Book Review : Through the year with William Still

Sinclair Ferguson has publicly stated that no one has had a greater spiritual impact on his life than William Still! William Still was the minister of Gilcomston South Church, Aberdeen, from 1945 to 1997. While his name may not feature in the official annals of the Church of Scotland, it is doubtful whether any other individual in his Church during the latter half of the twentieth century had such a profound or widespread influence. For over fifty years Mr Still pioneered a single-minded commitment to expository preaching and congregational prayer which made Gilcomston a beacon of Reformed and evangelical Christianity in Scotland. A man whose very life breathed the grace and love of God, no one who ever met him, received his counsel, or sat under his ministry, could have escaped the sheer Christlikeness of Mr Still's life. In the early days of his ministry he wrote: "There is no part of me, or of my life, that I will withhold from the work that God has called me to." It was one of the marks of his evident commitment to the service of Christ that he devoted himself to the pastoral care of his people, providing them with daily Bible reading notes that would feed their souls and prepare them for works of service. The "Notes", which appeared in the monthly "Congregational Record", soon became highly sought after across Scotland, the United Kingdom, and even to the far-flung corners of the world, increasing in many a love for and commitment to the Word of God. Drawn from every book in the Bible, this selection, edited and arranged by David C. Searle, will take the reader through the year with William Still. These pages will explain what it means to live under the authority of Scripture, to exalt the glorious Person of Christ, and to rejoice in the wonder of the gospel. "To commend these Daily Bible Readings of William Still is both a privilege and a pleasure. Although my exposure to Mr Still's preaching ministry was episodic, I never failed to benefit deeply, both from his insights into the text, and from the way he located the text within the flow of redemptive history. Whatever else William Still was he was never dull. These Daily Readings will enlarge your biblical horizons, lift up our Lord Jesus Christ, and challenge you to see the life of faith as a response to astonishing grace." (Rev. Ian Hamilton, Cambridge Presbyterian Church.This is a handsomely bound volume containing nearly 400 pages which can be obtained from the Banner of Truth Trust, Amazon and the Book Depositoryor Evangelical Book Shop Belfast.Along with his three volume 'Works' published by Rutherford House, 'The world of grace' and 'the work of the Pastor' this will be a most valued book in any Christian's library.