Author Archives: colinadmin

Elizabeth Prentiss lived in a different century, but the challenges she faced, and the way she responded to those challenges, speak powerfully to us today. Early in their married life, Elizabeth and her husband, George suffered the loss of two of their six children. Eddie died aged five and Bessie died when just a few […]

A review by Ryan M. McGraw of Catechizing Our Children: The Whys and Hows of Teaching the Shorter Catechism Today by Terry L. Johnson.1 Catechizing is often a missing ingredient in the discipleship of covenant children today. Many parents reject catechizing by pitting it against Bible memorization. Yet those making this objection fail to realize […]

It came as a bit of a shock, although not a great surprise, to hear a leading Reformed minister say recently that he did not have a proper doctrine of the church for most of his ministry. We have witnessed a recovery of the doctrines of grace over the last sixty years in the United […]

‘What man is he that feareth the LORD? Him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth.’ (Psalm 25:12-13) There was a time not too many years ago when a believer was described simply as a ‘God-fearing man.’ That was […]

On September 3 2016, Rhodri Brady, the son of Gary and Eleri Brady, was ordained to follow his grandfather, Geoff Thomas, as the pastor of Alfred Place Baptist Church (Independent), Aberystwyth. Geoff Thomas gave this ordination prayer on that occasion, using some material from Valley of Vision1. O blessed Saviour, help us. Who are we […]

‘For you have shown today that princes and servants are nothing to you; for I know this day that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, then you would be pleased.’ – 2 Samuel 19:6 All men are tempted by the big three-women, children, and power. We see the big three and the […]

‘David sent messengers and took her . . . he lay with her.’ – 2 Samuel 11:4. When Israel clamored for a king, Yahweh relented and gave them Saul, but after Saul’s disobedience, God promised another king after His own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). When Paul the apostle was addressing the Jews at Pisidian Antioch, reviewing […]

A remarkable book has appeared entitled With Mercy and With Judgement and with a sub-title, Strict Baptists and the First World War. It is written by Matthew J. Hyde. Dr. Hyde is a research scientist and a minister among the Strict Baptist Churches. He has done years of research into the stories of the soldiers, […]

There has been some online debate in recent days concerning pastoral visitation – chiefly in response to Thom Rainer’s blog post on church member visitation, where he provided 15 reasons why those in pastoral ministry ‘shouldn’t visit much’. While the risk of being viewed by one’s congregation as a sanctified social worker or life coach […]

Western  society  is  beset  with  slogans  of  one  kind  or  another.  There  can  be  few  societies  which  have  had  to  face  so  many.  Not  that  previous  generations  have  not  had  to  respond  to  them.  Virgil  spoke  to  the  ancient  world  of  ‘Eternal  Rome’,  and  people  were  meant  to  be  grateful  that  the  Roman  Empire  would  […]

There  is  much  debate  in  the  modern  church  about  what  exactly  is  her  mission.  Often  the  answer  that  is  given  is  not  so  much  wrong  as  lop-sided,  and  exaggerated  implications  and  conclusions  are  drawn  from  that.  There  are  probably  three  main  views:  the  Church  exists  to  glorify  God;  the  Church  exists  to  build  up  the  […]

When you pray, use no vain repetitions, as the Heathen ; for they think to be heard for their much babbling. Be ye not like them therefore ; for your Father knoweth whereof ye have need before ye ask of him. After this manner therefore pray ye. Matthew 6 Our Father which art in Heaven O Lord […]

Others may prefer to begin by reading a whole book, and there are several which can be read without undue weariness to the mind – although it is always wise to read with paper and pencil at hand. Owen’s divisions can be perplexing [Goold tells us in volume 1, p xiv that they are denoted […]

The occasion of this book of David Randall’s on A Sad Departure is the recent departure from the Church of Scotland of forty or so ministers and an (unspecified) number of other office-bearers and members. The book provides a rationale for this departure. The author was one of the ministers who separated from the Kirk […]

John Owen was born in 1616 and died in 1683. During the course of his life he held pastorates in Fordham and Coggeshall, in Essex, served as Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, as army chaplain under Oliver Cromwell, and finally as the minister of a gathered congregation in the city of London. Little is known of […]

Robert Rollock does not receive the acknowledgment he deserves. He is not mentioned in the three dictionaries of the Christian church, The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, The Biographical Dictionary of Evangelicals, and The Dictionary of the Christian Church. He was an early Puritan, born in 1555 and lived only 44 years, dying just […]

This ‘splendid work . . . should be read by all exercised Christians’. Rev Murdoch Campbell (whose own books were largely devotional) wrote this assessment of Scottish Theology around the time it was first published. It might seem strange to emphasise that all exercised believers should read this type of book. At first glance, the […]

Church activity is spread over an ever-widening field today. We have national churches of mixed nature, traditional churches, charismatic groups, house churches, fellowships. Happenings in churches that get into the news are mainly about decline in membership, abandoning principles, adopting ways of the world. There is scarcely any news of multiple conversions, substantial growth or […]

I believe that the Bible is not a metal-tweezered promise box from which we can select our favourite passages and promises at random. I believe that the pulpit is not a stable in which I get to show off my favourite hobby horses to a weary congregation. I believe that the authority of the preacher is […]

1On a Sabbath, 12 March 1843, he met his people for the last time. He felt weak, though his hearers were not aware of it. On the followingTuesday, some ministerial duty called him out. Feeling very ill on his way home, he asked a friend to fulfil an engagement for him on the next day; […]

Those who know what it is to say of Christ, ‘I sought Him but I found Him not’, will find much which resonates with their experience in this work by Sibbes; it is taken from volume 6 of Sibbes’ Works. In the early part of the book he deals with Mary’s experience of seeking, and […]

1Among Christian men a ‘living epistle’ is rare, as is an able evangelist among Christian ministers. M‘Cheyne was both; and for the benefit of our readers, and to the praise of that grace which made him to differ, we would record a few particulars about one of whom we feel it no presumption to say […]

These questions and statements are designed to provoke thought in the area of the sovereignty of God in salvation. The responsibility of man is not emphasized here but should be included in a balanced view of salvation. The fact that God is a sovereign and man is responsible to respond to God cannot be denied. […]

The annual Fellowship Conference of New England, takes place on August 4-6, in Portland, Maine beginning this Thursday. Four preachers are sharing the ministry – Jesse Barrington, Michael Durham, Charles Leiter, and Mack Tomlinson. Philip Neeley, one of the pastors at Providence Chapel in Denton, Texas, will preach on Sunday at a Portland church, Redeeming Grace […]

PAUL, THE HUMAN BEING. 2 Timothy 4:9-15, 19-22. ‘Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is […]