From the Mouth of Lions, Sermons on the Book of Daniel, by Hugh M Cartwright, published by Reformation Press, 240 pages, hardback, £23.40; paperback, £12.90.
This is an excellent volume. It contains 12 sermons, one on each chapter in the Book of Daniel. And in each of these sermons – preached on consecutive Sabbath evenings from mid-January 2008 – Mr Cartwright succeeds in giving an overview of the whole chapter.
For example, in summing up the account of the fiery trial of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, he notes that attention is concentrated especially on “the faithfulness of these three men to God and their readiness to adhere to the principles of their religion, no matter what the consequences. They were instrumental in maintaining a testimony to God in Babylon, and they did so, not knowing . . . what the outcome of their stand would be. But they did believe that it was for them to worship the one living and true God, and not to give way, not to compromise the principles of their religion in any way.” This leads him to announce his three main points: (1.) They “were habitually prepared for this crisis”. (He goes on to explain that this was “because it was their habit, by the grace of God, to be governed by the fear of God”.) (2.) They “were sustained by their confidence in God”. (3.) They “were committed to God, whatever the outcome”. And in his concluding remarks, Mr Cartwright makes the point: “That is the call that is addressed to us in our generation – not to compromise with evil”.
In concluding this sermon, the preacher also notes that “in the book of Daniel, Christ is at the heart of it. In Chapter 2, Christ was the stone that was going to break the great image. In Chapter 3, Christ was there to sustain His people.” At the start of his sermon on Chapter 6, there is a further comment on the main theme of Daniel: “The incidents recorded in the first six chapters of the book of Daniel illustrate the theological message of the book – the
1Both books reviewed here may be obtained from the Free Presbyterian Bookroom.
sovereignty of God in the affairs of men and the care which God takes of His own people and His own cause”. Again, at the start of the final sermon, the preacher notes that “the general thrust of this book is . . . that the history of the Church is completely under the control of God, and that although God brings His people through times of great trial and testing, both individually and collectively, yet He is making everything work together to the accomplishing of the purposes which He has in view”.
Chapter 4 of Daniel records Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and his being cast out to eat grass as an animal. This lesson is brought out: “We have a God who really is God – a God who rules. We see that working out in the salvation of sinners. We see how the sovereignty of God comes to expression in saving sinners – in bringing sinners to a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we see it in all of providence, that God was working everything according to His plan, in a way that will manifest the glory of all His perfections.”
Again, the concluding remarks on chapter 6 begin thus: “Surely this whole incident is calling on us to set the Lord always before us. To be governed by the fear of the Lord. To be aiming at the glory of God. And to follow the Lord fully – to be faithful to Him, in all the pressures which may be brought to bear on us. Whatever the seeming outcome may be, we are to believe that the right way, whether it leads to a den of lions or not, is always to be followed. The right way is not to be determined by the consequences, but by the revealed will of God.”
When Mr Cartwright comes to the more difficult parts of Daniel, in chapters 7-12, he continues to expound the passage before him and to apply it, with his feet firmly fixed on solid Scripture principles. He emphasises, “Whatever may be said about the details, there is no doubt that the overall thrust of these visions is to convey to Daniel and to God’s people that, however triumphant the powers of ungodliness may seem to be, God is in complete control of the situation. All these kingdoms will pass away. But the kingdom of Christ will endure for ever.” He mentions the general principle: “When we come to the Bible, we should come with a desire to understand something of what God is saying to us and to benefit from it, and to be stirred up to live in a way that is glorifying to Him”. Yet he warns that “when people are trying to work out what this and that puzzling thing means, they risk losing sight of the purpose for which it has been given to us”.
In expounding chapter 8, for instance, the preacher explains the fulfilment of the prophecy in some detail, but the main thrust lies in the general lessons to be learned. His main points are: (1.) “Evil may rise to great heights and seem to triumph.” (2.) “Everything is under God’s control, and He will triumph in the end.” (3.) The “instruction we should derive from these facts”.
He makes the further point, in introducing Chapter 12: “Many people are very serious about trying to work out the times and the seasons. But whatever may be the particular significance of these times and years and days, the emphasis is certainly that although the time may be long, yet it is limited. It is controlled by God, and He has His time for everything, and when His time would come, Christ would appear.”
The final main point on this chapter deals with “the encouragement” to Daniel that he would “rest and stand in [his] lot at the end of the days”. The preacher says, “When the Lord’s people leave this world, when soul and body are separated, they rest. Their body rests in the grave, and their soul enters immediately into the blessedness of heaven, where they rest from temptation and they rest from sin. . . . One moment they’re struggling. They’re in conflict with the corruption of their own natures. . . . And the next moment, their souls are made perfect in holiness! Sin has been banished from their lives for ever, they never have to worry about temptation again, and they never have to worry about falling into sin again.”
Mr Cartwright was describing here what we fully believe he has now experienced. We trust that many will profit from these sermons both in understanding the Book of Daniel better and by receiving the scriptural application that is made in them. May readers lay this book down with a (clearer) conviction that God is ruling over everything that happens.
The Priesthood of Christ, by Peter MacBride, published by the Scottish Highlands Reformed Book Trust, paperback, 107 pages, £7.95,
MacBride was born in Argyllshire in 1797. For part of his teenage years, he lived with his uncle Neil MacBride in Arran, who was a minister there. During that time, in 1812-13, “a great awakening occurred under the ministry” of his uncle, and it was probably about this time that “he received his first serious religious impressions”.2 As a student in Glasgow, Peter MacBride attended the ministry of the noted John Love and no doubt benefited greatly from what he heard. In 1825 MacBride became a minister in Rothesay, in the Isle of Bute, and continued there till he died, in 1846.
His death brought the following tribute from “Rabbi” John Duncan: “How can I forget that it was ever my privilege to hold familiar converse with one whose mind, naturally of the noblest mould, carefully stored with the best and solidest learning, divine and human – deeply subdued in days long past to the obedience of the gospel, and richly filled with the Word of God dwelling in it in all wisdom and spiritual understanding?” He “was ever”, Duncan continued, “pouring forth without straining, and as it were without
2Disruption Worthies of the Highlands, Edinburgh, 1877, pp 159-60.
effort, streams of wholesome doctrine, hallowed affection, and growing aspirations after the glory of God and the salvation and universal good of his fellow men”.
This book contains a series of sermons on Hebrews 4:14-16: “Seeing then that we have a great high priest . . . ”. It treats such subjects as: the Person of Christ, His appointment to be a priest, His work in making atonement, His suffering, the fruit of His sacrifice, His intercession and ascension, and His character as High Priest.
In speaking of Christ’s priestly intercession, MacBride speaks of Him as “perfect in His office, for He engages and undertakes to do for sinners all that they need to be done for them that they may be saved. Are they guilty? He engages to reconcile them to God, and instate them in His favour and Fatherly love. Are they ignorant? He engages to instruct and enlighten them in all that concerns their eternal peace and well-being. And are they disobedient and helpless? He engages to bring them to submit, and to protect them in His service and ways. In short, are they lost? He engages to save them.”
A little later, the preacher shows his warm desire that sinners would come to Christ and receive at once from Him a full salvation: “He is perfect in His salvation. All things are now ready. ‘Come ye’, it is said, ‘to the supper.’ . . . O sinner, come to Christ this day; you will find, on so coming, all that yourself could wish Him to be.”
When speaking of the gifts that Christ procured for sinners, MacBride refers to (1) redemption, so that these gifts may be imparted through the means of grace; (2) the Spirit, “for rendering the means effectual”; (3) “access unto the favour of God through faith”; (4) deliverance from sin, so that God’s people may be sanctified; (5) “grace for every duty and trial”; (6) fellowship with God and “His indwelling by His Spirit in them”. MacBride sums up: “He has secured every blessing of salvation here and eternal glory hereafter; all is enjoyed through the merits and intercession of the glorious Redeemer. See here the rich fruit of His mediation and ministry above.”
MacBride’s Remains were first published in 1848. The book under review is the second, and smaller, section of the Remains. The editor was Alexander MacBride, a relation of his, who also was a minister in Bute. Probably because of a lack of time, the editor had the volume printed directly from Peter MacBride’s manuscripts, apart from omitting repetitious material at the beginning of each sermon. Consequently the present publishers have felt it necessary to do some editing “to improve grammar”, for instance, and “to clarify ambiguous wording”. The Priesthood of Christ is recommended as an example of the profitable preaching from Scottish pulpits in an age which knew more of the blessing of the Holy Spirit than, sadly, we know today.
MacBride concludes this series of sermons by emphasising several aspects of the greatness of this High Priest. No doubt there was sincere worship in his heart when he asked his hearers: “Can you see any to commit your case to [who is] more worthy of it than this Saviour?” May readers come to an end of this book with something of that worshipful spirit in their own hearts!
Let Israel Rejoice in the Lord1
A Sermon Outline by John Kennedy
Psalm 149:2. Let Israel rejoice in Him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
These words call us to consider the children of Zion and the duty here presented to them.
The Children of Zion.
- These are not all the members of the visible Church.
- They are the living, lawful children.
- They are born again by Divine power.
- They are justified by God through Christ.
- They are adopted, and sanctified by the Spirit and the Word.
- None but the lawful children, whatever their profession may be.
They have a King.
- Psalm 2 tells us who He is.
- He is called Messiah, the Son of God.
- He has been appointed King by God.
- He is also Head of the Church.
- He is the lawful King; God has anointed Him.
- He has an eternal right to a place on the throne of God.
He has the Rank of a King.
- Being the eternal Son of God, King of kings.
- His wealth includes all Divine resources.
- He has all covenant promises, all power.
- He is the Lord of hosts, has infinite wisdom.
- He has the grace and faithfulness required by His children.
They are to be Joyful in Him.
- He is their elder Brother in their nature.
- He partook of flesh and blood.
- He is both King and Brother.
- He is your Shepherd to feed and guide.
He is the Healer of your soul and Prince of Peace.
He sent the Spirit to comfort you.
Application.
Think of Him who delivered you. Be zealous for His rights.
— Notes and Comments
Free Church (Continuing) and Reformed Presbyterian Church
The Free Church (Continuing) and the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland are pursuing ecumenical relations and have reached the stage of encouraging ministers from each denomination to preach in the other. Union between the denominations is under discussion, though said not to be imminent.
The development is both puzzling and disturbing. The R P Church rejects the Revolution Settlement of 1690, acceptance of which is fundamental to the Established Church of Scotland and the ecclesiastical bodies which derive from her, being part of the ordination vows of ministers and office-bearers. How do the ecumenists in the FCC and the RPC intend to get round this problem? Do not their own ordination vows preclude them from pursuing this union?
Again, the form of worship differs between the two bodies. The FCC uses the Authorised Version and the 1650 metrical psalms in public worship, and generally the “thee” and “thou” forms in public prayer. The RPC generally uses modern versions of the Bible and modern metrical psalms, and the “you” form in public prayer. People sometimes suppose that these are small differences, but they are mistaken. The differences may be small in their own minds but they are not so in the minds of many who are committed to the AV, nor of many who have turned their backs on it. Some people use modern versions because they have known nothing else, but there are others who have known the AV and who did not like the reverence and restraint that it imposed upon them. They wanted a version that fitted better with the modern world, and that presented God in less of an eternal and unchanging light and more as One who could be accommodated to current trends and fashions.
The modern-versions path is a dangerous one. This has been seen in Scotland with the APCs and the Free Church, and in England with many Independent and Baptist congregations. Most of the RPCs are going down that path, and there are some in the FCC embarking on it as well. One APC minister ended up as Moderator of the Church of Scotland, associating with heretics, women ministers, and sodomites. The fearful fall and suicide of a
highly praised Free Church minister sounded a loud warning to the whole Church. We are to learn from these lessons. “Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor 10:12). It would be the wisdom of the FCC to terminate these discussions with the RPC. “Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls” (Jer 6:16). DWBS
Euthanasia in New Zealand
On October 17, a referendum on assisted dying was held alongside the New Zealand general election. Over 65% of voters supported the End of Life Choice Act, which is now expected to come into effect in November 2021. In a separate non-binding referendum held at the same time, New Zealanders rejected a proposal to legalise recreational cannabis.
The End of Life Choice Act was passed by the New Zealand parliament in 2019, but with the proviso that it should first be put to a referendum and would only come into force if more than 50% of voters endorsed it. According to the Act, there are several criteria a person must satisfy to ask for assisted dying. These include suffering from a terminal illness that is likely to end their life within six months, showing a significant decline in physical capability, and being able to make an informed decision about assisted dying. The Act does not allow assisted dying for reasons of advanced age, mental illness, or disability alone.
An organisation called Euthanasia-Free NZ, a group which campaigned for a No vote, said it was “disappointed that the New Zealand public voted to pass a flawed euthanasia law” and that Parliament “could have made this law safer” by passing further amendments. We question whether a law which permits euthanasia could ever be safe when it accommodates and allows the killing of a human being, contrary to the law of God.
We have now reached the very sad position where euthanasia is legal in Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Luxemburg, the Netherlands and, in 2021, New Zealand, while assisted suicide is permitted in Switzerland. Several states in the USA and the Australian state of Victoria have also made assisted dying legal.
At this time, we see the Lord’s judgements abroad throughout the nations of the world in the Covid pandemic and we do not have to look far for reasons why. The blood of the unborn aborted in the womb, and increasingly those institutionally killed with the blessing of people and rulers, cry to the Lord. Worst of all, “the fool hath said in his heart, there is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good” (Ps 53:1). May the day soon come when “all the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord” (Ps 22:27). FRD
A Vaccine for Covid-19
In the middle of the second lockdown in England – the result of increasing numbers of Covid cases – pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has announced successful trials of a vaccine. It is claimed that it can protect from the virus 93% of those inoculated. This is a welcome development, and it led Sir John Bell, Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford University, to agree, in response to a radio interviewer’s question, that “life will return to normal by spring”.
If that does indeed take place, we should be very ready to give thanks to the Lord for, in particular, allowing us to gather publicly around His Word and observe the Lord’s Supper. One fears, however, that the vast majority will continue to ignore God and follow their own deities of pleasure and consumption. Even at the height of the pandemic, people very largely ignored God, rejected His authority and refused to consider the thought that He can come in judgement against those who despise Him.
Covid-19 has been a loud call to people and nations to turn to the Lord, forsake their own gods and serve the Lord in sincerity. Yet “how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?” (Rom 10:14,15). So there is a further call: to God’s people to pray that He would send out preachers, so that the gospel might be spread everywhere, and especially for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit to apply to rebellious sinners the truth preached and the Word of God read. We must remember that “except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it” (Ps 127:1). We should plead with the Most High to bless His dealings with individuals and nations, whether in mercy, in longsuffering or in judgement.