MEMOIRS AND LETTERS OF JAMES KIDWELL POPHAM by J. H. Gosden. London: C. J. Farnecombe & Sons, Ltd., 30 Imperial Buildings, Ludgate Circus, E.C.4. Price, 6s; Postage, 4d.
In this goodly volume, goodly alike in matter and in get up, Mr. Gosden has given us an excellent biography of his venerable friend. Strictly speaking it is more autobiography than biography as Mr. Gosden has allowed Mr. Popham to speak through his own letters. We rarely met a more humble preacher of the gospel and Christian than Mr. Popham and this feature of his character comes out prominently in the volume before us. It is rare to come across a biography that reminds one of the experiences of the psalmists in the depths to which they descended and the heights to which they attained. Mr. Popham knew the hidden evils of his heart and the awful vileness that has its dwelling place there—what he rightly termed, “the hell of sin” within. This followed him right up to the end and his letters are full of complaints against his evil heart. On the other hand he was privileged to have his moments of Pisgah experiences, which made him break forth in raptures of joy. As a preacher Mr. Popham was largely experimental, but it was experimental preaching of the right kind founded on the doctrine or teaching of God’s Word and in accordance with it. It was searching preaching and it must have been most uncomfortable for worldly professors or hypocrites to sit under it. His great aim was as he expressed it in the Apostle’s words: “For we preach not ourselves but Christ Jesus the Lord” (II. Cor. iv. 5). Notwithstanding his beautiful meekness he was as firm as a rock and did not hesitate to deliver sledge hammer blows to error in his own denomination (strict Baptists), and in outside denominations. Into these controversies we cannot enter here but as they were carried on at times with anything but a Christian spirit on the part of his opponents, they left their mark upon him. When our own Church was pilloried by the world in the Dornoch case none of the letters of sympathy we and our brother ministers received were so encouraging and sympathetic as those sent us by Mr. J. K. Popham. He had a warm place in his heart for many in the Free Presbyterian Church and we consider it a privilege that we were honoured with the friendship of such a man. We differed in not a few points from our revered friend, such as baptism, the free offer of the gospel, etc., but we were one with him on the great matters of salvation. He loved the Puritans and the great Scottish preachers though he differed from them on the foregoing points. We feel that his characterization of Spurgeon (p. 323) is too sweeping and a qualifying phrase would have relieved it of what, we consider, is not quite just to the great Baptist preacher. The word “unetuous” as used in the volume in several places is unfortunate as it now generally means a spirituality that is superficial or assumed—unctious is the better word. The publishers have done their work well the get-up of the book is excellent alike in form and printing and the proof-reading has been admirably done.
As we finished reading the volume the words of Mr. Popham, in a letter to us, came back to our mind and expressed our feeling when he had read the Memoir of the late Rev. Neil Cameron—”Oh! after reading his life I thought I had no religion at all.”