Faith and Life by B. B. Warfield. Banner of Truth Trust. 458pp. Price 90p.
It was interesting to note some references to the author of this book of sermons in a recent special edition of the Banner of Truth Magazine, commemorating the late Professor John Murray. John Murray never met B. B. Warfield, but apparently held him in the very highest esteem. He commended the perusal of his writings to his students, and apparently he regretted that Warfield never undertook to provide the 20th century church with an up-to-date text book of systematic theology.
‘Faith and Life’ is not a systematic theology textbook, but on the other hand we note that it contains sermons prepared with a congregation of theological students in view. It cannot be denied that the vocabulary is occasionally difficult, and that there are times when the closeness of Warfield’s reasoning could prove off-putting. Having said that, however, we must hasten to note the qualities which commend these sermons to a wide Christian public.
The sermons are brief, which makes it easy to pick up the book for short periods at a time. They are full of instruction, but the professor does not omit as preacher that modicum of repetition which is necessary for the easier assimilation of his message. The breadth of Warfield’s learning, and the acuteness of his perception cannot be hid. But these sermons are masterly in that they display these gifts not as standing alone, but as harnessed to the great end of setting before us the riches of Christ’s grace.
There is nothing superficial or superfluous about these sermons. Time and again we are convinced of Warfield’s intimate acquaintance with the actual meaning of whatever Scripture he is dealing with. Reading these pages, we can easily see why John Murray, himself such a meticulously accurate exegete, had such a regard for Warfield.
On the back cover of ‘Faith and Life’ the publishers say, ‘Among the various subjects dealt with, two stand out: the work of the Spirit in conviction, faith, adoption and prayer; and the need for true devotion to Christ and his cause.’ As it happens, the two sermons which we had thought of mentioning specially in this review come, one from each of these two categories.
The first of these is based on the words, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ and towards the close of his sermon Warfield speaks these encouraging words: ‘Each soldier may seem to himself isolated as he makes his way through the underbrush; he can see no companion; he can hear no neighbour. It may seem to him that on his sole arm is laid the whole burden and heat of the day. Let him but obey orders and he is, on the contrary, a link in the one great design, and after a while, as the brushwood is threaded and the open plain is reached, the bugle sounds the charge, and out he charges — all by himself — to find suddenly that he is not by himself. Out of the ground as it seems, to the right and to the left of him, others start up — who have obeyed orders like himself — and they sweep a united band to the victory. Brethren, that is the way we are to conquer the world; and our part in it is just to obey orders.’
Another sermon which we found particularly helpful is the one on Romans 8:16: ‘The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit that we are children of God’. Here Warfield deals in a most enlightening way with the nature of the Spirit’s witness, and how it is communicated. The following are some extracts:
‘… These remarks of George Gillespie’s will already suggest to us the function of this testimony of the Holy Ghost, as set forth by Paul as a co-testimony with the witness of our own spirit. It is not intended as a substitute for the testimony of our spirit — or, to be more precise, of “signs and marks” — but as an enhancement of it. Its object is not to assure a man who has “no signs” that he is a child of God, but to assure him who has “signs”, but is too timid to draw so great an inference from so small a premise, that he is a child of God and to give him thus not merely a human but a Divine basis for his assurance. It is, in a word, not a substitute for the proper evidence of our childship; but a Divine enhancement of that evidence.’
As to how the Spirit’s witness is given, Warfield goes on, ‘(Paul) had painted in the seventh chapter the dreadful conflict between indwelling sin and the intruded principle of holiness which springs up in every Christian’s breast. And he had pointed to the very fact of this conflict as a banner of hope. For he identifies the fact of the conflict with the presence of the Holy Spirit working in the soul; and in the presence of the Holy Spirit is the earnest of victory. The Spirit would not be found in a soul which was not purchased for God and in process of fitting for the heavenly Kingdom. Let no one talk of living on the low plane of the seventh chapter of Romans. Low plane, indeed: It is a low plane where there is no conflict. Where there is conflict — with the Spirit of God as one party in the battle — there is progressive advance towards the perfection of Christian life. So Paul treats it. He points to the conflict as indicative of the presence of the Spirit as the earnest of victory; and on this experience he founds his promise of eternal bliss.’
And towards the end Warfield summarises as follows:
‘… We must not fancy, however, that therefore the witness of the spirit adds nothing to the syllogistic way of concluding that we are children of God. It does not add another way of reaching this conclusion, but it does add strength of conclusion to this way. The Spirit is the spirit of truth and will not witness that he is a child of God who is not one. But he who really is a child of God will necessarily possess marks and signs of being so. The Spirit makes all these marks and signs valid and available for a true conclusion — and leads the heart and mind to this true conclusion. He does not operate by producing conviction without reason; an unreasonable conclusion. Nor yet apart from the reason; equally unreasonable. Nor by producing more reasons for the conclusion. But by giving their true weight and validity to the reasons which exist and so leading to the true conclusion, with Divine assurance. The function of the witness of the Spirit of God is, therefore, to give to our halting conclusions the weight of His Divine certitude.’
‘Faith and Life’ is colourfully produced in paperback by the Banner of Truth Trust.