Richard Baxter

Today's commemoration in the lectionary is for a chap I'd never heard of...Richard Baxter. Good old Wikipedia has a good article on him.

However, I was stunned to find a piece on Baxter by Leonard Ravenhill, who I have mentioned before as a truly inspirational preacher. Unsurprisingly, the piece (click here for piece) focuses on Baxter as a preacher. READ IT!

Ravenhill is concerned that those who preach do so with a passion to see people saved, but not cheaply. There has to be an agonizing over the souls of those preached to. Do we agonize over sin around us? Do we have a passion for the gospel?

I was surprised to note that 'Ye Holy Angels Bright' a hymn often sung on All Saints Day, was penned by Baxter. I really enjoyed learning this hymn last year and the words (as with most hymns) are inspirational:

Ye holy angels bright
Who wait at God's right hand
Or through the realms of light
Fly at your Lord's command
Assist our song
For else the theme
Too high doth seem
For mortal tongue

Ye blessed souls at rest
Who ran this earthly race
And now, from sin released
Behold the Savior's face
God's praisees sound
As in Hig light
With sweet delight
Ye do abound

Ye saints who toil below
Adore your heavenly King
And onward as ye go
Some joyful anthem sing
Take what He gives
And praise Him still
Through good and ill
Who ever lives

My soul, bear thou thy part
Triumph in God above
And with a willtuned heart
Sing thou the songs of love
Let all thy days
Till life shall end
Whate'er He send
Be filled with praise

Weeping

Despite the season (Eastertide is upon us) I am continuing to make my way (once again) through the powerful book 'Why revival tarries' by Leonard Ravenhill. For the record, this is not a book to recommend for casual Christian-lite reading. This book was recommended to me by a great pastor and friend, with the intention, no doubt, of causing me to shake.

It is available from amazon, but I advise with caution.

Today I've read chapter seven and once again Ravenhill refers to the importance of tears:

"I am increasingly convinced that tears are an integral part of revival preaching. Preacher brethren, this is the time to blush that we have no shame, the time to weep for our lack of tears, the time to bend low that we have lost the humble touch of servants, the time to groan that we have no burden, the time to be angry with ourselves that we have no anger over the devil's monopoly in this 'end time' hour, the time to chastise ourselves that the world can so easily get along with us and not attempt to chastise us" (Ravenhill 1979, p.65)

It may seem strange to focus on tears at the beginning of our Easter season. But when I've considered the shift from the darkness and self-examination of Lent with the joyful 'alleluia's' of Easter I am convinced that all Christians must see the light of Christ bursting from the tomb, and ask whether that same light is bursting forth from our lives. Are we so innured to the world that we do not have hearts aching to share the Love of God. Do we chastise the world? Do we speak out about the love God has for the loveless?

I must confess that I am merrily carrying this good news around with me, and remain remarkably unmoved that so many people I know are in darkness. Why is this?

It's Ravenhill's final rebuke in the paragraph that stings: "This is the time... to chastise ourselves that the world can so easily get along with us and not attempt to chastise us"

Amidst the joy of Easter can we seek to translate our joy into prayerful tears?


REFERENCES
Ravenhill, L. (1979) Why revival tarries. Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers