A Steward of the Secret Things

This week’s Preacher’s Choice is made by Derek Prime of Edinburgh. Now retired, Derek was Pastor of Charlotte Chapel in Edinburgh for many years and is the author of numerous books.

1. Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor: Hudson Taylor: Two volume life This is not the best biography in that I would recommend today that by Roger Steer: J. Hudson Taylor, A man in Christ. But the Taylor’s biography was the first I read as a young Christian and it was a great spiritual blessing, especially the quotation that helped Hudson Taylor from John McCarthy: ‘How then to have our faith increased? Only by thinking of all that Jesus is, and all He is for us: His life, His death, His work, He Himself as revealed to us in the Word, to be the subject of our constant thoughts. Not a striving to have faith, or to increase our faith, but a looking off to the Faithful One seems all we need; a resting in the Loved One entirely, for time and for eternity.’

2. John Owen: The Glory of Christ

Although a demanding read no book has been more used in life to reveal the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ and to encourage longings after knowing Him better.

3. F. B. Meyer: Expository Preaching – Plans and Methods This is not a book I would particularly recommend but as a seventeen year old young Christian I bought it in a second-hand bookshop and it stirred up within me a desire to expound God’s Word.

4. John Bunyan: The Pilgrim’s Progress

Having decided to teach John Bunyan’s story of Pilgrim to the children on a Sunday morning over a period of a year or more, it proved to be a particular spiritual blessing to me and its lessons remain with me.

5. Henry Scougal: The Life of God in the Soul of Man A small but significant book in many people’s lives over the centuries that enriches the reader.

6. Jonathan Edwards: History of Redemption A mastery review of God’s saving purposes that has few rivals.

7. James Black: The Mystery of Preaching Important for me personally because it was given to me at the beginning of my ministry and it provided helpful pointers as I began the discipline of weekly sermon preparation.

8. Charles Simeon: Sermons A great treasure, not least because the sermons illustrate and underline the importance of structure and application. Happily, they are to be available from this summer on CDs.

9. Leon Morris: The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross Leon Morris’ books on the atonement are priceless and provide fundamentally important understanding of the meaning of propitiation.

10. Iain Murray: David Martyn Lloyd-Jones Volume One. Both volumes are superb but Volume One enhanced my sense of privilege at being called to be a pastor/teacher.