John Newton on the vocation of a gospel minister

Before John Newton (1725-1807) was called to the Anglican ministry he described what he understood his calling to be to a friend, Harry Crooke of Hunslett, Leeds, in these words:

"The message I would bear is Jesus Christ and him crucified and from the consideration of the great things he has done, to recommend and enforce Gospel holiness and Gospel love, and to take as little notice of our fierce contests, controversies and divisions as possible. My desire is to lift up the banner of the Lord, and to draw the sword of the Spirit not against names, parties and opinions, but against the world, the flesh and the devil; and to invite poor perishing sinners not to espouse a system of my own or any man’s, but to fly to the Lord Jesus, the sure and only city of refuge and the ready, compassionate and all sufficient Saviour of those that trust in him."

[Cited Marylynn Rouse, “An important turn to my future life”, The John Newton Project Prayer Letter(October/November 2008), p.1].

In some ways, a better description of the vocation of a Gospel minister would be hard to find.

Samuel Pearce: a call to submission to the will of God

I have spent most of this week working on the critical edition of Andrew Fuller's life of his dear friend Samuel Pearce (1766-1799). There is so much instruction in the life of that dear man. Like this one line when he was dying, from a letter to Fuller: "how can I be a Christian, and not submit to God?" (April 18, 1799) Think: a seemingly random line written by a dying man over two hundred years ago has such profound meaning for us today. In one line he captures a key aspect of the heart of our faith.

"Coming to Truth" Audio Now Available

On Wednesday, the Center for Worldview and Culture on the campus of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary sponsored a “Coming to Truth” discussion with Dr. Michael Haykin. This was the first of what promises to be a series of conversations in which faculty members will describe their intellectual journey, including their thoughts, events, and processes, that led them to conclude that Christianity is the universal truth. This first lecture/testimony was by Dr. Michael Haykin.  The audio for this lecture is now available for download. To read an article from the Fall 2007 TIE (SBTS alumni magazine) describing Dr. Haykin’s conversion to Christ click here.

Posted by Steve Weaver, Research and Administrative Assistant to the Director of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies, Dr. Michael A.G. Haykin.

"Coming to Truth": A Conversation with Dr. Michael Haykin

The Center for Worldview and Culture on the campus of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary is sponsoring a "Coming to Truth" discussion on Wednesday, September 24 from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. in Norton Hall Room 195. This is the first of a series of conversations in which faculty members will describe the intellectual journey, including their thoughts, events, and processes, that led them to conclude that Christianity is the universal truth. This first conversation will be with Dr. Michael Haykin, a former Trotskyite Communist Marxist and former Black Panther sympathizer. To view a promotional poster for this event click here.

To read an article from the Fall 2007 TIE describing Dr. Haykin's conversion to Christ click here.

Posted by Steve Weaver, Research and Administrative Assistant to the Director of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies, Dr. Michael A.G. Haykin.

A research topic in Baptist piety worth pursuing

Here is a possible research topic: What was it like to sit in a Baptist church in the days of Spurgeon and Broadus, Boyce and Wayland? What would you see? What would you hear? How would it feel? How did these dynamics relate to the message being preached and how truth was received? What was it like to sing in their chapels and to experience the Lord's Supper?

Some readers might think these questions trite and silly. They aren't at all!

Reception of truth always takes place in a certain ambience and space. How was truth experienced in that space? The answers to these questions and others like them would help enormously towards crafting the way spiritual life occurs and is experienced.

This would take a lot of digging but it relates to new historical studies based around our senses of sight, smell, feel, hearing and even taste. As yet, no one that I know of has been working on the history of such matters as it relates to Baptist piety.

Maybe, there are some scholars out there who would be interested in doing a concerted team research on this idea and produce together a history of Baptist sensory experience.

Comments and thoughts welcome!

Jim Davison on Jeremiah Burroughes

The following post is from a close friend, Jim Davison of Northern Ireland, who did his PhD thesis at Queens Belfast on Jeremiah Burroughes. A comment on Jeremiah Burroughes’ Gospel Worship:

Jeremiah Burroughes (c.1600-1646) has been a constant companion of mine for the past seven or eight years, through the study of his printed sermons and other works.  He more than any other puritan preacher has warmed my soul and encouraged me to seek what he sought to preach a life lived to the glory of God.  In Gospel Worship the emphasis is on the privilege and awesome responsibility of drawing near to God, for He has said: ‘I will be sanctified in them that draw nigh Me’ (Exodus 10:3).

How this is to be done is set out by Burroughes by way of three topics, each of which have many headings and sub-headings.  The subjects are Hearing the Word, Receiving the Lord’s Supper, and Sanctifying the Name of God in Prayer.  Each of these duties is unfolded for us with the aim of better equipping us to worship God in a proper manner, e.g., with reverence and awe.

In regard to hearing the Word as part of worship we are reminded by Burroughes that while it is good to hear the Word it is more important how we hear it, by which he means, not only as ‘an ordinance appointed by God,’ but in such a way that at the last day we will be able to say: ‘This is the Word that I reverenced, that I obeyed, that I loved, that I made the joy of my heart.’  Here we find Burroughes at his best as he unfolds the importance of preparation of heart to hear the Word preached.

In regard to the Lord’s Supper, Burroughes makes it clear that in keeping this ordinance ‘you will find a greater beauty … than you ever found in all your lives.’  Surely this is a message we need to get across to the many in each congregation who ignore the ordinance time after time.  Burroughes follows his exposition of the importance of this ordinance with ten mediations ‘by which we should labour to sanctify our hearts,’ as we ‘come to sanctify the name of God when we are drawing nigh to Him’ in this holy ordinance.

The third subject handled by Burroughes is prayer as a means of worshiping God.  Here Burroughes shows that prayer is ‘that which sanctifies all things to us’ - ‘Everything is sanctified by the word of God and prayer’ (1 Timothy 4:5).  Prayer is also that which ‘would help us against many temptations to evil.’  This leads Burroughes to exhort believers to ‘the preparation of heart unto prayer.’  This preparation is to be done in the course of one’s life,’ by which Burroughes means the way we live: ‘keep all things even and clean between God and your souls’ and ‘keep our hearts sensible of our continual dependence upon God.’

In many ways these fourteen sermons, now printed in a modern format by Soli Deo Gloria Publications, seek to emphasis the need for preparation of heart and soul as a prelude to participating in these three great ordinances of worship.  It is a masterful treatise on a subject that is foreign to many today; but one that is surely needed.  Burroughes is right when he says, ‘The reason why we worship God in a slight way is because we do not see God in His glory.’  But, one cannot read these sermons without appreciating that God is glorious in holiness.  It is also true that ‘If in the duties of worship we are near to God, then hence appears the great honour that God puts upon his servants that do worship him.'

Guidance re buying Puritan books

John Owen is a marvelous entry into Puritanism. He has been rightly described as the Calvin of the Puritan authors. His writing style is prolix and a little verbose, but he is superb in terms of his penetrating and exhaustive treatment of an issue. Buy some of his Works if you can; they are printed by the Banner of Truth. Volume 6 on the believer’s struggle against sin is a good place to begin. Richard Baxter is also good, but only with regard to his practical works. His theology was a mish-mash (my words, but J. I. Packer's sentiments). Stay away from his theological works proper. But his practical stuff—e.g. The Reformed Pastor and The Saints’ Everlasting Rest are tops. Other series of Puritan works: Richard Sibbes, an early Puritan, is also superb. His works are published by the Banner of Truth. Thomas Goodwin is also excellent, especially on the Spirit. Two late Puritans are also highly recommended : John Howe, one of my favourite authors, and Matthew Henry—get his commentary, the first complete commentary on the entire Bible by an English author. Get the full edition of this commentary, not an abbreviation. Finally, John Bunyan is a must—any of his works. With regard to individual books there is Isaac Ambrose, Looking Unto Jesus—superb. And Thomas Wilcox, Honey out of the Rock. I have begun to read a little of David Dickson, who is not bad. Samuel Rutherford’s Letters are also a must—absolute gold. I.D.E. Thomas, A Puritan Golden Treasury is also worth possessing. It is published by the Banner of Truth, and is a weighty selection of Puritan quotes. Thomas Boston, a late Scottish Puritan author is also good.

New Issue of Eusebeia Shipping

The latest issue of Eusebeia: The Bulletin of the Andrew Fuller Center is now shipping. This issue focuses on the namesake of the Center, Andrew Fuller himself. The theme is "Reading Andrew Fuller." The journal features nine scholarly articles by the likes of Dr. Michael A.G. Haykin, Dr. Carl R. Trueman, and Dr. Thomas J. Nettles. Most of the articles were originally papers presented at last year's conference. For a complete Table of Contents with free access to the editorial and an article by Dr. Haykin click here. This issue can be ordered for $12 USD, or a subscription (which includes 2 issues) is available for $20 USD (international orders are $15 and $30 respectively). Subscription information, as well as limited access to past issues, is available here.

It is our desire to eventually provide a Table of Contents for all issues along with each issue's editorial by Dr. Haykin, a select article from each issue, and book reviews, all available for free PDF download. Some of the Table of Contents and articles from past issues have always been posted. Others will be posted soon. Be sure to visit this site regularly as new content is added often.

Posted by Steve Weaver, Research and Administrative Assistant to the Director of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies, Dr. Michael A.G. Haykin.

First Book Review Posted

The first book review has been posted on the new "Book Review" page (see left sidebar under "Audio").   The first review is Dr. Haykin's review article on Brian McLaren's Finding Our Way Again: The Return of the Ancient Practices which appears in the current issue (Summer 2008) of The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology.  As you will be able to tell if you take the time to read the article, it is not a recommendation of McLaren's use of "Ancient" church history.  Instead, you will find a devastating critique of the whole emergent co-opting of the practices of the ancient church by a historical scholar trained in the field of Patristics.   Don't miss this review, and continue to check back periodically as more reviews will be added every one or two weeks.  Future reviews will generally be recommendatory of various works on Baptist history in particular, or church history in general.

Posted by Steve Weaver, Research and Administrative Assistant to the Director of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies, Dr. Michael A.G. Haykin.

Book reviews: an addition to the Andrew Fuller Center mandate

It occurred to me this past weekend that one of the ways in which the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies can serve the Southern Baptist community, as well as the larger Baptist world and even the broader scene of English-speaking Evangelicalism, is through online reviews of books that specifically relate to Baptist history. One of the ways in which the publishing world has been impacted in the past twenty years or so, a time of massive change for that world, has been in the role played by book reviews. Book reviews often appear in journals or magazines anywhere up to a year, or even more, after the book being reviewed has been published. Given the way books are marketed today though, this often results in the book review playing no substantial role in the sale of the book.

Given the resources of the worldwide web, one of the ways around this dilemma is to publish online reviews as soon as possible after the book has been published, as a number of e-journals are already doing. So, in the next week or so the Center hopes to initiate such a venture and try to review a book every couple of weeks or so. There will be a link provided on the home page to see the book reviews both current and past. Do check back regularly to see what is being recommended in the exciting field of Baptist history and ancillary fields of church history.

8,000 Dissenter martyrs revisited

Is this 8,000 martyrs an inflated figure for the Stuart persecution? Michael Watts in his magisterial first volume of his multi-volume work The Dissenters (Clarendon Press 1978), reckons that W.C. Braithwaite was correct when he stated that 15,000 Quakers alone suffered during this era by "fines, imprisonment, and transportation" into exile and 450 died in prison (p.236). I just glanced at Gerald R. Cragg's Puritanism in the Period of the Great Persecution, another great book on this era, but could see nothing where he gave statistics of those who died in prison.

If 450 Quakers died in prison, that would mean there were 7,500 other Dissenters from the Presbyterian, Congregationalist and Baptist ranks that perished in the prisons--and that seems unlikely to me as the Quakers suffered very heavily in this era.

Does anyone have any other statistics?

8,000 martyrs

In response to my mention in the previous post of 8,000 Dissenters dying in prisons during the reign of Charles II and James II, a dear friend, Ron Miller, made this extremely helpful comment: "The 8000 number is found in De Foe's preface to De Laune's A Plea for the Non-Conformists, p 4 in the 1720 edition I have, the seventh paragraph from the start. De Foe says this, 'I am sorry to say, he is one of near eight thousand Protestant Dissenters that perish'd in prison in the days of that merciful [sarcasm?!] prince, King Charles the Second'."

John Bunyan & his poem/hymn "He who would valiant be"

In a recent book, Tom Paulin—The Secret Life of Poems: A Poetry Primer (London: Faber and Faber, 2008)—discusses John Bunyan’s “He who would valiant be” (pages 31-35) in terms of its poetic merit, its thought and its historical context. Paulin judges it to be “one of the finest English hymns” (p.31-32), a “simple and austere puritan lyric,” that is deeply indebted to Shakespeare in spots (p.32). The phrase “come hither,” for example, Paulin reckons to be taken from the Stratford bard’s As You Like It (p.32-33).

Paulin relates portions of the hymn to Bunyan’s own writings, especially The Pilgrim’s Progress and the vicious historical context of the persecution by the Stuart regime. He notes that 8,000 Dissenters died as a result of goal fever in this time. I do not recall having seen such a figure. Nor does Paulin give his source for it. But it drives home the difficulties of that day.

In sum, Paulin writes that “this short, beautiful lyric is packed with great historical and personal suffering—and with unyielding courage and conviction” (p.35)—high praise indeed.

P.S. Incidentally, at the 2nd annual Andrew Fuller Center conference, held this past week at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, a number of papers dealt with this theme of persecution: the plenary session by Austin Walker on Benjamin Keach, and two parallel sessions on Abraham Cheare and Thomas Hardcastle by Jeff Robinson and Peter Beck respectively.

For the audio of these, see The English Baptists of the 17th Century, August 25-26, 2008.

Conference Audio Now Available

The audio for this week's conference on the 17th Century English Particular Baptists has now been posted online.  All the lectures (including the parallel sessions) are now available for free MP3 download on the conference page.  By all accounts, the conference was a great blessing to those who attended and it is hoped that this blessing can now be extended to those who would have liked to have attended, but were unable to do so.

Posted by Steve Weaver, Research and Administrative Assistant to the Director of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies, Dr. Michael A.G. Haykin.

Conference on 17th Century English Baptists Begins Today

Today the 2nd annual conference of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies begins.  The theme this year is the English Calvinistic Baptists of the Seventeenth Century.  A complete schedule is available here.  It is hoped that the audio will be available soon in MP3 format online for the benefit of those unable to attend.

Posted by Steve Weaver, Research and Administrative Assistant to the Director of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies, Dr. Michael A.G. Haykin.