Billeder på siden
PDF
ePub

the full prospect of approaching dissolution, his mind was calm and happy. He frequently met his friends with a smile, assuring them that he experienced that peace "which passeth all understanding." His conversation was highly interesting and delightful; often would he say, "I know in whom I have believed, and am persuaded he will keep that which I have committed to him." He frequently expressed, in very strong terms, his gratitude to the Almighty; his surprise for the abundant goodness which had been manifested towards him; testifying, at the same time, his entire resignation.

In his last month he sunk rapidly; and as he drew nearer to eternity, his mind seemed to aspire beyond the clouds, and centre in his God. He retained his faculties to the closing scene; and after express

ing his deep anxiety, on account of his affectionate and disconsolate partner, he died, with scarcely a sigh, on the 21st of September 1823, in the 38th year of his age.

The solemn event was suitably improved on the succeeding Sunday by a funeral sermon, at the new church, Chatham, to a numerous congregation, by the Rev. George Harker, from Numbers, xxiii. 10 : " Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his." The Rev. Preacher knew him well; and attended him daily for sometime before his death; and in his sermon fully proved, "that happy are the dead that die in the Lord."

May we indeed follow him as he followed Christ! I remain, Sir, Your constant reader,

J. B.

LETTERS ON DISSENT;

IN REPLY TO A CHALLENGE TO DISCUSS THE PRINCIPAL POINTS IN CONTROVERSY BETWEEN THE CHURCH AND ITS OPPONENTS.

DEAR SIR,

No. I.

As I am inclined to hope that your motives, in inviting an exchange of ideas, on the subject of the reasonableness and necessity of dissent, are not uncandid or arrogant, I shall not plead my own insufficiency, or want of leisure, as an excuse for not accepting your challenge. If, indeed, I felt conscious that the defence of the Church of England required an extraordinary degree of talent, or the devotion of much labour, I should probably decline the task; as much from a doubt as to the goodness of the cause, as from a conviction of my own unfitness for its advocacy. Believing, however, that the most obvious arguments, and the simplest deductions, will be amply sufficient to the vindication

of the principles on which the Church of England is founded, I shall enter, without much reluctance, on the proposed discussion.

I have examined, with some care, the different works on which you desired my opinion; and shall select "Thomas Johnson's Reasons for Dissent," as the most simple, popular, and withal tolerably candid compendium of the objections of Dissenters; and to its dissection and refutation I shall more especially address myself, in the Letters which I intend shall follow this. One point, however, so forcibly struck me in the perusal of these works, that I cannot refrain from offering a few reflections upon it.

The point I allude to is, the changeable and uncertain nature of

dissenting principles. We hear men talk of being the descendants and followers of Baxter, and Owen, and Howe; and are thence led to conclude, that some coincidence of views exists between modern nonconformists and the old puritans. This idea is soon removed by a little investigation; and we learn, that the mere name of Dissenter is nearly all that the two classes of men have in com

mon.

The scruples of the early nonconformists have vanished from the minds of those who profess to succeed them, and a new set of objections spring up in their room. Endeavour to recollect the grounds of complaint alleged by the early nonconformists, and say, in what denomination of Dissenters are they now asserted, or rather, in what denomination are they not abjured. The use of organs, gans, and of priestly robes, were formerly neverfailing topics of declamation: they are now rapidly adopting both. The name of a chapel was for merly abhorrent to their ears: we have now Beresford chapels and Holland chapels rising in every direction. To stand while singing used to be a mark of heterodoxy. We now see in many dissenting chapels half the congregation sit ting, the other half on their feet. I might continue this comparison, but it is needless.

The same features, of variableness, and instability, are also observable in matters of higher importance. Not only have those who claim to be the descendants of the ancient puritans, given up most of, the points for which their asserted predecessors contended; but those who really are the successors of the most distinguished nonconformist congregations, have deserted the creed of their forefathers, not in points of discipline and ceremony only, but in the weightier matters of fundamental truth. In many cases, both the minister and AUGUST 1824.

people have lapsed into the Sociuian heresy, and have, as a natural consequence, quickly dwindled away and disappeared.

In this manner many once flourishing assemblies of Christian worshippers have become extinct; and, but for the recruits with which the loss of a faithful minister of the Establishment frequently supplies the ranks, the columns of dissent would have very sensibly diminished.

On the other hand, we find, in the Church of England, ample provision made for keeping up a system and framework of sound scriptural worship, however the misconduct or heterodoxy of individual ministers may, from time to time, diminish the useful effect of her wise and provident regulations. A careless clergyman may do little good, or even positive harm, by his pulpit ministrations; but he must, in every other instance, supply, in the path marked out for him, assistance and admonition the most excellent. He must read, Sunday by Sunday, the whole substance of the Scriptures to his people. He must lead their addresses to the throne of grace, in language far superior to the extempore effusions of any man, however pious and eloquent. He must administer the Sacraments according to the prescribed and admirable formularies;. and in the sick chamber, as well as in every other exigency of life, the language put into his mouth is in the highest degree admirable as well as suitable.

And according to the provisions made by the Church for the supply of vacancies in the ministry, it is not left to an unworthy clergyman to deteriorate the whole spiritual economy of a parish or congregation, by first lowering the tone of religion, and reducing the standard of doctrine to his own heterodox level, and then devolving the choice of a successor upon those whose judgments he has perverted, and

2 R

1

whose views are the only rule to which such successor is to be conformed. Whatever evil a clergyman of the Church may commit, or whatever duty he may leave neglected, the injury he inflicts on the cause of religion and of the Establishment is but temporary: he departs to his account, and his successor finds the standard and the requirements of the office just what they have been for centuries. The deceased may have been a Pelagian; but the Articles of the Church, which remain untouched, expressly denounce all such heresy. He may have thought St. Paul's Epistles not well fitted for the general ear of the people; but he was obliged to read them in their course:-and the same obligation continues on his successor, and so throughout the whole.

It is plain and obvious, that this character of permanency - this settled and established order of a

scriptural ministry, must greatly

re

tend to the preservation of sound doctrine in a church. Its importance is evinced by the fall of many a dissenting congregation, whose minister, imbibing erroneous sentiments, has led his people astray. While they, at his decease, choosing some one still farther moved from scriptural doctrines, have declined yet further, until a spiritual chill and deadness spread among them, and decay and dissolution ensued. And this, in many cases, palpably and plainly from the want of two things: a scriptural standard of admission into the ministry; and a form of worship, in which the large and frequent use of the sacred Scriptures was rendered incumbent on the minister.

In my next I shall enter upon the consideration of the principal objections of Dissenters. Meanwhile, believe me,

Yours sincerely,

A CHURCHMΑΝ.

:

THE SPIRITUAL PILGRIM.

A STRANGER in a weary land, I roam * Without the shelter of a fostering wing; No hand to lead me to a peaceful home, Or guide my footsteps to the freshening spring.

Shine thus, thou "Sun of Righteousness," and smile

Around the borders of this dreary land; Thy gilding beams my feeble steps beguile, While toiling forward through the burning sand.

Still ardent for a happier country bound, Though waste and wild the unfrequented road,

Though distant tempests, by their hollow sound,

Foretel the gathering midnight storm abroad.

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

Resounding through interminable skies. There in that world of light, the Pilgrim

[blocks in formation]

Of every living stream, mysterious

soon

Shall join the concert of the ransom'd
throng,

Adoring seraphs hail, and loud attune
A choral prelude to his endless song.

source!

Αδελφος. Divine Influence; or the Operation of the Holy Spirit, traced from the Creation of Man to the Consummation of all Things. By the Rev. T. T. Biddulph, M. A. Pp. viii. and 263. Hamilton. 1824.

REVIEW OF BOOKS.

Sixteen Lectures on the Influences of the Holy Spirit; delivered in the Parish Church of St. Olave, Southwark. By Thomas Mortimer, M. A. Pp. xiv. and 420. Seeley. 1824.

THE influences of the Holy Spirit must ever form a delightful subject of contemplation to the church of Christ, and will necessarily occupy a prominent place in the discourses of those who preach according to the oracles of God. A considerable degree of attention has been recently excited to these important topics; and we have occasionally met with remarks which, at least, seem to imply that our fathers and predecessors have, in this respect, been very negligent in their ministration; but we are by no means clear that such insinuations are correct. We can look back, with delightful recollections, to the able statements and arguments of many who have long since entered into rest, and assert with confidence, that the divinity and personality of the Holy Spirit, -his regenerating, enlightening, strengthening, sanctifying, and consoling influences, were topics on which they delighted to expatiate, and which they brought forth to their people, according to the proportion of faith; and remembering them who have had the rule over us, who have preached unto us the Gospel of Christ, whose faith we would follow, and whose escape to a brighter world we delight to contemplate, we may perhaps be excused in exercising some slight degree of jealousy with respect to the posthumous reputation of those

who, in their day and generation, honoured God, and whom he delighted to honour.

There is, indeed, a species of fashion on religious subjects, which tends in no small degree to mislead the judgment. We have heard sermons, wherein the name of God the Holy Ghost has been so introduced into almost every sentence, as to appear like little more than a mere expletive; and have been, in consequence, compelled to wish that the preacher would more seriously consider the import of that command, "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain." We have heard sermons also, where the character and work of the Holy Spirit have been described and applied to the hearts and consciences of the hearers in a most clear and forcible manner; while yet his holy name has but rarely escaped from the preacher's lips. The ignorant hearer, who could, perhaps, scarcely carry away three sentences of the discourse, would extol the former minister; while those more fully instructed in the kingdom of God, would receive much more solid and permanent edification from the ministrations of the latter. In forming, therefore, an opinion of different preachers, we should take into consideration, not merely their merits abstractedly, nor yet the popular cry in their favour; but the conformity of their ministrations to the analogy of faith, and the adaptation of those ministrations to the specific character of the people to whom they are addressed.

We must not, however, allow ourselves to prcceed in the discussion of a topic, suggested indeed by the works before us, but with which those works have no necessary connection. They condemn not the conduct of our forefathers; and if they have been, in any de

gree, called forth by the censure of others, we will forgive the remarks from which we are compelled to differ, for the sake of the excellent fruit which is here produced.

The publications of Mr.Biddulph and Mr. Mortimer, though on the same general subject, are perfectly distinct. Mr. B. traces the operations of the Holy Spirit, in an historical order, from the Creation to the present period, and thence to the Millennium; while Mr.M. states more at large, in successive discourses, the doctrine, and points out the correspondingimprovement. Mr. B.'s work is divided into fifteen discourses; written, as he informs us, during a season of retirement from the public duties of the ministry, occasioned by a severe indisposition. We conclude, therefore, that they have not been preached; and at the same time, most unfeignedly rejoice that the valuable author's life has been spared to resume his important public duties: long may he be continued as a minister of God for good, in the second city of our empire!

The first discourse is on the influence of the Holy Spirit on the soul of man in his state of innocency. On this topic little is recorded, and therefore little can, with any certainty, be known; but our author has obviously made the best use of his scanty materials, has placed the subject in a somewhat original light, and thence educes some important inferences.

The first transgression put an end to all direct communication between God, the only possible source of real felicity to an intelligent mind, and the soul of man. The life of God was extinguished by the withdrawing of the Spirit of life. While the body became subject to death, the soul immediately died the death adapted to its immortal nature, by the loss of that in which its life consisted. It was instantaneously deprived of the favour and presence of God. The effect which is produced by paralysis on the body, by a separation between it and the fountain of sensation in the head, was produced on the fallen soul. It could not, indeed, from its immaterial

[blocks in formation]

Sensual, not having the Spirit, -is the character which St. Paul draws of man in

his now natural state. The latter part of his description is explanatory of the former; or rather, the absence of Divine Influence is assigned as the cause of our natural sensuality. He had corporeal senses in his primitive state. But these were then sanctified and directed by the in-dwelling influence of the Divine Spirit; and while they connected him with the sensible world, were the means of exciting holy feelings of gratitude and joy through that connexion. But when the Spirit of holiness was withdrawn, his corporeal senses being subjected to the influence of the spirit of darkness, and of enmity to God, became the constant inlets

to temptation, and the means of discovering his total alienation of heart from the ador

able Author of all his forfeited felicity.

It is a fatal mistake, to suppose that all that was included in the threatening by which the law of paradise was sanctioned, was the death of the body at some future indefinite time; or even what the Scripture calls "the second death," to be inflicted on the unpardoned sinner after the day of judgment. The forfeiture to be incurred was immediately to take place. In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. The communication between God and Adam,

in the way of favour and life-giving fellowship, was immediately suspended; and he lost, not indeed any thing essential to his nature as man, but all that constituted the prerogatives and blessedness of that nature. The evidences of the fall are not to be confined to the overt acts of transgression with which the world abounds; nor to the miseries and death which universally prevail among its inhabitants. But the essence of those evidences is to be sought for and found in the universally existing symptoms of alienation of heart from God, in the preference which the creature finds in our affections to the Creator; in short, in the tokens of spiritual death, the total absence of spiritual sensibility, and the predominance of the desires, the concupiscence, of the flesh and of the mind.-Pp.8-10.

Mr. B. next proceeds to trace the influence of the Holy Spirit from the Fall to the Deluge-the Exodus-the Babylonish captivity

« ForrigeFortsæt »