RINGAN GILHAIZE

 Ringan Glihazie by John Galt, 1823, Canongate, Edinburgh, 1995, paperback, 488 pages.

This 1823 historical novel about the Covenanters during the killing times is written in beautifully descriptive prose. The subject matter is not for the faint-hearted.

There was the time when Ringan Gilhaize was guided into an overcrowded prison cell of fellow Covenanters in Edinburgh.

“I entered among them, as if I had come into the dark abode of spectres, and manes, and dismal shadows. The prison was crowded overmuch, and though life was to many not worth the care of preservation, they yet esteemed it as the gift of their Maker, and as such considered it their duty to prolong for his sake. It was therefore a rule with them to stand in successive bands at the windows, in order that they might taste of the living air from without … At that moment a shriek of horror rose from all then looking out, and every one recoiled from the window. In the same instant a bloody head on a halbert was held up to us. – I looked  I saw the ghastly features and I would have kissed those lifeless lips; for, O! they were my son’s.

“I had laid that son, my only son, on the altar of the Covenant, an offering unto the Lord; but still I did hope that maybe it would be according to the mercy of wisdom that He would provide a lamb in the bush for the sacrifice; and when the stripling had parted from me, I often felt as the mother feels when the milk of love is in her bosom, and her babe no longer there.” Pgs. 390-92.

I was thankful for the eleven pages glossary at the back of the book that helped me with some of the old Scots words whose meaning I struggled with. I also appreciated the inclusion of an English translation of the 1320 Declaration of Arbroath and also the following contained in the Postscript:

“It does not seem to be, as yet, very generally understood by the critics in the South, that, independently of phraseology, there is such an idiomatic difference in the structure of the national dialects of England and Scotland, that very good Scotch might be couched in the purest of English terms, and without the employment of a single English word.

“In reviewing the Memoirs of that worshipful personage, Provost Pawkie, some objection has been made to the style, as being neither Scotch nor English, – not Scotch, because the words are English, – and not English, because the forms of speech are Scottish. What has thus been regarded as a fault by some, others acquainted with the peculiarities of the language may be led to consider as a beauty.” p. 448.

THE UNFAITHFUL BRIDE & THE FAITHFUL GROOM

Introduction to a soon to be released book by me and Rudi Schwartz

INTRODUCTION

Image from Net

Every Christian knows that the world is in the mess it is because Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden. God had great plans for mankind, but Adam and Eve, with the ready assistance of the devious Serpent, quashed those plans. At least that’s what many Christians think happened. But what if God had factored the fall of man into His plans, i.e., His plans for a glorious future for humanity?

What we’re talking about here is Christ and His bride. But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. For now, we are just wanting to see how mankind rejected God’s marriage proposal and committed adultery with Satan instead. 

As illustrated above, we are reminded that God is faithful. However, we are reminded of our own unfaithfulness, even as Christians. We sin as individuals, e.g., David with Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11:1-27), and collectively, e.g., the golden calf episode (Exod. 32:1-35). God’s Church through the ages is more oftentimes unfaithful than faithful. Sin still has a subtle attraction even to Christ’s bride. The master of subtlety, the Devil, still uses this fatal attraction to the bride’s detriment. "But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire” (2 Pet. 2:22). Christians may be misled and get swept up in sin. However, the command of Jesus is, “Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). David showed true repentance after Samuel had exposed his sin (2 Sam. 12:13; Ps. 51). 

Perhaps you were a little shocked at the wording of the Prelude and thought it looks more like a film noir screenplay than an illustration of the contents of the whole Bible. The Prelude simply was to summarize in a graphic way what you are about to read in this book. We believe that the Biblical story of redemption ought not to be sanitized, but that the “warts and all” of fallen humanity’s sins must be exposed lest we fail to see how wonderful a Saviour the Lord’s Church has and the depths of depravity from which He has saved us. 

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the apostle Paul draws many parallels between Adam and Christ, (Rom. 5:12-21; 1 Cor. 15:35-49). Indeed, the apostle refers to Adam as the “first Adam” and the “first man” and to Christ as the “last Adam” and the “second Man” (1 Cor. 15:45, 47). And, just as Adam had a bride, Eve, so the last Adam also has a bride, the church. And, just as there are many parallels between Adam and Christ, throughout this book, the reader shall see that there also are many parallels between Eve and the church.

  

Notice what the apostle says about Adam’s spouse, “For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner” (1 Tim. 2:13-14 NIV), and “But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Cor. 11:3 NIV). 

 

As a man may play tuneful notes on a flute, so the serpent was used by Satan as an instrument for getting Eve’s undivided attention. He wanted to intrude on her thoughts, to “get inside her head” as we say. Thus, as noted by the apostle where he says “your minds may somehow be led astray”, Satan appeals to the mind. “And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” Notice that Satan has formulated his words carefully to imply that God is being restrictive, too restrictive, i.e., by not allowing Eve free access to every single tree in the garden. Thus, somehow, by engaging her mind with a question (as opposed to a statement), he manages to trick Eve into questioning the clear Word of God. And so it is all the way down through history even till today, like the Pied-Piper, to lead Christ’s church-bride away, Satan plays the same old notes, “Has God indeed said?” And so the second Adam continually has to rescue His bride from the Devil’s embrace, from the serpent’s deadly coils.  

Satan has a vast array of military materiel to choose from in his war against God and His Church on earth. He may and does at times use ordnance. However, it’s when his mounted guns are silent that we should especially keep in mind that he mainly operates by stealth. He likes to stay under the radar as it were. For example, music is a major weapon in his vast arsenal. Churches split over lyric content and musical styles. Should we sing and play in congregational worship of God the type of songs you might hear on any Christian radio station? And if not, why not? Well, why not if it is true that ‘Music is in the ear of the beholder.’  

The intended audience is the key to answering this important question. Is the intended audience God or people? Would it surprise you to hear that both is an acceptable answer. And it may help if we ask whether you are sitting in your car in traffic or on a church pew during worship. In the car we are listeners. Therefore, the music is aimed usward. In church we are active participators or “performers”. Therefore, to be God-glorifying, and congregationally edifying, our music must be directed Godward. Both are Christian music, but, for the sake of clear understanding, let’s call the former Kingdom Music and the latter Church Music. 

However, here is an example of the sometimes interchangeability of Kingdom and Church Music. Though the exact details are still disputed, it is believed that the eight-member band on the Titanic assembled itself in the first-class lounge to play to try to provide calm in the sea of chaos as the ship began sinking. The bandmaster, Wallace Hartley, and other members were Methodists. It is hard to believe that these men could be so resolute in such a major crisis. However, their faith was tested and proven to be true and unwaveringly so. For, during the mayhem, the band moved half a boat deck forward and continued playing – even whilst knowing for certain that a watery grave awaited their hasty arrival. What faith! All eight went down with the ship. A testimony to their Christian-built stalwartness surely is in the debate over their choice of swan song. That these eight men were calm enough to play recognizable tunes is remarkable in itself! A survivor, Mrs Vera Dick, reported that the band played the hymn “Nearer, My God, to Thee”. The first verse of this well-known hymn is, “Nearer, my God, to Thee, / Nearer to Thee! / Even though it be a cross / That raiseth me, / Still all my song would be, / ‘Nearer my God, to Thee, / Nearer to Thee!’” Yes, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (Jas. 4:8a). 

We’re in Christ’s Kingdom in all that we do in our daily activities, and as such, our Christian music is not necessarily designed with the intent of corporate worship. We’re in God’s Church when we are gathered with our fellow saints to worship God. Therefore, our music must be designed with corporate worship in mind. 

All Christian music ought to seek to glorify God whether you’re at church or at work, rest, or play. The great reformer of the church, John Calvin, had the following to say about Church Music, “Songs composed merely to tickle and delight the ear are unbecoming the majesty of the Church, and cannot but be most displeasing to God.” Indeed, Calvin was in favour of restricting congregational worship songs to only the 150 Psalms of the Bible, to be sung in versified form and without any musical accompaniment. 

Now, because much error can be taught through song, Biblical song lyrics are important. ‘For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires’ (2 Tim. 4:3). The danger for Christians is that church music can switch from seeking to praise God to trying to attract the world (read non-Christians) to come to fill church pews. 

Though usually attributed to CH Spurgeon, in Archibald Brown’s 1889 book The Devil’s Mission of Amusement is found an article called Feeding Sheep or Amusing Goats. Christian Music on the car radio out there in the Kingdom can get away with a certain amount of amusing non-Christians, but not Church Music. How so? Because it is here that Church music then becomes man-centred instead of God-centred.  

Christians get fed at church by the preaching of God’s Word and the praising of His name in song with sound doctrine. If the focus is not on God, then the Church Music becomes mere ear-tickling amusement. Entertainment! Remember, fattened goats find wooden pews more comfortable to sit on than do bony lean sheep. What may look like full churches may simply be nests full of cuckoos running pastors ragged trying to feed them what their tickling ears want to hear. Thus, like the runaway bride and the piano man, the Church at times prostitutes herself with Satan. 

Why are things like this? Where did it all start? Well, perhaps the best piece of advice you will get to try to help you get a handle on understanding God and His Church, the Church’s adversary Satan, sin,

misery, and death is to start at the very beginning.

MESSIAH THE PRINCE

 The Warfield Institute ought to be thanked for making this reprint readily available at an affordable price for the paperback - that Americans are now able to read ha ha!

Symington's work is Christ-centred, Christ-honouring, and optimistically engages church and culture with Messiah the Prince's world transforming gospel.

THE BRIDE & GROOM

 The following is a snippet of a book I'm working on as a coauthor with D. Rudi Schwartz. The book is not yet completed, but we are starting to think about finding a publisher and also getting a cover design done. Perhaps the finished item will have about 175,000 + words or something.

The PRELUDE below is not written in the style of the whole book. It merely seeks to capture the book's substance in a metaphorical way that we can all easily understand.

            

                

               The Unfaithful Bride  

And  

The FAIthful Groom 

 

 

The Biblical Story of COVENANT MAKING,  

Covenant BREAKING,  

and  

Covenant RESTORATION

Prelude 

The piano-man approached the woman as she sat alone at the bar nursing her drink.

 

Piano-man: “What’s a nice lady like you doing in a place like this?” 

  

Lady at bar: “I should be free to go anywhere I like!” With her right hand she unconsciously covered the ring finger of her left hand.

The piano-man subtly notices. An engagement-ring? Looking at her hands the piano-man almost sang the words, “Let me help you with that. Bartender, a cocktail for my beautiful new friend. Lots of ice.” 

The lady at the bar twiddled the stir stick in her fresh drink with her right hand and said, “There’s enough ice in here to sink the Titanic!” 

Piano-man: “And may it go down as well! Bottoms up!””     

She sipped the drink and their eyes locked unblinking. 

He spoke again. “They promise you the earth, even heaven on earth, but instead give you a whole bunch of rules. Then they threaten you with divorce if you break any of them. Did he really forbid you from going wherever you wanted? I mean look around. They’re all having a great time. How can you submit yourself to someone who forbids a bit of fun?” 

Lady at bar: “Well, the wedding is off. That’s why I’m here. I will not have that man rule over me! Is there somewhere else we can go? You know…” She tried in vain to remove the ring from her finger as she said this. 

Piano-man: "I know a quiet little place.” 

They left the bar by the back door and walked up a dark alleyway. In the dim light the lady could see a halfdead man on the ground with a needle sticking out of his arm. It looked like he was covered in vomit. She could hear a man and a woman in the shadows haggling over money. There was a smell of rotten garbage, even the stench of something dead. A rat was gnawing at whatever it once had been. She didn’t really care. She was too enamoured, smitten, by the flattery of charm. 

The lady spoke breathlessly, in her best seductive voice, “Why did you bring me here?” 

Piano-man: “You wanted rid of that straitjacket of a husband-to-be. Now you have me. Breathe the free air.”

Her breath quickened as she let him pull her closer to himself. The cold night air suddenly got all hot and steamy. Her paramour loosened his embrace and fastened his clothing. His partner, now exhausted, tried to catch her breath. They heard something. Footsteps. A man was approaching them. Then they saw the beam of his flashlight as it lit up their depravity and their debauched environment. He was calling for her, by name. She recognized the voice. The lady sought to cover the embarrassment of her nakedness. She tried to hide from him. It was her husband to be. However, instead of raging at her for her obvious act of fornication, he removed his coat and covered his unfaithful bride with it. Then he gently led her out of the darkness.