Imagini ale paginilor
PDF
ePub

The Church of Christ, at Aldring- | since then seen it at a friend's house, and ham, and Mr. Skelton's Poem.

IT is with feelings of the deepest interest that we give insertion to the following letter, which was written by Brother GARRARD, and addressed to that muchbeloved saint and servant of Christ, JOHN SEWELL, one of the deacons of Aldringham Church.

Iken, May 8, 1846.

To the Church (and Congregation, if you please) meeting at Aldringham, through the medium of Brother John Sewell.

Dear Brethren,

Life, love, peace, and mercy everlasting be unto you from God your Holy Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the hope of Israel, with the teachings and comfortings of the Holy Spirit-Amen.

Having known Aldringham for some years as a favoured spot where God, even thy God, hath manifested his presence, love, and glory to a few of the fallen sons of Adamand where in the days of my youth I felt the sweet, bright, and cheering beams of the Sun of Righteousness-I do the more freely write unto you. Ah! "light is sweet, and we know that the days of darkness are to be many." Ah, my dear souls, and our foolishness is much, and our backslidings many! O! I sometimes feel as if I could rend my heart in pieces for my foolishness, since I have known the love of Christ, but my death nor my blood, neither of them can atone for my follies. "What profit would there be in my blood?" But the blood of Christ, God's dear Son, cleanseth from all sin." God Almighty and the Eternal Spirit lead me more and more into the atonement, and bring the atonement into us, into our poor, dark, sin-stung, satan-oppressed souls-that we may know the love of a long-suffering God in Christ Jesus, and feel that there is balm in Gilead still for our gaping wounds, running ulcers, and old sores, for the plaguespots will break out sometimes, and there is no healing but in God's love and mercy, and in Jesus' blood. The poor old prophet said "My wound is grievous-heal me, and I shall be healed-save me, and I shall be saved, for thou art my praise."

The cause of my writing to you at this time is as follows:-I have heard that some person or persons have circulated a report, that in my poor preaching at Aldringham, on the last sabbath in April last, that I struck at my Brother Skelton's poem of God's Sovereignty, and flatly contradicted it. Now, in truth, I had not then seen my dear friend Skelton's poem, neither did I make any reference to that whatever. But I have

-

had an opportunity of reading a part of it, (and will, if spared, read the whole, and then make some observations on it.) The part that I have read I find no fault with, believing it quite in accordance with the Holy Scriptures truly, "God's Sovereignty," is a high and momentous subject, which sometimes makes saints tremble, sinners stare, and frightens self-righteous Pharisees, some weak minds seem to be scared at friend Skelton's bold expressions. "Well, but Isaiah is very bold;" friend Skelton is very bold, but not too bold according to my judgment. Men that do not believe in the doctrine of reprobation, cannot be sound believers in eternal and personal election, because one must stand or fall by the other. If there is no reprobation, there is no election; but they are both clearly revealed in the divine oracle to enlightened, sanctified souls. This great secret was from all eternity locked up in the eternal mind, but is opened unto us in the fall of man by sin-and the revelation of Jesus Christ, who came to lay down his life for the sheep "who are quickened in time to believe this truth in their hearts with love, and what can be more plain than these words from Christ's own mouth, "Ye believe, not because ye are not of my sheep." John x. 26.

When at Aldringham last, I was weak and sickly both in body and mind, and felt in some measure under a cloud-and had not time to enter into the latter part of my subject in the afternoon. My drift was to shew that God is what he ever was, viz. LOVE, and that the changes in the creature by sin have not changed him. "God is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works. He is the ever-blessed God, causing his sun to rise on the good and on the evil, sending rain on the just and on the unjust, profusely pouring blessings on all; even on the vilest blasphemers. His goodness continues unchangeable, though vile man is changed by sin, and that man's destruction is of himself, and not of God. 'Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, but in me is thy help found!" The fact is, man's destruction is of himself, and we by nature were children of wrath, even as others. And if the Holy Ghost had left us all under death, sin, and damnation, he would have been just: therefore, as a sovereign judge his holy law condemns for sin. But death is not in the law-that is holy, just, and good; the death is in the sin"Was that which is holy and good made death unto me?" No, God forbid; but sin working death in me by that which is good. Truly, in my opinion, a holy God in his holy law, does not damn irrespective of sin.

[ocr errors]

tonishment; clothes its unworthy recipient with humility; bringing him, or her, to wonder why, or wherefore, God should have been thus gracious to them while so many are passed by.

This amazing gift-grace-is converting, consoling, and confirming. "Except, (says Christ,) ye are converted, and become as little children, ye shall, in no wise, enter into the kingdom of heaven." What is conversion? Being turned from one thing to, or into another; a being made to differ from what we once were, and what thousands still are; turned from darkness to light, from the

But the fact is, "we have all sinned," and by nature are begotten and born in the flesh of fallen Adam; and he that believeth not is condemned already," and sovereignly left under the sentence of death and damnation for sin, while others are sovereignly saved by grace and mercy, through our Lord Jesus Christ. O the depths! There are two deeps unfathomable-the deeps of sin, and the deeps of eternal love. It is Christ that died for us, "and the sins of the elect church were sovereignly condemned and damned in the holy body of Christ, made sin for us." (Rom. viii. 3.) And the church is sovereignly redeemed and saved by the righte-power of satan unto God; from the love and ousness, obedience, and blood of Christ. So that we are saved in sovereign justice and mercy, and the church saith"I will sing of mercy and judgment, mercy rejoiceth against judgment, and all the "upright in heart rejoice." But by nature there is none upright among men, only those who are made upright by the Spirit, in faith, truth, and love, to walk uprightly by faith in Christ before God, and shew forth the fruits of his salvation by a clean gospel preaching and conversation among men," to the praise and glory of his grace, who hath made us accepted, in the beloved." The upright love thee.

Time forbids me saying more on the subject at this time. I will conclude by saying, that if friend Skelton goes on preaching in that strain, declaring fearlessly the whole counsel of God, and opening these awfully sublime, great, and glorious things of the Gospel, he must expect that unsanctified and corrupt minds will oppose him, as I have found "that bonds and afflictions have awaited me in every city," and where an effectual door is opened, there will be many adversaries.

My advice to you, who are now become elders in the church, and know these things, is to stand by him and encourage him; for, like other men, he will have his castings down, though not destroyed.

Grace be with you all. Amen.
Your's, truly,

W. GARRARD.

The Believer's Two-fold Legacy,
Grace and Glory.

practice of sin to a delight in, and love to holiness, from the ways of the world to the ways of the Lord; from death to life; from self to Christ; from carnality to spirituality; from the pursuit of the pleasures of a dying world, to the pursuit of peace, by and through the blood of Christ; from all that is earthly, to all that is heavenly; from all, that is here, to all that is hereafter This, then, is one of the glorious effects of grace, when given of God. It is, also, consoling grace.

Truly, many are the afflictions, trials, crosses, losses, difficulties, exercises, and sorrows of the heaven-born, and heavenbound soul; he learns by deep and solemn experience, that through much tribulation he is to enter the kingdom, his destined port of holiness and happiness; he often eats the bread of adversity, and drinks the water of affliction: yet, has he "something secret sweetens all;" it is more grace given; and this he fully proves sufficient for him, according to the blessed promise; this, then, comforts his mind, affords him peace and joy, which none can know, but God and his

own soul.

By continual communications of this consoling grace, he continues to hold on his way rejoicing in the grand declaration that"though a troop (of sins and sorrows, trials and temptations, doubts and fears, enemies within, and enemies without, men and devils) often overcome poor Gad, yet he shall overcome at the last, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it."

Again, it is confirming grace; and he tablished with grace; it works in him finds it is a good thing to have his heart eseffectually, and confirms him in the great and glorious doctrines of the gospel; in the GRACE! What a great word is this! The faith of the great mystery of the Trinity of eternal favor of the Eternal God, Father, Persons; in the undivided essence of the GodSon, and Holy Ghost, without fluctuation, head: in the decrees and purposes of God; variation or change; in which divine favor, in the absolute certainty of the fulfilment of God's people everlastingly stand; nor can all the promises; in the execution of every sin, death or hell, get them out. And when awful denunciation against the wicked, or this great and glorious gift is bestowed on reprobate world; in the sure protection of the ' its elect objects, instead of tending to what church of God, from the final injury of every is called Antinomianism, it leads to soul-as-foe; in her's and his ultimate victory over all

enemies, and final admission into the kingdom above, to sit with Christ on his throne, and to go out no more for ever; wherefore, we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace (that is our great desire,) whereby we may serve God, acceptably with reverence and godly fear: and no man can serve him so, that is destitute of this grace.

even now, yet shall they be much more happy when crowned with everlasting glory.

T. STRINGER.

WILLIAM SKELTON's
Parting Song at Brabourne.

The following verses were dropped into Secondly, Glory; "he will give grace and the mind of WILLIAM SKELTON, as he glory." O, matchless gift! this is God's pre-sat upon his seat, making shoes: and, rogative alone; having the one, the other after preaching his farewell sermon to is absolutely sure; the connection is God's, and quite indissoluble; having not the one, the dear people at Zion Chapel, Brabourne, (whatever else a man may have,) he will from 2 Cor. xiii.11. on the last Lord's day, never have Glory, the one is indispensably in April, they were given out by our necessary for, and essential to, the other, but esteemed Brother JOHN MATE, and sung the mercy is that both are gifts; "not of by the congregation. works, lest any man should boast." Glory, what is it? Who can tell? Not so much is said of it in God's word, as the immortal soul shall eternally realise in full fruition. Confine it for a moment to two things, viz., the glory of God in the soul, and the soul in the glory of God; his image, his holiness, his peace, his perfection, his pleasure, his power, his praise, his purity, his person in the soul, his brightness and blessedness, filling the soul with dazzling splendour, and perfect beauty; his love without the least interruption reigning through all the soul, filling it with vast delight and boundless joy; his smile filling the soul with ten thousand times ten thousand pleasures, and the light of his glorious countenance shining on and in it, in such high perfection as would eclipse ten million suns in their meridian splendour.

Again, the soul in the glory of God; the redeemed, blood-washed, grace-saved disembodied soul wafted home by angels, and ushered into the presence of God with an abundant entrance; clothed in a saviour's imputed righteousness, and pronounced all fair. "Where is he?" Job says. We answer In the Glory of God in heaven, where God is glorious in holiness, where the glorious sun (Christ) everlastingly shines, filling all the regions of bliss with uninterrupted peace and pleasure where there shall be no night, no darkness, no devil, no death. Sorrow, and sighing quit those glorious regions; no inhabitant shall ever be sick; here the soul shall and does realise fulness of joy, and the undisturbed pleasures of peace, pardon, and praise for evermore. Yea, it is filled with all the fulness of God, and thus absorbed in everlasting delight.

:

"O, glorious hour, O blest abode,
I shall be near, and like my God;
And flesh and sin no more control,
The sacred pleasures of my soul."

WATTS.

The Lord will give Grace and Glory. Happy is that people who are called by grace

Father of mercies, God of grace,
Grant us the visits of thy face,
While we would crave with godly fear,
Thy blessing for thy servant here.
We bless thy name, because thy truth
Has been proclaim'd, from heart and mouth,"
By him, while he has labour'd here
In holy word, and doctrine clear.
And here we also would record,
In thy heart-searching sight, O Lord:
Oft have our ears with pleasure heard,
The experience of thy saints declar'd.
In him and by him practice too,
Has been set forth in open view;
Those fruits which spring from living faith,
And prove the soul is not in death.

Here with unvarying certain sound,
Our souls with joy the truth has found;
While he, in his great Master's name,
Among us has dispens'd the same.

From truth so dear ne'er may he swerve,
Men's smiles to gain or men to serve;
But may he still a preacher be
Of Christ and gospel liberty.

We bless thee, Lord, who sent him here
In answer to our fervent prayer;
And though thou takest him away,
We own and bless thy sov'reign sway,
Where thou hast call'd him, may he go,
Determin'd nothing else to know,
Save Jesus and him crucified,
Pouring contempt on all beside.
May the glad news of sins forgiv'n
As with the Holy Ghost from heaven,
Be still proclaim'd by him abroad,
Through Jesus' righteousness and blood.
May Christ's all-glorious person be,
Exalted by him constantly;
And may he never shun to tell,
Christ hath redeem'd his church from hell.

And may that Christ be all in all,
Which from his lips and tongue shall full;
In endless future, boundless past,
May he proclaim Christ first and last.
And Oh! our God, in mercy raise,

One who shall teach thy sacred ways,
To us who may assemble here,
In Jesus' name and in his fear.

WILLIAM SKELTON, S. S.

Late Pastor of the Church of Christ,
Meeting for divine worship, in

Zion Chapel, Brabourne, Kent.

The Conversion and the Creed of
William Smith, Minister of the
Gospel.

:

"I SHALL never forget whilst I live in the
world, that some time ago I told a minister
I knew the time when I was regenerated,
when the Lord first quickened my soul; he
said that he doubted it, he could hardly be-
lieve it; but he could not beat me out of it.
When I say this, that I knew the time when
the Lord did this, I do not set it up as a
standard or a rule of God's work, though all
God's saints must know, I am of the same
mind still when the Lord really did send
the word into my heart as a nail fastened in
a sure place, where it was, when it was, and
how it was he operated on my mind. In
the year 1808, nine or ten days before Easter,
the Lord only knows what I passed through
during those few days; often did I make
use of that saying-My punishment is
greater than I can bear.' But on Easter
morning, about two o'clock, I felt gentle-
ness, peace, calmness, quietness, and meek-
ness; oh, what a feeling I had within-a
feeling that cannot be told-yet not, I be-
lieve, such a feeling as comes up to that
point-faith in Christ, bringing deliverance
into the court of conscience, through the
atoning blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
However, whatever it was, it was a some-
thing more than nature; it was a something
that came from God, something that made
me glad, something that buoyed up my
mind, something that increased my confi-
dence; it was something, through the blessed
Spirit of all grace, that caused me from time
to time to cry mightily unto God for greater
manifestations. I remember coming to pray
in public, but there the Lord stopped my
mouth, and I am sure he served me right,
for I depended upon Watts instead of the
Lord; I had obtained Watts' Guide to
Prayer, and he tells us what language is to
be used in every part of prayer; therefore to

it I went, like a child to his task, and I
learned it, as I thought, and had got it well,
and went satisfied to the house of God; but
when I got there, the Lord took it all away,
and nothing came in the room thereof. You
may be sure I was not a little mortified; my
swelling pride the Lord truly mortified.
There is a time to break down and a time to
build up I had been building up, and the
Lord had been breaking down. The Lord's
time had come after I had been build-
ing up on another man's line of things-
teaching me by his Spirit to call upon him
after his own way and order, which I had not.
At another time, and that for a length of
time, I was lying at the mount of corruption,
and oh the devilishness, the filthiness, the

6

corruption and lusts of my heart that boiled
up; it puts me in mind of that saying-
'He spreadeth sharp pointed things upon
the mire, he maketh the deep to boil like a
pot.' What I felt for six months in the
dead of winter, the Lord only knows how I
got through; but all this while the promise
was getting short-the appointed hour drew
near. When the Lord's time drew near,
here it was, in the very place in which I was
born naturally, in an old mud-walled cot-
tage, with life, light, and power, that por-
I have loved thee with an everlasting love,
tion came home sweetly to my conscience-
therefore with loving kindness have I drawn
thee.' Oh, the power, the love of God in
my heart, and the blood of Christ in my
conscience, with the blessed Spirit setting
his seal to the work, as to my interest in
him, and blessed me in believing with all joy,
favour, comfort, peace, and good-will of God
towards me, a poor guilty wretch. What
I then felt I trust I shall never forget this
side the grave. Then was that fulfilled in
me- By the blood of thy covenant I have
sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit
wherein is no water.' Those men who dwell
much upon the letter of things, on God's
decrees, purposes, and counsels, with what
he hath done for his church, by giving their
assent and consent unto these, are by some
called orthodox. In holding the blessed
truth of God's electing love, they take it for
granted, because they do give their assent
and consent, that they are the favourites of
heaven, they are the people who are in-
terested therein. Not so, my brethren. Here
I am narrower than people think me.
suppose it is generally understood, that if a
man holds the same sentiments that I hold,
that therefore he passes current with me for
a christian? I can assure you I have no
more opinion of a man who holds the creed
I do, of his being a christian, than I should
a mere worldling, unless he is taught by the
same Spirit, led more or less into the same

I

things, feels more or less the plague of his own heart, and knows something more or less of the grace, the mercy, and the love of God coming into his heart, teaching him to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to walk soberly, righteously, and godly in this present evil world. It is all vain babbling, all a bubble, all a delusion, if the grace of God in a man's heart is not influential, and does not lead him to be doing something."

[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

I BELIEVE all natural men are the subject of heaviness in the heart, and sadness of heart, at times, to a greater or less degree, produced by disappointment and vexation, blasted hopes and blighted affections; and I believe that all natural men are, at times, the subjects of gladness, produced by worldly advantages, prosperous circumstances, and smiling prospects; but the diversity of feeling expressed in the above words of the wise man contain something more than nature can produce-more than nature, sense and reason can understand; or in any way enter into. But the manifested elect have it revealed to them by the Holy Spirit, to and in the heart feelingly, and not in the head. I

am sure that a view of the holiness and majesty of Jehovah, and a sight of our sinnership, will bring heaviness into the heart.

The feeling of standing before a God of such infinite purity, whose eyes are as a flame of fire, searching the innermost parts of the belly, discovering the hidden things of darkness, and bringing to light the gloomy shadow of death-manifesting sins long forgot, and causing them to fall on the conscience as a huge load this will produce heaviness of such a nature as no man or angel can in any measure alleviate; God himself must do this deed. This heaviness will have its effects; it will cause the heart to stoop; in this is seen the grace of faith working beneath the burden of sin, causing the individual to abhor himself and his sins most heartily, to sink low in his own feelings, and to cry, "God be merciful to me a sinner," at the feet of Jesus, feeling himself most unworthy of hope, and in his soul acknowledging the justice of God. But though faith thus works, it is imperceptible to the possessor, consequently he is in heaviness, he does not know that he is a fit subject for mercy, he does not know but that he shall be sent to hell, he feels he cannot pray (though he prays often), he cannot believe Christ will save him, this makes him stoop, indeed, not only in his natural feeling, but before God; he will begin to sit lower and lower with his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope, it is not "will he be

saved?" but "can he be saved?" It is not what creed shall he take up so as to go on comfortably in the world," but "is there mercy for my soul?" Will God look upon one so vile as me? will he hear me? will he bless me ? This is praying from necessity;

from the heart, and not from a creed in the
head this praying, God will hear, and does
hear, and will answer, and does answer in his
own time. God suffers his people to con-
tinue crying and praying sometimes a long
season before he answers them; thus he
more effectually empties them, and causes
sicken, till at length a good word comes
them, and causes their hearts to faint and to
which fully recompenses them for waiting.
It makes them glad in the Lord while they
hear him say,
abundantly, O beloved."
"Eat, oh, friends, yea, drink
The blood of
Christ-the wine of the kingdom makes glad
the heart, (the oil), the unctuous powers of
the ever blessed Spirit maketh his face to
shine, and (the gospel bread) the body of
Christ, fed on by faith, strengthens his
heart-he is melted down to less than no-
thing; and, as before he wept for sorrow of
heart, so now he weeps for joy of heart. But
I know that the non-elect experience heavi-
they sometimes see the majesty of God, and
ness of heart, and that of a deep nature;
the holiness of God; and they see them-
selves and feel themselves sinners; and they
believe they shall go to hell, and they may
But does
go from outward sin for a time.
heaviness make the heart stoop?
does make them stoop very low; so that
Yes, it
they fear to be alone. But it does not make
No; they hate him more and more; and let
them stoop before God, so as to be humbled?
them but get rid of hell, and they will show
how heartily they love sin, if they can but
brand their consciences with "no hell," they
will try to dethrone Jehovah himself with
their tongue and pen; not only with the

heart.

Reader, to which do you and I belong? Another thing which will produce heaviness in the heart, is a sight and feeling sense of the filthiness and scum of the heart, things, and desperately wicked: this is so depraved, that it is deceitful above all called, in Ezekiel 8th, the chambers of imagery, in which dwells every lust and sin that one can read of, hear of, or imagine, and a thousand times more murders, adulteries, blasphemies, and a host beside, (see Mark 7th). These things are there pourtrayed, and there live and rage; they are not there by the infusion of satan now and then, but that is their residence-the heart of man. Now, when the Christian begins to feel these things raging and boiling up in his heart, it will bring him to a great stand in his feelings, and he will find and feel as Mr. Hart says he did—

"Swarms of ill thoughts their bane diffuse,
Proud, envious, false, unclean;
And ev'ry ransack'd corner shews,
Some unsuspected sin

« ÎnapoiContinuă »