The Old is Better!

Sometime during the late afternoon, Michael had pulled William Gurnall's The Christian in Complete Armour off the shelf and began reading (having been prompted by a quote about that book while reading Lectures To my Students). When I arrived home, Michael shared with me a few excerpts and then informed me that I had written a note next to a portion of J.C. Ryle's preface to the book. My notation, dated 2006, bracketed a few closing paragraphs and said, "My heart, mind and thoughts exactly articulated!"

As Michael read the bracketed paragraphs to me, I could not help but think of the limited amount of time that we have to read and of all of the books that have been written and are still being written by and for Christians. Here are J.C. Ryle's thoughts:

"I now conclude this preface by expressing my earnest hope that this new edition of Gurnall’s work may find many readers as well as purchasers. It is indeed to be desired that solid scriptural theology, like that contained in these pages, should be valued and studied in the church. Books in which Scripture is reverently regarded as the only rule of faith and practice—books in which Christ and the Holy Ghost have their rightful office—books in which justification, and sanctification, and regeneration, and faith, and grace, and holiness are clearly, distinctly, and accurately delineated and exhibited, these are the only books which do real good. Few things need reviving more than a taste for such books as these among readers.

April 23, 1864

For my own, part, I can only say that I read everything I can get hold of which professes to throw light on my Master’s business, and the work of Christ among men. But the more I read, the less I admire modern theology. The more I study the productions of the new schools of theological teachers, the more I marvel that men and women can be satisfied with such writing. There is a vagueness, a mistiness, a shallowness, an indistinctness, a superficiality, an aimlessness, a hollowness about the literature of the ‘broader and kinder systems,’ as they are called, which, to my mind, stamps their origin on their face. They are of the earth, earthy. I find more of definite soul-satisfying thought in one page of Gurnall than in five pages of such books as the leaders of the so-called ‘Broad Church School’ put forth. In matters of theology ‘the old is better'.

Ah yes, "My heart, mind and thoughts beautifully and exactly articulated" Thank you J.C. Ryle for the reminder.