Imatges de pàgina
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have devoted two or three hours in trying to learn the Greek language, in order to be able to read the New Testament in its original language; after which, I intended to learn the Hebrew also: and indeed I began it the Latin, also, I was obliged to attend to, as most of my books had the original words explained in that language. But never having received an education in my youth, and now having no tutor, and a business to attend to, I found my progress was very slow in the knowledge of the dead languages. Indeed, it required more time than I could spare for the object mentioned. It required, I conceived, more than a common capacity to learn so many things together, and under such circumstances as I was in. It was not from an idea that I should ever excel as a scholar; nor, did I suppose that there was any defect essentially, in our translation; nor did I act from a principle of pride, in order to shine before men; nor did I think the mind of the Holy Spirit could not be known without the knowledge of the original languages, that induced me to try to learn them. But it struck me, that our faithful translators were fallible men, and that our language had been very much improved since our last translation; that by comparing the different parts of our translation with the originals, some light might be cast upon the word. Nor do I once regret the attempt I made, for I found the benefit of it in several ways it brought me more into the habit of close thinking; it made me more familiar with the Scriptures; and many times I have had some sweet enjoyment, while comparing our version with the Greek. That language I liked best; the very sound of the alphabet was to my ear like a fine tune skilfully played on that noble instrument the organ.

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ister, because of my peculiarities; or, if they did receive me, they would not support me long; therefore I was determined to be independent of every body of people: such were my thoughts.

Many propositions had been made to me about the propriety of my being engaged wholly in the ministry, but all in vain; for I said I will use no carnal means to promote such a thing. I said, if the Lord intends it, he knows of a place, and can open the door; but I will have no hand in it. I never solicited a pulpit; nor ever wrote to another minister to recommend me to a place; nor ever advertised for a situation in my life: I looked upon such things as belonging to the flesh, as human policy, as carnal craft, and not likely to end well; and I am still of the same opinion. My desire was to watch the cloud, and follow the leadings of his providence. I had sometimes a full persuasion. that the Lord would employ me wholly in his vineyard; but this seldom lasted long, but was all upset by the deep sense I had of my very great deficiency for such a work; and then it appeared to me nothing less than presumption for such an ignorant mortal to harbour a thought of the kind.

About this time, I was chiefly employed in preaching in Devonport and Ivybridge; one Lord's-day at Ivybridge, every fortnight, in a commodious room; and only occasionally at Devonport, when the stated minister was ill, or on a journey; and I think my testimony was best understood, and more cordially received in this place, than in any other place I preached in in that quarter, at the time alluded to. At Ivybridge I continued preaching about two years, but I saw very little good done; and I think, out of about sixty or eighty hearers, I could not in a judgment of christian charity, reckon up more than six or seven persons who were brought out of their natural state of darkness. The tree is known by its fruit. According to my feelings, I would sooner preach to twenty of the called in Christ Jesus, than to one hundred persons in nature's darkness: but a preacher's feelings must not be his guide, but the Word of God. He must preach and sow the seed of the kingdom beside all waters. "He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap." considered it my duty to preach the word of truth to this people, and leave the event with the Lord. Perhaps my testimony was reMy path became every year more trying, ceived with power by two or three only; but both within and without; and I was deter-I know not. Some seed lies a long time in mined not to leave my business if possible. All that I wished the Lord to grant me, was a sufficiency of business, and to preach the gospel free of all charge. Neither could I persuade myself that there was any body of people that would ever receive me as a min

I differ from many good and well-meaning men, I know, on this subject; but I wish not to offend them. for every man has his proper gift from God. As for those good men who know the originals, but carelessly lay them aside, I do not think they display much wisdom either human or divine. If I were familiar with the originals, I would read them in common with our version. Nor do I suppose that any servant of God would lose one grain of his spirituality by so doing. This was the practice of Dr. Goodwin, Owen, Toplady, Romaine, Gill, and others, to whom we, in this our forlorn age! are no more to be compared than the rushlight taper to the blazing torch.

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the ground before it springs up; and I believe the Lord wisely conceals from the man whose ministry has been blessed to sinners the knowledge of it, lest the proud heart should be uplifted.

From some circumstances I used to hor

ye anything? and they said, nothing.' I
blushed at my carnal reasoning and un-
belief, and kept on repeating as I went,
'Lord, I have wanted for nothing, I have
wanted for nothing, since I have laboured
in thy service.' A word spoken in due
season how good it is.'

(To be Continued.)

The State of Things in Zion.

MY DEAR BROTHER BANKS:-1 am happy to find in your Vessel for this month a little of the treasure of prophecy; for of all things the church of Christ seems most ignorant of those truths which immediately concern her; nor is this much to be wondered at when we consider it a part of satan's policy to labor

calculated to ensnare the Lord's dove, and decoy her into that dead fall he is by his confederacies now so busily preparing for her. And, to bring prophecy into disrepute, he will, on the one hand, hurry men on into the

that my Inbour was not in vain; for I had without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked often much freedom in prayer for those people; and felt as if I could endure anything if the Lord would use me as an instrument to open their poor blind eyes: I really longed for their salvation; and with great boldness and pleasure did I preach Christ, and his full, free, and finished salvation to them. Having to labour the whole week previous to my preaching, and sometimes very hard, up to a late hour on the Saturday night, I was often so worn out in body that I was more fit to go to bed than go eleven miles to preach on the Lord's-day morning. One day, after a hard week, I set off early in the morning on foot, to preach three times that day. When I had walked about half the distance, I felt much fatigued and dispirited: some fits of unbelief and clouds of darkness came over me, so that I thought I would go no farther, but return. I sat on a bank for rest and reflection; and said to myself, Toto maintain that ignorance which is specially what purpose do I thus toil, and wear out body and mind? neither temporal nor spiritual good comes of it; I am neglecting my family, and that is to do them great injury. Thus I reasoned and murmured. I think I had on this occasion something like the feel-wildest vagaries, and most stupid enthuings of Elijah under the juniper tree, when he said, 'Lord, it is enough; take away my life from me, for I am no better than my fathers.' How long I sat on the bank lost in thought I cannot now recollect, but at the time I well remember those words arrested my attention: 'Death worketh in us, but life in you.' I considered the words as coming to me from God to give me instruction, and to stir me, half dead as I seemed to be, to pursue my journey, and preach the gospel, that life might thereby be manifested to poor sinners. With this impression, new strength seemed to be given me, both in body and mind; and I arose and pursued my journey courageously. When I arrived at our meeting-house the hymn was sung, and one of the friends had engaged in prayer, through my delay; I therefore gave out for my text these words: 'It is good for me to draw nigh unto God:' and I enjoyed, while preaching, light, life, liberty, and peace: the dose of bitters I received on the road made the sweet all the sweeter. At another time as I was going to this village to preach, I was so assaulted by distrust and unbelief, and perhaps, by satan too, that I said if I go on this way wearing myself out, my family will come to beggary, and who will thank me for all my labour? will not people say I had no business to run about preaching to the injury of my health, and to the ruin of my family? Just as these things crossed my mind, those words of Christ were, I thought, spoken as powerfully to my heart as they were in the hearing of the disciples: When I sent you

siasm; and then on the other, tempt even good men to run to the other extreme, and disregard it altogether! This is that spiritual tee-totalism that has spread itself among the preachers of the word; because some have abused the solemn statements of truth, others will neither taste them themselves, nor place them on the table that they may eat who can. Nor is this evil confined to prophecy, but to all the other departments of truth; so that we have one man taking his stand upon a certain fundamental point, and there he abides, and condemns his fellow who has also taken his stand perhaps on an opposite point; and these, all, instead of throwing stones at the common enemy, are throwing them at each other. Yea, they throw about fire brands, arrows and death, and say, 'Am I not in sport!' Alas, alas! how long ere the valiant men of Israel shall see eye to eye!

In your leading piece I found several points to which my soul said Amen, as I read them. The first is the darkening of the sun; and truly the shadows of the evening are stretched out, if indeed the sun is not already set: but as it is an evening with clouds and mists hovering in the horizon, we can hardly say what the precise moment of the evening is; but surely we see enough to tell us that we are passing into a night much to be remembered, even that night of which those of Egypt and Gethsemane were but shadows; and therefore it is ours to see if we have the right Lamb for a passover, one without spot or blemish; not an Arian or Socinian lamb-not an Antinomian or Ar

hearts flowing with such love as many waters cannot quench, nor the floods drown.

Then, you see, brother, though there will be no sun shining openly or publicly, yet Zion will have light in her chamber, Israel shall have light in his Goshen; as it is written of that hour when darkness shall cover the earth, (Isa. lx. 1, 2.) The Lord shall rise upon thee: and his glory shall be seen upon thee.' And of this, I think, we have an earnest, from the fact that though, as you say, 'thousands of believers are walking in darkness, and mourning an absent Lord,' yet there are some who are so established, and rooted, and grounded in the love of God, that none of these things move them. They know the time of the day, the judgments that await the world, and the fearful crisis commencing, yet, these enjoy peace and safety, and the light of heaven shines upon their soul.

minian lamb, but the Lamb of God mani- | hand of his Father and our Father, and our fested to the eyes of our understanding, at the solemn moment that we felt our Isaacour own life was going for our own sin. This Lamb thus seen is God's Lamb, the one of his own providing. Then the next point is to ask ourselves,Have I seen it slain? seen it dying and taking away my sins? If I have, then I have the blood thereof sprinkled upon my door-posts, and I have nothing to do but to stand and eat, and say, 'Bless the Lord, O, my soul,' &c.; and see that I have the staff in my hand, (i. e. the covenant,) my shoes on my feet, my loins girded, and my soul ready to start at the first voice of providence that shall bid me,' Arise and depart.' Then, I thought your illustration of Jacob at Bethel was beautiful a word in due season; for, with you I agree that Jacob was a type of the church, or rather of Christ, as being one with his people-Christ mystic; he being identified with her, both in her sin, and her afflictions-in her own name Jacob, and in her new name Israel. This theme is very sweet; to feel that Jehovah Jesus is one with us, and we one with him. But to feel that he with us is entering into the dark night, our Noah, our Rest-is going with us into the ark, and into the furnace; into the day of Jacob's trouble, when each must put his hands upon his loins because of the darkness that covers the earth, and the gross darkness the people. Ah, to feel that we are coming to Bethel, the house of God in the dark, the chamber of hiding, till the indignation be gone by, and that he who is the resurrection and the life shall be in our midst, saying, FEAR NOT, and giving us honey-comb from the carcase of the lion to eat! And shall we be afraid, with such a prop as bears the world and all things up? No; though the hills be removed, and the mountains be cast into the sea, though the heavens shake, and the earth be removed, and all the great nations tremble to their centre, yet will we not fear, for The Lord of Hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our That the stars shall not give their light, refuge!' Then, again, to take the stones of has long been my decided opinion; the that place for our pillow-those precious seven stars of which I once heard you so stones of immutable doctrines, and on them sweetly speak, shall be laid by at the time to rest as on Jesus' own bosom-on the very when the seven candlesticks shall not be stones of the breast-plate, and sleep that needed. The sevenfold ministry will then sweet sleep, in which the heart waketh and be hidden a short space, like men in ambush, beholds the wondrous way of God, (the Son or a lion in his thicket, to leap forth when the of Man,) on which angels, as ministering set time of treading down the enemies like spirits, for us ascend and descend! Oh, what ashes under the feet is come. At the present, a dream when the world shall be in a com- this mighty man, like Gideon, is busily emmotion! When men's hearts shall be fail-ployed in the floor to thrash wheat, and hide ing them for fear, when the seas of peoples and nations shall rage, and their billows foam with fury and despair! Blessed be the Most High for the knowledge of such an hiding place, by which we foresee, that, like Stephen, we shall behold the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right

Then, as you say, again, 'The moon shall not give her light.' What matters that? You know we are coming to a change of the moon; and you know that at that moment no clouds of this lower world pass between her and the sun: and that though hidden from us, her broad disk is set in full front of the king of day! And, you also, know, that if ever the sun is eclipsed it is at the moment when the moon hides him from our view; and then if it be a day of clouds and thick darkness, black night even at noon day must cover the earth. So that we are not only going to have a change, but an eclipse, and that too in a day of clouds, of gloominess, and thick darkness, (Zeph. i. 15.) So that if one looketh upon the earth, behold trouble, and darkness, and dimness of anguish, and they shall be driven to darkness. But, observe: the point I wish to exhibit, is the fact that at the moment the moon shines not on the world through public ordinances, she will personally enjoy the full splendour of the solar ray.

it from the Midianites, in the hearts of the Lord's elect; but presently he will forbear to thrash, and be busy in the dark night in doing such things, unseen and unknown by men, as will issue in the destruction of the hornet-like enemy, and the deliverance of Israel from that fear, contempt, and re

proach to which he is now exposed. And
how solemn is the prayer of the Holy Ghost,
in Ps. lxxxiii. 'Do unto them as unto the
Midianites,' &c., read the whole Psalm;
and also this statement-Thou hast broken

the yoke of his burden, the staff of his op-
pressor, as in the day of Midian.' Isa. ix. 4.
When we reflect thus, how solemn is the
position we occupy!
How grand are the
things which we have to do! May the Lord
the Spirit be with you, and abundantly bless
your work, and labor of love, prays

Your's in the bonds of the gospel,
Brenchley.

THE GOSPEL

The power of God unto Salvation.

DEAR FRIEND-I feel constrained to tell you a little of the goodness of God to my soul, under the blessed gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, preached by Mr. J. Raynsford.

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heart into godly contrition at the feet of him who hath saved to the uttermost. Oh, blessed be the dear Lord, he hath done great things for me, whereof I am glad. Oh, what a blessed day of release was that to my soul! Mr. Raynsford preached from the words recorded in the fifty-eighth of Isaiah, fifth, sixth, and seventh verses; my soul sweetly fed on the bread of life; I fed upon love and blood the whole of the day. My fetters fell of, my bands broke assunder, my soul W. C. P. was clothed with the best robe, so that I could say feelingly, My Beloved is mine, and I am his.' And I felt like Jeremiah, when he said, the word was found and I did eat it; and it was the joy and rejoicing of my heart; it was more precious than gold, sweeter than honey or the honey-comb; the whole of that day's preaching seemed on purpose for me; my little cup was full, and run over with the goodness, love, and mercy of a covenant God: it was indeed a soulhumbling, Christ-exalting, God-gloryfying season to my soul. I sat under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste;' it made me say with David, Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.' Oh, how it humbled my poor soul down in the dust at his feet, and sometimes, like Paul, I did not know whether I was in the body or out, I was lost to all things here below completely; I felt my sins all drowned in the sea of God's everlasting love; and these words were very sweet to me for several days, Ye are washed; ye are sanctified, ye are justified, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of our God:" and many blessed passages that I cannot now mention: but I have had times of great distress and darkness since then, and many blessed deliverances under the preached word by dear Raynsford, and may the Lord stand by him, for he is a poor, tried, persecuted man, but his preaching has been made a great blessing to many poor souls, and to mine, who am the least of all, the worst of all, and the unworthiest of all; but he must be persecuted, as his Master whom he serves was persecuted, and he says himself, you are not to marvel that the world hate you, it hated me before it hated you; and again he says, ye must be hated of all men for my name sake, but great is to be their reward. C. B.

I was once an enemy to the Lord, his truth, his people, and his ways: but, bless the Lord, he met with me when hearing Mr. Raynsford the first time he preached in Horsham. I was completely broken down, and I felt like a condemned criminal at the bar of justice, and I cried out, 'Woe is me: I am lost for ever.' I thought hell must be my portion for ever; for there could be no hope for one whose heart was full of blasphemy and rebellion against his truth; but, blessed be the Lord, he stopped me in my mad career of sin, and showed me my lost state and condition in the Adam fall; and I could feel nothing but condemnation; my conscience condemned me; the law condemned me; and I thought God had condemned me to everlasting punishment, which I felt would be just and right; for I felt that I deserved a double hell: but I was obliged to beg for mercy, and often cry out in bitterness of soul, 'God be merciful to me a sinner.' Lord, save, or I must perish.' I could get no further; and so I was kept grovelling about upon the dark mountains, mourning over my sad state, and often greatly tempted by the enemy to destroy myself; my soul was in great distress for three years; and I had made a solemn vow the night before my deliverance, that I would not go to chapel but once more; but in the morning, before I went to chapel, these words were applied to my soul with divine power, "To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.' Oh, how sweet and precious it was to me; it broke my hard

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Horsham, Sussex,

The People of God led forth by a Right Way.

BEING THE SUBSTANCE OF A

DISCOURSE FROM

PSALM CVII. 7.

MY DEAR BROTHER-It is in accord- read Exodus xxviii. 21, where concernance with your kind request that I now ing the two onyx stones which were in attempt to give you the substance of the High Priest's breast-plate, it is said, what said respecting the typical cha-And the stones shall be with the names racter of the twelve sons of Jacob. May of the children of Israel, twelve; accordthe good Spirit commend these few broken fragments to your conscience; comfort you under your manifold afflictions, and give you most blessedly to see that the God of Jacob is leading you forth by a right way, in order that you may go to a city of habitation.

ing to their names, like the engravings of a signet, every one with his name shall they be, according to the twelve tribes.' This again declares these twelve sons of Jacob to be typical of the true church of God; and that none other are in the heart of Christ, or interested in his intercession. Then, read, secondly, the 48th of Ezekiel and the 31st verseAnd the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel:' one gate, you see, for every tribe hereby declaring that as none of the elect of God are either in the loving heart, or prevalent intercession of Christ, so, none but these children can enter by the gates into the celestial city. The whole tenor of God's word goes to set forth and declare these solemn truths.

I was walking in some fields near the chapel where I was going to preach, with my eyes and heart lifted up to God in secret prayer for a sure and certain opening up and application of his most precious word, when this scripture fell into my soul. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant;' (in the margin it reads, and his covenant to make them know it.') Never before did I appear so clearly to understand these words. I was going to preach from the words in IN CHRIST.' These are the two onyx the 107th Psalm- And he led them stones in the breast-plate-these are the forth by a right way, that they might go two foundation beams on which all gosto a city of habitation.' The other scrip- pel truth is based; these are the two ture falling on this one appeared most mighty pillars [Jachin, ('He shall esclearly to shew who the people referred tablish it;') and Boaz 'In it is to were; and what sort of a way that strength,'] by which all gospel glory is 'right way,' is, in which the Lord doth preserved, and gospel order maintained: lead his own most beloved elect. Ob- these words IN CHRIST,' Oh, what serve then, first, that the people spoken solemn grandeur-what heavenly beauty of in the seventh verse of the 107th-what depths of covenant fulness-in Psalm, were, literally, the children of these two words do dwell! I tell ye, Israel; and the Holy Ghost very strik- my brother, these are the two angels that ingly commences the book of Exodus came to Lot when he sat in the gate of with these words. "Now these are the Sodom. Lot-Lot-who, and what was names of the children of Israel which he? Why, as Terah took Abraham came into Egypt; every man and his and Lot together; (Gen. xi. 31;) as household came with Jacob: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher; and all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob, were seventy souls, for Joseph was in Egypt already." These sons of Jacob then, as the heads of the twelve tribes, were typical of the true church of Christ, as she stood in the covenant, in Christ, under the law, under the gospel, and in real vital, and practical experience.

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In confirmation of this, I would refer you to two portions of the word. First,

VOL. III.

Abraham and Lot went forth together; so did the eternal God take Christ and the church together: and they have gone forth together; and dwelt together from everlasting. And of our glorious Christ (the Father of a great multitude,) it may be most truly said—

"Nor sin, nor death, nor hell,

Shall make him hate his choice."

But, you say, 'Abraham and Lot were divided: Lot went into and possessed the plain of Jordan; and Abraham dwelt in

T

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