"Comforted of God"

Various

Scripture Truth, 2010 - Religion - 110 pages

This collection of Scripture texts, prose and poetry shines the light of God's Word into the darkness of disappointment, illness and bereavement. To those in such circumstances it provides encouragement, strength, illumination, understanding and comfort. Over thirty thousand copies were produced during the first half of the twentieth century, bringing relief to many. Over one hundred years have passed since the first edition was compiled, and yet the basic problems of the human condition remain essentially unchanged; and God's Word has as much to say to those facing the darkest of personal situations in the 21st Century as it ever did. Its message of hope still lifts the spirit and draws the stressed, the discouraged and the sorrowful to the Saviour, who is the Prince of Peace. The compiler, Algernon James Pollock (1864-1957), was the eldest son born to a Christian banker and his wife in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. At the age of eleven he made a profession of faith in Christ. Early in life he was introduced to leading figures amongst the Brethren (John Nelson Darby was entertained in the home when he was about fifteen). He followed his father into banking, but his true calling was to share the treasure he had found in heaven, and he left to become a full-time evangelist. He was an indefatigable apologist from the pulpit and in print wherever he saw the Christian faith under attack. He wrote several books, but he is probably best known for over fifty pamphlets containing critiques of deviations from Bible-based, Christ-centred Christianity.

Contents

• CONTENTS: 13
• Last Words of Samuel Rutherford poem 98: 19
• A Psalm of Silence poem 94: 27
• Not Now poem: 30
• Comforted of God poem 9: 37
• 20: 38
• Strength in Looking Up 24: 48
• Take heed unto thyself: 64
• Everlasting Love 89: 70
• Fear Not poem: 86
• Texts 4 21 67: 88
• God the Great Deliverer: 107

About the author

Born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Algernon James Pollock (1864-1957), in his own words, "had the inestimable privilege of being brought up in a Christian home". And what a full home it was! In the first sixteen years of her marriage his mother gave birth to ten children, and the arrival of Algernon, her third child and first son, must have been a particular comfort to her after the death of her second daughter, at the age of six months, just nine months earlier. He came from a distinguished line: his father worked in a bank, his grandfather had been Chief Justice of Bombay, and his great-grandfather was saddler to George III and the Prince Regent, later George IV. In later life Algernon looked back with thankfulness that "the impression lasts through life" of "what was learned at a mother's knee". At the age of eleven he made a profession of faith in Christ.

Early in life he was introduced to leading figures amongst the Brethren: John Nelson Darby was entertained in the home when Algie was about fifteen and, on discovering that no plate was laid for the young lad, Darby shared his own with him - an experience of breaking bread with JND that he never forgot!

He followed his father into banking, but his true calling was to share the treasure in heaven and spiritual food that he had found, and he left to become a full-time evangelist.

In 1901 he married Elsie Madeleine Seton (her sister married F B Hole) and they raised a daughter and three sons.

When not undertaking preaching engagements he found time to write gospel hymns, edited the "Gospel Tidings" hymnbook, and took on the editing of the magazine "The Gospel Messenger", started by Dr W T P Wolston.

In an autobiographical piece, he freely admits that as he grew up "many a time I was tempted to give up the profession of Christianity, but something held me back. Infidel doubts assailed me. Any attack on the Bible distressed me and shook my confidence. But all this only in the end led me to take a stronger hold on Christ as my Saviour."

He was also led to become an indefatigable apologist from the pulpit and in print wherever he saw the Christian faith under attack. Along with H P Barker, Hamilton Smith, J T Mawson and F B Hole he frequently contributed articles to "Scripture Truth" magazine. He wrote a number of major books and over fifty pamphlets showing the error of different cults and ideas. He is probably best known for these latter critiques of deviations from Bible-based, Christ-centred Christianity. Indeed, when in 1909, God moved two Christian laymen in the USA to fund twelve volumes (compiled by A C Dixon, Louis Meyer and R A Torrey) that would set out the fundamentals of the Christian faith, and which were to be sent free of charge to those engaged in Christian work throughout the English speaking world, it was a measure of the international regard in which Algernon Pollock's writings were held in the Church at large was that he was selected to contribute a chapter entitled "Modern Spiritualism Briefly Tested by Scripture". Between 1910 and 1915 some 300,000 sets of "The Fundamentals" were distributed.

His ministry was not restricted to the United Kingdom; he travelled in the USA in 1898, and also visited Scandinavia, India, Spain and Germany.

Bibliographic information

• Title: "Comforted of God"; Understanding Christianity
• Author: Various
• Compiled by: Algernon James Pollock
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Scripture Truth, 2010
• ISBN: 0901860638, 9780901860637
• Length: 110 pages
• Subjects: Religion / Christian Living / Death, Grief, Bereavement