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TemptationResisted & repulsedBack to the futureTEMPTATION: Nowadays a book described as ‘Puritan’, originally published in 1658, would be a turn-off for many readers, but Richard Rushing has clearly done a lot of work to reduce quite a large volume to a readable paperback. 23 short chapters and up-to-date language make it accessible and comparatively easy to read. Temptation is a word not much used today, except in fun: we live in a world where anything goes, and the idea of temptation is not relevant. But, for a Christian, the commands of God are paramount, and his words are to be obeyed. Temptation is an ever-present reality, and has to be ‘resisted and repulsed’. This little volume is helpful in many ways, alerting us to the pressures of daily life, and the subtlety of Satan’s work. There is a good deal of fire in John Owen’s writing. Updating the language and abridging the arguments is certainly a great help, but I found myself wondering whether perhaps the temptations in our day have changed in their focus. We see a huge emphasis in newspapers, television and books, on happiness, freedom, fulfilment, ‘doing our own thing’, indulgence and sex. I reckon we could do with a modern-day John Owen, who could highlight the particular temptations that 21st-century men and women face, and unfold schemes and strategies to cope with them. But Temptation is a worthwhile and challenging read. Brock White, © Evangelicals Now - September 2007 |