Some Exceedingly Difficult Letters to Answer

A selection from a letter by A. W. Pink to his friend, Lowell Green. Mr. Pink received many letters and responded to them, saying in 1946 that he had written "by hand well over 20,000 letters." He was a pastor and counselor to many by means of correspondence. This letter, which was written July 10, 1939, make clear some of the troubles to which he sought to bring light and comfort.

Of late I have had some exceedingly difficult letters to answer: among them one from a Sister who allowed her heart to run away with her head… She thought she was doing God's will, is now satisfied she was deceived by Satan, and wanting to know how the promptings of the Holy Spirit may be distinguished from those of the Evil One.

Another from a preacher of many years' experience: had a nervous breakdown; eventually went to a "Prayer Healer" (a servant of the Devil), since which the spirit of prayer has been stifled in his own soul, all assurance of salvation gone, so that he no longer dares to preach to others.

What saddens me so much is that there seem to be so very few today unto whom these poor souls can turn for helpful counsel. Many who can preach gospel, doctrinal and prophetic sermons appear to be quite incapable of entering into the experiences of the perplexed and distressed and giving them "a word in season" [Isa. 50:4]. Unless pastors are Divinely qualified to be doctors of souls they are "physicians of no value," as Job [13:4] had to say unto those who failed to diagnose his case and minister to him in his trouble. Such "qualification" cannot be acquired in any Seminary or Bible School.

The Life of Arthur W. Pink, Revised and Enlarged Edition, Iain H. Murray, Banner of Truth, 2004, p. 216.

Preaching to the Unsaved

A selection from a letter by A. W. Pink to his good friend, Lowell Green. The letter was written on March 19, 1939.

In preaching to the unsaved I never did anything more than I do in my articles: presented the truth of God so far as I knew it, and left the Holy Spirit to apply and bless it as he saw well. I never held any ‘after meetings,’ never asked sinners to signify by any outward sign they had accepted Christ or desired to be prayed for. If any waited behind to speak with me, I told them frankly I could not help them, and urged them to go home and read God’s Word. Nor did Spurgeon use any of these Arminian methods of ‘casting out the net,’ ‘penitent forms,’ etc., for the simple but sufficient reason that neither Christ nor his apostles ever did so! Needless to say I was often criticized: yet God was pleased to honour my faith as the Day to come will show.

The Life of Arthur W. Pink, Revised and Enlarged Edition, Iain H. Murray, Banner of Truth, 2004, pp. 174-75.

Has God No Claims?

A selection from a letter by A. W. Pink to Mr. Harold Bradshaw of Norwich, England. I had the privilege of knowing Mr. Bradshaw’s son, Dudley, who is now with the Lord, and who was pastor of the Baptist Chapel in Brooke. Mr. Pink quoted a portion of his introduction to his book, The Sovereignty of God, in his letter to Mr. Bradshaw. Pink’s book was written while he was a resident of the United States. The letter was written sometime in 1943, when he lived on the Isle of Sky.

Probably 95% of the religious literature of the day is devoted to a setting forth of the duties and obligations of men. The fact is that those who undertake to expound the responsibility of men are the very ones who have lost the ‘balance of truth’ by ignoring very largely the Sovereignty of God. It is perfectly right to insist on the responsibility of man, but what of God?—has he no claims, no rights? A hundred such works as this are needed, and ten thousand sermons would have to be preached throughout the land on this subject, if the ‘balance of truth’ is to be regained… Surely there is far more danger of making too much of man and too little of God, than there is of making too much of God and too little of man.

The Life of Arthur W. Pink, revised and enlarged edition, by Ian Murray, The Banner of Truth, 2004, p. 233.

Plain Dealing

A selection from a letter by A. W. Pink to Harold J. Bradshaw of Norwich, England. Iain Murray says that the most remarkable correspondence of Pink that survives is the letters exchanged between Bradshaw and Pink. I have had the privilege of seeing these letters, having known Dudley Bradshaw, the son of Harold Bradshaw. Bradshaw grew up under hyper-Calvinistic teaching and struggled with assurance. Pink spoke plainly to him in an attempt to help him either to become a genuine believer or gain the certainty of salvation.

A postman may be gruff, even surly, but that is (relatively) a trifling matter if he hands you a valuable letter! I am an ‘earthen’ and not a golden vessel. I may not be as suave as you might wish, I may even appear harsh, but I hope you will not suffer such defects in your would-be physician to prejudice you against his treatment of your case. This is a day which calls for plain dealing, not Judas-like kisses.

The Life of Arthur W. Pink, by Iain H. Murray, revised and enlarged edition, The Banner of Truth Trust, 2004, p. 231.

Study

Extract from a letter by A. W. Pink to his friend, William Naismith, no date:

While it is nice to have our problems solved and difficulties removed by others, it is not always best for us. Instead of continuing to answer your questions, I feel I might be of more service if I put you in the way of answering them for yourself. That man is the greatest help to me who most casts me back upon God and stimulates me to the study of his Word. ‘Study,’ I say, for while there are many who read it daily, and use the concordance, scarcely any study it.

The Life of Arthur W. Pink, Ian Murray, Banner of Truth, p. 141

Trusting and Confiding

Extract from a letter by A. W. Pink, to Mr. and Mrs. Horace Coleman:

It is only as faith is really in exercise that we can have comfort from Romans 8:28! To merely ‘bow to God’s sovereign will’ is not sufficient when the Mohammedan does that! – there needs to be a trusting in his goodness and a confiding in his wisdom also, if the heart is to be kept in peace and if we are to be ‘giving thanks always for all things’ (Eph. 5:20).

The Life of Arthur W. Pink, Ian Murray, Banner of Truth, p. 135.

Reading

A selection from a letter by A. W. Pink to John Culver:

One book read slowly, mediated upon and assimilated, is worth twenty skimmed through hurriedly.

The Life of Arthur W. Pink, Ian Murray, Banner of Truth, p. 137.