TESTED BY FIRE
By John Piper
IVP. 175 pages. £7.99
Perhaps one of our greatest needs in the church today is a robust theology of suffering. This book does not explore profound theological issues but looks at the lives of saints dominated by suffering.
The sufferers in question are John Bunyan, William Cowper and David Brainerd. Each of the biographical essays was originally an address given at the Bethlehem Conference for Pastors. With a stimulating introductory chapter on how God works with 'irony and disproportion' and a passionate concluding meditation on the ripples of influence that these men have had, the whole book makes one clear case: suffering can be incredibly fruitful.
The suffering of each of these men was unique to them. But the main fruit of each of their lives sprang from the nature of their suffering. From confinement in prison John Bunyan wrote Pilgrim's Progress, about the journey to freedom and joy. Cowper wrote sublime hymns of Christian assurance between bouts of despair. Brainerd's diaries chronicled his terrible feelings of incapacity, but they did more to stimulate world mission than almost any other writing.
In examining each of these men Piper is not afraid to identify their failings. Brainerd, seems to have had little sense of the joy of serving God, and no delight in his creation, seeing it only as a 'howling wilderness'. Cowper was deeply immature in his dealings with women. Piper also spends some time exploring the disturbing truth that Cowper ended his life, apparently in total despair. Overall the depiction of these flawed saints makes for a more satisfying meditation on God's ways.
If we thought that suffering and weakness rendered us useless to God, this book will help us think again.
