?Ineveryfiberofhisbeing!J.D.Jones

putitthiswayinhisdelightfulautobiography,ThreeScoreYearsandTen:“Hewasboisterous,sometimesperhapsbombastic,buthehaddrama,hehadpassion,hehadgenius, hehadgreat flashesof inspirationwhichmadeotherpreachersseem dull in comparison.When Parker died our greatest preacher passed.Wenevershallseehislikeagain.”4Hisphysicalappearanceimmediatelyattractedattention.“Hismassivefigure,

and his leonine head, with its shaggy locks, would have attracted attentionanywhere,” Alexander Gammie wrote in Preachers I Have Heard. “Thegleamingeyes, thesweepinggestures, theconstantlychanginginflectionofhiswonderful voice, at onemoment like a roar of thunder and the next soft as awhisper,heldanyaudiencespellbound.Andtherewasalwaystheelementoftheunexpectedinwhathesaidandhowhesaidit.”5Yet beneath Parker’s rough exterior and dramatic pose was a feeling of

inferioritythattorturedhim.Hewasnotacademicallytrained;hewasashymanwhoreallyhadfewclosefriends;hehadaconstantfearthattheweatherwouldrobhimofhishugecongregations;hefearedcriticism;helivedinperpetualfearthathewouldsayordosomethingwrong.Hedidnotbelievethatpeoplereallylovedhimorappreciatedhisministry,andhehadtobetoldoverandoveragainthathiscongregation’saffectionsforhimwererealandlasting.He lived for his wife, his preaching, and his writing; nothing else really

mattered.PerhapsParkerhimselfhasgivenusthebestpictureoftheman.Whenasmallercongregationinvitedhimtobecometheirpastor,hereplied:“Aneagledoesnotroostinasparrow’snest!”Thatiswhathewas—anecclesiasticaleagle,livinginsolitudeintheheights,surveyingGod’srevelation,anddescendingtodeliverhisoracles.Butisthereanythingwrongwitheagles?

In 1889, A. C. Dixon was in London for the International Sunday SchoolConvention, andhevisited thenotable churches.He sent this impressionbackhome:

JosephParker,attheCityTemple,issaidbysometobethepersonificationofpomposity.Hedidnotso impressus.Hehasastatelymanner,buthis thoughtsarestately.Bothof thesermonsweheard were thoroughly evangelical, and Christ was held forth with a pathos and a power thatmeltedmanyhearts.WethankedGodforJosephParker.Theonecriticismthatwecouldmakeisthatheputstoomuchcondensedthoughtintoonesermon.Itmademyheadachetofollowhimforonehour.6

Thatcriticismisnotheardmuchtoday!Joseph Parker was first and foremost a preacher, and he held the highest

possibleviewsofpreaching.OneSundayevening,September28,1884,Parkerannounced tohiscongregation thathewasplanning topreachstraight throughtheBibleandhavethesermonsstenographicallyrecordedandthenpublishedina twenty-five volume set to be called The People’s Bible (not The Speaker’sBible,asstated in20CenturiesofGreatPreaching;7TheSpeaker’sBiblewaseditedbyJamesandEdwardHastings).Forthenextsevenyears, threetimesaweek, he preached in this manner, with his publishers regularly issuing newvolumes of the sermons. InMay 1895, Parker wrote the final paragraphs forvolume25,completingwhatheconsideredtobehislifework.ThissetoughttobeinthelibraryofeveryseriouspreacheroftheWord.IthasbeenreprintedbyBakerBooksunderthetitlePreachingThroughtheBible.This is a remarkable series of sermons. His stenographer—and one of his

biographers—AlbertDawsontellsusthatParkerdidnotliketoreadwhathehadpreached, so it was left to his secretary to read the proofs. The prayers andsermons inThePeople’sBible are exactlywhat Parker spoke from his pulpit.“Thelanguageisthelanguageofthemoment,”hewroteinthatfinalvolume.8“Everymancanbest followhisownmethod. Ihavefollowedmine.”YouwillfindasmuchspiritualfoodinParker’sprayersasinhissermons,sobesuretoreadthem.Infact,readingaprayerdaily,oratthebeginningofeachLord’sDay,mightbeaprofitableexerciseforthepastor.Howwas he able to accomplish somuch?He tells us in a chapter entitled

“Retrospective”inStudies inTexts:“Ihave livedformywork.That isall. If Ihadtalkedalltheweek,IcouldnothavepreachedonSunday.Thatisall.IfIhadattended committeemeetings, immersedmyself in politics and undertaken the

generalcareoftheEmpire,mystrengthwouldhavebeenconsumed.Thatisall.Mystery there is none. I havemademy preachingworkmy delight, the veryfestivalofmysoul.Thatisall.Youngbrother,gothouanddolikewise,andGodblessthee!”9Parkerwasinhisstudyeverymorningat7:30.Hewouldreadthenewspapersandanswercorrespondenceandthendevotehimselftohisstudiesortowriting.Hewouldthentakealongwalk,usuallyonHampsteadHeath,duringwhichhemeditatedonhis texts,often talking tohimself.Hewouldput a fewnotesonpaperandpreachfromthatoutline.Earlyinhisministryhehadwrittenhis sermons in full, but he later abandoned that practice. “When I standup topreach,”heconfessed,“IhardlyeverknowthesentenceIamgoingtoutter.ThesubjectitselfIendeavortoknowwell.”HisconcernforyoungpastorsledhimtoestablishTheInstituteofHomiletics,

whichmetMondaymorningsattheCityTemple,withParkerpresiding.SomeofhisInstituteaddresses,andevaluationsofsermons,arefoundinthehelpfulsetStudies in Texts, originally published in six volumes but reissued by BakerBooksinthreevolumes.WhilenotasvaluableasThePeople’sBible,thesetisstilla treasuryofhomileticalgemsthat thehardworkingpreachercanmineforhimself.MostofParker’sotherbooks(hewroteatleastforty)havepassedfromthescene;butnomatter.Thevaluablebooksheleftbehindwillestablishhimasoneofhistory’sgreatestpreachers.Ashegrewolder,ParkerwasconcernedaboutthefutureoftheCityTemple.

After all, “what can themando that comethafter theking?” (Eccles.2:12). ItseemsthatParkerhimselfwasconfused:hetoldJ.H.Jowettthathewantedhimtobehissuccessor,andapparentlytheCityTempleofficersagreedwiththis;butParkeralsolaidhandsonR.J.Campbell,thepopularpastorofUnionChurchinBrighton.ParkerknewCampbellandfelttheyoungmanwouldcarryonthekindofministrytowhichParkerhadgivenhislife.ButParkerwaswrong.Parker died onNovember 28, 1902, andCampbellwas called. For the first

twoyearsCampbell’sministrywasexcitingandsuccessful;but thenCampbellbegan preaching his “new theology,” and the bullets began to fly. (OnetheologiancomparedCampbell’s “new theology” toabadphotograph—under-developed and over-exposed!) Along with his liberal views of the Bible,Campbellhadsocialisticconvictionsthatdidnotimpresshiscongregation,andultimatelyhehadtoleavethechurch.In1916hewasordainedintheChurchofEngland,anact thatwouldhavestunnedParker.ForwhenParkerhadstoodinthepulpitreadinghiswife’sburialcertificate,heburstintotearswhenhegotto

the part about her being buried in “unconsecrated ground.” Parker had saidduringhisministry,“ShouldatimeevercomewhenanymessageotherthanthepuregospelofChrist shouldgo forth from thispulpit, let ‘Ichabod’bewrittenacross the portals!”DuringCampbell’sministry, some brave soul did actuallypaint“Ichabod”inlivingcoloragainstthegreystonefacadeofthechurch!“In my judgment,” wrote Parker seven years before he died, “the only

preachingthatcandoprofoundandlastinggoodmustbebiblical....Anypulpitthat founds itself on personal invention, cleverness, ingenuity, audacity oraffectedoriginalitywillmostsurelycover itselfwithhumiliationandpass intomeritedoblivion.”Inhisautobiography,APreacher’sLife,hewrote,“Ibelievein the permanence of the institution of preaching.” For this reason, today’spreachers would do well to read Joseph Parker and get acquainted withpreachingthatnotonlymeetstheneedsofthetimes,butstandsabovethetimesbecauseitisfoundedontheWordofGod.

A

19

J.HudsonTaylor1832–1905

Presbyterian moderator in a Melbourne, Australia, church used all hiseloquence to introduce the visitingmissionary speaker, finally presenting

him to the congregation as “our illustrious guest.” He was not prepared forJamesHudsonTaylor’sfirstsentence:“Dearfriends,IamthelittleservantofanillustriousMaster.”Nearly twentyyearsbefore,HudsonTaylorhadwritten in an editorial: “All

God’sgiantshavebeenweakmen,whodidgreat things forGodbecause theyreckonedonHisbeingwiththem.”Ashelookedathimself,HudsonTaylorsawnothingbutweakness;butasgenerationsofChristianshavestudiedTaylor’slife,theyhavebecomeacquaintedwithamanwhodaredtobelievetheWordofGodand,byfaith,carriedthegospeltoinlandChina—andsawGodworkwonders!“Wantof trust isat the rootofalmostalloursinsandallourweaknesses,”hewroteinthatsameeditorial,“andhowshallweescapeitbutbylookingtoHimandobservingHisfaithfulness.ThemanwhoholdsGod’sfaithfulnesswillnotbefoolhardyorreckless,buthewillbereadyforeveryemergency.”HowHudsonTaylorbecameamanoffaith isastorythateveryChristian—

andeveryChristianworker inparticular—ought toknowwell,because in thatstoryisthekindofspiritualencouragementthatweneedinthesedifficultdays.Begin by readingHudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret, written by his son and

daughter-in-law,Howard andMaryTaylor. It is available in several paperbackeditions, although a cloth edition may still be available from the OverseasMissionaryFellowship,formerlyknownastheChinaInlandMission.Youmaywanttoreadthebooktwice—itisnotlongordifficult—andthensecuretheone-volume biography of Taylor by the same authors. The China InlandMissionpublishedabeautifulcentennialeditionin1965,butitisdifficulttosecurenow.Fortunately,MoodyPresshasreprinteditinpaperbackwiththetitleGod’sManinChina. This one-volume biography is a careful abridgement of a definitive

two-volumework—HudsonTaylor inEarly Years andHudson Taylor and theChina Inland Mission. If I were teaching a pastoral theology course in aseminary,IwouldrequiremystudentstoreadthesetwobookstodiscoverhowGodbuildsamanandthenusesthatmantobuildawork.Itisunfortunatethatthissetisnowoutofprint.Theabridgementgivesusalltheimportantmaterialwe need, but the larger work includes sidelights and details that delight anyreaderinterestedinlivinghistory.James Hudson Taylor was born on May 21, 1832, in Barnsley, Yorkshire,

England.Taylor’sparentsweregodlypeoplewhohaddedicatedtheirfirstborntotheLord,fortheirheart’sdesirewasthattheirsonserveChrist.Evenwhilestilla child of four or five,HudsonTaylor showed a concern for the “heathen” inforeignlands.“WhenIamaman,”hewouldtellvisitorsinthehome,“Imeantobe a missionary and go to China.” His father was a chemist (Americantranslation:druggist)bytradeandwasveryactiveasaMethodistpreacherinhisdistrict.OftenthelocalpastorswouldgatherattheTaylortabletodiscusstheirwork,andyoungHudsonwouldlistenwithkeeninterest.“Iusedtolovetohearthemtalk,”herecalledyearslater.“Theology,sermons,politics,theLord’sworkat home and abroad, all were discussed with so much earnestness andintelligence.Itmadeagreatimpressionuponusaschildren.”Hehadjustturnedseventeenwhenhewasconverted,andashorttimelaterhe

felt a call to Christian service. He had experienced most of the trials andtemptations of youth, and the tugging of theHoly Spirit on his heart; but forsome reason he had resisted the call ofGod. The story of his conversion hasoften been told, but it is one that getsmorewonderful with each telling. Hismotherhadlefthimhomealonewhileshevisitedafriendnearlyahundredmilesaway.ImpressedbytheSpirittoprayforherson,sheleftthetable,wenttoherroom, locked thedoor, andprayed for hours until she sensed in her heart thatyoungHudsonhadtrustedChrist.Backathome,Hudsonhadfoundatractinhisfather’s library and was reading it primarily for the interesting stories that itmightcontain.Whilehewasreading,hewasstruckbythephrase“thefinishedworkofChrist.”ImmediatelythewordsofScriptureleapedintohismind:“Itisfinished!”He said to himself, “If thewholeworkwas finished and thewholedebt paid, what is there left for me to do?” He fell to his knees and yieldedhimselftoChrist;andwhenhismotherreturnedhometwoweekslater,shetoldhimshealreadyknew!MostpeopleforgetthatTaylorwastrainedinmedicine,anditwasduringhis

student days that he learned to trust God for every need. He realized that hecould not leaveEngland for some foreign land if he had not learned to proveGodathome.HowhetrustedGodforfinances,notonlyforhimselfbutalsoforothers; how hewasmiraculously spared after being infected in the dissectingroom;andhowhegrew inhisexerciseof faithareall told in thebiographies,andwhatexcitingchapterstheyare!YoufeelasifyouarerevisitingthebookofActs.AtthispointTaylor’slifetakesonspecialinterestfortheChristianworker,for

it iseasytosee thatTaylorpermittedGodtopreparehimfor theworkhewascallinghimtodo.Itisforthisreasonthathisbiographershavedevotedanentirevolumeofover fivehundredpages to these first twenty-eightyearsofhis life,hisyearsofpreparation.TheysayintheintroductiontoHudsonTaylorinEarlyYears:

Atfirstsightitmightappeartosomethattodevotenotlessthanhalfofthebiographyofonewhodidagreatdealofpublicwork,toadescriptionofhispreparationforthatwork,evidencessomelackofthesenseofdueproportion.Theauthorswerefullyalivetothisaspectofthesubject;butastheystudiedandponderedoverthematerialsat theirdisposal, itwasimpresseduponthem,withgrowingforce,thattheexperienceandthecareerofMr.TaylorfurnishedanotableillustrationofthetruththatwhenGodraisesupamanforspecialserviceHefirstworksinthatmantheprincipleswhichlateronare,throughhislaborsandinfluence,tobethemeansofwidespreadblessingtotheChurchandtotheworld.1

Weneedthisemphasistoday.Wehavetoomany“celebrities”andnotenoughservants—“nine-daywonders” thatmay flash across the scene for a time andthendisappear.BeforeGodworksthroughus,heworksinus,becausetheworkthat we do is the outgrowth of the life that we live. Jesus spent thirty yearspreparingforthreeyearsofministry!Thestatementmayhavebecomeacliché,butitisstilltruethat“Godpreparesusforwhatheispreparingforus.”OnSeptember19,1853,HudsonTaylorsailedforChinaasarepresentativeof

the Chinese Evangelization Society; even on the ship he had opportunity towitnessforChristandtotrustGodformiracles.Atonestageofthevoyagetheship lost itswindandbegan todrift towardadangerous reef.Taylorand threeotherChristiansonboardprayedearnestlyforGod’shelp,andafterabrieftimeofprayer,TaylorwasconvincedinhisheartthatGodhadanswered.Hewentondeck and suggested to the first officer (“a godlessman”) that he let down themainsail andmake ready for thewind.Themancursedand refused to act.Atthatpointthecornerofthetopmostsailbegantotremble,andTaylorurgedthe

mantomovequickly.Beforelong,astrongwindbegantoblowandtheshipwasonitsway!From the very outset of his ministry in China, Hudson Taylor preferred to

workindependently.Hehadnoparticulardenominationalconnections,yetwasfriendly with all who professed to know Christ. (His own convictions wereBaptist.)Hedidmedicalworkbutwasnotadoctor;hedidpastoralworkbutwasnot ordained.His life of discipline and sacrifice distinguished him among themissionaries. This does not mean that he rejected those who worked in thetraditionalways. Itwas just thathepreferredan independentministry that lefthimfreetofollowGod’sleadingwithoutconsultingtheplansofmen.ItwasthiskindofdevotiontoChristthatledhimtoresignfromtheChineseEvangelizationSocietyinJune1857.Eightyearslater,onJune27,1865,heofficiallyfoundedtheChinaInlandMission.On January 20, 1858, Hudson TaylormarriedMaria J. Dyer in China, and

theirromanceisalovestorythatnofictionwritercouldconcoct!Foradetailedaccount readHudsonTaylor andMariaby JohnPollock.Pollock claimed thattheofficialbiographyerrsintheorderofeventsrelatingtoHudson’scourtingofMissDyer,suggestingthatthemissionary’smemoryfailedhimwhenhetoldhisdaughter-in-lawthestoryyearslater.2But therealbombshell in thePollockbook ishisclaimthat in1869,during

thedarkesthoursofthemission,HudsonTaylorwassodiscouragedthathewastemptedtoendhisownlife!“MariastoodbetweenHudsonandsuicide,”statedPollock.3IonceaskedaveteranCIMmissionaryabout this,andheclaimeditwas probably a misunderstanding. Pollock’s source, he added, is “anunpublishednoteintheTaylorpapers.”EvenifHudsonTaylordidexpress thiskind of despair, two things are true: greatermen than he have done the same(MosesandElijah,forexample);andheexpresseditonlybeforeheexperienced“theexchangedlife.”Infact,itwasthevalleyexperienceoftheYanchowriotsthatpreparedthewayforhislife-changingmeetingwithChrist.There is no need forme to retell the story; you have it inHudson Taylor’s

SpiritualSecret.OnSaturday,September 4, 1869,Taylor read in a letter frommissionary John McCarthy about the new freedom that had come intoMcCarthy’slife.“Notastrivingtohavefaith,”McCarthywrote,“butalookingoff totheFaithfulOneseemsallweneed;arestingintheLovedOneentirely,for time and for eternity.” “As I read,” said Taylor, “I saw it all. I looked toJesus,andwhenIsaw—oh,howjoyflowed!”The“theologyofthedeeperlife”

isdisturbing tosomepeople,and for this reason theyavoid it;but forHudsonTaylor “the exchanged life”was as simple and as real as salvation itself. Hisassociates noticed the difference: he had a new power inministry and a newpoise in facing the problems of themission. “He cast everything onGod in anew way, and gave more time to prayer,” wrote one co-laborer. “Instead ofworkinglateatnight,bebegantogotobedearlier,risingat5:00togivetimetoBiblestudyandprayer.” Icannoturgeyouenough to read thewholestory foryourselfandthentakeittoheart.OneofthebyproductsofreadingTaylor’slifeistheintroductionyoureceive

tosomanywell-knownChristianswho,inonewayoranother,playedapartinhis lifeandministry.For instance,D.L.Moodywason theplatformwhen, in1872, Taylor gave the opening address at the “Mildmay” conference for thedeeperlife.The Student Volunteer Movement that grew out of Moody’s Northfield

ministry attracted Taylor tremendously. When he came to America in 1888,TaylorspokeatNorthfieldandMoodyhadtoarrangeextrameetingstoallowthestudents to get themost out of Taylor’sministry. Of course the story of “theCambridge seven” had reached North America, and it is possible that thededication of these youngmenwas one of the seeds that helped to bring theStudentVolunteerMovementintofruition.ThereislittlequestionthatMoody’sministry inEngland assisted the progress of foreignmissions in a tremendousway,andtheChinaInlandMissionprofitedfromthis.MoodyandTaylor,ofcourse,woulddisagreeon thematterof financing the

Lord’s work. Both of them believed in prayer and trusting God, but Taylorrefrainedfromaskinganybodyforsupport.“Whenourworkbecomesabeggingwork, it dies,” said Taylor. Moody, on the other hand, was bold in askingChristians for financial support and raisedhuge sums forChristian enterprisesbothintheUnitedStatesandGreatBritain.WhilehegreatlyadmiredmenlikeHudsonTaylorandGeorgeMüller,Moodyfeltthathisownministriesoperatedbyfaithjustasmuchasdidtheirs.Healsofeltthat,sincereastheywere,theiremphasis on “making no appeals”was in itself an appeal. ThankGod for thevarietyofmenHeuses,andthankGodformenwhocandisagreewithoutbeingdisagreeable!YoualsowillmeetotherevangelicalnotablesasyoureadthelifeofHudson

Taylor: F. B. Meyer (who was deeply moved by the Cambridge seven); H.GrattanGuinness, theBritish evangelist andBible teacher (his daughterMary

Geraldine married Hudson Taylor’s son, Howard, and helped him write thebiography);HowardKelly;W.J.Erdman;andmanyothers.IwasinterestedtodiscoverthatthefounderoftheScandinavianAllianceMission,FredrikFranson,wasgreatlyinfluencedbybothMoodyandTaylor.Taylor’spamphletToEveryCreaturestirredthisSwedishevangelisttoformtheSwedishAllianceMission.Taylor’s principlesofministrymaynot be agreeable to everybody, but they

arecertainlyworthconsidering.Heistheoriginator,asfarasIknow,oftheoft-quoted statement “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’ssupplies.”4“Andwhatdoesgoingintodebtreallymean?”heasked.“ItmeansthatGodhasnotsuppliedyourneed....Ifwecanonlywaitrightuptothetime,Godcannotlie,Godcannotforget:Heispledgedtosupplyallourneed.”5Itwasalso a principle of his to promote missions and not simply the work of hismission alone. “We do not need to saymuch about theCIM,” hewrote. “Letpeople see God working, let God be glorified, let believers be made holier,happier,broughtnearertoHimandtheywillnotneedtobeaskedtohelp.”6Inthisdaywhen toomanymenand theirministriesareglorifiedandwhensomeChristianenterpriseshavebeen fiscally irresponsible,perhapsHudsonTaylor’scounselisappropriate.Hiswordabouttrialsisalsoneeded:“Wemightbeliftedup,perhaps,orlosespirituallifeandpower,ifsuccesswereunaccompaniedbydiscipline.”7After you have become acquainted with James Hudson Taylor through the

bookswritten abouthim, start reading the bookswrittenbyhim. TheMoodyColportage series used to carry Union and Communion, Taylor’s devotionalcommentaryontheSongofSolomon(writtenwhilehewascourtingMaria!)andA Retrospect, his personal recollections. In 1931, the China Inland MissionpublishedHudsonTaylor’sLegacy,aseriesofdevotionalmessages takenfromTaylor’s various articles and editorials originally published in the mission’smagazine.ThisbookwaseditedbyMarshallBroomhall,whoseancestorswereapartoftheCIMministryfromthebeginning.Thebookisespeciallyvaluableinthat it presents, in his ownwords, Taylor’s basic philosophy ofmissions andministry.Thesethreebooksareworthaddingtoyourlibrary.OneofTaylor’scloseassociates,J.W.Stevenson,wroteofhim,“Oh,hiswas

alifethatstoodlookinginto!”Isuggestyoudomorethan“lookinto”hislife.IsuggestyougettoknowHudsonTaylorintimately;forwhenyoudo,ifyouareopenatalltoGod’struth,theHolySpiritwilldosomethingfreshandlastinginyour heart. For the Christian seeking faith in troubled times, for the servant

thirstingforfreshpower,fortheworkerlongingtoknowhowtobuildforGod,thelifeofJamesHudsonTaylorcanpointthewaytoChrist—thefinalanswertoeveryneed.TaylordiedonJune3,1905,duringhislastvisittoChina,andhewasburied

inthatlandwhosepeoplehelovedsodearly.Butthankstotheprintedpage,“hebeingdeadyetspeaketh.”

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20

CharlesH.Spurgeon1834–1892

erhapsoneof thehighestcomplimentsanyonecouldpayapreacherwouldbe to say that he preaches like Spurgeon. It would be nigh impossible to

locatemanypeople todaywhoactuallyheardCharlesH.Spurgeonpreach (hediedonJanuary31,1892),butthecomplimentisvalidjustthesame.Spurgeonwasawonderinhisownday,andheisstillawondertoday.When

thesermonsofothermenarecoveredwithdust,Spurgeon’swillstillberead—andpreached!ButSpurgeonthemanalsoneedstobediscoveredbyeachnewgenerationofpreachers,andperhapsrediscoveredbysomeofuswhofirstmethimyears ago. “Sell all that you have . . . and buySpurgeon!”wroteHelmutThielicke in his Encounter with Spurgeon, and with this counsel we heartilyagree.CharlesHaddon Spurgeonwas amany-sided individual.You find his name

appearing in almost every book that touches upon the religious scene inVictorianEngland.Justthinkoftheyearsspannedbyhisministry.Intheyearhewas called to New Park Street Chapel, the CrimeanWar began. The year heopened the greatMetropolitan Tabernacle, theUnited StatesCivilWar began.Whilehewasministering,KarlMarxwrotehisTheCommunistManifestoandCharles Darwin his Origin of Species. He was contemporary with PhillipsBrooks,AlexanderWhyte,D.L.Moody,F.B.Meyer,AlexanderMaclaren,R.W.Dale (whose theology he criticized), and Joseph Parker. To get acquaintedwithSpurgeonistobecomefamiliarwithoneofthegreatesterasofpreachinginthehistoryofthechurch.I suggest you begin withC. H. Spurgeon byW. Y. Fullerton. Published in

1920,thisbookhasthevalueofhavingbeenwrittenbyonewhowasclosetothegreatpreacher.Infact,from1879to1893FullertonservedasoneofSpurgeon’sassistantsat the tabernacle,andoftenpreachedwhenhewasaway.Forseveralyears Fullerton edited Spurgeon’s sermons for publication each week and

becamesoimbuedwiththegreatpreacher’sstylethatitisalmostimpossibletodetect where Spurgeon leaves off and his assistant begins! While Fullertonnaturally wrote with great admiration for Spurgeon, this did not preventFullerton fromgentlydisagreeingwithhishero. It is adelightful, informative,andevenaninspiringbook;itbearsreadingandrereading.Hisfinalparagraphisamasterpiece:“Tomeheismasterandfriend.Ihaveneitherknownnorheardofanyother,inmytime,somany-sided,socommanding,sosimple,sohumble,soselfless,soentirelyChrist’sman.ProudlyIstandatthesalute!”Now that you have the broad landscape of Spurgeon before you, you can

obtainhisautobiography,publishedbyBannerofTruthintwovolumesentitledSpurgeon.Theoriginalautobiographywaspublishedseriallybetween1897and1900 and was compiled from his letters and records by his wife and privatesecretary.Thesefourvolumesarenoteasytosecure,sowearegratefulforthisnewtwo-volumeedition.Itisnotidenticaltotheoriginalautobiographyinthatsome extraneous material has been omitted—primarily sermon outlines,newspaper quotations, and unimportant letters. But in two respects the newedition is superior: the editors have rearranged some sections to give greatercontinuity,andhaveaddedhelpfulfootnotes.Thebeautifulthingaboutthesetwolargevolumesofmorethanonethousandpagesisthis:youcanreadachapteratasittingand,beforeyouknowit,completethebook!Theyareperfecttokeeponyourbedside tableor near your favorite easy chair.Spurgeonwrote just as hepreached—inclearAnglo-SaxonEnglish—andhislatesteditorshavenottriedtoimproveuponhisstyle.ItmayshockyoutodiscoverthatSpurgeonwasnotonlyapreacher;hewasa

fighter!HeboldlypreachedthetruthashesawitinScripture,andifhissermonshurtsomeindividualorgroups,hedidnotapologize.“Somethingsaretrueandsomethingsarefalse—Iregardthatasanaxiom,”hesaidinoneofhisfamouslectures to his students. “But there are many persons who evidently do notbelieveit....Wehaveafixedfaithtopreach,mybrethren,andwearesentforthwith a definitemessage fromGod.” However, he warned his young students,“Don’t go about the world with your fist doubled up for fighting, carrying atheologicalrevolverinthelegofyourtrousers.”Hepracticedwhathepreached,butwhenhispreachingdid lead tocontroversy,hewasnotone to retreat.Thebest study of this aspect of Spurgeon’s ministry is The Forgotten Spurgeon,writtenbyIainMurray.Inninecarefullydocumentedchapters,theauthortakesus through Spurgeon’s battles over baptismal regeneration, Arminianism, andliberalismintheBaptistUnion.

Spurgeon preached no diluted gospel, andwhen he heard othermen preachthatway,heheardacalltoarms.Hisfirstdeclarationofwarcameshortlyafterhebeganpublishinghisweeklysermonsin1855.HisCalvinistictheologyupsetsomeofthebrethren:hewasnotCalvinisticenoughforonegroupandhewastoo Calvinistic for another. The controversy raged in the pages of religiouspublications,withsomewritersevenquestioningSpurgeon’sconversion!“Iamnotveryeasilyputdown,”Spurgeonwrotetoafriend.“IgorightonandcarefornomanonGod’searth.”The second controversy grew out of the sermon against baptismal

regeneration,whichwaspreachedat the tabernacleon June5,1864.1His textwas Mark 16:15–16. Spurgeon was sure that the message would completelydestroytheministryofhisprintedsermons,but just theoppositeoccurred.Hispublishers sold over a quarter of a million copies! Fullerton stated that a“blizzardofpamphletsandsermons”sweptdownuponthechurchesasaresultofthisonemessageandthatSpurgeonseemedtoenjoyit!“Ihearyouareinhotwater,”afriendsaidtohim.“Oh,no,”Spurgeonreplied.“Itistheotherfellowswhoareinhotwater.Iam

thestoker,themanwhomakesthewaterboil.”OfcourseSpurgeonwasaimingatsomethingmuchlargerthanthedoctrineof

baptismal regeneration. He was concerned about the growing influence ofRomanism in England, and he was bold to say so. This was the Puritan inSpurgeon, fighting for biblical truth and making any sacrifice necessary todefendthedoctrinesofGod’sgrace.Spurgeon’sthirdcontroversywasperhapsthemostpainfulforhimbecauseit

touched the fellowship of the brethren in the Baptist Union. In 1887 hepublished, inhisSwordandTrowelmagazine, severalarticlesdealingwith thegrowing heresy in Baptist churches. The first two articles were called “TheDown-Grade,” and this led to the popular identification of the battle as the“down-grade controversy.” “It now becomes a serious question,” Spurgeonwrote,“howfarthosewhoabidebythefaithoncedeliveredtothesaintsshouldfraternizewiththosewhohaveturnedasidetoanothergospel.Christianlovehasitsclaims,anddivisionsaretobeshunnedasgrievousevils;buthowfararewejustifiedinbeinginconfederacywiththosewhoaredepartingfromthetruth?”OnOctober28,1887(FullertonsaidOctober8,but this isanerror),Spurgeonwithdrew from theBaptistUnion.2 “Fellowshipwith known and vital error isparticipationinsin,”hewroteintheNovemberSwordandTrowel.Hisdecision

wasfinalanditwaspublic;nowtheBaptistUnionhadtoact.Whattheydidandhow theydid it isbeautifully recorded inMurray’sbook, and it stands (inmyopinion)asasorryindictmentofagroupofmenwhoshouldhaveknownbetter.FullertonbelievedthatSpurgeonhimselfshouldhavecometotheBaptistUnionassembly,butsincehehadalreadyresigned,thiswouldhavebeenimpossible.AlexanderMaclarenwasoneoffourpastorsassignedtomeetwithSpurgeon,

but he kept himself completely out of the matter. We wonder why. AfterSpurgeon’s death, theBaptistUnion put in the entrance to its headquarters animposingstatueofSpurgeon!Butlet’sturnfromthesedisappointingeventsandconsidersomeotherfacets

ofthisman’samazinglifeandministry.ItiswellknownthatSpurgeonsmoked,although it must be admitted that many famous British preachers smoked. (Ihave been told by onewho ought to know that CampbellMorgan smoked asmanyaseightcigarsaday!AndR.W.Dalesaidthathecouldgetalongwithoutfood more easily than without his tobacco.) Once Spurgeon was gentlyreprimanded for his smoking by aMethodist preacher. “If I ever findmyselfsmokingtoexcess,IpromiseIshallquitentirely,”Spurgeonsaid.“Whatwouldyoucallsmokingtoexcess?”themanasked.“Why,smokingtwocigarsatthesametime!”wastheanswer.In Echoes and Memories, Bramwell Booth’s interesting book of

reminiscences, this son of the founder of the Salvation Army mentionedSpurgeon’shabitofsmoking.ScheduledtopreachataSalvationArmymeeting,Spurgeonarrived“inafinecarriage,smokingacigar.Hisremarkthathesmokedto the honor and glory ofGod is one of those oft-quoted sayingswhich havedoneinfiniteharmtotheworld,puttingintothemouthofmanyayouthnotonlyapoisonousweedbutaflippantandirreligiousapology.”3Strange to say,while Spurgeon saw no harm in tobacco, he did oppose the

theater. In fact, it was this (among other things) that precipitated his famous“open-letter”controversywiththefamousJosephParker,eloquentpastoroftheCity Temple in London. Parker’s congregation was second in size only toSpurgeon’s, but his ecclesiastical circle was much wider and much morediversified. Spurgeon had been preaching in London for fifteen years whenParker came toPoultryChapel (which later became the famousCityTemple),and the men were on good terms. They exchanged pulpits and on occasionpreachedinsupportofvariousChristianenterprisesinthecity.OnFebruary23,1887, Parker invited Spurgeon to address an interdenominational gathering in

defenseof“theoldevangelicalfaith.”ThenextdaySpurgeonwrotea letterofrefusal, kindly pointing out that Parker’s own ministry did not consistentlydefend the faith.The fusehadbeen lit.Parker immediatelywanted toknow iftherewas“aughtagainstthybrother”and,ifso,whySpurgeonhadnottoldhimsooner.Spurgeon replied, amongother things: “Theevangelical faith inwhichyouandMr.BeecheragreeisnotthefaithwhichIhold;andtheviewofreligionwhich takesyou to the theater is so faroff frommine that I cannot communewith you therein.” Parker’s reply was on a postcard: “Best thanks, and bestregards—J.P.”4ThematterwasforgottenuntilApril25,1890,whenParkerpublishedanopen

letter to Spurgeon in the influential British Weekly, edited by W. RobertsonNicoll. Spurgeon’s Pastors’ College Conference was in session that week,makingParker’sattackthatmuchmoredevastating.Nicollhimselfwasagreatadmirer and defender of Spurgeon, and it is difficult to understand why hepublishedtheletter.Itsaidinpart:

Letmeadviseyoutowidenthecircleofwhichyouarethecenter.Youaresurroundedbyofferersofincense.Theyflatteryourweakness,theylaughatyourjokes,theyfeedyouwithcompliments.My dear Spurgeon, you are too big a man for this. Take in more fresh air . . . scatter yourecclesiasticalharem.Idonotsaydestroyyourcircle:Isimplysayenlargeit.

Spurgeonignoredtheletterandadvisedhisstaffandpastorfriendstodothesame.ParkershouldhaveknownthatSpurgeon’spowerlayinconcentration,notdiffusion.Hefunctionedbestwithinhisownhouseholdoffaith,althoughhewasgenerous toevangelicals inotherdenominations.“Iamquitesure that thebestwaytopromoteunionistopromotetruth,”hesaidinasermon.“Itwillnotdoforustobeallunitedtogetherbyyieldingtooneanother’smistakes.”TherearemenlikeParker,CampbellMorgan,andD.L.Moody,whoseemtobelongtoallbelievers, regardless of denominational affiliation; but there are alsomen likeSpurgeon, Maclaren, and Truett, who helped the evangelical cause best byconcentrating on their own denominational ministry. We need both kinds ofpreachers,andoneshouldnotbequicktocondemntheother.YouwillwanttoreadSpurgeon:HeirofthePuritansbyErnestW.Bacon,one

ofthebestbiographies;andalsoAHistoryofSpurgeon’sTabernaclebyEricW.Hayden, who pastored the tabernacle for five years beginning in November1956.ThebookispublishedinthiscountrybyPilgrimPublicationsinPasadena,Texas,andIurgeyoutosecureit.ItcontainsawealthofinformationabouttheministryofthetabernaclefollowingSpurgeon’sdeath,andthebibliographiesoftitlesbyandaboutSpurgeonareexcellent.

But, above all else, read Spurgeon himself! Get a complete edition of hisLectures toMyStudentsand read itcarefully.Granted, someof thematerial isantiquated,butmuchisrelevanttoourministry.“TheMinister’sFaintingFits”and“TheNeedofDecision for theTruth”ought tobe required reading forallministerialstudents.IenjoyreadingAnAll-RoundMinistry,acollectionofSpurgeon’spresidential

addresses to the students and alumni of the Pastors’ College. I say “enjoyreading,”butImustconfessthatthesemessageshavemorethanoncedrivenmetomykneesinconfessionandprayer.Perhapstheywilldothesameforyou.Spurgeonwasaloverofgoodbooks,withalibraryofsometwelvethousand

volumes.His views on books are found in the delightful volumeCommentingandCommentaries,firstpublishedin1876andreprintedbyBannerofTruthin1969 (the new edition includes a complete index of Spurgeon’s sermons). Ifnothingelse,simplyenjoyreadinghiscomments,manyofwhichhemusthavewrittenwithabroadsmileonhisface.NaturallyhefavorsthePuritans;buthehadsomekindwordsforwritersofotherschools—exceptthedispensationalists.OfC.H.M.’sGenesishewrote,“Preciousandedifyingreflectionsmarredby

peculiarities.” Of Exodus, “Not free from Plymouth errors, yet remarkablysuggestive.”HewarnedthatLeviticus“shouldbereadcautiously.”BythetimehegottoNumbers,heusedbothbarrels:“LiketheothernotesofC.H.M.,theyneed filtering.Goodas theyare, theirDarbyismgives themanunpleasant andunhealthysavour.”HiscommentsaboutDarby’sbooksarenot flattering:“Toomystical for ordinary minds,” he wrote about Practical Reflections on thePsalms.“IftheauthorwouldwriteinplainEnglishhisreaderswouldprobablydiscoverthatthereisnothingveryvaluableinhisremarks.”OfthatothergreatBrethrenwriter,WilliamKelly,Spurgeonwrote:“Mr.Kelly’sauthoritativestylehas no weight with us. We do not call these lectures expounding, butconfounding.” Four decades later, C. I. Scofield would preach often inSpurgeon’s pulpit during the pastorate ofA. C.Dixon,who, by theway, hadresignedfromMoodyChurchtogotoLondon.OnecouldgoonandonaboutSpurgeon,citingfactsandrecallinganecdotes;

but this is something you need to experience yourself. Plunge right into hissermons,hisautobiography,andhisotherwritings,andrevelinthegraceofGodthatwassorealtothismightypreacher.Likeallofus,Spurgeonhadhisfaultsand weaknesses, but he magnified God’s grace and glorified God’s son. WecannotallbeSpurgeons,butwecanallbefaithful,ashewas,inpreachingthe

gospelofJesusChrist.

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21

PhillipsBrooks1835–1893

heyear1877wasamemorableoneforPhillipsBrooks,well-knownrectorofTrinityEpiscopalChurchinBoston.OnFebruary9,anewchurchedifice

was consecrated, five years after the old structure had burned down (“Sheburnedmajestically,”Brookswrotetoafriend;“shediedindignity”).DuringtheLentenseasonBrooksparticipatedinD.L.Moody’smeetings inBostonat thesix-thousand-seat tabernacle. One night, when Brooks led in prayer, Moodyintroduced him as “Phillip Brook” and shocked the proper Bostonians. Onanother occasion Brooks filled in for the evangelist and delivered a stirringsermonfromActs26:17.Buttheeventof1877thatexcitedBrooksmostwastheprivilegeofdeliveringtheannualYalelecturesonpreaching.Hiswasthesixthintheseries,buthewasthefourthlecturersinceHenryWardBeecherhadgiventhefirstthreeseries.PhillipsBrookswasforty-twoyearsoldandattheheightofhis ministry, exercising a powerful influence not only in America but also inEurope. Published as Lectures on Preaching, this series ranks with the finesthomiletical literature ever produced by any preacher of any denomination.SubsequentYalelecturershavequotedBrooksandBeechermorethananyothermen,andsinceBeecherhadthreeopportunitiestodeliverthelectures,thisputsBrooksattheheadofthelist.Brookshadbeenpreaching for twentyyearswhenhedelivered the lectures.

He was born on December 13, 1835, “the consummate flower of ninegenerations of cultured Puritan stock.” (That was the opinion of Lewis O.Brastow,professorofpractical theologyatYale at the turnof the century.Hisbook,Representative Modern Preachers, is worth studying.) After graduatingfromtheBostonLatinSchoolattheageofsixteen,BrooksenteredHarvardandgraduated in 1855, thirteenth in a class of sixty-six. He returned to the LatinSchooltoteachand,aslongashetaughtyoungerchildren,didquitewell.Butwhenhewasgivenolderpupils,hebegan tohavedisciplineproblemsand the

headmaster“released”him.Thiswasablow to theyoungman,andfornearlyninemonthshesuffered,livingunderacloudofdefeatanddiscouragement.(“Ihaveneverknownanymanwhofails inteachingtosucceedinanythingelse,”theheadmasterhadtoldhim!)He then talkedwith the president ofHarvard and the pastor of his family’s

church,andbothofthemsuggestedheentertheministry.Interestinglyenough,the pastor, Dr. Vinton, told Brooks that conversion was a prerequisite toconfirmationandtheministry—andBrooksconfessedthathedidnotknowwhatconversion was. The end result was entrance into the Episcopal TheologicalSeminary inAlexandria,Virginia, and threeyearsof study.The faculty at thattime was weak, so Brooks invested much of his time in wide reading. Aftergraduation in 1859, he began his ministry at the Church of the Advent inPhiladelphia,remainingtherealmostthreeyears.From1861to1867hepastoredtheChurch of theHoly Trinity in that same city, and then in 1869 began hisphenomenalministryathistoricTrinityChurchinBoston.Heremainedtherefortwenty-twoyears,resigningin1891whenhewaselectedbishop.HisuntimelydeathonJanuary23,1893,caughtBostonbysurpriseandsilencedapowerfulvoice.Brooksnevermarried;hewasmarried tohispulpit.Hewasabigman—six

feet, four inches tall—and at one time weighed nearly three hundred pounds.(The Harvard students who served as pallbearers at his funeral practiced bycarryingaheavycasketwiththreehundredpoundsofmetalinit.Inspiteofthis,one of the young men fell into the grave when the casket was lowered!) Hewalked rapidly, ate rapidly, and loved to drive fast horses. He was fond ofantiquefurniture,books(especiallybiographies), travel(hischurchsenthimtoEuropeandoncehesailedasfarasJapan),sweets,andiceddrinks.Hiscupofcoffee began as a cup of sugar, then the coffeewas poured in! In spite of hismother’spleas,Brookscontinuedtosmoke;his idealvacationwasmadeupof“plentyofbooksandtimeandtobacco.”DuringhisministryBrookspublishedfivevolumesofsermons,andfivemore

were published in the years following his death.They are often seen in used-book stores and, if the prices are not too high, they should be purchased. Isuggest,however,thatyoufirstreadthethirty-onesermonscollectedbyWilliamScarlett, published in 1949 by E. P. Dutton under the title Phillips Brooks:Selected Sermons. This volume contains the best of Brooks’s preaching,includinghistwofamoussermons“TheCandleoftheLord”and“TheFireand

theCalf.”Ifwhilereading thesesermonsyoutakea liking toBrooks,youcanobtaintheothervolumes.Pleasedonotexpectexpositorysermonsormessagesvibrant with obvious evangelical doctrine and evangelistic warmth! Brooksconsideredhimselfevangelicalandperhapsinsomewayshewas,buteveninhisown day his theology was suspect. The day he was consecrated bishop ofMassachusetts,theprocessionintothechurchwasdelayedtoallowtwobishopsto read a letter of protest!Of the fifty-two dioceses in the state, fifteen votedagainsthim.Someofthefurorwasoverhisbaptism:hehadbeenbaptizedbyaUnitarianandhadrefusedtosubmit totheEpiscopalrite.Thebrutalattacksinthereligiouspressoftenkepthimawakeatnight.Basically, Brooks was a Christian humanist. He emphasized Christ’s

incarnation,nothisdeathandatonementforsin.HefeltthatallmenarechildrenofGodandthat,oncetoldthisgoodnews,theirliveswillchange.Hepreachedthat all men are naturally religious and only need God’s grace to reach theirfulfillment inGod.Yet,strange tosay, themostmovingofhisYale lectures isthelastone,“TheValueoftheHumanSoul.”“IfwecouldseehowpreciousthehumansoulisasChristsawit,ourministrywouldapproachtheeffectivenessofChrist’s,”hestated.Hethendescribedtheeffectsof“aconcernforsouls”onaman’sministry.He closed by saying: “May the souls ofmen always bemoreprecioustoyouasyoucomealwaysnearertoChristandseethemmoreperfectlyasHedoes.Icanasknobetterblessingonyourministrythanthat.”Hisministryattractedandhelpedpeoplefromall levelsofsociety,andeven

someardentevangelicalsappreciatedhiswork.OnDecember3,1879,apastorinGarrettsville,Ohio,wroteBrooks:“IwouldlikeheretoacknowledgethedebtIoweyouforinspirationinmyindividualreligiousexperienceandinmypublicwork. . . .Giveusotherworks still.”ThatpastorwasR.A.Torrey,who laterbecamepresidentofMoodyBibleInstitute.Onereasonforthiswideattraction,Ithink,isthatBrooksdidnotdealwithspecifics.Hepreachedontimelessthemesandlovedtouseabstractwordsliketruth,goodness,humanity,and(hisfavorite)sympathy.Infacthehimselfadmittedtoapastorfriend:“WhenIaminterestingI am vague; when I am definite I am dull.” The pastor who expounds theScripturesorwhoexplainsatextfindsitnecessarytobespecific—butthisdoesnotmeanhehastobedull!PhillipsBrooksisaninterestingmanwho(inspiteofhisbachelorhood)ledan

interestinglife.Ifyouwishtolearnmoreabouthim,readtheofficialbiographybyAlexanderV.G.Allen.Avoid theoriginal two-volumeeditionof1900and

get the one-volume abridgement published in 1907.The book is as big as theman—nearly seven hundred pages of biography and extracts from his manyletters. Ifyoudonot feelup to thatmuch reading, locateFocuson InfinitybyRaymondW.Albright,published in1961.Thisbook isasscholarlyasAllen’smassivework, and ithas theaddedadvantageof theperspectiveof time. (Forsomereason,eachbookhasaninterestingtypographicalerror.Allenwroteabout“D.S.Moody”andAlbrightabout“CharlesW.Spurgeon.”)NowforBrooks’sLecturesonPreaching,abookeverypreacheroughttoread

onceayearforfiveyears,andthenonceeveryotheryearfortherestofhislife.Whatmakestheselecturessovaluableisthattheydealwithbasicprinciples,notwithtransientmethods.Thepreacherwhoislookingforshortcutswillnotfindthemhere.InthefirstlectureBrooksdefinedpreachingasthecommunicationofdivine

truththroughhumanpersonality.Thedivinetruthneverchanges,butthehumanpersonality does.This explainswhy twopreachers can take the same text anddeveloptwodifferentsermons,orwhythesamepreachercanpreachoftenfromthe same Scripture passage and always discover something fresh. “The truthmustcomereallythroughtheperson,”saidBrooks,“notmerelyoverhislips,notmerelyintohisunderstandingandoutthroughhispen.Itmustcomethroughhischaracter,hisaffections,hiswhole intellectualandmoralbeing.”1Thismeans,ofcourse,thatthepreparationfortheministry“isnothinglessthanthemakingof theman.”Thepreacherof truthmustbeamanopen to truth—all truth, nomatterwhereitisfound,becausetruthcancomeonlyfromGod.Inhislectureson“TheInfluenceofJesus,”Brooksdescribed“themanoftruth”as“amanintoallwhoselifethetruthhasbeenpressedtillheisfullofit,tillhehasbeengivento it,and ithasbeengiven tohim,hebeingalways thecompletebeingwhoseunityisinthattotalofmoral,intellectualandspirituallifewhichmakeswhatwecallcharacter.”2Thisleavesoutinthecoldthe“busypreacher”whodivesintohis books for an outline or illustration, or, worse yet, who depends on“preachers’helps” forhismessagesweekbyweek. It isnotenough towriteasermon, saidBrooks;wemust haveamessage, “amessagewhichwe cannottransmituntilithasenteredintoourownexperience,andwecangiveourowntestimonyofitsspiritualpower.”The second lecture discusses “The Preacher Himself” and answers the

question, “What sort ofmanmay be aminister?”God uses different kinds ofmenbecauseeachman’sexperiencehelpstointerpretthetruthsoftheBible.But

let each man be open to truth. Brooks abhorred narrow-minded bigotry thatprevents aman confronting truth frommany sources.He also emphasized theimportanceofcontactwithhumanity.“Nomanpreacheswell,”hestated,“whohasnotastronganddeepappreciationofhumanity.”Headvisedusto“findthehuman side of every truth, the point at which every speculation toucheshumanity.”Hehadsomewisewarningsinthislectureagainstsome“dangersintheministry.”“ThePreacherinHisWork”isthethemeofthethirdlecture.“Thepowersof

thepastor’ssuccessaretruthandsympathytogether.‘Speakingthetruthinlove’is the golden text.” He emphasized the balance between preaching andpastoring, an emphasis sorely needed today. “Thepreacher needs to be pastorthathemaypreachtorealmen.Thepastormustbepreacherthathemaykeepthedignityofhisworkalive.Thepreacherwho isnot apastorgrows remote.Thepastorwho isnot apreachergrowspetty.”Hecalled formanliness in theministryanddeplored“theabsenceoftheheroicelement”inthechurches.Lecturesfourandfiveareon“TheIdeaoftheSermon”and“TheMakingof

theSermon,”andtheyshowhowBrooksappliedhisphilosophyofpreachingtothepracticalproblemsofthework.“Wehearagooddealaboutpreachingoverpeople’sheads,”hecommented.“There is sucha thing.Butgenerally it isnotthecharacteroftheammunition,butthefaultoftheaim,thatmakesthemissingshot.”WhileBrooksdidnothavetoogoodawordforexpositorypreaching,hedidsayagreatdealaboutthemakingofamessagethatwillhelpeventhemostexperiencedpreacher.Iespeciallyappreciatehisreminderthatnosermonshouldbe considered alone.We are ministering to people week after week, and onemessagefortifiesanother.Theharvestisnottheendofthemeeting;itistheendoftheage.“TheCongregation” is the theme of the sixth lecture; as youmight expect,

Brooksdiscussedthedifferentkindsofhearersthatattendchurch.Hesawfour:the “pillars of the church,” the skeptical, the habitual, and the sincere seekersaftertruth.Ilikethe“threerules”thathegaveearlyinthelecture:“First,haveasfewcongregationsasyoucan.Second,knowyourcongregationasthoroughlyasyoucan.Third,knowyourcongregationsolargelyanddeeplythatinknowingityoushallknowhumanity.”If you are tired of hearing the words relevant and contemporary, then the

seventhlecture,“TheMinistryofOurAge,”willdoyougood.ListentoBrooks:

Themanwhobelongstotheworldbutnottohistimegrowsabstractandvague,andlaysnostronggraspuponmen’slivesandthepresentcausesoftheiractions.Themanwhobelongstohistimebutnot to theworldgrows thinandsuperficial. . . .Truthand timeliness togethermake the fullpreacher.

Theerahewasdiscussingwas inmanywaysdifferent fromour era, but inmany ways it was similar, simply because human nature is the same. Hediscussed several classes of people that exist in every age—the critics, thepeoplewhoaccepteverythingsciencesays,thefrightened—andheshowedhowthegospelmeets theirneeds.Asheendedthisseventh lecture,Brookssaid:“Imustnotclosewithoutbeggingyounottobeashamedorafraidoftheageyoulivein,andleastofalltotalkofitinatoneofweakdespair.”Itseemsthateveryage has always been the worst and that every preacher has looked back andlongedfor“thegoodolddays!”I have already commented on the eighth lecture, “TheValue of theHuman

Soul.” It is this concept that empowers the ministry. “Without this power,preachingisalmostsuretobecomeeitherastruggleofambitionoraburdenofroutine.Withit,preachingisaneverfreshdelight.”Hethenexplainedtheeffectsinaman’sministryofthissuprememotivation:thedoctrinesofthefaithbecomemoremeaningful,thereisjoyinseeingliveschanged,thereisapermanencetoourministry,andthepreacherhimselfgrowsincourageandgrace.“Goandtrytosaveasoulandyouwillseehowwellitisworthsaving,howcapableitisofthemostcompletesalvation.Notbyponderinguponit,norbytalkingofit,butbyservingityoulearnitspreciousness.”After you have read Lectures on Preaching—Baker Books published a

paperbackedition—lookforacopyofPhillipsBrooks’sEssaysandAddresses,editedbyhisbrotherJohn.Thereismuchthatisgoodinthiscollection,butthemost valuable piece is a lecture he delivered at the Yale Divinity School onFebruary 28, 1878, one year after he gave the Yale lectures. The address isentitled “The Teaching of Religion,” and it ought to be included in all futureeditionsofBrooks’sLecturesonPreaching.InitBrookscomestogripswiththequestion:howcanwecommunicatespiritualtruthtomentoday?IfhisLectureson Preaching is dinner, then this address is the dessert! This address gaveBrooks theopportunity to clarify andexpand severalof the important ideas inhisoriginallectures,andforthisreasonitisimportanttothepreacherwhohasbenefitedfromthatgreatseries.PermitmetoclosewithafewquotationsfromBrooksthatmayhelptowhet

yourappetite:

Ifyourministryistobegoodforanything,itmustbeyourministry,andnotafeebleechoofanotherman’s.

Letamanbeatruepreacher,reallyutteringthetruththroughhisownpersonality,anditisstrangehowmenwillgathertolistentohim.

Fastenyourselftothecenterofyourministry,nottosomepointonitscircumference.

Thissurelyisagoodrule:wheneveryouseeafaultinanyotherman,oranyotherchurch,lookforitinyourselfandinyourownchurch.

Letusrejoicewithoneanotherthatinaworldwherethereareagreatmanygoodandhappythingsformentodo,Godhasgivenusthebestandhappiest,andmadeuspreachersofHisTruth.3

AmenandAmen!

F

22

FrancesRidleyHavergal1836–1879

rancesRidleyHavergalwastoGreatBritainwhatFannyCrosbywastotheUnitedStates,andthetwowomenhadagreatdealincommon.Bothhadto

putupwithphysicallimitations:Crosbywasblind,andHavergalenduredwhattheVictorianscalled“delicatehealth,”includingagreatdealofpain,allherlife.Eachofthemwasconvertedearlyinlifeandthenhadadeeperlifeexperienceinlater years. Both were gifted singers and instrumentalists as well as giftedwriters,andbothhadphenomenalmemories.Though theynevermetonearth, the twoFrancesescorrespondedand loved

one another across themiles. Havergal sent Fanny Crosby a long poem, “AnEnglishTributetoFannyCrosby,”whichends:

Dearblindsisteroverthesea.AnEnglishheartgoesforthtothee!Wearelinkedbyacableoffaithandsong,Flashingbrightsympathyswiftalong;Oneintheeastandoneinthewest,SingingforHimwhomoursoulslovebest;“SingingforJesus,”tellingHislove,Allthewaytoourhomeabove,Wheretheseveringsea,withitsrestlesstide,Nevershallhinder,andneverdivide.Sister,whatwillourmeetingbe,Whenourheartsshallsingandoureyesshallsee!

While Fanny Crosby excelled in writing the gospel songs, Frances RidleyHavergal’ssongsweremoreofadevotionalnature,callingbelieverstoadeeperdedication toChrist.Hermost famousdedicationhymn is “TakeMyLife andLetItBe,”whichshewroteonFebruary4,1874,afterathrillingnightofpraiseandprayerbecauseofaveryspecialvictorytheLordhadgivenher.Butwearealsofamiliarwith“Lord,SpeaktoMethatIMaySpeak,”“Likea

RiverGlorious,”“WhoIsontheLord’sSide?”and“IGaveMyLifeforThee.”Frances Ridley Havergal was born December 14, 1836, in Astley,

Worcestershire,England,whereher father,WilliamHenryHavergal,wasvicaroftheAstleyAnglicanchurch.Sheinheritedhermusicalabilityfromherfather,who was quite well known as a writer and publisher of church music. Shelearned to read by the time she was three, and when she was four, she wasreadingtheBible.She discovered her talent forwriting versewhen shewas seven and kept a

notebook of what most people would call childish rhymes. But those rhymesprepared the way for her prolific writing ministry in later years. Her motheroften said to her, “Fanny dear, pray to God to prepare you for all that He ispreparing for you.” Frances even wrote long letters in rhyme to her brotherFrankand to someofheryoung friends.Oneofher littlepoemsproved tobeprophetic.

Sundayisapleasantday,Whenwetochurchdogo;

Fortherewesingandreadandpray,Andhearthesermontoo.

AndifwelovetoprayandreadWhileweareinouryouth,

TheLordwillhelpusinourneedAndkeepusinHistruth.

HermotherdiedwhenFranceswasonlyelevenyearsold.Onthatday,July5,1848,Franceswroteinhernotebook:

Eyehathnotseen,norearheard,Neithercanman’sheartconceive,

TheblessedthingsGodhathpreparedForthosewholoveHimandbelieve.

Godhadbeenworkinginherheart,andshedesperatelywantedtoknowforsurethatshewasconvertedandgoingtoheaven.Thestrugglelastedmorethanthree years. A sermon she heard on divine judgment “haunted” her, and eachtimeshewitnessedtheLord’sSuppershewasdeeplymoved.But itwaswhileshewasawayatschoolin1851thatshefoundthepeaceofsalvation.GodusedthewitnessofanewlyconvertedfriendandthecounselofMissCarolineCook,wholaterbecameherstepmother,tobringherassurancesofeternallife.

FrancesspentayearinGermanyandtherereceivedprofessionalconfirmationthat she did indeed have musical and poetic gifts of the highest quality. Aremarkablestudent,shewascompetentnotonlyinmusicandwriting,butalsoinlanguages: she knew Greek, Hebrew, Latin, German, French, and Italian.According to her sisterMaria, Frances hadmemorized all of theGospels andEpistles,aswellas Isaiah(her favoritebook), thePsalms, theMinorProphets,andRevelation!In 1858 she returned toGermanywith her father, whowas seeking further

treatmentforhisafflictedeyes;itwasthenthatshewrote“IGaveMyLifeforThee.”Visitingapastor’shome,shesawapictureofthecrucifixiononthewall,and under it the motto, “I did this for thee. What hast thou done for me?”QuicklyshetookapencilandwrotethewordsthataresofamiliartoChristianseverywhere; but shewasdissatisfiedwith them, so she threw the paper in thefire.Thepaper immediately cameout unharmed!Shekept thepoemand latershowedittoherfather,whonotonlyencouragedhertokeepitbutalsowroteatune for it. However, the tune we usually use today was written by Philip P.Bliss.AsFrancesmatured,shefoundherselfbeingusedbyGodinwriting,teaching

theBible,visitingthepoorandafflicted,andcorrespondingwithpeoplewhofeltledtosharetheirproblemswithher.Shetaughtachildren’sSundayschoolclassatwhateverchurchherfatherwaspastoring,andshekeptapermanentregisterofher students’ names so that she might pray for them. I wonder what wouldhappentoourchildrenandyoungpeopleifeachteacherwhohadministeredtothemcontinuedtoprayforthem?In1865,Franceswasveryill,atatimewhenmanyopportunitieswereopento

her.“IamheldbackfrommuchIwantedtodoineveryway,andhavehadtolaypoetizingaside,”shewrotein1866.“Andyetsuchopendoorsseemsetbeforeme.PerhapsthischeckissentthatImayconsecratewhatIdomoreentirely....I suppose that God’s crosses are often made of most unexpected and strangematerial.”1In1869,her firstbook,MinistryofSong,waspublished.Adecadeearlierherdoctorhadtoldherthatshemustchoosebetweenwritingandliving,because her health would not permit her to do both. “Did you ever hear ofanyonebeingverymuchusedforChristwhodidnothavesomespecialwaitingtime,somecompleteupsetofallhisorherplans?”shewrote.WhenMinistryofSongwas published, Frances testified that she saw “the evident wisdom ofhavingbeenkeptnineyearswaitingintheshade.”

There were other tests besides her recurring illnesses and almost constantweakness.In1874,herAmericanpublisherwentbankruptinaneconomiccrash;sinceshehadanexclusivecontractwithhim, thisputanend toherAmericanpublishing until the business could get back on its feet again. Thismeant, ofcourse,alossofincomeaswell.“Twomonths ago, thiswould have been a real trial tome,” shewrote to a

friend,“forIhadbuiltagooddealonmyAmericanprospects;now,‘Thywillbedone’isnotasighbutonlyasong!...Ihavenotafear,oradoubt,oracare,orashadowuponthesunshineofmyheart.”ThesecretofhervictorywasfoundinanexperienceshehadonDecember2,

1873, just two months before she received news of the crash. A friend hadmailedheracopyofalittlebookletentitledAllforJesus.Itkindledinherhearta deep desire for greater consecration andwider usefulness, and she began topraytothatend.Godansweredherprayers.Shewrote:“Yes,itwasonAdventSunday, December 2nd, 1873, I first saw clearly the blessedness of trueconsecration.Isawitasaflashofelectriclight....Theremustbefullsurrenderbeforetherecanbefullblessedness.”Shediscoveredthemeaningof1John1:7and the importance of trusting Christ to keep her as well as to save her. Shetotally rejected all ideas of “sinless perfection,” but claimed the clear biblicalteachingofconstantvictory.“Notacomingtobecleansedinthefountainonly,”she explained, “but a remaining in the fountain, so that itmay and can go oncleansing.” Her knowledge of Greek told her that the verb in 1 John 1:9 ispresent—“keepsoncleansing.”Thenexttimeyousing“LikeaRiverGlorious,”keepinmindthatitisFrancesRidleyHavergal’stestimonytotherealityofthevictoriousChristianlife.Frances never sat downwith the determination to write a poem or a song.

“Writingisprayingwithme,”shesaid,“forIneverseemtowriteevenaversebymyself,andfeellikealittlechildwriting;youknowachildwouldlookupateverysentenceandsay,‘AndwhatshallIsaynext?’ThatisjustwhatIdo.”Itwasherconviction thatGodhadamessageforher toshareand thathewoulddirectherinthewritingofit.Ifnothingcametoher,sheacceptedthesilenceandwentontootherthings.“TheMasterhasnotputachestofpoeticgoldintomypossessionandsaid, ‘Nowuse itasyou like!’”shewrote toa friend.“ButHekeepsthegold,andgivesittomepiecebypiecejustwhenHewillandasmuchasHewill,andnomore.”Sometimesthatgoldincludedchordsandmelodiesaswell,forFranceswasanaccomplishedmusician.

In 1876, Franceswent through another fiery trial: the offices of herBritishpublisherburneddown,andwithitwentthecompletemanuscriptandplatesofSongsofGraceandGlory,whichshehadrecentlycompleted.Shehadnotkeptacopyofmuchofthismaterial,soshehadtobeginalloveragain,notonlywiththe words but also the music. “I have thanked Him for it,” she wrote to hersisters, “more than I have prayed about it. It is justwhatHedidwithme lastyear,itisanotherturnedlesson.”Godgavehersufficienthealthandstrengthtodotheworkagain.Herdailyquiet timewith theLordwaskeptwith lovingdiscipline, and she

alwaysdevotedextratimetoseriousBiblestudy.(Onewishesthatsomeofourcontemporarycomposerswould spendmore time in theirBibles andputmoresolidtheologyintotheirsongs.)HymnwritingwasnotabusinesswithFrances;itwas aministry.Evenher singing andplaying inpublicwerenot consideredperformances but opportunities for her to glorify Christ and share him withothers.Shehadaverysaneandscripturalviewoftrueconsecration.“Consecrationisnotsomuchastepasacourse,”shewroteinherdevotional

classicKeptfortheMaster’sUse,“notsomuchanactasapositiontowhichacourseofactioninseparablybelongs....Doesthismeanthatwearealwaystobedoingsomedefinitelyreligiouswork,asitiscalled?No,butallthatwedoistobealwaysdefinitelydoneforHim.”2Therewasa timeinher lifewhenshedecidedshewouldnotsingorplaysecularsongs,althoughshedidnotcriticizethose who did so. She could have become a famous concert artist had shepursuedsuchacareer,buttoher,itwasnotconsistentwithherChristianwitness.Shemadethisdecisionseveralmonthsbeforeshewrote:

Takemylips,andletmesing,Always,only,formyKing.

During1873, on avisit toSwitzerland, shewas almost killed in a climbingaccident;andin1874shesufferedforeightmonthswithtyphoidfever.Butshecontinued to write, as the Lord enabled her, and she carried on a widecorrespondence.Inonesix-monthperiod,shereceivedoversixhundredletters.Herlastyearofministryonearthwas1879.Shekepta“JournalofMercies,”

and some of the entries are interesting when you consider her weakenedcondition.“Abletocomedownstairsforthefirsttime,”shewroteonNewYear’sDay.OnJanuary14,shewrote,“Beingwithheldfromresumingwork,andsenseofGod’swisehandinit.”“Strengthforextrapulls”wastheentryforFebruary

5,andonFebruary23shewrote,“Freedomfrompain.”During thosedifficult days, she alsokept a prayer listwithdailyneeds and

specialrequestsforeachday.Shealsomadealistof“workfor1879,iftheLordwills.”OnthatlistwasherdesiretoprepareforthepressKeptfortheMaster’sUse, andGod granted her that desire. She finished revising the proofs shortlybeforeherdeathonJune3,1879.Atthetime,shewaslivingatCaswallBayinWales,nearSwansea;butthefamilytookherbodybacktoAstleywhereshewasburiedonJune9besideotherfamilymembersinthebelovedchurchyardofherchildhooddays.The next year, her sister Maria published Memorials of Frances Ridley

Havergal (London: JamesNisbet), abook that isnow longoutofprint.BakerBooks has reprintedKept for theMaster’sUse andRoyal Bounty, two of herfinestdevotionalbooks.BothbooksrevealherloveforScriptureandherabilitytounderstandand teach it.Shewasfarmore thanamusicianandpoetess.Shewas a unique woman with a penetrating ministry that was fashioned in thefurnaceofsuffering.Whenherdoctor said toher, “Goodbye, I shall not seeyouagain,”Frances

asked,“ThendoyoureallythinkIamgoing?”Hereplied,“Yes.”“Today?”sheasked,andhesaid,“Probably.”Her responsewas, “Beautiful—too good to be true!”But thatwould be the

responseofanybelieverwhohadhonestlysaid:

Takemylife,andletitbe,Consecrated,Lord,toThee!

W

23

AlexanderWhyte1836–1921

hen some future artist paints a series depicting great scenes in churchhistory, I hope he includes a moving scene from an October day in

Edinburgh, 1873.The great preacher and principal ofNewCollege,Robert S.Candlish,wasdying.Hesummonedtwomentohisbedside:RobertRainyandAlexanderWhyte.Whytetoldthestory:

Ihadnosoonerenteredtheroomthanthedyingmanputouthishandtomeandsaid:“Good-bye.Ihadhoped tobe spared tohelpyoua little longer”—hewasalwaysmyhelper, thehumble soul[WhytewasCandlish’sassistantatFreeSt.George’sChurch]—“but it isnot tobe.Good-bye.”And thenhemotioned toDr.Rainy tokneel athisbedside.He threwhiswitheredarmsaroundRainy’sneckandkissedhimand said: “I leave the congregation toWhyte and I leave theNewCollegeandtheAssemblytoyou.”Itwasascenenevertobeforgotten.Anditwasadedicationandasanctificationtohaveseenitandsharedinit.1

And so the mantle fell on Whyte, still in his thirties, to fill the pulpit ofEdinburgh’s leading church and one of Scotland’s most important places ofministry.Andhefilledit—foroverfortyyears,AlexanderWhytepreachedsolid,biblicalmessages thatmagnified the grace ofGod. “Never think of giving uppreaching!” he wrote a Methodist pastor who had sought his counsel. “Theangels around the throne envy you your great work!”Whyte’s pulpit was histhrone,andthoughhehaslaiddownhisscepter,hispowerisstillfeltwherevermenreadhissermons.Whytewas born out ofwedlock into great poverty on January 13, 1836, in

Kirriemuir. His father, John Whyte, offered to marry his mother, JanetThompson, but she refused.Whyte left town soon after Alexander was born,established a business in the United States, and became a useful citizen. Hefought in theCivilWarat thefirstbattleofBullRun,wascaptured,andspentmanydaysinaConfederateprisoncamp.HelatervisitedScotland,methisson—then a student—and apparently established a warm relationship with him.

Johndiedin1871.Inthelastlettertohissonhehadwritten:“PraythatallmyformersinsareforgivenandthatIshallhereaftertrustinHim,theSavioroftheworld.”Janet Thompson had raised her son inmaterial poverty but spiritual plenty.

Evenat ayoungageWhytehad twopassions:books andpreaching.Oneday,when he was supposed to be caring for a neighbor’s cows, he was dreamingabouthisfutureplansandallowedthecowstoinvadeacornfield.Theneighborcamerunningout,shouting,“Idon’tknowwhatyou’regoingtodoorhowinthewholeworldyou’lleverearnanhonestliving!”Theladreplied,“WhatwouldyouthinkifonedayIwastowagmyheadina

pulpit?”Another dayhewas trying to helphismother harvest in the fields, and she

exclaimed: “Get out ofmy road, laddie!Youmaybegood at your books, butyou’llnevermakeashearer!”Hewasgoodathisbooks,andhisSundayschoolteacher,JamesKennedy,and

twopastors,DanielCormickandDavidWhite,encouragedhim.(Howsoonweforget the men who helped make other men great!) WhenWhyte was sevenyearsold,RobertMurrayMcCheynevisitedKirriemuirandgavetheboyatract.InhisearlyteensWhytewasapprenticedtoashoemaker,butheassuredhis

mother that his final goal was the pulpit. Once when she was particularlydiscouraged,hesaid,“Don’tcry,Mother;don’tbeafraid,forIwillgoandserveoutmytime—butmindyou,Iamgoingtobeaminister!”Duringthosedifficultearly years, Whyte learned to use his time and to discipline his will,achievementsthathelpedmakehimasuccesslateron.From 1858 to 1866 Whyte was a student, first in Aberdeen and then in

Edinburgh. The going was tough, but the boy was tougher. He sacrificed topurchasebooks,andhelistenedtothegreatpreachersofthatday.Thecallofthepulpitbecamestrongerandstronger.Duringthosestudentyearshemadeseveralfriendships that lasted his whole life. Upon graduation from New College,Edinburgh, he became an assistant at FreeSt. John’s inGlasgow, and here hewasordainedonDecember27,1856.Heremainedthereuntil1860whenhewascalled to Free St. George’s in Edinburgh to work with the famous Robert S.Candlish(ifyouhavenotreadCandlish’sremarkableexpositionof1John,byallmeans do so—prayerfully). Thiswas the beginning of forty-seven remarkableyearsofministryinonechurch,firstasassistantandthenaspastor.

Aboveeverythingelse,Whytewasapreacher.Preaching,tohim,meantwork.“Iwouldhaveall lazystudentsdrummedoutof thecollege,”hesaid,“andalllazyministers out of theAssembly. I would have laziness held to be the oneunpardonablesininallourstudentsandinallourministers.”Avoraciousreaderandadiligentstudent,Whytedidnotneglecthispastoralministryorhisfamily.In1898,whenWhytewascalledtobemoderatoroftheAssembly,heexhortedthe pastors to concentrate on humility, prayer, and work. “We have plenty oftimeforallourworkdidwehusbandour timeandhoardituparight,”hetoldthem. “We cannot look seriously in one another’s faces and say it is want oftime.Itiswantofintention.Itiswantofdetermination.Itiswantofmethod.Itis want ofmotive. It is want of conscience. It is want of heart. It is want ofanythingandeverythingbuttime.”2ThesalesmanagerofasuccessfulChristianpublishinghousetellsmethatpastorsarenotbuyingbooks.“Mostofthebookssold in Christian bookstores are sold to and read bywomen,” he said. If ourpastors are not using their valuable time for study,what are theyusing it for?PerhapsWhytehadtheanswer:“Weshroudourindolenceunderthepretextofadifficulty.Thetruthis,itislackofrealloveforourwork.”Alexander Whyte loved books, and he read them to his dying day. The

PuritansingeneralandThomasGoodwininparticularwerehismaindiet.Buthealso thrived on the mystics and the princes of the Scottish church, such asSamuelRutherford.Whyteconstantlyorderedbooksforhimselfandhisfriendsin theministry.However, he cautioned youngpastors against becoming book-buyers insteadofbook-readers.“Don’thunger forbooks,”hewroteaministerfriend.“Getafewoftheverybest,suchasyoualreadyhave,andreadthemandyour own heart continually.” Whyte often contrasted two kinds of reading—“readingonasofaandreadingwithapencil inhand.”Heurgedstudents tokeepnotebooksandtomakeentriesinaninterleavedBibleforfuturereference.“Nodaywithoutitsline”washismotto.HewrotetoHubertSimpson:“formorethanfortyyears,IthinkIcansay,neveraweek,scarcelyaday,haspassed,thatIhave not entered some note or notes intomyBible: and, then, I never read abookwithouttakingnotesforpreservationonewayoranother.”Inhispreaching,Whytemagnifiedthevilenessofsinandthegraciousnessof

Christ.Hissermonswere(forlackofabetterword)surgical.AlexanderGammiereportedWhyte’scriticism,expressedinaconversationwithafriend,ofHenryDrummond:“ThetroublewithHen-a-ryisthathedoesna’ken[know]onythingabootsin.”Whytecertainlyknewathingortwoaboutsin,andhewasnotafraidtopreachwhatheknew.ThiswasthePuritaninhim,andhefelthissermonwas

not a success if he did not sting the conscience and expose the heart. Letmehastentoaddthatthepreacherwasmoreconsciousofhisownsinsthanthoseofothers.Inhisstudyofsanctification,ThePureinHeart,WilliamSangstertoldofanevangelistwhocametoEdinburghandcriticizedtheministers.AfriendtoldWhyte,“TheevangelistsaidlastnightthatDr.HoodWilsonwasnotaconvertedman.”Whyte jumpedfromhischair.“Therascal!”hecried.“Dr.Wilsonnotaconverted man!” Then the friend reported that the evangelist also said thatWhytewasnotconverted.Atthat,Whytestoppedshort,satdown,puthisfaceinhishands,andwassilentforalongtime.Thenhesaidtothevisitor,“Leaveme,friend,leaveme!Imustexaminemyheart!”AnotherstoryillustratestheeffectofWhyte’ssurgicalsermonsonhishearers.

TwoHighlandminers, visitingEdinburgh,worshiped at St.George’s.Whyte’ssermonthatSundaywasoneofhistypicallydramaticexposuresofsin,andthetwomen left thechurch indeepsilence.Aftera fewblocks,onesaid:“Sandy,yonmanmusthavebeenadeevilwhenhewasaladdie!”An incident in Whyte’s childhood illustrates his theology of conviction.

Whyte caught his arm in a threshingmachine and everyone thought hewouldloseit—exceptaneighborwhowasskilledinsuchmattersinahomeyway.Shewould not let them take the boy to the hospital for surgery. The pain becamesevere,andWhyte’smothersummonedtheneighboragain.Shelookedoverthesituation and said: “I like the pain. I like the pain.” She was right. The armhealed. The pain had been the first step toward recovery. When peoplecomplainedthatWhyte’ssermonsweretoocritical,hecouldwellreply,“Ilikethepain—Ilikethepain.”Whytewasnotonlyagreatpreacherandstudentbutalsoagreatpastor.Inhis

BunyanCharactershestatedboldly:

ForIamassureasIamofanythingconnectedwithaminister’s life, thataminister’sownsoulwillprosperlargelyinthemeasurethatthesoulsofhispeopleprosperthroughhispastoralwork.Nopreaching,evenifitwereasgoodpreachingastheapostle’sitself,canbelefttomakeupfortheneglectofpastoralvisitation.3

Eveninthedismalwinterdays,peoplewouldseeWhytewalkingthestreetsof Edinburgh to visit his people. His visits were not long, but they alwaysbrought ablessing.Hewaspastornot only tohis peoplebut also to ahost ofpastorswholookedtohimforencouragementandcounsel.AlexanderWhyte was a great appreciator, almost to a fault.When George

Morrison went to Edinburgh to beWhyte’s assistant, a friend cautioned him,“Remember,allofWhyte’sgeeseareswans!”Whyte lovednothingmore thanencouragingsomeonewithawordofappreciation.Heconstantlysentpostcardsto friends thanking themfor somearticle theyhadpublishedor congratulatingthemforsomeachievement.Morrisonhadthesamehabit;hemusthavelearnedit fromWhyte.Today,when somuch ink is spilled criticizingGod’s servants,someofusneedtostartmajoringmoreinencouragement.“Give,anditshallbegivenuntoyou.”WhytewassomuchofanencouragerheforgotthatChristianscannotaccept

everydoctrinemenpreach,thoughthemenmaybefinepeople.AsyoureadG.F.Barbour’smagnificentbiographyofhisuncle,youdiscover thatWhytewasvery ecumenical. He was a great admirer of Cardinal Newman (though hecertainlydisagreedwithhis theology)andevenpublishedan“appreciation”ofhim,towhichheaddedselectionsfromthecardinal’swritings.WhenAbdulBahaAbbas,leaderoftheBahaimovement,cametoEdinburgh,

Whytereceivedhimwarmlyintohishomeandinvitedfriendstocomehearhim.Anactionlikethatcouldbemisinterpretedandcouldencourageanon-Christianmovement.MartynLloyd-Joneshas toldofa letterwrittenbyWhyteinwhichthegreat

preacherpraisedabookthatwasveryliberal,saying“IwishIhadwrittenabooklike this myself.” We can well understand Whyte’s desire to encourage, butsurelyhehadtorealizethathisendorsementmightleadsomebodyastray.He defendedRobertson Smith before theAssemblywhen itwas likely that

Smith’s views of inspiration would only undermine the faith. “Fathers andbrethren,” Whyte cried, “the world of mind does not stand still! And thetheologicalmindwillstandstillatitsperil.”True,butthetheologicalmindmuststilldependontheinspiredWordofGodfortruthanddirection.Oncewelosethatanchor,wedrift.W.RobertsonNicollstatedWhyte’sweaknessperfectly:“Hecouldnotendure

controversies with individuals.” He would go to almost any length to buildbridges,evenifhehadtobuildthemonsinkingsand.Buthewasagreatpreacherandagreatsoul-winner,inspiteofhischaritable

excesses.WhenD.L.MoodycametoEdinburghin1874,Whytesharedinthemeetings with great enthusiasm. He often spoke at meetings on behalf ofMoody’swork andwas especially interested in the evangelist’sworkwith theYMCA. When Chapman and Alexander came to Edinburgh in 1914, again

Whytethrewhimselfintothework.Afriendaskedhimhowhecouldsparethetimeandstrength(hewas thenseventy-eightyearsold),andWhytereplied,“Isimplycan’tstayaway.”DonotputoffreadingWhyte’ssermons.HisBibleCharacters isamust for

everypreacher’slibrary.HowhecanmakeBiblepeoplelive!InRemembranceofMe contains sermons given during communion seasons at St. George’s.OfparticularinterestareWhyte’sfinalmessages:thelastsermonhepreachedatSt.George’s,andthelastsermonhepreparedbutwasunabletopreach.Lord,TeachUs to Pray is probably the finest single book of sermons on prayer by anyevangelicalpreacher.WithMercyandJudgmentcontainssomegreatpreaching,as does The Nature of Angels. Baker Books has published The Treasury ofAlexanderWhyte, editedbyRalphTurnbull. In it is JohnKelman’s“MemorialAddress” onAlexanderWhyte,which is certainlyworth having.TheSpiritualLife isWhyte’s study ofThomasGoodwin, the Puritan preacherwhoseworkswere never out ofWhyte’s hands.Whyte urged young preachers to find oneauthor who excited and helped them and to master his works. The Walk,Conversation,andCharacterofJesusChristOurLordisaremarkableseriesofsermons on the life ofChrist, flashing the kind of homiletical imagination forwhichWhytewas famous.Hemaintained that ifamessage is tohave lifeandpower, “itmustbe fusedby theglowofpersonal experienceand litupby theflashofimagination.”4AlexanderWhytewouldnotwantanyofustoimitatehisstyleorapproachto

preaching—except for his study and hard work. When one of his assistantsattemptedtoimitatehisstyle,Whytesimplysaid,“Deliveryourownmessage.”That settled the matter. But I am sure all of us can benefit from Whyte’scontribution to sermonic literature by pondering hismessages,making them apartofourownspiritual experienceand then translating their truths intodailylivingandhelpfulpreaching.NomancouldpreachoneofWhyte’ssermonsashis own and get awaywith it. And noman can read one of his sermons andeasilygetawayfromit.“A congregation is awaiting you,”Whyte said to some theological students

one day, “to be made by you, after you are made by God.” Here is a greatpreacher’s philosophy of pastoral work: Godmakes aman; themanmakes aministry;theministrymakesachurch.ItworkedinEdinburgh,anditwillworktodaywhereyouandIareministeringinthepoweroftheSpirit.Barbour’s biography, The Life of Alexander Whyte, is one of the greatest

biographies of an evangelical preacher ever written. It is a massive book ofnearly seven hundred pages; and since it was published less than three yearsafterWhyte’s death, the authorhad toworkdiligently to release it soquickly.ThebestthingaboutthebookisitsemphasisonWhyte’sinnerliferatherthanonhisactivitiesandachievementsalone.ButImustwarnyouthatthefirstthreechapters are slow reading—to make it through them you must believe in theperseverance of the saints!After that the book becomes delightfully easy andentertaining—andedifying.Iwisheveryseminarystudentwererequiredtoreadchapters 16 through 18 to learn how thisman studied, prepared sermons, andpastoredhischurch.Whilereadingthisbiography,Iwas impressedwith theamazingvarietyand

numberoffriendswhowerewovenintothefabricofWhyte’slife.Thebook’sindexrunstoseventeenpages,andmostofitisdevotedtothenamesofpeopleWhyte knew and worked with as a pastor, preacher, denominational leader,author,andfriend.One of these names is Dr. Joseph Bell, who, as you may know, was the

originalSherlockHolmes.Dr.BellwasWhyte’sfriendandphysicianfornearlyfortyyears.HewasalsoabelovedelderatFreeSt.George’s.Dr.BelltaughtattheUniversityofEdinburgh,andoneofhis studentswasayoungmannamedDoyle.Infact,itwasDoylewhooftenusheredinthepatientsduringDr.Bell’slectures,andthegooddoctorwouldproceedtorevealallmanneroffactsaboutthemwithoutasking themasinglequestion! InhisdelightfulbookTheLifeofSirArthurConanDoyle, JohnDicksonCarrdescribed theamazingDr.Bellas“very lean,with dexterous hands and a shock of dark hair standing up on hisheadlikethebristlesofabrush.”5Bell’s uncanny faculty for observation enabled him to discern a man’s

occupationbyobservinghishandsorthepeculiarcharacteristicsofhisclothes.Diagnosing cases seemed like child’s play to him. “The trained eye,” heexplainedit.“Asimplematter!”AfewyearsaftergraduationDoyleusedhisoldprofessor as themodel for theworld’smost famousdetective. “Ifheneededamodelforhisdetective,”wroteCarr,“heneedlooknofurtherthanaleanfigurein Edinburgh, with long white dexterous hands and a humorous eye, whosedeductionsstartledpatients.”6Thus,SherlockHolmeswasborn.EvenWhyte’sbiographermentionedthatBell’s“acutenessofobservationwassostrikingthathewascommonlybelievedtohavesuggestedtoSirArthurConanDoyle,whenamedicalstudentinEdinburgh,thecharacterofSherlockHolmes.”7

Butthegifteddoctorandthecelebratedpreacherdidnotalwaysagree.Whytewasusuallyreadytothrowhisinfluencebehindanycausethat,tohim,seemedright, and he also had a weakness for seeing good in projects that othersconsidered dangerous. In 1887 when “the Irish question” was at its stormyheight,WhytefoundhimselfendorsingacontroversialIrishleadernamedDillonby inviting the man to speak to a private group of Presbyterian leaders atWhyte’s home. Three weeks later, the pastor received a strong remonstrancesignedbythirteenprominentmembersofthechurch,includingeightelders;oneof those elders was Dr. Joseph Bell. Whyte’s physician agreed with hiscolleaguesthattheirpastorwasindangeroflosinghisinfluenceinthepulpitbyassociatingwith thosewho, to thepublic, representedpartypolitics.The lettercutWhytedeeply,particularlybecauseitwassignedbysomanywhowerehisfriends.ButDr.Bellwon his point.Whyte’s oldest son, Fred, explained: “He[Whyte]showednohesitation inhischoice.HiscallingasaMinisterhad firstclaimonhimthenasalways.”8In1892,thechurchsessionacceptedtheirpastor’srequestforanassistant.Dr.

Bellhadstoodwithhispastorandurged theofficers tosecurehelpassoonaspossible.Whytehadbeenworking tirelessly, and thepressuresof theministryweregoingtobreakhim.Forsomeunknownreason,themuch-neededassistantwasnotcalledat that time,butwecanbe sure thatDr.Belldidnotallow themattertorest.Twoyearslater,Dr.HughBlackwascalledtoWhyte’sside.Buthardworktookitstoll.Whenhewasseventy-three,Whyteacceptedthe

principalshipofNewCollege inEdinburgh—inaddition tohispastoralduties!Theresultwasabreakdowninhealthattheendof1909,asuddenheartattackthat gavehis doctor cause for concern.Dr.Bellmanaged to get his illustriouspatient throughthewinter,butasecondheartattackfollowedayear later.Bellhad often encouragedDr. andMrs.Whyte to take long holidays; once he hadsent them to Italy for a much-needed rest. Perhaps it was Bell who inspiredWhyte’s “advice for a successfulministry”: talk to no one after services, andalways take long holidays! AlexanderWhytewas a great preacher, but let uspause to give thanks to Dr. Joseph Bell, a faithful elder and friend, and awonderfulphysician.PerhapsitwasBell’sministrythathelpedmakeWhytethekindofmanhewas.Somuch for doctors and detectives.As you peruse the list of names in the

indextoTheLifeofAlexanderWhyte,youalsofindD.L.Moodymentioned.Iwas encouraged to learn that it was Reverend John Kelman of Leith, among

others,whohadfirstinvitedMr.MoodytopreachinEdinburgh.Kelman’sson,John,wouldbecomeanassistanttoWhytein1907,andin1919wouldsucceedJohnHenry Jowett atNewYork’sFifthAvenuePresbyterianChurch.Whyte’sillustriouspredecessoratFreeSt.George’s,R.S.Candlish,diedshortlybeforetheMoody-Sankeymeetingsstarted,buthehadpredictedforEdinburgh“agreatblessing which should not be despised though it come strangely.” It was inEdinburghthatSankeycomposed“TheNinetyandNine.”Whyte threw himself into the revival campaign, and as a result saw an

exceptionallylargecommunicant’sclassthenextyear.HealsosawhisTuesdaynight prayer meeting move from the church hall into the sanctuary itself. Itwouldbe interesting todiscover thespiritualcontributionsMoodymade to thelifeofthathistoricchurch.I wonder what AlexanderWhyte’s attitude was toward fellow Presbyterian

preacherJohnKennedyofDingwall.KennedywasanopponentoftheMoody-Sankeymeetingsanddidnothesitatetoexpresshisoppositionpublicly.Hewas“rigidly conservative,” said one biographer. He rejected hymns as “humaninventions” and permitted only the singing of psalms in his services. He alsoopposedchurchorgans.(HewasnottheonlyScotwhowashorrifiedatSankey’slittleorgan—his“chestfullofwhistles.”OnedearladyinEdinburghranoutofthemeeting,shouting,“Letmeoot!Letmeoot!WhatwouldJohnKnoxthinkofthe likeofye?”She tookrefuge in theoverflowmeetingacross thestreet,andwhen Sankey showed up there to sing, she repeated the same performance!)Knownasthe“SpurgeonoftheHighlands,”KennedywasparticularlyopposedtoMoody’stheology,especiallytheuseoftheinquiryroom.Hewroteastrongpamphletagainsttheevangelist,somethingWhytewouldnothavedone.OneofAlexanderWhyte’s best friends diedover twohundredyears before

Whytewasborn. IspeakofLancelotAndrewes,whosePrivateDevotionswasoneofWhyte’sfavoritebooks.Infact,WhytenamedoneofhissonsLancelotinhonoroftheAnglicandivinewhohadlivedfrom1555to1626(duringthetensereignofKingJamesI).ItisunfortunatethatAndrewesisalmostforgottentoday.ThefamouspoetT.S.EliottriedtostirupinterestinAndrewesbypublishingin1926hisessayForLancelotAndrewes,buthefailed.Andreweswasascholar.Evenwhenastudent,heusedhisannualholidayto

learnanewlanguage;itwassaidthathemasteredfifteenlanguages.In1586hewasmadeachaplaintoQueenElizabeth,andin1601deanofWestminster.Heassisted in thecoronationofKingJamesonJuly25,1603,andwaspresent in

January1604attheHamptonCourtConference,atwhichtherequestwasmadeforanewtranslationoftheBible.Andreweswasoneof“fifty-fourlearnedmen”appointed to help translate the new Bible, serving as chairman of the groupresponsible for Genesis through 2 Kings. (If you wish to read a delightfulaccountoftheworkoftranslatingtheKingJamesVersion,secureTheLearnedMen by Gustavus Swift Paine.9 It may surprise you to discover the strangeassortmentofmenthatproducedthismasterpieceofEnglishliterature!)But it was not Lancelot Andrewes the translator that captivated Alexander

Whyte; itwasLancelotAndrewes themanof prayer.Youwillwant to secureWhyte’sLancelotAndrewesandHis“PrivateDevotions,”oneof the seriesofAppreciationvolumeswrittenbyWhyte,becausethatisthebestintroductiontoAndrewes.The learnedbishopwasnotagreatpreacher, althoughmanyofhissermons are still available in old volumes. His Sermons of the Nativity areavailableinTheAncientandModernLibraryofTheologicalLiterature,butyouwill find no exciting messages in these pages. Andrewes preached theseseventeensermonsbeforeKingJames;itwasastandardprocedureonChristmasDaythatthebishopsoaddressthecourt.Andrewes was known even in his day as a great man of prayer, spending

hours daily in his devotional exercises. Out of this came the book that socapturedWhyte:PrivateDevotions.Andrewesdidnotwritethesedevotionsforpublication.Hegavehiscopy tohis friendWilliamLaud in1626 (theyearofAndrewes’s death), and in 1675 Oxford Press published the first Englishtranslation (the original devotions had been written in Greek, Hebrew, andLatin).Therehavebeenseveraltranslationssincethen,butthebookhasnever,tomy knowledge, hadwide distribution. After readingWhyte’sAppreciation,youmaywanttosecureacopyofPrivateDevotions.Thebesteditionistheoneedited by F. E. Brightman, originally published in 1903 but reprinted byMeridianBooks in 1961.A second edition, edited by Thomas S.Kepler,wasissuedbyWorldPublishingCompanyin1956.Andrewes’sDevotionsare not brief sermonsor “helpful thoughts” basedon

Scripture.Theyareexpressionsofpraise,penitence,faith,andintercessiontakendirectlyfromtheBibleandthechurchfathers.Heincludedprayersforeachdayoftheweek,based,forexample,ontheweekofcreationdescribedinGenesis1.Hehaddevotionalexercises fromScripture forboth themorningandevening.“There is nothing in thewhole range of devotional literature to be set besideAndrewes’s incomparable Devotions,” wrote Whyte. I am sure that what

captured Whyte’s interest was Andrewes’s emphasis on sin and repentance(Whytewashimselfamasterofsurgicalpreachingonsinandconfession),butperhapswecouldusethisemphasistoday.Not every believer will be set on fire byAndrewes; if you are not, do not

despair.Butifyouare,youwillhaveacquiredasourceofspiritualhelpthatwillneverfailyou,becauseitisgroundedintheWordofGod.Itwilltakeyoutimeto master the bishop’s approach. It will take concentration—spiritualconcentration—to keep frommerely reciting prayers in a routine fashion.Butonce you have leaped these obstacles, you will discover a new power andsatisfaction inyourpersonaldevotionalexercises.Using thePrivateDevotionswillnevermakeyouanotherAlexanderWhyte,but it canhelp tomakeyouabettersaintofGod.We have come a long way, from Sherlock Holmes to the sainted Bishop

Andrewes,andAlexanderWhytehasbeenourguideallthewhile.Iencourageyou to read Barbour’s magnificent biography of his uncle.Who knows whatinteresting people youmaymeet in its pages, andWhyte himself will be themostinterestingoneofall!Whyte died on January 6, 1921, and a few days later Nicoll wrote in the

BritishWeekly:“WhatagifthewastohisChurch,tohisnation!Howwidewerethe irradiations of faith and love and hope and repentance that came fromhisintenseandprayerfullife!”

D

24

DwightL.Moody1837–1899

wight LymanMoodywas perhaps themost remarkable Christian laymanAmericaeverproduced.

Yes, I said “layman,”becauseD.L.Moodywasneverordained,nordidheever have any formal training for theministry.He preferred to be called “Mr.Moody,”andhereadilyadmittedhiseducationallimitations.Infact,wheneveragroupofpreachersmetwithhim,Moodyusuallyaskedthempointedquestionsabout theBibleand the interpretationofdifficultpassages.“Ihaveneverbeenthrough a college or a theological seminary,” he once said to a gathering ofLondonpastors,“andIhave invitedyouhere togetall thevaluable teachingIcanoutofyoutouseinmywork!”Andhereadilyadmittedwhenhisinterpretationswerewrongandhissermons

hadtobechanged!OnetimeMoodyinvitedDr.HenryWestonofCrozierSeminarytobeoneof

thespeakersathisNorthfieldConference. (Dr.Westonwasoneof theoriginaleditorsoftheScofieldReferenceBible.)AsWestonsteppedtothepulpit,Moodypickeduponeof theplatformchairs,steppedoff theplatform,andsat right infrontofthepulpit,literallyatthepreacher’sfeet.Dr. Weston began to expound the Word, and suddenly Moody exclaimed,

“Theregoesoneofmysermons!”Westonstoppedandaskedtheevangelistwhathehadmeantbythatstatement.MoodyexplainedthatWeston’sexpositionhadshownhimthathisownsermononthattexthadbeenbuiltonamisinterpretationandwasnowuseless.Westoncontinuedtopreach,andMoodysaiditagain,“Theregoesanother!”

Westonsmiledandkept rightonspeaking,because inhisseminaryclasses thestudentshadusedMoody’ssermonstochallengetheirprofessor’sinterpretations—andnowthesituationwasreversed!

AsIreviewthelifeofD.L.Moody,Iamagainamazedtodiscoverhowmanyimportant servants ofGodwere influencedby this energeticYankee’s life andministry. Ira Sankey,Moody’s soloist, would probably have died an unknownInternal Revenue collector had Moody not recruited him. The saintly F. B.Meyer, proper British pastor, had his life transformed through meeting andworkingwithMoody.ThegodlyAmericanpastor,S.D.Gordon—whoseseriesofQuiet Talk books is still popular—was converted inMoody’s campaign inPhiladelphia(1875–76).MoodylaidhandsonintellectualReubenArcherTorreyandGodmadeasoul-winningevangelistoutofhim.Spurgeon’sgiftedassistant,W. Y. Fullerton, gladly admitted that he “discovered his life’s business”—thewinning of the lost— at Moody’s Belfast meetings in 1874. And the greatexpositorDr.G.CampbellMorganwas“discovered”byMoodyandbroughttoAmericabeforeMorgan’sgiftswerereallyappreciatedinBritain.(Inallfairness,we must admit that Moody himself was “discovered” in Britain before hebecamepopularinAmerica.)Dr.A.T.PiersonestimatedconservativelythatMoodybroughtthegospelto

100 million people during his lifetime—without radio, television, or even apublicaddresssystem!Anditisremarkabletodiscoversomeofthepeoplewhosat in his congregations—a lad namedHarry Ironside, for one.WhenMoodyheldhisLosAngelescampaignin1888,twelve-year-oldIronsidewassittinginHazzard’sPavilion, listening intently.Little did either of them realize that, foreighteenyears(1930–48),IronsidewouldpastorMoodyChurchinChicago.When Moody was preaching in Denver, a young lad wanted to hear the

evangelistbutcouldnotgetintothebuilding.“I’llgetyouin!”saidaheavysetmanatthebackdoor.“Justholdontomycoattail.”ThemanwasD.L.Moody,andtheboywasPaulRader,whogrewuptobecomeoneofAmerica’sgreatestpreachersandalsoapastorofMoodyChurch(1915–21).In the late1800s,whenMoodywaspreaching inwesternNewYork, a boy

named Harry Emerson Fosdick was in the congregation— more than once!Apparently the gospel message did not impress the lad, for he grew up tobecomeAmerica’sleadingliberalpreacherandanopponentofthefundamentalsofthefaith.How could this relatively unlearned shoe salesman become such a forceful

and effective evangelist and teacher? Moody’s success lay in his tremendousburdenforthelostandawillingnesstodowhateverGodaskedofhim.Thelifeandministryof thishumblemanofGodisanexample tousofwhat theLord

candointhelifeofanordinarypersonwhoistotallyyieldedtohim.Dwight L. Moody was born in Northfield, Massachusetts, on February 5,

1837.When he was four months old, young Victoria was crowned Queen ofEngland, and Moody lived through almost all of the Victorian era. He diedDecember22,1899,andVictoriadiedJanuary22,1901.TheMoodyfamilywaspoor,andthesituationbecameevenworsewhentheir

fatherdiedin1841,leavingtheirmotherwithsevenchildren.Twinswereborntoher just amonth after her husband died. The creditors swooped down on her,takingeven the fuel from thewoodpile.Oneespeciallycruelneighbor tried toforecloseonthemortgage.(Fortyyearslater,Moodyboughtthemanout!)When Moody was seventeen years old, he went to Boston to work in his

uncle’sshoestore.SamHoltonmadehisnephewpromisethathewouldattendSunday school and church,which youngDwight dutifully did. Fortunately, hehad a teacher who was burdened for the lost. On April 25, 1855, EdwardKimball visited Moody at the store and led him to faith in Jesus Christ.(Seventeenyearslater,MoodywouldleadKimball’ssontotheSavior.)“Iwasinanewworld,”saidMoodyasherecalledtheexperience.“Thenext

morningthesunshonebrighterandthebirdssangsweeter . . . itwasthemostdeliciousjoythatI’deverknown.”1Amonthlater,MoodyappliedformembershipintheMt.VernonChurch,but

hewasrejectedbecausehesimplycouldnotanswerthequestionsputtohimbythecommittee.Oneofficertoldhim,“Youngman,youcanservetheLordbetterby keeping still!” It took Moody a year to join the church; he was finallyadmittedonMay4,1856.FourmonthslaterhewasinChicago,sellingshoesfortheWiswallCompany

onLake Street.Moodywas nineteen years old, a hardworker and a growingChristian; and, like Joseph inEgypt, he prospered because theLordwaswithhim.MoodyjoinedthePlymouthCongregationalChurchwhereDr.J.E.Roywas

pastor. He rented five pews and filled them with young men Sunday afterSunday.OnedayhewalkedintoalittlemissiononNorthWellsStreetandtoldthesuperintendentthathewantedtoteachaSundayschoolclass.Apologetically,thesuperintendentconfessedthathehadalmostasmanyteachersasstudents,soMoodydecided to recruit his own class.The next Sunday he showedupwitheighteenraggedpupils,thusdoublingthesizeoftheschool.

“ThatwasthehappiestSundayIhaveeverknown,”Moodylaterstated.“Ihadfoundoutwhatmymissionwas.”Duringthesummerof1858,hetaughthisgrowingclassontheshoresofLake

Michigan.Whenwintersetin,hemovedthemintoanold,abandonedsaloononMarket Street. By 1859 there were one thousand pupils in Moody’s Sundayschool,andthecreativeministryoftheirleaderhadwonforhimthetitle“CrazyMoody.”Infact,whenMoodyreturnedtoNorthfieldforavisitinJanuary1860,his uncle Zeb Allen said he was crazy! To compensate for this kind ofopposition,however,somethingveryspecialhappenedonNovember25,1860—AbrahamLincolnvisitedMoody’sschoolandcommendedhiswork.InJuneofthatyearMoodylearnedalessonthathelpedtransformhislifeand

direct him into his future ministry. One of his faithful teachers was dying oftuberculosisandwasgreatlyburdenedforhispupils.Beforehewenttoheaven,hewantedtobesureallofthemwereconverted.Themanwastooweaktovisitthemalone,soMoodywentalong.Fortendays,thetwomenvisitedhomeafterhome;andattheendofthattime,theysaweachofthechildrenwontotheLord.Whentheteacherleftforhiswidowedmother’shometodie,theentireclasswasattherailroadstation,singingsongsaboutheaven.This experience made a lasting impression onMoody. From it he got “the

strongest impulse for trying to bring souls to Christ.” Being successful inbusinessmeantlessandlesstohim.TheonlybusinessthatcountedwasGod’sbusiness—winningthelosttoJesusChrist.During theCivilWar,Moodyministered effectively to the soldiers. In fact,

this was his training ground for later ministry. He gradually overcame hisshyness in public speaking and learned how to deal personallywith people ingreatneed.MoodybuiltachapelatCampDouglas(wheretheIllinoisInstituteofTechnologynowstands)andsawthatthegospelwaspreachedtothemen.Hemadeninevisitstothefront.HewasonhandatPittsburgLanding,Shiloh,andMurfreesboro,andwasoneofthefirsttoenterRichmond.Moodyprosperedasashoesalesmanandhadsaved$7,000—quiteasumin

thatday!Hedecided itwas timehe thoughtaboutmarriage.HehadnoticedalovelyChristiangirlteachingintheSundayschool.HernamewasEmmaRevell,andherfatherhadbeenaBritishshipbuilderwhohadcometoAmericatomakeanewbeginning.DwightandEmmawereengagedin1860,andonAugust28,1862,theyweremarried.IfthenameRevellsoundsfamiliartoyou,itisbecauseEmma’sbrother,FlemingH.Revell,foundedtheChristianpublishingfirmthat

bore his name. In fact, he went into publishing primarily to make Moody’ssongbooksandsermonsavailableatapopularprice toawideraudience.D.L.MoodywasprobablytheoriginatoroftheChristianpaperback.As Moody’s Sunday school prospered, he faced a problem. Most of his

converts did not feel at home in the established churches of the city. Theywanted to bewithMr.Moody.Always the innovator and the pioneer,Moodybuilt the IllinoisStreet IndependentChurch and laidhandson a fellownamedWheeler to be the pastor. Of course, nobody doubted who the leader of thechurchwas.Moodywasnow in theLord’s business full-time.He allowedhimself to be

appointedtotheIllinoisStateSundaySchoolUnionBoard.Alwaystheactivist,Moody never did shine while serving on committees; however, his presencecertainlykepteverybodyelseontheirtoes.In1866hewaselectedpresidentoftheYMCAinChicago,apositionhehelduntil1870.Inthatday,the“Y”wasanevangelical ministry, seeking to reach the young people in the city. It was aperfectbaseofministryforamanlikeMoody.Despitehisearlysuccesses,D.L.Moodystillhadsomeimportantlessonsto

learnabouttheBibleandaboutevangelism.AtthatmomentGodwaspreparingthe man who would teach Moody these lessons. And the truths that wouldrevolutionizeMoody’sministrywere to come—not from the great theologiansandpreachersoftheday—butfromanex-prizefighterinGreatBritain.“I do not expect to visit this country again.” Dwight L.Moody made that

statementshortlyafterarrivinginEnglandinMarch1867.HehadbeenseasickduringthevoyagefromAmericaandwasalsoabitdiscouragedwith the“dullandformal”churchlifeinEngland.Inshort,hewashomesick.ButMr.Moodywaswrong in his evaluation.Duringhisministry hewould

visitBritainseventimes,andhisfourthvisitwouldlastmorethantwoyearsandresultinthousandscomingtoChrist.Infact,itwasBritainthatreallydiscoveredMoodyandSankeyandmadetheirnameshouseholdwordsbeforethemenwerefamousinAmerica.Duringthatfirstvisit,Moodyhadpracticallynopublicministry.Hewent to

theMetropolitanTabernacle and heardCharles Spurgeon preach.Although anushertriedtokeepMoodyoutoftheTabernaclebecausehedidn’thaveaticket,the quick-talking shoe salesman argued his way in. Spurgeon was one of hisspiritualheroes,andMoodywasnotabouttovisitLondonwithouthearinghim.Moody was greatly moved by the message from “an untrained man” like

himself.In theweeks that followed,MoodyalsometJohnNelsonDarby(founderof

the PlymouthBrethrenmovement) andGeorgeMüller (pioneer of the famous“faithministry”withorphans).Moody gave a brief address at the anniversary breakfast of the Aldersgate

YMCAinLondon.Hewas introducedas“ourAmericancousin, theReverendMr.MoodyfromChicago.”“Thevice-chairmanhasmadetwomistakes,”Moodysaidinreply.“Tobegin

with, I’mnot ‘theReverendMr.Moody’atall. I’mplainDwightL.Moody,aSabbathschoolworker.AndthenI’mnotyour‘Americancousin.’BythegraceofGod,I’myourbrother,whoisinterestedwithyouinourFather’sworkforhischildren.”In the speech that followed,Moody “unstarched” the British brethren, won

manyfriends,offendedafewsaints,andstartedafreshwindblowing.Thenoonprayermeetings at theYMCA tookonnewpower andblessing, thanks to theinfluenceofMoody.ThisbriefcontactwithsomeofBritain’sreligious leaderswouldbringrichdividends inMoody’s laterministry,particularly the1873–75campaign.But in retrospect, the most important man he met on that trip was the ex-

prizefighterHarryMoorehouse.Convertedoutofalifeofgreatsin,Moorehousehadbecomeaboldevangelist for theLord.HeandMoodyhadagreatdeal incommon,butMoodywastolearnfromMoorehousetwoimportantlessons.“If you are ever inChicago, plan topreach atmychurch,”Moody casually

told Moorehouse, and then Moody forgot the matter completely. ButMoorehousedidnotforget.NosoonerhadMoodyreturnedtoChicagothanhereceivedaletterfromMoorehouse,informinghisnewfriendthathehadarrivedinNewYorkandwouldbecomingtoChicagotopreach!Moodyhadtobeoutofthecity,sohetoldthechurchofficerstolettheyoungmanpreach.WhenMoody returnedhome,heaskedEmmahow theBritishpreacherhad

done,andshegaveherhusbandanenthusiasticreport.“HeproveseverythinghesaysfromtheBible,”shesaid,“andhehaspreachedbothnightsfromthesametext—John 3:16.” Always ready to learn new truths and pick up new ideas,Moody went to the meeting and was amazed to see his own people carryingBiblesandusingthemduringthemessage.MoorehousebeganatJohn3:16andtookthepeoplefromGenesistoRevelationashetalkedabouttheloveofGod

andthedivineplanofredemption.Privately,MoorehousegentlyrebukedMoody.“LearntopreachGod’swords

instead of your own. He will make you a great power for good.” ThenMoorehouseshowedMoodyhowtousetheBibleandtracethegreatthemesofScripture.ItwaslikeasecondconversionforMoody.HepurchasedaCruden’sConcordanceandbegantogetuptwoorthreehoursbeforebreakfastsothathemightreadandstudytheBible.Yearslater,atthe1887NorthfieldConference,Moody said: “Take up the Bible, with a concordance. I believe AlexanderCrudendidmoretoopenuptheBiblethanhecouldeverhavedreamed.”But Moorehouse did more than teach Moody how to study the Bible. He

taughthimtolovesinnerstotheSavior.Nightafternight,astheex-prizefighterpreachedonJohn3:16,heemphasizedtheloveofGodforlostmenandwomen.AsMoody listened, his eyeswere opened and his heartwasmelted. “I neverknew. . . thatGodlovedussomuch!Thisheartofminebeganto thawout; Icouldnotholdbackthetears.”From1867tothefallof1871,MoodykeptbusyinSundayschoolworkand

theprogramoftheYMCA.HebecameapopularspeakeratstateSundayschoolconventions and was even elected to various offices in the associations,includingthatofpresidentoftheIllinoisStateSundaySchoolAssociation.In 1870Moodymade a second trip to Britain. That same year, at the “Y”

conventioninIndianapolis,heheardIraSankeysinganddecidedhewasjusttheman he needed for his own ministry. “Where are you from?” Moody asked.“What is your business? Are you married?” Sankey answered Moody’squestions,wonderingwhathewasdrivingat.IttookMoodysixmonthstoconvinceSankeythatevangelismwashiscalling;

butthemanfinallyyielded,andtheteamof“MoodyandSankey”wasborn.OnestoryaboutSankeymustberepeated.WhileservingintheUnionarmy,

Sankeywasonguarddutyonenightandfeltinspiredtosingahymn.WhathedidnotknowwasthathewasinthesightsofaConfederateriflemanwho,whenheheard thesong, loweredhis rifleanddidnotshoot. Ifeveramanhadbeen“compassedaboutwithsongsofdeliverance”(seePs.32:7),itwasIraSankey.Itappearedthateverythingwasnowinplace,andMoodycouldmoveahead

in Sunday school work, the YMCA ministry, and the winning of souls. Butsomething was still missing in Moody’s life and ministry, and he had toexperience some further crises before hewould become themanGodwanted

him to be. If ever there was a busyman serving the Lord, it was Dwight L.Moody. But deep within, Moody knew that something was missing from hisministry.Enter at this point two somewhat eccentricwomen,Aunt SarahCooke and

Mrs.Hawxhurst,bothofwhomwereidentifiedwith“theholinessmovement”ofgreater Chicago and northern Indiana. Cooke belonged to the FreeMethodistChurch but fellowshiped widely with God’s people and called herself simply“thehandmaidenoftheLord.”“Mr.Moodywasanearnest,whole-souledworker,”SarahCookewroteinher

memoirs,Wayside Sketches, “but ever to me there seemed such a lack in hiswords.Itseemedmorethehuman,thenaturalenergyandforceofcharacterofthe man, than anything spiritual.”2 Cooke and Hawxhurst often discussedMoodyandhisministryandthendecidedtotalktothemanhimself.TheytoldhimthattheywereprayingforhimthathemightreceivethepoweroftheSpirit.AtfirstMoodywassurprisedat theirconcernandsuggested that theyprayforthe lost. Then he became convicted and began to pray with the ladies everyFridayafternoon.“At everymeeting,” SarahCooke reported, “hewould getmore earnest, in

agonyofdesireforthisfullnessoftheSpirit.”But before the “fire” of God’s power came upon him,Moody experienced

anotherkindof fire, foronOctober8,1871, thegreatChicago firebrokeout.FromBeldenAvenueonthenorthto12thStreetonthesouth,andasfarwestasHalstedStreet,thefiredestroyedmorethan17,000buildingsandpropertyworthnearly$200million.MoodywaspreachingthatnightatFarwellHallonthetheme“WhatWillYou

DowithJesus?”Headmitted later thatwhathedid thatnightwasfoolish—heendedthemessagebyaskingthepeopletotakeaweektodecideandthencomeback to report their decision. But evenwhile Sankeywas singing the closingsong(ironically itwas“TodaytheSaviorCalls”), thenoiseoffireenginesandwarning bells drowned out the meeting. Moody dismissed the crowd and setaboutdoingwhathecouldtorescuehisfamilyandafewpossessions.The Moody family found refuge with Horatio Spafford, the author of the

hymn“ItIsWellwithMySoul.”LaterMoodysaidthatthefirehadtakenfromhim“everythingbutmyreputationandmyBible.”Whenawell-meaningfriendsaid, “Moody, I hear you lost everything!” Moody opened his Bible toRevelation21:7andsaid,“Well,youunderstoodwrong.Ihaveagooddealmore

thanIlost!”Thenhereadtheverse:“Hethatovercomethshallinheritallthings;andIwillbehisGod.”Withhisfamilycaredfor,Moodyleftfor theEastCoast topreach,rest,and

raisemoneytoreplacehischurchbuilding.ItwaswhileministeringinTheodoreCuyler’s church inBrooklyn thatMoodyhadhis life-changingexperience andthe power of the Spirit came upon him.Hewaswalking downWall Street inNewYorkCity,mullingovertheimpotenceofhispreachingandthefailureofhisfund-raisingprogram,whentheSpiritofGodfilledhim.“Oh,whataday!”helaterreported.“Icannotdescribeit;Iseldomrefertoit;

it is almost too sacred an experience to name. . . . I can only say that GodrevealedHimselftome,andIhadsuchanexperienceofHislovethatIhadtoaskHimtostayHishand.”It is unfortunate that some groups have tried to useMoody’s experience to

promote their own special views of the baptism of the Spirit and speaking intongues. There is no evidence that D. L. Moody ever spoke in tongues, andduringhismanycampaignsinGreatBritain,heandSankeyalwaysavoidedthepeoplewhopromotedtonguesandprophesying.Ifsomebodyinameetingbegantospeakoutorswoon,Moodywouldeithercallforahymnorclosethemeeting.OneoftheleadingspecialistsonthetheologyofD.L.MoodyismyfriendDr.

Stanley Gundry, whose definitive book Love Them In: The ProclamationTheology of D. L. Moody should be in every pastor’s library. OriginallypublishedbyMoodyPress,thebookwasreprintedbyBakerBooks.Dr.Gundrysays:OnemustproceedcautiouslywhenexaminingMoody’sstatementsonthismatter(thefillingoftheSpirit),foritisalltooeasytoimposeuponMoody’sstatementsameaningthathedidnotintend....Moodyhimselfseldomwentintothedetailsofhis1871experience,oratleastexistingsermonsseldomgive thedetails.Buton those rareoccasionswhenhedid, hedescribed it as a filling, abaptismorananointingthatcameuponhimwhenhewasinacoldstate.Hisselfishambitionsinpreachinghadbeensurrendered,andhethenreceivedpowerbywhichtodohisworkforChrist.3

Moodyreturnedtotheratherdismal“revival”meetingatCuyler’schurch,andthefirebegantoburn.MorethanonehundredpeopleprofessedfaithinChrist,andtheblessingsspreadtoothercongregations.Moodywaspreachingthesamemessages,buthispreachingcontainedanewtenderness,andthepowerofGodwasevidentinthemeetings.SomethingalsohappenedtoMoody,thefund-raiser.Insteadofdependingon

hisownexperienceasasalesman,MoodybegantotrustGodforguidanceashe

approached peoplewith his needs.Hewas still aggressive, but in a newway.Before long he had the needed funds to replace the church building. OnDecember 24, 1871, he dedicated the new tabernacle with more than 1,000childrenandtheirparentsassistinghim.Perhaps this is a good place to mention the history of the church thatMr.

Moodyfoundedin1864.ItwasoriginallycalledtheIllinoisStreetIndependentChurch,withMr.Wheeler as the pastor.Of course, everybody knew thatMr.Moodywastheirleader,buthewasnotanordainedminister.From1866to1869J.H.Harwoodpastoredthechurch,buttherewasnoregularpastorfrom1869to1871.Moodyhadmanyfriendswhoenjoyedassistinginthework,sotherewasalwayssomebodyinthepulpit.OftenMoodydidthepreachinghimself.Afterthefire,thenewstructurewascalledtheNorthSideTabernacle,andin

1876thechurchrelocatedtoChicagoAvenueandLaSalleStreetandbecametheChicagoAvenueChurch.TheesteemedpastorswereWilliamJ.Erdman(1876–78),CharlesM.Morton(1878,1879),GeorgeC.Needham(1879–81),CharlesF.Goss (1885–90), andCharlesA.Blanchard (1891–93). From1894 to 1906,ReubenArcherTorreypastoredthechurch,whichwasrenamedMoodyChurchin1901.Mr.Moodywouldneverhaveputhisnameonthechurch,butitseemedtobeanappropriatewaytohonorhismemoryafterhisdeath.Beginning in 1889, the newly founded Chicago Evangelistic Society (later

MoodyBibleInstitute)usedthechurch’sfacilities,andDr.R.A.Torreyservedasbothpastorandsuperintendentoftheschool.WhenTorreyleftin1906tostarttheChurchof theOpenDoor inLosAngeles,Dr.A.C.Dixonbecamepastor(1906–11).OneofAmerica’sgreatestpreachers,PaulRader,becamepastor in1915, and the churchmoved amile north onLaSalle Street toNorthAvenue,wherea5,000-seattabernaclewasbuilt.Raderpreachedtothousandsofpeoplenightafternight,andmultitudesweresaved.Raderresignedin1921,andP.W.Philpottacceptedthepulpit,remaininguntil

1929.Duringhisministrythecongregationtoredowntheoldtabernacleand,in1925, dedicated the present building that is officially named the MoodyMemorial Church. For eighteen fruitful years (1930–48), Dr. H. A. IronsideministeredtheWordtolargecongregations,andoneverySundayexcepttwohesawpublicdecisionsforChrist.S.FranklinLogsdenfollowedDr.Ironsideaspastor.Logsdenwassucceeded

byDr.AlanRedpath fromEngland.From1966 to1971,Dr.GeorgeSweetingwaspastor.IhadtheprivilegeofsucceedingDr.Sweeting,servingfrom1971to

1978.ThepresentpastorisDr.ErwinLutzer,aformerinstructoratMoodyBibleInstitute.Whenever former Moody pastors or Moody church “alumni” get together,

thereareoftenspiriteddiscussionsaboutwhatMr.Moodywouldhavedonehadhe lived longer. Would he have approved the construction of a 4,000-seatcathedral-type church building? Would he perhaps have scattered thecongregationtovariouslocationsinChicago,tobuildfiftyoronehundredsoul-winning churches? Paul Rader wanted to build a “skyscraper” with anauditoriumfor2,500peopleandclassroomsandofficesforthechurch;andthenheplannedtorenttherestofthestructureouttohelppaythebills!UnlessMr.Moodytellsusinheaven,wewillneverknowwhathewouldhave

done;therefore,itisuselesstospeculate.WedoknowthatbothMoodyChurchandMoody Bible Institute, with its manyministries, have been used by Godovertheyearstoblesscountlesspeoplearoundtheworld.MoodymadeanothertriptoBritainin1872,duringwhichhewasintroduced

to “dispensational truth” andmet evangelistHenryVarley. It wasVarleywhosaid toMoody (and this seems tobe theaccurateversion):“Moody, theworldhasyet toseewhatGodcandowithandforandthroughandinamanwhoisfully and wholly consecrated to Him.” Varley did not remember making thestatement,butMoodyneverforgotit.Oneof theministersaskedMoodytopreachatachurch inArundelSquare,

London, and that service turned into a two-week meeting during which fourhundred people professed faith inChrist. Part of the secret behind the harvestwas the praying of Marianne Adlard, a bedridden girl who had read aboutMoody inanewspaperandhadbeenprayingdaily thathewouldcome toherchurchandpreach.Godansweredherprayers,andMoodycaughtanewvisionofwhatGodcoulddothroughhiminBritain.In fact, it was a crisis experience for him. As a result, he determined to

concentrate on evangelismandgive himself completely to thewinningof lostsouls.Theresultwasthegreatcampaignof1873–75.“IgowhereIcandothemostgood.ThatiswhatIamafter.ItissoulsIwant

—itissoulsIwant!”Moody spoke thosewords to someBritish friends in1873.Hehad recently

arrived in Britain, responding to an invitation from three leading EnglishChristians—Henry Bewley, Cuthbert Bainbridge andWilliam Pennefather. To

hisdismay,hediscoveredthatBainbridgeandPennefatherwerebothdeadandthatBewleywasnotexpectinghim.ButMoodywasnotthekindofmanwhoquiteasily.Hehadinhispocketa

letterfromGeorgeBennet,whowassecretaryoftheYMCAatYork,sohewiredBennet that hewas coming.Themanwas shockedby the news and informedMoody that itwould takeweeksfor themtoget readyforameeting.Bennet’sarguments meant nothing to Moody, who promptly went to York and startedpreachingtheWord,withSankeysinginghiswayintotheheartsofthepeople.TheBritishcongregationsweresuspiciousandforatimekepttheirdistance.

“One has an organ and performs on that,” went the report. “The other tellsstories.” And everybody waited to see what the “catch” was and how theseuninvitedAmericanguestswouldmakeaprofitoutofthemeetings.Attendancewasnotlarge,andthespiritofthemeetingswasnothingexciting.Then God touched a pastor’s heart, and the whole atmosphere began to

change.TheyoungpastorofthePrioryStreetBaptistChapelwasbroughtunderdeepconvictionatthenoonprayermeeting.Hehadbeen“beatingtheair”inhisministry,andwhenMoodyhadpreachedontheHolySpirit,thepastorrealizedhisneedandhowGodcouldmeetit.ThatmanwasF.B.Meyer,whoseministryof theWordwould be greatly used around theworld andwhosemany booksministertoheartseventoday.Meyer even permittedMoody to use his church building for extra services,

and by now the tide was beginning to flow in. A large crowd came to hearMoody at theCornExchange, and one of the leading religious newspapers inEnglandbegantoreportthemeetings.F.B.Meyerwassoblessedwithhisnewvision of evangelism and ministry that his enthusiasm offended some of hisofficers,andhewasaskedtoleavethechurch.“Thisisnotagospelshop!”theirateofficerstoldhim.GodopenedthewayforhimtoestablishanewchurchinLeicester,“MelbourneHall,”whichstillmaintainsafaithfulwitness.AftertheministryatYork,MoodyandSankeymovedtoSunder-landandthen

Newcastle. Their friend Harry Moorehouse joined them and shared in themeetings. It was at Newcastle that Sacred Songs and Soloswas first issued,published on September 16 by Marshall, Morgan, and Scott. Known as the“SankeyHymnbook,”thisvolumewasjustwhatMoodyneededinhismeetings,asmostofthechurchhymnalsdidnotcontaingospelsongswithanevangelisticemphasis.Sincethattime,morethantenmillioncopiesofSacredSongsandSoloshave

beensold.Whentheinitialroyaltiesstartedtocomein,Moodyofferedthemtohis British friends for whatever ministries they chose; but they refused themoney. So Moody sent the money back to Chicago where it was used tocompletetheChicagoAvenueChurchbuilding.The tide continued to come in, so the team decided to invade traditional,

evangelicalScotland;onNovember23,theyopenedacampaigninEdinburgh.Itwasnotanencouragingbeginning.Foronething,Moodywasillwithtonsillitis;foranother,Sankey’sorganwasinneedofrepairs.Buttheystartedthemeetings,andGodbegantobless.Letmeinterruptthisreportwithaninterestingsidelight.OnOctober19,justa

fewweeks beforeMoody and Sankey arrived, the leading “spiritual giant” ofScotland,Dr.R.S.Candlish,died.Beforehedied,hepredictedthattherewouldcometoScotland“agreatblessingwhichshouldnotbedespised,thoughitcomestrangely.”MoodyandSankeywerethe“strange”bearersofthatblessing.Here’sahumoroussidelighton theEdinburghmeetings.San-key finallygot

hisorganrepaired(theScotscalledit“achestofwhistles”)andsangthegospelinthemeetings.Atonepoint,itwasnecessarytoholdtwomeetingsacrossthestreetfromeachotherinordertoaccommodatethecrowds.SankeywouldsinginonechurchwhileMoodypreachedintheother,andthentheywouldexchangeplaces.As Sankey began to sing and play his organ in the onemeeting, a faithful

Presbyterianladyjumpedupandranfromthemeeting,shouting,“Letmeoot!Letmeoot!WhatwouldJohnKnoxthinkofthelikeofye?”Shewasoffended,ofcourse,bySankey’suseofamusical instrument inachurch.She thenwentacrossthestreettotheothermeeting,andwhenSankeyappearedtosingthere,shejumpedupandranoutagain,stillshouting,“Letmeoot!Letmeoot!WhatwouldJohnKnoxthinkofthelikeofye?”ItisworthnotingthatSankeysang“TheNinetyandNine”forthefirsttimein

the Edinburgh campaign. The words were written by a frail Scottish lady,ElizabethC.Clephane,wholivednearEdinburgh.Sankeyhadfoundthepoemin a newspaper he had purchased at the train depot and, impressed with themessage, had put the clipping in his pocket. After preaching on the GoodShepherd,MoodyturnedtoSankeyandaskedhimtosinganappropriatesong.Asking God for help, Sankey put the words on his organ, struck A-flat, andcomposedthetuneashewentalong.Moodythengavehisinvitation,andmany“lostsheep”enteredtheinquiryroomtofindtheShepherd.

OnFebruary8thecampaignmovedtoGlasgow,butallwasnotwell.OneofScotland’smostfamouspreachers,theReverendJohnKennedy(“TheSpurgeonof the Highlands”), opposedMr.Moody’sministry. The fact that some 3,000personshadbeen received into theEdinburghchurchesasa resultofMoody’sworkdidnot impressKennedy.Hepublishedapamphlet“proving” that itwasnotscriptural forMoodytouse“humanhymns” insteadof thePsalms, toplaytheorganinachurch,ortoinvitesinnersintoinquiryrooms.Notalloftheleadingclergywereopposedtothecampaign,however,among

them the saintly Andrew Bonar, noted pastor and special friend of RobertMurrayMcCheyne.“The tideofreal revival inEdinburghhasbeenstirringupallofus,”hewroteinhisjournalonJanuary1,1874.OnFebruary10,hewrote:“Thiscityhasbeenatlastvisited;MoodyandSankey,sentbytheLord.”Bonarand many other pastors prayed earnestly that God would break through thereligiouscomplacencyofthechurchesandthatmanysinnerswouldcometotheSavior.Godansweredtheirprayersasthetidekeptdeepening.OnFebruary24,some

101menprofessedfaithinChristinonemeeting!WhenthecampaignclosedonApril19,therecordshowedthattherehadbeenmorethan6,000professionsoffaithandthat7,000personshadunitedwithlocalchurches.Bonarwroteinhisjournal that hehad a communicant’s class of fifty-two, all of themclear as totheirsalvationexperience,andthatfifty-fourpeoplecametotheLord’sTableforthefirsttime.Moody and Sankey spent the summer months in the Scottish Highlands,

ministeringfromtowntotown,andtheninSeptembermovedtoIreland.Inspiteofsome inclementweatherand theprejudiceofsomeRomanCatholicpeople,themeetingswereagreatsuccess.Buildingswerepacked,andpeoplerespondedtoMoody’ssimplepresentationofthegospel.After five weeks in Belfast, themenmoved their witness to Dublin where

only one-fourth of the populationwas Protestant. The crowds came, however,eventhoughthearchbishophadissuedanedictforbiddinghispeopletoattend.Evenridiculedidnotaffecttheministry,asthefollowingstoryproves.A couple of clowns performing at a Dublin circus tried to ridicule the

evangelistswiththisroutine:“I’mratherMoodytonight.Howdoyoufeel?”“IfeelratherSankeymonious.”

The audience began to hiss the so-called comedians and then began to sing“HoldtheFort.”For themostpart, theRomanCatholicpublicationsweresympathetic to the

meetings.Oneeditorwrote:“ThedeadlydangeroftheagecomesuponusfromthedirectionofHuxleyandDarwinandTyndall, rather than fromMoodyandSankey.” Moody’s positive message carried the day, and the British Weeklycalledthemeetings“aPentecost.”The Irish campaign closed on November 29, andMoody then preached in

Manchester duringDecember, in Birmingham in January, and in Liverpool inFebruary.Thecrowdscameandpeoplewereconverted,althoughnotasmanyasMoodyhadhoped.OnMarch9hetackledLondonwithitsthreemillionpeople.Onceagainhisbiggestproblemwaswiththeclergy,soMoodyheldaninformalsessiontoanswertheirquestions.“Howareyoupaid?”oneministerasked.“Ihavemoneyenoughformyselfright inmypocket,”saidMoody,“anddo

not ask for a cent.” (The fact was that Moody had single-handedly raisedthousands of dollars for the construction ofYMCA buildings andmissions inBritain.)“Iamaritualist,”saidanotherminister.“Willyousendmeallmyproperand

rightfulconverts?”Moodyreplied,“IamnotheretodivideuptheprofitsbuttogetasmanyasI

cantogivetheirheartstoJesusChrist.”ItseemsthateveryChristianevangelist,fromPetertoMartinLuthertoJohn

WesleytoMoodytothoseofourpresentday,hashadhisgreatestproblemswiththeministerswhoshouldhavebeenoutwinningthelostthemselves.AnentirebookcouldbewrittenaboutthemiraclesoftheLondoncampaign.

WealthysportsmanEdwardStuddcametoChristthroughMoody’sministry,andeight years later his son C. T. Studd trusted Christ whenMoody preached atCambridge. Fifteen thousandmen attended a special “men only”meeting andmany of them found Christ. It was estimated that 2.5 million people heardMoody and Sankey during the campaign and that the men conducted 285differentpublicmeetings.Thetotalbudgetran$140,000!OnAugust 4, 1875,Moody left for home, arriving in theUnitedStates ten

dayslater.IthadbeenatriumphantcampaignforChrist.HehadwonthebattleforBritain.

BeforeweleaveMoodyandSankey,let’strytoanswerthequestionthatmanypeopleaskedthenandstillasktoday:whatwasthesecretof theirsuccess,notonly in theirBritishcampaignbutalso in theirministry ingeneral?Whenyouread the reports and evaluations written in Moody’s day, you start to get acompositeanswerthatseemstobevalid.Tobeginwith,MoodyhimselfwasaSpirit-filledmanwhowasburdenedfor

souls. He had no interest in making money. He was not intimidated by“important people,” nor was he afraid to try something new. In fact, Moodystandsasoneofthegreat innovatorsinChristianministry.Ifoneapproachdidnotwork,beingagoodbusinessman,hetriedanother.Themeetingswereundergirdedwithprayer.Thenoonprayermeetingwasthe

most important meeting of the day to Moody. If it became dull or dead, heliveneditupandgotthepeoplepraying.“I’dratherbeabletopraythantobeagreat preacher,” he once said. “JesusChrist never taught his disciples how topreach,butonlyhowtopray.”Third, he worked in and through the church and encouraged ministers to

forget theirminor differences andwork together towin the lost.Thiswas noteasyinBritainwherethestatechurchandtheindependentssometimesengagedin mutual suspicion and attack. “Satan separates,” said Moody. “God unites.Lovebindsustogether.”Moodyused theBibleandkept theBiblebefore thepeople.During the two

yearsoftheBritishcampaign,publisherscouldhardlykeepupwiththedemandforBibles. “Ihaveobserved thatMr.Moody speaks to inquirerswithanopenBible in his hands,” wrote one reporter. Moody did not argue theology; hesimplyquotedtheBibleandletGodspeakforhimself.Several leaders mentioned the order and atmosphere of the meetings as a

factor in Moody’s success. There was a spirit of worship, and ushers weretrainedtodealimmediatelywithdisturbances.Whenapplausebrokeoutinonemeeting,itwasinstantlysilenced;andoftenMoodywouldcallfortimesofsilentprayerandworship.EverybodyknewthatIraSankey’smusicwasakeyfactor in theblessingof

Godonthemeetings.EventhedourScotsfinallyyieldedto thewooingof theportableorganandsongsoftheAmericansinger.Onereporterwrote:“Hespoilsthe Egyptians of their finest music and consecrates it to the service of thetabernacle.” Both Moody and Sankey were courageous enough to use newhymnsandgospelsongsinspiteoftheoppositionofthetraditionalists.

Thecampaignseemedafailureatthestart,butGodworkedinaremarkablewayandgaveBritainperhapsthegreatestspiritualmovementsincethedaysofGeorgeWhitefield and JohnWesley.And he did it through two ordinarymenwhowouldnotquitbutwhotrustedGodtoblesshisWord.Godcanstilldothattodayinourlandorinanyland.HenryVarley’swords

are still true: “The world has yet to see what God can do with and for andthroughandinamanwhoisfullyandwhollyconsecratedtoHim.”

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25

GeorgeMatheson1842–1906

ostpeopleknowtwothingsaboutGeorgeMatheson:hewasblind,andhewrote“OLoveThatWillNotLetMeGo.”Somepeoplestillbelievethe

myth that he wrote the hymn after his sweetheart broke their engagementbecausehewasgoingblind.Mathesonbegantogoblindatageeighteenmonths,andhewasneverengaged.“Ihaveneverbeeninlove,”heoncetoldhisfriendM’KenzieBell.Mathesontoldabouttheexperienceofcomposingthehymn:“Itcametome

spontaneously,withoutconsciouseffort;andIhaveneverbeenabletogainoncemorethesamefervorinverse.”Headmittedacrisishadbeeninvolved,buthedidnotsaywhatitwas:

MyhymnwascomposedinthemanseofInnellanontheeveningof6thJune1882.Iwasatthattimealone.Itwasthedayofmysister’smarriage,andtherestofthefamilywerestayingovernightinGlasgow.Somethinghadhappenedtome,whichwasknownonlytomyself,andwhichcausedmethemostseverementalsuffering.Thehymnwasthefruitofthatsuffering.ItwasthequickestbitofworkIeverdidinmylife.Ihadtheimpressionratherofhavingitdictatedtomebysomeinwardvoicethanofworkingitoutmyself.Iamquitesurethatthewholeworkwascompletedinfiveminutes.1

IbelieveMathesonmadefargreatercontributionstothecauseofChristthanhis hymn, as beautiful as that is. His courage and accomplishment are atremendousinspirationtoanyoneintheministrywhohastofightahandicap.George Matheson was born in Glasgow on March 27, 1842. His eyesight

began to fail, but he managed to complete his basic schooling wearing verystrongglasses.Bythetimehewaseighteen,however,hehadtohaveassistance.Histwosisterswerehisgreatesthelpers,evenlearningforeignlanguagestotutorhim.AttheUniversityofGlasgowhedevotedfiveyearstoearninghisMAandanotherfouryearstoanMDiv.Hewonhonors,particularlyindebateandpublicspeaking,andhewaspopular.Atonepointhewantedtotrainforalegalcareer,but the call of Christ prevailed. On June 13, 1866, he was licensed by the

presbytery; sixmonths later hewas named assistant to JohnRossMacDuff atSandyfordChurch.MacDuffwasadevotionalpreacherwhosebookssoldinthemillions. Influenced by MacDuff, Matheson also became a very successfuldevotionalwriter.Earlyin1868,MathesonwasrecommendedtothechurchofInnellaninoneof

Glasgow’s resort areas. When Glasgow citizens relaxed in Innellan duringsummermonths,theywantedtoheargoodsermons.Matheson’sblindnessgaverise to some strong opposition in the church, and they called him by a verynarrowmajority. Before long, however, the new pastor won the hearts of thepeople. They ordained him onApril 8, 1868, and he remainedwith them foreighteenyears.Notonlywashefaithfulinhispreaching,buthealsospenttimewith his people. Like most Scottish pastors, he invested his mornings in thestudyandhisafternoonsinvisitationandcounseling.Imaginewhatitwouldbelikeforablindmantopastorachurch.Mathesondidhavethecapableassistanceofhissisterandtheofficersofthechurch.Butonlyhecouldgatherthematerialforhismessages,plantheSundayservices,andleadthechurchinworship.Hememorizednotonlyhismessage,butalsothehymnsandtheScripturereadings.Andhenevermissedaword!Early inhis Innellanministry,Mathesonexperiencedaneclipseof faith that

would even have defeated a personwithout handicaps. “With a great thrill ofhorror,” he told a friend, “I found myself an absolute atheist! After beingordainedatInnellan,Ibelievednothing;neitherGodnorimmortality.”Hesharedhisproblemwithhisofficersandevenofferedtoresign.Theywiselycounseledhim to wait; he was young, and all youngministers (they said) had times ofdoubt.Hewaitedandwonthebattle.Withoutabandoninghistraditionalfaith,hesaw deeper meaning in it and felt he could still preach it without losing hisintegrity.In1879hewasgrantedaDDbyEdinburghUniversity.Healsobecameoneof

Innellan’sgreatestattractions.Whenheresignedthechurchin1886togotoSt.Bernard’s, Edinburgh, he temporarily threatened the economic stability of theresort!Hiscall toSt.Bernard’sChurch isan interestingstory in itself.Onestormy

winter’sSunday,Mathesonpreached toonlyahandfulofworshipers.Hewenthomeratherdiscouragedbecausehefelthismessagehadbeenespeciallygood.AstrangerintheInnellancongregation,however,neverforgoteitherthesermonorthepreacher.Morethansevenyearslater,whenSt.Bernard’sneededapastor,

thismanrecommendedMatheson.Eachoccasionofministrydeservesourbest.Theresultsmaybeslowincoming,buttheywillcome.Mathesonwas installedaspastorofSt.Bernard’sChurchonMay12,1886.

He remained with the church for thirteen years. In 1896 he offered hisresignation,butitwasrejected.HepreachedhisfarewellsermononNovember17,1899,andthenretiredtowriteandoccasionallytopreach.HepreachedhislastsermononFebruary14,1904,atMorningsideChurch,Edinburgh,apulpitmadefamousinrecentyearsbyJamesS.Stewart.Whileonhisannualholiday,GeorgeMathesontooksick;hediedonNovember28,1906.His friends claimed that Matheson’s blindness was actually his making. It

compelled him to “walk by faith” and live in the highest levels of spiritualmeditation.Hewasnotdeceivedordistractedby thesurface thingsof life.Hehadtheabilitytopenetratedeepereventhoughhecouldnotsee.APresbyteriancouncil heardhimpreachonce and responded: “TheCouncil all feel thatGodhasclosedyoureyesonlytoopenothereyes,whichhavemadeyouoneoftheguidesofmen.”Besidebeingacourageousmanandanoutstandingpreacher,Mathesonwas

anexactingscholarandcapablewriter.HisfirstbookwasAids to theStudyofGermanTheology(1874).Preacherswithnormalvisionwouldhesitatetotackleasubjectlikethat.Threeyearslaterhepublishedatwo-volumework,Growthofthe Spirit of Christianity, attempting to apply Hegelian philosophy to churchhistory.In1881hepublishedNaturalElementsofRevealedTheology,theBairdlecturesforthatyear.ButwemostrememberMathesonasadevotionalwriterofamazing perception and poetic ability. My Aspirations (1883) was his firstdevotionalbook.HealsowroteMomentsontheMount,Wordsby theWayside,LeavesforQuietHours,RestsbytheRiver,Sidelightsfrom–Patmos,andmanyothers.Any preacherwho has ever delivered a series of biographical sermonswould appreciate The Representative Men of the Bible (two volumes), TheRepresentativeMenoftheNewTestament,andTheRepresentativeWomenoftheBible. His Studies of the Portrait of Christ (two volumes) and SpiritualDevelopmentofSt.PaularevaluablecontributionstotheseareasofBiblestudy.Somuch“devotionalwriting”todayisshallowandsentimentalandnotatall

spiritual.ABibleverse,aparagraphofapprovedplatitudes,anexhortation,andaprayermake up the average “meditation.” The peoplewhomanufacture thesethingsneedtolistentoMatheson’sconvictionsaboutdevotionalwriting:

Devotionmust be the child of reflection; itmay rise onwings, but theymust be thewings of

thought. . . . It should aim at the marriage of qualities which are commonly supposed to beantagonistic—theinsightofthethinkerandthefervoroftheworshiper....Religioussentiment,ifitisworthanything,mustbeprecededbyreligiousperception.2

Matheson blended the intellectual power of the theologian and the spiritualperceptionanddevotionofthemystic.IntheprefacetoTimesofRetirement,hewrote:“It isoftensaid thatdevotionisa thingof theheart. Idonot thinkit iseithermainly ormerely so. I hold that all devotion is based upon intellectualconviction.”Nowonderhiswritingislikethat“seaofglass,mingledwithfire.”Hisdevotionalwritingsarecharacterizedbydepthandvariety.Helaidholdofagreatspiritualtruth,sawnewandexcitingpossibilitiesinit,andthenapplieditinawaythatwaspracticalwithoutbeingpreachy.Hecombinedfactandfeeling.Eachselectiongenerallyhastwoparts:thespiritualthoughtforthemindandaprayer directed to the heart.GeorgeH.Morrison once defined “sentiment” as“feeling without responsibility.” Matheson would have agreed, because heavoidedthemawkishormaudlin.Heneverusedreligiouswordstomanufactureartificialfeeling.Perhaps thesecretofhisbalanceddevotionalexperiencewassincereprayer.

One of his faithful parishioners wrote: “Dr. Matheson’s first prayer [in theworship service]wasoften the finestpartof the service.Andwhat aprayer itwas!...Howmanyofourpreachersdrawtearsfromtheeyesoftheworshipersas they pray?” Another worshiper said: “In that prayer we have been to themountofworship,andwecouldgoawaycontentevenifweheardnomore.ItwaswonderfulthewayinwhichthatblindpreachertalkedwithGodandutteredtheaspirationsofthepeople.”Mathesonhimselfadmitted:“Prayernevercausesmeaneffort.WhenIpray,IknowIamaddressingtheDeity,butwhenIpreach,theDevilmaybeamongthecongregation.”In his early days of ministry, Matheson attempted to reconcile evangelical

doctrinewiththenewGermantheologyandtheviewsofevolution.Forsomehesucceeded;butatthesametimehefailedtoministertotheneedsofthemasses.Inhislateryearshewroteforthecommonpeople,andGodgavehimawideandusefulministry.Thatministrycontinuesinhismanybooks.Matheson did not try to generate false fire. He warmed one’s heart as the

Saviorhad thoseof theEmmausdisciples;Mathesonopenedup theScripturesandrevealedJesusChrist.HefedhimselfonthetruthsoftheWordinlonghoursofmeditationandthensharedthosetruthswithothers.Hemadetruthluminous.Hemade it exciting.Wewoulddowell to rediscoverMatheson in this dayofmuchsuperficialdevotionalpreachingandwriting.Somepublishercoulddousa

great serviceby reprintinghisbestbooks,orperhaps an anthologyofhisbestselections.ThepreacherwouldbewisetoreadMathesonandseektoattainthatbeautiful blending of doctrinal precision and devotional passion. GeorgeMathesonwasblind,yetthroughhisbookshehelpsusseebetter.

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26

C.I.Scofield1843–1921

trictly speaking, theAuthorized (orKing James) version of the Biblewasnever “authorized.” King James favored the project for both personal and

politicalreasons.ButasthespiritualheadoftheChurchofEngland,hedidnotorder the use of the new translation. For years, the new translation receivedsevere criticism—similar to the criticism leveled at today’s translations. EvenLancelot Andrewes, one of the most learned of the King James Versiontranslators,preferredtousetheGenevaBible.PerhapstheGenevaBiblemostirritatedKingJamesandconvincedhimthata

newversionwasneeded.ThemarginalnotesintheGenevaBiblewerecriticalofmonarchies and national churches. The fact that theCalvinists inGeneva hadhelpedproduce theGenevaBiblewasanadded incentive foranewversion inthelanguageofthepeople.Atanyrate,oneoftherulesgiventotheKingJamestranslators was: “No marginal notes to be affixed,” except notes relating toHebreworGreek.Todaythesituationisreversed:wehonortheKingJamesversionandresistits

critics,andwepreferitwithasmanynotesaspossible.AnnotatededitionsoftheKing James Bible continue to be published, and the public buys them. Likemakes of cars or brands of toothpaste, each edition has its promoters anddetractors, almost to thepoint ofmakingone’s choiceof studyBible a test oforthodoxyorspiritual fellowship.TheyoungBiblestudent lookingforastudyBiblehassomanychoicesthathemaynotknowhowtomakeasaneselection.PerhapsthebestknownistheScofieldReferenceBible,editedbyC.I.Scofieldandpublishedin1909byOxfordUniversityPress.Acorrectededitionappearedin 1917, and in 1967TheNew Scofield Reference Biblewas published.Morethanamillionandahalfcopiesofthisneweditionhavebeensold.(Iunderstandthat there is a group dedicated to preserving the original edition! Apparentlythey feel the editors of the 1967 edition deviated too much from Scofield’s

interpretations.)Cyrus IngersonScofieldwasbornonAugust 19, 1843, in frontierLenawee

County,Michigan.Whilehewasstillalad,hisfamilymovedtoWilsonCounty,Tennessee,wherehe liveduntil hewas seventeen.Whenhe shouldhavebeenenrolled in college, he enlisted in the Confederate Army and served withdistinction for four years. He received the Cross of Honor for bravery atAntietam.AfterthewarherelocatedtoSt.Louiswithhisoldestsister,whohadmarriedintoawealthyfamily.Unwillingtopermithisbrother-in-lawtopayforhis education, Scofieldwent towork as a land clerk, examining titles. In twoyears his promotion to chief clerkprovided sufficientmoney to study law.Hepassed his bar examinations at age twenty-six and was elected to the Kansaslegislature. An efficient lawyer and politician, he was appointed by PresidentGrantasU.S.AttorneyforKansas.HeservedfortwoyearsandthenreturnedtoSt.Louistopracticelaw.Another attorney,ThomasS.McPheeters, a dedicatedChristian,wasoneof

Scofield’sclose friends.Scofieldwasbattlingalcoholism.McPheeterscame toScofield’s office in September 1879 and said: “For a long time I have beenwantingtoaskyouaquestionthatIhavebeenafraidtoask,butthatIamgoingto ask now.Why are you not aChristian?”He then took out his pocketNewTestamentandreasonedwiththelawyer.Scofieldwantedmoretimetoconsiderthematter,butMcPheeterswouldnotgivein.TheHolySpiritwonthecase:thetwo men prayed together, and C. I. Scofield gave his heart to Jesus Christ.Instantly the chains were broken, never to be forged again. Scofield wrote inlateryears:“Thepassionfordrinkwastakenaway!Divinepowerdidit,whollyofgrace.ToChristbealltheglory!”LikeDwightL.Moody,withwhomhewouldbeassociated,Scofieldbecame

active in the YMCA. He also grew under theministry of James H. Brookes,whom he called “the greatest Bible student I have ever known.” ScofielddevelopedahungertoknowtheWordofGod.OnedayhevisitedC.E.Paxson,aChristian friend, and foundhimdrawing lines in anewBible. “Man,you’respoiling that fine newBible!” Scofield protested. But Paxson showed him hewasconnectingActs8:5and8:8todemonstratethatPhilip’spreachingofChristbrought great joy to the city. Scofield’s logical mind instantly caught theimportanceof the lines thatwere“ruining”Paxson’sBible,andfromthathourhemarkedcross-referencesinhisBible.Scofield’sexperienceinPaxson’sofficewashisfirststeptowardeditingthemostfamousstudyBibleinEnglish.

Scofield abandoned law in 1882 to pastor a new Congregational church inDallas.Thereweretwelvemembers,elevenofthemwomen.Withintwoyearsanew building had to be constructed to accommodate two hundred members.Scofield’sBible-teachingministrywasblessedbyGodbothathomeandinthevariousconferenceswherehespoke,includingthefamousonesatNiagaraandNorthfield.In 1895, Scofield became Moody’s pastor at the East Northfield

CongregationalChurch,whereheministeredforsevenyears.Healsoservedaspresident of theNorthfieldBible Training School.He returned in 1902 to theFirstCongregationalChurchinDallas,butthemostimportanteventofthatyeartook place inNewYorkCity.While there tominister, Scofield visitedAlwynBall,aChristianbusinessmanwhohadencouragedhisministry.Ballaskedwhatprojectshewasworkingonnowthathehadfinishedwritingacorrespondencecourse. Scofield replied that he had been thinking for years of preparing areference Bible, to help serious students study theWordmore systematically.Ball immediately approved the project, and the two of them took it asconfirmationoftheLord.Scofield tried pastoring the churchwhile preparing the referenceBible, but

afterayearoffrustration,heresigned.Muchofhisworkfrom1902to1909wasdone inMontreaux, Switzerland.On several occasions Scofieldwas too ill towork,buthiswifewouldcontinuewiththeprojectuntilhecouldrejoinher.Wewho read the Scofield Reference Bible today can appreciate the enormousamountofeditorialworkandproofreading.OfcourseScofieldconsultedotherBibleteachers(whosenamesappearonthetitlepage),butthefinalwritingandeditingwerehisown.On two occasions the work was almost destroyed. After he shipped the

materialfromEuropetoAmerica, theboxeswerelost.Heandhiswifeprayedfervently until they located the priceless shipment among the baggage ofimmigrantswho had come over on the same ship.While completing the finalmanuscript,theScofieldslivedinatentinNewHampshire,andthetentcaughtfire. Had thewind shifted, themanuscript in a nearby shedwould have beendestroyed.Scofielddidhisworkwell.Eventhosewhodonotfollowthedispensational

approach to Scripture can benefit from the chain-reference system, thedefinitions, and the doctrinal summaries. The men who gave us the revisededition helped strengthen some points and solve some problem areas of

interpretation.ThesuccessoftheScofieldBiblehasencouragedothereditorsandpublishers

to enter the field. One of the latest—and best—is the Ryrie Study Bible,published invarious editionsbyMoodyPress andeditedbyCharlesC.Ryrie,formerprofessorofsystematictheologyatDallasTheologicalSeminary.Ryrie’scredentialsasaBiblescholarandteachercertainlyneednodefense;eventhosewhodonotfollowtheScofield-dispensationalapproachtotheBibleadmitthatRyrieiswell-equippedforsuchanambitioustask.Thisisnota“referenceBible”assuch,althoughitdoeshaveagoodsystemof

cross-references. Rather it is an annotated Bible, with hundreds of marginalnotesthatexplainandapplythetext.WhilemuchofthisinformationisavailableinstandardBiblehelps,itisgoodtohaveitalongsidethetext.Theseannotationscover more ground than those of Scofield, including historical data,archaeological information, cultural background, and doctrinal definitions andexplanations. There is such a greatwealth of information in these annotationsthateventheseasonedstudentwillfindthemuseful.RyrieintroducesandoutlineseachbookoftheBible.Someoftheoutlinesare

analytical (e.g.,Matt., John,Acts, and 1 Thess.),while others are interpretive(e.g.,2Tim.and1Peter).Ipreferinterpretiveoutlinesthat“openup”thebook.Butalltheoutlinesaregood,thoughsomeareabitlong.IamgladRyriedidnotcaptiontheoutlines,“TheOutlineof...”AsG.CampbellMorgansaid,“Thereisnosuchthingas theoutlineofaBiblebook. Iprefer tosayanoutline.”Nooutlineisinspiredorfinal.Theeditoristobecongratulatedforbreakingawayfromsometime-honored

dispensational“doctrines,”suchasapre-Adamicraceanda“gap”betweenthefirstandsecondversesofGenesis.HealsomakesitclearthatCain’ssinwashisunbelief,nothisbloodlesssacrifice.Ihavenotyetreadeverynote,buttheonesIhavereadarehelpfulandpractical.Theexperiencedstudentwhofindssomeoftheannotationsratherobvious(Luke7:24–25,forexample)mustrememberthatthis Bible will be used by believers who are at much earlier stages in theirspiritualgrowthandBibleknowledge.TheRyrieStudyBibleisavailableintwotexts:theAuthorizedVersionandthe

NewAmericanStandardBible. I commendRyrie for preparingnotes for bothtexts;itmusthavebeenamonumentaltask.Hehasalsoprovidedatthebackofthe Bible a number of extra helps: a harmony of the Gospels, a summary ofBibledoctrine,variousarticlesabouttheBibleanditsorigin,atopicalindex,an

indextotheannotations,maps,andotherhelps.Thereisalsoaconcordance.We have come a long way since King James ordered the omission of

interpretivenotes,andIamgladwehave.Aslongaswekeepinmindthatthetext,notthenotes,isinspired,andthateventhewisestmenmakemistakes,wewillprofitfromthededicatedscholarshipthatproducessuchtools.ThereisnoexcuseexceptlazinessfortheChristianwholacksaworkingknowledgeoftheBible.WhichstudyBibleis

best?Theonethathelpsyouthemost.Leteverymanbefullypersuadedinhisown mind. The important thing is to study God’s Word consistently, usingwhateverhelpsareavailable,andthenputitintopractice.

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27

F.B.Meyer1847–1929

henJackJohnsondefeatedJamesJeffriesforthe1911worldheavyweightchampionship,negotiationswerebeguntopitJohnsonagainsttheBritish

champion,BombardierWells.Butawell-knownBritishBaptistpreachersteppedinto theringandopposed thecontest.Soeffectivelydidheprotest frompulpitandplatform,aswellasinthepress,thatthefightwascalledoff.Thesportingpublic was enraged. F. B. Meyer hardly seemed the type to get involved incontroversy.Aharmlessmysticwitha saintly face,hewaspopular throughouttheEnglish-speakingworldasadevotionalpreacher.Eventodayhisdevotionalbooksandbiblicalbiographiesareonalmosteverypastor’sshelves.But Frederick Brotherton Meyer was a militant mystic. He was, as Carl

Sandburg described Abraham Lincoln, “velvet steel.” His gentleness was notweakness, but power under control. Once he determined that something waswrong, he fought it—even if he had to fight alone. Attacked in one churchbecauseofhisstrongevangelisticministry,heresignedandbuiltachurchofhisown. Hindered in his program of rehabilitating ex-convicts, he organized hisown business and put the men on his payroll. There was no stopping F. B.Meyer.NothinginMeyer’sbirthhintedthataspiritualsoldierhadcomeonthescene.

Infact,hewasbornwiththecovetedsilverspooninhismouth.AstheysaidinthatVictorianera,thefamilyhad“goodconnections.”HewasbornonApril8,1847,atLavenderTerrace,WandsworthRoad,London(eventheaddressseemstoglitter).HomelifeinBrightonwashappyandcomfortable,butalsospiritual.Hismother taught the children the Bible, and his father set the example as adedicated Christian businessman. On Sunday mornings they attended theBloomsburyChapel,andintheeveningstheyheldfamilyservicesathome.WhenMeyerwas fifteen, business reverses forced the family to leave their

lovelyhomeinBrightonandreturntoLondon.Hisfather triedtosettleall the

accounts honestly, which left little for the family. Meyer’s silver spoon wasgone,butnothissterlingChristiancharacter. In lateryearsMeyergave thanksfortheexperiencebecauseithelpedhimdiscoverthethingsthatmatteredmost.In his itinerant ministry he was always sensitive about large offerings andhonoraria.Morethanoncehereturnedloveofferingshethoughtweretoolarge.From his earliest years, Meyer felt called to the ministry. He had even

preached during family devotions.When hewas sixteen he told his father hisdecision to enter theministry, and bothwent to seeWilliamBrock, pastor ofBloomsbury Chapel. The great preacher asked youngMeyer to preach a trialsermonforhim—hardlyeasyforateenager.Buthepassedthetest.At this critical point Brock counseled Meyer to spend at least two years

working inaLondonbusinessofficebeforeenteringcollege.SoMeyer joinedthe tea firm of Allan Murray, working there for two years. He saw city lifefirsthand.Helearnedtokeepaccuraterecords,makesensibledecisions,planhisdaywell,andusehistimeefficiently.Laterhecounseledtheologicalstudentstogetbusinessexperience.“Byallmeanslet themgraduate in thecollegeofcitylife,”hewouldsay,“andstudyattentivelythegreatbooksofhumannature.Itisimpossible to preach to youngmen unless you knowyoungmen, and possesssome knowledge of their peril and temptation.” Not surprisingly, Meyer’sSaturdayafternoonmeetingsforyoungmenweresuccessful.Inallhischurchesheattractedmenfromeveryleveloflife.Theseedsownduringthosetwoyearsintheteabusinessborefruit.Meyer graduated from Regent’s Park College in 1869.While a student, he

ministeredforaboutayearatDukeStreetBaptistChapel,Richmond,Surrey,achurch made famous in recent years by the ministries of Alan Redpath andStephen Olford. Upon graduation he was appointed assistant to Charles M.Birrell at the Pembroke Baptist Chapel, Liverpool. A godly scholar, Birrellunconsciouslyoverpoweredhisyoungassistant,whoimitatedhimalmosttothepoint of idolatry. “In preparing my sermons and addresses,” wroteMeyer, “Inaturally followed the lines of the senior minister. This was a mistake, forBirrell’s habit was to write out and memorize. Such a method was totallyunsuitableforme.”Meyerwasmarried in1871.Thenextyearhe andhiswifemoved toYork,

where he pastored Priory Street Baptist Chapel. This move proved to be theturningpointinhislifeandministry,fortwoyearslaterDwightL.MoodyandIraSankeyministeredatMeyer’schapel.Moodyhadagiftfor“finding”men—

andMeyerwasoneofhisgreatestdiscoveries.The other side of the coin is this: humanly speaking, the Moody-Sankey

ministry in Britain received a boost from Meyer. The meetings at the YorkIndependentChapelhadnotbeguntoosuccessfully,andthenoonprayermeetingat the Cooney Street “Y”were limping along. At one of the prayermeetingsMeyer heardMoody preach on the Holy Spirit. So convicted was the youngpastor that he spent thenext twodayswrestlingwithGod.He returned to theprayer meeting on Saturday and testified that God had met him and givenvictory.Fortwoyearshehadpreachedwithoutanyspecialblessing.“Iwasjustbeating the air,”he confessed.Butnowhehadexperiencedanew touch fromGod.Inspiteofministerialopposition,MeyercourageouslyopenedhischapeltoMoodyandSankey.ForthefirsttimeinMeyer’sministrythere,hesawtheplacefilled.Peoplewereconverted;theinquiryroomswerebusy.MeyerlearnedsomeofhisgreatestspirituallessonsfromMoody.Moody taught this “proper” Baptist minister to be himself and not imitate

others.“Whataninspirationwhenthisgreatandnoblesoulfirstbrokeintomylife!”wroteMeyer.“Iwasayoungpastorthen...andboundratherrigidlybythechainsofconventionalism.Suchhadbeenmytraining,andsuchmighthavebeen my career. But here was a new ideal! Mr. Moody was absolutelyunconventionalandnatural.”Moody also taught Meyer the value of winning souls by every legitimate

means.ThosefewdaysinYorkwithMoodylitafireinMeyer’ssoul.HeoncetoldMoody,“Ihavenotpreachedonesermon,sinceGodgavemethatanointing,thattherehavenotbeenconversions.”But Moody taught Meyer a third lesson: ministry is much larger than one

churchordenomination. Inoneofhisautobiographicalbooks,TheBellsof Is,Meyer wrote: “I caught a glimpse of a wider, larger life, in which meredenominationalismcouldhavenoplace,andinwhichtherewasbutonestandardbywhichtomeasuremen,namelytheirdevotionto,andknowledgeof,theSonofGod.”1Meyer’schurchbecamethebaseofhisministry,notitssphere.Meyer accepted a call from theVictoriaRoadBaptistChurch, Leicester, in

1874.Thiswasatypical“wealthyandinfluentialchurch,”andtheyoungpastorgavehimselfsacrificiallytohisministry.Hadhestillbeena“properpastor,”thechurchwouldhavebeenhappy.Buthisconcernforthelostandhiswillingnesstopioneernewtrailsirkedthecomfortableofficers.ThetensionclimaxedwhenawealthydeaconburstinoneSundayeveningandtoldthepastor:“Wecannot

have this sort of thing here. This is not a gospel shop!” A few years before,Meyerwouldhaveapologizedandresumedbusinessasusual.Buthehadbeenwith Moody and had experienced the blessing of serving God in the Spirit,lettingthewindblowwhereitwould.MeyerpromptlyresignedthechurchandplannedtoleaveLeicester.Nodoubtfaultlayonbothsides:Meyer’senthusiasmhad not yet caught fire in the congregation, and the comfortable officers feltthreatenedbyhiszeal.WhenwordgotoutthatMeyerhadresignedfromVictoriaRoad,severalother

churchesimmediatelyissuedhimcalls.MeyerwrotealetterofacceptancetotheGlossopRoadChurch,Sheffield.Onhiswaytomailtheletter,heprovidentiallymetArthurRust (brother-in-lawofW.Y. Fullerton, the evangelistwhowouldlater assist Charles H. Spurgeon). Meyer told Rust about the letter he wasmailing, andRust toldMeyer about a group of earnestChristians inLeicesterwho wanted him to form a new church; fifteen young merchants wouldguarantee his salary.Meyer agreed, and the eventual result was the church atMelbourneHall.At first thegroupmet inoneof themuseumhalls. (One ladyarrivedearlyeachLord’sDaytocoverthestatuesandpictures!)Infivemonthstheywerestrongenoughtoorganize intoachurch.OnJuly2,1881, theyheldtheir first service in their own building,Melbourne Hall. The building was acombination local church, rescue mission, social center, Sunday school, andBibleinstitute.At Melbourne Hall, Meyer practiced another lesson learned from Moody:

organizeyourworkandenlistthehelpofnewconverts.Beforelong,Meyerwasministeringtoacongregationoftwothousand.Theyinturnwereministeringtothousandsoutsidethechurch.Thecongregationdidnotpaytheirpastortodothework; they workedwith him and relieved him of routine matters. They werewillingforhimto“leavetheninety-and-nine”andsearchforthatonelostsheep.The ministry at Melbourne Hall can be described by one word: miracles.

Meyer carried on a great work among prisoners, a work that resulted from ayoung girl’s request of him: “My father is going to be released from jailtomorrowmorning,andI’mafraidhewillgetintobadcompany.Couldyoumeethimatthegateandtrytokeephimfromhisbadcompanions?”Thesuccessfulpastorofanewchurchcertainlydidnotneedonemoretask.Buthowcouldhesayno?Hepromised tobe at thegate thenextmorning.Whenhe arrived,hediscovered that the prisoner had been transferred to another jail. Instead ofhurryinghome,Meyerwaitedacrossthestreetandwatchedthenewlyreleased

prisoners.Almosttoamantheyheadedforanearbypublichouse.“Isthiswhatgoesonheremostmornings?”heaskedsomemenlounginginthestreet.“Yes,sir,mostly,”theyreplied.“But if aman comes out at yonder jail door and goes into the door of the

publichouse,”Meyerprotested,“heappearstometocomeoutofthejailbythefront door and go into it again by the backone! For I reckon that the publichouseisthebackdoortothejail.”“Well,what’sachaptodo?”themenargued.“There’snowhereelseforhimto

go.”Withoutreplying,Meyerwalkedacrossthestreettothejailandaskedtosee

the governor, MilesWalker. Walker received him courteously, listened to hisplea,andagreedtocooperateineveryway.“AllIwanttodo,”Meyerexplained,“ismeetthesemenandtakethemtoanearbycoffee-houseforsomedecentfoodandawordofencouragement.”LittledidMeyerknowthatthisministrywouldresultinsomeofhisgreatest

burdens,aswellashisgreatestblessings.InhisdelightfulTheBellsofIs,Meyeradmittedthathissecondthoughtsaboutthenewministrymadehimmiserable.

IfearthatImorethanoncerepentedofthepromiseIhadgiventheGovernor,andwishedthatIhaveneverundertakenthecauseofthedischargedjail-birds. . . .Altogether,betweenmyfearofwhat thedischargedprisonerswoulddo tome, andwhatmyownpeople and towns-folkwouldthinkofme,Ihadanuncomfortabletimeofit....IhadnotthenlearnedwhatitistobetheslaveofJesusChrist—aconditionofmindinwhichonebecomesblessedlyoblivioustowhatmenmaysayordo,solongasthelightofHisapprovalshineswarmandfreshupontheheart.2

Thatfirstmorningtheentiregroupofmenagreedtogotobreakfastwithhim.During his years at Melbourne Hall, Meyer gave breakfast to nearly fivethousandmen.Manywere converted; some, in spite of the hardworkof bothpastor and people, fell back into their oldways. Theministry continued evenafterMeyerleft.Sincemanyofthemencouldnotfindwork,Meyerorganizedawindow-washing brigade. Then he got into the wood-cutting business. Heestablisheda savingsbank for themen, and even foundedProvidentHouse togive them a place to live while getting back on their feet. The citizens ofLeicester were never sure what the creative pastor of Melbourne Hall wouldthinkofnext.Theysawsignsannouncing“F.B.Meyer—FirewoodMerchant”and“F.B.Meyer—Window-Washing.”Meyer even bought aman a glass of ale to get him to stop drinking. “My

friend,whatdoyousay to signing thepledge thismorning?”Meyerasked the

formerprisoner.“YouknowaswellasIdothatyouhavebeenfallingunderthepowerofdrink.”Themanhesitated,thenexplainedhehadvowedtodrinkapintofalewhenhegotoutofjail.Hewantedtokeephisvow.Meyerexplainedthatthevowwasabadone,butthemaninsistedonapintofale.“Ifyouhavethatpintofale,”Meyerasked,“willyougivemeyoursolemnwordandhonorthatyouwillsignthepledgeimmediately?”Themanagreed,soMeyerwenttothenearestpublichousetopurchasetheale.Themangreedilytookalargeswallow,then two more. “This is the miserablest pint of ale that I ever drank!” heexclaimed,puttingdownthemug.“Whereisthecard,sir?Imayaswellsignitasdrinkanymore.”Hegaveupalcoholandlaterwasconverted.MeyerbecamepastorofRegent’sParkChapelinLondonearlyin1888.The

church was at low ebb when he arrived, but before long it was flooded withactivity.ThoughthiswasoneofLondon’sselectcongregations,Meyerwasnothappyservingadenominationalchurchand limitinghissphereofministry.Helongedtoreachthelost.AfterfouryearsMeyerresignedandstartedfifteenyearsofministryatChrist

Church,WestminsterBridgeRoad,London,whichhadbeenfoundedin1873byRowland Hill. Nominally Anglican in its association, congregational ingovernment, and operated on nondenominational lines, itwas ideal for amanlikeMeyer.“Ineverwasanardentdenominationalist,”Meyerconfessed.ButhedidaskthetrusteesofChristChurch,whichrequirednooneformofbaptismformembership,toinstallabaptistry.AttendanceaveragedaboutonehundredwhenMeyerbegan,butwithin two

yearsthe2,300-seatauditoriumwasfilled.Heorganizedfellowshipsforwomen,children, youth, and men. The Men’s Brotherhood became a great power inChristChurch.“Noleaderofmenshouldeveraskanothertodowhatheisnotprepared to do himself,”Meyer affirmed. “On the other hand, never doworkyourselfthatyoucangetanothertodo.Tosetonesoulatworkistoopenstoresofblessedness.”Meyerexpressedhisviewofthelocalchurch:

ItisurgentlyneedfulthattheChristianpeopleofourchargeshouldcometounderstandthattheyare not a company of invalids, to be wheeled about, or fed by hand, cosseted, nursed, andcomforted, theminister being head-physician and nurse—but a garrison in an enemy’s country,everysoulofwhichshouldhavesomepostofduty,atwhichheshouldbepreparedtomakeanysacrificeratherthanquitit.3

Anyone pastoring a city church ought to read Meyer’s book Reveries andRealities, in which he gave some practical principles for a successful cityministry.Meyer resigned Christ Church in 1907 for a two-year world tour, then

returnedtoRegent’sParkChapel.Heresignedthatworkin1915andwentbacktoChristChurch for fiveyears.His remainingyearswerespent inan itinerantministry. During his lifetime he made twelve trips to the United States andvisitedmanyothercountriesaswell.Meyeralwaysclaimedthathewas“anordinaryman”andthatGodcoulddo

asmuch through anyonewho has yielded to him. Perhaps so, butMeyerwasunique. His close friend Fullerton listed seven factors that contributed toMeyer’ssuccess:(1)Puritanheredityandtraining;(2)thespiritualinfluenceofBirrell,Meyer’s seniorminister inLiverpool; (3) an enthusiasm for thewholechurch without “artificial and narrow boundaries”; (4) a willingness to behimself and not copy others; (5) a practical mysticism, “that sense of theUnseen”;(6)ademocraticsympathythatenabledhimtotouchpeopleineveryleveloflife;and(7)aferventspiritualidealism,“devotiontogreataims.”4Hemayhavebeenamystic,butMeyerworkedhardandneverwastedtime.

His ability to concentrate on one task at a time enabled him towork hiswaythroughalongagendawithoutbeingdistracted.Constantlyonthego,helearnedtousehishoursofrailwaytravelproductively.“Ifhehadalongjourneybeforehim,” one friendwrote, “he would settle himself in his corner of the railwaycarriagewithasighof relief,openhisdispatchcase (whichwas fittedupasasort of stationery cabinet), and set to work in supreme contentment on someabstrusearticle,quiteobliviousofhissurroundings.”Hecouldalsogotosleepalmostatwillandawakenhimselfatjusttherighttime.“TheLordalwayswakesmeup justwhenIaskHim,”Meyeronce tolda friend.Toprovehispoint,hesaidhewouldtakeanapfortwentyminutes.Heawokeontime,freshandreadyfortheevening’smeeting.InsomerespectsMeyerhadsomuchtodohehadtokeepgoing.Oncehewas

browsing throughW.RobertsonNicoll’s huge library, complainingbecausehedidnothaveenoughleisuretoexaminethebooksasheshould.“Nowyouknow,Meyer,”Nicoll replied, “youwould not be here an hour before youwould beaskingforBradshaw’sRailwayGuide!”Meyer said he had spent “many a holy hour . . .while rushing through the

countryatexpressspeed”andhad“felt therailwaycarriagetobe thehouseof

Godandthegateofheaven.”F.B.Meyerisknownprimarilyasadevotionalpreacherandwriter.Besides

histwoautobiographicalvolumes,hewrotetenbooksongreatmenoftheOldTestamentandthreeonthoseoftheNewTestament.5HewroteexpositionsonsuchbooksasExodus,Isaiah,John,Hebrews,and1Peter,andonsuchpassagesas the Sermon on the Mount. His more than twenty books of devotionalmessagesstillchallengebelieverswhohungerforadeeper life.LightonLife’sDutiesandBacktoBethelhavealwaysbeenfavoritesofmine,perhapsbecausetheywereputintomyhandsshortlyaftermyconversion.OurDailyHomilyisapricelesscollectionofexpositionsdrawnfromeverychapterintheBible,usefulasbothadailydevotionalguideanda“pumpprimer”forthepreacher.MeyermajoredinBibleexposition.HeexplainedhisapproachinExpository

Preaching.His earlymentor, Birrell, pointed him in that direction. “Thatwasquiteagoodsermonyougavethisevening,”BirrelltoldMeyerastheywalkedhome after the service, “but it was a topical sermon, and if you are going tomake topical sermonsyourmodel,youwillpresentlycome to theendofyourtopics,andwherewillyoubethen?IadviseyoutodoasIhavedoneforthelastthirty years—become an expositor of Scripture. You will always retain yourfreshnessandwillbuildupastrongandhealthychurch.”Meyer’smethodwasnotunlikethatofG.CampbellMorgan:hereadaBiblebookrepeatedlyuntilhegraspeditscentralmessage,thendividedthebookintosectionsandrelatedthemtothatcentraltruth.Ineachsectionhelocatedwhathecalleda“pivottext.”“Meyerpreaches,”saidSpurgeon,“asamanwhohasseenGodfacetoface.”

AprintedsermonbyMeyertransformedtheministryofJ.WilburChapman,whoconfessed,“Iowemoretothisman[Meyer]thantoanyoneintheworld.”MeyerpreachedhislastsermononFebruary10,1929,inWesleyChapel,City

Road, London. Three days later he entered a nursing homewhere, in spite oflovingcare,hishealth failed rapidly.“Readmesomething fromtheBible,”hewhispered thedaybeforehedied,“somethingbraveand triumphant!”HediedonMarch28.ThenexttimeyoureadoneofMeyer’smorethanfiftybooks,rememberhim

asmuchmorethanadevotionalwriter.Hewasanevangelistwithaburdenforthecity;apastorwholovedthewholechurch;acrusaderwhohatedsocialevils;aspiritualmanwhoguidedmanybelieversintoacloserfellowshipwithChrist;anambassadorwhosecallingcarriedhimfarbeyondhisownlocalchurchanddenomination. JosephParkerput itperfectly:“Henever leavesmewithout the

impressionthatIhavebeenfacetofacewithamanofGod.”

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28

W.RobertsonNicoll1851–1923

e read an average of two books a day and edited aweekly journal, threemonthlymagazines,andasteadystreamofscholarlybookswhichincluded

TheExpositor’sBible(fiftyvolumes)andTheExpositor’sGreekNewTestament.Hewas undoubtedly themost prolific and respected religious journalist in theEnglish-speakingworld from 1886 to his death in 1923.Not onlywas he the“unofficial literaryagent”forsuchmenasMarcusDods,GeorgeAdamSmith,A. B. Bruce, and AlexanderMaclaren (he persuadedMaclaren to publish hisexpositions),buthemanagedtowriteoverfortybooksofhisown,andcompile,edit, or supervise the publication of over 250 more titles. Yet when he wasknightedin1909,WilliamRobertsonNicollwrote:“Ihadnevercontemplatedaliterary career. I had expected to go on as a minister, doing literary work inleisuretimes,butmyfatewassealedforme.”His fate was “sealed” by ill health. Born at Lumsden, Aberdeenshire, on

October10,1851,asonof themanse,Nicollneverwasa“sturdy laddie.”Hisfatherwasabookwormwhopreferredtopastorasmallflockofaboutahundredpeopleandspendtherestofhistimeinhislibrary.Inspiteofameagerincome,theReverendHarryNicoll acquired a library of seventeen thousand volumes,probablythelargestlibrarybelongingtoanypastorinScotland.InhischarminglittlebookMyFather,RobertsonNicolldescribedthislibraryandhowhisfatherusedit.Robertson’s mother died when he was only eight years old. They called it

“consumption” in those days, and it usually lingeredwith the family.Nicoll’sweak lungs were to plague him for the rest of his life, ultimately (andprovidentially)takinghimfrombehindthepulpitintotheeditor’schair.Heoftenpreached,buthecouldneverhavepreachedfulltime.He graduated fromAberdeenUniversity in 1870 and from theFreeChurch

DivinityHallin1874.Hewaslicensedtopreachin1872.From1874to1877he

ministeredat theFreeChurchinDufftown,andfrom1877to1885at theFreeChurch inKelso. Thosewere interesting years in Scotland:D.L.Moodywasministeringtherewithgreatpower,theFreeChurchwasbeingtornasunderbyRobertsonSmithandhishighercriticalviews,andnew theological ideasweredriftingoverfromtheContinent.Nicoll began his literary career while a student at the Divinity Hall. There

werethreeweeklynewspapersinAberdeenatthattime,andNicollwasonthestaffoftheJournal,contributingreviewsandliterarynotesandwritingaweeklycolumn,“ThingsinGeneral.”Readingandwriting:thesewouldbethehingesonwhich his long and influential life would turn. The long winter months inScotland would make him a “prisoner” in his own house. “One had theabsolutionof thesnowforanyfailure todischargepastoralduties,”hesaid.“Ialways lookbackwithpleasure tomy threemonths eachwinter there,when Iwasaprisoneralonewithmycatandmybooks.”AyearafterhewasinductedatKelso,hemarriedandsettleddowntothelife

ofapastorandaliteraryman.In1884hewasmadeeditorofTheExpositor,amonthlytheologicaljournalpublishedbyHodderandStoughtonandeditedfromits inception in 1875 by the famous Hebraist Samuel Cox (his volume AnExpositor’sNote-Book isworthadding toyour library).Lifewassmilinguponthe gifted young pastor, and then seeming tragedy struck. In 1885 Nicoll’syoungerbrotherdiedoftuberculosis,andwhileonaholidayinNorway,Nicollhimselfwasinfectedwithtyphoidandbecamedangerouslyill.Nosoonerdidhestarttoregainhishealthwhenpleurisysetin,andforatimeitlookedasthoughNicollwouldsuccumbtothesamediseasethathadtakenhismother,sister,andyounger brother. The best doctors in Edinburgh agreed that hewould have toresignthechurch,giveuppreachingfortwoorthreeyears,andconcentrateonregaininghishealth.NicollandhiswifewenttothesouthofEngland,nearTorquay.Hecontinued

hiseditingandadmittedthathedidnotmisspreaching—“Ifeelsounequaltoit.”Whatdidhemiss?“I feel rather lonelyanddepressedhereaway frommybooks.”In1886theNicollsmovedtotheUpperNorwoodsectionofLondonandbecameneighborstoCharlesHaddonSpurgeon.Allhislife,Nicolladmiredanddefended Spurgeon. This relationship began in 1874 when Nicoll was the“summer pastor” of a little church at Rayne, about twenty-five miles fromAberdeen. He discovered a complete set of Spurgeon’s sermons and read itthrough! Soon after Spurgeon’s death, Nicoll wrote a strong letter toMarcus

Dodsandreproachedhimforsomeunkindthingshehadwrittenaboutthegreatpreacher.“YourparagraphaboutSpurgeonreallyvexedme,”hewrote,“anditistheonlythingyouhaveeversaid,orwritten,ordone,thatdidvexmeorthatIthought not worthy of your magnanimity.” Then Nicoll confessed: “EverySundaynight I spend at least an hour reading him, and there is no devotionalwritingpleasesmesowell.”ThekeydateinNicoll’slifeisNovember5,1886,foritwasonthisdatethat

the first issue of the British Weekly appeared, published by Hodder andStoughton.Itwasintendedtobea“high-classweeklyjournalfortheadvocacyof social and religiousprogress,” and it livedup to its purpose.Nicollwas sosure the journal would succeed that he agreed to work for nothing until theprofitsstartedcomingin;itwasnotlongbeforethepaperbegantoflourishandtakeitsplaceastheleadingNonconformistjournalinBritain.Nicollalsohadthegenius for discovering and developing newwriters. The bylines in theBritishWeeklyreadlikeaWho’sWhoofliterature:MarcusDods,aregularcontributorfrom the very beginning; JamesM.Barrie;R.W.Dale; JosephParker;HenryDrummond;andahostofother“worthies.”Not content with a weekly journal to edit (his deadlines must have been

frightening!),onOctober1,1891,NicolllaunchedamonthlyliterarymagazinecalledTheBookman.Theentirefirsteditionoftenthousandcopiessoldwithinafewdays, and itwas followedby twoadditionalprintings!Twoyears laterhestartedanothermonthlymagazine,TheWomanatHome.HewasnoweditingtheBritishWeekly and three monthly publications: The Expositor, The Bookman,andTheWomanatHome.However,itisnotasamagazineeditorthatRobertsonNicolltouchesthelives

ofBiblestudentsandpastorstoday.Itisastheauthorandeditoroftheologicalbooks,someofwhichareclassics.Itwastheyearafter theBritishWeeklywasborn that Nicoll began to publish The Expositor’s Bible, a work that is nowsomewhat outdated but still valuable to the serious student. The series wasreleased in fifty volumes between 1888 and 1905. I believe that AlexanderMaclaren’sColossianswasthefirstvolumereleased,andGeorgeAdamSmith’scommentaryontheminorprophetsthelast.EvidentlyNicollwasashardonhiswritersashewasonhimself,andsomeof

themprotested.HisgoodfriendMarcusDodswrote,“Pharaohmighthavetakenlessons fromyou!”AndMaclarenwrote, “I hope that youare not having anyholidaythisautumn!Itwouldbesomealleviationtothinkofyouasstewingin

PaternosterRow.”But the editor had his problems too.When he received themanuscriptforGeorgeAdamSmith’sIsaiah(forTheExpositor’sBible),NicollwroteMarcusDods:“IamwrestlingwithGeorgeAdamSmith’sIsaiah:hehaschoppeduptheprophetterribly.”Oddlyenough,Nicolldidmuchofhisworkwhileinbed!Hisclosefriendand

biographer, T.H.Darlow,wrote: “Itwasweird towatch him as he lay there,amidamedleyofnewspapersandbooksandpipesandcigaretteashes, and toknowthathisbrainwasbusyabsorbingknowledgeandincubatingideasallthetime.”Hekeptafireinhisstudyalmostall theyearandclaimedthatfreshairwas an invention of the devil!He had almost no interest inmusic or art and,unlikethetraditionalScotsman,wasnotexcitedbysports.Whywasteongames,timethatcouldbeinvestedprofitablyinbooks?Hisbooksandhiscatsandhispublicationswerehislife.Likemost extensive sets written bymanywriters,The Expositor’s Bible is

quiteuneveninquality.KelloggonLeviticusisaclassic,asareMaclaren’sthreevolumesonthePsalmsandhisexpositionofColossians.Unlessyouarewealthyandhavea lotof empty shelves,donotpurchase the fiftyvolumes separately.The entire set is available in a six-volume edition with large, double-columnpages.Ibelievethat thiseditionwasoriginallypublishedbyEerdmans.Itmaybe out of print, but used sets are often available.The Expositor’s Greek NewTestament(alsoreprintedbyEerdmans)isstill inprintandisstillconsideredastandard work for the careful student of the Greek New Testament, althoughsome students prefer Dean Henry Alford’s Greek Testament, published byMoodyPress.Oneofmyfavoritesets,editedbyNicoll,isonethatisusuallyforgottenoris

dismissedasunimportant.ItisTheSermonBible,originallypublishedintwelvevolumes and containing nearly five thousand outlines and précis of sermonsactuallydeliveredbyfamouspreachersinthelasthalfofthenineteenthcentury.ItwasrepublishedbyBakerBooksasTheSermon-OutlineBibleandcomprisesthefirstsixvolumesofafourteen-volumeseriescalledThePreacher’sHomileticLibrary. I highly recommend this set,particularly to thepastorwho isnot tootired (or lazy) to dig again the homileticalwells of the past. (The other eightvolumesofthesetareHomileticStudiesintheGospelsbyHaroldF.J.Ellingsen,arichmineofsermonicsuggestion,andProclaimingtheNewTestament,abook-by-book,chapter-by-chapterhomiletic surveyof theNewTestament,editedbyRalphTurnbull.)Thissetgivesthestudentthebestoftheoldandthebestofthe

new.Itmaybe thatyouhaveno interest inoldsermons. If so, thenTheSermon-

OutlineBiblewillboreyou.Butbeforeyouconsignittotheantiqueshop,letmesuggestthatyouconsidersomeofthemenrepresentedinthesevolumes:JosephParker, Henry Alford, Alexander Maclaren, Marcus Dods, Phillips Brooks,AdolphSaphir,R.W.Dale,HenryWardBeecher,JohnHenryNewman,WilliamTaylor, JamesStalker, andJ. J.StuartPerowne, tonamea few.Manyof thesemenhavewrittenlearnedcommentariesthatarestillavailable,buttheirsermonsaredifficulttocomeby.Idonotknowofanyonesetthatofferssomuchhistoricmaterialinsuchaconvenientform.Butbetterstill,thesetalsocontainssermonsbyrelativelyunknownpreachers

whoseworksareevenlessaccessibletoday.Forexample,thereareanumberofsermons from Henry Melville, whom Spurgeon called “the Demosthenes ofLondon.”ComingfromSpurgeon,thatisquiteatribute!HenryScottHollandisalso represented in these pages. In his day (1847–1918) hewas recognized asoneoftheleadersinapplyingChristianfaithtotheneedsofthecommonman.IwasamazedtoalsofinddozensofsermonsfromSamuelMartin,whopastoredWestminster Chapel, London, from 1841 to 1878. Under his leadership thepresentchurchbuildingwaserected.(Interestinglyenough,SamuelMartinwasan architect before entering the ministry; yet the design of the WestminsterChapeldoesnotseemtoreflectit.WhenJowettpastoredthere,hesaidhefeltasifhewerepreachingintheCharingCrossrailwaystation.MartynLloyd-Joneshasstated that thebuildinghelped tohasten thedeathofmore thanonepastorwhopreachedthereweekafterweek.)Martin’ssermonsareprobablyavailablenowhereelse today.Also represented inTheSermon-OutlineBibleare SamuelCox, Nicoll’s predecessor at The Expositor; John Ker, who was GeorgeMorrison’sfavoritepreacher;HoratiusBonar;HandleyC.G.Moule;J.OswaldDykes;andF.D.Maurice,whogreatlyinfluencedPhillipsBrooks.Thesearenotsermonsthatyouwillpreach—theirstyleandapproacharenotcontemporary—buttheyaresermonsyoushouldreadandstudy.One of my favorite Nicoll books isPrinces of the Church, a collection of

thirty-four biographical essays on “notable figures in the Christian world.”Spurgeonishere(“Hehasfallenlikeatower,andhisremovalmeansformanyachangeinthewholelandscapeoflife”),butsoareHenryDrummond,RobertsonSmith, R. W. Dale, the great Roman Catholic preacher Cardinal Vaughan,GeorgeMatheson, Silvester Horne, Andrew Bonar, and BishopWestcott. His

essayon“TheCentenaryofFrederickRobertson”isoneofthemostperceptiveIhaveeverreadonthisfascinatingpreacherfromBrighton.Nicoll’s library contained twenty-five thousand volumes, including five

thousand biographies! “I have for years read every biography I could laymyhands on, and not one has failed to teachme something,” hewrote.His ownbiography,William Robertson Nicoll: Life and Letters, was written by T. H.DarlowandpublishedinthiscountrybytheGeorgeH.DoranCompanyin1925.Nicoll’slong-timeassociateattheBritishWeekly,JaneT.Stoddart,wroteabriefbiography,W. Robertson Nicoll, LL.D., Editor and Preacher. In a very realsense,Nicollwas the fatherofmodern religious journalism,buthewasalsoastrong churchman and preacher.He died onMay 4, 1923, and among his lastwordswere“IbelieveeverythingthatIhavewrittenaboutimmortality!”Ifyouarealoverofgoodbooksandgoodmen—andeverypastorshouldbe—

thenget acquaintedwithW.RobertsonNicoll and the rich literaryheritagehehasleftus.

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29

HenryDrummond1851–1897

everhaveIknownamanwho, inmyopinion, livednearer theMaster,orsoughttodoHiswillmorefully.”SowroteDwightL.MoodyintheMay

1897 issue of the Record of Christian Work. He was writing about HenryDrummond,whodiedonMarch11,1897,atageforty-five.DrummondwasoneofMoody’sfriends,andMoodycalledDrummond“oneofthemostlovablemenIhaveeverknown.”MoodywrotetoJamesStalker:“NomanhaseverbeenwithmeforanylengthoftimethatIdidnotseesomethingthatwasunlikeChrist,andI often see it in myself, but not in Henry Drummond. All the time we weretogetherhewasaChrist-likemanandoftenarebuketome.”AndyetDrummondwasanevolutionistandanadvocateofhighercriticism.

HisapproachtoevangelismwasdifferentfromthatofMoodyinthatherarelypreached about the cross or referred to the atonement. “As to his theology,”wroteW.RobertsonNicoll,“notheologianwouldadmitthatitwassatisfactoryor coherent. Of the atonement, for example, he made nothing; not that herejectedit,butthathehadnoplaceforit,andreceiveditasamystery.”1Drummond’sministrywasmorethanonceasourceoftroubletoMoody,and

yet the great evangelist remained true to his friend. In July 1893, whenDrummond came to Northfield to speak, a deputation of concerned ministersasked Moody to remove Drummond from the conference program. Somequestioned the soundness of Drummond’s theology; he did not defend verbalinspiration and even questioned some of the miracles. Others opposed hisevolutionary teachingsandhiscigar smoking.Moodyasked foraday to thinkthe matter over. He met the deputation after breakfast the next morning andinformed them that hehad “laid thematter before theLord, and theLordhadshownhimthatDrummondwasabettermanthanhimself;sohewastogoon.”Apparentlythisfrankreplydidnotsolvetheproblem,forDrummondreported:“AtNorthfieldIfeltagooddealoutofit,andmanyfelluponmeandrentme...

.Itwasnotahappytime.”That same yearDrummond refused to helpMoody in the ChicagoWorld’s

Faircampaign,adecisionthatcutMoodydeeply.“Well,Mr.Moody,youknowwhyherefused,”GeorgeAdamSmith toldMoodywhilevisitingNorthfield inthesummerof1899.“Itwasbecausehewasafraidtocompromiseyoufurtherwiththemenwithwhomyouwereworking.”“I know it,”Moody replied. “Hedid it out of pure love, but that he should

havehadtodoitcutme.”Perhaps this explains why, in spite of their differences, Moody and

Drummond were dear friends: both of them preached “God is love,” andpracticedthatlove.Henry Drummond was born into a devout evangelical family in Stirling,

Scotland, on August 17, 1851. At age fifteen he entered the University ofEdinburgh,graduatingin1870.HethenenteredNewCollege,Edinburgh,buthedidnotgethisdegreeuntil1876;thereasonforthisdelayisthemostimportantpart of the story. OnNovember 23, 1873,Moody and Ira Sankey opened the“Great Mission” in the Edinburgh Music Hall, an event that was to changeDrummond’slife.NobodyisquitesurehowDrummondbecameinvolvedinthecampaign.MorethanonestudenthadgonetohearMoody“onalark,”onlytobearrestedbyGodandput toworkby theevangelist.Drummondwaskeenlyinterestedinpersonalwork,andpersonalworkwaswhatMoodyemphasized.Infact, just a few weeks before the meetings opened, Drummond had read aperceptive paper on “Spiritual Diagnosis” before the Theological Society,advocating the very thing Moody was practicing in his inquiry room. SoDrummondbeganasacounselorintheinquiryroom,andMoodywasquicktodetecthisgifts.WhenthemissionmovedtoGlasgowandwassosingularlyblessedbyGod,

MoodysenttoEdinburghforreinforcementsandDrummondralliedtothecause.Before long hewas not only dealingwith inquirers but also speaking to largemeetingsofnewconverts, andGodwasusinghismessages.HewasMoody’s“Timothy,” and the bond between the two men grew stronger as the monthspassed.“Igota treat lastnight,”Drummondwrote tohismotherfromLiverpoolon

February15,1875.“Moodysatupalonewithmetillnearoneo’clocktellingmethestoryofhislife.Hetoldmethewholething.Areportermighthavemadeafortune out of it.” In 1894 Drummond wrote a personal tribute to his friend,

titledsimplyD.L.Moody,anditisavaluablecontributiontoMoodylore.AfterMoody’s death, George Adam Smith added “A Personal Tribute” toDrummond’stribute,andthetwowerepublishedtogetherin1900.Afterthemissionended,DrummondreturnedtoNewCollegeandgraduated

in1876.MoodywantedDrummondtogowithhimtoAmerica,butDrummondremainedinScotland.Howhemadethisdecisionisthefirstoffourprovidentialevents that could be considered coincidences, were it not for the impact theymadeonhislifeandministry.IntheearlydaysoftheMoodymission,Drummondbecamefastfriendswith

RobertW.Barbour, sonofwealthy cottonmerchantGeorgeF.Barbour.OftenDrummondwouldvisithisfriendatthefamilyhome,BonskeidHouse.Duringone of these visitsDrummond stumbled over a stone andwrenched his knee,resulting in confinement for nearly twoweeks.During that time he discussedMoody’s invitation with Mrs. Barbour, who wisely counseled him to finishschoolandletGodgivehimaministryofhisown.Thiscounselhefollowed;butduring that final schoolyearhecontinuedhis evangelisticministrybyholdingmeetingsonSundayeveningsintheGaietyTheater,notfarfromschool.Someof the students who assisted him in these services were James Stalker, JohnWatson(laterknownasIanMaclaren),CharlesWilliamGordon(laterknownasRalphConnortheSkyPilot),andGeorgeAdamSmith.Aftergraduation,DrummondbecameanassistantattheBarclayFreeChurch.

In 1877 he began lecturing in natural science at the Free Church College inGlasgow.DuringthesecondyearhebecamepastorofamissioninPossilpark,asuburbofGlasgow.ThemissionwasunderthejurisdictionoftheRenfieldFreeChurch, whose pastor, Marcus Dods, was to have tremendous influence overDrummondfortherestofhislife.At thispointwemustpause toexamine thespiritualandacademicsituation

that prevailed in theFreeChurch in the last quarter of the nineteenth century.There were two forces beating away at the citadel: biblical criticism andevolution.In1878W.RobertsonSmith,professorofOldTestamentattheFreeChurchCollegeinAberdeen,waschargedwithheresybecauseofanarticlehehadwrittenfortheEncyclopaediaBritannica.Thechurchwasdividedovertheissue,andeventhegodlyAlexanderWhytedefendedSmith’sorthodoxyandhisright to academic freedom. In 1881 Smithwas finally suspended;DrummondwrotethatSmithhadbeen“lynched.”CharlesDarwinhadpublishedhisOriginofSpeciesin1859,andevolutionwasthe“goingthing”bythetimeDrummond

began studying science in Edinburgh. Higher criticism was basically anapplication of evolutionary theory to the documents of the Bible. First andforemost,Drummondwasascientist.Thoughordained,hepreferredtobecalledProfessorDrummondratherthanReverendDrummond.Onehundredyearslaterwehave a clearer viewof both evolution andhigher criticism, sowemust besomewhatsympatheticwithmenlikeDrummond,whofacedtheimpactoftheseissuesinwaysthatwedonottoday.Now for the second “coincidence” in Drummond’s life. During his regular

ministryasapastor,Drummondhaddeliveredanumberofsermonsthatsoughttoexpressspiritualtruthintermsofmodernscientificbeliefs.HefelttherewasnoconflictbetweenscienceandChristianityifeachwasproperlyunderstood.Hesaw the Christian life in terms of evolution, something his friend Moodycertainlydidnotdo.NicollexplainedDrummond’sministryinthisway:

Hesawthat theagewasessentiallyscientific.Hesawthat thereappearedtobebetweenscienceandreligionaspanlessandfathomlessabyss.Hesawthatthematerialistswereswiftlypoisoningthenation. . . .Hethrewhimselfwithallhisstrengthintotheworkofeffectingareconciliation,andthoughwedonotproposeinthisplacetodiscussthevalueofhiswork,itmaycertainlybesaidattheveryleastthatithelpedtochangethesituation,andtobringintomanyminds,scientificandreligious,morethanarayofhope.2

OnedayDrummond“happened”tomeetH.M.HodderonPaternosterRow,London, and the publisher asked about some ofDrummond’s papers that hadbeen rejected by two or three other houses. Drummond promised to send themanuscript to the firm of Hodder and Stoughton, and the result was thepublication ofNatural Law in the SpiritualWorld, a book that took both thescientificandreligiousworldsbystorm.ButwhenthebookcameoffthepressinJune1883,Drummondwassteaming towardEastCentralAfrica to investigatethearea’snaturalresourcesforatradingfirminScotland.Notuntilhereceivedhismail somewhere nearTanganyika didDrummonddiscover his bookwas abestsellerandhewas famous.By the timehedied in1897,wellover100,000copieshadbeensold,andthebookhadbeenreviewedinpracticallyeverymajorjournal.In 1884, Drummond was promoted to professor of natural sciences. In his

inaugural address, titled “The Contribution of Science to Christianity,” hereaffirmed his belief in evolution as God’s method of both creation andrevelation.Drummond’s new position, plus the success ofNatural Law in theSpiritualWorld,madehimsomewhatofafolkheroamongthestudents,andhe

usedthispopularityasameansofreachingthemforChrist.On Sunday evening, January 25, 1885, Drummond gave the first of his

“addresses” in theOddfellowsHall, Edinburgh; for nine years thesemeetingscontinued,reachingstudentsbythehundreds.Themeetingsweresupervisedbya “secret committee” composed of Alexander Whyte, A. R. Simpson, A. H.Barbour(brothertoRobert),andDods.(Whyte’sinterestinDrummondstemmedfromthefactthatMrs.WhytewasJaneElizabethBarbour,sistertoHenry’sdearfriend,Robert.Whyte’snephew,G.F.Barbour,wroteWhyte’sbiography.)ItisworthnotingthatMoodyaswellasDrummondhadtremendousappealto

students,butfordifferentreasons.Bothwereutterlytransparentandsincere,butMoody appealed to the authority of Scripture while Drummond spoke to theintellectandreasonedwithstudents.DrummondfeltthattheChristianfaithhadto be presented in the language and categories of a scientific age—the “newevangelism”hecalled it.Moodypresented theChristof thecross;DrummondemphasizedChrist’sperfectlife.ThatDrummondbelievedintheefficacyoftheatonementisbeyondquestion;

his scientific attitude, however, prevented him from trying to explain it. EvenSankey, Moody’s song leader, had his doubts about the professor; in 1892Sankey wrote Drummond and asked why he did not emphasize the cross.Drummond’sexplanationwasthathewascalledtopreach“theforgottentruths,”notthosethatarebeingrepeatedbyothersagainandagain.In1887DrummondcametoNorthfield.Whileinthiscountry,hevisitedmany

Easterncollegesanduniversities.Everywherehewentthestudentsturnedoutindroves and, from every indication, tremendous spiritual results followed.WilliamLyonPhelps saidofDrummond’svisit toYale, “Ihavenever seen sodeepanimpressionmadeonstudents,byanyspeakeronanysubject.”But 1887 is important for another reason:Drummond delivered his famous

addresson1Corinthians13,andMoodyinsistedthathepublishit.TheGreatestThingintheWorldisstillinprinttoday.Thethird“coincidence” inDrummond’s lifeoccurred in1890,whenhewas

ministering in Australia. It was decided that Drummond should visit missionstationsintheNewHebrides,andforthefirsttimeDrummondcamefacetofacewiththegospel’sconfrontationwithrawheathenism.HewassoimpressedthathedeliveredapowerfulpaperatthecollegethatNovemberon“TheProblemofForeignMissions.”ThispaperinfluencedanumberofmissionleadersandwasindirectlyresponsibleforthegreatEdinburghmissionaryconferenceof1910.

Drummondwas always interested in children and young people, though henevermarried.AGlasgow businessman andDrummond,whilewalking downthestreetoneday,sawamerchantthrowastackofroundstrawberrycartonsintothe gutter. Instantly a group of boys swooped down upon the cartons and putthem on their heads for caps. Then they lined up in military formation and“marched”away.“There’sanideaforyou,”Drummondtoldhisfriend;andoutofthat“coincidence”grewtheBoys’BrigadeprogramthatGodstillusestowinboystoChrist.Aftertwoyearsofsuffering,DrummonddiedonMarch11,1897.Hewaslaid

torestnexttohisfatherinStirling.Ifyouwant tobecomebetteracquaintedwithDrummond,beginwithHenry

Drummond:AnAnthology,editedbyJamesW.Kennedy.Thebriefbiographicalchapterwillgiveyou thebasic factsaboutDrummond’s lifeandministry, andtheselectionsfromhiswritingswillgiveyouinsightintohisthinking.Iknowofno single volume that better explainsDrummond to space-ageChristians.Theofficial biography was written by George Adam Smith: The Life of HenryDrummond(1899).SmithincludedseveralextractsfromDrummond’saddressestostudents,butKennedy’sselectionsare,Ithink,better.Notlongafterhisdeath,Drummond’s“TheIdealLife”andOtherUnpublishedAddresseswaspublished.Twomemorialsketchesprefacethefifteenpopularaddresses,onebyNicollandthe other by JohnWatson, Drummond’s lifelong friend. Drummond’s address“IllTemper” isoneof thebest sermonson theelderbrother inLuke15 that Ihaveeverread.After Moody’s death in 1899, some cited his friendship with Henry

Drummond as proof thatMoodywas theologically liberal. Even his son, PaulMoody,wroteanarticleforChristianCenturysuggestingthattheevangelisthadbeenliberal,butthiswasimmediatelyrefutedbynolessanexpertonthesubjectthanR.A.Torrey.HewrotefromLosAngelesonAugust20,1923:

ItistruethatMr.MoodylovedHenryDrummondashelovedveryfewotherpeople....ButMr.MoodydidnotsympathizeatallwithsomeoftheviewsintowhichProf.HenryDrummondwasled....ThoughMr.Moodylovedhimstill,andlovedhimtotheend,hewouldnotusehim,andgreatlyregrettedthepositionwhichProf.HenryDrummondhadtakenup.3

AtoneofthememorialservicesforMoody,J.M.Buckleysaid:“Mr.Moodyhadhisprejudices, for Ionceheardhimdeclare thathewouldownfellowshipwith everybody thatbelievedhimself tobe a sinner and trusted inChrist; but,

said he, ‘God beingmy helper, I will never own fellowshipwith amanwhodenies the deity of my God and Savior Jesus Christ, or sneers at Hisatonement.’”MoodyandDrummondhadtheirdifferences,buteachwasusedtobring Jesus Christ to lost sinners. Had Drummond ever cast one slur on theperson or work of Jesus Christ, Moody would have defended his Lord anddenouncedhisfriend.Moodylovedhisfriend,buthelovedhisSaviormore.

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R.A.Torrey1856–1928

oungman,youhadbettergettoworkfortheLord!”D.L.Moody,duringhisNewHavencampaignof1878,addressedthatstatementto a Yale Divinity School senior who had asked him about winning souls toChrist.ThatstudentwasReubenArcherTorreyand,toTorrey’scredit,hestayedaround long enough to learn how to win the lost to Christ. Moody gave thestudentssomeversestouseinsoul-winningandthensaid,“Now,gentlemen,goatit!”Atthemeetings,Torreysawayoungladyhehadmetatadancepriortohis

ownconversionanddecidedtotryouthisevangelisticskillonher.IttooktwohoursofansweringquestionsandreferringtoScripture,butshefinallyyieldedtotheLordandbecamethefirstconvertofthemanwhowouldeventuallywinthousandstoChristinhisworldwideministry.R.A.Torreywasbornthesonofawell-to-dobankerinHoboken,NewJersey,

on January 28, 1856. The family was associated with the CongregationalChurch,butonlyhismotherwasatruebeliever.Itwasherprayer thathersonwouldbecomeaministerof thegospel,butReubendecidedhewantedtobealawyer.However,deepwithin,hehadthehauntingfeelingthatGodhadindeedcalledhimtobeapreacher—yethewasnotevenaprofessedChristian.One night he had a vivid dream that his mother was dead. Suddenly, she

appearedinhisroomintheformofanangelandbeggedhimtogivehimselftotheministry.Inthedreamhepromisedherthathewoulddoso,butinhiswakinghours, theprospects of going toYaleUniversity excitedhim somuch that theimpactofthedreamfadedfromhismind.HeenteredYalein1871andsoonfoundhimselfcaughtupinwhathismother

would have called worldly living: gambling at cards, drinking, dancing, andsmoking. Chapel was compulsory but not very exciting spiritually, and even

thoughReubenattendedchurchfaithfullyonSundays,readhisBibledaily,andkeptuptheimageofbeingaChristian,heknewhewasfarfromthekingdom.Attheendofhissophomoreyearhefacedthecrisis.Hisworldlylifedidnot

satisfyhim,hewasnotreally“makingit”oncampus(hischoicefraternitydidnotelecthim),andhewasstillhauntedbythefeelingthatGodhadcalledhimtopreach.One night he became so despondent and desperate that he decided tocommit suicide.He reached for his razor, butGod arrested him, and, instead,Torrey fell to his knees and prayed: “God, if you will take away this awfulburden,Iwillpreach!”Godliftedtheburden,God’speacefilledhisheart,andhe fell sound asleep and woke up the next morning knowing that he was inGod’shands.What brought about the change? Torrey explained: “Mymother, 427miles

away,was praying and praying that Iwould become aminister of the gospel.And though I had gotten over sermons and arguments and churches andeverything else, I could not get overmymother’s prayers.”1He enteredYaleDivinitySchoolin1875.In1877,bothofhisparentsdiedwithinthreeweeksofeachother.Unfortunately, theTorrey estate had all but disappearedduring thepanicof’73,soReubenwasnotmadeawealthymanbyhisfather’sdeath.“I’mgladIdidnotinheritafortune,”hesaidlater.“Itwouldhaveruinedme.”WhilehewasatDivinitySchool,Torrey firstmetD.L.Moodyand learned

fromhimhow towinsouls.Torreygraduated in1878,andonNovember9ofthat year became pastor of the Congregational Church in Garrettsville, Ohio,population 969. He was still rather ignorant of the Bible, but he devoted hismorninghours toconcentratedstudy.Giftedby theLordwithabrilliantmind,Torrey learned rapidly and tried to practice and share what he learned. Thechurch prospered, and he even found himself a bride and was married onOctober22,1879.TorreymighthaveremainedinpastoralministrywereitnotforHowardBell,

awealthyYaleclassmate,whourgedhimtostudyinGermanyandevenofferedtopaytheexpenses.Torreyrefusedhisgenerousgiftbutdidacceptaloan,andin the fall of 1882 he sailed for Europewith his wife and little daughter. Hedivided his time between the universities in Leipzig and Erlangen, studyingundersuchfamousscholarsasFranzDelitzschandTheodoreZahn.Thatyearofconcentratedstudyfurtherconvincedhimthat the“oldfaith”wastrueandthatthemessageofthegospelwastheonlyhopeforalostworld.WhenhereturnedtotheUnitedStates,hehadtwoinvitationsforministry:a

wealthychurchinBrooklyn,andasmallgroupofbelieversinMinneapoliswhowantedtobeginanewministry.TorreydecidedforMinneapolis.Therehethrewhimself into personal evangelism, preaching, and teaching. He organized thePeople’sChurch(Congregational)andrejoicedintheblessingsGodgave.In1906,Torrey led a sixteen-year-old lad toChrist, and that lad,Oswald J.

Smith,wouldonedayorganizethePeople’sChurchinToronto.DuringhisyearsofministryandstudyinMinneapolis,Torreyreachedsome

definiteconclusionsaboutdoctrinalmatters.Trainedasa lawyer,heknewthatalltheevidenceheneededwasintheBible,andhewaswillingtoacceptallthattheBibletaught.Foronething,hebecameaconvincedpremillennialist,andallhis life hepreached theblessedhopeof theLord’s return.He alsobecame animmersionist, but he never made baptism a test of fellowship. His study ofScripturealsoconvincedhimofthedoctrineofeternalpunishment.Twodoctrinalmatters that, in lateryears,gavehimsome troublewithother

conservativebelieversweredivinehealingandthebaptismoftheSpirit.WhileTorrey did not believe in healers,with all of their religious promotion, he didbelieve in “the prayer of faith” (James 5:14–15) and personally experiencedhealingfromGod.Heoftenprayedforothers,andtheywerehealed.Inallhisministry,TorreyemphasizedtheimportanceofthepoweroftheHoly

Spirit.Atonepointhedeterminednottopreachagainuntilhehadbeen“enduedwithpower fromonhigh” (seeLuke24:49), soheshuthimselfup foraweekandprayed.Godansweredhisprayer,andotherscouldtellthatGod’shandwaspowerfully upon him. Like Moody, Torrey did not quibble over terminology,something that he probably would change if he were on the scene today. Heseemedtoequate“thebaptismoftheSpirit”with“thefullnessoftheSpirit.”WhenafriendtoldD.L.MoodyaboutTorrey’sministryinMinneapolis,the

evangelistsaid,“Youmakemymouthwaterforhim!”Moodyusuallygotwhathe wanted; so on September 26, 1889, R. A. Torrey began his ministry assuperintendentof theChicagoEvangelizationSociety, later tobeknownastheMoody Bible Institute. Torrey developed the curriculum and made sure itemphasized consecration, zeal for souls, a knowledge of the Bible, and awillingnesstosacrifice.Inaveryrealsense,TorreywasthearchitectwhomadethedesignforeveryBibleinstitutethathasbeenfoundedsincehistime.From 1894 to 1906, Torrey also served as pastor of the Chicago Avenue

Church,whichlaterbecametheMoodyMemorialChurch.Thebuildingseated2,200people,anditwasusuallypackedateachservice,withpeoplehavingtosit

in overflow rooms.More than two thousandmembers were received into thechurch during Torrey’s ministry, and multitudes were converted. So effectivewashisministry that invitationscame tohim fromacross thenationandevenfromothercountries.During a revival prayermeeting at the church, Torreywas strangely led to

praythatGodwouldsendhimaroundtheworldandgivehimthousandsofsoulsinresponsetothepreachingofthegospel.Shortlyafterthis,twoChristiansfromAustralia invited him to hold a campaign in Melbourne. As God providedadequateleadershipforboththechurchandtheschool,Torreyfeltledtoaccepttheinvitation.OnDecember23,1901,heleftontheworldtour,ministeringinJapan,China,

Australia,NewZealand,India,andGreatBritain.Thewell-knownevangelisticsinger Charles Alexander joined him in Australia, and Torrey and Alexanderwere tobecomeas famousa teamasMoodyandSankey.Therecords indicatethatmorethanonehundredthousandpersonsmadedecisionsforChristduringthisworldwidecampaign, from1902 to1905.R.A.Torrey, likeD.L.Moodybeforehim,returnedtotheUnitedStatestofindhimselfafamousman.In 1906, Torrey resigned the pastorate of the church, and two years later

resigned from the school. On February 8, 1908, he helped found the BibleInstituteofLosAngeles(BIOLA)andservedasitsdeanfrom1912to1924.OnSeptember3,1915,hebecamefoundingpastoroftheChurchoftheOpenDoorin Los Angeles, starting with eighty-six charter members. He also assisted inestablishingtheTestimonyPublishingCompany,fundedbytheStewartbrothersofUnionOilfame.ThisnewcompanypublishedTheFundamentals,aseriesofinexpensivebooksthatdefendedthefaith.Thosewere busy years forTorrey as hewaswriting, preaching, directing a

school, and pastoring a church,while preaching at key conferences across thenation. In 1908 he organized the Montrose Bible Conference in Montrose,Pennsylvania,andthissoonbecameameetingplaceforhungryChristianseagertostudytheBible.By1924hefeltthatheneededtoslowdown,soheresignedfrom all his ministries and “retired” to Asheville, North Carolina. He thenteamed up with Homer Hammontree and went out on the evangelistic circuitagain.HeheldhislastcampaignattheFirstPresbyterianChurchinOrlando,Florida,

fromNovember28toDecember11,1927.Hebegantoexperiencethroattroubleand had to cancel all his meetings. He spent the summer at his beloved

Montrose, unable to participate in any personal ministry. At the close of theseason, he returned toAsheville, and there he died onOctober 26, 1928. ThefuneralwasatMontrose,andhewasburiedonbeautifulSunsetKnoll.SomeyearsagoIheardaneloquentpreachertellseveralthousandChristians

thattheyhadtomakethechoicebetweenservingGodas“deepBibleteachers”orassoul-winners.IfReubenArcherTorreyhadbeeninthatmeeting,hewouldhaveprotested.Hehimselfwasamanwithakeenmind,aprofoundability toteachtheWord,andasincereburdenforthelost.HisstudiesinGermanygavehimtheweaponstofightGermanhighercriticismandtheologicalliberalism.Hehadwrestledwith theologicalproblemsandfound theanswers in the infallibleWordofGod.Torrey was a balancedman; in fact, he was a man who seemed to have

everything.Hewasapowerfulevangelistandalsoaconcernedpastor.Hewasaneducatorandyetastirringteacher.Hisbooksarestillbeingpublishedandareexerting a lasting influence in the lives of new generations of Christians. Hismost recent biographer, Roger Martin, calls R. A. Torrey “the apostle ofcertainty.”Hestoodlikeagiantatthetimewhenwindsofdoctrinewereblowingagainst the church and causing people to stumble and fall. In ReubenArcherTorrey,Godprovedonceagain thateducationandevangelism,depthandsoul-winning,neednotdestroyoneanother.IfamansubmitstotheWordandisfilledwith theSpirit, hecanhaveanenlightenedmindandaburningheart—andhecanreachpeopleforChrist.HowtoWorkforChristandWhattheBibleTeachesareperhapsTorrey’smost

treasuredbooks,andtheyarestillavailable.YouwillalsowanttoreadhisbooksonprayerandtheHolySpirit.HowToSucceedintheChristianLifeisexcellentfor new believers. R. A. Torrey: Apostle of Certainty, by Roger Martin, ispublishedbySwordoftheLordPublishersandisworthreading.DuringhisBritishcampaign,Torreysaidtoavastaudience:

Iwouldratherwinsouls thanbethegreatestkingoremperoronearth;Iwouldratherwinsoulsthanbethegreatestgeneralthatevercommandedanarmy....Myoneambitioninlifeistowinasmanyaspossible.Oh,itistheonlythingworthdoing,tosavesouls;andmenandwomen,wecanalldoit.2

D.L.Moodystarted itallwhenhesaid,“Youngman,youhadbetterget toworkfortheLord!”

PerhapstheLordissayingthesamethingtoyou.

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ThomasSpurgeon1856–1917

hefirst timeIsawmyfuturehusband,heoccupiedthepulpitofNewParkStreetChapelonthememorableSundaywhenhepreachedhisfirstsermons

there.” So wrote Mrs. Charles H. Spurgeon of that “memorable Sunday,”December18,1853.It was not easy to be the fiancée of London’s most popular preacher. So

engrossedwasCharlesSpurgeoninhisministrythatheoftenshookhandswithSusannahatchurchmeetingswithoutrecognizingher!Whentheywerealone,hewould correct proofs of his sermonswhile his beloved sat by quietly. “Itwasgood discipline for the pastor’s intended wife,” she wrote in later years.SpurgeonbaptizedSusannahonFebruary1,1855,andshebecameamemberofNewParkStreet.Ayearlater,onJanuary8,theyweremarried.Afteraten-dayhoneymooninParis, theyreturnedtoLondonandtowhatwouldbeoneofthegreatestministriesinthehistoryofthechurch.SusannahpresentedherhusbandwithtwinsonsonSeptember20,1856.The

firstbornwasnamedCharles,theotherThomas.Theboysattendedlocalschoolsandalsohadaprivatetutor.ItwasdiscoveredearlythatThomashadagiftfordrawing.BothboysbecameChristiansearlyandoftendistributedcopiesoftheirfather’ssermons.OnSeptember20,1874,theirfatherpreachedfromthetext“Iandthechildren”(Gen.33:5);thefollowingeveninghebaptizedhissons.Theirfamousfathersometimeshintedthathewouldrejoiceifoneofhissons

succeeded him at the Metropolitan Tabernacle. In a sermon titled “Now: ASermonforYoungMenandWomen,”Spurgeonsaid:

Itmaynotbemyhonortobesucceededinthispulpitbyoneofmysons,greatlyasIwouldrejoiceifitmightbeso;butatleastIhopetheywillbehereinthischurchtoservetheirfather’sGod,andtoberegardedwithaffectionbyyouforthesakeofhimwhospenthislifeinyourmidst.

At first it did not appear that either sonwould enter theministry.Theboyspreached when opportunity arose, and they helped found the Northcote Road

Baptist Church. But Charles entered a mercantile career, and Thomas wasapprenticed to a wood-engraver named William Holledge. Both young menserved the Lord zealously, but neither devoted their full time to the Christianministry.Tom’s health was poor, so he went on a sea voyage to Australia. Tom

Holledge,William’sson,wentalong.Their three-mastedschooner leftonJune15,1877,andarrivedinMelbourneonAugust28.DuringthevoyageSpurgeonpreachedoftentothepassengersandcrew.HisfatherhadgivenThomasaletterofintroductioninwhichhesaid,“Hecanpreachabit.”ThomashadintendedtosetupanengravingbusinessinMelbourne,butthenameSpurgeonopeneddoorsofministrythathecouldnotignore.“YoungSpurgeondoesnotpossessthefireanddashofhis father,”onenewspaper reported, “buthehasmuchoriginality,humor,andforce.”Whereverhepreached,hedrewgreatcrowds.Somecametocriticizeandcompare,butmanywentawayconvicted.YoungThomaswasnotC.H.S.,buthewasstillGod’sservantandacapablepreacher.About this time Thomas was falsely accused of conduct unbecoming to a

minister. “Whether it was the tongue of slander in the old land, or somemisinformationormistake,Idonotknow,”heoncesaid.“Buttherecametomydearfather’searsastorywhichdidnotreflectcredituponhisabsentson.Itcamein sucha form thathewasalmostbound tobelieve it.” (Wewonder ifC.H.S.remembered theslander thathadbeenspreadabouthim inearlyyears.)“I leftthematterwithGod,”saidThomas,“andHeespousedmycause.”Inafewdayshisfathercabled:“Disregardmyletter;wasmisinformed.”In September 1878, Thomas received word that his mother was ill.

Immediatelyhesailedforhome.Whenhearrived,hefoundhermuchimproved,buthisfatherwassuffering.OnSunday,November10,ThomasSpurgeonhadtopreach forC.H.S.at thegreat tabernacle.HisbrotherCharlesalsocame tohisaidduringhisfather’sillness.Thomas enrolled in the Pastors’ College, but his poor health forced him to

misssomanyclassesthathedecidedtoreturntoAustralia.Thisdecisiondeeplyhurt his father, who had long hoped his son would share his ministry andeventuallytakehisplace.Spurgeon’sdearfriendandassociate,W.Y.Fullerton,wrote:“OnlytwiceinhislifeC.H.Spurgeonspentawholenightinprayer....One of these nights of intense supplicationwas for a personal need. . . . Theotherwaswhen thehopeshehadbuiltonhissonTombeingbyhissidewereshattered.”1TomsettledinNewZealand,andforthefirstyearhesuppliedthe

pulpitoftheHanoverStreetChurchinDunedin.Familyhistoryrepeateditself,for in that churchhemetLilaRutherford,whoonFebruary10,1888,becameMrs.ThomasSpurgeon.InJanuary1882Thomasbecamepastorof theBaptistchurch in Aukland. The work prospered; they built a new auditorium (atabernacle, of course!) and many found Christ. The pastor returned to GreatBritain for fivemonths in1884 to raise funds forhiswork.OnDecember14,1884,hesailedforNewZealand,biddinggoodbyetohisfather,whotoldhimhecouldnotbearthepainofanotherparting.Therewere tobeno furtherpartings.On June7,1891,C.H.S.preachedhis

lastsermonat the tabernacle;andonJanuary31,1892,hewas“calledhome.”The death of “the governor” (as his officers called him) ushered in the“tabernacletempest”thatwaswatchedwithgreatinterestbyChristiansalloverthe English-speaking world. The question was:Who will keep the tabernaclegoing?Spurgeon’s brother James,whohad assisted in the tabernacleministry,was asked to serve as acting pastor. A. T. Pierson had been preaching at thetabernacle during Spurgeon’s last illness, but since he was a Presbyterian, hecouldnotbeacandidateforthepulpit.Piersonstayedwiththeworkforayear,butthenhehadtoreturntotheStates.TheofficersaskedThomasSpurgeontocome topreach for threemonths;andonJune10,1892,hearrived inLondonwithhiswifeandson.HeclosedhisministryonOctober9,andthenDwightL.Moodyarrivedforaseriesofmeetingsatthetabernacle.PiersonreturnedfollowingMoody’sministryanddiscoveredadeepdivision

in the congregation. The “tabernacle tempest” was dividing families andbreakinglifelongfriendships.OnMarch28,1893,sometwothousandmembersmetandaskedtheofficerstocallThomasSpurgeonhomeforayear’sministry,afterwhichthechurchwoulddecidewhattodonext.Thomasacceptedthecall.He also remembered something Moody had said to him during his previousministry at the tabernacle: “You are yet to come back to this place, and I amgoing toprayGodhereandnow that itmaybe so!”Hebeganhisministry inLondon on July 30, 1893. Before the year was over, the church knew thatThomasSpurgeonwas theman for thepulpit.OnMarch21,1894, thechurchcalledhimaspastor,andheremaineduntil1908.OneofthemosttragiceventsintheministryofThomas’sfatherhadoccurred

when young Charles was preaching to a huge crowd at the Surrey GardensMusicHall.Troublemakers in the audience began to cry “Fire!Fire!” and theresultwas catastrophe. Seven peoplewere killed, twenty-eight hospitalized. It

seemed that Spurgeon’s ministry was doomed. God overruled, however, andvindicatedhisservant.AtryingtimeinThomas’sministryalsoinvolvedfire.OnApril20,1899, thegreatMetropolitanTabernacleburned to theground,

leaving Spurgeonwith a congregation and no place to house it. The fire wascaused by an overheated flue in the adjacent Pastors’College.At thePastors’Conference thedaybefore, theScripture reading,Hebrews12,hadendedwith“OurGod isaconsumingfire.”ThomasSpurgeonpreachedon the theme“NoStrange Fire.” The slogan for the annual conference was “Does the fire burnbrightlyonthealter?”Andoddlyenough,OldMoore’sAlmanackhadpredicted,“Aboutthemiddleofthemonth[April]thedestructionofafamousbuildingbyfiremaybeexpected.”SpurgeonhadbuiltatabernacleinNewZealand;nowhewouldrebuildoneinLondon.Whenhewasstandingbytheruinsshortlyafterthefire,astrangerapproachedhimandslippedsomemoneyintohishand.“Thisistobuilditupagain,sir!”hesaid.Godwouldmultiplythosefiveshillingsintothousands of dollars; and on September 19, 1900, the new tabernacle wasopened. IraSankey sang at thededication services, andF.B.Meyer and JohnHenryJowettassistedSpurgeoninthepreaching.ThomasSpurgeon resignedaspastorof the tabernacleonFebruary8,1908,

and thechurch reluctantlyacceptedhis resignation.Theyheldagreat farewellserviceforhimonJune22.Forthenextnineyearshepreachedoften,assistedinraisingfundsfortheorphanhomeshisfatherhadfounded,andworkedhardtomaintainhishealth.HecelebratedhisdiamondjubileeonSeptember20,1916,and received well-deserved honors from an appreciative Christian public. Hedied onOctober 20, 1917, andwas buried near his father’s tomb inNorwoodCemetery. A. C. Dixon, the new pastor of the tabernacle, read the Scripture;DinsdaleYoungprayed;thechildrenfromtheorphanagesang;andF.J.Felthampreached.AtC.H.S.’sburialservice,adovehadflownfromthedirectionofthetabernacletowardsthetomb,glidedoverthesorrowingcrowd,seemedalmosttohover,andthenflownaway.ForThomasSpurgeontherewasnodove,buttherecertainlywaspeace.Earlyinhisministry,Thomaswrotetohisfather:“IfIcanhavebutaportion

of my father’s mantle, I might be well content.” Did his illustrious heritagecripplehim?Ithinknot.Heknewandacceptedhimself.Hedidnottrytobehisfather, although he certainly learned from his father. No doubt many peoplecame tohearhimbecausehewasaSpurgeon;butafter theyheard, theycameback.Theydetectedanauthenticnote.ThomasSpurgeonwasavoiceforGod,

notanechoofhisfather.ThegiftsGodhadgivenhimwouldhavemadehimasuccessfulministerofthegospelevenwithoutthenameSpurgeon.CertainlyThomasSpurgeonistobehonoredandrememberedfordaringtobe

himself.HeneverpermittedhisfathertodetermineGod’swillforhisministry.When Thomas returned to London for a year’s ministry at the tabernacle, hewiselylefthiswifeandsoninNewZealand,lesttheirpresencebeinterpretedasoverconfidence on his part. He had great gifts as an evangelist. His itinerantministry in Australia andNew Zealandwas greatly blessed byGod. Like hisfather,hehadakeensenseofhumorandoftenhadtostruggletocontrolit.TosaythatThomasSpurgeonwasnotasgiftedorasmarvelouslyusedbyGodashis father is tosaynothing.Howmanypreachersevenbegin tomeasureup tothe stature of Charles Haddon Spurgeon? In uniting a great congregation,maintaining a wide and varied ministry, and rebuilding a great and historicstructure,ThomasSpurgeonperformed,underGod,oneofthegreatestministriesofmoderntimes.Hewillalwaysbeovershadowedbyhisfather,butneverthelesswillreceivehisown“Welldone!”whenallChristiansstandbeforetheLord.

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SamuelChadwick1860–1932

amuelChadwickisnotaswellknownashedeservestobe,andIproposetoremedythatsituationasbestIcan.IamamazedtodiscoverthatChadwickis

notnamed ineitherTheWycliffeBiographicalDictionaryof theChurchor themonumentalNewInternationalDictionaryoftheChristianChurch,althoughtheformerfindsroomforthepoetChaucer,andthelattergivesspacetotheEnglishdevotional writer Richard Challoner. I suspect that as an evangelist, educator,andeditor,SamuelChadwickdidmore towin the lostand tobuild thechurchthanallthepoetsanddevotionalwritersofhisday.HewasbornSeptember16,1860,inamodesthomeinBurnsley,Lancashire,

England.Burnsleywas amill town, andChadwick said that “therewas not ablade of grass, a tree, or a flower” in the area where he lived. “It would bedifficult to imagine anything more drab, prosaic, and uninteresting than ourstreet!”Attheageofeighthewenttoworkinthecottonmills,andthusdevelopedthe

discipline of early rising, a practice he continued throughout his life. In lateryears he thankedGod that he grew up among the laboring people, so that hemightunderstand theirneedsandminister to them.Atanearlyagehebecameinterested in political meetings, mainly because he enjoyed listening to thespeakers. He used to read aloud the speeches of Gladstone and Disraeli asreportedinthenewspapers.Unconsciously,hewaspreparingtobecomeoneofEngland’sgreatestpreachers.When hewas ten years old,Chadwickwas converted toChrist through the

ministry of Samuel Coley, a guest speaker at the Sunday school anniversarymeeting. From the very beginning of his spiritual life, Chadwick emphasizedprayer.“Iwentapart threetimesaday,”hewrote,“andprayedintheSpiritallthetimebetween.Thehabitofthreetimesadaywasnoteasy.Thedinnerhourwasshort,thefamilywaslarge,andthehousesmall,butImanaged!”

In 1875,when hewas fifteen years old,Chadwick felt a call toministry, adecision he pondered and prayed about for a whole year. His resources werelimited,hishealthwasnotgood,andhehadreceivedlittleeducation.Hisfamilywaspoorandwouldnotbeabletosendhimtoschool.ButhewasdeterminedtoserveChrist; so afterworking twelve hours a day in themill, he devoted fivemorehourstopersonalstudyathome.TheMethodistsuperintendentintheBurnsleyCircuit,JosiahMee,discovered

Chadwick’sdesiretoserveChristandencouragedhimtopreach.AlmosteverySundayhewouldwalktovariouspreachingstationsintheMethodistCircuitandshare theWordofGod.Heenjoyedpreaching,but forsomereasonhedidnotseeanyfruitfromhisministry.ItwouldbesevenyearsbeforetheLordwouldreveal to him the secret of spiritual fruitfulness. In 1881, Chadwick wasappointedlayevangelistatnearbyStacksteads,adistrictsaturatedwithopensinand opposition to the gospel. Proud of his preaching ability and his file ofsermons, theyoungevangelistwent towork—but theforcesofSatanwere toomuch forhim.Hedesperatelyneededpower.Hebanded togetherwitha smallgroupofburdenedpeopleandcovenantedwiththemtopraydailyforrevival.AsChadwickprayed,Goddealtwithhim,particularlyintheareaofhispride.

Atthreeo’clockoneSundaymorning,theyoungMethodistpreacherburnedallhis sermonoutlines andmade a complete surrender to theLord.Thatwas thebeginningof revival.At theearlyprayermeeting,he ledhis firstsoul toJesusChrist. Before that Lord’s Day had ended, Chadwick led seven people to theSavior.Sensitive to the Spirit’s leading,Chadwickwisely suspended all the regular

services of the church and called the congregation to prayer.Tuesday eveningtwowomeninthechurch,knowntobeenemies,patcheduptheirdifferencesandknelttogetherinprayeratthecommunionrail.Othersjoinedthem,andtheSpiritbegan tomoveamong thepeople.Therewasnoexcessivedisplayofemotion,buteveryoneknewthatGodwasintheirmidst.Theturningpointcamewhenthetowndrunkard,RobertHamer,showedupat

themeeting.Hewasknownas“BuryBob,”andtherewashardlyasinorcrimethathehadnotbeen involved inonewayoranother.Peoplehadseenhimeatglass, fight rats with his teeth, break furniture, swallow knives, and fightpolicemen.Thatnight,heaskedforaBandofHopepledgecard,signedhisX,andvowedhewouldnever drink again.The followingSundayBuryBobwasconverted,andhislifeandhomeweresotransformedthatitledtothesalvation

ofmanyothers.Whatthecongregationdidnotknowwasthatbehindthescenestheiryouthful

pastor had been praying that God would stir things up by converting somenotorioussinner.ChadwickhadbeenstudyingJohn11and12,andhadnoticedthat the resurrection of Lazarus had led to the conversion of many people.“That’s thesolution!”hesaid tohimself.“WeneedaLazarus!”Godansweredhisprayers;BuryBobwashisLazarus,raisedfromthedeadandgivennewlifein Jesus Christ. From that time on, in every church he pastored and everyevangelisticcrusadeheconducted,SamuelChadwickaskedGodtogivehimaLazarus.“IfGodisatworkweekbyweekraisingmenfromthedead,”hesaid,“there

willalwaysbepeoplecomingtoseehowitisdone.Youcannotfindanemptychurchthathasconversionforitsleadingfeature.Doyouwanttoknowhowtofillemptychapels?Hereistheanswer:GetyourLazarus.”From1883 to 1886,Chadwickwas a student atDisburyCollege,where he

read every book he could secure and listened to the lectures as though hisinstructorswereinspiredapostles.Itwashisoneopportunityforformaltraining,andhewanted togivehis best tohisLord.His concern for lost souls andhisunsophisticatedways bothered a fewof the students and staff, but fortunately,hiseducationdidnotputoutthefirethatGodhadignitedinhisheart.“Passiondoesnotcompensateforignorance,”heusedtosayinlateryears.Hewasindeedabalancedman.He ministered as an assistant pastor in Edinburgh for one year following

graduation,andthenasministerattheClydebankMissioninGlasgowforthreeyears.AtClydebank,hehadanewbuildingbutnocongregation;sohesetouttowinpeopletoChristandbuildhisownchurch.Hevisitedinhomes,preachedonstreetcorners,fought thebrewersandgamblers,andquicklyassembledabandofmenandwomenwholovedtheLordandtheiryoungpastor.OneclassicstorymustberepeatedfromthoseGlasgowdays.Thebrewershad

applied for fivenew licenses toputuppubs in strategicplaces,andChadwickwent to court to oppose them. The attorney for the brewers did his best toridicule the young pastor, ending his speech with, “I should like to ask thisyoung-looking shepherd, what hast thou done with the few sheep in thewilderness?”Chadwickjumpedtohisfeetandreplied,“Don’tyoutroubleaboutmysheep!

I’mafterthewolftoday!”

In1890,theMethodistsofficiallyordainedSamuelChadwickandsenthimtoWesley Chapel, Leeds, where he ministered for three years. He then went toLondonforayear,butin1894hewasbackinLeeds,thistimeattheprestigious(butspirituallydead)OxfordPlaceChapel.Fortherestofhislife,hewouldbeknownasChadwickofLeeds.Heministeredthereforthirteenyears,andagainsawmiraclesofgraceinthelivesofsinnersashepreachedthegospelofJesusChrist.“IsatatthetableatmyfirstBandMeeting,”hereported,“andlistenedtotheir

dolefultalesofdifficultyanddespair,laughingattheirfears.Iknewnowayofconductingamissionexcept thatofgettingpeople saved.”Within the first sixmonthsGodgavehimnotoneLazarusbuthalfadozen.TherewasastrongagnosticmovementinBritainatthattime,withSecularist

Societies springing up in almost every city. One Sunday evening, the entireSecularistSocietyofLeedsfilledthegalleryofthechurch,hopingtodisrupttheministry. But that night, their leader was converted. And within the next fewweeks,everysingleofficerinthegroupwaswontoChrist.After thirteen fruitful years in Leeds, Chadwick accepted a call to teach at

CliffCollege, theMethodist school inSheffield,Yorkshire.Hepromised themfive years, but even while he was teaching he was busy holding evangelisticmeetings and helping to establish missions in South Yorkshire. In 1913,ChadwickwasmadeprincipalofCliffCollege,andembarkedonaprogramoftrainingyoungpeople forministry.Fornearly twentyyearshe taught studentshowtopray,dependontheSpirit,preachthegospel,andseektowinlostsoulstoChrist.Chadwickwasunique,andspacedoesnotpermitretellingallthestoriesthat

came out of his life and ministry, but here are a few instances. There was astudentwho asked him for permission to smoke his pipe, even though it wasagainsttherules.“Ihavebeenasmokerfortwentyyears,”heargued,“andIamjustdyingforasmoke!”“Areyoureallydyingforasmoke?”Chadwickasked.“Iam,sir,”thestudentreplied.“Then,”saidChadwick,“sitdowninthatchairanddie!”Before long, the student was on his knees beside the principal, and God

answeredprayer.Theboywasdeliveredfromthehabit.Then there was the time when a ministerial candidate was almost ejected

becausehewasshortofstature.Chadwickstoodtohisfeetandprotested.“Theonly fault theCommitteehad to findwith thiscandidate,”he said, “is thathislegsareshort;andIwanttoknowhowlongthisConferencehasbeenmeasuringmenattheend!”Whensomeofthe“intellectual”youngpastorstriedtobringa“newgospel”

intotheMethodistmovement,Chadwickopposedthem.“GodowntotheSouthYorkshire coalfields and try your newgospel,” he cried out at the conference,“andseewhatitwilldo.Untilyouhavegotagospelthatworks—shutup!Thisisnotanagefortwiddlingyourthumbs!”Chadwick used to hold large anniversary services at Cliff College, and he

always prayed for generous offerings to help the college. After one morningservice, a guest gave him a large check and said, “I have been blessed thismorning!”Chadwicktookthecheck,liftedhiseyestoheavenandprayedaloud,“Lord,blesshimagaintonight!”Chadwick made several visits to the United States and ministered at such

important centers as D. L. Moody’s Northfield and Winona Lake BibleConference.GodusedhimtostirChristianstohaveaconcernforthelostandadesireforholyliving.FormanyyearshewaseditorofJoyfulNews,theofficialpublication of the Joyful News Mission, which eventually merged with theWesleyanHomeMissionCommittee.His articles on prayerwere published inbookformin1931asThePathofPrayer.ItisstilloneofthebestbooksonthesubjectandhasbeenreprintedbytheChristianLiteratureCrusade.TheWay to Pentecost is another of Chadwick’s books that has had a wide

ministry.ItwaspublishedbyHodderandStoughtoninLondonandisdistributedintheUnitedStatesbytheChristianLiteratureCrusade.Youneednotagreewitheverydetailof theauthor’s theologytobenefitfromtheinsightsandimpactofthis book. I especially appreciate his sane approach to the delicate subject ofspiritualgifts.Inhisowninimitableway,Chadwickwrites,“TheGiftofTonguescomeslastonthelist,andisfirstincontroversy!”BeforeIleaveSamuelChadwick,Iwanttopointoutthathewasaveryclose

friendofDr.G.CampbellMorgan. It isworthnoting thatMorganalso, inhisearlyministry,wrestledwithprideofpreachingandburnedhissermonoutlines.Like Chadwick, Morgan rose from obscurity to become one of England’sgreatest preachers andBible teachers. In 1904,whenMorganwas consideringthecalltoWestminsterChapel,London,hehadalongtalkwithhisfriendChadbefore he made his decision. Chadwick wrote to Morgan when the Morgan

familymovedtoAmericain1919:Icannottellallyourfriendshiphasmeanttome.Iamflatteredwhenpeoplebracketmynamewithyours, and though I know the distance at which I follow, it pleases me that they think of ustogether.TheprivilegeofyourfriendshipIreckonamongGod’sbestgiftsandmychiefestjoy.

Chadwick served as president of theMethodistConference in 1918 and thepresident of the Free Church Council in 1922. In 1927 and again in 1930 heunderwentserioussurgerythatlefthimquiteweak,buthecarriedonasbesthecouldinthestrengthoftheLord.HediedonSunday,October16,1932,at theageofseventy-two,butbefore

hisHomegoing,hecalledhiscolleaguestohisbedsideandgavethemafarewellmessage:

StandtogetherfortheWordofGod....Standinaspiritofunity,offaith,ofdoctrine,accordingtothefourthchapterofEphesians....Ihavestoodtruetothelast.Ihavehadnodoubts.IhavebeensureoftheLivingGod.Heknowsmylimitations,butIhavelovedHimandtrustedinhismercy.MyministryhasbeenthemessageoftheCross.

AMethodist throughand through,SamuelChadwickbelonged to thewholeevangelicalworldbecausehepreachedthefundamentalsofthefaithandsoughttobringsinners to theSavior.“Thequalitiesofpowerfulpersonality,”hesaid,“are courage, power, sympathy, and sanity.” He possessed all of them, andyielded to the Spirit, giving himself to the greatest work in the world—thewinningoflostsoulstoJesusChrist.

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CharlesE.Jefferson1860–1937

shepherdcannotshine,”wroteCharlesE.JeffersoninhisbookTheMinisterasShepherd.“Hecannotcutafigure.Hisworkmustbedoneinobscurity..

. .Hisworkcalls forcontinuousself-effacement. It isa formofservicewhicheatsupaman’s life. Itmakesamanoldbeforehis time.Everygoodshepherdlaysdownhislifeforthesheep.”1AllofusknowthatpastoristheLatinwordfor“shepherd.”Thepastorofthelocalchurchissupposedtobeashepherd;but,alas,toooftenheisnot.Hemaybeagoodpreacher—andpreachingisdefinitelyimportant to pastoralwork—andhemay be a good organizer, but if he is notmaintainingapersonalinterestintheflock,heisnotfulfillinghisdivinecalling.“It is the weaklings and not the giants, who neglect their people,” Jeffersonwrote. “It is the Pagan and not theChristianwho shines in public and leavesundonetheprivatedutieswhichbelongtohimasanordainedstewardoftheSonofGod.”2The Minister as Shepherd has been reprinted by the Christian Literature

CrusadeintheLivingBooksforAllseries,andIheartilyrecommendittoyou.ItisoneoffourvaluablebooksbyJeffersondirectedespeciallytothepastor, theother threebeingTheMinisterasProphet,QuietHints toGrowingPreachers,andhisYale lectures,TheBuildingof theChurch.These titleswillhave tobefound in the used-book stores. His Yale lectures were published in a BakerBookseditionin1969.Iurgetheadditionofthesefourvolumestoeverylibrary,andIsuggesttheybereadandreread;Jefferson’sphilosophyoftheministryisdesperatelyneededtoday.CharlesE.Jeffersonwasbornin1860anddiedin1937.Hestartedoutnotas

apastor,butasasuperintendentofschoolsinWorthington,Ohio.HealsotaughtatOhioWesleyanandOhioState.In1884heenteredtheBostonUniversityLawSchool, and it was while he was in Boston that the challenge of the gospelministry took hold of his heart. As he visited various churches, he became

thoroughly disgustedwith the preaching that he heard.Then he heardPhillipsBrooksatTrinityChurch,andeverythingchanged.HeenrolledinthetheologicalcourseatBostonUniversityandgraduatedin1887.AfterbriefpastoratesinNewHampshireandMassachusetts,heacceptedacalltothe34thStreetTabernacleinManhattan,wherehewas to laborforalmostfortyyears.The tabernaclehadanoblehistory;WilliamM.Taylorwaspastortherefortwentyyears(1871–92).Ifyou do not have Taylor’s sermons on Christ’s miracles and parables, by allmeansgetthem!Andwhileyouarelooking,securehisgreatbiographicalserieson Moses, Joseph, Ruth, Esther, David, Paul, and other Bible greats. Whatpreaching!When Jefferson accepted the call, he knew God was placing him into a

difficultsituation.AftersevenyearsthechurchrelocatedandbuiltanewedificeatthecornerofBroadwayand56thStreet,changingitsnametotheBroadwayTabernacleCongregationalChurch.Atthattime,Broadwaywasknownas“thegreat white way,” and it was to this kind of a constituency that Jeffersonministered for almost forty years. Though the churchwas in one of themostdifficultpartsofthecity,hemanagedtofillthebuildingweekafterweekandtominister,withgreatpowerandblessing,toa“needyparade.”Hewitnessedtheexodusofmorethanonechurchfromthedowntownarea,yetheremained.Whatanexampleforustofollow!He had a pastor’s heart, and the combination of preacher-pastor was what

madehimaneffectiveministerinthatdifficultdowntownlocation.Hebelievedinthelocalchurch, inbuildingthechurch to thegloryofGod,andnotsimplyusing itasa tool tobuildhisowncareer.“It issad toseeaman turningawayfromtheministrybecausehedoesnotunderstandthechurch,”JeffersonwroteinhisYalelectures,“butitistragictoseeoneenteringtheministrywithawrongattitude to the church. Youngministers sometimes look upon the church as anecessary evil, an inherited encumbrance, a sort of devicebywhichpreachersarehandicappedintheirmovementsandheldbackfromlargestusefulness....Theywanttodothingsonabroadscale.Todealwithsosmallandinsignificanta body as a church seemsparochial andbelittling.”3This iswhy he titled hislecturesTheBuildingof theChurch, takingthe“architectural idea”in theNewTestamentandapplyingittothepreachingoftheWordandthepastoringofthepeople. “The crowning and crucial work of a minister is not conversion, butchurchbuilding.”4His first lecture deals with “the church building concept in the New

Testament.” What does this have to do with preaching? “The sermon,” saidJefferson,“comesnotoutofthepreacheralone,butoutofthechurch....Heisnourished by his environment—the family of Christ.”5 What a tremendousconceptforthegrowingpastortograsp!“Thechurchisagrowingorganismandthepreachermustknowthestagesofitsdevelopmentbeforehecanfeedit.”6“Aphysician always looks at his patient before he goes to themedicine chest.Awisepreacherbegins,notwithhisbooks,butwithhischurch.”7Recently a seminary president complained to me that some of his school’s

finestgraduates“werenotmakingit”intheirchurches.“Doyouknowwhatoneof our boys did?” he asked. “He hadn’t been in his first church threemonthsbeforehestartedtorevisetheconstitution!Hedidn’tstaylong.”ItistoobadthatgraduatehadnotreadTheBuildingoftheChurch,especiallythispassage:

Hereagainthepreachermustbeginbyestablishingrightrelationsbetweenhimselfandhischurch....Ifamanhasacontemptuousviewofhischurchheiswell-nighcertaintobeafraidofit.Butlove casts out fear. If aman loves his church and proves his love by his life, he can say to itanythingwhichisproperforaChristianteachertosaytohispupils,anythingwhichisfittingforaChristianmantosaytohisfriends.Thepreacherswhogetintotroublebytalkingplainlytotheirpeopleareasarulepreacherswhodonotlovetheirchurches.8

Of course theministry of buildingdemands time, and Jeffersonpleaded forthe longer pastorate. “He [the pastor] is a master-builder, and his task is notsimplycollectingmaterial,butshapingitintoastructurewhichshallbecomeashrineoftheEternal....Thehighestplacebelongstothemanwho,yearafteryear, in the same parish, instructs men in the high and difficult art of livingtogether,andtrainsthembylongandpatientprocessesintheworkofbringingspiritualforcestobearuponthemoralproblemsofthecommunity.”9“Nomatterhowlonghestays,therewillbemoreworktodothantherewasinsightatthebeginning.Menwhoengageinthebuildingofthechurchknowthattheworkisneverdone.”10And yet some pastors are looking for new churches after twoyearsofministry!In the remaining seven lectures, Jefferson applied the building concept to

variousaspectsoftheministryinthelocalchurch:buildingthebrotherhood(“TocreateanamplerandawarmerfellowshipinsidethechurchofJesusisthefirstworkforwhichpreachersareordained”);buildingtheindividual(“Manyamanis preaching to a dwindling congregation because his sermons have lost thepersonalnote.Hechillsbyhisvaguegeneralities,or enragesbyhiswholesaledenunciations”);11 buildingmoods and tempers (“A congregation possesses a

dispositionaspronouncedandcharacteristicasthatofanyofitsmembers”);12buildingthrones(“Thepreacherwhowouldmakehischurchapowermustbeginby trusting common people”);13 building the worldwide church (“Everypreacher should do his work in the radiance of the vision of the churchuniversal”);14buildingtheplan(“Itisnotawasteoftimetogivehoursanddaystotheworkofponderingandmaturingschedulesforfutureoperations”);15andfinally,building thebuilder (“Thesecretofanextendedpastorate isagrowingman”).16TheBuildingoftheChurchiseasilyoneofthefinestbookstocomeoutoftheYalelectureseries,anditsmessageisgreatlyneededtoday.Jefferson’s other three books are not quite so massive and detailed. The

MinisterasShepherdcontainsfivelecturesthatJeffersongavein1912,buttheyare amazingly contemporary. He beganwith “The Shepherd Idea in Scriptureand History,” proving that the shepherd has a key place in the plan of God.“WhenchurchleadersbegantolosethevisionoftheGoodShepherd,theyatthesame time began to drift away from the New Testament ideal of ministerialservice.”17Hethencoveredtheshepherd’swork,opportunity,temptations,andrewards,andhedidsoinamannerthatconvincesyouthathehimselfpossessedashepherd’sheart.HepointedoutthattheEasternshepherdwasawatchman,aguard,aguide,asavior,aprovider,andamanwhopersonallylovedhissheep.Iappreciate the way he explained the relationship between preaching andshepherding,andit isherethat theinfluenceofPhillipsBrooksismostclearlyseen.“Thepastoralinstinctisnowheremoresorelyneededthanintheworkofpreaching,”hewrote.“Nopartofaminister’swork ismorestrictly,genuinelypastoralthantheworkofpreaching.”18InTheMinisterasProphetJeffersondealtparticularlywithpreachingandthe

importance of proclaiming the truth of God. I am tempted to quote severalpassages,butIwillsettleforthisone:“Alittlemanwithnarrowviewcancausea world of trouble.” I like his emphasis on patience in preaching and theimportanceheplacesonbuildingthepreacherasmuchasbuildingthesermon.“I prepare my sermons by preparing myself,” he told Edgar De Witt Jones.“Self-preparationisthemostdifficultworkapreacherhastodo....Apreacherwho is spiritually anemic, or intellectually impoverished, ormorally depleted,willwishoftenforajunipertree.”19Thefourthbook,QuietHintstoGrowingPreachers,issomewhatofapastoral

firesidechat,twenty-sixchaptersonimportantministerialmattersthatsomehowhavebeenomittedfromthetextbooks.

Manyamanintheministryfails,notbecauseheisbad,butbecausehehasageniusforblundering.20

Ifamanexpectstomovemenbyhispreachinghemustfirstdoadealofliving,andthesoonerhebeginstolivethebetter.21

Nomancanlongbeinterestinginthepulpitwhodoesnotthink.Nomancanthinkwiselywhodoesnotstudy.22

ProbablynoothersinglesinworkssuchhavocintheChristianchurchastheimpatienceofherministers.23

Popularityisthemostfearfulofalltests.24

Thisisthekindofbookthepastorcankeeponhisdeskandreadachapterofaday—allchaptersarebrief—andremindhimselfof the things that tooeasilyareforgotten.Jeffersonwrotenotonlyforpastorsbutalsoforthechurchatlarge,including

anumberofbooksofsermons.Hisownpreachingwasdoctrinalinemphasisbutnottheologicalincontent.Heusedshort,crispsentencesandsoughttoexpressthe truth in the simplest manner. His Cardinal Ideas of Isaiah (1925) andCardinalIdeasofJeremiah(1928)arehelpful tothepastorpreachingonthosebooksandprophets.When I read Jefferson’s ideas about preaching, I discovered that he used

severalcomparisonstomakehispoint.Inoneplacehecomparedthesermontosomethingcooking!“Oneneverknowswhatisgoingtohappenwhenheputsatruthtosoakinthejuicesofthemind.”25Inanotherplacehecomparedsermonstobullets.“Howfartheygodoesnotdependuponthetextoruponthestructureofthesermon,butuponthetextureofthemanhoodofthepreacher.”26Buthisfavoritecomparisonwasthatofasermontoaflower.“Mysermonsgrow.Theyunfold.Inever‘getup’asermon....Asermonoftherightsortgetsitselfup.IfIsupplythesoilandtheseedandthesunandtherain,thesermonwillcomeupofitself.Mysoulisaflower-garden.Mybusinessisraisingsermons.”27IsupposethemosthelpfulthingCharlesE.Jeffersondoesformeistoremind

meoftheimportanceofthelocalchurchandtheworkthepastormustdoifthechurchistogrowandglorifyGod.Thepastorisashepherd,aprophet,abuilder.Jefferson himself was all three. Any man who can make a success of a citychurchinadifficultplaceisworthreading,andJeffersonissuchaman.Gettoknowhimsoon!

W

34

W.H.GriffithThomas1861–1924

henWilliamHenryGriffithThomasdiedinDuluth,Minnesota,onJune2,1924,thereligiouspressinbothAmericaandEnglandpaidtribute.Inthe

SundaySchoolTimesforJune21,W.GrahamScroggiewrote:

BythepassingofDr.ThomastheChristianChurchhaslostascholarandteacher....IcanwithutmostconfidencesaythatthereadingofDr.Thomas’sbookscreatesinoneadeeperloveofanddesireforGodas is revealed inHisWord,and that ismore thancanbesaidofmuchwhich theChristianpressoftodayisturningout.

(Scroggieshouldhaveseensomeofthebooksthatarebeingpublishednow!)R.A.TorreywroteintheJuly5issueofthesamepublication:

The first thing that impressedme aboutDr.Thomaswashis sound,wide, thorough, sane,well-balancedscholarship.HisinterpretationsofScripturewerealwaysscholarlyanddependable. . . .Alongwithhis scholarshipandhisclearnessofvision therewentaveryunusualability to stateprofoundtruthwithaclearnessandasimplicitytowhichveryfewattain.

JamesM.Gray,presidentofMoodyBible Instituteat the time,wrote in theJune28issue:

ManywillspeakofDr.Thomasasanauthor,editor,preacher,andexpositor;butIshouldliketosay a word about him as a contender for “the faith which was once for all delivered unto thesaints.”He had a great advantage there in his broad knowledge and his early experience as anevangelicalleaderintheAnglicanchurchbeforehecametothiscountry.

GriffithThomashadnoadvantagesinchildhoodorearlymanhood.Fromthebeginning, circumstances seemed to be against him. Yet in the furnace ofafflictionandonthebattlefieldoflife,Godmadehimagreatman.Hismotherhad been widowed before he was born on January 2, 1861, in Oswestry,

Shropshire.HespenthisearlyyearswithhisgrandfatherWilliamGriffith.Hismothermarriedagain,butfamilyfinancialpressureforcedyoungWill to leaveschool when only fourteen. In later years he was recognized throughout theEnglish-speakingworldasabrillianteducator, teacher,andwriter;yethisowneducationwasobtainedwiththegreatestdifficultyandsacrifice.Whenhewas sixteen,hewasasked to teachaSunday school class atHoly

Trinity Church in Oswestry. Not yet a professed believer, he thought he wasvolunteering for the choir! For four months he did his best, but he found itimpossibletoteachsomethinghehadneverexperienced.Godusedthewitnessof twoyoungmen in thechurch tobringhimtosalvationonMarch23,1878.“WhenIawokethenextmorning,”herelated,“mysoulwassimplyoverflowingwithjoy,andsincethenIhaveneverdoubtedthatitwasonthatSaturdaynightIwasbornagain,convertedtoGod.”Hemoved toLondon in1879andworked inhisuncle’soffice.From10:30

p.m.to2:30a.m.hedevotedhimselftoseriousstudy,adisciplinethatmadehiminto a scholar. He always admonished his students to devote themselves toreading and thinking no matter what price had to be paid. His vicar, theReverendB.OswaldSharp,offeredhimalaycuracyin1882.Thisenabledhimto attend morning lectures at King’s College in London while fulfilling hispastoralresponsibilitiesduringtheafternoonsandevenings.HeearnedhisAKC(AssociateofKing’sCollege)degreeandwasordainedin1885.AtthatservicethebishopofLondon,FrederickTemple,admonishedhimnever toneglecthisGreek New Testament for a single day. (We wonder how seriously a youngministertodaywouldtakethatadmonition.)“G.T.”kepthispromisetoBishopTemplebyreadingachaptereachdaytherestofhislife.After three and a half years as curate of the church in London, Griffith

Thomas accepted a curacy at St. Aldate’s Church, Oxford. While there, heearnedhisBDin1895attheuniversity,againastheresultofdisciplinedstudyand thewise investment of early and late hours.When I visited theBodleianLibrary in Oxford, I thought of Griffith Thomas studying there, hiding in aspecial corner known only to the rector, the beloved Canon Christopher. Thecanon,akind, spiritualmanandagreat soul-winner,was failing inhealthandbecomingdeaf.Consequentlymuchoftheparishworkfell toGriffithThomas,whoenteredintoitwithasmuchzestashedidhisGreekstudies.Hepreachedoften,ledtheSundayschool,managedthevariousparishorganizations,anddidathoroughjobofvisitation.Hewasascholar,butneverintheslightestdegreea

recluse.Bothyoungandoldlovedhim,andhehadaparticularloveforthem.Aboutthistime,thelargerfellowshipoftheAnglicanchurchbegantonotice

him.IhaveinmyfileacopyoftheRecordforFriday,January17,1896,whichincludes a full report of the Islington Clerical Meeting held the precedingTuesday.ThevicarofIslington,Dr.Barlow,hadinvitedtheyoungcuratetoreada paper on the doctrine of the church, the first young assistant thus to behonored.“Mr.Thomastreatedhissubjectpopularly,”theRecordreported,“andhereceivedthecordialrecognitionandpraiseoftheentireMeeting.”Thegreatscholar Handley C. G. Moule, later the bishop of Durham, was also on theprogram;youngGriffithThomaswasingoodcompany.LaterthatyearGriffithThomasacceptedacalltoSt.Paul’s,Port-manSquare,

now devoted almost entirely to small hotels and business offices. St. Paul’sChurchtodayislocatedafewblocksfromitsoriginalsite.Scholar that hewas,GriffithThomasdidnotmake themistakeof trying to

buildhisministryonbookishsermons.Hedependedonprayeraswellascarefulpreparation.Thechurchconductedsixprayermeetingseachweek!Therewereamultitudeoforganizationswithinthechurch.Theyevenhadanorchestrasocietyandacyclingclub.(GriffithThomas,acyclingenthusiast,wassuchabigmanthat his bicycle had to be specially made.) The main meetings of the churchemphasized the studyof theWord.MostofGriffithThomas’s later expositorybooks grew out of these earlyBible classes. To learn his philosophy ofBiblestudy, readMethods of Bible Study, published originally in 1902 and recentlyreprinted.Forhisviewsonpreachingandpastoralwork, readTheWorkof theMinistry(reprintedasMinisterialLifeandWork).In October 1905, Griffith Thomas was named principal of Wycliffe Hall,

Oxford, thecenterofministerial trainingforevangelicalAnglicans.Duringhisfive years there he was the pastor, teacher, and friend of more than eightystudents. He also conducted a weekly Greek New Testament reading at theuniversity on Sunday afternoons. Attending one of these meetings wereundergraduates T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) and his two brothers.During the years at Oxford, Griffith Thomas earned his doctoral degree(DDOxon).Hisdissertationwastitled“ASacramentofOurRedemption.”AlsoduringthoseyearshebegantoministerattheBritishKeswickConvention.Hewas alsobusywriting, editing, and taking a leadingpart in church affairs thataffectedevangelicals.HeandhisfamilymovedtoTorontoin1910,wherehejoinedthefacultyof

WycliffeCollege,havingbeenpersuadedthatawiderministrywouldbehisinCanada. Originally he had been invited to serve as professor of systematictheology,butwhenhearrived,hediscoveredthatoneofthelocalgraduateshadbeengiventhepositioninstead!AlessermanwouldhaveresignedandreturnedtoEngland.ButGriffithThomasbelievedsostronglythatGodhadcalledhimtoCanada that he remained and taughtOldTestament literature and exegesis fornineyears.Thestudentswerethelosers,inthatnooneintheAnglicanchurchatthat time could surpass Griffith Thomas in teaching biblical theology. It waslargelyby thismeans,however, thathebecameknown inbothNorthAmericaandmany other parts of theworld.When approached to return to an Englishparish,hereplied,“Butnowacontinentismyparish!”In1919,thefamilymovedtoPhiladelphia,andGriffithThomascarriedonan

extensiveconferenceandwritingministry.HejoinedwithLewisSperryChaferandAlex B.Winchester in foundingDallas Theological Seminary. Hewas tohaveservedasavisitinglecturerandlaterasafacultymember,buthisuntimelydeathin1924intervened.Todayhislibrarycontinuesitsministrytothehundredsof studentsat theschool,however,andhismemory isalsokeptgreen throughtheannualW.H.GriffithThomasMemorialLectures.TodayweknowW.H.GriffithThomasprimarilyfromtheprintedpage.Add

every one of his books to your library.Beginwith his great commentaries onGenesis andRomans.Unfortunately, someof his best bookshavegoneout ofprint,includingTheApostleJohn,TheApostlePeter,andChristianityIsChrist.StillavailablearehismasterlyStonelectures,presentedatPrincetonTheologicalSeminaryin1913,onTheHolySpiritofGod,andhiscommentaryontheEpistletotheHebrews,“LetUsGoOn.”YoudonothavetobeAnglicantoappreciateThePrinciplesofTheologyandTheCatholicFaith,bothpublishedinLondonbyVine Books (formerly Church Book Room Press), which plans to issue neweditions of as many of his books as possible. The Prayers of St. Paul is adevotionalgem,asisGraceandPower.Hepublished twenty-sixbookletsandtwenty-four largerworks, a tremendousaccomplishment for amanwhobeganhiscareerwithsevereeducationallimitations.Griffith Thomas’s daughter, Winifred G. T. Gillespie, has also edited and

issued posthumously several volumes of her father’s unpublished material:OutlineStudiesintheGospelofMatthew,OutlineStudiesintheGospelofLuke,OutlineStudiesintheActsoftheApostles,ThroughthePentateuchChapterbyChapter,andStudiesinColossiansandPhilemon.Shehasalsoworkedonnotes

heusedatTorontoinhiscourseonOldTestamentintroduction.GriffithThomas’sadvicetoyoungpreacherswas:“Thinkyourselfempty,read

yourselffull,writeyourselfclear,prayyourselfkeen—thenenterthepulpitandlet yourself go!” He practiced this counsel himself, becoming a first-rankevangelicalscholarandpreacher,alwayskeenlyalert toencroachmentsofbothmodernismandritualism.Academicachievementdidnotcomewithoutsacrifice—butthen,itrarelydoes.Hededicatedandappliedhimself,andtheLorddidtherest.Hisbooksareexpositionatitsbest:soundexegesis,pastoralconcern,clearoutlining,practicalapplication,andrelevancetotheneedsoftheday.Hedidnotattempttobesensational;hewantedonlytobebiblical.GriffithThomaswasarareblendofspiritualityandscholarship,atrue“pastor-teacher.”“Wecannotmakeupforfailureinourdevotionallifebyredoublingenergyin

service,”hewrote.“Aswaternever risesabove its level, sowhatwedoneverrises above what we are. . . . We shall never take people one hair’s breadthbeyond our own spiritual attainment.Wemay point to higher things,wemay‘alluretobrighterworlds,’but...weshallonlytakethemasfarasweourselveshavegone.”Inotherwords,thepastormustbebothamanofGodandastudent.If he is careless in either his praying or his studying, he cannot enjoy God’sblessing.OneofhisstudentsatWycliffeHall,G.R.HardingWood,wroteintheDecember29,1960,issueofLifeofFaith:“Onewasconsciousthatallhiswork,especiallyhisteaching,wassteepedinprayer;anditwasthesameinthemoreintimatetalksaboutpersonalproblems....HetrulywalkedwithGod,andmadethat spiritual exercise something to be coveted and practiced.” Can aman bebothsaintandscholar,amanofbooksandamanof theBook?W.H.GriffithThomasisconvincingproofthatonecan—ifoneiswillingtopaytheprice.

Y

35

A.C.GaebeleinandB.H.Carroll1861–1945;1843–1914

oucouldnotfindtwomoreoppositementhanArnoClemensGaebeleinandBenajah Harvey Carroll. Gaebelein’s ministry was, for the most part, an

interdenominational one;Carrollwas a devoted SouthernBaptist and a strongdenominational leader. Gaebelein held a dispensational view of Scripture;Carrolldidnot.GaebeleinwasanitinerantBibleteacher;Carrolldevotedmostofhislifetohischurchandtotheseminaryhehelpedtofound.Why,then,bringthese men together? For two reasons: both were self-made scholars withenviable reputationsas teachersof theWord,andbothhave leftbehindsetsofbooks dealing with the entire Bible. In Gaebelein’s The Annotated Bible andCarroll’sAnInterpretationof theEnglishBibleare twodifferentapproaches toScripturefrommenwhoweredevotedservantsoftheLordandableministersofhisWord.Gaebeleinwasaremarkableman.BorninGermanyin1861(theyearCarroll

joinedtheTexasRangers),hewasconvertedtoChristattheageoftwelve,andat the age of eighteen dedicated himself forChristian service. This dedicationoccurredonOctober31(theanniversaryofMartinLuther’sninety-fivetheses),onlyafewmonthsafterhehadarrivedinAmerica.“IhadbeenreadingmyNewTestament,” Gaebelein wrote in his autobiography, Half a Century, “whensuddenlyastrongimpulsecameuponmetoseekHispresenceandtotellHimthatworkforHimshouldbemylife’swork.”HeidentifiedwiththeGermanMethodistsinLawrence,Massachusetts,where

hewasliving,andsoonhefoundhimselfteachingclassesanddistributingtracts.Afriendofferedtosendhimtoseminary,butLouisWallon,thepresidingelderof that district, advised against it. Gaebelein’s training in Germany, whichincludedLatinandGreek,actuallyputhimaheadofsomeseminarygraduates;andhewasatirelessstudentonhisown.Wallonloanedhimtheologicalbooksand encouraged him to study at home. Gaebelein was not critical of formal

education, however; in later years he was to help found the EvangelicalTheologicalCollege (outofwhichgrewDallasTheologicalSeminary), andhedeliveredannuallecturesattheschool.In1881,hemovedtoNewYorkCitytoassistWalloninaGermanchurch.It

was there that hewas introduced to the premillennial position, but at first herejectedit.LaterhebecamepastorofaGermancongregationinBaltimore,andthere he began his study of Semitic languages. It was his habit to be at hisstudiesat4:00eachmorning.HeministeredinvariousGermanchurches,andhisknowledge of Hebrew and his love for the Jews gradually brought him intoprominence as amissionary to the thousands of Jews pouring intoNewYorkCityat that time.Hehadbeenconverted to thepremillennialposition,andhisaddresses on prophecy attracted great crowds of both Jews andGentiles. Thisministry finally led to the establishing of the Hope of Israel Mission and amonthly publication in Hebrew for the Jewish people. A year later, in 1894,GaebeleinfoundedOurHopemagazine,oneofthefinestandmostinfluentialofthemanypublicationsofthatera.Heediteditforfifty-oneyearsuntilhisdeathin 1945; it thenmergedwith another publication and, unfortunately, ceased toexist.WecouldusetodayanotherBiblestudymonthlylikeOurHope.To read the life ofA.C.Gaebelein is to come in contactwith some of the

greatBibleteachersofthatexcitingera.TheNiagaraBibleConferenceandothergreat conferences were in full swing during those years, and great crowds ofbelievers gathered to study theWord in key centers across the country. In thepages ofHalf a Century, you meet James H. Brookes, C. I. Scofield, F. C.Jennings (whose commentary on Isaiah is a classic), Lewis Sperry Chafer,GeorgeC.Needham,andahostofothergiftedmenwhotirelesslytraveledfromcitytocitytoteachtheScriptures.Thereweregiantsintheearthinthosedays.Howevergreatthesemenmighthavebeen,theonemaninthisautobiography

who deserves our appreciation is Samuel Goldstein, a Hebrew Christian whobelonged to Gaebelein’s congregation in Hoboken, New Jersey. One dayGoldstein came into his pastor’s library and was surprised to see so manyvolumesinHebrewandotherSemiticlanguages.“Itisashamethatyoudonotmake greater use of your knowledge,” said Goldstein. “You should go andpreachthegospeltotheJews.IbelievetheLordmadeyoutakeupthesestudiesbecauseHewantsyoutogotomybrethren,theJews.”ThatwasthebeginningofaremarkableministryinNewYorkCity.HundredsofJewishpeoplecrowdedintohallstohearGaebeleinexpoundtheirOldTestamentScriptures,andmany

foundChristastheirSavior.Forfiveyears(1894–99)GaebeleinsuperintendedtheHopeof IsraelMission,wrotebooksand tracts,edited twomagazines,andsought to win both Jews and Gentiles to Christ. In 1889, because ofdenominational problems, he severed his relationship with the GermanMethodistConferenceandembarkedontheitinerantministrythatwastomakehimatremendousblessingtothousandsofpeopleintheUnitedStates,Canada,and Europe. But as great as his public ministry was, it is the treasure of hiswrittenministrythatwewanttoconsider.His first book was Studies in Zechariah, and there is an interesting story

connectedwith it.Gaebeleinsentafreecopyof thebooktoeveryrabbi in theNewYorkCityareaandneverreceivedanyacknowledgmentfromanyofthem.Some time later, however, a young Hebrew Christian began to attend one ofGaebelein’smeetingsregularly,anditturnedouthehadbeensecretarytoawell-knownrabbi.The rabbihad thrownStudies inZechariah into thewastebasket,but the secretary had rescued it, read it, and trusted Christ! If Gaebelein’scommentariesonJohn,Acts,andthePsalmsarenotinyourlibrary,byallmeanssecure them. The Jewish Question, on Romans 11, is a classic study of thiscriticalchapter.TheProphetDanielwashighlypraisedbySirRobertAnderson.The Annotated Biblewas begun in 1912 and completed ten years later. It

originallyappearedinninevolumes,butmaybepurchasedtodayinabeautifulfour-volumeset.ThisworkincludesanoutlineofeachchapterintheBible,anintroductiontoeachbook,andadiscussionoftheteachingsoftheWord.Itisnota commentary; it is one man’s “interpretation” of the total revelation ofScripture,aunified“overview”oftheWordofGod.Since Gaebelein was one of the original consulting editors of The Scofield

Reference Bible, you can expect these studies to reflect a premillennial,dispensational approach to Scripture. In fact,TheAnnotatedBible is really anexpansionofthebasicteachingsfoundintheScofieldBible,withverypracticalapplications throughout.However, a student neednot agreewith the author tobenefitfromhisinsightsintotheWordofGod.ThereisadevotionalwarmthtoGaebelein’swritingsthatgoesbeyondanyonesystemofinterpretation.PeopleoftenaskedGaebeleinhowhewasabletotravelandspeaksomuch,

editamagazine,andwritesomanybooks.Hisanswerwasalwaysthesame:“Inever wasted time!”When asked why he did not play golf, he replied: “Notbecauseit iswrong,butbecauseIcanusemytimeinabetterway.”Hewasadevotedstudent,asystematicworker,andadedicatedman;andwetodayarethe

happyheirsofthetreasuresGodenabledhimtominefromtheWordofGod.B.H.Carrollwasanothertirelessworkerandself-madescholar.Hewasborn

onDecember27,1843,inCarrollCounty,Mississippi, theseventhchildinthefamily ofBenajah andMaryElizaCarroll.When hewas seven years old, thefamilymovedtoArkansas,andthenin1858theyrelocatedinTexas.ItwasinTexas that Carroll was to have his great ministry. It was B. H. Carroll whohelped to “discover”GeorgeW.Truett and establish him in aministry that isrecognized today as one of the greatest in American church history (AndrewBlackwood called Truett “the mightiest pastoral evangelist since Charles H.Spurgeon”). ItwasB.H.Carrollwho foundedSouthwesternBaptistSeminaryandwhosedenominationalleadershipisrememberedbySouthernBaptists.Strange as it seems, Carroll was a dedicated infidel until his conversion in

1865.Fromthefirstdayhelearnedtoread,Carrollhadbeenadevotedstudent,readingwhatevergoodbookswereavailable in that frontier region.Hehadanamazingmemoryandcouldrecallatwillmaterialhehadreadyearsbefore,evento thepointofgiving thepage locations!Eventuallyhewasable to read threehundredpagesadaywithoutneglectinghisregularresponsibilities,andheevenclaimedtobeabletoreadtwolinesata time(actually,hewasaforerunnerof“speed-readers”; he read word groups instead of individual words, and hescannedpages).Evenasanunbeliever,hereadtheBiblethroughseveraltimes,and fewmendared todebatewithhim.Hehadagreatmindandwasagiftedorator.Healsohadagreat,strongbody;hestoodsixfeet,fourinchestall,andweighedtwohundredpounds.Hislongbeard,inlateryears,reachedtohiswaistandgavehimthesemblanceofanoldprophet.Oneday,whileboardingatrain,hewasaskedbyastranger,“Whereisyourbrother?”“Whichbrotherdoyoumean?”Carrollasked,sincehehadseveralbrothers.

“MybrotherJimmie?”“No!”saidthestranger.“ImeanyourbrotherAaron!”CarrollenlistedintheTexasRangersin1861.Insteadofcarryingfoodinhis

saddlebags,hecarriedbooks!Thenextyear,wantingsomethingmoreexciting,heenlistedintheTexasInfantryandfoughtintheCivilWar.HewasseriouslywoundedattheBattleofMansfield(Louisiana)andfinallyhadtobesenthome.Hewasstillafanaticalinfidelandhadevenwrittenabookonthesubject;he

hadvowednevertoenterachurchagain.Butin1865hewaspersuadedtoattendanold-fashionedcampmeeting.Thepreacherchallengedthepeople tomakea“practical,experimentaltest”ofChristianityandtogiveJesusChristafairtrial.

Whenhe asked for those to come forwardwhowerewilling tomake the test,Carrollwent.HisactionamazedanddelightedhisChristianfriends,buthewascarefultoexplainthathewasnotconvertedyet;hewassimplyacknowledgingthathewouldgivetheChristianfaithafairhearing.Whileridinghome,hegotdown on his knees in the woods and fought the battle out—and Jesus Christwon.Carroll’slifewastransformed,andhisgreatgiftswerededicatedtoChrist.InNovember1866hewasordainedtopreach,andfouryearslaterhewascalledto the First Baptist Church ofWaco, Texas, where he carried on an excitingministry for twenty-eight years. He was dean of the department of Bible atBayloruntilhefoundedthenewseminaryandwasnameditsfirstpresident.AnInterpretationoftheEnglishBiblegrewoutofCarroll’sownteachingand

preaching ministry. His lectures and sermons were stenographically recorded,andsomewerewrittenoutbyCarrollhimself.Afterhisdeath,hisassistantattheseminary,J.W.Crowder,wasgiventheresponsibilityofeditingandcompilingCarroll’s studies, and it is largely because of his persistence and faith thatwehavethismagnificentsetofbookstoday.Itwasoriginallypublishedinthirteenvolumesin1916byFlemingH.Revell,butthateditiondidnotcovertheentireBible. In 1942 Broadman decided to bring out the set and commissionedCrowdertocompileCarroll’smaterialontheportionsofScripturenotdiscussedin the first edition.This secondeditionwent to seventeenvolumes. ItmustbenotedthatJ.B.Cranfillassistedineditingsomeofthevolumesinthatset.Thecompletededitionwaspublished in1948.BakerBooks reprintedanedition insixlargevolumes,asetthatoughttobeineverypastor’slibrary.Foronemantoproduce thismuchmaterial isa feat in itself;andwhenyou

considerthatCarrollwaslimitedinhisformalschooling,thefeatbecomesevenmoreamazing.

Hismindwasnotasponge,absorbingtheideasofothers,butratherafertilesoilintowhicheveryfactandtruthdropped,germinatedandborefruit.Hewasnotanassimilatoroftheinformationandillustrationsofothers,butratheratirelessinvestigatorsearchingoutforhimselfandarranginghismaterialinhisownforcefulmanner.

SosaidGeorgeW.McDaniel inamemorialaddressatHoustononMay16,1915.Headded thiswordaboutAn Interpretationof theEnglishBible: “As acommentaryit isunique.Markyou,Idon’trankitfirst; it isnothimselfathisbest. For the average preacher, however, that commentary is a thesaurus oftheology and a gold mine of homiletics.” I have examined some of Carroll’s

other books, and quite frankly I believe that some of his bestwork is in thismonumentalset.It is not actually a commentary; it is an “interpretation” on a broad scale.

SometimesCarrollpauses topreachasermon;hemay linger forpagesononeverse,orhemayskipoverentiresections.Iamgladtheeditorshavenotdeletedhis“asides,”becausetheyaresometimesthemostinterestingpartsofachapter!WhenCarrollreminiscesabouthearingsomeforgottenBaptistpreacher,orwhenhe lifts an experienceout of his own exciting life, you findyourself suddenlypayingcloseattention.Thismanwasagiantofthefaith,agreatpreacher,andamanwhoinfluencedmeninapositivewaytowardfaithinJesusChrist.Heisamanyououghttoknow.Some students differ with Carroll’s doctrine of the church or his views on

prophecy,butthesedifferencesshouldnotrobthemofthevaluesofthissetofbiblicalstudies(IusuallylearnmorefromthoseIdisagreewiththanfromthoseIagreewith!). If ayoungpastor started reading this set faithfullyand readonlyfifty pages aweek, hewould complete the set in about two years, andwouldhaveaknowledgeoftheWordofGodfromwhichhewouldprofitfortherestofhisministry.Ifyouonly“consult”thesebooks,youmaybedisappointed;butifyoureadthemseriously,youwillbeenriched.On March 7, 1933, Crowder, who edited all of Carroll’s books, discussed

Carroll’sliterarycontributioninanaddressatSouthwesternBaptistSeminary.Imention this because in this address Crowder made an interesting statementaboutD.L.MoodyandtheMoodyBibleInstitute.AfterrebukinganotherschoolinChicagofordepartingfromthefaith,Crowderpraisedtheinstitutefor

holdingrigidlytothepurposesofitsfounding,havingthroughtheyearssupplemented,magnified,and multiplied the literary productions and spirit of its founder. This has proved to be a greatbulwarktotheMoodyBibleInstitute....Thetestsofscholarshipareitsfinalissues,itsfruits.Itmaybea treeof lifeora treeofdeath.Scholarship,ornoscholarship, theproductionsofB.H.Carroll,liketheproductionsofDwightL.Moody,areatreeoflife.

Afterwarningtheseminaryfamilythattheirschool,likeothers,couldbecomemodernistic, he suggested that Carroll’s writings become the foundation, thefortification,againstsuchdoctrinaldisintegration,evenasMoody’swritingshadfortifiedtheinstitute.Carroll died on November 11, 1914, and the next day George W. Truett

deliveredthefuneralmessage.“Thepulpitwashisthrone,”saidTruett,“andheoccupieditlikeaking.”Thekingisgone,butsomeofthetreasuresofhisreignare stillwithus. I encourageyou tomine them; theywill enrichyour lifeand

ministry.

D

36

G.CampbellMorgan1863–1945

wight L.Moody had a knack for findingmen and helping them channeltheirgiftsintotheworkofsoul-winningandbuildingthechurch.Oneofhis

greatest “finds” was George Campbell Morgan—pastor, evangelist, Bibleteacherextraordinary—themanwholongbeforehisdeathonMay16,1945,wasknownthroughouttheEnglish-speakingworldasthe“princeofexpositors.”JillMorgan’s life of her father-in-law, A Man of the Word: Life of G. CampbellMorgan,oughttobereadbyeveryChristianwhoisseriousaboutteachingandpreachingtheWordofGod.Itrytoreaditagaineachyear;italwayssendsmeawaywithanewzestforstudyingtheBibleandsharingitwithothers.Morgan’s beginnings were as inauspicious as possible. He was born on

December 9, 1863, in the little village ofTetbury,England.His fatherwas anindependent Baptist minister with Brethren leanings, and he believed incourageous preaching and living by faith. Somewhat frail as a child,Morganreceivedhisearlyeducationathome.Hehadalways“playedatpreaching”asachild, settinguphis sister’s dolls andpreaching to them; itwasnot a surprisewhen,attheageofthirteen,heaskedtopreachinapublicmeeting.Hegavehisfirst sermon in theMonmouthMethodistChapel onAugust 27, 1876, and histheme was “salvation.” Nobody in that little assembly that day realized thatCampbellMorganwouldbeoneofGod’schoicestinstrumentsforspreadinghisWordintheyearstocome.ThefamilysituationmadeitnecessaryforMorgantofindemploymentearly,

and he chose to become a teacher, a profession for which he was admirablygifted.Buthetookeveryopportunity topreachtheWord,andGodblessedhisministry. In the beginning he was quite aware of his gifts and was prone todisplay them.Butonenight a friendwalkedhome from themeetingwithhimandgentlypointedouthiserror;fromthatnighton,Morganpreachedtoexpressthetruth,nottoimpressthepeople.

Likemanyyoungmenatthattime,hewentthroughaneclipseofhisfaith.Indesperation, he locked all his books in a cupboard, secured a newBible, andbegan to read it. “If it be the Word of God, and if I come to it with anunprejudiced and openmind, it will bring assurance tomy soul of itself,” hesaid. He canceled all his preaching engagements and devoted himself to theBible. The result? “That Bible found me!” From that day on, Morgan neverindulgedindefendingtheBible;hepermittedtheBibletodefenditself.In1886,MorganwaswellknowninhisareaasaBibleteacher,andheeven

conductedafollow-upmissionforthehundredswhohadbeenreachedthroughGipsySmith’scampaigninHull.Inhishearthefeltacalltotheministry,butheknewhewasunschooled.His first inclinationwas to join theSalvationArmy,butbothGipsySmithandCatherineBoothadvisedhimto“goonwiththeworkyouaredoing.”MorganappearedattheLichfieldRoadChurchinBirminghamonMay 2, 1888, to preach a “trial sermon” in consideration for entering theMethodistministry.He had been accustomed to addressingmany hundreds ofpeopleinhismeetings—theHullmeetingsdrewtwothousand—andonthatday,in a church auditorium that seated over one thousand people, he faced anaudience of only seventy-five.He failedmiserably andwas rejected from theMethodist ministry. He wired his father: “Rejected!” His father wired back:“Rejectedonearth—acceptedinheaven.”On August 20, 1888, Morgan married Annie Morgan, better known as

“Nancy.”Hehesitatedtoproposetoherbecauseallhecouldofferwasthelifeofanitinerantevangelist,butsheknewthatGod’shandwasuponhim.“IfIcannotstartwithyouatthebottomoftheladder,”shewrote,“Ishouldbeashamedtomeetyouatthetop.”Afterayearoftheitinerantministry,theMorganssettleddowninthelittletownofStoneinStaffordshire,wherehebecamepastoroftheCongregationalchurch;andonSeptember22,1890,hewasordained.As it did thewriter ofHebrews, “timewould failme” to relate the life and

travels of this amazing teacher of theWord. One of his best friends, SamuelChadwick,saidthatMorganwasa“nomad,”andnodoubthewasright.Exceptfor twelve years at the famous Westminster Chapel in London, Morgan’sministry was made up of short pastorates punctuated by brief periods ofitinerating.HelefttheStonechurchtogotonearbyRugeleyinJune1891,stayingthere

two years. In June 1893 he went to the Westminster Road CongregationalChurch in Birmingham, where he stayed until December 1896. He was

recommended to thischurch,by theway,byJ.GregoryMantle, theMethodistpreacherwhohadhelpedto“reject”himeightyearsbefore!From1897to1901,Morgan pastored theNewCourt Church inNorth London; and from there hemovedto theUnitedStates todirect theNorthfieldextensionministryforWillMoody.MorganministeredintheStatesuntilNovember1903,whenhesailedbackto

Britain and was contacted by the officers of Westminster Chapel, one ofCongregationalism’s greatest churches, at that time in desperate shape. InSeptember 1904 he began what was to be his longest pastorate. He finallyterminatedit in1917andbecameinterimpastor,foroneyear,of theHighburyQuadrant Church in London. Then he returned to the States for nearly sevenyears of ministry, living first at Winona Lake, Indiana, and then moving toAthens, Georgia. He tried five months as pastor of the Covenant-FirstPresbyterianChurchinCincinnati,butitjustdidnotworkoutandheresigned.ForoneyearhewasonthefacultyofBiolaCollegeinLosAngeles,resigningbecausehefeltafellowteacherhadbeenwronglyjudgedbytheboard.ForthreeyearshepastoredtheTabernaclePresbyterianChurchinPhiladelphia,resigningin1933 to allowhis sonHoward tobecomepastor (all ofMorgan’s four sonsbecamepreachers).NextMorgan did a remarkable thing: he returned toWestminsterChapel in

Londontobecomepastoragain.HehadpastoredthechurchduringWorldWarI,andnowhewouldpastoritagainduringWorldWarII.From1938on,D.MartynLloyd-Joneswashisassociateinthework;andwhenMorganresignedinAugust1943, Lloyd-Jones became pastor and continued to lead that great church bymeansofthedevotedexpositionoftheWordofGod.MorgandiedonMay16,1945.IhavereadMorgan’slifemanytimes;Ihavereadhisbooks,hissermons,and

hisexpositions.AndIstillaskmyself,“Howdoyouexplainamanlike this?”HedidnothavetheprivilegeofstudyinginaBibleschoolorseminary,yethewrotebooksthatareusedintheseschools(andbypreachersaroundtheworld).Hesatonthefacultiesofthreeschoolsandforthreeyearswasthepresidentofacollege.Heneverresortedtocheaptricksororatorytogetacrowd,yetwhereverhewent,peoplehadtobeturnedaway.BothasapastorandasanitinerantBibleteacher, hewas relatively isolated from the common people; yet hismessagesshow his deep understanding of the needs of the common man. How do weexplainhim?

Oneanswer,Ithink,istheprovidenceofGod.Morganhimselfsaidsomethingat a 1937 Moody Centenary service in Westminster Chapel that, though heapplied it toD. L.Moody, could just as easily be applied toMorgan. “In thehistoryoftheChurch,timesandamanhavealwaysseemedtocometogether...and . . . God generally finds the man where men are not looking for him.”Morgan’ssuccessor,Lloyd-Jones,pointedoutthatMorgancameonthesceneinBritain just after the great Moody-Sankey meetings, when thousands of newconverts needed to be taught theWord ofGod.Morganmet that need. In hisearlydaysMorganwasasuccessfulevangelist,butgraduallythegiftofteachingthe Word came to the forefront. He exercised it widely and with wonderfulresults.God had to prepare hisman for hiswork, and he did that duringMorgan’s

earlypastorates,whenhewas“buried”andalone.Hehimselfhasadmittedthat“all the spadework” for his Bible studies was done during his two years atRugeley,whenthewinterswerelongandcoldandhewasconfinedtohisstudy.Insteadofwastinghistimebecausehischurchwassmall,Morganinvesteditinthe concentrated study of the Word, and God prepared him for a wonderfulministryasaresult.High on the list of events that helped to widenMorgan’s ministry was his

associationwithD.L.Moody.TheevangelisthadneverheardMorganpreach,butheinvitedhimtospeakatNorthfieldandattheinstituteinChicagoin1896.MorganwastocrosstheAtlanticfifty-fourtimesduringhislifetime.HereturnedtoNorthfieldin1897andagainin1899,theyearthatMoodydied.“HeisoneofthemostremarkablemenwhoevercametoNorthfield,”saidMoody.“IbelievehimtobefilledutterlywiththeSpiritofGod.”Aftertheevangelist’sdeath,WillMoody sailed to England to askMorgan to come and assist in theNorthfieldministry,andMorganaccepted.“It’saplaincaseofburglary!”declaredJosephParker when he heard that Morgan was moving to the States, and most ofBritain’sreligiousleadersagreed.ButwhatelsewasMorgantodo?“IhavelongfeltthatGodwaspreparingmeforaministrytothechurches,ratherthantooneparticular church,”Morgan explained. “Now the door stands open for such awork. It hasnotopened inmyowncountrywhere Ihadhopedand thought itwould.” In a sense, America “discovered” Morgan before Britain reallyunderstoodwhatshehad.WhenMorganreturnedtoBritainthreeyearslater,hewasgiven a king’swelcome.Theprophetwas no longerwithout honor in hisowncountry.

IthinktherealsecretofMorgan’sministry(apartfromhisspiritualdevotion)isfoundinoneword—work:

LetmestateinthebriefestmannerpossiblewhatIwanttoimpressuponthemindofthosewhoarecontemplatingBible teaching,bydeclaring that theBibleneveryields itself to indolence.OfallliteraturenonedemandsmorediligentapplicationthanthatoftheDivineLibrary.1

WhenaskedthesecretofhissuccessasaninterpreteroftheWord,hewouldsay,“Work—hardwork—andagain,work!”Hehimselfwasinhisstudyat6:00in themorning, and he never permitted anyone to interrupt him before lunch.Someofuspastorsmaynotbeabletoavoidsomeinterruptions,butcertainlywecanmakebetteruseofourtime.MorganwouldreadabookoftheBiblefortyorfifty times before attempting to preach on it or write about it. Jill Morgancorrectlytitledherbiographyofherfather-in-lawAManoftheWord.AlongwithThe Study and Teaching of the English Bible, youwillwant to

securetwootherbooks:Preaching,byMorgan;andTheExpositoryMethodofG.CampbellMorgan,byDonM.Wagner.Thesethreebooksareagoodanalysisof“theMorganmethod.”OfcoursetheyarenosubstituteforreadingMorgan’sexpositoryworks,whicheverypreacherandteacheroughttodo.YoumayalsowanttoaddThisWasHisFaith,acollectionofexcerptsfromMorgan’sletters,edited by Jill Morgan. You will be surprised to discover in this book whatMorgan believed about the condition of the heathen, Calvinism, speaking intongues,fallingfromgrace,andahostofothertopics.DuringhisministryMorganwascriticizedintwoareas:moneyandtheology.“Youareanextravagantman!”someonesaidtoMorganoneday.Hereplied,

“Iamnotanextravagantman,butIamanexpensiveman.”When other British preacherswere trying to balance their budgets,Morgan

was enjoying a “motor-car”—and being criticized for it. He received largehonoraria for hisministry and,without question, earned every bit of it. In allfairness to Morgan, it should be stated that he did not make any of thearrangements for his meetings, nor did he make any demands. Arrangementswere usually done by his associate,ArthurMarsh, or by someotherChristianleader.SotocriticizeMorganwouldbecompletelywrong.Furthermore,hewaslavishly generous toward others, even to the point of adopting entire familiesuntiltheywereabletomakeitontheirown.NodoubtMorgan’suseoffinanceswasmoreAmericanthanBritish.Asfarastheologyisconcerned,Morganwastooliberalfortheconservatives

and too conservative for the liberals.He considered himself a preacher of the

fundamentalsofthefaith,andcertainlyanyonewhostudieshisbooks(especiallyThe Crises of the Christ) will have to agree that he did. But he would notidentifyhimselfwithany“theologicalcamp”orcarrytheflagforanyreligiousleader. He was his own man, and nothing would make him violate hisconscience.HeresignedfromtheBiolafacultybecausehethoughthisfriendJ.M.MacInniswaswronged.He even dedicated one of his books toMacInnis,describinghimas“trueassteeltotheevangelicalfaith.”Hewrote:

Ihavelongfeltthat,whereasIstandfoursquareontheevangelicalfaith,Ihavenopatiencewiththose peoplewhose supposed fundamentalism consists inwatching for heresy and indulging inwicked self-satisfaction because they have an idea that they alone ‘hold the truth’—hatefulexpression!WhereasinmanywaysIagreewiththeirtheologicalpositionIabominatetheirspirit.

Especially during his latter years of ministry in the States, Morgan wasattacked in the religious press. During a meeting in New York City, Morganspokeopenlyinthepulpitaboutthecruelliesmenhadspreadabouthim;anditsoupsethimthatheactuallyfainted.MorethanonewriterhascriticizedMorganforhis“nomadministry.”Ernest

H.JeffsinPrincesoftheModernPulpitstatedthatMorganmighthavebeenabetterpreacherhadhestayedinoneplaceandtakentimetopastorachurch.“Apreacherwholivesinawhirlofchangeandtravelandever-changingaudiencesloses touch tosomeextentwith thedailyproblemsof theordinaryman,”Jeffswrote.2Nodoubtthisistrue,butIcringetothinkofwhattheworldwouldhavelost had Morgan wasted his time on committee meetings, denominationalgatherings,and(ashesaidonce)“arguingoverwhowouldhavethekeytothebackdoor.”Hehadagift;hedevelopedandexercisedit;andtheChristianworldisthericherforit.True,hedidnotmakepastoralvisits,butthisdoesnotmeanthathismessagesweredivorcedfromtheneedsofthepeople.Ifthisistrue,whydidthousandscometohearhim?HadMorganadoptedthelifestyleofthetypicalpastor,wewouldhavebeenrobbedofarichtreasure.ThereisoneinterestingthingaboutMorgan’spreachingthatIhaveneverseen

discussed anywhere—his seeming avoidance of the doctrinal epistles. HewasbasicallyapreacherofthefourGospels,butheneverexpounded,versebyverse,thegreat doctrinal epistles—Romans,Ephesians, andHebrews. “He left themforme,”Lloyd-Jonestoldmeoneday,“andI’mgladhedid!”IthinkonereasonMorganavoidedtheselettersisthathewasbasicallyadevotionalpreacher,notadoctrinalpreacher.Thisdoesnotmeanheavoideddoctrine,butonlythathedidnotemphasizeit(Lloyd-Jonesisadoctrinalpreacherparexcellence!).Morgan’sministrywas toall thechurches,anddoctrinalcontroversies foundnoplace in

hissystem.Perhapsweneedaman likeMorgan today,onewhowillminister theWord

with clarity and power and make the Bible “come alive,” one who will rideabove the ripples and waves of denominational competition and theologicalcontroversy,onewhoistruetothedoctrinesofthefaithbutwhoalsoisabletoshare the Word in love with Christians of many denominational affiliations.CertainlyH.A.Ironsidewassuchaman,aswasA.C.Gaebelein.Buteventheywereidentifiedwithcertain“branches”ofevangelicalfaithandtosomedegreelimited in their ministries. G. Campbell Morgan seemed to belong to all thechurches and to Christians everywhere, not because he compromised, butbecausehemajoredonthegreatessentialsofthefaithanddidnotgetdetouredby the accidentals. He paid a price for this, to be sure, but we are the richerbecauseofthepricehepaid.WheneveryoufindabookbyMorgan,buyitandstudyit.Readhislifestory

and get acquaintedwith this unique teacher of theWord.You do not have toagreewith him to learn fromhim; hewould be the first one to say that. “Mywork iswholly constructive,”hewrote in1923, “and Ibelieve that that is theonlykind that is reallyofvalue.”3Weneedmoreof thisconstructiveministrytoday.

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JohnHenryJowett1864–1923

f someone should erect a Sunday school teachers’ hall of fame, he mustenshrineJ.W.T.DewhirstofHalifax,Yorkshire.Dewhirstsaidtooneofhis

pupils,“Ihadalwayshopedthatyouwouldgointotheministry.”Thepupildid,andhebecame“thegreatestpreacherintheEnglish-speakingworld.”HisnamewasJohnHenryJowett.BornonAugust25,1864,intoamiddle-classChristianhome,Jowettplanned

to be a lawyer and perhaps enter politics. But two people strongly influencedhim to enter the ministry: his mother and his pastor, Enoch Mellor. “At mymother’sknee,”heoftensaid,“Igainedmysweetestinspirations.”Mellor had come to the Square Road Congregational Church, Halifax, in

1847.Themembershipgrewsolargethattheyhadtoerectanewbuilding.From1861to1867MellorministeredinGlasgow.Butin1867hereturnedtoHalifaxandservedanotherfourteenyears.Duringthatsecondterm,youngJowettcameunder his godly influence. The lad never met the pastor personally, but heneverthelessidolizedhimandlistenedattentivelytohispreaching.InlateryearsJowettmodeledhisownpreachingafterthatofhisboyhoodpastor.“Hewasthefinest platform orator it was ever my fortune to hear,” he admitted. “SquareChurchwastomeaveryfountainoflife,andIowetoitsspiritualtrainingmorethanIcaneverexpress.”Jowettconcentratedonhiseducationfrom1882to1889.HeattendedAiredale

College,ofwhichA.M.Fairbairnwasprincipal,andalsoEdinburghUniversity.At that time the city ofEdinburghwas enjoying theministries of someof thegreat preachers—AlexanderWhyte,GeorgeMatheson, andHenryDrummond,tonamebutafew.Whataplaceforstudyandforpreaching!Jowett’s first churchwas St. James’s Congregational atNewcastle-on-Tyne.

HebeganhisministryinOctober1889andwasordainedonNovember19.Thebuilding seated more than a thousand. The young preacher responded to this

challengewithfaithandcourage.Duringhissix-yearministrythere,healwayspreached to large crowds. In fact Jowett drew crowds throughout his lifetime.The great R.W.Dale died onMarch 13, 1895, leaving vacant the influentialpulpit of Carr’s Lane Church, Birmingham. The church officers turnedimmediately to John Henry Jowett, and on October 6, 1895, he began hisministry there.Manyhadpredicted thatCarr’sLanewoulddiewithDale, buttheirpredictionsprovedfalse.NotonlydidJowetthelpsavethechurch,butthechurchhelpedsaveJowett.Theyoungpastor,overwhelmedbyhisnewresponsibilities, readeverything

Dalehadwritten.Dale,amassiveintellect,preachedBibledoctrinewithclarityandpassion.Hisbooksarestillworthreading:TheAtonement,TheLivingChristand the Four Gospels, Christian Doctrine, and The Jewish Temple and theChurch, tonameseveral.AsJowettassimilated thesebooks,heconfronted thegreatthemesandtextsoftheBible.InhisfirstsermonaspastorofCarr’sLaneChurch,Jowettsaid:“Thispulpithasneverbeenbelittledbythepettytreatmentof small and vulgar themes.” He determined to preach the great truths of theWord (what he liked to call “the fat texts”). This determinationmotivated hisministryfortherestofhislife.“ThegraceofGod”becamehiscentraltheme.His church officersmade it easy for their new pastor to preachwell. They

relievedhimofthemanydetailsofchurchadministrationthatcanrobapastorofprecious hours needed for study andmeditation. Theywere rewarded, for thechurchprospered in everyway.A.T.Piersononce calledCarr’sLaneChurch“the greatest church in theworld.”During hisministry atCarr’sLane, JowettwaselectedchairmanoftheCongregationalUnionandpresidentoftheNationalCouncil of Evangelical Free Churches. He was quite young, but he wore thehonors with distinction. He received as many as thirty invitations a day topreach.ButJowettkepthislifeinbalanceandfocusedonbuildingthechurch.Itwas inevitable that callswould come from other churches. Late in 1909,

JowettreceivedacallfromtheprestigiousFifthAvenuePresbyterianChurchinNewYork City. He graciously refused, but they issued a second call in June1910.Againhesaidno,butwhenthecallwasrepeatedattheendoftheyear,hefeltledtoaccept,saying,“Thescaleofdecision...turnedbyahair.”On April 2, 1911, Jowett opened his ministry in New York City. The

American press made a great deal out of his arrival, headlining him as “thegreatestpreacherintheworld!”Retiringbynature,Jowettdespisedanythingthatsmacked of promotion; he never quite adjusted to the “American system of

ballyhoo.”His preaching attracted great crowds, not only “up-and-outers” (forwhichFifthAvenuewasfamous),butalsocommonpeoplewhoheardthegospelgladly. New York City was desperately in need of solid biblical preaching.“What a time this is for the preacher,” he wrote in a letter to a friend.“Congregations tense, strained, burdened, wanting some glimpse of spiritualthingsamidthisriotofmaterialthings,andyearningforaglimpseofthethingswhichabideinallthefiercerushofthingswhicharetransient.”TheadventofthewarcreatednewproblemsfortheJowetts,wholongedtobe

inEnglandbutknewtheyhadbeencalledtoNewYork.OnegoodbyproductofJowett’s sojournwas theopportunity togive theYale lecturesonpreaching inApril 1912. If you had to name the six best volumes in this valuable series,surelyyouwouldincludeJowett’sThePreacher:HisLifeandWork.The lecturer himself did not enjoy the experience. “I am here for ten days

delivering theYale lectures onpreaching,” hewrote to a friend. “The lectureshavebeenanightmaretome,andIamgladIamgettingridofthemthisweek!”The theme of his seven lectures is summarized in one of Jowett’s favoritesayings:“Preachingthatcostsnothingaccomplishesnothing.”“Iftheywillonlylearnonething,”hewroteinaletter,“thatpreachingisnoteasyandthatitcostsblood,and if theywillonly learnanother thing—thatnoonecanattend to thedeep wants of a church if he is running all over the country, I shall havedischargedaveryrealservice.”ItrytorereadJowett’slecturesannually,ifonlytocatchhispassionforpreaching.Somebooksonpreachingandpastoralworkalmostmakeyouwant to turninyourordinationcertificate—this isnotoneofthem.“Ilovemycalling,”hesaidonthefirstpage.“Ihaveaglowingdelightinits service. . . . I have had but one passion, and I have lived for it—theabsorbinglyarduousyetgloriousworkofproclaimingthegraceandloveofourLord and Savior Jesus Christ.”1 This book gives good counsel not only onsermon preparation, but also on the making of the minister himself and theconductingofpublicworship.Jowettwasknownasmuchforhispublicprayersas for his sermons. That friend and student of great preaching,W. RobertsonNicoll, aftervisitingCarr’sLanewhenJowettwasminister there,wrote: “Thegreat simplicity, reality, sympathy, and tenderness of the prayers moved onestrangely.” Jowett’s public worship, including the prayers, grew out of hisprivatedevotional life.“Wecannotbestrong leadersof intercessionunlesswehaveadeepandgrowingacquaintancewiththesecretwaysofthesoul,”Jowetttold theYalestudents.Heneverconsidered theexercisesbefore thesermonas“mere preliminaries.” The hymns, the prayers, and even the offeringwere all

partofworshipandneeded tobepreparedwith spiritualdiscernment. “Ifmenare unmoved by our prayers,” he said, “they are not likely to be profoundlystirredbyourpreaching.”He gave equal emphasis to the public reading of theWord ofGod. “It is a

mighty experience when a lesson is so read that it becomes the sermon,” hestated, “and the livingWord grips without an exposition!” It was said of G.CampbellMorganthatyoulearnedmorefromhisreadingoftheWordthanfromanyoneelse’spreachingoftheWord.JowettwasalmostasskilledasMorganinthisarea.IfJowettworshipedinsomeofourchurchestoday,hewouldbeholdcareless

“preliminaries” hastily thrown together; he would hear prayers that soundtragicallythesameweekafterweek;hewouldlistentotheinspiredWordofGodbeing read without much feeling or understanding. He would miss that vitalelement he called “the strong gracious presence of reverence and order.” Hewouldbeappalledby seeingpreachers threatenedby“theperilofostentatiousdisplay.”HewarnedhisYalelisteners:“Weneverreachtheinnermostroominanyman’ssoulbytheexpedienciesoftheshowmanorthebuffoon.ThewayofirreverencewillneverleadtotheHolyPlace.”WhileministeringinNewYork,JowettreceivedcallstoreturntoEngland.He

was invited to succeedWhyte in Edinburgh and J.D. Jones inBournemouth.Bothcallsherejected.ButonFebruary26,1917,hereceivedacalltosucceedMorgan at Westminster Chapel, London; this call he accepted. He asked thechurchtowaitoneyearwhilehefulfilledhiscommitmentsinAmerica.OnApril14,1918,hesaidfarewelltohischurch.OnMay19hepreachedhisfirstsermonas pastor of Westminster Chapel. The next years should have been the mostfruitfulinhisministry,butJowettwasdyinganddidnotrealizeit.PreachinginWestminster Chapel was taxing. More than one previous minister, includingMorgan,hadlosthishealthwhilepreachinginthebuilding.(D.MartynLloyd-Jonesalwaysclaimed that thebuildinghad“killed”SamuelMartin, thepastorwho had built it.) Jowett had anemia, and his strength slowly ebbed. OnDecember17,1922,hepreachedhis lastsermonin thechapel;ayear later,onDecember19,hewas“calledhome.”I urge you to secure every Jowett book you can find, not only his Yale

lectures, but also his sermons. Begin with the volume in the Great PulpitMastersseries. This collection of twenty-seven sermons,whichwill introduceyoutoJowett’sministry,hasbeenreprintedinrecentyears,ashaveTheEagle

Life(OldTestamentdevotionalstudies),Life in theHeights (devotionalstudiesin the Epistles), and Springs in the Desert (devotional messages from thePsalms). Other books by Jowett are The Passion for Souls (Christiandiscipleship),TheSilverLining,ThingsThatMatterMost,ApostolicOptimism,andGod—OurContemporary.IenjoyhisdevotionalbookMyDailyMeditation.Whileyouareatit,getacopyofArthurPorritt’sbiography,JohnHenryJowett.The foreword was written by Randall Davidson, archbishop of Canterbury.(Jowett once preached at an ecumenical service in Durham Cathedral andincurred thewrathof severalAnglicandivines; the archbishopwasnotoneofthem.)ThethingIappreciatemostaboutJowettisthededicationtopreachingthathe

demonstrated.Heconstantlybattledthesubtlethievesthatwouldstealhistime.Hearoseearlyinthemorninganddevotedhimselftostudyandprayer.Hetoiledoverhismessages.Hishobbywaswords(hereadthedictionaryforapastime),and he used them as an artist uses colors. He was a master of the perfectexpression.He never used “almost the rightword”; itwas always exactly therightword.Perhapshiscraftsmanshipoccasionallyovershadowedhispassion,sothat the sermon was a sea of glass not “mingled with fire.” But before wecriticizehim,letusbesurethatweusewordsasaccuratelyashedid.Jowettwasadevotionalpreacher.HismajorthemewasthegraceofGod.His

purpose was to win the lost and encourage the saved. He followed JosephParker’srule:“Preachtobrokenhearts.”Buthisministrywasnotsentimental.Itwas solidly doctrinal and centered in the cross. Jones,who knew Jowettwell,calledhim“thegreatestpreacherofhisgeneration.”Jowettwouldblushtohearsuch a statement.But hewas a great preacher, a homiletical craftsmanwith acompassionateheart.

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J.D.Jones1865–1942

ecouldhavebeenF.B.Meyer’ssuccessoratChristChurchinWestminster,or John Henry Jowett’s successor when Jowett went to Fifth Avenue

Presbyterian inNewYorkCity. In fact, FifthAvenuePresbyterian approachedhimafterJowetthadfirstturnedthemdown.HewasofferedtheprincipalshipofLancashireCollegeandwasevenencouraged to run forofficebymembersofParliament.Butnoneof these thingsmovedhim,andJ.D.Jonesremainedforthirty-nineyearsasthebelovedpastorofRichmondHillCongregationalChurchinBournemouth,retiringonJune6,1937.JohnDanielJoneswasalmost“LincolnJones.”Whenhewasborninthelittle

WelshtownofRuthinonApril13,1865,hisfatherwantedtocallhimLincolninhonor of the American president whom he greatly admired (interestinglyenough, Lincolnwas assassinated the next day). But one of the grandmotherswasopposed to “such fancynames in the family,” and so JosephDavid JonescalledhisthirdsonJohnDanielandsavedLincolnforhisfourthson,borntwoyears later. However, Grandmother may have been right, because the nameLincoln created some complications in later years when J. D. was pastoringNewlandCongregationalChurch inLincoln.Peoplewereconstantlyconfusing“LincolnJones”with“JonesofLincoln.”ButwhenJ.D.Jonesbeganhislongministry at Richmond Hill on June 5, 1898, people forgot about Lincoln andknewhimsimplyas“JonesofBournemouth.”Jones did his undergraduate work at Owens College, which he entered in

1882,andhisgraduateworkatLancashireCollege,receivinghisdegreein1889.Itwasunusualforanewtheologicalgraduatetogodirectlyintothepulpitofanimportant church, but that is justwhat happened.On January 2, 1889, beforeJonescompletedhiswork,theNewlandChurchinLincolncalledhimtobetheirpastor.InJulyofthatsameyear,hewasmarried.Inhisdelightfulautobiography,Three Score Years and Ten, Jones said this about his experiences as a young

pastorinaleadingchurch:OfcourseIblundered.AttheveryfirstChurchmeetingaftermysettlementmyChurchSecretarybroughtinaresolutiontoembodyacertainliturgicalelementinourworship,andIbackedhimup.MyChurch—Puritan by tradition—would have none of it. Itwas a bit of a rebuff for a youngminister.IremembervisitinganoldladynamedCroppershortlyafterandshesaidtome:“Don’ttakeittoohard,laddie.We’realotofstiffnecked’unsdownhere.”1

He remained almost ten years at Lincoln and then accepted the call toRichmond Hill in Bournemouth. The church sanctuary held over a thousandpeople and was ideally situated in the city. His predecessor was a fieryWelshmannamedOssianDavies,whose intensepersonalityhadattractedgreatcrowds;andJoneswonderedifhisownquietpreachingwouldreallydothejob.It did. The people came and kept coming, and for thirty-nine years benefitedfromhissimplepresentationof theWordofGod.Bournemouthwasapopularresortandretirementcity,andmanywell-to-dopeoplecametohearhimpreach,butJ.D.Jonesnevertriedtobuilda“richman’schurch.”Thecommonpeopleheardhimgladly.PeterMarshalloncesaidthatthefirstessentialforsuccessintheministryisto

be born in Scotland. But others would prefer Wales, that land of eloquentpreachersandseers.JoneswasaWelshman,andaccordingtoErnestH.Jeffs“hespoke as ifwordswere notes ofmusic.”2Oddly enough, he read his sermonsfromamanuscript,buthislistenerscouldscarcelydetectit.Whattheydiddetectwaswitness:herewasapreacherwhose lifewascontrolledby themessagehedelivered. Jones himself once defined preaching as “a man—a real man—speakingrealthingsoutofarealexperience.”EvenamanuscriptcouldnotstandbetweenJonesandhishearers,fortheyalwaysgotthemessage.Hewasabiblicalpreacher,buthewasnotanexpositorof thesame typeas

Alexander Maclaren or the gifted Welshman D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. In thebiography J. D. Jones of Bournemouth, Arthur Porritt remarked: “All hissermons were on a very high level. He was always on a plateau, but—as afriendlycriticfigurativelysaid—therewerenomountainsandnovalleys—justa uniform level of excellence.”3Hewasnot one to “preach to the times” andannouncesensationaltopicsaboutcurrentevents.Therearemenwhocandothiswell,butifamancannot,hehadbetterknowit!Joneslikedtorefertoastoryabout Archbishop Leighton. Criticized for not “preaching to the times,” thearchbishopsaid,“Whilesomanyarepreachingtothetimes,maynotonepoorbrotherpreachforeternity?”Jones’swasapositiveministry,andaministryofencouragementandcomfort.

He did not preach “easy Christianity”; he identified with his people in theirneeds and tried to make their pilgrim journey a bit more triumphant. In aremarkable sermon on “softness,” with 1 Corinthians 6:9 as his text, Joneschallenged his hearers to a courageous Christian faith. “All the calls of thegospelarecallstohardship,tosacrifice,tobattle,”hestated.“Christwouldhavenomanfollowhimunderthedelusionthathewasgoingtohaveaneasytimeofit.”TohimthewordcomfortcarriedtheoriginalLatinmeaning,“withstrength,”and he sought to comfort his people by showing them the strength that is inChrist.Jonesknewwhat itwas togothroughthevalleyhimself. InJuly1917,while he was preaching at Torquay, his wife became seriously ill and passedawaybeforehehadtimetoreachhome.Sixyearslater,hisonlysondiedintheGold Coast of Africa, where he had been serving in the administration of aplantation.InSeptember1933Jonesremarriedandhadthejoyoftravelingandministeringwithhiswifeandhisdaughter.HisverypopularvolumeIfaManDiewaspublishedthesameyearhisfirst

wife died, and this was followed in 1919 by The Lord of Life and Death, avolumeofsermonsbasedonJohn11.ThisbookwasreissuedbyBakerBooksandshouldbeonyourshelf,particularlyifyouplantopreachfromJohn11.(BesuretosecureaswellIdyllsofBethanybyW.M.ClowandMaryofBethanybyMarcusL.Loane.)Whileonthesubjectofbooks,letmesuggestthatyousecureRichmond Hill Sermons,The Way into the Kingdom (on the beatitudes), TheModel Prayer, The Glorious Company of the Apostles, and The Greatest ofThese(on1Cor.13).IwishsomepublisherwouldreprintJones’scommentaryon the Gospel of Mark, which was originally written for the DevotionalCommentary.Whenhe firstwent toBournemouth, JonesconductedaTuesdaymorning ministry during the winter months, and his first series was on theGospel of Mark. His commentary is homiletical rather than explanatory ordoctrinal,butIstillthinkitisoneofthebest.J.D.Joneswasagreatdenominationalleader,althoughhetriednottolethis

outsideministry interferewith his pastoral duties. Congregational churches inhisdayweresomewhatisolatedfromeachother,andmanyofthemwereindeepfinancialstraits.Heacceptedanddefendedtheprincipleoflocalindependence,but he was mature enough to see its dangers. He felt that among the freechurches in general there was “a good deal of foolish rivalry, of needlesscompetitionandofconsequentwaste.”Jeffsremarked,“Congregationalismwasa good system for the strong man and the strong church. The price of theprinciplehadtobepaidbytheweakermenandthe littlechurches.”ButJones

didnotusehispositionatRichmondHilltobuildhimselfakingdom:heusedittohelpothers.Hespearheadedprograms thatbroughtover twomilliondollarsintothedenominationalcofferstoincreasethesalariesofruralpreachersandtoprovidefordecentallotmentsatretirement.Heandhispeoplehelpedtoestablishthirty other churches, and he was always available to assist and encouragepastorsindifficultplaces.He was a great traveler, and often he was a representative to the

CongregationalInternationalCouncil.HefirstvisitedtheUnitedStatesin1899,and onSunday, September 10, he heardD.L.Moodypreach at thePlymouthCongregationalChurchinBrooklyn,whereHenryWardBeecherhadministeredforalmostfortyyears.JoneswrotethatMoodylooked“foralltheworldlikeaprosperous,countrifiedfarmer.”TheevangelistspokeontheatonementandtookthecongregationliterallyfromGenesistoRevelation,asonlyMoodycoulddo.“Hegotdowntothequickofthings,”wroteJones,“andwefeltthepowerofhisspeech.” After the service, Jones and the other delegates met Moody in thevestryandenjoyedapleasanttalkabouteverythingfromSundaynewspaperstohigher criticism!Moody told them that he felt that the bicycle, because of itspopularity,wasthegreatestenemyoftheSabbath.“Iamglad,asIlookback,”wroteJones,“thatIhadthechanceofthushearing

andmeetingD.L.Moody.IamgladIgotagripofhishand.Moodyseemedtomeamanofsterlingcommonsense.”ApparentlyMoodyheardJonesspeakattheBostonconference,becauseheinvitedhimtospeakatNorthfield.Notuntil1913wasJonesabletogettoNorthfield,andbythattimeMoodywasdeadandhissonWillMoodywasmanagingtheschoolsandtheconference.“IthinkWillMoodywasdwarfedbythefactthathewasD.L.Moody’sson,”Joneswroteinhis autobiography. “Without doubtD.L.Moodywas a verygreatman.W.R.Moodywasnotthat...buthewasanableman....Hehadgreatorganizingandadministrativeabilities.”JonestoldhowWillMoodykept“afirmhanduponalltheConferencespeakers.AfteranaddressbyanEnglishspeakerwhohadletoffalotof‘hotair’buthadnotmanagedtosaymuchthatwasworthsaying,WillMoodysaidtome:‘We’llhavenomoreofthat.Wehaveplentyofmenonthissidewhocanpouroutthatkindofstuff.Ishall tellhimheneednottroubletostay.’” Jones added, “It took me all my time to persuade Moody to let himfinish.”It isworthnotingthat,whileJoneshadakeeninterest inBritishpolitics,he

didnotgetascarriedawaywithitasdidR.W.Dale.Duringthe1906election,

JonescampaignedforseveralcandidatesoftheLiberalParty,andeveryoneofthemlostinspiteofthefactthattheLiberalssweptthecountry!Whenaskedtorun for office, Jones repliedwith thewords ofNehemiah 6:3—“I am doing agreatwork,sothatIcannotcomedown.”No doubt one of the secrets of his success was his concentration. Being a

pastorwas tohim thehighestcallingpossible,and itdeserved thebest thathehad.Whenhe rejected theprincipalshipofLancashireCollege, Jones receivedthefollowingmessagefromhisfriendW.RobertsonNicoll:“Ihavealwaysheldthatthepastorateisthehighestofficeopentoaminister.”Themanwhobelievesinthedignityofthepastorateandwhohasthissenseofcallingwillaccomplishfarmoreinhisministrythanthemanwhoflitsfromministrytoministry,alwayslookingforsomebetteropportunity.AnotherstrengthofJ.D.JoneswashisfaithinthepreachingoftheWord.No

mancouldstayinonechurchnearlyfortyyearsifheweredependingonhisownresources.“WhenJ.D.Jonestookatext,”wroteonereligiouseditor,“itwasthetext that mattered, not the preacher’s commentary upon it. The preacher’scommentaryhadbutoneaim—torecallitshearerstotherichnessandwonderofthe truth which the text enshrined. He never searched for excitingly unusualtexts, nor did he strive to find startlingly unusual interpretations of his texts.”Thepastorwhostopsgrowingusuallystartsgoing.ThereisnosubstituteforadeepeningknowledgeoftheWordofGod.Athirdfactorinhisministrywashisloveforhispeople.Hisconstantdesire

was to encourage them along the way.When you read The Lord of Life andDeath, you will discover that thesemessages were written not from an ivorytower but from that difficult place “where cross the crowded ways of life.”Because he knew and loved his people, he was able to make the Wordmeaningfultothemfromweektoweek.Wemust not minimize the character of the man himself.When giving the

“chargetotheminister”atanordination,Jonessaid:Theoneindispensableconditionofourusefulnessandsuccessintheworkoftheministryisthatweshouldbegoodmen—menofpureandholylife—menofGod....Wemaybegoodministerswithoutbeingeitherlearnedoreloquent,butwecannotbegoodministerswithoutbeinggoodmen....TheeffectofourwordsontheSabbathwillreallydependonourlivesduringtheweek,foritisalwaysthemanbehindthespeechwhichwieldsthepower.

Finally,Jonesrealizedthattherewassomethingmorethantheministryofhisown localchurch.Heknew thathewasapartof somethingmuchbigger thanRichmondHill,oreventheCongregationalUnion.Withoutsacrificinghisown

convictions, he sought to build and encourageGod’swork everywhere.WhentheEpiscopalandFreeChurchleadersmetintheir“conversationsonreunion,”Jones,givingtheopeningstatement,madeitquiteclearthattheFreeChurcheswere not going to abandon their heritage. “There are certain principles—ecclesiasticalandreligious—whichweholddear.Therearecertaintruthswhich—aswe believe—have been committed to our trust. . . .We do notwant ourhistoryandtraditionstobecomeasnare,butneithercanwebeexpectedlightlytofloutanddiscard them.”The largenessofhisvisionnodoubtcontributed tothegreatnessofhisministry.Dr.andMrs.JonesretiredtoWalesin1937,althoughDr.Joneswasstillquite

active in his preachingministry.His health remainedgooduntilAugust 1941,when anemiabegan to saphis strength.D.MartynLloyd-JonesvisitedhimatMrs. Jones’s request, to share theword thathecouldnotgetbetter, and Jonesacceptedthenewswithhisusualpoiseandcourage.OnSunday,April19,1942,hewas called home.On his tombstone in the Bournemouth cemetery it says:“JohnDanielJones,Preacherofthegospel.‘SimplytoThycrossIcling.’”

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39

GeorgeH.Morrison1866–1928

heneverpastorsgettogetheranddiscusstheirfavoritepreachers,theyaresuretorepeatsuchnamesasCharlesH.Spurgeon,G.CampbellMorgan,

AlexanderWhyte, and J.H. Jowett, tonamebuta few.Rarely—only rarely—will you hear a pastor ask, “Have any of you read the sermons ofGeorgeH.Morrison?”And the reply is usually, “GeorgeMorrison?Never heard of him!Whoishe?”No alert pastor in Great Britain during the first quarter of the twentieth

centurywould have asked that question! “Morrison ofWellington”was easilythemostpopularpreacherinScotland.Andhewasnotonlyapopularpreacher,butalsoaneffectivepastor.Hispersonal recordsreveal thathemadeoveronethousandvisitsinanaverageyear!Whenhedied,heleftarichlegacyofbooksofhismessagesthatspokemeaningfullytoheartsfiftyyearsagoandstillspeaktoheartstoday.Tragically,most ofMorrison’swritings are to be found only in secondhand

bookstores.OnethatshouldbereprintedisTheWingsoftheMorning,oneofhismatchless volumes. Like most of Morrison’s books, this is a collection ofSunday evening sermons. Morrison, like most Scottish pastors of his day,preachedweightyexpository sermons in themorning services,buthis eveningpreachingwasrefreshinglydifferent.Hehimselfwrote:“IthasbeenmyhabitatthemorningservicetohandlethegreaterthemesoftheChristianrevelationandthen at the evening worship to allow myself a wider scope . . . to win theattention, inhonorableways,of someat leastof thatvastclassofpeoplewhotodaysitsolightlytotheChurch.”Andhesucceeded!Duringthemorethantwenty-fiveyearshepas–toredthe

Wellington United Free Church in Glasgow, great crowds would queue up inanticipation of the evening service, while at other churches the eveningcongregations were meager if not totally absent. It was not Morrison’s fiery

eloquenceororatorythatdrewandheldhiscongregation.Hisvoicewasratherweakandhispresentationanythingbutdramatic.Followingoneservice,aladyturned to the famous A. J. Gossip and said, “Didn’t Dr. Morrison preach awonderfulsermon?”“Madam,”Gossipreplied,“Ididnothearhalfofwhathewassaying.”“NeitherdidI,”saidthewoman,“butwasn’titawonderfulsermon!”Morrison’s preaching strength lay in his knowledge of the Bible, his

knowledgeofhispeopleandtheirneeds,andhisabilitytoputbothtogetherinanimaginativewaythatreachedtheheart.Inthisdayof“tellingitlikeitis,”Morrison’ssermonsandsomeofhissermon

titlesmightbedismissedassentimentalandpoetical.Suchtitlesas“TheFaultofOver-Prudence,”“TheReligiousUseofHolidays,”and“TheHigherMinistriesofSleep”wouldnotexcitecongregationstoday.Butwhatabout“WastedGains”(on Prov. 12:27—look it up!), “The Deceptions of God” (Jer. 20:7),“UnobservedSins”(Exod.2:12),and“TheIntoleranceofJesus”(Matt.12:30)?His sermon on Isaiah 27:8 is amasterpiece. The text says, “He stayeth his

roughwindinthedayoftheeastwind.”Morrison’spointsare:(1)ourtrialsaretimed;(2)oursufferingsaremeasured;and(3)ourlivesarecompensated.Thissermon revealsboth thepastor’sheart and the scholar’smind.OrconsiderhismessageonMatthew14:30,“Beginning toSink.”Hebrought out these lessons fromPeter’s experience:

Peterbegantosinkinfamiliarwaters,hebegantosinkafterloyaldiscipleship,hebegan tosinkonapermittedpath,hebegan tosinkwhenhebegan to fear,andwhenhebegantosinkhisSaviorwasnotfaraway.Thatispreaching!SomeofMorrison’ssermonswouldgivetoday’spreachersideasforawholeseriesofmessages.“TheRefusalsofChrist”isoneexample,andanotheris“TheLonelyPeopleoftheGospel”(Mary—thelonelinessoflove;Thomas—thelonelinessofdoubt;Judas—thelonelinessofsin;etc.).As you readMorrison’s sermons, you discover a man acquainted with the

Bible,alerttothenewsandproblemsoftheday,sympatheticwithsuffering(helosthiswifewhilepastoringinDundee,andhelostasoninthewar),andabletosaythemostprofoundtruthsinaremarkablysimpleway.Infact,thesimplicityofhispreachingisutterlydisarming.Heneverusedtoomanywordsbutalwaysseemed to use the rightwords,making truth glow in an imaginativeway. Forexample: “One of the saddest stories ever written is just the story of our

mismanaged triumphs.” Or, “Faith is expectant, eager, childlike, buoyant. Itsoppositeisnotdoubt,butdeath.”Or,“Christwillhavenothingofthecultureofthebrain,attheexpenseofthecultureofthecharacter.”GeorgeHerbertMorrisonwasborninGlasgow,Scotland,onOctober2,1866.

After completing his university studies, he was not sure of his vocation. Hebecame an assistant to Sir James Murray at Oxford, helping with the NewEnglish Dictionarywhile trying to “find himself.” No doubt this experiencehelpedmakehim such an accuratewriter andgivehima love forwords. It isworthnotingthatG.CampbellMorgan,J.H.Jowett,andAlexanderWhytewereall,likeMorrison,greatstudentsofwordsandreadersofdictionaries.WhileworkingatOxford,Morrisonfeltthecalltopreach.HeenteredtheFree

Church College in Glasgow and graduated in 1893. At that time a secondprovidentialeventoccurred inhis training:hewaschosen toassist the famousAlexanderWhyte at FreeSt.George’s inEdinburgh.Morrison’s responsibilitywas to conduct the then-new evening service, a challenge he accepted withconfidence. He remained withWhyte only a year, but that one year with thegiftedpreachergavehimspiritualvalueswhichcontrolledhisministry for therest of his life. His diligent study, his concern for his people, his sanctifiedimagination,hisloveofbooks(hehadalibraryofoversixthousandvolumes)—allwerestrengthenedandstimulatedduringthatyearatEdinburgh.Wewonderwhat would happen to younger preachers today if they spent a year asunderstudytosomesuccessfulpastor.Wemighthavefewerministerialdropouts.MorrisonpastoredatThursoinnorthernScotland,andafterfouryearsmoved

toDundee.Laterheaccepted thecall to theWellingtonUnitedFreeChurch inGlasgowandbecameknownas“MorrisonofWellington.”Untilhisunexpecteddeathin1928,Morrisongavehisbesttohispeople,bothaspastorandpreacher.Withclock-likeregularityhespenthismorningsinthestudy,hisafternoonswithhispeopleintheirhomes,andhiseveningseitheratchurchmeetingsorathomestudying and writing. Like Whyte, he took long holidays, using the summermonths for additional study, meditation, and rest. “The only piece of adviceWhyte gave me when I was with him,” said Morrison, “was to take longholidays!”TothisWhytelaterreplied,“Anddidyouoryourpeopleeverregretit?”Althoughtoday’soverworkedpastorsmightnotbeabletotaketwomonthsoff each summer, an occasional interruption for incubation would no doubtimprovetheministerandtheministry.Morrisondidnotwrestlewithbiblical criticismor seek to explain thegreat

questions of his day, even though he was a scholar and a voracious reader.Morrison felt his responsibilitywas to encouragehispeoplewith the truthsofChristthathehadprovedinhisownlife,nottodiscouragethemwithacademicquestions. He faced and solved these important questions in his study, but healwayssteppedintothepulpitwithexclamationpoints,notquestionmarks.Preaching in a church located directly across from the university,Morrison

hadaspecialconcernfor theyouth.Hekeptupwiththehonorlistandalwayssentapersonalnotetostudentswhomadeit.Hedidnotpreachwhatwewouldcall youthmessages, but the students flocked to hear him.Heorganized “TheRound Table” andmetwith students following the evening service to discussquestions that troubled them. At the open forum the pastor did not permithimselfpulpitprivileges. ItwasMorrisonunfrockedwhowon theirheartsandhelpeddirecttheirlives.ThispersonalinterchangehelpedtomakethestudentsbetterChristiansandMorrisonabetterpreacherandpastor.The preacher who reads The Wings of the Morning probably will not be

satisfied until he secures everything elseMorrisonwrote.Hewillwant to getTheWindontheHeath,TheEverOpenDoor,TheAfterglowofGod,Flood-Tide,The Unlighted Lustre, The Weaving of Glory, The Footsteps of the Flock (aremarkable devotional book for each Sunday of the year, taking the readerthroughthekeypassagesoftheBible—agoldmineofsermonicmaterial!),TheWorld-wideGospel,TheReturn of theAngels, Sun-Rise, and others. Thewisepreacherwill index these great sermons. If he iswiser still, hewill read eachmessage carefully, first for his own heart and then to improve his ministry.Morrisonhimself readonesermonaday fromadifferentpreacher.Morrison’ssermonswouldbeagoodplaceforustostarttoday!Ashelaydying,Morrison’sfinalwordswere:“It’saneveropendoor,never

closedtoanyone.It’sopenformenowandI’mgoingthrough!”Bymeansofhisreprinted sermons (and, we trust, additional volumes will follow), Morrisonhelps today’s preachers point others to that “ever open door,” which is JesusChrist.

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40

AmyCarmichael1867–1951

etmedescribesomeofthethingsshedid,andthenallowyoutoanswerthequestion: “If shewere amissionary fromyour church,would you support

AmyCarmichael?”Shespentnearlysixtyyearsinthefieldandneveroncecamehometoreport

to her board or to the peoplewho supported her.While shewent to the fieldunder the authority of one board, she pretty much did her own thing andeventuallystartedanorganizationofherown.Shewenttothefieldtocarryononekindofministry,butwithinafewyears

wascarryingonanentirelydifferentministrythatoftengotherintotroublewiththe law. At one time, she was in danger of serving seven years in prison for“assistinginthekidnappingofachild.”Thereportsthatshesentoutwereoftennotbelievedbythepeoplewhoread

them. “Such things simply can’t be!” they argued, but they were—and sheprovedit.She did not ask for financial support, yet she saw every needmet right on

time.Whenpeopleoffered to sponsorpart of herministry, she suggested theysupportadifferentmission.During the last twentyyears of herministry, shewaspractically an invalid,

directingtheworkfromherroom.Myguessisthattheaveragechurchwouldneverhavesupportedthiskindofa

missionary. She was too unpredictable and too independent. And perhaps theaveragemissionboardwouldhavedroppedher from their ranksafterher firstterm.Welikeministryworktobecarriedoutinsuchapredictablewaythattherecan be no surprises, no changes, no unexpected decisions that pioneer newterritoryforthegospel.Itmightupsetthedonors.ButAmyCarmichaelwasnotputtogetherthatway.Shesimplydidnotfitinto

ourmodernworldofinterchangeableparts,becauseshewasunique.SheknewwhatGodwantedhertodo,andshedidit.Shewasnotarebel;herboardandco-laborers were full partners in the ministry. But she was one of the Lord’sspecial servants, andheusedher toaccomplishamiracleministry in southernIndia.AmyCarmichaelwasbornonDecember16,1867,inCountyDown,Northern

Ireland. Her father, along with her uncle, owned and managed several flourmills, so the familywas fairlycomfortable.TheycamefromCovenanterstockand took the things of the Lord seriously. Amy had a happy childhood, and,whileastudentataWesleyanMethodistschoolin1883,shetrustedChrist.ChangesinthemillingbusinessforcedthefamilytomovetoBelfast.Amy’s

fatherdiedin1885,andthisgreatlyalteredboththefinancesandthefutureofthefamily.Mrs.Carmichaelwasawomanofstrongfaith; infact,muchofher“apostolicspirit”rubbedoffonherdaughter.Oneparticular incident illustratesthis.ItwasSundaymorning,andMrs.Carmichaelandthechildrenwerereturning

homefromchurch.Theymet“apoorpatheticoldwoman”whowasburdenedwithaheavybundle.Instantly,Amyandhertwobrothersrelievedthewomanofher bundle, took her arms, and helped her along.At first the icy stares of the“properPresbyterians”embarrassed them,but then theLordmoved inand thewholescenechanged.Into Amy’s mind flashed Paul’s words from 1 Corinthians 3 about “gold,

silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; . . . the fire shall try everyman’sworkofwhatsortitis”(vv.12,13).InlateryearsAmywrote,“Wewenton.Isaid nothing to anyone, but I knew that something had happened that hadchangedlife’svalues.Nothingcouldevermatteragainbutthethingsthatwereeternal.”InSeptember1886,somefriendsinvitedAmytoGlasgow,wheresheattended

meetingsalongthelinesoftheKeswickConvention.Formanymonths,shehadbeenstrugglingwith theproblemofhowto liveaholy life,andshefound theanswerattheGlasgowmeetings.Itwasnotthemessageofthetwospeakersthatgotthroughtoherbuttheclosingprayerofthechairman.HeparaphrasedJude1:24: “O Lord, we know that Thou art able to keep us from falling!” Thosewordsbroughtlightintothedarkness,andAmyCarmichaelenteredintoalifeoffaithandvictory.Butholy livingwasnota luxury toher: itmeantsacrificeandministry.She

had no time forChristianswhowent frommeeting tomeeting and soaked upBibletruthbutneverreachedouttoshareChristwithothers.Amywasburdenedforthegirlswhoworkedinthemills,andshehadalreadystartedaministryforthematoneofthelocalchurches.Buttheworkwasgrowingandinsomewaysinterferingwiththechurch’sprogram(Amyalwayswasonetoraisedust).Shedecided that, ifGodwantedher to start a specialwork, he alone could

provide the fundsand the laborers; so shebegan topray.Littledid she realizethatthisexperiencewithTheWelcome(thehallthatshebuilt)wouldprepareherforyearsofministrybyfaithalone.Goddidprovidethefunds,andabuildingwasputupjustforministrytothegirlsatthemills.ManycametoknowChrist,and many were protected from lives of sin because of the influence of theministry.ThiswouldbeAmyCarmichael’semphasisfortherestofherlife—toreachout to thedowncast and rejected, to love them,win them toChrist, andbuildthemuptohelpothers.In later years, Amy said that there were three crises in her early life: her

conversion, her entrance into the life of faith, andher call to be amissionary.ThatthirdcrisistookplaceonJanuary13,1892,notinsomedramaticway,butsimplyas shewaitedquietlybefore theLord.Hemade it clear toher that shewastogiveherlifetohimasamissionaryandpermithimtodirectherjustashepleased.Therewereobstacles,nottheleastofwhichwashercommitmenttohelpcare

forelderlyRobertWilson,anold friendof the familyand thechairmanof theBritishKeswickmovement.ShesharedtheseconcernswithhermotherandMr.Wilson,andstepbystep, theLordbegan toopen theway.OnMarch3,1893,shesailedforJapan,thefirstmissionarysentoutbytheKeswickConvention.She had some remarkable experiences in Japan, ministering through an

interpreter;butJapanwasnottobeherpermanentfield.Aseriousillnessforcedher to go to China for rest, and then to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Can youimagine a church foreign missions committee discussing her situation andwonderingifshecouldbetrusted?Bytheendof1894,shewasbackinEngland;but a year later, on November 9, 1895, she landed in India, and there sheremaineduntilherdeathonJanuary18,1951.Amywas under the authority of theChurch ofEnglandZenanaMissionary

Society,sosheenteredintotheirministrywithzeal.Butshenotedthatmanyofthemissionariesreportednoconverts—infact,expectednone.Shealsonoticedthatthemissionarycommunitywasseparatedineverywayfromthepeoplethey

weretryingtoreach.While in Japan, Amy had adopted native dress (as Hudson Taylor did in

China)andhadsoughttoidentifywiththepeople.ButshehadnotcometoIndiatocreateproblems;soshewentonwithherwork,alwaysseeking themindofChristinherdecisions.Then somethinghappened that dramatically changedAmyCarmichael’s life

andministry.OnMarch6,1901, littlePreena, a seven-year-oldgirl, fled fromoneofthetemplesintothemissioncompoundandbeggedtobeprotected.Itwasthen thatAmyuncovered one of the ugliest hidden sores on “Mother India’s”body,thesecrettrafficintemplegirls.Shelearnedhowfathersandmotherssoldtheir daughters to different gods, turning the precious girls into templeprostitutes.Infuriated bywhat Satanwas doing to these dear girls, Amy declaredwar.

Howmanybattlesshefoughtonherknees,wrestlingforthebodiesandsoulsofthese helpless children! How many times she and her associates risked theirlives,andfacedarrestandimprisonment,inordertosnatchsomepleadingchildfromthejawsofdefilementanddestruction.Onebyone,othergirlsfoundtheirway toAmma (the Tamilword for “mother”), and she courageously protectedthem.By1904therewereseventeenchildrenunderhercare,andthentheLordopenedthewayforher toreceiveandminister tobabies. In1918theyopenedtheboy’swork,forthemoney-hungryidolaterssoldboystothetemplegodsjustastheysoldgirls.Ifyouwanttoenter intotheexcitementofpioneermissions, thenreadAmy

Carmichael’s Gold Cord, the story of the Dohnavur Fellowship. FrankHoughton’sexcellentbiography,AmyCarmichaelofDohnavur, containsmanyof the exciting stories that grew out of the new ministry of saving templechildren. Both books have been reprinted by Christian Literature Crusade; infact,manyofAmyCarmichael’sbooksareavailablefromthatpublisher.Ammagreatly admired theworkof theChina InlandMission, and, inmany

ways, patterned herself after Hudson Taylor. She did not solicit funds.Whenpeopleaskedtohavetheprivilegeofsponsoringachild,sherefusedtheirhelp.All fundswent into themission account to be dispensed as theLorddirected.The many workers God brought to her side were not paid salaries, and themissionneverborrowedmoneyorwent intodebt.WhileAmydidnotcriticizeministriesthathadotherpolicies,shepreferredtoworkastheLordhadledher.Shewasespeciallycarefulaboutselectingworkers.Thatwasonereasonfor

theno-salarypolicy.ManyIndianswouldhavegladlybeenbaptizedandworkedfor themission in order tomake a living. “Guard your gate” was one of herfavoritewarnings,andsheheededitherself.Someofherfriendsandsupportersoftenweresurprisedwhensherejectedapplicantswho,tothem,seemedideallysuitedfortheministry;butlatereventsalwaysprovedherright.Sheprayedmenandwomenintoplacesofservice,trustingtheLordtopreparethem,provideforthem,andprotectthem.Protectionwas especially important, not only because of the Indian climate

andunsanitaryconditions,butevenmorebecauseoftheidolatryanddemonism.SatanandhisarmiesattackedthepeopleandtheministryatDohnavurinwaysthatmaketheseexperiencesreadlikeeventsfromthebookofActs.Thesecretofvictory?TheWordofGodandprayer!AmmaandherassociatespracticedJohn15:7,trustingGodtoguidethemby

theWordandprovidefortheirneedsonedayatatime.IthinkitwouldbegoodforsomeofustogetacquaintedwithAmyCarmichael’sprinciplesforprayer:

(1)Wedon’tneedtoexplaintoourFatherthingsthatareknowntohim.(2)Wedon’tneedtopresshim,asifwehadtodealwithanunwillingGod.(3)Wedon’tneedtosuggesttohimwhattodo,forhehimselfknowswhattodo.

Ifallofustooktheseprinciplestoheart,thinkofthereligiousspeechesthatwouldbesilencedinmanyprayermeetings.AmyCarmichaelcautionedherhelpersto“leaveamargin”intheirlives.We

haveallbeenremindedto“bewareof thebarrennessofabusylife.”AsIreadAmyCarmichael’s books, I amamazed at thebroad scopeof her reading, notonly inmany translations of theBible, but in themystics, the church fathers,even the Greek philosophers. To her, reading was an enriching experience, atimeforrelaxationandrenewalandnotjustescape.On October 24, 1931, Amy Carmichael suffered a serious fall. Other

complicationsset in,andshehad toendherusualactivity.Shewasphysicallylimited toher roomandanoccasionalverandastroll,but thatdidnot limitherministry.Inthenexttwentyyearsshewrotethirteenbooksandmanyletters,andshedirectedtheworkofthemissionthroughhercapableassociates.In1948sheexperiencedasecondfall,andfromthenuntilherHomegoingshe

wasconfinedtoherbed.Butshewasconstantlyatthethroneofgrace,andGodanswered her prayers. God is still answering those prayers, for the DohnavurFellowshipcontinuestoministereffectivelyinsouthernIndia.AmyCarmichaelwrote thirty-five books of various kinds—the story of the

Fellowship, poems, stories about the children who were rescued, devotionals,and messages for those who suffer. Many of them have been republished byChristian Literature Crusade and should be available in your local Christianbookstore. Not everyone takes to Miss Carmichael’s writing; in fact, I mustconfessthatittookmemanyyearstolearntoappreciateherstyleandmessage(Iwastheonewhohadtogrow.).HisThoughtsSaid . . .HisFather Said is excellent for times ofmeditative

pondering. Thou Givest . . . They Gather is another fine devotional book,compiledfromherwritingsafterherdeath.TwoencouragingbooksforsufferingpeopleareCandles in theDarkandRose fromBrier.WhenGod’sMissionarywas published, it upsetmany people because of its emphasis on devotion andpersonal discipline. It still upsets readers—but perhaps they need to be upset.Books about Indian women reached through the Dohnavur ministry includeMimosa,Ponnammal,Kohila,andPloughedUnder.EdgesofHisWaysisadailydevotionalbookthatisintellectuallystimulatingandspirituallyrewarding.“We were committed to things that we must not expect everyone to

understand”wasthewayAmmaexplainedherministryandwasalsothereasonwhy some devout evangelicals kept at a distance. “The work will never godeeperthanwehavegoneourselves”washerexplanationofwhysomeworkersdid not remain and why others refused to come. She did not try to pleaseeverybodyorsolicitanybody’ssupport.TheworkwasGod’swork,andhealonecouldprosper it.Nohigh-poweredmachinery,noMadisonAvenuepromotion,noattemptstocompetewithotherministrieseitherforfundsorpersonnel.Amy Carmichael depended on God for day-by-day and hour-by-hour

direction.GodspoketoherthroughtheWord,throughthepagesofherdogearedDailyLight, through the impulsesof theheart;yes,onoccasion, even throughdreams.SeminaryprofessorswhowritelearnedbooksabouthowtointerprettheBiblewouldprobablycallheruseofBible textsorpartsof textssuperstitious,buttheywouldhavetoconfessthatshewasawomanledbyGodandblessedbyGod.Sheexerciseda simple-hearted faith inGod,nurturedbyawholeheartedloveforGod,andherFathersawtoitthatshewascaredfor.Here isa“ConfessionofLove” thatshedrewupforagroupofIndiangirls

whobanded together toserveChrist.Perhaps itbestsays tous justwhatAmyCarmichaelbelievedaboutChristianlifeandservice.

MyVow:WhatsoeverThousayestuntome,byThygraceIwilldoit.

MyConstraint:Thylove,OChrist,myLord.

MyConfidence:ThouartabletokeepthatwhichIhavecommitteduntothee.

MyJoy:TodoThywill,OGod.

MyDiscipline:ThatwhichIwouldnotchoose,butwhichThyloveappoints.

MyPrayer:ConformmywilltoThine.

MyMotto:Lovetolive—livetolove.

MyPortion:TheLordistheportionofmineinheritance.

With that kind of devotion and dedication, is it any wonder that AmyCarmichaelwasmisunderstoodbybelievers,persecutedbyunbelievers,attackedbySatan,andblessedbytheLord?Unpredictable?Yes—butnotunblessable!Wecoulduseafewmorelikeher

inChristianservicetoday.

I

41

FrankW.Boreham1871–1959

tamazesmethatmyfavoritebiographicalhandbook,WhoWasWhoinChurchHistory,mentionsCaesarBorgiaandWilliamBriconnet,butcontainsnotone

lineaboutFrankW.Boreham.IcaneasilyconceiveofapreachergettingalonginhisministryknowingnothingaboutBorgia’ssensuousintriguesorBriconnet’scowardly defections; but how he could get along knowing nothing aboutBoreham’s A Bunch of Everlastings, or his beloved flock at Mosgiel, NewZealand, or his hundreds of delightful essays is really more than I canunderstand. I trust that a generation ignorant of Frank W. Boreham has notarisen.Ifthisbethecase,however,letmeremedyitimmediatelybydevotingachaptertothisworld-famousBritishpreacherandessayist.ThemoderatoroftheChurchofScotlandonceintroducedBorehamas“themanwhosenameisonallourlips,whosebooksareonallourshelvesandwhoseillustrationsareinalloursermons.” Fortunate is the pastor who gets to know and love the writings ofBoreham.“SalvoesofartilleryandpealsofbellsechoedacrossEuropeonthemorning

of my birth,” wrote Boreham in the first paragraph of his delightfulautobiography, My Pilgrimage. It was Friday, March 3, 1871, the day theFranco-PrussianWarended.Whenhewasfourmonthsold,hewasonanoutingwith his nurse when a gypsy caravan passed by and an old gypsy woman,noticing the child, cameover to them.She looked at the little boy’s hand andsaidtothenurse,“Tellhismothertoputapeninhishandandhe’llneverwantfor a living.” The prophecy proved true: Boreham became one of theworld’smost prolific religiouswriters,withmore than fifty books to his credit, not tospeakofhundredsofnewspaperandmagazinearticlesandessays.Astheboygrewup,hewasintroducedtoboththethingsoftheSpiritandthe

thingsofthemind.FaithfulChristianparentssawtoitthathewastrainedintheWordofGodandalsothathelearnedtoappreciategoodreading(childrenlearn

toappreciategoodbooksbycontagion,notcompulsion).Frank’sfather,noticingthatFrankwasreadingsomeshallownovels,introducedhimtothevasttreasuresofbiography,andtheboywas“hookedforlife.”AtsixteenFrankdecidedtogotoLondonandgetajob;thisprovedtobethefirstofseveral turningpointsinhis life.Hehad trainedhimself inshorthand,atwhichhewasverycompetent,andhehadbeautifulcopperplatescript,solandingajobwasnogreatproblem.Afterashortstaywitharealestatefirm,heworkedforaLondonrailroad.London in 1887was an exciting place.CharlesH. Spurgeonwas preaching

(whennotincapacitatedbygout)attheMetropolitanTabernacle;JosephParkerwas electrifying congregations at the City Temple; J. Hudson Taylor waschallengingChristianswith theneedsofChina; andF.B.Meyerwas teachingbelieversthejoysandvictoriesoftheChristianlife.“Honestycompelsmetoconfess,”Borehamwrote,“notwithoutshame, that

Mr. Spurgeon never really appealed tome. It was, of course,my fault. . . . IenjoyedeverysermonthatIheardMr.Spurgeonpreach;Imarveledathispowertoattractthemultitudes;Iwasthankfulforhisenormousinfluence.Buthenevergripped me as some other preachers did.”1 The great preacher’s poor healththose closing years may help to explain Boreham’s evaluation. It was F. B.Meyerwhoattractedandheld theyoungmanfromTunbridgeWells.Borehamattended Meyer’s church in Regent’s Park and also the famous Saturdayafternoon Bible classes at Aldersgate Street, directed especially to the youngmen of the city. “I really think that we lived for those Saturday afternoons,”Borehamsaidinhisautobiography.“Wecountedthehourstill theycame;and,when they came, they never failed tominister to us such hope and faith andcourageassentusbacktoourtaskswithhigherspiritsandwithbraverhearts.”2ThereisnodoubtthatMeyer’spositiveministryofencouragementhelpedto

moldBoreham’sownministry,for,likeBarnabas,FrankBorehamwas“asonofencouragement”(Acts4:36).MeyerwasaBaptistandBorehamhadbeenraisedanAnglican,butBoreham’sownstudyoftheBiblehadconvincedhimthatheshouldbeimmersed.SoonEasterTuesdayevening,1890,hewasimmersedatthe Stockwell Old Baptist Church. Little did he realize that his Baptistassociationswouldplayanimportantroleinhislifeandministry.In 1891 he united with Kenyon Baptist Church in Brixton, whose pastor,

JamesDouglas,wasagoodfriendofSpurgeon.WhenthepastordiscoveredthatBoreham was considering the ministry, he naturally urged him to apply toSpurgeon’s Pastors’ College. Boreham did, and he was the last student that

Spurgeon personally selected before his lamented death on January 31, 1892.The Spurgeon family would be used of God to direct Boreham’s ministry inwaysthatheneverdreamedof,butallofwhichwerepartofGod’splan.In 1894, Thomas Spurgeon returned to London after ministering in New

Zealand,andhebroughtwithhimfromanewchurchatMosgielarequestforapastor.FoundedbyScottish immigrants, theMosgielchurchwas tenyearsoldand gave promise of being an effective work for the Lord. The college staffdecidedthatBorehamwastheirman.AfteraconferencewithThomasSpurgeonandwithBoreham’sparents,thestudent(whostillhadoneyear’strainingbeforehim)decideditwastheLord’swillthatheterminatehisworkatthecollegeandsail forNewZealand.At the farewell service,heldat the tabernacle,Borehammadeaprophecyofhisownthat,intheprovidenceofGod,cametrue:“AnditismyhopethatinthecourseofmyministryIshallholdthreepastorates,andthenbe free to travel in many lands preaching the everlasting gospel among alldenominations.”He served in Mosgiel, New Zealand; Hobart, Tasmania; and Armadale,

Australia; and then he traveled to many lands and preached to vastcongregations.Whenhewas unable to travel personally, his books carried hismessages;anditisthesethatIwanttodiscuss.Ifyouareinterestedinthestoryofhislife—andyououghttobe—thensecureMyPilgrimage,published in theUnitedStatesbyJudsonPress;andalsoTheStoryofF.W.Boreham,writtenbyT.HowardCrago.Boreham had begun writing while a youth in London, but his newspaper

articles, plus adevotionalbooklet, hadcaused little stir.Heknew thegiftwasthere;itwouldsimplytaketimetodevelopanddisciplineit.Hisfirstlovewaspreaching, but therewasno reasonwhyhe couldnot alsowrite.After all, hisspiritualmentor,F.B.Meyer,wastheauthorofdozensofbooks;evenSpurgeonmadegooduseofhispen.After settling down inMosgiel, Boreham hit upon the idea of publishing a

sermoneachweekinthelocalnewspaper,anideathattheeditorapprovedwithenthusiasm.ManyreaderswereunabletotraveltochurcheverySunday,andtheprinted sermon would meet their needs. In the beginning Boreham solicitedsermonsfromotherpastors,buttheircontributionsgraduallyfelloff, leavingittoBorehamtofillupthetwocolumnseachweek.Heenjoyedthedisciplineofwriting out a message, and the publication of his messages in the newspaperhelped to fill his church. In time, other newspapers “down under” were

reprinting hismaterial, and several editors asked him for originalmaterial fortheirpublications.Intheyearstocome,mostofhisessayswouldfirstbesharedbyseveralperiodicalsandthenpublishedinbookform.His first book, The Luggage of Life, was turned down by Hodder and

Stoughton,butEpworthPressaccepteditandlaunchedhimintohisphenomenalliterarycareer.3Atone timeduringhisministry,Borehamwaspublishing twobooks a year, with no diminishing of sales. Needless to say, Hodder andStoughtonwasembarrassedatthelossofsuchasuccessfulwriter;inlateryearsittriedtocapturehimforitslist,butwithoutsuccess.IthinkthebestofBorehamtoreadfirstisthefirstvolumeofhisTextsThat

MadeHistoryseries (reprintedbyJudsonPress),ABunchofEverlastings.Thestorybehindthisuniquefive-volumeseriesisthis:BorehamwasabouttobeginaSundayeveningserieson“TheSpectersoftheMind,”whenitdawnedonhimthataseriesonalternateSundayeveningswouldencouragethecongregationtoreturnweekafterweek.Asifbyinspiration,itcametohimtopreachon“TextsThatMadeHistory”; and thus he announced that the next Sunday evening hewould preach on “Martin Luther’s Text.” Subsequent sermons were “JohnBunyan’sText,”“OliverCromwell’sText,”“JohnWesley’sText,”etc.,puttingtopractical use Boreham’s interest in biography. Little did he realize that thesesermonswouldcontinuefor125SundayeveningsandattractmoreinterestandwinmorepeopletoChristthananyotherserieshepreached.Everypreacheroughttosecurethesefivevolumes,readthem,andindexthem

—and beware of stealing Boreham’s sermons! Following A Bunch ofEverlastings, look for A Handful of Stars, A Temple of Topaz, A Casket ofCameos,andAFaggotofTorches.Turnnexttohisessays;youhaveoverfortyvolumes tochoose from!Byallmeanssecure the firstbookhepublished,TheLuggageofLife,andIwouldalsosuggestTheOtherSideoftheHillandHomeAgain,TheSilverShadow,TheLastMilestone(whichcontainsmanyofhispithybiographical essays on famous people and events), The Passing of JohnBroadbanks,andMushroomsontheMoor.ButselectingaBorehambookislikechoosingabeautifulrosefromalargebouquet,orselectingadessertfromatrayofFrenchpastries—youcannevermakeamistake.Tobesure,theessaysineachbookareofunevenqualityandsomewillstrike

your fancy more than others, but all of them will do you good. I personallypreferhisautobiographicalessaysdealingwiththechurchatMosgielorwithhisgood friend “JohnBroadbanks.”Once you havemet “Tammas” and “Wullie”

and“Gavin,”youwill fall in lovewith them,andnodoubt identify themwithpeople you have met in your own church. And it will not take you long todiscoverwho“JohnBroadbanks”reallyis.Itdoesmysoulgoodtoreachacrossthemiles and the years to “fellowship”with theMosgiel congregation and toshare their joys and sorrows, their disagreements, and their “love affair”withtheirpastor.Letmewarnyou:FrankBorehamwillnottellyouhowtodoubleattendance

attheeveningservice,increasethebudget,orexpandtheyouthministry.Buthewillputyouintouchwiththeessentialsoflife.Everythinghesaw,heard,andexperiencedbecameapartofhistreasuryfrom

which, in later years, he brought out “things new and old.” Can you imaginewritinganessayon“TheManintheMoon,”or“MaximsoftheMud,”or“WetPaint”? It is this kindof imaginativewriting that can teach and encourage thepreacher to be alert to life and to make sure that his messages take hold ofreality. Boreham said: “We shall never attract or arrest our hearers by anelaboratedisplayoftheology....Theologyistoasermonwhataskeletonistothe body: it gives shape and support to the preacher’s utterancewithout itselfbeingvisible.”BorehamwasnotanexpositoroftheScripturesinthemannerofSpurgeonorMaclaren, but hewas a biblical preacher andwriterwho reachedmany people who perhaps would have turned away from the conventionalsermonic approach. I am not suggesting that you imitate his style; I amsuggestingthatyougetexcitedaboutthepotentialinthecommonthingsaroundyou.Borehamwasadisciplinedreader.Earlyinhisministryhedeterminedtoread

atleastonebookaweek,andoftenheexceededhisquota.Whileheespeciallyenjoyed biography and autobiography, he did not limit himself.Whenever hehadanideaforanessayorasermon,heimmediatelywroteitdownandfileditaway. (Whenever he went on vacation, he buried his precious notes andmanuscripts in the backyard, lest the house burn down and they be lost.) Byconstantlyaddingtohistreasury,hewasneveratalossfornewideas;notuntillateinhislifewasthetreasuryexhausted.Afterhehadretiredfromthepastoralministry, hewas still getting literary dividends from ideas he had noted yearsbefore.“Writeitdown!”wasabasicruleoflife,andheevenkeptpenandpapernext to his bed in case a night visitor should come and otherwise be lost bymorning.Bytheway,IshouldmentionthatBorehamwroteallhismaterialbyhand.Atonestagehetriedusingatypewriter,buthismusewasnotmechanical.

PastorswillbeinterestedinthreeconvictionsthatBorehamheld.First,hewassure that nobodywanted to be visited immediately after the noonmeal; so hewenttobedeveryafternoonandsleptforonehour.Thishelpstoexplainwhyhelivedsuchalonglife—eighty-eightyears(hediedonMay18,1959).Second,hewasalwayspunctual,andwasunhappywithanybodywhowasnot.Whileneverinahurry,hewasalwaysbusy.Hedisciplinedhimselftodotheimportantthingsandwastednotimeonthetrivial.Third,hewasconvincedthatnopastorcouldpreachtwoentirelynewsermonseachLord’sDayanddohisbest;sohealwaysrevised an old sermon for one of the Sunday services. He did not simplyrepreachit.Herevisedasermonandtriedtogiveitafreshapproachbasedonexperiencegainedsincethefirsttimeitwaspreached.Hewrote:

Dr.Parkertaughtme—asalsodidDr.Meyer—thehighartofrepeatingmyself.IheardDr.Meyersay identically the same thing on half a dozen different occasions. But he displayed suchcraftsmanshipinhisrepetitionthat,unlessyouhadpreviouslyheardhimsayit,youwouldneverhavesuspectedhimofhavingsaidthesamethingbefore.4

Alas,manypastorsdonotworkatrevisingtheirmessages.Theyfinditeasiertochangechurchesandusethesamematerialoveragain.Oneof thepenaltiesof effectiveness inwritingandpreaching isplagiarism,

andFrankBorehamwas plagiarizedmuch of his life.OneAmerican preachertoldanAustralianfriendthathewouldhatetomeetBoreham:“I’veplagiarizedsomanyofhis sermons, Icouldn’tbear to lookhim in theeye!”OneLondonpreacher even dared to preach one of Boreham’s sermons over the BBC.Unfortunately for him, Boreham’s father was listening. He recognized thesermon, identified it inoneofhisson’sbooks,andwrote thepreacheraratherpointedletter.ThemansenthisapologyandevenwroteDr.Boreham,butsadtosay,hefeltthatsincethesermonwasalreadyinprint,itwasworthsharingwithothers. (This brings to mind the fact that G. Campbell Morgan was oftenplagiarized.Whenitwasannouncedthathewastopreachinvariousplaces,hewould often receive anonymous letters begging him not to preach certainsermonsbecausetheyhadalreadybeenpreachedthere—byothers!)Iwonderattheeffectiveness,nottospeakofthecharacter,ofamanwhomuststealmaterialinordertominister.Ifwedoborrow,atleastweshouldgivecredit.IfatfirstBorehamdoesnotexciteyou,givehimtime.Hegrowsonyou.He

hasawayoftouchingthenervecentersoflifeandgettingtothatlevelofrealitythatwetoooftenmiss.Somemayconsiderhimsentimental;othersmayfeelheisarelicofavanishedera.Theyarewelcometotheiropinions.Butbeforeyoupassjudgment,readhimforyourself,andreadenoughtogivehimafairtrial.If

you are preaching fromLuke15, readTheProdigalandmarvel atBoreham’snewinsightsintothisoldstory.TheHeavenlyOctavedealswiththebeatitudes.There is something for everybody in a Boreham book, because his writingtouchesontheunchangingessentialsoflife,notthepassingaccidentals;weneedthisemphasistoday.

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42

JosephW.Kemp1872–1933

od pity themanwho comes here!” said JosephW.Kemp at a committeemeeting in the famous Charlotte Baptist Chapel, Edinburgh. The Baptist

church in Hawick, of which Kemp was pastor, was enjoying remarkableblessing; Charlotte Chapel was in sad shape. Then Charlotte Chapel calledKemp.“Don’tgo!”his friendswarned.Whyexchangeasuccessfulworkforaderelict one? Kemp prayed, and then he accepted the call. His ministry inEdinburgh not only restored a great church, but also brought salvation andrevivaltothousands.JosephW.Kempwas born in 1872 inHull, Yorkshire. Hewas only seven

whenhisfatherdied;twoyearslaterhismotherdied.Thesixlittlechildrenwerescattered. Joseph,with only eighteenmonths of schooling, had to go towork.Whenhewastwelve,hewenttoBrid-lingtontoworkasapageboy,buthesoonreturnedtoHull,wherehelivedwithadevotedChristiannamedJ.H.Russell.RussellhelpedtraintheladandwitnessedtohimlovinglyaboutJesusChrist.KempwasconvertedinSeptember1886.Hewaschattingwithanoldsailor,

whosuddenlyasked,“Lad,whenareyougoingtoacceptChrist?”Kemparosefromhis chair,walked across the room, took the sailor by thehand, and said:“I’lldoitnow!”Hisownsalvationexperiencenodoubtcontributedtohislaterboldnessanddecisivenessinevangelism.TwoyearslaterhewasaskedtoleadaBible-studyclass.Aboutthesametimehebeganattendingmeetingsconductedby J.M. Scroggie, uncle ofW.GrahamScroggie.Thesemeetings revealed tohimsomeof thewealth in theWordofGod.HedeterminedtostudyhisBibleandappropriateitswealthforhimself—andthenshareit.AgenerousfriendsentKemp toGlasgowBibleTraining Institute, fromwhich he graduated in 1894.WhilestudyinghisBible,heconcludedthatimmersionwasthescripturalformofbaptism,apainfuldecision sincehewasat theProspectStreetPresbyterianChurch.(ThepastorwasW.P.Mackay,authoroftheclassicGraceandTruth.)

During his student days and for a year after graduation, Kemp conductedevangelisticmeetingsfor theAyrshireChristianUnion.Hecouldhavebecomeanitinerantsoul-winner,butonApril4,1897,heacceptedacallfromtheBaptistchurch inKelso. Horatius Bonar hadministered in that town formany years.Like Bonar, Kemp preached the doctrine of Christ’s second coming and hepracticedevangelism.TheBaptist church inHawick called him in July 1898; heministered there

untilhemovedtoEdinburghinFebruary1902.BeforeleavingKelso,hemarriedadaughterofakeychurchfamily.KempfoundadividedchurchatHawickandleft it united and growing. The young pastor spent hismornings in study andprayer.(Asastudent,hereadeverybookhecouldfindonprayer.AfterhearinganaddressbyAndrewMurray,hedetermined tobeamanofprayer.)HeusedafternoonsforvisitationandeveningsforBibleclassesandtrainingsessionsforchurchworkers.Evangelism,Bibleteaching,andprayerwerethemainelementsinhisministryatHawick,andtheyremainedsothroughouthislife.OnKemp’sfirstSundayatCharlotteChapel,onlythirty-fivememberscame.

But he was not discouraged: God had called him, and God would honor hisWord.Kempbeganbycleaningandremodelingthechapel.“Worldlyplacesarebrightandattractive,”hesaid,alludingtothenineteenpubsintheneighborhood.“Why should God’s house be dingy and musty?” Church members removedfrom their building thirteen cartloads of rubbish. But the spiritual changes atCharlotteChapelwere themost important.Thenewpastorstarted twoSundayprayermeetings,onebeginningat7a.m., theotherat10a.m.Ateverypublicmeeting he gave solid, biblical teaching with an evangelistic fervor thateventuallycaughtfireinthechurch.Kempandhiscongregationoften“tooktothe streets” and conducted open-air meetings. Before long, the crowds weregoingtoCharlotteChapelandnotthepubs!Early in 1905 an evangelist held meetings in the church, but nothing

exceptionalhappened.Theofficerswiselyagreedtohavethechurchcontinueinprayer until God sent the needed blessing. About this time the great Welshrevivalbrokeout;Kempwenttoseeksomeoftheblessingforhimselfandhispeople.He urged the people to continue praying for revival.Night after nightthroughout1905multitudesmetindifferentprayermeetings.Theblessingcameon January 22, 1906, at a special church conference.All that year attendanceincreased,soulsweresavedinunusualnumbers,andthechurchfeltthepowerofGod. People confessed sin, and broken fellowship was restored. The blessing

continuedinto1907,whenthepastorcelebratedhisfifthanniversary.A new church building, designed to accommodate the congregation’s

increasedsize,formallyopenedonOctober6,1912.Duringitsconstructionthechurch met in the two-thousand-seat Synod Hall, with the blessing of Godcontinuingunabated.DuringthededicationservicesAndrewUrquhart,secretaryof Charlotte Chapel, explained the reasons for God’s blessing during Kemp’sministry: first was “a firm and unchangeable belief in the power of prayer”;second, thepreachingof thegospel; third, “heartycooperationamongas loyalanddevotedabandofworkersaseveranychurchpossessed”; fourthwas“anunfalteringfaithinthepromisesofGod.”Kemp’sministry inEdinburghendedonSeptember5,1915,whenhe left to

pastorCalvaryBaptistChurch inNewYorkCity.During the farewell service,JohnHenryJowett,thenpastoringinNewYork,unexpectedlyshowedup.AndwhentheKempfamilywassailingoutofLiverpool,theyheardavoicecallingfromanothership:“Goodbye,Kemp!Goodbye,Kemp!”TheydiscovereditwasA.C.Dixon,thenpastoroftheMetropolitanTabernacleinLondon.CalvaryinNew York resembled Charlotte Chapel in many respects when Joseph Kemparrived.Oneof the first thingshedidwas removea thousandnames from thechurchroll.Hecalledit“ecclesiasticalhypocrisy”toadvertiseinflatedstatistics.Unfortunately,Kemp’shealthbegan tobreak,andheresignedfromCalvary inFebruary1917.HeministeredashorttimeatthenewMetropolitanTabernacleinNewYorkCity,butacompletebreakdownforcedhimtoleavetheworkin1919.Inthespringof1920,heacceptedacalltotheBaptistTabernaclefoundedby

Thomas Spurgeon in Auckland, New Zealand. God miraculously restoredKemp’s health, and he entered the new ministry with great expectations. Sopopularwere hisBible classes thatmany of the bookstores ran out ofBibles.One byproduct of his ministry was the founding of the New Zealand BibleTrainingInstitute.AgainKemporganizeddailyprayermeetingsforrevival,buthedidnotseetheresultshehadseeninEdinburgh.Hewroteafriend:

Weoftenwonderwhyrevival tarries.ForovereighteenmonthsadailyprayermeetinghasbeenheldintheTabernacle,inadditiontotwoorthreeprayermeetingsoftheregularorder—theburdenofallofwhichhasbeen,“WiltThounotreviveusagain?”Stilltherevivaltarries.Peopledonotrespondsoreadilynowtotheappealsastheydidtwenty-fiveyearsago.

KemppaidhislastvisittoGreatBritainin1926.HepreachedatKeswick,andministeredintheUnitedStatesandCanadaonthereturntrip.BackinAucklandhetookuphisworkwithcharacteristiczeal,butin1932hishealthagainbegantofail.HediedonSeptember4,1933,aftersevenmonthsofseriousillness.He

wasburiedthenextdayintheHillsboroughCemetery,withsixthousandpeoplelining the streets to pay tribute to a great preacher-evangelist who is almostforgottentoday.JosephKempwasaSpirit-taughtman,spendinghourssearchingtheBible.He

didnotborrowothermen’ssermons;hegothismessagesfromGodandalwayspreachedtheWord.Hewasamanofprayer.BoundsonPrayer(nowinprintasPowerThroughPrayer)byE.M.Boundswasoneofhisfavoritebooks.Liketheapostles of old, he gave himself to prayer and theministry of theWord (Acts6:4).Kempwasnotcontenttoministerinacomfortablechurch;hewentafterlost

soulsandpreachedthegospel tothem.Herefusedtobecontrolledbywhathecalled“thetyrannyofstatistics.”HetaughttheWordofGod.HesawthatnewChristians studied the Bible and served the Lord in the church. ToKemp thechurchwasnotafieldtoworkin;itwasaforcetoworkwith.Heexpectedandreceived the cooperation of his church officers, and God blessed their worktogether.His ministry at Charlotte Chapel was no passing thing. His successor, W.

GrahamScroggie,ministeredforseventeenyearswithgreatblessing.Theworkthen prospered under Scroggie’s successor, J. Sidlow Baxter. When I visitedCharlotte Chapel a few years ago, I gave thanks to God for the ministry ofJosephKemp.Kemp was influenced greatly by the life of George Whitefield and the

sermonsofCharlesH.Spurgeon.CharlesG.Finney’sLecturesonRevivalsalsomadeanimpactonhislife.“Ihavefrequentlybeenasked,‘WhatisthesecretofMr.Kemp’ssuccess?’”saidoneofhischurchofficers.“Itisthis:hebelievesinthegospelwhichhepreaches,becauseheknowswhat ithasdone forhimself,andwhathehasseenitdoforothers....Hebelievesinprayer.Inotherwords,hepreachesthegospelinfaith,andexpectsandwaitsfortheresults.Godhonorshis faith, and he gets the answer he expects.” Prayer, Bible teaching, andevangelism—thereisnoreasonwhytheformulashouldnotworktoday.

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OswaldChambers1874–1917

feel I shall be buried for a time, hidden away in obscurity; then suddenly Ishallflameout,domywork,andbegone.”ThosewordswerespokenbyOswaldChambers,authorofMyUtmostforHis

Highest and more than thirty other books that never seem to grow old. Hisstatementwasprophetic—exceptthattheflameGodlitisstillburningbrightly,thankstotheprintedpage.WhenyoureviewthelifeofOswaldChambers,youcanwellunderstandwhy

a friendonce introducedhimas“theapostleof thehaphazard.”Like thewindJesus spoke of in John 3:8, Chambers came and went in a seemingly erraticfashion;yettherewasadefiniteplaninhislife,andhewasgreatlyusedofGod.Heisagoodremindertoboxed-inChristiansthatGodsometimesbypassesourdate-books and management-by-objectives and does the surprising, even theunexpected,inourlives.Oswald Chambers was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, on July 24, 1874. His

parents had been baptized by Charles Spurgeon, who had also ordainedChambers’fatherintoBaptistministry.WhilethefamilywaslivinginLondon,teenageOswaldgavehishearttoChrist.HeandhisfatherwerewalkinghomefromameetingconductedbySpurgeon,

and Oswald admitted that he would have given himself to the Lord had theopportunitybeengiven.“Youcandoitnow,myboy!”saidhisfather,andrightthere,theboytrustedChristandwasbornagain.HewasbaptizedbyRev.J.T.BriscoeandbecameamemberoftheRyeLaneBaptistChurchinLondon.Agiftedartist,Chambersenteredartschoolin1892andthreeyearslaterwent

to Edinburgh to continue his studies. In 1896, he felt a definite call to theministry, and the following year he entered the Dunoon Training College inScotland. Not only did he have an outstanding record as a student, but he

remainedaftergraduationto teach.Hehadaspecial interest inphilosophyandpsychology,andtaughtthosecourses.But inNovember1901,Chambershadadeepexperiencewith theLord that

transformedhislife.HecalleditabaptismoftheHolySpirit,atermIprefertoapply only to the believer’s experience at conversion (see 1Cor. 12:13). ThisspecialfillingoftheSpiritgavehimnewinsightsintoboththeChristianlifeandthecourseshewasthenteaching.InhisministryoftheWord,herevealsboththephilosopherandthepsychologist.Heleftschoolin1905andbegananitinerantministryinBritain, theUnited

States,andJapan.HetaughtattheOrientalMissionarySocietyBibleSchoolinTokyo,andthenhebecamea“missioner”fortheLeagueofPrayerthathadbeenfoundedbyReaderHarris.HewasmarriedonMay25,1910,toGertrudeHobbs,adevotedwomanwhowasalsoanexpertstenographer,afactthatwouldmeanmuchintheyearstocome.Chambers felt there was a need for a Bible college in Britain that would

emphasizepersonalChristianlivingandnotjusteducationandpracticaltraining.With the help of some friends, he founded the Bible Training College atClapham. The school operated on faith and prayer.When a friend offered toendowtheschool,Chambersrefusedtheoffersaying,“No,ifyoudothatitwillprobablygoonlongerthanGodmeansitto.”HefeltledtoofferhimselfasamilitarychaplainduringWorldWarI,andon

October 9, 1915, he sailed with the troops for Zeitoun, Egypt, where heministereduntilhisuntimelydeathonNovember15,1917.Hehadappendicitisanddidnotknowit;peritonitissetinandhislifecouldnotbesaved.At this point his wife Gertrude (whom everybody called Biddy) and his

daughterKathleenenterthepictureandbecomeveryimportant.Biddyremainedat their home in Zeitoun and ministered for about a year. Then she and herdaughterreturnedtoEngland.Overtheyears,shehadtakenstenographicreportsofherhusband’smessagesand,attherequestofmanyfriends,begantoeditandpublishthem.OswaldChambersneveractuallywroteanyofhisbooks,althoughhis name is on them.He spoke everyword, but itwas hiswife, and later hisdaughter, who prepared themanuscripts andmothered each book through thepresses. How grateful we are to God that Chambers married an expertstenographer!HismostfamousbookisMyUtmostforHisHighest,adailydevotionalbook

that not every Christian can immediately appreciate. I recall telling a mature

ChristianfriendmanyyearsagothatIwasgettingnothingoutofthebook.“Setitasideforatime,”shecounseled.“It’ssomethingyouhavetogrowinto.”Shewas right: the problem was not the complexity of the book but the spiritualimmaturity of the reader. In later years, I have come to appreciate this classicdevotionalbook,andIlearnmorefromitastheyearsgoby.Toomanydevotionalbooksarefinishedwithonereading,becausetheydonot

getdowntothefundamentaltruthsthatkeepexpandingintomoretruth.Agoodbookislikeaseed:itproducesfruitthathasinitseedformorefruit.Itisnotapictureonthewall;itisawindowthatinvitesustowiderhorizons.EachtimeIreadapagefromMyUtmostforHisHighest,Iamremindedofa

forgottennugget,orIseesomethingnewthatpreviouslyhadeludedme.Itisabooktogrowwithand,assuch,itisunique.All thewritingsofOswaldChambershave theirvalue. Imustconfess that I

getabittiredofhisalliteration,someofwhichseemsforced,butIhavelearnedto look beyond it. I have especially appreciated his book on Abraham, NotKnowingWhither.The Philosophy of Sin has some penetrating insights in it.ChamberswassimilartoF.B.Meyerinhisabilitytodiagnosespiritualproblemsandgivebiblical solutions.BiblicalPsychology revealsChambers theamateurpsychologist, but the emphasis is on the Bible and not the psychology. HisstudiesinJob,BaffledtoFightBetter,arebriefbutrich,andveryrewarding.Theofficialbiography,OswaldChambers:HisLifeandWork,wascompiled

andeditedbyhiswife.Shequotedfromhisjournals,addedherowncomments,and quoted from material given her by his many friends and associates inministry.LikeChambershimself,thisbookisabithaphazard,andthereadercaneasilylosethechronologicaltrail.ButthemanyquotationsfromChambers,andtherevelationofhispersonality,makeitsreadingworthwhile.ItwaspublishedinLondonin1933bySimpkinMarshall,Ltd.What kind of a man was Oswald Chambers? For one thing, he was not a

brittleandpious“saint”wholivedalooffromtheworldandthepeoplearoundhim.Hewasverymuchalive,andhehadamarveloussenseofhumor.OnemanwrotetoMrs.Chambersthathehadbeen“shockedatwhatIthenconsideredhisunduelevity.HewasthemostirreverentReverendIhadevermet!”ButChambersgavehimselftotallytotheLord,andthisincludedhissenseof

humor. He once wrote in his journal, “Lord, keep me radiantly and joyouslyThine.”En route toEgypt, he conducted services on the ship and brought hishumorintothemessages.

“Ah,Isee,”saidoneofthemen,“yourjokesandlightheartednessploughtheland,thenyouputintheseed.”Youcouldnotfindabetterphilosophyofhumorinthepulpitthanthat.Chambersemphasizedholyliving,buthedidnotdivorceitfromthepractical

affairsoflife.“Iamrealizingmoreandmorethefutilityofseparatingalifeintosecularandsacred.ItisallHis.”Thosewordssummarizehispositionperfectly.Hewrotetoafriend,“YoucanbemuchmoreforHimthaneveryouknowbyjustbeingyourselfandrelyingonHim....Keepprayingandplayingandbeingyourself.”Hefeltthathisowngreatestministrywasthatofintercessoryprayer.Agiftedteacher,hewascareful that thetruthshetaughtweremeaningful in

hisownlife.“Viewsfrompropagandistteachingareborrowedplumes,”hesaid.“Teachingismeanttostirupthinking,nottostorewithgoodsfromtheoutside.”Thatisgoodcounselinthisagewhenmanyteachersandpreachersmanufacturetheirlessonsandsermonsoutofborrowednuggetsinsteadofminingtheirowngoldandrefiningitinexperience.Chamberssoughttopresenttruthinwaysthatwouldexcitenewinterestinhis

listeners.One listener said, “Iwondered, as I drank in hismessage,whether IhadthesameBibleashehad.ThewrittenWordbecameaLivingWord,andasIobeyeditmywholelifewasaltered.”HewouldhaveagreedwithA.W.Tozerthattheonlyrealworldistheworld

oftruthfoundintheBible.Hewrote:“TheActualworldofthingsandtheRealworld of Truth have to bemade into one in personal experience.” ToomanyChristianstrytoavoidthiscreativetensionbygoingeithertoextremeisolationfromtheworldortoextremepreoccupationwiththeworld.Oswald Chambers loved books and read widely. The biography contains

references to many authors of different theological positions, fromAlexanderMaclaren and JohnHenry Jowett toEmmanuelSwedenborg andRalphWaldoEmerson.“Mybooks!”hewrotetoafriend.“Icannottellyouwhattheyaretome—silent,wealthy,loyallovers.. . .IdothankGodformybookswitheveryfiber ofmy being. Friends that are ever true and ever your own.”He alwaysintegratedhiswidereadingwiththeWordofGod,whichheconsideredtheonlytestforspiritualtruth.In many respects, Chambers was not in tune with the general spirit of

evangelicalChristianityinhisday.OnhiswaytoEgypt,hewroteinhisjournal:“HowunproselytizingGodis!Ifeelthe‘soulwinningcampaign’isoftenatheart

theapotheosis[glorification]ofcommercialism,thedesiretoseesomuchresultfrom so much expenditure. The ordinary evangelical spirit is less and lesscongenial to my own soul.” His writings are a good antidote to the successphilosophythathasinvadedthechurchinourownday.Hesaidthat“the‘soulsaving passion’ as an aim must cease and merge into the passion for Christ,revealing itself in holiness in all human relationships.” In other words, soul-winningisnotsomethingwedo,itissomethingweare,twenty-fourhoursaday,and we live for souls because we love Christ. No counting trophies in hisministry.Hewasnot afraid to accept truthnomatterwhat channelGodmightuse to

give it to him. He told students to “soak, soak, soak in philosophy andpsychology. . . . It is ignorance of the subjects on the part of ministers andworkersthathasbroughtourevangelicaltheologytosuchasorryplight.”1Bothinthepulpitandclassroom,andasapersonalcounselor,Chambersrevealedhiskeen understanding of theBible, the humanheart andmind, and theworld ofthought.Hewas able to blend these disciplines into a totalministry thatGodgreatlyused.LetmeshareafewquotationsfromOswaldChambersthat,Itrust,willwhet

yourappetiteformore.Youcannevergiveanotherpersonthatwhichyouhavefound,butyoucanmakehimhomesickforwhatyouhave.

Ifwe are saved and sanctified,God guides us by our ordinary choices, and ifwe are going tochoosewhatHedoesnotwant,Hewillcheck,andwemustheed.

EverydoctrinethatisnotimbeddedintheCrossofJesuswillleadastray.

Stophavingameasuringrodforotherpeople.Thereisalwaysonefactmoreineveryman’scaseaboutwhichweknownothing.

Ittakesalongtimetorealizethedangerofbeinganamateurprovidence,thatis,interferingwithGod’sorderforothers.

OurLord’sfirstobediencewastothewillofHisFather,nottotheneedsofmen;thesavingofmenwasthenaturaloutcomeofHisobediencetotheFather.2

One of his sayings that is underlined in my copy ofMy Utmost for HisHighesthasbeenespeciallymeaningfultome.

ThesnareinChristianworkistorejoiceinsuccessfulservice,torejoiceinthefactthatGodhasusedyou....Ifyoumakeusefulnessthetest,thenJesusChristwasthegreatestfailurethateverlived.ThelodestarofthesaintisGodHimself,notestimatedusefulness.It is theworkthatGoddoesthroughusthatcounts,notwhatwedoforHim.3

Mrs.Chambersdied in1966, just after shehadbegun toprepare the thirty-

secondvolume for the publishers, andher daughter completed the book.Howgrateful toGodweshouldbeforBiddyandKathleen’sunselfish laborof loveovertheyears,insharingtheministryofOswaldChamberswithus.HisbodyisburiedinthecemeteryinOldCairo,hisspiritisrejoicinginthepresenceofGod,andhisministrygoesontriumphantly.Perhapsonefinalquotationwillsumuphisphilosophyof theChristian life.

“Nevermakeaprincipleoutofyourownexperience;letGodbeasoriginalwithotherpeopleasHeiswithyou.”Hemay have been the apostle of the haphazard, butOswaldChambers can

assistanysincereChristianinorderinghislifeaccordingtothewillofGod.

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H.A.Ironside1876–1951

helast timeIheardH.A.Ironsidepreachwasinthelate1940satWinonaLake,Indiana.Histextwasfromchapter32ofhisbelovedIsaiah(whichhe

pronounced“I-SIGH-ah”).Inhisownquietway,IronsideexaltedJesusChristasman’s only refuge from the comingwrathofGod. I still remember a storyhetold thatday,basedonhisexperienceswith theAmerican Indians,ofhurryinginto theshelterofahugerock toescapeasuddenstorm. Ialso remember thatwhenhereadfromhisbigBible,hehelditclosetohiseyes,forbythattimehewasalmostblind.Onemorememoryremains:thatofIronsidesittingonabenchin the Billy Sunday Tabernacle, watching young Billy Graham, who waspreaching a dramatic message on the temptation of Christ. Ironside’s facialexpressionwasoneofappreciationashisyoungerbrotherpreachedthegospelofJesusChrist.October14,1976,markedthecentenaryofthebirthofHenryAllanIronside.Theofficialbiography,H.A.IronsidebyE.SchuylerEnglish,hasbeenrevised andupdatedby the author.Thenewedition is publishedbyLoizeaux,publisherofmostofIronside’sbooks.WhenIronsidewasborn,theattendingphysicianthoughtthebabywasdead.

Since themotherdesperatelyneededattention, thedoctor concentratedonher.Nearly an hour later, a nurse detected the child’s pulse. Immediately theyplungedthebabyintoahotbath,andhebegantocry.ItseemedevidenttothegodlyparentsthattheLordhadmarkedtheirsonforsomethingspecial.When Henry, nicknamed Harry, was about two and his brother only three

weeksold,hisfatherdied.Harry’smothertaughthimtotrustGodforeverydayneeds.Someofthefamily’sexperiencesreadlikemiraclesfromthelifeofElijahorPaul.SophiaIronsideaskedGodtomakeherchildrenpreachersoftheWordandwinners of souls.Under hismother’s guidance,Harry began tomemorizeScripturewhen hewas three. By age fourteen, he had read through theBiblefourteentimes,“onceforeachyear.”DuringtherestofhislifehereadtheBible

through at least once a year.A pastor friend toldme of aBible conference atwhich he and Ironside were two of the speakers. During the conference thespeakers discussed their approaches to personal devotions. Each man sharedwhathehadreadfromtheWordthatmorning.WhenitwasIronside’sturn,hehesitated,thensaid,“IreadthebookofIsaiah.”HewassaturatedwiththeWordofGod.Sophiadecidedin1886tomoveherfamilytoCalifornia.Eventhoughhewas

not yet converted, young Harry started a Sunday school, which about sixtyneighborhoodchildrenattended.Whenhewastwelve,HarrywenttoHazzard’sPavilion tohearDwightL.Moodyandwasdeeplystirredby themessage.Heprayed that evening, “Lord,helpme someday topreach to crowds like these,andtoleadsoulstoChrist.”FourdecadeslaterhebecamethepastorofMoodyChurch in Chicago. In several respects Ironside’s sermons were similar toMoody’s.Theywerealwaysdirectedtothecommonmanandfreeoftheologicaljargon.TheywerenotlongandwerefilledwiththeWordofGod.LikeMoody,Ironsidewasamasterofillustratingtruthswithpersonalexperiences.Fromtheillustrations in his published expositions, one could almost produce anautobiography.Ironside finally gave his heart to Christ in February 1890, and almost

immediatelyhe identifiedwith theSalvationArmy.TheArmyrepresented justwhathewantedinChristianfellowshipandservice:separationfromsin,couragetowitness,aburdenforsouls,andwillingnesstolivebyfaith.Twoyearslaterhewas a respected officer. But disillusionment with the Army’s position onsanctificationresultedinhisresigninghiscommissionin1895.Thefullstoryisgiven in his bookHoliness: The False and the True, one of the best booksavailable on practical holiness in the Christian life. The next year IronsideidentifiedhimselfwiththeBrethreninSanFrancisco,andtheBrethrenremainedhis“ecclesiasticalfellowship”untilhisdeath.SeveralthingsaboutIronsidewillamazeyouasyoureadEnglish’sexcellent

biography. First is Ironside’s faith. God often provided for his needs inmiraculousways,especiallyintheearlydaysofhisministry.ReadingaboutsuchinstanceswillgreatlyencourageyoutotrustGoddaily.OneistemptedtoaddtoHebrews11:“ByfaithHarryIronside,needinganewsuitofclothes...”SecondisIronside’swillingnesstogowhereGodsenthimanddowhatGodwished.Heneverpromotedhimselforplayedpoliticsto“getmeetings.”Whetherpreachingto small crowds on street corners or to large congregations, he always did his

best. Third is his constant study of theWord of God. To compensate for hisacademic limitations, Ironside studied the Bible faithfully. (As a hobby, hetaught himself Chinese!) His ministry was one of Bible exposition, simplyopening theWord of God and allowing the Spirit to speak for himself. Andfinally,Ironsidealwayswentforsouls.Tohim,BibleexpositionwasameanstoglorifyChristandtocallsinnerstotrusthim.IronsidefirstvisitedMoodyChurchinChicagoin1925,justtwomonthsafter

P.W.Philpotthadmovedhiscongregationintotheirnew4,000-seatauditorium.Ironsidewas to conduct a two-week conference, butwhenPhilpottwas calledoutoftown,Ironsidestayedoveranotherweek.Philpottinvitedhimbackeachyear,andhisministrywasalwaysappreciated.AfterPastorPhilpottresigned,thecongregation inevitably turned to Ironside. TheBrethren,withwhom Ironsidewas associated, believed that local assemblies should have several pastor-teachersandthatnoneshouldbepaid.Ironsidehadagreedwiththisconviction.Some of the Chicago Brethren talked of breaking fellowship with him if heaccepted the call from Moody Church. But when Ironside was unanimouslycalled to thechurchonFebruary24,1930,andheaccepted,evenhisBrethrenfriendspromisedtoprayforandsupporthim.Today it is still impossible to think of Moody Church without thinking of

Ironside.Thoseof uswho lived in theChicago area duringhis longpastorate(1930–48)thankGodforhisministryoftheWord.HewouldselectabookoftheBible and preach through it on successive Sundays;most of these series havefoundtheirwayintoprint.Ironside’spreachingwasthedespairofeveryhomileticsprofessor.Icanstill

hear students arguing with our seminary professor: “But Dr. Ironside doesn’tpreach with an outline like you’re asking us to make.” And I can hear theprofessor’s reply:“IfyouareasgoodasDr. Ironside,youdon’tbelong in thisclass!”While Ironside’s messages did not usually follow an obvious outline,theywerealwaysorganized.Heknewwherehewasgoing,andhegotthere.Tothecasual listener it seemed like thepreacherwasmerelygoing fromverse toverse,makingafewcommentsandexplanationsandperhapsaddingastory.Butthe careful listener always found a thread of doctrine woven throughout themessage.Ironsideknewhowtocomparespiritualthingswithspiritual.Heusedthe Bible to illustrate and interpret itself. The thing that impressed me mostabouthispreachingwaswhatIcallits“personalpracticality.”Hehadamessageforyou,andhewantedyoutogetit.Usuallyyoudid.

Ironside did not “run” Moody Church. He was often away at conferencesduringtheweekandlefttheday-to-dayorganizationalmatterswiththestaffandchurch officers. Ironside was the preacher. Everybody knew it, and nobodywanted it any other way. I recall seeing a letter from the elders to Ironside,however, requesting that he limit his summer conference ministry so that hewould be at the church when many visitors came. It would be interesting tocalculate exactly howmany days hewas gone during those eighteen years offruitfulministry.Onethingiscertain:hardlyaLord’sDaywentbywithoutoneor more persons responding to the invitation at the close of the service andtrustingChrist.Some have criticized Ironside for preaching throughBible books instead of

preaching“morecontemporarymessages”insuchastrategicpulpit.Buttime,Ithink,hasvindicatedhisministry.Hisexpositionsareas freshandmeaningfultoday as when they were preached. I have many books of “contemporarysermons” inmy library,and they read likeoldnewspapers incomparison.Notevery preacher is called to be an expositor, but I encourage every preacher tostrivetobeone.PeopleeverywherearehungryfortheWordofGod,andthebestwaytogivethemabalanceddietistopreachBiblebooks,weekbyweek.On Sunday, January 14, 1951, Moody Church was joyfully installing their

newpastor,S.FranklinLogsdon,whenthecablegramarrivedfromMrs.IronsideinNewZealand:“Dr.Ironsidediedinhissleepthismorningaftershortillness.”He had been sick less than a week when, on January 15 (the date in NewZealand), he died. At his request he was buried in New Zealand. A greatmemorialservicewasheldatMoodyChurchonSundayafternoon,February4,with pastors Logsdon and Howard A. Hermansen officiating, assisted byIronside’sgoodfriendAlexH.Stewart,hisbiographerE.SchuylerEnglish,CarlArmerding,WilliamCulbertson,andHomerHammontree.Theblessedinfluenceof IronsidestillhoversoverMoodyChurch.Hisministryhas strengthenedmeandencouragedmetodomybest.AChristianbooksellersaidtome,“Therehasarisenagenerationthatknows

notIronside.”Ifthatbetrue—andIamnotsureitis—thenitsaysnothingaboutIronside.Butitdoessayagreatdealaboutthenewgeneration!Ironsidewasnotadazzlingpreacher;hedidnotaimtobesensational.Hesteppedintothepulpitwithexclamationpoints,notquestionmarks.Agenerationofpreachersthathastriedeverygimmickavailabletogetpeople’sattentionwoulddowelltobecomeacquaintedwithHarryIronsideandtolearnafreshthemeaningoflivingbyfaith

andpreachingtheWordofGodinsimplicityandlove.

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ClarenceEdwardMacartney1879–1957

raditionally,almosteveryScottishministrycouplewantedoneoftheirsonstobecomeapreacher,andJohnandCatherineMacartneywerenoexception.

God answered their prayers “exceedingly abundantly,” because three of theirsons were called into the ministry, and the fourth and youngest is known toChristianpreachersandteachersaroundtheworld.ClarenceEdwardMacartneywasbornonSeptember18,1879,inNorthwood,

Ohio, intoaReformedPresbyterian family.Hisparentscame toAmerica fromScotland.PeterMarshall,chaplainof theUnitedStatesSenate(1947–49),usedtosay,“Ifyouwanttobecomeagreatpreacher,youmustarrangetobeborninScotland.” (Campbell Morgan and Martyn Lloyd-Jones opted for Wales.)Clarence’s fatherwas not only aminister, but also an educator, and served asprincipal of a high school and thenprofessor ofmathematics at the college inNewConcord,Ohio.WhenClarencewasninemonthsold,thecollegerelocatedto Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, and the family moved into “Fern Cliffe,” acommodious house that was just right for raising a large family. All his life,MacartneyrememberedthosedelightfulFernCliffeyearsandthankedGodforthem.Clarence’smotherwasthestrongestinfluenceinhislife.Shewasfromsturdy

Covenanter stock, and everyone who spoke of her called her “a remarkablewoman.”Notonlydidshefaithfullycareforherownfamily,butshealsosoughtoutandhelpedpeoplewhoneededspecialencouragementandcare,a trait thatappearedyearslaterinheryoungestson’spastoralministry.Unlikesomepastorsinhisownday (andcertainly inourday), eachweekhe invested twoor threeeveningsandthreeorfourafternoonsinvisitinghispeople.Mentionvisitationtomostpreacherstoday,andtheywillsmileandsay,“We’renotintothat.”ButlikeRobertMurrayMcCheyneandPhillipsBrooks,Macartneynevermarried,sohewasfreefromthe“manytroubles”Paulwroteabout in1Corinthians7:28and

coulddevotemoretimetochurchresponsibilities.John Macartney’s health declined, and their doctor recommended that the

familymovetoCalifornia.TheylivedtherefortwoyearsandClarenceattendedPomonaCollege.There he developed a passion for baseball and even becamecaptainoftheteam.Buttherewasalsoastrongreligiousinfluenceoncampus.HeheardsingerGeorgeC.Stebbins,whocomposed“SavedByGrace,”andalsoD.L.Moody’sassociateIraD.Sankey,whosang“TheNinetyandNine”forthestudents.Hissecondyearatcollege,afellowstudentdiedandClarencewasoneofthepallbearers.Heconfessedthatitwas“averysolemnoccasion.”Godusesavarietyofexperiencestomoldandmakehisservants,butatthetime,wemaynotrealizeit.Clarenceneverforgottheinscriptiononthememorialgatewayattheentrance

of thecampus: “Letonly theeager, thoughtful and reverent enterhere.”Yearslaterhequotedthestatementinhissermon“HorsestoThosewhoCanRide”andcommented,“Perhapsthetimewillcomewhenlessattentionwillbepaidtothescholarlyqualificationsofagraduate,andmoretothequalificationsofcharacter,forentranceandmatriculation.”1Nordidhe forget thewords inscribedon theothersideof thegateway:“Theyonlyare loyal to thiscollegewho,departing,beartheiraddedrichesintrustformankind.”Thankstohispublishedsermons,ClarenceEdwardMacartneyisstilladdingrichestoGod’schurch.TheCaliforniaclimatedidn’thelp JohnMacartney’shealthasmuchas they

hadhoped,sohedecidedthefamilywouldmovetoDenver.ClarencestayedinCalifornia to complete his courses at Pomona College and to prepare foruniversity,buthestillwasn’tcertainabouthislife’svocation.Atthesuggestionoftwoofhisbrothers,heenrolledintheUniversityofWisconsin,receivinghisBAin1901.Wearen’tsurehowmuchyoungClarencewas thinkingabout theministryduring those earlyyears, but hismother constantlyhad thematter onherheartandinherprayers.AftergraduatingfromtheUniversityofWisconsin,Clarencetookayearoffto

workasareporterforacountynewspaper.Hecalledthejob“amostimportantchapterinmytrainingfortheworkofmylife,”forittaughthimtogatherfacts,organizethem,andwritethemclearlyandconcisely.Aboutthattime,hismotherwrotetooneofhisbrothers,“IneverknewanyonewhowassoclearlymarkedforthepulpitasClarence,ifonlytheLordwouldputgraceintohisheart.”TheLorddidputthatgraceintohisheart,andafterhisyearatthenewspaper

heheadedforPrincetonUniversity,wherehereceivedhisMAin1904.Thenext

stepwasPrincetonTheologicalSeminary,whereheenteredasamemberofthejunior class and graduated in 1905with his Bachelor ofDivinity degree. Theseminaryhadastellarfaculty,includingnotedOldTestamentscholarDr.RobertDickWilson,whowas proficient in over twenty languages.Dr.Wilsonwas astalwartdefenderofthefaith,andin1929heleftPrincetonSeminaryandjoinedJ.GreshamMacheninfoundingWestminsterSeminary.But let’s backtrack a bit. The summer following his first year at seminary,

Clarencewas invited tobe the summerministerof thePresbyterianChurch inthe little town of Prairie du Sac,Wisconsin.Hewould be paid fifty dollars amonth, and during those summer months would have numerous pastoralopportunitiestohelppreparehimforhisfinalyearatseminary.Heacceptedtheinvitationandwasdetermined to followthe twopreceptsgiven to thestudentsbyDr.DavidJ.Burrell,celebratedpastorofMarbleCollegiateChurchonFifthAvenue inNewYorkCity:alwayshaveaclearoutline,andneverpreachwithnotes or from amanuscript. During hismore than fifty years ofministry, Dr.Macartneyneverdepartedfromthoseguidelines; infact,yearslaterhewroteabook calledPreachingwithout Notes, first published in 1946 and reprinted in1976byBakerBooks.Onlyonechapterdealswiththethemeofthetitle,buttheother five chapters build toward that theme and contain valuable counsel foreverypreacher.Serving the church that summerwas indeeda challenge.Hehad fewbooks

withhim, therewasno library in the little town, andhewasdetermined,withGod’shelp,toserveasthoughhewouldremaintheretherestofhislife.Hewasnotonvacation.Hehad two sermonswithhim,oneon Judas Iscariot and theother on John 12:24, and he confessed that “had it not been for the OldTestament characters, Iwould have gone into pulpit bankruptcy.”Once again,Godwasequippinghimforhis futureministry, for thenameClarenceEdwardMacartneyshouldimmediatelyremindthewell-readpastororlaymanofbiblicalbiographicalpreaching.Shortly after graduation from seminary in 1905,Macartney accepted a call

fromFirst PresbyterianChurch in Patterson,New Jersey,where he served fornine years. From1914 to 1927, he servedArchStreet PresbyterianChurch inPhiladelphia, and it was during that pastorate that he became involved in the“Fundamentalist/Modernist Controversy” triggered by the preaching of HarryEmersonFosdickatFirstPresbyterianChurch inNewYorkCity.Fosdickwasknown for his liberal theology andpersuasivepreaching. In his autobiography

TheLivingofTheseDays, Fosdick said thatMacartney’s “theological positionwas inmy judgment incredible,” but thatMacartney himselfwas “decent anddignified in his attitude . . . fair-minded and courteous.”2 Fosdick had beenattackedviciouslyfromthepulpitandinprintbycertainFundamentalistleaderswhohadnotbeenentirelyChristian in theirapproach,andMacartney’scandorandcourtesyimpressedhim.Fosdick had preached a sermon entitled “Shall the Fundamentalists Win?”

whichdeniedmanyofthecardinaldoctrinesoftheChristianfaith.Thesermonwasprinted anddistributedwidely. Inhis autobiography,Fosdick claimed thatthe sermon was “a plea for goodwill,”3 but how could devout Christians see“goodwill” in the preacher’s denial of the virgin birth ofChrist and the bloodatonement?Macartneypreachedasermonentitled“ShallUnbeliefWin?”whichwasalsoprintedandwidelycirculated.(OneofMacartney’sfriendssaid,“Heisnotacontentiousman,butheisaconscientiousman.”)InOctober1922,atthemeetingof thePhiladelphiaPresbytery,Macartneypresented an address to thePresbytery of New York from the Presbytery of Philadelphia, graciouslyrequesting that the preaching at First Presbyterian Church of New York Cityconformto thedoctrinalstandardsof thePresbyterianChurch.Fosdickwasanordained Baptist minister serving as “stated pulpit supply” in a Presbyterianchurch,andheoughttorespectthefactthathewasaguestinthepulpit.But Dr. Fosdick wasn’t disturbed by these negative reactions. “I am

profoundlysorrythatthesermonhasbeenmisinterpreted,”hewrotetoafriend;“Iamprofoundlysorrythatithascausedadisturbance;butIcannothonestlybesorryatallthatIpreachedthesermon.WhenIgettoheavenIexpectittobeoneof the stars inmycrown.”4Agreat deal of public debate and denominationaldiscussion followed.Fosdickdid resign fromhisministryatFirstPresbyterianChurch and in 1924 Macartney was elected moderator of the PresbyterianGeneral Assembly, but the differences between the modernists and thefundamentalistshadnotreallybeenfacedorsolved.J.GreshamMachenledtheconservativesinestablishingWestminsterTheologicalSeminaryinPhiladelphia,aswellasTheIndependentBoardforPresbyterianForeignMissions,andwasindangerofbeingtriedasaschismatic.Macartneyofferedhisservicesascounselbut Machen graciously refused on the grounds that he did not want to beacquitted. He seceded from the denomination and founded the OrthodoxPresbyterianChurch.AtWestminster Seminary,Machen helped to trainmanyministers,andhistwomasterpieces,TheVirginBirthofChristandTheOriginofPaul’sReligion,stillinstructthinkingbelieverstoday.

In1927,MacartneyacceptedthecalltothestrategicFirstPresbyterianChurchinPittsburg,Pennsylvania,whereheremaineduntil1953.Therehefollowedthesame pattern that had been so successful in Patterson and Philadelphia,preaching sermon series on biblical doctrines and personalities and alsopreachingwhathecalled“sermonsfromlife.”Hewasamasterofwhatwetodaycall“narrativepreaching,”andknewhowtorelatebiblicaleventsandpersonstocontemporarylife.InspiteofhisScottishheritage,hewasnotanexpositorypreacher,although

hissermonswerebasedsolidlyonScriptureandhedidhishomeworkwell.Hewasmoreof a topical-textual preacher, usingbiblical events and characters astheframeworkforthemessage.Nomatterwhatthetextorthetopic,Macartneywas always evangelistic and declared the good news of the gospelweek afterweek.BillySunday’smusicdirector,HomerRodeheaver,toldMacartneythatifhewoulddevoteallhistimetoevangelism,hecouldbethegreatestevangelistofthecentury.Therewere occasionswhen he preached against social evils such as liquor

advertising,Sabbathdesecration,vice,politicalcorruption,andindecentmovies.ThesemessageswerealwaysbasedonScripture. Inhis sermons,heaimedforsimplicity, a clearly stated theme and outline, memorable illustrations, andapplicationtolife.Oneofhisruleswas,“PutalltheBibleintoitthatyoucan.”Thisisagoodplaceforastorythatcomesoutofhisvisitationministrywhile

in Pittsburgh. He and an assistant had visited in perhaps a dozen homes oneafternoonbeforestoppingtoseeaBritishladywhoattendedFirstPresbyterianChurch.TheyweresittingcomfortablybythefiresidechattingwhenMacartneyfell fastasleep inhischair.The ladyof thehouseaddressedaquestion tohimandtherewasnoanswer.Theassistantcalledout,“Doctor!”Macartneyopenedhiseyesandsaidtohisassistant,“Howmany,Jimmy?”referringtothenumberofcallstheyhadmade.Thishadnothingtodowiththelady’squestion,butshewas unperturbed, andMacartney hid his laughter by bending over and pettingthecat.Evenifhedidfallasleepduringonevisit,Macartney’sphilosophyofpastoral

visitationwasasoundone:“IfeelthatbeforeIpreach,Imustirrigatemysoulwiththejoysandsorrowsofmypeople.”Imightaddthathehadagoodsenseofhumor, but rarely used it in the pulpit. To his Scottish soul, preaching wasserious business, and a preacher never knew when he would give his lastsermon.

Although heministered to everyone,Macartneywas recognized as aman’spreacher. In 1930 he started the “Tuesday Noon Club for Businessmen” withonly twelvemen, and it grew to a totalmembershipof two thousand,with anaverageweeklyattendanceofeighthundred.Themengatheredatthechurchat11:30 for lunch,andat12:25were led ina spiritedhymnsing for tenminutes.The male chorus then sang, and at 12:40 Macartney would speak for tenminutes. He said that those addresses were “straight-forward gospel andscripturalmessages,butalwaysadaptedtothedailybattleofthesoul.”Hecouldhaveinvitedguestpreacherstospeak,buthewantedtogettoknowthemenandmakesuretheyhadopportunitiestotrustJesusChrist.Macartneypreachedfivetimesaweekandwasrarelyawayfromhisownpulpit,andheespeciallysoughttomaketheSundayeveningservicesspecial.SeveralofhissermonbooksgrewoutoftheSundayeveningseries.Apartfromhisministry,oneofhisinterestswasAmericanhistoryingeneral

and Abraham Lincoln in particular. Though he was never recognized as aprofessional historian, hewas highly respected for his knowledge and for thebookshewroteinthosefields,thefirstofwhichwasLincolnandHisGenerals.He alsowroteLincoln andHis Cabinet andLincoln andHis Bible.Hemadewhat he called “pilgrimages” to Civil War battlefields, and the result wasHighways and Byways of the Civil War. He wrote biographies of generalsMcClellanandGrant.HefrequentlyusedCivilWareventsasillustrationsinhissermons.During his busy ministerial career, Macartney published fifty-seven books,

most of them collections of his sermons. While at Arch Street PresbyterianChurch in Philadelphia, on October 10, 1915, he first preached the sermon“ComeBeforeWinter.”Basedon2Timothy4:9and21,thesermoncallsforthewiseuseofopportunitiesandhasastrong

evangelistic emphasis.The sermonwas receivedwith such enthusiasm that hepreacheditannuallyatbothArchStreetandFirstPresbyterian,Pittsburgh,andgave it frequentlywhenhewasaguestpreacher elsewhere.The record showsthat he preached the message more than forty times. In his book PreachingwithoutNotes,heencouragedministersnotto“throwaway”theireffortsbuttoreusemessagesthattheLordhadespeciallyblessed—butnever,ofcourse,asanexcuseforlaziness.During his ministerial career, Macartney was offered professorial chairs in

preaching,buthesaidthathewouldratherpreachhimselfthantrytotellothers

howtopreach.Hediddeliverlecturesinvariousschools,buthisownexamplein the pulpit was his best instruction. In his autobiography The Making of aMinister, he wrote: “If I had my ministry to commence over again, I woulddevotemoretimetoprayer,meditation,andthestudyoftheBible,althoughmypreachinghasbeenentirelyon theBible. Iwould takemore timeoff, too,andnot run the risk tohealthwhichIhave run through too-longhoursofworkbydayandbynight.”5Blessedarethebalanced!Oneofmyuncleswasvicepresidentofa steel foundry in theChicagoarea

andanofficerintheNationalFoundryman’sAssociation,andheoftenhadtogoto Pittsburgh for meetings. He always arranged to be free on Sundays so hecould attend First Presbyterian Church and hear Clarence Edward Macartneypreach.Hisreportstouswereexciting.“Dr.Macartneyjuststandsthereontheplatform,Bible inhand,nonotes,nomanuscript,and talks tous likea friend.Hearinghimpreachisthebestpartofmytrip.”HowIwishIhadbeenthere!

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WilliamWhitingBorden1887–1913

ne Sunday at the Chicago Avenue Church (which later became MoodyChurch),Dr.R.A. Torrey challenged believers to surrender their lives in

totalconsecrationtoJesusChrist.Manystoodtotheirfeet,amongthemaseven-year-oldladinasailor-suit.Nodoubtsomeoftheadultsnearhimsmiledathisaction,buttheboywasdeadlyserious.Infact,thatstepofdedicationcontrolledhis life until, eighteen short years later, he died in Egypt, preparing to go toChinaasamissionary.That ladwasWilliamWhitingBorden, thesubjectofMrs.HowardTaylor’s

classic biography,BordenofYale ’09. Since there has arisen a generation thatknowsnotBorden,Ithinkitistimetheygotacquainted.BordenwasbornNovember1,1887,withbluebloodinhisveinsandasilver

spoon in hismouth.Both theBordens and theWhitings (hismother’s family)camefromdistinguishedEnglishfamiliesnotedforcharacterandachievement.BordensfoughtbesideDukeWilliamofNormandyattheBattleofHastings.ThefirstchildbornofEuropeanparents inRhodeIslandwasMatthewBorden; theyearwas1638.ColonelWilliamWhitinghelpedtofoundHartford,Connecticut.CharlesWhitingmarriedElizabethBradford,adescendantofGovernorWilliamBradford of Plymouth Colony.WilliamBradfordWhiting had a distinguishedcareerduringtheRevolutionaryWar.Borden’sfatherwasprominentinChicago.Hehadmadehismoneyinsilver

mining inColorado,aventure thatwasbackedbyChicagomerchantMarshallField.Butitwashismotherwhohadthestrongerinfluenceonherson,forshewas a devoted Christian. The fellowship andministry at the Chicago AvenueChurchmeantmuch toher, andshehad little interest in thecity’s society life.Thefact thatherancestorscameoveron theMayflowermattered little toMrs.Borden. The fact that shewas a Christian going to heavenwas of far greatervalue.

William received the standard grade-school education in Chicago, and thenwent to Hill School in Pottsdown, Pennsylvania, for his high school training.Therewas a strong Christian influence on the campus, and famous preachersoftenspokeinchapel.“CampbellMorganwasthere,”Williamwrotehismotherin1903,“andpreachedafinesermoninthemorning,whichwassaidtobethebestevergivenhere....Someofthefellowsthoughtitwasalittlelong,butIdidnotandwantedmore.”The fact thatWilliamwas thesonofamillionairedidnot interferewithhis

normal activities as aboy.Henever tried to impress anyone;hewasactive instudentsportingevents,andhekeptcarefulaccountofhismoney.Heevensenthis mother a monthly report of his spending. He served as chairman of theMissionary StudyBand, and he listened carefullywheneverDr.Robert Speer,missionarystatesman,came tospeak to thestudents.Williamnever forgot thatactofconsecrationthathemadewhenhewassevenyearsold.HegraduatedfromHillSchoolin1904,fourthinaclassofforty-eightboys.

He was only sixteen years old, endowed with unusual physical and mentalability,andtooyoungtostartuniversity.Itwasdecidedthatheshouldtakeatriparound theworld.His traveling companionwasWalterErdman, a graduate ofPrinceton University and Seminary. They sailed from San Francisco onSeptember20,1904,ontheS.S.Korea.Anumberofmissionarycoupleswereonboard,andWilliamsaidthatmeetingtheminfluencedhim.Infact,theentiretriponly strengthenedhisdetermination tobeamissionary. “When I lookaheadafewyears,”hewrotehisparents,“itseemsasthoughtheonlythingtodoistopreparefortheforeignfield.”William was moved by what he saw in Japan and China, and he was

impressedbytheworkof theChinaInlandMission.ThesightsinIndiastirredhis heart, particularly the sacred city of Benares on the Ganges. A few yearslater, when a friend told William that he was “throwing his life away as amissionary,”Williamcalmlyreplied,“Youhaveneverseenheathenism.”But the trip involved more than sightseeing. “Walt and I have Bible study

together every daywhen possible,”Williamwrote hismother, “and I enjoy itverymuch....Iprayeverydayforallmydearfamily.IalsopraythatGodwilltakemylifeintohishandsanduseitforthefurtheranceofHiskingdomasHesees best.” Then he added this significant sentence: “I have so much ofeverythinginthislife,andtherearesomanymillionswhohavenothingandliveindarkness!”

BackhomeinChicago,Mrs.BordensharedwithherhusbandWilliam’sdesiretobeamissionary. Iget the impression thatMr.Bordenwasnotas spirituallymindedashiswife,andnodoubthisson’sdecisiongreatlydisturbedhim.HadWilliam Whiting Borden devoted his life to business interests, there is littlequestion that hewould havebecome amultimillionaire.But, as amissionary?Thatwasquitesomethingelse!“I am glad that you have told Father aboutmy desire to be amissionary,”

Williamconfidedinhismother,writingfromRome.“Iamthinkingaboutitallthetime,andlookingforwardtoitwithagooddealofanticipation.IknowthatIamnotatallfittedorpreparedyet,butinthenextfourorfiveyearsIoughttobeabletopreparemyself.”AbookonmissionsbyRobertSpeerespeciallytouchedhim.“WhenIgotthroughreading,”hewrotehismother,“Ikneltrightdownandprayedmoreearnestly than Ihave forsome timefor themissionworkandforGod’splanformylife. . . .PraythatImaybeguidedineverything,smallandgreat!”Dr. Torreywas preaching in LondonwhenWilliam andWalt arrived there,

and they attended some of hismeetings.At the close of one of themeetings,William stood again to reaffirm the commitment he hadmade to Christmorethantenyearsbefore.Thisnewstepofdedicationseemedtogivehimagreaterburdenforthelostandanewfreedominpersonalwitness.WilliamwouldhavepreferredtoattendMoodyBibleInstituteandthengoto

college, but his parents decided he should go to Yale University instead. Heenteredthefreshmanclassin1905anddiscoveredthat, inspiteoftheschool’shistoricChristianbackground,therewasalackofspirituallifeoncampus.“Thegreatmajority[ofstudents]smoke,gotothetheatreSaturdaynightanddotheirstudying on Sunday,” he wrote home. “Rather a hopeless state of affairs!However,therearesomefineChristianmeninCollegeandinmyownclasstoo,Ibelieve.AndIhopetobeabletodosomething,bythegraceofGod,tohelpintherightdirection.”Andhedid.Herefusedtojoinanysecretsocietiesorfraternities,andhechose

friendswhosespiritual interestswereakin tohisown.HeboldlywitnessedforChrist and backed up that witness with such a consistent life that even theunbelievershadtoadmithewasaChristian.Hechosetwotextsashismottosforhiscollegeyears:“Wherewithalshallayoungmancleansehisway?Bytakingheedtheretoaccordingtothyword....ThywordhaveIhidinmineheartthatImightnotsinagainstthee”(Ps.119:9,11).

WilliambecameburdenedfortheindigentpeopleintheseaporttownofNewHavenwhereYalewas located.The resultwas the foundingof theYaleHopeMission,whereWilliamoftenwenttowitnessforChristandtohelpthosewhoseliveshadbeenbatteredbysin.“WhathasimpressedyoumostsinceyoucametoAmerica?”Dr.HenryFrost,ChinaInlandMissionexecutive,askedavisitor.Thereply:“Thesightofthatyoungmillionairekneelingwithhisarmarounda‘bum’in the Yale Hope Mission.” Hundreds of lives were dramatically changedthroughthegospelwitnessatthemission.While at Yale, William served as a delegate to the Student Volunteer

MovementconferenceatNashville,Tennessee.TheonespeakerwhostoodouttotheyoungmissionarycandidatewasDr.SamuelZwemer,notedmissionarytotheMuslims.WhenWilliamlearnedthat therewerefifteenmillionMuslimsinChina,withoutasinglemissionary,hisinterestwasaroused;andhecommittedhimselftothatministry“shouldtheLordconfirmthecall.”Fouryearslater,asadelegate to the historic Edinburgh Missionary Conference, when introducedBordenstatedpubliclythatheplannedtoministertotheMuslimsofnorthwestChina.He graduated from Yale in 1909 and that same year entered Princeton

Seminary.HewasalsonamedatrusteeofMoodyBibleInstitute.Thenextyear,he became a member of the North American Council of the China InlandMission.William’sfatherhaddiedin1906,andhismothermovedtoPrinceton,NewJersey,tobenearhersonduringthoseimportantyearsofpreparation.Twointerestingfactsshouldbenotedabouthisseminaryyears:he taughtaSundayschool class in an African Methodist Episcopal Church, and he gave away$70,000tovariousChristiancauses.The storynowdraws toa rapidclose.Hegraduated fromseminary in1912

and,onSeptember9,wasordainedatMoodyChurchinChicago.Dr.JamesM.Gray preached the ordination sermon, and Dr. John Timothy Stone, pastor ofChicago’s Fourth Presbyterian Church, gave the charge to the candidate. Thenewspapers gave great publicity to the event—so strange it was that a youngmillionairewouldburyhimself inChinaasamissionary.Williamwrote tohisschoolfriends:“Iamsorrythattherewassuchunnecessarypublicity,andhopeyoufellowswilldiscountwhatwassaidveryliberally.”Bordenspentthenextthreemonthsspeakinginvariouscolleges,representing

thecauseofworldmissions.OnDecember17,1912,hesailedforEgypt,whereheplannedtostudywithDr.ZwemerandgetagraspoftheMuslimreligionand

culture. He threw himself into literature distribution and whatever ministrywouldhelptoreachthelost.ButjustatEasterseason,1913,hebecameillwithcerebralmeningitis and died onApril 9. The news of his death was reportedaroundtheworld,withmemorialservicesheldinmanyschoolsandchurches.Inhiswill,Borden left his fortune tovariousChristianministries. Inhis life anddeathhelefttoallofusanexampleoftruedevotiontoChristandtothethingsthatmattermost.Whyshouldsuchagiftedlifebecutshort?Perhapsthebestanswerwasgiven

by SherwoodDay, one of Borden’smissionary friends. “I have absolutely nofeelingofalifecutshort,”Daywrote.“AlifeabandonedtoChristcannotbecutshort.”FrommanypartsoftheworldMrs.Bordenreceivedletterstellingoftheimpact of her son’s life and death onChristian students andmissionaries.Dr.Zwemer, in the funeral message, summarized the meaning of Borden’stestimony: “By some, the victoryhas to bewonover poverty . . . butBordenwonthevictoryoveranenvironmentofwealth.Hefeltthatlifeconsistednotin‘theabundanceofthingsthatamanpossesseth,’butintheabundanceofthingswhichpossesstheman.”Afterall,itisnotthelengthofaperson’slifethatmatters,butthestrengthof

one’sinfluenceforGod.AJudaswouldreadBorden’slifeandsneer,“Whythiswaste!” but our Lord would evaluate it differently. William Whiting Bordennevergot tominister to theMuslims inChina,butGodknew the intentofhisheart and rewarded him accordingly. Borden’s desire was to magnify Christ“whetheritbebylife,orbydeath,”andGodgavehimhisdesire.One lesson is clear:neverunderestimate thedecisionsmadebya childor a

youngman.Attheageofseven,BordenconsecratedhimselftoChrist.WhenafreshmanatYale,hewroteinhisnotebook:“LordJesus,Itakehandsoff,asfarasmylifeisconcerned.IputTheeonthethroneinmyheart.Change,cleanse,usemeasThoushaltchoose.I take thefullpowerofThyHolySpirit. I thankThee.”Thenheadded this revealingsentence:“Mayneverknowa titheof theresultuntilMorning.”ThewordsofmartyredJimElliotcometomind:“Heisnofooltogivewhat

hecannotkeep,togainwhathecannotlose.”1AndthewordsofourSavior:“Hethatlovethhislifeshallloseit;andhethathatethhislifeinthisworldshallkeepituntolifeeternal”(John12:25).

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47

AlvaJayMcClain1888–1968

ere is our preacher!” That’s what farmer and Church of the BrethrenpreacherWalter ScottMcClain joyfully announced onApril 11, 1888, in

Aurelia, Iowa,when hiswifeMary presented himwith their first son, and hewroteinthefamilyBible“AlvaJayMcClain.”Bible-readingrelativessupposedthat“Alva”camefromthe“Alvah”inGenesis36:40,oneofEsau’sdescendants,buttheydidn’tunderstandthe“Jay.”Infact,foryears,mostpeoplethoughtAlvaJ.McClainhadonlya single initial for amiddlename, likeHarryS.Truman.Whyhisfatherchosethatnameisstillamystery.Hearing that there was good land in the Arizona Territory, the McClains

moved there with their four children in 1898, only to discover that it wasn’texactly theGarden of Eden. Irrigation, of course,was themajor problem andwould be until the government built a dam. In 1899 they relocated to LosAngeles,whereWalterrentedahouseforhisfamilyandsubletroomstoguests.Alva enjoyed the big city with its public library, stores, streetcars, and trainstation,butthefamily’sCaliforniasojournwouldn’tlastlong.Walterreadabouta Christian cooperative some Church of the Brethren leaders had formed atSunnyside,Washington,andhedecideditwasbettertoraisethechildrenamongChristiansthaninthebigcity.Justtobesure,hetookatraintoWashingtontoseeforhimself.Shortly before Christmas in 1900,Mary got the anticipated summons from

Walter, packed, and took the train toMabton,Washington, the closest stop toSunnyside.ThereWaltermethisfamilywithahorseandwagonandtheydroveto theirnewhome.When theyarrivedatSunnyside, they sawsand,unpaintedwoodenshacks,andnotmuchgreenvegetation;butWalterassuredhiswifethatonedaythatdesertwould“blossomliketherose.”Hewasright.Ittooktime,butthankstoirrigation,eventuallythatareabecameafruitful landoforchardsandtruckgardens.

Thechildrenwereenrolledinschoolandalsodidtheirshareofworkonthefarm, but when Alva turned sixteen he dropped out of church and devotedhimselftosports,dancing,playingcards,smoking,enjoyinglifewithhisschoolfriends, and quarterbacking the high school football team. His parents wiselydidn’tpreachornagbutsimplyprayedandmaintainedtheirpersonalandfamilydevotions at home.Alvawas to be their preacher, andGod in his timewouldsavehimandcallhimintohisservice.Alvabluffedhiswaythroughhissenioryearinhighschoolandalmosthadto

repeat the year, but hewas permitted to take a special test that, if he passed,wouldearnhimhisdiploma.Hereadtheassignedbooks,easilypassedthetest,andgraduatedwithhisclassin1908.HewenttotheUniversityofWashingtonwhereheagaingotinvolvedinathleticsandexcelled.Aseriousaccidentwhileplayingbaseballsenthimtothehospitalandthenhometorecuperate.Hisfatherand a friend had founded the Sunnyside Nursery Company, and while homefromcollege,AlvajoinedthebusinessandbecameaskillfulnurserymanamongthefamousYakimaValleyappletrees.He also started thinking aboutmarriage.One day a new resident arrived in

town, Josephine Gingrich from Iowa, and Alva claimed her as his girl. Shewasn’taprofessedChristian,butneitherwasAlva.Friendshipturnedtoloveandtheywereengaged inAugust1910andmarried thenextyearonJune7.Theirmarriagelastedfifty-sevenyears,untilAlva’sdeathin1968.In August 1912, they were both converted to faith in Christ at a prophetic

conference led by popularChurch of theBrethren preacherLouis S.Bauman.Alva’sfathersuggestedhetaketheafternoonoffandgotoSunnysideBrethrenChurchwith Josephine to hear the guest preacher. Their arrival at the churchraised someeyebrows,butGodbegan todealwith theyoungcoupleand theyreturned for theeveningmeeting.When thepreachergave the invitation,Alvasaidtohiswife,“I’mgoingdownthere.”Sheasked,“CanIgowithyou?”Bothweresoundlyconverted.TheirnewlifeinChristbroughtchangesintheirambitions,andAlvadecided

not to return to the University of Washington. More than anything else, hewanted to studyGod’sWord.HehadheardGod’scall andwanted toobey. In1913theymovedtoLongBeach,California,whereLouisBaumanwaspastoringFirst Brethren Church, and they listened to theWord expounded and grew intheirChristianlife.Sensingtheyhadacall toministry,Baumansuggestedthattheyoungcoupleattend theBibleInstituteofLosAngeles,which theydidfor

one year. Then he advised Alva to study at Xenia Theological Seminary inXenia,Ohio,whereheearnedaMasterofTheologydegree.AlvaalsostudiedatnearbyAntioch College and at Occidental College, graduating from the latterschoolwithaBA,“withhighesthonors.”He served as pastor of First Brethren Church in Philadelphia from 1918 to

1923, and during that time was Professor of Apologetics at the PhiladelphiaSchool of the Bible. The next two years he was Professor of Theology atAshlandCollegeinAshland,Ohio,andthenreturnedfortwoyearsofteachingat the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. When Ashland College founded aseminary,hewascalledtobeProfessorofTheologyandApologetics(1930–37).During thoseyears, liberalismcrept into theschool inspiteof theprotestsandoppositionof theorthodoxmembersof the faculty. Itwasa sad time forAlvaandJosephineMcClainandthefriendswhostoodwiththem,butdenominationalpolitics andboardcompromiseprecipitatedaboardvoteon June1,1937, thatmeanttheendofAshlandSeminary.BelievingtheLordwasontheirside,theconservativeminoritymetthatnight

forprayeranddiscussionrelativetostartinganewseminary.Providentially,Dr.Baumanwasintownandhejoinedthem.TheLorddirectedthemtobeginanewschoolwhereBrethrenyoungpeoplecouldtrainforChristianservice,andGraceTheological Seminary was born. Dr. Bauman wrote a check as the firstcontribution. When the news got out, the men were accused of dividing thedenomination and failing to submit to authority, but like the apostles, theyreplied,“WeoughttoobeyGodratherthanmen”(Acts5:29).TheschoolopenedonOctober4,1937, inachurch inAkron,Ohio,but the

facilitiesweretooconfining.Dr.WilliamE.Biederwolf,DirectoroftheWinonaLake(Ind.)ChristianAssemblyandBibleConference,invitedthemtorelocate.Theyacceptedhisinvitation,andin1939WinonaLakebecametheirpermanentaddress.Classes initiallymet in a church,until 1951,whenMcClainHallwasdedicated on the school’s own campus. Over the years, God has providedbuildings, faculty, and staff for the growing seminary, and in 1953, GraceCollegeofLiberalArtsopenedwithDr.McClainaspresident.AnystudentwhoattendedhisclasseswouldsaythatDr.McClainwasagifted

teacher. However, he didn’t suffer fools gladly, but was all business when itcametostudyingGod’sWord.Inclassoneday,astudentasked,“IfGodalreadyknows whether or not I’m going to pass my theology exam, why should Istudy?”Dr.McClainreplied,“Youngman,ifyoudon’tstudyforthisexam,you

arepredestinedtofail!”HisclassonRomanswasafoundationalcourseinwhichDr.McClaintaught

“all the counsel of God.” The lectures had originally been delivered to hiscongregationatFirstBrethrenChurchinPhiladelphia,andoneofthemembershadmadeastenographicreport.ThisformedthebasisforhisbookTheGospelof God’s Grace: Romans, originally published in 1973 by Moody Press andreprintedtodaybyBMHBooks.Dr.McClain’ssuccessor,Dr.HermanA.Hoyt,heard the lectures when he was a student at Grace Seminary and assisted inediting themanuscript. This book is one of the finest overviews ofRomans Ihaveread.Beforeyoutacklethedetailedcommentaries,carefullyreadthisbook.Daniel’sProphecyoftheSeventyWeekswaspublishedbyZondervanin1940,

with a new edition released in 1969. It is an excellent discussion of thatimportant Messianic prophecy. Law and Grace: A Study of New TestamentConceptsasTheyRelatetotheChristianLifeisalsopublishedbyBMHBooksandisabalanceddiscussionofthesubject.Dr.McClaindidn’tdivorcetheologyfrompracticalChristianliving.But I think his finest book isTheGreatness of the Kingdom: An Inductive

Study of the Kingdom of God. It was originally published jointly in 1968 byMoodyPressandBMHBooks,buttodayBMHBooksisthepublisher.Itreasuremycopyforthreereasons.First,thebookisbiblicalanduntanglesmuchoftheconfused“kingdomtheology”thatstillremainsfromtheliberalerainAmericantheology.Second,Dr.McClainautographedthebook.Third,hehandedthebookto me personally, with a smile. I was the junior member of a three-manpreachingteamataGraceSeminaryconference,andeachofusreceivedacopy.Theother twomenwereDr.TorreyJohnson,oneof thefoundersofYouthforChrist,andDr.JohnWalvoord,presidentofDallasSeminary.WhyIwas therewasamysterytome,butI’mgladIwas.McClainwasalsoamemberoftheEditorialCommitteeoftheNewScofield

Reference Bible, published in 1967.Hewas dispensational in his approach toScripture, and said “Christianity is not a philosophy. But Christianity has aphilosophy—thebestandthebrightestofallphilosophies”1Hewasnotarobustman,butbattledpoorhealthmostofhislifeandexperiencedsixmajorsurgeries.ApartfromthegraceofGod,hecouldnothaveaccomplishedasmuchashedid—whenyouconsiderhisresponsibilitiesinteachingandadministration,aswellashisparticipation indenominational activitiesandministries to thechurchatlarge.For fiftyyearshewasa trusteeandCandidateSecretary for theForeign

MissionSocietyoftheBrethrenChurch,andtwiceheservedasModeratoroftheGeneralAssembly.Hewasa foundingmemberof theEvangelicalTheologicalSocietyandamemberof theBoardofDirectorsof theWinonaLakeChristianAssembly—andfornearlytenyearssecretaryoftheboard.He retired from Grace College and Seminary in May 1962, and in 1968

moved with his wife, Josephine, to a retirement facility in Iowa, where onNovember 11 of that same year he was called to Glory. In his final chapelmessage as president, “Remember Jesus Christ,” his text was 2 Timothy 2:8.“You may forget me, what I have said, and what I have done. I shall notcomplain. I ask of you but one thing: that you will always ‘remember JesusChrist.’”Headded,“RememberwhoHe is,andyouwillneverbeashamed toconfessHim beforemen. RememberwhoHe is and youwill never have anydoubtsaboutyoureternalsalvation.”We should remember Dr. Alva J. McClain, and in remembering him,

rememberJesusChrist,theSaviorandLordhelovedandservedsofaithfully.

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A.W.Tozer1897–1963

rom 1928 to 1959, A. W. Tozer pastored Southside Alliance Church inChicagoandfunctionedastheconscienceofevangelicalismatlarge.Iheard

him preachmany times—always with profit—andwaited for his books to bepublishedasimpatientlyasadetective-storyaddictwaitsforthenextinstallmentof thecurrentserial. I still rereadhisbooksregularly,andalwaysfind in themsomethingnewtothinkabout.ThisdoesnotmeanIalwaysagreedwithTozer.ThereweretimeswhenIfelthewasleadingaparadeofonedownadead-endstreet, such as when he vigorously opposed Christian movies. His sometimesacid criticisms of new Bible translations and of churches that “majored incountingnoses”werebutsmalldefectsinanotherwisestraightandsturdywall.Therewasanintensityabouthispreaching,asthereisabouthiswriting.TozerwalkedwithGodandknewhimintimately.TolistentoTozerpreachwasassafeasopeningthedoorofablastfurnace!TopreventagenerationarisingthatknowsnotTozer,Iwanttodevotethefirst

halfofthischaptertothemanandhisbooks,thenIwanttoconsidersomeotherChristianmystics.TheofficialbiographyofTozeriswrittenbyDavidJ.FantJr.andisentitled

A.W.Tozer:ATwentieth-CenturyProphet.Unfortunately,thebookdoesnottelltoomuch about theman, andwhat it does tellmight have beenwritten for apressreleaseorforpageoneofanappreciationbooklet.Thefirstchaptertakesusfromhisbirth(April21,1897)tohisdeath(May12,1963),andtheremainingeleven chapters concentrateonTozer’swriting, summarizingwhathebelievedandwhyhebelievedit.IfIunderstandTozer’sphilosophyofbooksandwriting,hewoulddisagreewithFant’sapproach.“Readthemanhimself!”hewouldsay.“Don’treadabout theman,orwhatsomewritersaysabout theman.Read theman himself!” While I appreciate the excellent quotations Fant selected andagreewith his analysis of Tozer’s thinking, I still feel that getting acquainted

withthisvibrantwriterviaabiographerislikegoingtoaflowershowoverthetelephone.IsuggestyoureadTozer’sbooksfirst,thenreadFant’sbiography.BeginwithThePursuitofGod,oneofthebestdevotionalbookseverwritten

by an American pastor. As your grandmother used to say about her homemedicines,“It’sgoodforwhatailsyou!”ThePursuitofGodpolishesthelensesofmy soul andhelpsme seebetter. It cures the fever thatoftenmakes amanmistakeactivity forministry. It rebukesmy lackofworship.For these reasons(andmanymore), I try to read thebookat leastonceayear.FollowwithTheDivineConquest,thenwithTheKnowledgeoftheHoly,abookthat,tome,isthefinestmoderndevotionaltreatmentoftheattributesofGod.Onceyouhavereadthesethreevolumes,youwillhaveagraspoftheessentialsofTozer’sthinkingaboutGod,Christ,theHolySpirit,thechurch,theBible,andtheresponsibilityofthebelieverintoday’sworld.Youarethenpreparedtolaunchintohisbooksofspiritualessays,suchasTheRootof theRighteous,BornAfterMidnight,OfGodandMen,ThatIncredibleChristian,Man:TheDwellingPlaceofGod,and(ifyouenjoypoetryandhymnody)TheChristianBookofMysticalVerse.Allofhis books are published by Christian Publications, with the exception of TheKnowledgeoftheHoly,whichispublishedbyHarper.NearlyalloftheseessaysoriginallyappearedaseditorialsinTheAllianceWitness,whichTozereditedformanyyearsandwhichwasperhapstheonlyevangelicalpublicationpeoplereadprimarilyfortheeditorials!Letmesuggestthatyounotreadthesebooksthewayyoureadotherbooks—

attempting to finish them quickly, perhaps in one sitting (a phrase Tozerdespised). Read Tozer leisurely,meditatively, almost as aworship experience.Readeachessayslowly,asthoughthewriterwerechattingwithyoupersonally,infrontofthefriendlyfireplaceinhislivingroom.Readwithyourheart;keepyoureartunedtothat“othervoice”thatwillsurelyspeaktoyouandremindyouofthetruthsofGod’sWord.Myexperiencehasbeenthat,whenreadingabookbyTozer,somepassagewillcausemetoputdownthebook,pickupmyBible,and then start thinkingabout some truthonmyown.And this is exactlywhatTozerwouldwant! “The best book is not one that informsmerely,” hewrote,“butonethatstirsthereaderuptoinformhimself.”1ItrytokeepanotebookathandwhenIreadanybook,butespeciallywhenIreadTozer.After becoming acquainted with his devotional essays, read the two

biographies he wrote:Wingspread, the life of A. B. Simpson, founder of theChristianandMissionaryAlliance,andLetMyPeopleGo!thelifeofmissionary

RobertA. Jaffray.Then investigate thevolumesof sermons that have recentlyappeared,editedbyGeraldB.Smith.Frankly, thisseriesdoesnotexciteme. Ican hear Tozer in these messages, but I believe he would have edited thismaterial differently. I fear this may be prejudice onmy part, but I prefer theincisivenessof theessays to theexpansivenessof thesermons.But,since theyare“genuineTozer,”IhavethemonmyshelfandIreadthem.Aiden Wilson Tozer (he preferred his initials, and who can blame him)

consideredhimselfan“evangelicalmystic.”Unfortunately thewordmystichasneverbeenapopularwordintheevangelicalvocabulary,especiallyinthisdayofactivismandstatistics.Tomostevangelicals,amysticisanoddpersonwhoseesvisionsandhearsvoicesandisaboutasusefultothechurchasasparetireonabobsled.Ifthatwerewhatmysticismis,Iwouldwantnopartofit.Butthatisnotmysticism;it isonlyacaricatureofit.Amysticissimplyapersonwho:(1)seesarealspiritualworldbeyondtheworldofsense,(2)seekstopleaseGodrather than the crowd, (3) cultivates a close fellowshipwithGod, sensing hispresenceeverywhere,and(4)relateshisexperiencetothepracticalthingsoflife.InhisprefacetoTheChristianBookofMysticalVerse,Tozerputitthisway:IrefertotheevangelicalmysticwhohasbeenbroughtbythegospelintointimatefellowshipwiththeGodhead.HistheologyisnolessandnomorethanistaughtintheChristianScriptures....Hediffers from the ordinary orthodoxChristian only because he experiences his faith down in thedepthsofhissentientbeingwhiletheotherdoesnot.Heexistsinaworldofspiritualreality.Heisquietly,deeplyandsometimesalmostecstaticallyawareofthepresenceofGodinhisownnatureandintheworldaroundhim.Hisreligiousexperienceissomethingelemental,asoldastimeandthecreation.ItisimmediateacquaintancewithGodbyunionwiththeeternalson.2

Tozer’s essay “Bible Taught or Spirit Taught?” is a good summary of hisviews on practicalmysticism: “It is altogether possible to be instructed in therudimentsofthefaithandstillhavenorealunderstandingofthewholething,”hewrote.“AnditispossibletogoontobecomeexpertinBibledoctrineandnothave spiritual illumination, with the result that a veil remains over the mind,preventing it from apprehending the truth in its spiritual essence.”3 Tozer’ssermons often confront us with these questions: Is God real to you? Is yourChristianexperienceasetofdefinitions,alistoforthodoxdoctrines,oralivingrelationship with God? Do you have a firsthand experience with him, or asecondhand experience through others? Is your heart hungering and thirstingafterpersonalholiness?Thesequestionsareapplicabletoday,perhapsmorethanwedaretoadmit.Fant, at the end of his biography, listed the books and authors that most

influenced Tozer, and this list is something of a basic bibliography on themystics. I amsure thatmanyevangelicalpastors todayhaveeitherneverbeenexposed to thiswealthofdevotionalwritingorhavepurposelyavoided it,soIrecommend the list to you. However, before you spend your book budget insecuringthesevolumes,Isuggestthatyousampletheminamannerthatisquiteeasy and (best of all) inexpensive. The Upper Room (Nashville, Tennessee)publishes a series of attractive, pocket-size booklets called “The GreatDevotionalClassics.”Ibelievetherearethirtytitlesintheseries,rangingfromWilliam Law (who strongly influenced the Wesleys) to William Temple(archbishopofCanterburyuntilhisdeath in1944). I suggestyoucarryoneofthese bookletswith you to read in spareminutes. Each booklet contains fromthirtytofortypages;thereisabiographicalintroductionandabriefdiscussionofthe influence of thewriter (or the book) in churchhistory.The thirty ormorewriters (or titles,where thewriters are anonymous) cover awide spectrumoftheologicalandecclesiasticalgroups.Youwill find JohnKnox, prophet of theReformation inScotland;François

Fenelon,closefriendtoMadameGuyon;GeorgeFox,founderof theQuakers;JohnWesley andFrancisAsbury, the greatMethodist leaders;HenryScougal,whoseLifeofGodin theSoulofManiseasily thegreatestdevotionalwork tocomeoutofScotland;SørenKierkegaard, themelancholyDanishphilosopher;DietrichBonhoeffer,theGermantheologian;andevenThomasKelly,theyoungQuaker writer whose untimely death halted an exciting career. There areselections from anonymous works: Theologia Germanica, which Luther putalongside theBibleandAugustine’swritings,andCloudofUnknowing, whichTozerlovedtoquote.If you profit from this excursion into the land ofChristianmysticism, then

searchforanothervolumethatmustbeonyourdevotionalshelf.Unfortunately,likemany fine books, it is out of print. Abingdon Press ought to reissue thisbook and make it available to this generation of preachers. I refer to TheFellowshipoftheSaints,ananthologyofdevotionalwritingseditedbyThomasS.Kepler, formany years professor atOberlinCollege.Keplerwas an ardentstudentofthemystics,andinthislarge(800-page)volumehegivesthebestoftheir writings in a chronological sequence that enables the reader to trace theinfluenceofonewriteron thenext.HestartswithClementofRomeandendswith selections from twentieth-centurywriters.Tobe sure, there is somechaffhere;butthereissomuchfinewheatthatthechaffdoesnotupsetme.Lookforacopyinused-bookstores;Ihopeyoufindone!

Keplercompiledanotheranthologythatyoumaywanttosecure:TheEvelynUnderhillReader.EvelynUnderhillwasawell-knownBritishmysticwhodiedin 1941. Her books,Mysticism,PracticalMysticism, andWorship are almoststandard textson thesesubjects.Unfortunatelyshewasneverquitesureofhertheology,anditishereshepartscompanywithTozer.Sheconfessedtobeing“amodernistonmanypoints.”Butsomeofherpersonal insightsarehelpful,andthereforesheshouldberead.Likepoison,thesemattersshouldbe“handled”butnotpermittedintoone’ssystem!HarperandRowhaspublishedtwobasicbooksthatshouldbeinyourlibrary:

Christian Perfection, written by François Fenelon and published in 1947, andTreatisesandSermonsofMeisterEckhart,publishedin1958.Fenelon’sbookispricelessfordevotionalreading—achapteraday.Hereisamanwhoconducted“spiritualconferences”inthecourtofLouisXIV!Chapter1is“OntheUseofTime”andisoneofthefinesttreatmentsofthiselusivesubject,fromaspiritualpointofview, thatyouwill findanywhere.Chapter2dealswith“Recreation.”Chapter8considers“Fidelity inLittleThings.”Everypastorwillwant to readchapter14,“DrynessandDistraction.”Thesechaptersarenotlong,buttheyaredeepandprofoundlypractical.Icannotrecommendthisbooktoohighly.EckhartwasaGermanmystic(1260–1327)whosepurityoflifegavegreatpowertohispreaching.Selectionsfromhismanywritingsareavailableindifferenteditions,themostpopularofwhichisprobablyAfterSupperintheRefectory:ASeriesofInstructions, published in 1917. Tozer recommended this book. The volumereferredtoabovecontainsselectionsfromTalksofInstructionaswellasmaterialfromotherwritings.IfyouwishtopurchaseacopyofCloudofUnknowing,theeditioneditedby

Evelyn Underhill is perhaps the best. The introduction by the editor and theglossary of terms are both very helpful to those not conversantwithmysticalwritings.However,Imustconfessthat,sofar,thisbookhasfailedtoreachme,althoughhereand there somestatementshavestruck fire.The repeatedphrase“O Ghostly friend in God” still makes me chuckle. Out of respect for theanonymousauthor,Itrytochuckleinamysticalway,butIfearIdonotalwayssucceed.AsIgrowspiritually,IamsureIwillbetterappreciatethisbook.Themysticswrotetocultivatetheinnerman,andcertainlythisisaneglected

activity inourchurches today.WehavemoreMarthas thanMarys!But, in thelongrun,theidealChristianwillnotbeoneortheother:hewillbeabalanceofboth. Worship and work will not compete; they will cooperate. This is the

contributiontheevangelicalmysticscanmaketoourlives,andItrustyouwillsincerelygivethemtheopportunitytodoso.Martyn Lloyd-Jones and I were discussing the mystics over dinner one

evening,andherelatedaninterestingexperience.WithhispermissionIrepeatithere.“Dr.TozerandIsharedaconferenceyearsago,”hesaid,“andIappreciated

hisministryandhisfellowshipverymuch.Onedayhesaidtome,‘Lloyd-Jones,you and I hold just about the same position on spiritualmatters, butwe havecometothispositionbydifferentroutes.’“‘Howdoyoumean?’Iasked.“‘Well,’Tozerreplied,‘youcamebywayofthePuritansandIcamebyway

ofthemystics.’And,youknow,hewasright!”Which perhaps goes to prove that doctrine and devotion have been joined

togetherbyGodandthatnomandareput themasunder.OurunderstandingofdoctrineoughttoleadusintogreaterdevotiontoChrist,andourdeeperdevotionoughttomakeusbetterservantsandsoul-winners.Jesusbeautifullyjoinedbothtogetherwhenhesaid:“AbideinmeandIinyou...forwithoutme,yecandonothing.” This is the message of the evangelical mystics, a message wedesperatelyneedtoheartoday.

W

49

W.E.Sangster1900–1960

hen you visit Westminster Abbey in London, be sure to also visit thenearbyMethodist house ofworship known asWestminsterCentralHall.

Forsixteenyears,from1939to1955,WilliamEdwinSangsterpastoredtheflockthatmetinthathouseofworship—andhenotonlypastoredtheflockbut,duringWorldWarII,managedanairraidshelter in thebasementof thebuilding.For1,688nightsheministeredtothephysical,emotional,andspiritualneedsofallkindsofpeople,andatthesametimehewroteandpreachedexcitingsermons,earnedaPhD,ledhundredsofpeopletofaithinChrist,andestablishedhimselfasaworthysuccessortoJohnWesleyasoneofMethodism’sgreatleaders.SangsterwasborninLondononJune5,1900.Hewasnineyearsoldwhenhe

identified himselfwith theRadnorStreetMission in his neighborhood, oneofthebranchministriesoftheWesleyChapelonCityRoad.InOctober1913,thesuperintendentofthemission,FrankWimpory,ledSangstertotheLord,andinashorttimetheladbecameactiveinsoul-winningactivities.TheRadnorStreetMissionwasnotonlythesceneofSangster’sconversion,

butalsotheplacewherehemetMargaretConwayin1916andfellinlovewithher. Ten years later they were married. He preached his first sermon at themissiononFebruary11,1917.Hisfatherwantedhimtobecomeanaccountant,buthisSundayschoolteacher,RobertFlenly,urgedhimtoconsidertheministry.Hedid.Godcalledhim,andhesurrendered.After spending time in the army, he entered college and worked hard to

prepare himself for the ministry. One of his problems was his accent, whichsmacked of his London upbringing. He took private lessons in elocution andoften spent hours reading sermons aloud or practicing recitations. In his finebiography of his father,Doctor Sangster, Paul E. Sangster related that theseelocutionlessonswereverytryingtostudentsinadjacentrooms.Oneday,whenSangsterhadrepeatedforthetenthtime“Whoshalldelivermefromthebodyof

this death?” a student knocked at the door and asked, “Will I do?” But thepracticepaiddividends,andSangstermasteredtheartofpublicspeaking.He was probationary minister in the Bognor Circuit from 1923 to 1926,

ministeringinseveralMethodistchurches.OnJuly27,1926,hewasordainedattheWesleyChapelinYork;twoweekslaterhemarriedhischildhoodsweetheart.Hemadeitverycleartoherthathewouldnotbeahandymanaroundthehouse(hewasveryunhandy!)oragardeneroradishwasher,butthathewouldloveherandmakeherhappy—andhekepthisword.HisbookHeIsAblehededicated“toMargaret,mywife,withwhomitisaseasytokeepinloveastofallinlove.”Buthisgrowingministryoftentookhimawayfromhome,anditisprobablethathisdeathonMay24,1960,wasbroughtonpartlybyoverwork.“Ijustcan’tdoenough!”wasthemottoofhislife.Yet,onhis1957Christmasgreetinghewrote,“Slowmedown,Lord!”AlexanderWhytealwaysadvisedpastorsto“takelongholidays,”butSangsterwasnotmadeinthatmold.HisfirstofficialchargeafterordinationwasatConwayinNorthWales.Ihave

visitedthisbeautifultownonColwynBay,walkedacrossitsfamoussuspensionbridge,andinvestigatedtheruinsofitshistoricConwayCastle.Whataplaceforayoungmantobeginhisministry!HepastoredtwoMethodistchurches there,yethesaidthathefeltasifhewere“perpetuallyonaholiday.”Beforelongthecongregations were filling the churches and his reputation as a preacher wasgrowing.HissanctifiedsenseofhumoratfirstupsetsomeoftheWelshsaints,but in time they grew to love him and to appreciate his balanced approach toChristian living. In1929hemoved toLiverpool,whereagainhepastored twochurches,andagain thechurcheswerefilled. ItwasatLiverpool thatSangsterwentthroughadeepspiritualcrisis,thedetailsofwhichareunknown.“Notevenmy mother knew exactly what was wrong,” his son wrote. “She only knewsomethingwaswrong.”1Afterhisfather’sdeath,hissonPaulfoundahandwritten“spiritualanalysis”

buriedinthebottomdrawerofthedesk.Itwasdated“18.9.30”andwasclearlytherecordofthespiritualconflictthatSangsterhadgonethroughatthattime—inspiteoflargecongregationsandobvioussuccessinhisministry.Itbegins,“IamaministerofGodandyetmyprivatelifeisafailureintheseways....”Thenhelistedeightareasofdefeat.Heconcluded:“Ihavelostgrace....Ihavelostjoy....Ihavelosttasteformywork....Ifeelafailure.”Whatwastheanswer?“Pray.Pray.Pray.Strive after holiness like an athlete prepares for a race.Thesecretisinprayer.”Heultimatelyfoundvictory,althoughattimeshisdepression

wassoacutethatheconsideredresigningfromtheministry.Nodoubtthisvalleyexperiencehelpedhiminlateryears,especiallyduringthewarwhenhehadtoencouragesomanybrokenheartedpeople.In1932,theSangstersmovedtoScarborough,andatfirstthedecisionseemed

to be amistake.The churchwas “run” by four powerfulmen, three ofwhomwereverywealthy,andtheyhandeddowntheirdecisionsasthewillofGod.Oneof their decisions was that “famous guest preachers” occupy the pulpit tenSundays during the year, but they soon discovered that the “big names” drewsmaller congregations than did their own pastor! The four generals, realizingtheirerror,thenofferedSangsterabonusforpreachinginhisownpulpit!Intheend,pastoral leadershipprevailed,but therewere several skirmishes andnot afewbattles.IcannothelpbutpassalongastoryaboutoneofthemembersofQueenStreet

ChurchinScarborough,whohappenedtobeabit“backward,”becausealmostevery church has its eccentric member— someone who is both loved andlaughedat, scoldedandsheltered.Theman inQueenStreetwasabarberwhofeltitwashisdutytowitnesstohiscustomers,butoftenhewasnotcarefulinhisapproach.Afterlatheringamanforashave,theconcernedbarberpickeduphisrazorandsaid,“Sir,areyoupreparedtomeetyourGod?”Needless tosay, thecustomerfledwiththelatherstillonhisface.Thissamebrotherwasaseccentricinhisprayingashewasinhiswitnessing.Onceheopenedhisprayerwith“OLord, Thou wilt have noticed in the evening paper.” I can just see Sangsterchucklingtohimselfandprayingforhisoddfriend.In1936SangsterwasaskedtotaketheBrunswickChurchinLeedsandthus

follow the well-known preacher and psychologist Leslie Weatherhead. EverypastoroughttoreadSangster’ssoul-searchinganalysisofthiscall.Itbegins:“Afermentofthoughtinmymindinthesedays—ashrinkingfromthetask.”2WhatfaithfulministeroftheWordhasnotfeltthatwayatonetimeoranother!Butitwas during this time of self-searching that Sangster felt his call to summonMethodismbacktoevangelismandrevival.“Somethingelsehascometoo,”hewrote.“AsenseofcertaintythatGoddoesnotwantmeonlyforapreacher.Hewants me also for a leader—a leader in Methodism.”3 And a leader he didbecome,notonlyduringhisthreeyearsinLeedsbutmoreduringthosesixteenremarkableyearsatWestminsterCentralHallinLondon.OnSeptember3,1939,WilliamSangsterbeganhisministryatWestminster,

andoneofhisfirsttasksduringthatmorningworshipservicewastoannounce

thatBritainandGermanywereofficiallyatwar.Ayearlaterthedevastatingairraidsbegan,andSangsterturnedthechurchbasementintoashelter;nightafternight he lived with the people, encouraged them, and ultimately ledmany ofthem toChrist.TheSunday services continued, and the sanctuarywasusuallyfull. One Easter Sunday a lady visitor arrived too late to get a seat and wasofferedbythestewardaseatononeofthestonestepsinthechoir.Ofcoursethiswas an insult, and she stalked away, muttering, “If that’s the way you treatvisitors,nowonderthechurchesareempty!”So successful was Sangster as a preacher-evangelist that in 1955 he was

appointed general secretary of the HomeMission Department, and under hisleadershippersonalevangelism,prayer,andpersonalholinessbecameimportantmatters inMethodistchurchesacross thecountry.Hissermons,books,articles,and personal contacts were used of God to awaken not only his owndenomination,butothergroups,totheimportanceofwinningthelosttoChrist.He conducted preaching seminars, evangelism clinics, and other meetings inscoresofcities,alwayshopingtorekindle in theheartsofMethodistpreachersandlayleadersthefirethathadburnedinWesley’sheart.Butin1957physicalproblems definitely slowed him down, and in 1958 the diagnosis was made:progressivemuscularatrophy—cause,unknown;cure,unknown.WhenSangsterfoundouthewasslowlydying,hemadefourresolutions:“I

will never complain. Iwill keep thehomebright. Iwill countmyblessings. Iwilltrytoturnittogain.”Laterhewrote:“Therehavebeengreatgainsalreadyfrommysickness.Iliveinthepresent.Iamgratefulforlittlethings.Ihavemoretime—and use it—for prayer.” For the next thirty months he experienced theslowparalysisofhismuscles,finallybeingabletomoveonlytwofingers.Withthemhecommunicatedwithothersbywriting,butultimatelyeventhatbecameillegible. On May 24, 1960, he died. It was Wesley Day, a providentialoccurrence that must have pleased Sangster no end. More than 1,500 peopleattendedthememorialserviceatWestminsterCentralHallonJune3.Sangster’sclosefriendProfessorH.CecilPawsongavetheaddress.Youwillfindit,plusabrief biographical sketch and three sermons, in the book Sangster ofWestminster.Fortunately, Sangster left us at least fifteen books and many articles and

pamphlets.TherearetwovolumesofWestminsterSermons.–Sangster’sSpecialDaySermonswasthelastvolumehewrote,andinthiscountryitwaspublishedbyAbingdon.Heleftoverathousandsermonmanuscriptswhenhedied,buthe

wantednoneof thempublished.His first bookwasWhy JesusNeverWrote aBook(1932).Othertitlesinclude:GodDoesGuideUs,HeIsAble,TheseThingsAbide,LetMeCommend, and two excellent studies inChristian holiness:ThePath toPerfection (his doctoral thesis) andThePure inHeart.ButSangster’sbooks on preaching are, tome,more valuable than his sermons, although thesermonsclearlyshowushowheappliedhishomileticalprinciples.SecureandreadThe Approach to Preaching,TheCraft of SermonConstruction, andTheCraftofSermonIllustration.Sangster’ssermonshavethreecharacteristics:simplicity,clarity,andintensity.

Youcanunderstandhim!Earlyinhisministryheformedthehabitofreadinghismessages to his wife and deleting or revising anything she did not clearlyunderstand.He constantly sought the clearest way to express Bible truth, andnobody could describe his messages as one man described P. T. Forsythe’s—“fireworksinafog!”Furthermore,Sangsterwasamasterofillustrations,andhisbookonthesubjectisoneofthebestinthefield.Ifearthatthosewhohavecriticizedhiminthisareahavenotseriouslyreadhim.Sangsterdidnotadvocate“artificial illustrations”or“sky-scrapersermons—onestoryontopofanother.”Heusedillustrations,andhediditwell!Hismessages throbwith intensity.Theyrevealapreacherwholovedpeople

andwhowasdesperatelyconcernedwithhelpingthemspiritually.IonceheardafamousBible teacher, nowdeceased, boast that he “preached only to the foursquarefeetinfrontofhisface!”Sangsterpreachedtopeople,toboththemindand the heart, and he prepared his messages with the listener in view. Hissermons were not the cold, academic productions of the learned professor(althoughhewaslearned);theywerethewarm,pastoralpleadingsofamanwhopursued personal holiness and who sought to make the gospel of Christmeaningful to themanon thestreet. Inoneofhis lectures,Sangstersuggestedthat the secret of “unction” in preaching is “personal holiness and . . . apassionateloveofsouls.”4Nomatterhowyoumeasurehim,WilliamSangsterwasabigman.Hehada

big heart for lost souls and for all true Christians everywhere. He had a bigvisionofrevivalinhisdenominationandinallthechurches,avisionofanationstirred for Jesus Christ. He was happy to hear of any man’s success in theministry andnever criticized a fellowpastor or enviedhis successes.Heonceprayedatameetingofsometwothousandministers,“Lord,wedon’tmindwhois second as long as Thou art first!”He left behind a big store of homiletical

wealthforustouse.Isuggestyoustartinvestigatingitverysoon.

I

50

WilliamCulbertson1905–1971

n whatever man does without God, he must fail miserably—or succeedmiserably.”1 So wrote saintly George MacDonald, and his counsel is

desperatelyneededbyChristianleadersandorganizationstoday.Anevilideaisabroad in the land that spiritual life isnot important to spiritual leadership.Solong as the leader projects a “successful image” andmanifests “dynamic,” hewillbesuccessful.Holinessoflife,spiritualgrowth,andobediencetotheWordofGodhavebeenreplacedbypromotion,publicrelations,andobediencetothelatestconclusionsoftheMadisonAvenuegeniuses.Idonotwanttobemisunderstood.Christianorganizationsoughttolearnall

theycanaboutbusinessmethodsandleadershipprinciples.OurLordremindsusthat“thechildrenofthisworldareintheirgenerationwiserthanthechildrenoflight”(Luke16:8),andweoughttoborrowtheirwisdom(shortsightedasitis)andputittoworkforGod.ButwedarenotunderminethespiritualfoundationsonwhichGod’sworkisbuilt.Alas,thereareChristianorganizationstodaythathave a “form of godliness” (so as not to upset the donors), but in whichgodlinessasaforceissadlylacking.Notthattherearechinksinthearmor;sadto say, the armorwas taken off long ago and the organization left naked andashamedbeforeherenemies.Tochangethepicture, theveneeronthebuildingwillpeelofflittlebylittle,andthefoundationofsandwillcrumble.Onedaythewholeedificewillfall,andagreatfallitwillbe.Inmyownministry, Ihavemet severalChristian leaderswhoknewhow to

exercise spiritual leadership without sacrificing good business principles. Toborrow the old Youth for Christ slogan, they were “geared to the times butanchored to theRock.”One suchmanwasWilliamCulbertson, bishop of theReformedEpiscopalChurch,deanofeducationatMoodyBibleInstitute(1942–48),andpresidentofthatschoolfortwenty-threefruitfulyears.WilburM.Smithstateditperfectly:“Myfirstimpressionandthelastingoneisthatheisamanof

God.”WilliamCulbertsonwasbornonNovember18,1905,intoaverygodlyhome

inPhiladelphia.Hewasanonlychildbutnotofthe“spoiled”variety.HetrustedChristasSavioratagenine,andtheexperiencewassorealtohimthatshortlyafterward he led his uncle to the Lord. He graduated fromWest PhiladelphiaHighSchoolin1924(wherehehadtakenfouryearsofGreek!),andthatsameyearentered theReformedEpiscopalSeminary inPhiladelphia.TheReformedEpiscopalChurchhadbeenfoundedbyG.D.Cumminsin1873,mainlybecauseof doctrinal “deterioration” in theAmericanEpiscopal church.The groupwasopposedtothe“ritualismandsacerdotalism”oftheparentbody.JamesM.Gray,anotherpresidentofMoodyBibleInstitute,alsobelongedtothisdenomination.AfterCulbertsongraduatedfromseminaryin1924,hebecamepastorofGrace

ReformedEpiscopalChurch,Collingdale, Pennsylvania.He studied at TempleUniversityinPhiladelphiaandtaughtatPhiladelphiaSchoolof theBible(nowPhiladelphiaBibleCollege) andat his almamater. In1939hegraduated fromTempleandwasgrantedanhonoraryDDfromReformedEpiscopalSeminary.HepastoredSt.John’s-by-the-Sea,Ventnor,NewJersey,andtheChurchof theAtonement, Germantown, Philadelphia, before moving to Chicago in 1942 tobecomedeanofeducationatMoodyBibleInstitute.WillH.Houghtonwaspresidentoftheschoolatthattime,andhewasexcited

aboutthenewdeanGodhadprovided,amanwhoblendeddeepspiritualitywithsolid education and common sense. Culbertson’s years as a bishop in hisdenomination (he had been elected in 1937) gave him wide experience in“managing spiritual business,” and his academic credentials gave himacceptanceinthefieldofeducation.Preachingandteachingwerehisfirstloves,andheespeciallyenjoyedteachingthePaulineepistlesandBiblegeography.ItwasanopensecretoncampusthatwhenCulbertsonwasboredwithaspeakerorameeting,hewouldstudythemapsatthebackofhisBible!HoughtondiedonJune14,1947,andfivedayslaterCulbertsonwasappointedactingpresident.Henever moved into Houghton’s office, nor did he exercise any “evangelicalpolitics”tosucceedHoughton.Membersoftheadministrativestaffurgedhimtoseekthepositionofpresident,buthequietlyrefused.ThenonFebruary4,1948,thetrusteesnamedhimpresidentoftheschool,andheaccepted.According to S. Maxwell Coder, who succeeded Culbertson as dean of

education, “William Culbertson moved the Moody Bible Institute out of thenineteenthcenturyandintothetwentiethcentury.”Someofthenewpresident’s

associates did not think he moved things fast enough. One of his favoriteexpressionswas, “Well, let’s sleepon it.”Butwhenyouexamine theprogressreport for his years of administration, you cannot help but conclude thatGodusedhimandmanythingswereaccomplished.Thephysicalcampuswasgreatlyimproved, the curriculum updated, and the spiritual life of the campus familystrengthened. Old ministries were expanded (or quietly buried), and newministries inaugurated.All of thiswas accomplished during a turbulent era inAmerican church history, when more than one Christian organization eithercompromised thefaithorwentoutofbusiness.God“calledhome”CulbertsononNovember16,1971.Hislastwordssummarizedthedeepspiritualpassionofhisentirelife:“God—God—yes!”ItwasmyprivilegetoknowDr.Culbertson,anditwasmyfurtherprivilegeto

bechosentowritehisbiography,WilliamCulbertson:AManofGod (1974).Duringmonths of research, I found a few peoplewho

disagreedwith his program, and somewhowere impatientwith his deliberatestyle of management, but I found no one who questioned his character orattackedhisreputation.Evenhisenemies(andhehadafew)hadtoadmithewasamanofGod.So much for his life and ministry. Now let us go deeper and explore the

spiritualprinciples thatoperated inhis life.Aboveall else,CulbertsonwalkedwithGod.Hespent time in theWordand inprayer.He lookedat thepracticaldecisionsoflifewiththeeyesofamanwhofirstlookedtoGod.Hedidnotcallcommitteemeetings,makedecisions,andthenaskGodtoblessthem.Heprayedabout matters, pondered them long and hard, and brought to bear upon hisdecisionseveryexperiencewithGod,everytruthGodhadtaughthimfromtheWord.Youcouldnotbewithhimverylongbeforesayingtoyourself,“ThisisamanofGod.”ThisdoesnotmeanCulbertsonwassolemnandultra-spiritual,afragilesaintonlytobeadmiredfromadistance.Hehadagreatsenseofhumor,andhelivedincontactwithpeople.Hedidnotwastehistime“buildingapublicimage.”Hewaswhathewaswhetherpreachinginachurchorplayinghandballwithmenonthestaff.Hepracticedahealthykindofholinessthatconvincedyouitwasajoyful,robustthingtobeaChristian.Iam impressedby thewayGodpreparedhimforhisstrategicministry.His

years of study (and theywere difficult years), his experience as a teacher, hisworkasabishop:allcontributedtohisministryatMoodyBibleInstitute.Hedidnotseekanyoffice,andto“politic”forpositionwouldhavebeenutterlyforeign

tohim.HewascontenttodotheworkGodhadgivenhimuntiltheMastercalledhimtoanotherministry.Isupposeeveryorganizationhasits“pyramidclimbers”who jockey for promotion and position. Culbertson would not be in theircompany.AChristianleaderrecentlylamentedtomeaboutthesmallnumberofyoungermen andwomenwho are prepared tomove into positions of greaterleadership. “Where are the replacements?” he askedme. “Isn’tGod preparingpeopletodayashedidinBibledays?”Myanswermaynotbethecorrectoronlyone,but it isworthconsidering:manyChristians todaywillnotpermitGod topreparethem.Theygotoofast,toosoon.Whentheyget“tothetop,”theysoondiscovertheshoesaretoobigfortheirpygmyfeet.TheapplauseofthecrowdisnotalwaystheapprovaloftheLord.CulbertsonwasalifelongstudentoftheWordandofrelatedsubjects.Stephen

Olford’s evaluation ofCulbertson’s preaching is apt: “You sense reality in hispreaching.”Culbertsondidnotdependonotherpeopleforeitherhissermonsorthe articles he wrote.What he produced came fromGod and was (as RobertMurrayMcCheyneusedtosay)“oil,beatenoilforthesanctuary.”HisMondaymorning chapel addresses at the institutewere filledwith solid spiritual food,some ofwhich the students did not completely digest until years later. I haveread scores of letters from former students at the institute who had becomepastorsandmissionariesandwhowrotesomethinglikethis:“Wedidnotalwaysfullyunderstandwhatyoutaughtusinchapel,butnowthatweareintheheatofthebattle,yourmessagescomebacktouswithnewpowerandblessing.”Ihave always felt thatCulbertson livedunder the shadowofHoughton, his

predecessor.Houghtonwasadynamicleaderandeloquentpulpiteer;Culbertsonwasaquietleaderwhopreferredtoworkthroughorganizationalchannels,andapreacherwhodependedmoreondepthofcharacterandthoughtthanonheightsoforatory.Eachmanhadtobetruetohisowngiftsandcalling,andwemustnotsay thatonewasbetter than theother.Eachmadehiscontribution to theworkand thenwas “called home.”CertainlyCulbertson had no reason to doubt hisabilitiesorquestionhiscompetencebecausehisstyleofleadershipwasdifferentfromHoughton’s.Iget the impression that someChristian leadersare toobusy tomeditateon

theWord,pray,andwaitforGodtospeaktothempersonally.Ihaveheardmanysermons and read many books that merely recycle old material; they are theshallowproductsofabusylife.WheneveryouheardCulbertsonspeak(orpray),youknewhehadjustcomefromthethronewithalivecoalreadytoburstinto

flame. Christian leadersmust realize that if they suffer from shallowness, themaladywillspreadthroughouttheirentireorganization.I have touched on three factors that contributed to Culbertson’sministry: a

deepdevotiontoChrist,aperiodofGod-directedpreparation,andadisciplinedeffortto“taketimetobeholy.”Letmeaddafourth:alovingconvictionaboutbiblicalseparation.Culbertsonbelievedinseparation,butnotinthepharisaicalsort thatseparates truebelievers.“There isaschismaticseparation,”hesaid inan early sermon, “whenournotions separate us from true believers,whenweseparateourselvesuntomenormereopinions.ThereisnocauseforseparationwhenmendifferinminordetailsbutnotinthegreatdoctrinesofScripture.”Itwasnoteasytomaintaintheschool’ssteadycourseduringthosestormydaysofthe1950sand1960swhenevangelicalgroupsweredebatinganddividingoverthematterofseparation.BecauseCulbertsonfearedGod,hefearednoman;buthe was always gracious and kindwhen he disagreed. He held to his positioncourageously,buthedidnot requireyou tostandwithhim.Herespectedyourrighttodisagree,butheexpectedyoutogivehimthesameright.Not only are some Christian leaders neglecting spiritual and intellectual

growth,but they tend tocater to theconstituency,especially if theydependonthe constituency for support. I have seen Christian organizations completelyreverse a policy or abandon a principle because of a few letters of criticism.Whileitistruewemustlistentothecounselandeventhecriticismofothers,itisalsotruethatwedarenotbe“reedsshakeninthewind.”Culbertsonlistened,pondered,andprayed;hedidnotimpulsivelymakeradicalchangesjusttopleasepeople. “For if Iyetpleasedmen, I shouldnotbe the servantofChrist” (Gal.1:10).Isupposethewordthatbestdescribeshisleadershipisintegrity.InalettertoCulbertson in 1939,Houghton said: “Withmodernism as dead as ever . . .with the worldly churches dying of dry rot, and with so much ofFundamentalism impotent through various causes, there is surely a place oftremendous need for an institution of integrity, loyalty, faith, and power.”Integrity is theoppositeofduplicity; it speaksofwholenessofcharacter.LikeDavid,WilliamCulbertson“fedthemaccordingtotheintegrityofhisheart,andguidedthembytheskillfulnessofhishands”(Ps.78:72).AndlikeDavidhewasa“manafterGod’sownheart”—amanofGod.Unfortunately,notmanyofCulbertson’smessageshavebeenpublished.Only

three volumes have appeared: God’s Provision for Holy Living, his Biblereadings at British Keswick in 1957; The Faith Once Delivered, his keynote

addressesfortheinstitute’sannualFounder’sWeek;andForTimesLikeThese,his editorials inMoody Monthly. A book of his “man to man” addresses topastorswouldbevaluable,aswouldabookofhischapeltalks.In time there arises “ageneration that knowsnot Joseph,” andwemust not

complain if yesterday’s spiritual heroes become but memories. But there aremanyofuswhogive thanks for theprivilegeof living in the samecenturyasWilliamCulbertson,andwetrustwewillnotforgetthelessonshetaughtus.

Notes

Chapter3MatthewHenry1.C.H.Spurgeon,CommentingandCommentaries(London:BannerofTruthTrust,1969),3.

Chapter4JonathanEdwards1.JonathanEdwards,WorksofJonathanEdwards,vol.1(London:BannerofTruthTrust,1976),237.

Chapter5GeorgeWhitefield1.GeorgeWhitefield,Journals(London:BannerofTruthTrust,1960).2.ArnoldA.Dallimore,GeorgeWhitefield,vol.2(Westchester,Ill.:CornerstoneBooks,1980),257–58.3.Whitefield,Journals.4.C.H.Spurgeon,TheEarlyYears(London:BannerofTruthTrust,1962),348.

Chapter6CharlesSimeon1.HughEvanHopkins,CharlesSimeonofCambridge(GrandRapids:Eerdmans,1977),57.2.Ibid.,174–75.3. Originally published asHorae Homileticae (London: H. C. Bolm, 1847); reprinted as Expository

OutlinesontheWholeBible(GrandRapids:Zondervan,1956).

Chapter7ChristmasEvans1.PaxtonHood,ChristmasEvans(London:HodderandStoughton,1888),277–80.2.Ibid.,144–46.3.Ibid.,133.

Chapter8JohnHenryNewman1.W.RobertsonNicoll,PrincesoftheChurch(London:HodderandStoughton,1921),29.2. AlexanderWhyte,Newman: An Appreciation in Two Lectures, with the Choicest Passages of His

Writings(Edinburgh:Oliphant,1901),122.3.Ibid.,90–92,97.4. R.W.Church,TheOxfordMovement, Twelve Years, 1833–1845 (London:Macmillan, 1891; repr.,

NewYork:Archon,1966),15.5.JohnHenryNewman,LecturesandEssaysonUniversitySubjects(London:Longman,Brown,Green,

Longmans,andRoberts,1859),218.

Chapter9RichardTrench1.JohnBromley,TheManofTenTalents(London:SPCK,1959),18.2.Ibid.,152.

Chapter10AndrewBonar1.MarjorieBonar,ed.,AndrewBonar:DiaryandLife(London:BannerofTruthTrust,1960).

Chapter11RobertMurrayMcCheyne1.Bonar,AndrewBonar,154.

Chapter12F.W.Robertson1.StopfordBrooke,ed.,LifeandLettersofFrederickW.Robertson(NewYork:HarperandBros.,1865),

86.2.A.W.W.Dale,TheLifeofR.W.Dale(London:HodderandStoughton,1898),705.3.EdwinC.Dargan,AHistoryofPreaching,2vols.(NewYork:Armstrong,1905–12),2:520.

Chapter14FannyCrosby1.EdithL.Blumhofer,HerHeartCanSee(GrandRapids:Eerdmans,2005),170,358–60.

Chapter15AlexanderMaclaren1.JohnC.Carlile,AlexanderMaclarenD.D.:TheManandHisMessage(London:S.W.PartridgeCo.,

1901;NewYork:FunkandWagnalls,1902),51.2.ArthurPorritt,TheBestIRemember(London:Cassell,1922),75.

Chapter16J.B.Lightfoot1.W.RobertsonNicoll,TheVictorianChurch,2vols.(London:Black,1966),2:49.2.Nicoll,PrincesoftheChurch,22.3.Ibid.,23.

Chapter17R.W.Dale1.A.W.W.Dale,TheLifeofR.W.DaleofBirmingham(London:HodderandStoughton,1902),706.

Chapter18JosephParker1. Joseph Parker, Studies in Texts (New York: Funk andWagnalls, 1898–1900; repr., Grand Rapids:

Baker,1973),1:vi.2.Nicoll,PrincesoftheChurch,169.3.ArthurPorritt,TheBestIRemember(London:Cassell,1922),66.4.J.D.Jones,ThreeScoreYearsandTen(London:HodderandStoughton,1940),68.5.AlexanderGammie,PreachersIHaveHeard(London:PickeringandInglis,1945),40.6.HelenC.A.DixonandA.C.Dixon:ARomanceofPreaching(NewYork:Putnam,1931),106–7.7. Clyde E. Fant Jr. andWilliamM. Pinson, eds., 20Centuries ofGreat Preaching, 13 vols. (Waco:

Word,1971),5:244.8.JosephParker,ThePeople’sBible(London:HazellandWatson,1886ff.),25:449.9.Parker,StudiesinTexts,1:viii–ix.

Chapter19J.HudsonTaylor1. Howard Taylor andMary Taylor,Hudson Taylor in Early Years: The Growth of a Soul (London:

MorganandScott,1911),xvii.2.JohnCharlesPollock,HudsonTaylorandMaria(NewYork:McGraw-Hill,1962),101.3.Ibid.,202–3.4.HowardTaylorandMaryTaylor,HudsonTaylorandtheChinaInlandMission(London:Morganand

Scott,1918),42.5.Ibid.,54–55.6.Ibid.,53.7.Ibid.,461.

Chapter20CharlesH.Spurgeon1.CharlesH.Spurgeon,TheMetropolitanTabernaclePulpit,56vols.(London:PassmoreandAlabaster,

1863ff),10:573ff.2.W.Y.Fullerton,C.H.Spurgeon(London:WilliamsandNorgate,1920;repr.,Chicago:Moody,1966),

255.3.BramwellBooth,EchoesandMemories(NewYork:Doran,1925),34.4.LewisA.Drummond,Spurgeon:PrinceofPreachers(GrandRapids:Kregel,1992),675,733–37.See

alsoFullerton,C.H.Spurgeon,243–47.

Chapter21PhillipsBrooks1.PhillipsBrooks,LecturesonPreaching(GrandRapids:Baker,1969),8–9.2.Ibid.3.Ibid.,4,11,97,106.

Chapter22FrancesRidleyHavergal1.MariaF.HavergalandG.Havergal,MemorialsofFrancesRidleyHavergal (London:JamesNisbet

andCo.,1885),66.2.FrancesRidleyHavergal,KeptfortheMaster’sUse(GrandRapids:Baker,1979),12,35.

Chapter23AlexanderWhyte1.G.F.Barbour,TheLifeofAlexanderWhyte(London:HodderandStoughton,1923),160–61.2.Ibid.,284–85.3.AlexanderWhyte,BunyanCharacters, 4 vols. (Edinburgh:Oliphant,Anderson, and Ferrier, 1893–

1908),1:263.4.Barbour,AlexanderWhyte,299.5.JohnDicksonCarr,TheLifeofSirArthurConanDoyle(NewYork:Harper,1949),23.6.Ibid.,44.7.Barbour,AlexanderWhyte,233.8.Ibid.,252.9.GustavusSwiftPaine,TheLearnedMen(NewYork:Crowell,1959).

Chapter24DwightL.Moody1.L.T.Remlap,ed.,TheGospelAwakening(Chicago:J.FairbanksandCo.,n.d.),90–91.2.SarahA.Cooke,WaysideSketches(GrandRapids:ShawPublishingCo.,n.d.),50.3.StanleyN.Gundry,LoveThemIn(Chicago:Moody,1976),153–54.

Chapter25GeorgeMatheson1.DonaldMacmillan,TheLifeofGeorgeMatheson(London:HodderandStoughton,1907),181.2.Ibid.,172–73.

Chapter27F.B.Meyer1.F.B.Meyer,TheBellsofIs;or,VoicesofHumanNeedandSorrow(London:MorganandScott,1894),

17.2.Ibid.,32–33.3.F.B.Meyer,ReveriesandRealities;or,LifeandWorkinLondon(London:MorganandScott,1896),

41.4.W.Y.Fullerton,AttheSixtiethMilestone:IncidentsoftheJourney(London:Marshall,1917),80–81.5.Abraham, Jacob, Joseph,Moses, Joshua, Samuel,David, Elijah, Jeremiah, Jonah, John theBaptist,

Peter,andPaul.

Chapter29HenryDrummond1.Nicoll,PrincesoftheChurch,100.2.Ibid.,101.3.Gundry,LoveThemIn,198–201.

Chapter30R.A.Torrey1.RogerMartin,R.A.Torrey:ApostleofCertainty(Murfreesboro,Tenn.:SwordoftheLordPublishers,

1976),34.2.Ibid.,42.

Chapter31ThomasSpurgeon1.Fullerton,SixtiethMilestone,151.

Chapter33CharlesE.Jefferson1. Charles E. Jefferson, The Minister as Shepherd (New York: Crowell, 1912; repr., Grand Rapids:

Zondervan,1933),36.2.Ibid.,42.3.CharlesE.Jefferson,TheBuildingof theChurch(NewYork:Macmillan,1910; repr.GrandRapids:

Baker,1969),11.4.Ibid.,19.5.Ibid.,5.6.Ibid.,14.7.Ibid.,15.8.Ibid.,17.9.Ibid.,19.10.Ibid.,21.11.Ibid.,86.12.Ibid.,119.13.Ibid.,171.14.Ibid.,193.15.Ibid.,235.16.Ibid.,298.17.Jefferson,MinisterasShepherd,21.18.Ibid.,61.19. Edgar De Witt Jones, American Preachers of Today (Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1933; repr.,

Freeport,N.Y.:BooksforLibraries,1971),59.20.CharlesE.Jefferson,QuietHintstoGrowingPreachers(NewYork:Crowell,1901),7.21.Ibid.,19.22.Ibid.,44.23.Ibid.,59.24.Ibid.,133.25.Jefferson,BuildingoftheChurch,256.26.Ibid.,277.27.Jones,AmericanPreachersofToday,60.

Chapter36G.CampbellMorgan1.G.CampbellMorgan,TheStudyandTeachingoftheEnglishBible(NewYork:Revell,1910),74.2.ErnestH.Jeffs,PrincesoftheModernPulpit(London:Low,1931),184.3.JillMorgan,ed.,ThisWasHisFaith(Westwood,N.J.:Revell,1952),244.

Chapter37JohnHenryJowett1.JohnHenryJowett,ThePreacher:HisLifeandWork(NewYork:HodderandStoughton,1912),9.

Chapter38J.D.Jones1. J. D. Jones,Three Score Years and Ten: The Autobiography of J. D. Jones (London: Hodder and

Stoughton,1940),40–41.2.Jeffs,PrincesoftheModernPulpit,127.3.ArthurPorritt,J.D.JonesofBournemouth(London:Independent,1942).

Chapter41FrankW.Boreham1.F.W.Boreham,MyPrivilege(Philadelphia:JudsonPress,1950),64.2.Ibid.,65–66.3.Thepublishingarmof theWesleyanConferencedidnot,however,adopt thename“EpworthPress”

until 1918, six years after The Luggage of Life had appeared. Before that, books published by theConferencewereimprintedwiththenameof“ConferenceBookStewardC.H.Kelly.”4.Boreham,Privilege,98–99.

Chapter43OswaldChambers1.GertrudeChambers,OswaldChambers:HisLifeandWork(London:SimpkinMarshall,Ltd.,1933),

132.2.HarryVerploegh,ed.,TheOswaldChambersDevotionalReader(Nashville:ThomasNelson,1990).

SeealsoFaith,AHolyWalkcompiledbyJulieAckermanLink(GrandRapids:DiscoveryHouse,1999).3.DavidMcCasland,ed.,TheQuotableOswaldChambers(GrandRapids:DiscoveryHouse,2008).

Chapter45ClarenceEdwardMacartney1.ClarenceEdwardMacartney,StrangeTextsbutGrandTruths(GrandRapids:Kregel,1994),121.2.HarryEmersonFosdick,TheLivingofTheseDays(NewYork:Harper,1956),146.3.Ibid.,145.4. Robert Moats Miller, Harry Emerson Fosdick: Preacher, Pastor, Prophet (New York: Oxford

UniversityPress,1985),117.5.ClarenceEdwardMacartney,TheMakingofaMinister(NewYork:ChannelPress,1961),223.

Chapter46WilliamWhitingBorden1.ElisabethElliot,ed.,TheJournalsofJimElliot(GrandRapids:Revell,2002),174.

Chapter47AlvaJayMcClain1.AlvaJayMcClain,TheGreatnessoftheKingdom(WinonaLake,Ind.:BMHBooks,1968),527.

Chapter48A.W.Tozer1. A. W. Tozer, “Some Thoughts on Books and Reading,” in Man: The Dwelling Place of God

(Harrisburg,Pa.:ChristianPublications,1966),149.2.A.W.Tozer,ed.TheChristianBookofMysticalVerse(Harrisburg,Pa.:ChristianPublications,1963),

vi.3.A.W.Tozer,InTheRootoftheRighteous(Harrisburg,Pa.:ChristianPublications,1955),34–37.

Chapter49W.E.Sangster1.PaulE.Sangster,DoctorSangster(London:Epworth,1962),89.2.Ibid.,109–10.3.Ibid.,109.4.W. E. Sangster.The Approach to Preaching (London: Epworth, 1951; repr., Grand Rapids: Baker,

1974),32.

Chapter50WilliamCulbertson1.C.S.Lewis,GeorgeMacDonald:AnAnthology(NewYork:MacMillan,1947),71.

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———.ARetrospect.London:Morgan,1894.———.UnionandCommunion.London:MorganandScott, 1894.Reprint,Minneapolis:BethanyFellowship,1971.

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———.Commenting andCommentaries. London: Passmore andAlabaster,1876.Reprint,London:BannerofTruthTrust,1969.

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———.TheLastWeek:BeingaRecordof theLastDaysofFrancesRidleyHavergal.London:JamesNisbetandCo.,n.d.

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———. Bunyan Characters, 4 vols. Edinburgh: Oliphant, Anderson, and

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———. The Spiritual Life: The Teaching of Thomas Goodwin. London:Oliphant,1918.

———.TheTreasuryofAlexanderWhyte.EditedbyRalphTurnbull.London:Oliphant,1957.Reprint,GrandRapids:Baker,1968.

———.TheWalk, Conversation, and Character of Jesus Christ Our Lord.Edinburgh:Oliphant,1905.Reprint,GrandRapids:Baker,1975.

———.WithMercyandJudgment.London:HodderandStoughton,1924.

DwightL.Moody

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———.TheRepresentativeMenoftheNewTestament.London:HodderandStoughton,1905.

———.The RepresentativeWomen of the Bible.Edited byWilliam Smith.London:HodderandStoughton,1907.

———. Rests by the River: Devotional Meditations. London: Hodder andStoughton,1906.

———. Sidelights from Patmos: Thoughts Suggested by the Book ofRevelation.London:HodderandStoughton,1897.

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———.TheCallandChallengeof theUnseen.London:MorganandScott,1928.

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———. Exodus. 2 vols. A Devotional Commentary. Edited by A. R.Buckland.London:RTS,1911–13.

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———. Joseph: Loved, Despised, Exalted. Greenville, S.C.: Ambassador-EmeraldInternational,2003.

———. The Life and Light of Men: Expositions of John 1–12. London:MorganandScott,1891.

———. Light on Life’s Duties. Chicago: Bible Institute ColportageAssociation,1895.

———.LovetotheUttermost:ExpositionsofJohn13–21.London:MorganandScott,1898.

———.OurDailyHomily.5vols.London:MorganandScott,1898–99.———. Reveries and Realities; or, Life and Work in London. London:MorganandScott,1896.

———. Tried by Fire: Expositions of the First Epistle of Peter. London:MorganandScott,1895.Reprint,FortWashington,Pa.:ChristianLiteratureCrusade,1970.

———.TheWayintotheHoliest:ExpositionsoftheEpistletotheHebrews.London:MorganandScott,1893.

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HenryDrummond

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———.HenryDrummond:AnAnthology.EditedbyJamesW.Kennedy.NewYork:Harper,1953.

———.“TheIdealLife”andOtherUnpublishedAddresses.London:HodderandStoughton,1897.

———.NaturalLawintheSpiritualWorld.London:HodderandStoughton,1883.

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———.ThePowerofPrayerand thePrayerofPower.NewYork:CosimoClassics,2007.

———.WhattheBibleTeaches:TheTruthsoftheBibleMadePlain,Simple,andUnderstandable.Peabody,Mass.:HendricksonPublishers,2008.

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———.“God Save theKing!”AddressesConcerningKing Jesus.London:PassmoreandAlabaster,1902.

———.TheGospelof theGraceofGod.London:PassmoreandAlabaster,1884.

———.LightandLove:ASeriesofSermons.London:Stockwell,1897.———. “My Gospel”: Twelve Addresses. The Baptist Pulpit, vol. 23.

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———. J. H. Jowett. Edited by Elmer G. Homrighausen. Great PulpitMasters.NewYork:Revell,1950.Reprint,GrandRapids:Baker,1972.

———. Life in the Heights: Studies in the Epistles. London: Hodder andStoughton,1924.Reprint,GrandRapids:Baker,1973.

———.MyDailyMeditationfortheCirclingYear.London:Clarke,1914.———.ThePassionforSouls.London:Clarke,1905.———.ThePreacher:HisLifeandWork.NewYork:HodderandStoughton,1912.Reprint,GrandRapids:Baker,1968.

———.TheSilverLining.London:Melrose,1907.———.Springs in theDesert: Studies in the Psalms.London:Hodder andStoughton,1924.Reprint,GrandRapids:Baker,1976.

———. Things That Matter Most: Short Devotional Readings. London:Clarke,1913.

Porritt,Arthur.JohnHenryJowett.London:HodderandStoughton,1924.

J.D.Jones

Jeffs,ErnestH.PrincesoftheModernPulpit.London:Low,1931.Jones,J.D.TheGloriousCompanyoftheApostles.London:Clarke,1904.———. The Gospel According to St. Mark: A Devotional Commentary. 4vols.London:ReligiousTractSociety,n.d.

———. The Greatest of These: Addresses on 1 Corinthians 13. London:HodderandStoughton,1925.

———. The Hope of the Gospel: Expository Sermons on ChristianEncouragement.GrandRapids:Kregel,1995.

———.IfaManDie.London:HodderandStoughton,1917.———.TheLordofLifeandDeath.London:HodderandStoughton,1919.Reprint,GrandRapids:Baker,1972.

———.TheModelPrayer.London:Clarke,n.d.———.RichmondHillSermons.London:HodderandStoughton,1932.———. Three Score Years and Ten: The Autobiography of J. D. Jones.London:HodderandStoughton,1940.

———.TheWayintotheKingdom.London:ReligiousTractSociety,1900.Porritt,Arthur.J.D.JonesofBournemouth.London:Independent,1942.

GeorgeH.Morrison

Gammie, Alexander. Dr. George H. Morrison: The Man and His Work.London:Clarke,1928.

Morrison, Christine M. Morrison of Wellington. London: Hodder andStoughton,1930.

Morrison, George H. The Afterglow of God. New York: Hodder andStoughton,1912.

———.TheEverOpenDoor.London:HodderandStoughton,1929.———.Flood-Tide. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1901. Reprint, GrandRapids:Baker,1971.

———.TheFootstepsoftheFlock.London:HodderandStoughton,1904.———.TheReturnoftheAngels.London:HodderandStoughton,1909.———. Sun-Rise. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1903. Reprint, Grand

Rapids:Baker,1971.———.TheUnlightedLustre.London:HodderandStoughton,1905.Reprint,GrandRapids:Baker,1971.

———. The Weaving of Glory. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1913.Reprint,GrandRapids:Kregel,1995.

———. The Wind on the Heath. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1915.Reprint,GrandRapids:Baker,1971.

———.TheWings of theMorning. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1907.Reprint,GrandRapids:Baker,1970.

———.TheWorld-wideGospel.London:HodderandStoughton,1933.

AmyCarmichael

Benge,JanetandGeoffBenge.AmyCarmichael:RescuerofPreciousGems.Seattle:YWAM,1998.

Carmichael,Amy.IComeQuietlytoMeetYou:AnIntimateJourneyinGod’sPresence.Bloomington:BethanyHousePublishers,2005.

Eliot,Elisabeth.AChanceToDie:TheLifeandLegacyofAmyCarmichael.OldTappan,N.J.:Revell,1987.Reprint,GrandRapids:Revell,2005.

Houghton, Frank. Amy Carmichael of Dohnavur. London: SPCK, 1953.Reprint,FortWashington,Pa.:ChristianLiteratureCrusade,1988.

FrankW.Boreham

Boreham, Frank W. A Bunch of Everlastings. London: Epworth, 1920.Reprint,Philadelphia:Judson,1942.

———.ACasketofCameos.London:Epworth,1924.Reprint,Philadelphia:Judson,1950.

———.AFaggotofTorches.London:Epworth,1926.Reprint,Philadelphia:1926.Judson,1951.

———.AHandful of Stars.London:Epworth, 1922.Reprint, Philadelphia:Judson,1950.

———.TheHeavenlyOctave:AStudyof theBeatitudes.London:Epworth,1935.Reprint,GrandRapids:Baker,1968.

———.TheLastMilestone.London:Epworth,1961.

———.TheLuggageofLife.London:Kelly,1912.———.MushroomsontheMoor.London:Kelly,1915.———.MyPilgrimage:AnAutobiography.London:Epworth,1940.———.TheOtherSideoftheHillandHomeAgain.London:Kelly,1917.———.ThePassingofJohnBroadbanks.London:Epworth,1936.———.TheProdigal.London:Epworth,1941.———.TheSilverShadowandOtherDay-Dreams.London:Kelly,1918.———.A Temple of Topaz.London: Epworth, 1928. Reprint, Philadelphia:Judson,1951.

Crago,T.Howard.TheStoryofF.W.Boreham.London:Marshall,Morgan,andScott,1961.

JosephW.Kemp

DePlata,WilliamR.TellItfromCalvary:TheRecordofaSustainedGospelWitness fromCalvaryBaptistChurch ofNewYorkCity Since 1847. NewYork:CalvaryBaptistChurch,1972.

Kemp,JosephW.OutlineStudiesintheBookofRevelation.NewYork:TheBookStall,1917.

———. Outline Studies on the Tabernacle in the Wilderness. London:Marshall,1913.

———.TheSoul-WinnerandSoul-Winning.NewYork:Doran,1916.Kemp,Winnie.JosephW.Kemp:TheRecordofaSpirit-FilledLife.London:Marshall,Morgan,andScott,1936.

OswaldChambers

Chambers, Gertrude H. Oswald Chambers: His Life and Work. London:SimpkinMarshall,Ltd.,1933.

Chambers,Oswald.TheCompleteWorksofOswaldChambers.CompiledbyBiddyChambers.GrandRapids:DiscoveryHouse,2000.

———.IfYouWillAsk.GrandRapids:DiscoveryHouse,1994.———.Love:AHolyCommand.GrandRapids:DiscoveryHouse,2008.McCasland, David.Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God.Grand Rapids:DiscoveryHouse,1993.

Verploegh,Harry,ed.OswaldChambers:TheBestfromAlltheBooks.2vols.Nashville:ThomasNelson,1987,1989.

H.A.Ironside

English, E. Schuyler. H. A. Ironside: Ordained of the Lord.GrandRapids:Zondervan, 1946. Reprinted asOrdained of the Lord. H. A. Ironside: ABiography.Rev.ed.Neptune,N.J.:Loizeaux,1976.

Ironside,H.A.AddressesontheGospelofJohn.NewYork:Loizeaux,1942.———.“ChargeThattoMyAccount”andOtherGospelMessages.Chicago:BibleColportageAssociation,1931.

———. Expository Messages on the Epistle to the Galatians. New York:Loizeaux,1940.

———.ExpositoryNotesontheProphetIsaiah.NewYork:Loizeaux,1952.———.Holiness:TheFalseandtheTrue.NewYork:Loizeaux,1939.———. In theHeavenlies:PracticalExpositoryAddresseson theEpistle totheEphesians.NewYork:Loizeaux,1949.

———.IronsideExpositoryCommentaries.GrandRapids:Kregel,2005.———.LecturesonDanieltheProphet.NewYork:Loizeaux,1920.———.LecturesontheBookofRevelation.NewYork:Loizeaux,1919.———.LecturesontheEpistletotheRomans.NewYork:Loizeaux,1951.———. Random Reminiscences from Fifty Years of Ministry. New York:Loizeaux,1939.

———.Studies in theEpistle to theHebrews . . .LecturesontheEpistle toTitus.NewYork:Loizeaux,1942.

ClarenceEdwardMacartney

Macartney,ClarenceEdward.BibleEpitaphs.GrandRapids:Baker,1974.———.ChariotsofFire.GrandRapids:Kregel,1994.———.GreatInterviewsofJesus.GrandRapids:Baker,1974.———.GreatNightsofTheBible.NewYork:Abingdon,1943.———.GreatWomenoftheBible.GrandRapids:Baker,1974.———.TheGreatestMenoftheBible.NewYork:Abingdon,1941.———.TheGreatestTextsoftheBible.NewYork:Abingdon,1947.

———.TheGreatestWords in the Bible and InHuman Speech.WhitmoreandSmith,1938.

———.HeChoseTwelve.GrandRapids:Kregel,1993.———.TheLambofGod.GrandRapids:Kregel,1994.———.TheMakingofAMinister.NewYork:ChannelPress,1961.———. The Man Who Forgot, and Other Sermons on Bible Characters.1956.

———.PeterandHisLord.1937.———.PreachingWithoutNotes.GrandRapids:Baker,1976.———.SaluteThySoul.NewYork:Abingdon,1957.———.SermonsonOldTestamentHeroes.1935.———.StrangeTextsbutGrandTruths.GrandRapids:Kregel,1994.———.TrialsofGreatMenoftheBible.NewYork:Abingdon,1946.———.12GreatQuestionsAboutChrist.GrandRapids:Kregel,1993.———.TheWayofaManwithaMaid.GrandRapids:Baker,1974.———.TheWisestFoolandOtherMenoftheBible.NewYork:Abingdon,1949.

———.TheWomanofTekoah.GrandRapids:Baker,1977.———.YouCanConquer.NewYork:Abingdon,1954.

WilliamWhitingBorden

Taylor, Mrs. Howard. Borden of Yale ’09—“The Life that Counts.” ChinaInlandMission,1926.

———.WilliamBorden:AnOverseasMissionaryFellowshipBook.Chicago:Moody,1980.

AlvaJayMcClain

McClain,AlvaJ.BibleTruths.WinonaLake,Ind.:BMHBooks,1979.———.Daniel’s Prophecy of the SeventyWeeks.WinonaLake, Ind.:BMHBooks,2007.

———. The Gospel of God’s Grace: Romans. Winona Lake, Ind.: BMHBooks,1989.

———. The Greatness of the Kingdom. Winona Lake, Ind.: BMH Books,

1968.———.LawandGrace:AStudyofNewTestamentConceptsasTheyRelatetotheChristianLife.WinonaLake,Ind.:BMHBooks,2001.

Rohr, Norman B. A Saint in Glory Stands: The Story of Alva J. McClain.WinonaLake,Ind.:BMHBooks,1986.

A.W.Tozer

Anonymous. Cloud of Unknowing: A Book of Contemplation. Edited byEvelynUnderhill.London:Watkins,1970.

Dorsett, Lyle. A Passion for God: The Spiritual Journey of A.W. Tozer.Chicago:Moody,2008.

Eckhart, Meister. After Supper in the Refectory: A Series of Instructions.TranslatedbyN.Leeson.London:Mowbray,1917.

———.TreatisesandSermons.EditedandtranslatedbyJamesM.ClarkandJohnV.Skinner.NewYork:Harper,1958.

Fant,DavidJ.,Jr.A.W.Tozer:ATwentieth-CenturyProphet.Harrisburg,Pa.:ChristianPublications,1964.

Fenelon, François. Christian Perfection. Edited by Charles F. Whiston.TranslatedbyMildredWhitneyStillman.NewYork:Harper,1947.

Kepler,ThomasS., ed.TheFellowshipof theSaints.NewYork:Abingdon,1948.

Snyder,JamesL.TheLifeofA.W.Tozer: InPursuitofGod.Ventura,Calif.:RegalBooks,2009.

Tozer, A. W. Born After Midnight.Harrisburg, Pa.: Christian Publications,1964.

———,ed.TheChristianBookofMysticalVerse.Harrisburg,Pa.:ChristianPublications,1963.

———.TheDivineConquest.Harrisburg,Pa.:ChristianPublications,1950.———.The Root of the Righteous.Harrisburg, Pa.: Christian Publications,1955.

———. The Knowledge of the Holy: The Attributes of God. New York:Harper,1961.

———.LetMy PeopleGo! The Life of Robert A. Jaffray.Harrisburg, Pa.:ChristianPublications,1947.

———. Man: The Dwelling Place of God. Harrisburg, Pa.: Christian

Publications,1966.———.OfGodandMen.Harrisburg,Pa.:ChristianPublications,1960.———.ThePursuitofGod.Harrisburg,Pa.:ChristianPublications,1948.———. That Incredible Christian. Harrisburg, Pa.: Christian Publications,1964.

———.Tozer onWorship and Entertainment. CampHill, Pa.:WingSpreadPublishers,2006.

———. The Tozer Pulpit. Edited by Gerald B. Smith. Harrisburg, Pa.:ChristianPublications,1967.

———. Wingspread: Albert B. Simpson. Harrisburg, Pa.: ChristianPublications,1943.

Underhill,Evelyn.TheEvelynUnderhillReader.EditedbyThomasS.Kepler.NewYork:Abingdon,1962.

W.E.Sangster

Sangster,PaulE.DoctorSangster.London:Epworth,1962.Sangster,W.E.TheApproachtoPreaching.London:Epworth,1951.Reprint,GrandRapids:Baker,1974.

———.TheCraftofSermonConstruction.London:Epworth,1949.Reprint,GrandRapids:Baker,1972.

———.TheCraft of Sermon Illustration. London:Epworth, 1946.Reprint,GrandRapids:Baker,1973.

———.GodDoesGuideUs.London:HodderandStoughton,1934.———.HeIsAble.London:Epworth,1949.Reprint,GrandRapids:Baker,1975.———. Let Me Commend: Realistic Evangelism. New York: Abingdon-Cokesbury,1948.

———.ThePathtoPerfection.London:HodderandStoughton,1943.———.ThePureinHeart.London:Epworth,1954.———.QuestionsPeopleAskAboutReligion.NewYork:Abingdon,1980.———.SangsterofWestminster.London:Marshall,Morgan,andScott,1960.———.SpecialDaySermons.NewYork:Abingdon,1960.———.TeachMetoPray.Nashville,Tenn.:UpperRoomBooks,2000.———.TheseThingsAbide.London:HodderandStoughton,1939.———.WestminsterSermons.2vols.London:Epworth,1960–61.

———.WhyJesusNeverWroteaBook.London:Epworth,1932.

WilliamCulbertson

Culbertson, William. The Faith Once Delivered: Keynote Messages fromMoodyFounder’sWeek.Chicago:Moody,1972.

———.ForTimesLikeThese.Chicago:Moody,1972.———.God’sProvisionforHolyLiving.Chicago:Moody,1957.Stevenson, Herbert F., ed. Keswick’s Triumphant Voice: Forty-eightOutstandingAddressesDeliveredat theKeswickConvention, 1882–1962.GrandRapids:Zondervan,1963.

Wiersbe,WarrenW.William Culbertson: AMan of God. Chicago:Moody,1974.