Grace and Glory, by Geerhardus Vos
Published by the Banner of Truth Trust, hardback, 303 pages, £12.50.
Here is a collection of sermons preached by the Professor of Biblical Theology in Princeton Seminary from 1893 to 1932. Vos was born in 1862, in the Netherlands, but emigrated to the USA in his late teens. When originally published in 1922, the volume contained only six sermons, but a further 10 were discovered in 1971, one of them delivered in Dutch (and subsequently translated into English). This is a reprint of the edition first published in 1994.
Most of the sermons in this volume were preached to the students of the Seminary, which might suggest that they are pitched at a high intellectual level. That description may contain some truth, but they are clearly expressed, and are far more accessible than some of Vos’s other writings. No one with a reasonable grasp of Scripture truth should find them overly difficult. The texts on which he preached are taken from the Authorised Version, but some of the other verses quoted depart from it, perhaps because the preacher was quoting from memory.
As an example of his preaching, we may take a sermon entitled, “Rabboni!”, based on John 20:16. Vos speaks of “Mary’s attitude towards Jesus, more perhaps than any other disciple’s” as “characterised by that simple dependence which is the consciousness of an ever present need. It was a matter of faith, as much as of love, that made her differ at this time from the others. Unmixed with further motives, the recognition of Jesus as the only refuge from sin and death filled her heart. . . . And because she was animated by this fundamental spiritual impulse, drawing her to the Saviour more irresistibly than affection or sorrow could have done, therefore she could not but continue seeking Him, even though unable for the moment to do anything else than weep near His empty tomb.”
We may quote one more paragraph from this sermon: “We should be thankful, then, for the grace of Christ which has so arranged it, that between His rising from the dead and His departure for heaven a season of forty days was interposed, a transition period, helping, as it were, the feebleness of our faith in the act of apprehending His glory. Perhaps the Lord for the same reason also intentionally placed His meeting with Mary at the threshold of His resurrection life. Like other acts recorded in the fourth Gospel this act rises above the momentary situation and acquires a symbolic significance, enlarging before our eyes until it reveals Him in His priestly ministration conducted from the throne of glory.”
A Call to the Church in the Pandemic, by David Campbell
Published by Ettrick Press, paperback, 217 pages, £8.50.
Mr Campbell, minister of the Free Presbyterian Church in Edinburgh, prepared these addresses for his congregation to read during the first period of lockdown, in 2020. He describes them as “an attempt to understand the Lord’s providence in the events as they unfolded”. In publishing these addresses, the author wished to highlight three matters: “one is the need for repentance within the Church . . . another is the preciousness of gathering for worship”. The third is the obligation to pursue “communion with the Lord in His own ordinances”.
The book begins with an address on Lamentations 1:12, which examines the response to the closure of churches. This is followed by an examination of the refusal, in Jeremiah’s time, of the people to return to the Lord. Then there is an address on secret prayer, followed by three addresses on “the Lord’s voice crying”. A further three addresses consider Christ “in the midst of the congregation”, in relation to preaching, praise and prayer. Another speaks of the Lord’s presence as a “hiding place” in times of trouble. The final address directs attention to Song of Solomon 2:17: “Until the day break, and the shadows flee away . . .”; in particular, to “the hope of believers . . . in Christ returning, now that He has gone to prepare a place for them”.
While not every reader will agree with all the points made in the book, there is a great deal in it that everyone should find profitable. In the address on prayer, for instance, Mr Campbell first points out the dangers of hypocrisy. Among the examples he gives are: treating prayer as a mere form, and praying for mercy but not forsaking sin. He then gives some characteristics of true prayer: it is to be addressed to God the Father and to be offered in the name of Christ, but it can only be offered with the help of the Holy Spirit. When the author turns to the duty of secret prayer, he points out that “it is hard to be a hypocrite in secret prayer”, “poor prayers in sincerity have a better reward than polished prayers in pretence”, “the prayers of the broken and contrite are answered in mercy”, and “God delights to reward openly those who wrestle with Him secretly”.
We may quote also from the address on “Christ preaching in the congregation”, on Psalm 22:22: “If Christ is preaching in the assemblies of His worshipping people, then it is a glorious part of worship for hearers to offer believing thoughts to God under gospel preaching. In any assembly of worshippers under the ministry of Christ by His Spirit, there may be many thousands of separate and distinct actings of faith and love and hope and worship ascending to God during the course of one single sermon. That is a revenue of praise to God, which no one can see or hear, but it is glorious to the Lord.”
A final quotation comes from the conclusion to the last address: “Sinner and stranger to Christ, what have you to enjoy that can compare to the love and grace of Christ? The world cannot give you real joy. Your heart will never find satisfaction in it. But the people of God have something which is far more blessed and glorious than all the world – they have Christ and His covenant love to them. Take their example and seek Him with them. Be sure of this, that He is a gracious and loving husband to all His people.”
The Incomparableness of God, by George Swinnock
Published by the Banner of Truth Trust in their Puritan Paperback series, 194 pages, £6.25.
George Swinnock (1627-1673) was born in Maidstone, Kent, and orphaned at an early age. He was raised by his uncle, Robert Swinnock, in a home accustomed to prayer and family worship. Following his graduation from Cambridge, he became chaplain of New College and a fellow of Balliol College, Oxford. He was deprived of his living in Great Kimble, Buckinghamshire, at the time of the Great Ejection in 1662. Following the Declaration of Indulgence, he returned to his home town of Maidstone to minister there until he died in 1673. George Swinnock has been described as one of the easiest Puritan authors to read, and the book under review bears this out.
The Incomparableness of God is an exposition of Psalm 89:6: “For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the Lord?” The author explores the incomparableness of God in His being, attributes, works and word in 17 chapters and then begins to apply the doctrines with arguments and exhortations in a further nine chapters. In all, there are 26 short, readable chapters full of heart-warming matter about the great and incomparable God.
The reviewer particularly enjoyed Swinnock’s explanation of the durability of God, His eternal being, which encompasses His name, I AM, and also the eternal generation of the Son. “God has no succession in His duration; He dwells in one indivisible point of eternity; He is what He is in one infinite moment of being; His duration knows nothing of former or latter, past or to come; His essence is not bounded by those hedges, but He enjoys His whole eternity every moment; hence He is said to inhabit eternity, to be fixed always in eternity. One day with Him is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day”. To quote again from the book, “The sun may be contained in a small chink, and the sea in a nutshell, sooner than God can be contained in the limited understanding of men or angels”.
The work of redemption is incomparable: “And truly this work is His masterpiece, pure workmanship; and indeed, all His works of creation and providence are subordinate to this. All His attributes sparkle most gloriously in this. All His angels in heaven admire and adore Him for this.”
In the closing chapters Swinnoock speaks of how, in the context of the incomparableness of God, the malignity of sin and the madness and misery of the sinner is great. How monstrous is their pride who compare themselves to the incomparable God! Incomparable service and worship are due to Him; His knowledge is sanctifying, satisfying and saving. Swinnoock closes with exhortations to choose this incomparable God as our portion, to give Him the glory; and speaks of the comforts of those who have God for their portion.
However, there are some things which jar. The publishers claim that the Scripture references are from the AV, which they are, but different words are frequently inserted to change or add to the original. A small number of Scripture references are wrong. These aberrations would appear to have been taken over from James Nichols’ mid-nineteenth century edition of Swinnoock’s works. In addition, when Scripture is being paraphrased or a form of prayer is being described, the Most High is addressed as “you” and “your” instead of “Thee” and “Thine”. Swinnoock thinking of his incomparable God would be shocked at such an irreverent way of speaking to the Lord.
Nevertheless, this book is thoroughly recommended; it is full of wonderful matter, easily read and very enjoyable. Some of Swinnoock’s descriptions of God’s incomparableness are simply a delight. F R Daubney
^1 The books reviewed here may be obtained from the Free Presbyterian Bookroom.