Monthly magazines accumulate over the passing decades into a stack and, despite the appreciated efforts of the index compilers, many of the treasures of former years remain buried.
Some of these buried treasures have been unearthed and brought together in a new publication entitled, “Delight in God’s Law”. These selected articles are from the pen of the late editor of “The Christadelphian” magazine. Brother John Carter’s editorial appointment covered a quarter of a century of momentous world history, and ecclesial history was no less so. Our relationship with the State posed peculiar difficulties for the Brotherhood in a time of total war and long standing inter-ecclesial problems faced us. In both these spheres, as well as in many others, Brother Carter proved to be an able and dedicated man. This new book, then, is a fitting memorial and a valuable addition to the Truth’s literature. Eight informal photographs fortify our fading memory of a well loved face.
The forty writings are not in chronological order although they carry a footnote giving the occasion and date of each. There are a dozen editorials. Twenty years ago, in Britain’s “darkest hour”, the attention of the Brotherhood was rather directed to the eternal things of God, as shown in the editorial of April ! 943. It appeared under the heading, “The Claims of Jesus”. It commences . . . “They thought of him as the carpenter of Nazareth” . . . and closes with “He was the Son of God”. This latter eternal verity forms the foundation of “his church” and the source of all his stupendous claims.
World events did occasionally receive comment. Two such were the atom bomb (September 1945) and television (August 1950). “The Last Plague” was the caption given the former, and we may say that the latter is scarcely less destructive in spiritual affairs. In an insidious way, it becomes a time consumer: “. . . and where there is present a conscientous awareness that account will be given for our ‘talent’ of time, no interest will be allowed to interfere with the proper use of time. We may all need the exhortation to redeem the time, for the days are evil and the hours are late.”
Twenty expository articles show that this was our brother’s best field of work. The letter to the Hebrews begins with, In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets” (R.S.V.). This is taken up: “A study of the ‘many parts’ and ‘many ways’ . . . is an instructive lesson in the wonder of God’s revelation.” We are led through a series of nine studies which originally appeared in “The Christadelphian” from April to December 1957. This group includes the intriguing title, “The parable of the Calendar”. But there is nothing new under the sun, as the author modestly admits: “Each generation of students make these discoveries for themselves, only to find that others have worked in the field before them. Shortly after we first noticed the connexion we happened upon a reference which showed that the Jewish rabbis had, generations ago, connected together the . . .” We leave the quotation here. Your curiosity will be satisfied when you enjoy this study from your own copy. The book is reasonably priced at 1 6/11 post paid.
It would be a serious omission if we failed to mention the eight exhortations. The expositor clearly sees the message of the chosen scripture and wastes no words in idle elaboration. The thoughts are precise and meaty. “We must learn that we cannot eradicate evil unless we cultivate good. It is a vain thing to strive for the negative righteousness which consists merely of putting away that which is bad or evil. It can only be done by the cultivation of the pure and noble and the wholesome.” Fittingly the book closes with the exhortation given in the Birmingham Town Hall at the united Breaking of Bread of the Midland Institute and Suffolk Street ecclesias on 7th March, 1957. The theme was, “Ye are all one in Christ Jesus”, which Brother Carter rightly placed on the highest spiritual plane. We quote just a few of his words: “This is not simply a unity of purpose, Neither is it an outward union merely. It is all that, but it is a vital union which exists between Jesus and the Father. . . . That process towards perfection proceeds as we seek to perfect our love to God in obeying His commandments, and the divine work in Jesus Christ will at last be realized when all are made perfect in one.” May that be soon!
Review of “The Early Earth” by John Whitcomb (1972)