Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret by Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor, Hendrickson Classic Biographies. Hardback, 247 pages. Reviewed by Laura Streit, high school junior, Grace (State College, Pa.) RPC.

As the psalmist David wrote in Psalm 84, “No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Hudson Taylor believed this. In Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret, the authors write about their father, James Hudson Taylor, one of the most amazing missionaries of all time. This book was written in honor of Dr. Henry W. Frost, a good friend of Taylor, for his service of 42 years as the director of the China Inland Mission. Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor wrote this book to proclaim the joy their father found in his missionary work.

Born in Barnsley, Yorkshire, England, Taylor grew up in a Christian home, but did not accept his parents’ faith as his own until the age of 18. From the time of his conversion, Taylor felt called by God to travel as a missionary. Recognized by many as “the father of modern missions,” he founded the China Inland Mission and proclaimed the gospel to thousands of people throughout China. He also translated the Bible into several Chinese dialects. Upon arrival in China, Taylor exchanged his English clothing for those of the Chinese, and wore his hair in the Chinese fashion. Due to this sacrifice, he was accepted more readily by the Chinese.

Hudson Taylor’s spiritual secret was his faith and trust that God would provide for all his needs. Throughout his life he laid his requests down at the throne of grace. Despite the ever-present threats of imprisonment or death by Chinese officials, Taylor continued proclaiming the Word of God.

In clear and simple terms, Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor paint an amazing picture of the life of Hudson Taylor in the 247 pages of the book. This book will inspire all who read it with its lessons on faith and trust in God, who says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Josh. 1:5).

Heavenly Love: The Song of Songs Simply Explained, by Gary Brady, Evangelical Press, 2006. Paperback, 256 pp., $15.99. Reviewed by David Whitla.

Heavenly Love is one of five commentaries on the Song of Songs that Evangelical Press has published in recent years, and it is certainly one of the best. While three of the five have taken an exclusively—and sometimes rather extreme—allegorical view of this much-overlooked book of the Bible, Brady’s commentary (in the popular Welwyn series) provides a beautifully-balanced commentary that faithfully expounds both the natural and spiritual meaning of the Song.

In dealing with the natural interpretation of the Song, Brady is appropriately frank, but at the same time suitably modest (perhaps occasionally more modest than the text he is expounding). At times, he declines to elaborate on the Song’s imagery, and instead invites the reader to “be wise enough to take a hint” (p. 137) where it is especially graphic.

It is refreshing to read a contemporary Christian book that celebrates human sexuality and manages to avoid the common extremes of “Victorian” prudery on the one hand and the crass sensationalism of many “emergent church” offerings on the other. “It is no easy task,” Brady comments, “but as Christians we ought to be active in reclaiming this area for Christ. He is sovereign over every part of life, including this one” (p. 155). Overall, the author’s contribution to this endeavor is superb, and provides helpful material for married and single persons alike.

When it comes to the spiritual interpretation of the Song as an allegory of Christ’s love for the Church, Brady is equally balanced. While some of his interpretations seem a bit of a stretch at times, he nevertheless lets Scripture interpret itself and wisely rejects some of the most extreme allegories that have been suggested. Brady weaves together the two methods of interpretation by making clear that problems in the marriage relationship are usually preceded by problems in our relationship with Christ. His chapter on spiritual desertion (chap. 6) is excellent.

Brady’s writing style is clear and is illustrated with dozens of song excerpts, from Scottish metrical psalms to Bob Dylan, though he mainly cites Christian hymns. There are also lots of quotations, particularly from the Puritans, though unfortunately there are no references. An interesting appendix outlines the history of interpretations of the Song and a select bibliography of commentaries denotes which interpretation is held by each.