‘The best, the only explanation of the psalms….is this: that [Christ’s] Humanity found in them a collection of appropriate devotions: Prayer-book, liturgy, hymn-book, fitted and pre-harmonised for a Divine Sufferer and Pilgrim…They are lyrics primarily of the Humanity of our Lord, secondarily of ours’.  ‘Read these psalms without this thought; they are petrifactions for a... Continue Reading

During her imprisonment, Mrs. Prest’s resilience continued to shine with amazement. She was offered the chance to recant and to return to her family and live a quiet life if she would only renounce her beliefs and submit to the Roman Catholic mass. But she refused. To one who encouraged her to reconsider, she replied,... Continue Reading

They set apart a solemn day of humiliation, to seek the Lord by humble and fervent prayer, in this great distress. And he was pleased to give them a gracious and speedy answer, both to their own, and the Indians admiration, that lived amongst them. For all the morning, and greatest part of the day,... Continue Reading

Strimple was always forward and outward looking. At the tenth anniversary celebration of WSC he articulated this in his address entitled “For All People—One Christ, One Gospel, One Mandate.” This passion for carrying the gospel into the world had already been expressed in his inaugural address as the first president of WSC, in which he... Continue Reading

That the scandal has brought down Welby is interesting, not least because he may well be one of the less guilty parties involved. His sins are those of omission. He was not beating young men to within an inch of their lives. But it is also ironic. Welby had been oh-so courageous in the early... Continue Reading

The reality is that liberal and conservative Christians need each other, and the sad polarization we see in American Christianity today began in earnest when liberals and conservatives largely stopped talking to each other and ceased to learn from one another.  Apart from those needful conversations, Protestant liberals often lose touch with the tradition and... Continue Reading

The “Slavery Abolition Act” was passed in 1833. This made slavery illegal and mandated that slaves would be freed (immediately for children under 6, while those over 6 would be part slave and part free for a further four years and be paid wages). Fortunately, Wilberforce lived to see this. He had become seriously ill... Continue Reading

By Spurgeon’s death in 1892, the Metropolitan Tabernacle had a membership of over 5300. This is remarkable given how plain their services were, how rigorous their membership process was, and how careful they were to maintain accurate rolls. They weren’t large because of modern attractional gimmicks. These weren’t inflated numbers due to sloppy membership practices.... Continue Reading

A prodigal and riotous waster cannot get by with his yearly income, but takes on more on his estate on the next year’s income, before it come. He begins to spend out of it before it actually comes, and then, when it comes, it cannot suffice. In the same way, the insatiable and indigent heart... Continue Reading

Bill was a physically imposing mechanic at 6’ 6”. But Lou Gehrig’s disease, the illness that physicist Stephen Hawkins endured, soon wilted him into a shadow of the man he had been. But he had Christ. He was able to live four more years—far beyond the doctor’s expectation. What amazing Christ-filled years those were.  ... Continue Reading