The Prophet Jonah by Hugh Martin. Banner of Truth Trust. Price £3.00.
Hugh Martin was one of the godly, gifted, learned ministers who adorned the Church of Christ in Scotland. He was born in 1822 and departed this life in 1885. He received the degree of Master of Arts with the highest honours in Mathematics from St Andrews University. Having held pastorates at Panbride and Edinburgh he retired because of ill-health in the 43rd year of his age, but preached the Gospel in Scotland and abroad till near the end of his life.
His writings manifest that he was a humble child of God and a “valiant for the truth” whose greatest desire was to exalt the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. Some may think that Hugh Martin is too lenient with Jonah. However it is evident that, while he does not excuse the sins of the prophet of God, he is careful to do Jonah no injustice. “The Prophet Jonah” by Hugh Martin throws a flood of light on every chapter of the Book of Jonah. After reading this valuable book, the Book of Jonah seems to be a new book. His brilliant expositions of the truth are instructive, comforting, refreshing, while at the same time, they are beacons of warning to believers against backsliding and grieving the Holy Spirit of God. In expounding Jonah as a type of Christ he ascends heights which were unknown to us, and while he holds our hand and leads us on, with gracious awe upon our spirit we seek to say, “this is none other but the house of God and this is the gate of heaven.”
Any Christian desiring to steer the good and safe course up the channel between the two sand-banks of hyper calvinism on the one hand and arminianism on the other, let him read from page 328 to page 343 of this book. This commentary on the book of Jonah is one of the ablest on
this prophet. Dr Martin’s style of writing is lucid, pungent, dignified and pleasant. Christians who have read prayerfully and studied “The Shadow of Calvery”, “Christ’s Presence in the Gospel History” and “The Atonement” by Hugh Martin will certainly relish “The Prophet Jonah.”
It is customary for reviewers in commending books to make necessary charitable criticisms. We have no criticisms to offer — none.
This book, written in clear, deep print is published by the Banner of Truth Trust to whom we are much indebted. It is beautifully bound in hard covers. It is truly a great book.
A. McK.
Commentary on Luke by William Hendriksen. Banner of Truth Trust, pp1121. Price £8.50.
As far as we can judge, this rather bulky Commentary on Luke’s Gospel by Dr William Hendriksen merits a wide circulation and close perusal. Scriptural and orthodox in doctrine, in tone contemporary (possibly too much so), yet, it is evidently the product of a scribe well instructed in the Truth, and in other spheres of knowledge. Behind it lies much prayerful and exacting study, the fruits of which, the author now presents to the public. It contains an essential and informative Introduction, which covers the normal questions posed and answered in this section of any good commentary, and facilitates the elucidation of the content of the Gospel itself. This part of the work concludes with the apposite question, “What light does this Gospel shed on today’s problems?”. The fourfold answer is succinctly summarised thus:—”This Gospel is a book of doctrine showing us what to believe, of ethics telling us how to live, of comfort teaching us why to rejoice, and of prophecy, informing us what to expect.” It is the author’s conviction regarding the true purpose of a Commentary that explains and justifies the intellectual level of this volume. While not written for the academic or the specialist, it is certainly not devoid of definite academic and specialistic features, which indicate potential well beyond the level of this present volume. There are, for example, excellent and most useful notes on Greek words, phrases and constructions which should prove of great assistance to those who possess but a rudimentary knowledge of the original. Add to these the writer’s “practical lessons to be derived from each passage”, and you already have two salient characteristics which enhance the production. It is the first of these that extends the size of the book to 1122 pages, but it is space well used. Further, the format is
such, that one can read the commentary itself, with profit, without referring to the wealth of linguistic and grammatical material below. The continuity of the one is not impeded by the presence of the other.
With the sharp well disciplined perceptive mind of a good exegete, the author succeeds in giving a thorough and lucid explanation of the meaning of Scripture. We may disagree or hesitate to accept ALL that is written, especially in the eschatological part of the Gospel, but, in the main, we think that the most conservative would agree with Dr Hendriksen’s explanation of this portion of Holy Writ. To purchase a copy of this Commentary is to get real value for the cost.
F.M.