Recovered: Notes of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones's 1967 Sermon at Aberfan

On the morning of Friday, 21 October 1966, a colliery spoil tip on the mountainside above Aberfan, in the South Wales valleys, gave way after weeks of heavy rain. A slide of liquefied coal waste came down on Pantglas Junior School minutes after the children had gathered for the last day before the half-term holiday, and on the houses beside it. One hundred and forty-four people died. One hundred and sixteen of them were children.

Sixty years on, the MLJ Trust is able to publish something that was thought not to have survived: a full set of notes from the sermon Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preached at Capel Aberfan in November 1967, a little over a year after the disaster.

How the notes came to light

The Aberfan sermon is mentioned in Iain H. Murray's biography, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones: The Fight of Faith, but no recording or record of its content was known to exist. The notes were written by Phylip Jones, who heard the sermon and set it down in three closely written pages, dated "15 November 1967. Capel Aberfan." Phylip Jones later served as pastor of the evangelical fellowship at Resolven, in the Vale of Neath. After his death, his son, the Rev. Emyr Jones, who succeeded him in that pastorate, found the pages among his father's papers. Jeremy Bailey, former Pastor of Bethlehem church in Sandfields, Aberavon, where Dr. Lloyd-Jones began his ministry in 1927, brought them to the attention of the Trust.

We are grateful to the Jones family for permission to publish them.

Two sermons on one passage

These notes belong beside a recording the Trust already holds. On Sunday evening, 23 October 1966, two days after the disaster, Dr. Lloyd-Jones was in the pulpit of Westminster Chapel in London, in the third week of a series on Stephen's speech in Acts 7. He did not set the series aside. He read Romans 8 at the start of the service and brought the disaster directly into his exposition of Acts 7:1–2, in the sermon now titled The God of Glory Visits Abraham. He named the question everyone was asking:

"We've all got in our minds, I'm certain, this terrible tragedy, calamity that's happened in South Wales on Friday. And the question people are asking is, why does this kind of thing happen? If God is God, if God's a God of love, why does he allow this sort of thing?"

His answer was drawn from Paul's words about a creation "subjected to vanity" and groaning in pain:

"That's what happened in Aberfan. The groaning of creation, the calamities, the pestilences, the storms, the cyclones. It's the groaning of creation. It wasn't like this at the beginning. It wasn't meant to be like this."

He spoke as one who knew the place: "I know that valley. I preached in that very town of Aberfan." He did not excuse the human failures behind the disaster. Of the conditions in the valleys he said, "That is partly, you know, the result of the greed of men," and then added, "That's not the only explanation. It's a part of it." His last word was the hope of a restored creation: "No more sorrow, no more parting, no more death, no more grief, no more hunger, no more thirst, no more calamities."

Thirteen months later he stood in Aberfan itself, and the notes show that he took the same chapter as his text: Romans 8:18–23. "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

The sermon at Capel Aberfan

Capel Aberfan was the village's Calvinistic Methodist chapel, built in 1876 on Aberfan Road. Dr. Lloyd-Jones was himself raised in and ordained by the Welsh Calvinistic Methodist denomination. The chapel later installed a pipe organ in memory of those who died in 1966. The building was gutted by fire in 2015. The sermon was preached there on Wednesday evening, 15 November 1967.

According to the notes, the sermon opened with a test: does any philosophy help in times of trouble? Humanism, stoicism, and the national habit of the "stiff upper lip" are set aside as silent when they are most needed. The Christian message, by contrast, is described as a positive message, and it is then developed under three heads.

First, it gives a right view of present sufferings. The Bible does not promise a world without storms, and it does not pretend, as evolutionary optimism and political promise had pretended, that the world is steadily improving. The notes then record a hard word for a grieving community: there is no general comfort for the world in the Christian message. The comfort of the gospel is "particular not general," and one must be a Christian to prove it.

Second, it explains those sufferings (verses 20–22). The notes record a refusal to make blame the whole answer: "Blame the coal owners, blame the N.C.B., blame anybody else. It is always their fault, never ours." Instead the sermon goes back to the beginning: a world made good, the fall of man, and a creation that came under the curse with him. Read beside the 1966 sermon, this is not a denial that men had done wrong at Aberfan. It is a refusal to let any human culprit stand as the final explanation.

Third, it teaches us how to view this present life (verse 23): as a pilgrimage, short as a vapour, lived in expectation of Christ's return and "the redemption of our bodies." Here the notes contain the line that must have been heard most closely in that chapel: "All pain & sorrow, illness, sin banished. No coal tips there."

The application returns to Paul's word "I reckon." Set in the light of the glory to come, present sufferings are not to be compared with it, and from that conclusion the comfort of Romans 8:28–39 flows. The notes record that he closed with the story of Horatio Spafford, who wrote "It Is Well with My Soul" after his four daughters were lost at sea, and then put the question to his hearers: "Is it well with your soul?"

A note on the transcription

What follows is not a transcript of Dr. Lloyd-Jones's words. It is one hearer's notes, written in his own shorthand and his own phrasing, and it should be read and cited that way. We have kept Phylip Jones's wording, spelling, and abbreviations as he wrote them, including "&" for "and." Words he struck through are omitted. Brief explanations appear in square brackets. The text heading has been supplied by the editor.

Two terms may need explanation for readers outside Britain. The N.C.B. was the National Coal Board, the nationalised body that owned the Merthyr Vale colliery and its tips, and which the official tribunal later held responsible for the disaster. "Coal tips" are the heaps of colliery spoil that stood on the hillsides above the mining villages.

The notes also use the word "spastics," which was ordinary British usage in 1967 for people with cerebral palsy. It is now considered offensive. We have retained it so that the record is not altered.

The notes: Capel Aberfan, 15 November 1967

Text: Romans 8:18–23

[Page 1]

The test of any philosophy is, does it help me in times of trouble. The philosophies of the world could be taken & analysed one by one & found wanting just when they are needed most. e.g. Humanism – stays with man, nothing greater or outside him, but at times of tribulation it is silent. Christian message is a positive message. It is not "Grin & bear it," "Stiff upper lip," "London can take it." Stoicism – paganism. Positive message.

1. It gives a right view of present sufferings. The Christian message does not promise a world of bliss, peace, happiness etc with no storms. Bible presents a true picture. Many try to deceive on this point. Evolutionist say everything is getting better as man matures – no need of old fashioned Christian Gospel. Politicians promise a millenium through good laws & parliament. Pre 1914 & some offer millenium through culture etc, all getting better, refusing to face up to facts as they are. Bible does. Contrary to getting better, Bible teaches that things will get worse. – "When the Son of Man cometh will He find faith on the earth." "In the world there will be tribulation." "There will be wars & rumours of wars." "Pestilences in divers places." The Bible teaches us to expect these things. This is the natural way of things in this world.

In view of all this there is no general comfort for the world in the Christian message. – Many live without Christ & the Church yet at a bereavement expect general comfort from the Church – there is none. Paul says in text "I reckon" i.e. here is a conclusion to which he has come. After dealing with the great doctrines of the Gospel up to the 8th chapter, he holds up the present sufferings in the light of what he has been dealing with and comes to a conclusion. "I reckon." Later "I am persuaded." Christian comfort is indirect not direct. That is, the comfort is for the believer. One must be a Christian to prove the comfort of the Gospel. It is particular not general, indirect not direct in that man must be a Christian before he can prove of the comfort of the Gospel.

2. The Christian Gospel explains the sufferings of the present time. V 20–22. This has been something which false philosophies have failed to answer. Why are there tragedies; rail crashes, aeroplane crashes, wars, children born as spastics etc? Why is there suffering? Blame God – even though we had nothing to do with Him when all was going well. No. Blame the wealthy classes for their exploitation of the workers. Blame the coal owners, blame the N.C.B. [National Coal Board], blame anybody else. It is always their fault, never ours.

Let us go back to the beginning. God created the universe from nothing. All things made well (God an excellent mathematician). The poise, the balance, harmony. No fighting, killing, dying. Man in perfect harmony and communion with God. "And God saw it was good."

[Page 2]

But man of his own will turned and obeyed the Devil & rebelled against God. Here was man's fall to sin, which changed all things. Man had sinned & so things could no longer stay as they were. He became a slave to sin. It twisted him & his whole nature. His God given instincts instead of being his servants became his master. Food, drink, companionship, sex. These became uppermost. Man became a creature of passions. Greed, lust, self, malice, jealousy all in man's heart. This is where wars come from. A nation is a collection of people. Wars happen between nations just as neighbours quarrel. How can we condemn the war in Vietnam when the same causes are in our own nature. Here is the reason for suffering & calamities. This is where war comes from. Man's fall, Man's rebellion against God.

Not only was man himself punished for his sin but the world over which he was made Lord. God cursed the ground. Thorns grew; by the sweat of his brow he was to earn his bread. His body became prone to illness, pain, suffering, death. The animals, flowers, inanimate nature was cursed in man's fall. God's judgement on man's sin. That sin became worse & worse, in spite of God's judgements. The world took no heed of Noah & his preaching until the flood was upon them, when it was too late. No notice was taken of righteous Lot, God came down on Sodom & Gomorah in fire & brimstone & punished their sin. The Bible also teaches that God withdraws from man when man refuses constantly to listen to Him. God hands man over to himself as it were & lets him get on with it to show what a mess man would make of things without Him. Paul describes the evil of his day in Romans 1. We in the C20 [twentieth century] are reaping what was sown in the C19 [nineteenth century]. They criticised the Bible & God said "Well, get on with it." We have suffered 2 world wars in this century. Indeed if it was not for God's restraining influence the world would have turned into Hell centuries ago. Here then is the reason the Bible gives for the suffering in this world.

3. The Christian message also teaches us to view & understand this present life. V 23. Life is a pilgrimage. We are preparing for eternity. That is one of the tragedies of the world. We live as if we are going to live for ever. Continue in pleasure & disregard God. Bible teaches that we are pilgrims; life is short; brief; as a vapour. Man was not created for this life only. Yet by his own sin he is held captive & has to suffer God's judgement. But in spite of his condition he groans to be freed & the creation. When is the universe going to be purged & purified? When Christ comes again in glory. He is coming and all sin & corruption is going to be purged in the fire. When? Don't know.

[Page 3]

But He is coming & He will judge the whole world. The dead will rise to be judged. All who have rejected Him will have to depart to everlasting darkness & sin.

But for His own He will call them to be with Him for eternity. The saints will have glorified bodies like that of the Lord Jesus Christ himself. Their bodies will have broken the bonds of the grave & will be united with their souls for ever. The glory manifested in us, to wit, the redemption of our bodies. We shall see Him, & be like Him, enjoy Him. All pain & sorrow, illness, sin banished. No coal tips there. Glory for ever with the Lord.

Now what is the application of the comfort of the Christian Message? Paul takes the suffering to the present time and holds them up in the light of all this. He looks at them in this context. He looks at them in this light and comes to a conclusion. "I reckon .... they are not to be compared with the glory to come." This is the application. From here the comfort flows. Now we say "All things work together for good." "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" "For in all these things we are more than conquerers through him that loved us." "He who spared not His own Son but delivered Him up (to the death & suffering of the cross) for us all, how is it that He will not freely give us all things ... For I am persuaded that neither hight nor depth ........" Are you there at that point? Can we say this? Is this our experience?

This is not of man, it is of God. Man has failed. God in Christ has had the victory.* Humble yourselves before the Almighty Hand of God. Repent. Turn to Him. "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ." "For God so loved the world ......"

End with the story of the writer of "It is well with my soul."

Is it well with your soul? Don't look back. Don't even look at the present but on the future, the redemption; the glory to come.

Amen

* Facts of Christ's coming, life, atoning death & resurrection.

15 November 1967. Capel Aberfan.

Listen

The 1967 sermon was not recorded. The sermon Dr. Lloyd-Jones preached at Westminster Chapel two days after the disaster was, and it is available to hear in full, free of charge.

Listen to "The God of Glory Visits Abraham" (23 October 1966)

Notes by Phylip Jones, published with the permission of the Rev. Emyr Jones.