The books I wrote were the result of my preaching. The first book was on the tabernacle, ‘According to the pattern’. I did speak on the Tabernacle a number of times. I believe Exodus is a very fundamental book for young Christians, because it shows the way and the purpose of salvation. I knew salvation, but I never captured the purpose of salvation. It is so beautifully explained in 2 Thessalonians 2:14, “Called by the Gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” That gripped me as the purpose of salvation. My life was changed when I read it. I discovered that this was the purpose of my salvation, to obtain the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is very wonderful if you think of it and if you read some of those passages in the book of Revelation; unspeakable splendour and glory. I think we are going to get some surprises when we get to glory. There is so much we missed here, we didn’t absorb.
My second book was on Hebrews. Hebrews opened up to me through a little booklet by a brother from the Brethren Assemblies called Raven. He was a leader among the Brethren. I got a little booklet of his on Hebrews, which pointed out the subject and the theme of that letter. The subject is the Most Holy Place and the theme is bringing many sons to glory. So my second book was ‘Bringing many sons to glory’. I did share a fair bit on Hebrews with my brethren, before it was printed. I had it printed when I had appeared from my isolation while in the nursing service during the war. There was an Indian doctor and some English people who got smallpox. Because I was in the nursing service I was isolated with them to look after them. I started writing then, and they used to ask me, “What are you writing, what are you writing?” I was so busy putting it down.
In 1956 I published a book on 1 John, ‘Hereby we know’. It was the outcome of studies I did with local believers. This is one of the main subjects of the New Testament. There is the Kingdom of God, the Church of God and the Family of God. I took up the Family of God.
I wrote a small booklet on the difference between soul and spirit. I only had it printed once as it never circulated widely.
More recently I developed what began with Hebrews, ‘The purpose of the ages’. It is about time being divided into ages, and the difference between the two ages: the world that is and the world that is to come. In Matthew the Lord differentiates between the present and the future. I enlarged a bit on the point that the present is a preparation for the future; how necessary it is and what it amounts to; the whole end to which the Lord is working; that we are called to share in His glory. God wants to have His family in glory with His Son. I thought it was so important for people to realise what this present time is for; there is so much for our preparation. We are being prepared for glory; if you are children of God, you are heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ. If you suffer with Him, you will also reign with Him. You don’t hear that emphasis these days.
I have also been responsible for a booklet on the Song of Solomon. It was the Zondervan Press who introduced this Song with a different approach in The Amplified Bible. I had had some time of ministry in Ceylon, after which the believers there gave me a copy of a portion of the Amplified Old Testament. It was then being produced in portions. The portion they gave me was Job to Malachi. I opened it and the first part my eye caught was the Song of Solomon. I was gripped at once with the introduction; this was different. I could never accept Solomon as a figure of Christ, with his indulgence, his many wives and his extravagance. I could never accept the explanation that the book was about two people, Christ and the bride. But this explanation brought in three people: the king, the Shunamite Maiden and the Shepherd who was out on the hills, betrothed to this beautiful girl that had been captured by Solomon. Though the shepherd was out of view she still loved him. Her first love and passion was with him and she couldn’t be seduced by Solomon. He tried to make her one of his wives or concubines. She was in a strange place and totally different. The extravagant life wasn’t hers, she was uncomfortable. It is a wonderful picture of the believer, discovering that the world doesn’t attract him and that he is in love with the Lord. I was so thrilled with it that I shared it with the brothers at Hebron, Hyderabad. They said, ‘It is good, you must publish it.’ So I decided I would and prepared a manuscript. I sent it to Gospel Literature Service (GLS) in Bombay, but they didn’t approve of it, partly because Daniel Smith, who worked with them quite closely for a time, didn’t agree with that interpretation. I was glad afterward for I felt it was inadequate. When I was back in England a Chinese couple phoned me and said they were reading the Song of Solomon. So I said, ‘Hold on, I’ll send you a manuscript.’ I sent the manuscript to them and they accepted it and helped me to publish it. That was in 2007.
Recently a friend of mine helped me to publish my wife’s and my testimony, ‘The Wonder of His Ways’.