Spurgeonic Illumination

Don't get left in the dark! Courtesy of our Calvinistic Cartooner.

Baxter's Reformed Pastor on Public Prayer (Day 22)

Another part of our work is to guide our people, and be as their mouth in the public prayers of the church and the public praises of God, as also to bless them in the name of the Lord. This priestly part of the work is not the least, nor to be so much thrust into the corner, as by too many of us it is.

'Fires of Faith' - a review

My review article appeared in a recent Banner of Truth magazine:

'

‘Fires of Faith: Catholic England under Mary Tudor’
Eamon Duffy
Yale University Press, 2009
ISBN 978-0-300-15216-6, £19.99

In 1992 Eamon Duffy made a forceful arrival amongst his academic peers in the world of Reformation studies with his ‘The Stripping of the Altars: Traditional Religion in England, c.1400 to c.1580’. The thesis of the book has remained at the core of Duffy’s subsequent works: the English Catholic Church of Renaissance and Reformation periods was not the wretched, moribund figure of traditional Protestant historical assessment. Instead, Duffy argues, she was alive and actively enjoying a rich devotional life, such that the Evangelical Reformation was as unwelcome as it was vigorously opposed by the Catholic laity and priests. This revisionist view has had its enthusiasts and detractors (noticeable amongst the latter is David Daniell, noted Shakespeare and Tyndale scholar), but is certainly moving towards the accepted position amongst many historians. ‘Fires of Faith’ is Duffy’s next decided step in his quest for a charitable reassessment of the Catholic Church of the Reformation.

In ‘Fires of Faith’ Duffy chronicles the strategy and efforts of the church leaders of Catholic Queen Mary. Theirs were not haphazard attempts at imposing the traditional faith upon a reluctant population, as is the popular assumption. Instead, Duffy makes a case for the thoroughness and care of their project to get England embracing the Roman Faith, efforts which were well received by a people eager for the old ways. In particular, Duffy turns his attention to the burning of Protestant believers in Queen Mary’s regime, two hundred and eighty four of them during the five and a quarter years of her reign. Duffy rejects the view that the burnings were a desperate and ill-conceived panic reaction to the strength of the Protestant movement. He also questions the alleged psychotic viciousness of the Queen and her Bishops, chief amongst them being Pole, Gardiner and Bonner, and makes strong claims for the strategic acumen and sincerity of faith of the Marian regime. Lastly, Duffy argues that the burnings weren’t the propaganda disaster which conventional history writing has assessed them to be. Duffy instead makes them claim that, as show-pieces of Catholic strength, they sent home a powerful message about what the True Church was.

As an undergraduate I studied my Reformation History under Eamon Duffy. His personal warmth and serious commitment to his church has won him legions of friends and admirers, and the sincerity of his faith can hardly be doubted. Whilst it is fashionable to label Protestant Reformation historians as favouring their own faith commitment, Duffy hardly escapes the charge as it relates to himself. This project is his personal crusade. This is his church, fighting to assert its true Gospel, and he comes extremely close to justifying the burnings of Protestant believers as necessary and collateral damage in this war.

If your only access to this period has been Foxe’s ’Book of Martyrs’, J.C. Ryle’s ‘Five English Reformers’, or even the work of Geoffrey Dickens, then this book could well be worth your time and money. As a reader of the Banner Magazine you certainly won’t like its thesis. You will, though, be made to think freshly about the English Reformation, and will gain many insights into the titanic struggle which was going on for England’s soul in the 1550s. One thing is certain as you read ‘Fires’; you will thank the Lord for His gracious preservation of His true church and Gospel in this turbulent period. You will also surely find a strengthened resolve to love His free grace.

Ever the pushy parent...

...so wonderful that the rest of the world is catching up with the behind-the-scenes in the Allen household!

Thanks, Eddie!

Bread and Butter

Ministry is the rhythm of prayer, preaching, teaching, evangelising, administering the sacraments, leading, caring, administering - and nothing else. I've been doing a lot of most of those in the last few busy weeks. At the moment it's all being conducted against a backdrop of making preparations for our move North. My final Sunday is July 18th.

Last Sunday I preached on the Israelites crossing the Jordan, and then on Jesus healing the demon-possessed boy after His transfiguration, both of which should be here.

Yesterday I managed the afternoon at the Evangelical Ministry Assembly. I've been to the EMA for the majority of the last 13 years, and under God owe this conference a tremendous debt for the way I've been taught, sharpened and encouraged. It was terrific to catch up with precious friends. I saw a handful of friends from University days, as well as brothers serving all round the UK and beyond. I wondered if there were as many young men as there should be, or whether it was my constituency and above getting greyer together. I found John Piper to be a disappointment in the afternoon, as (to me, at least) he seemed to be lacking his characteristic clarity and drive in his preaching. Still, he has two more sessions to take, and should warm to his theme. If humanly possible, I'll try to pop in tomorrow.

This Sunday evening we have several baptisms at Gunnersbury, which we're all looking forward to greatly.

Next week I go away for two days in order to edit a book I've written for publication. I would value your prayers for energy, disciplines and insight.

Baxter's Refomed Pastor on Special Nurture (Day 21)

One sort of our work is with declining Christians, that are either fallen into some scandalous sin, or else abate their zeal and diligence, and show us that they have lost their former love. As the case of backsliders is very sad, so our diligence must be great for their recovery...Much skill is required to the restoring of such a soul.

Another part of our ministerial work is upon them that are strong: for they also have need of our assistance: partly to prevent their temptations and declining, and preserve the grace that have; partly to help them for a further progress and increase; and partly to direct them in the improving of their strength for the service of Christ and the assistance of their brethren.

The Romans Road: watch out for Arminian Blow-outs

More mirth and smirkery from the indefatigable Edding Eddings

Baxter's Reformed Pastor on Personal Dealing (Day 19)

That the people must be taught the principles of religion, and matters of greatest necessity to salvation, is past doubt among us. And that they must be taught in the most edifying, advantageous way, I hope we are agreed. And that personal conference, and examination, and instruction, have many excellent advantages for their good, is beyond dispute, and afterward manifested.

It is beyond doubt that we should perform this great duty to all the people, or as many as we can: for our love and care of their souls must extend to all.

You're going WHERE??

to Huddersfield.

I regularly meet something close to amazement, and even closer to incredulity, when I tell people that we're leaving a very happy pastorate to churchplant in Huddersfield. People don't move from Chiswick to West Yorkshire, do they?

Sarah and I don't want to take any applause for our decision. It takes often more courage to press on in a pastorate than it does to up sticks and strike out. We're not being brave. Bravery is the week-in and week-out of preaching to, praying for and caring for the same group of people, and living with Gospel intention in a community which has come to know you. We dread being yet another ministry couple who won't dig in for the long term.

And yet, we feel that this is the Lord's call. He's given us, with infinite kindness and gentleness, our marching orders. It's His will that we leave London, and move to Huddersfield. We know that there's a need in the town for Gospel witness, we know that the Lord has prepared us for His work there. We're hugely excited!

A couple we know who live just down the road are moving at the same time as us. Like us, they're trying to sell their property, buy a house, and get their kids into schools. Like us, they've not managed any of those, so far. The wife is really stressing, waking up every night and really very worried. She told Sarah that she's really doubting the wisdom of the whole thing, and asked Sarah how she was feeling about our move. What a wonderful opportunity for Sarah to speak abut God's purposes, and His promises to look after His people. Best of all, it's wonderful that our lives aren't about material comfort or personal happiness, or even doing the best for our children in this-worldly terms, but about being caught up into the purposes of God in the Kingdom of His Son.

Do remember, our plans are at http://fromheretohuddersfield.wordpress.com/

Baxter's Reformed Pastor on Christian Counsel (Day 18)

Some of us have a foolish bashfulness, which makes us very backward to begin with men and to speak plainly to them. We are modest, for sure, that we blush to speak for Christ, or to contradict the Devil, or to save a soul, when shameful works we are less ashamed of.

The ministers of Christ must do their dutires, for all men's peevishness, and must not so far hate their brother as to forebear the plain rebuking of him, or to suffer sin to lie upon his soul (Lev. 19.17). Though it must be done with much prudence, yet it must be done.

Baxter's Reformed Pastor on the Cure of Souls (Day 17)

We have many of our flock that are young and weak: though of long standing, yet of small proficiency of strength (Heb. 5.11-12). And indeed it is the most common condition of the godly: most of them stick in weak and low degrees of grace. And it is no easy matter to get them higher.

To increase their knowledge and gifts is not easy: but to increase their graces is the hardest of all.

The strength of Christians is the honour of the church.

Baxter's Reformed Pastor on the Pastoral Office (Day 16)

A man that is not heartily devoted to God and addicted to his service and honour, will never set heartily about the pastoral work.

The object of our pastoral care is all the flock; that is, the church a, and every member of it...To which end, we should know every person that belongs to our charge. For how can we take heed to them, of we do not know them?

Our obligation is not as great to all neighbour churches or to all strangers as it is to those whom we are set over.

How many of us are more often found in the houses of gentlemen than in the poor cottages of those that have most need of our help?

No Scruples

Eddie Eddings nails it again.

Baxter's Reformed Pastor on Studies (Day 15)

O what abundance of things are there that a minister should understand! And what a great defect it is to be ignorant of them. And how much we shall miss such knowledge in our work.

Many ministers study only to compose their sermons, and very little more, where there are so many books to be read, and so many matters that we should not be unacquainted with.

No, in the study of our sermons we are too negligent, gathering only a few naked heads, and not considering of the most forcible expressions by which we should set them home to men's hearts. We must study how to convince and get within men, and how to bring each truth to the quick, and not leave all this to our extemporary readiness, unless it be in cases of necessity.

Baxter's Reformed Pastor on Example (Day 14)

One proud, surly, lordly word, one needless contention, one covetous action, may cut the throat of many a sermon.

Take heed to yourselves, lest your example contradict your doctrine.

It is a palpable error in those ministers that make such a disproportion between their preaching and their living, that they will study hard to preach exactly, and study little or not at all to live exactly.

Memorise the Word

Some more thoughts on memorising Scripture from this week's Gunnersbury Outrider:

I remember all sorts of things. I can remember passages of Latin and Greek that I learned at school and University; I can real off whole songs of 70s and 80s rock and pop lyrics (Nick Kershaw to AC/DC); I've got a storehouse of favourite left backs from footballing days. I can tell you the names of the most obscure dry and wetflies from my fishing tackle box.
In short, I remember what's dear to me. Just as you do. But how about remembering the things which we really need to?

Getting older, it's harder to put facts into the mind so that they will lodge. That doesn't mean that we can let the practice of memorising slip when it comes to the challenge of God's Word. In fact, the opposite it true. We are all travelling towards eternity, and are that bit closer. We are all more experienced in the Christian life than we were, say, a year ago. God is wanting our growth in grace. And He's resourcing that by giving us His Word, to be stored in our minds and hearts.

I'm haunted (not that that's the best word) by the fact of William Wilberforce learning Psalm 119. Not Psalm 19, the 14 verse Psalm, but the 168 verse one! He spoke of how hard it was for him to learn it, but testified to how much blessing he derived from it. I refuse (that is the word!) to believe that Wilberforce's usefulness in God's purposes and his commitment to learning the Psalm are mere coincidence. I am convinced that God's Word, memorised and loved, changes and equips people in faith and service. Learning God's Word is vital. If we want to used by the Lord, we need to be full of the Lord's Word.

I am trying to learn just 8 verses of Ps. 119 (verses 129-136):

Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them.
The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.
I open my mouth and pant, longing for your commands.
Turn to me and have mercy on me, as you always do to those who love your name.
Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me.
Redeem me from the oppression of men, that I may obey your precepts.
Make your face shine upon your servant and teach me your decrees.
Streams of tears flow from my eyes, for your law is not obeyed.


These are really hard verses to learn! They are pretty much eight standalone statements without a strong theme running through to aid the mind. How can I learn them?

1. I say them over and over. Often out loud, and sometimes when I'm walking. That way I can get a rhythm into the words I say. (Just look at Psalm 126: there's an amazing rhythm which makes the Psalm relatively easy to remember! Read it when you're walking, you'll see it for yourself).

2. I write them down. This really helps them start to lodge in the mind.

3. I learn key words. That way I can recall all of the phrases in the psalm by the key word of each phrase. Look back over the verses above: I've highlighted one word in each verse. Having gone over the verses a fair few times, now I need only learn those eight words: statutes, unfolding, open, turn, direct, redeem, face, streams. These are the key words, and if I can remember them - and in the right order - then I've got the verses.

Memorising, of course, isn't an end in itself. Scripture memorisation can make for perfectly proud Pharisees, who were the arch Bible-memorisers. With the Bible in your mind the challenge then is to make sure that it's really on your heart. But a remembered Word can turn into being a treasured and loved, and a believed and acted upon Word. Try it.

Baxter's Reformed Pastor on Preaching: its Matter (Day 13)

If we can but teach Christ to our people, we teach them all.

Life is short, and we are dull: and eternal things are necessary, and the souls that depend on our teaching are precious.

I confess necessity has been the conductor of my studies and life: it chooses what book I shall read, and tells me when and how long. It chooses my text, and makes my sermons for manner and matter so far as I can keep out my own corruption.

Hide it in your heart

Each week I send out an email (known as 'the Outrider') to the good people of Gunnersbury Baptist Church. Here are this week's thoughts, about getting Scripture into our lives.

There's a song we sometimes sing with our children which is based on Psalm 119.11: 'I have hidden Your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.' It's an important verse as it shares a crucial truth about the Christian life: if we are resolved to walk with God in joyful obedience, then our calling is not just to know His commandments, but to have them written onto our hearts so that they control all that we desire and do.

So, how do we hide God's Word in our hearts? In brief, we read, reflect, and memorise. Here we go:-

Read - nothing fancy or complicated here. If we're going to know God and to respond to Him, we must first listen to Him. Bible reading is the staple diet of Christian living.

Reflect - call it contemplating, meditating, digesting, or whatever, we need to develop the habit of considering what we read. Quickly in via the eyes leads to quickly out of the mind! Spending time with God's Word, talking to the Lord about it, considering what He says from different perspectives, is the best way of getting that Word into our hearts. The more we spend time with God's Word, the more we see its importance, relevance, and practical usefulness. I don't think that this means we need to have epic quiet times! Instead, why not, having read a passage, write out a phrase or a verse, and carry it with you for that day? Pull out the verse, read it, even say it out loud. I have a short walk to where I work, a perfect opportunity for turning a Bible truth over in my mind.

Memorise - dare you? This is the Cinderella discipline, one I fail in badly. But I can testify to the huge impact verses and part of Scripture have had in my life when I've committed them to memory. I managed to memorise Romans 8 a few years ago, and the letter to the Ephesians some time back. This was hard, hard work. It demanded discipline, focus, perseverance. But boy, was it worth it! To live with an increasing consciousness of God's grace and purposes is wonderful. I heartily commend it. And I'm going to set myself the task of learning some part of Psalm 119. I need God's Word hidden in my heart!

So how do you memorise the Bible? I've got no particular techniques other than the obvious, which are:

Say the verse repeatedly to yourself. Out loud works best for me
Write it down. And again, and again, and again...
Go back to the verse constantly - several times a day
Work out a simple tune to sing the verse to. For example, 'the Law from Your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold' works a treat to 'the wheels of the bus'!
Be ambitious. Do you want to learn it or not? If you don't, put your energies into something else. Thereagain, what a joy is it to have God's Word in your heart. You've given yourself the tools with which to love God, hate sin, fight temptation, and share the truth with others. Why would we want to settle for anything less?

[note on picture: 'who says that Picture Bibles are some newfangled invention??']

Baxter's Reformed Pastor on Preaching: its Manner (Day 12)

The public preaching of the Word: a work that requires greater skill, and especially greater life and zeal, than many of us bring to it.

It is no easy matter to speak so plain that the ignorant may understand us, and so seriously that the deadest hearts may feel us, and so convincingly that the contradicting cavillers be silenced.

All our teaching must be plain and evident as we can make it. For this does most suit to a teacher's ends. He that would be understood must speak to the capacity of is hearers, and make is his business to make himself understood.

If our words be not sharpened, and pierce not as nails, they will hardly be felt by stony hearts. To speak coldly and slightly of heavenly things is nearly as bad as to say nothing of them.

Love your Dentist?

With grateful thanks to Eddie Eddings, how about this beaut?!