Old Testament Evangelistic Sermons – D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Banner of Truth Trust hardback, 304 pages, £12.95. Available from the Free Presbyterian Bookroom, 133 Woodlands Road, Glasgow, G3 6LE
This volume of sermons by the well-known preacher of Westminster Chapel, London, includes an interesting and informative introduction by his biographer Iain H. Murray.
Those who do not believe in the organic unity of the Bible would likely question the validity and propriety of the title, Old Testament Evangelistic Sermons. For us, however, the title is meaningful, and the sermons savour of the Gospel of Christ, and show that Christ is the Alpha and Omega of the whole Word of God.
The texts chosen are well calculated to arouse a degree of interest, and in the main the addresses are solemn, edifying, direct and appealing. They help to prove the relevance of Scripture for all ages. In point of fact, we would say that Scripture, instead of becoming obsolete with the passage of time, is thereby becoming increasingly relevant.
A pleasing feature of the volume is the Doctor’s reverence for the Word of God. There is also a refreshing directness pervading all the sermons. For all that, we feel that these addresses are inferior to his other volumes. His more than frequent reference to psychology seems to us to account for his coming short of the spirituality of preachers of a former generation.
That apart, we cannot subscribe to the main thrust of the author’s view on Jacob at Penuel. If there was nothing saving wrought in Jacob at Bethel, why the vision of Christ’s mediation, the promise of God, and Jacob’s mingled feelings of awe and joy?
These defects detract from the value of this book, and forbid us to give the unstinting praise lavished on the author by so many others. Nevertheless, we would warmly recommend this volume to our people. F.M.
Standing for God – The Story of Elijah by Roger Ellsworth.
Banner of Truth Trust paperback, 152 pages, £3.95. Available from the Free Presbyterian Bookroom, 133 Woodlands Road, Glasgow, G3 6LE.
This attractive little book on Elijah does not touch the depths of Krummacher, nor scale the heights of Pink or Duff. For all that, it has some fresh and stimulating insights on a well-trodden path of the lively oracles of God.
Perhaps the most significant feature of the book is that the author has highlighted the despondent mood engendered by an evil age as ours is, with the consequent readiness to abandon all, or attempt to short-circuit the work assigned to us. For such a temptation there is more than a caveat given; there is comfort, assurance, and direction.
We feel that the production is impoverished by the absence of the reverent and majestic language of the Authorised Version. Even so, we would say, buy it, and read it for yourself. F.M.
The Embattled Christian by Bryan G. Zacharias.
Banner of Truth Trust paperbacks, 164 pages, £4.95. Available from the Free Presbyterian Bookroom, 133 Woodlands Road, Glasgow, G3 6LE
This book is prefaced by an introduction of which the most interesting part is a biographical sketch of William Gurnall, the author of the Puritan classic, The Christian in Complete Armour. It is with this, Gurnall’s magnum opus, that the author particularly deals.
At the close of the book, not less than 33 pages consist of notes and a bibliography. Consequently, the book contains but a skeleton of Gurnall’s original classic. Add to that, the additional comments on the Puritan’s view of Christian warfare, and you have little else to read. The arrangement of the subject matter did not appeal to me.
The motive behind the author’s abridged product, is, no doubt well intentioned, but I fear he has failed to achieve his objective. His snippets from Gurnall are tasty and could possibly whet the reader’s appetite for the full treat, but that is a rare art not given to many. That apart however, Gurnall’s work is so precious, and so full of marrow, that it is difficult to compress or to know which page to omit. F.M.