The King in His Beauty, The Piety of Samuel Rutherford, edited and introduced by Matthew Vogan
Published by Reformation Heritage Books in their Profiles in Reformed Spirituality series, paperback, 202 pages, £7.50.
The main part of this little book is a series of 43 extracts from Rutherford’s writings. A good number of them come from his letters, the best known of these writings. But other extracts come from various volumes of his sermons and a few from his other theological treatises. All the extracts are brief – a maximum of about three pages. Most readers of the present day can expect to have difficulty with Rutherford’s vocabulary, but all unusual words and phrases are explained. This means that The King in His Beauty provides a very useful starter for those new to Rutherford’s writings, and others will find it a helpful reminder of the spiritual delicacies to be found in, for instance, this godly man’s letters.
The book begins with a significant and interesting introduction by the Editor, entitled, “Samuel Rutherford and Christian Experience”. This includes the basic facts about Rutherford’s life, which ended on a day in 1661 when he told those around him: “This night will . . . fasten my anchor within the veil”. But the main part of this piece is an examination of Rutherford’s teaching on the experimental aspect of religion, backed up by numerous brief quotations.
The Editor, for instance, notes that “Rutherford and his contemporaries seem to have been especially eminent in prayer”, and quotes Rutherford himself saying, “Praying without faith is breathing of wind, and sounds without life. . . . But praying with faith is like the breathings of a living man, that is hot and nourishes life, and keeps the body in a vital heat of life as long as it continues in the body.” Altogether this is a very satisfying essay.
A number of illustrations have been included, many of them engravings reproduced from older volumes. However a few of the captions (presumably supplied by the publishers) are inaccurate.
Mr Vogan expresses the hope “that this type of presentation will encourage many to attempt the less-travelled parts of the other spiritually rich writings of the ‘little, fair man’ of whom the English merchant, having heard him preach, could say that he ‘showed me the loveliness of Christ’.” May this hope be indeed fulfilled!
The Scottish Reformation, by David Hay Fleming
Published by Reformation Press on behalf of The Scottish Reformation Society, Isle of Lewis Branch, paperback, 143 pages, £6.99.
Scotland has much reason to thank God for the Reformation. This book gives a concise account of the main persons involved and the chief events. The first significant figure was Patrick Hamilton, who suffered martyrdom in 1528. His grasp of Protestant doctrine is highlighted by the quotation: “Who-soever believeth or thinketh to be saved by his works denieth that Christ is his Saviour, that Christ died for him, and that all things pertain to Christ”.
For much of the Reformation period, the Government of Scotland was under the control of Mary of Lorraine, the (French, Roman Catholic) widow of the late King James V. It is instructive to follow in the book the course of providence that gave the Protestant Lords of the Congregation the upper hand in the country, providing the outward conditions which made possible the overthrow of Romanism and the establishment of the true religion in 1560. The most important factor in that course of providence was, of course, the preaching of John Knox and other Protestant ministers, as applied by the Holy Spirit. Hay Fleming emphasises that “for this result Knox took no credit to himself or his fellow labourers. It was, he said, the strength given unto them by God because they, instead of esteeming themselves wise, regarded their wisdom as foolishness before the Lord, and, laying it aside, followed only that which they found to be approved by Him.”
Hay Fleming was a noted historian who did much research among original documents. In this book, first published in 1903, his quotations preserved the original Scots, but the present publisher has made every effort to ensure that old words and old spellings can be easily understood by the present-day reader. A brief life of the author, by Mr Roy Middleton, has been added, and also some photographs and maps.
If we are to appreciate aright the debt that Scotland owes to the Reformation, we need to be properly informed about it. This book provides a suitable opportunity to learn about some of the great works which the Lord performed in this part of the world. It should encourage us to pray for another course of providence which would result in true religion flourishing in Scotland again.
Christ Is Best, by Richard Sibbes
Published by the Banner of Truth Trust in their Pocket Puritan series, paperback, 78 pages, £3.25.
Here is another in this series of little books which can easily be carried around and dipped into when one has just a few minutes to spare. It contains a single sermon by a spiritual giant of the Puritan period who lived from 1577 to 1635. The sermon has been taken from volume 1 of his Works and was preached after the death of a godly man who had been Recorder of Northampton and also an MP. Based on Philippians 1:23, 24, it is packed full of solid teaching.
Sibbes focuses first on Paul’s desire for heaven but, he emphasises, “heaven is not heaven without Christ”. The preacher goes on to expound the other part of Paul’s dilemma: his willingness to abide in this life because it was more necessary for God’s people. So “the lives of worthy men, especially magistrates and ministers, are very needful for the Church of God”. Whatever our spiritual state, Sibbes’ counsel is relevant: “Time is short, but opportunity is shorter. Let us catch at all opportunities.” This title is highly recommended.
Suppose a poor Christian, perhaps poor in this world but certainly poor in spirit, who has long struggled with the evils of life, who has patiently endured the insulting language and disdainful eye of the proud and prosperous, nay, which is far worse, has been distressed with many anxious fears concerning his own future state; such a one, taken from the world, how amazing, how blessed the change, from an earthly cottage to a throne of glory, from a despising world to an approving God, from a frail, diseased dying body to everlasting strength and undecaying beauty!
John Witherspoon