Page images
PDF
EPUB

bring him in danger of his life; assuring him it was better the people should want one sermon than be altogether deprived of such a preacher. To whom he replied, "It best becomes a bishop to die preaching in the pulpit;" seriously thinking upon the words of his Master, "Happy is the servant whom the Lord shall find, when he cometh, so doing." Wherefore, that he might not disappoint his people, he ascended the pulpit, and took for his text, Gal. v, 16. "Walk in the Spirit."

Chap. xxv, ver. 13.-Watch therefore; for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

The following striking fact is taken from the Edinburgh Advertiser, December 7, 1810. Died at Waterford, November 4, the Rev. B. Dickinson, minister of the Baptist congregation in that city, while zealously employed in the discharge of his functions. Mr. Dickinson had taken for his text, 2 Cor. v, 10. "We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ," and had advanced but a short way in its illustration, when he fell down in his pulpit, and instantly expired! What an impressive lesson to those who preach, and to those who hear the everlasting Gospel! Be ye therefore ready also, for at such an hour as ye know not the Son of Man cometh. "Blessed is that servant whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing."

Chap.xxv, ver. 36.-Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

On one occasion, as the Rev. Edmund Jones was returning home over the mountains, from places where he had been dispensing the word of life, he accidentally met a poor creature, almost naked, and perishing with cold. Such an object could not fail to work upon the tender sympathies of his heart. Hay

ing no money, he actually stripped himself of his shirt, and what other clothes he could spare, and gave them to him; and after conversing with him about the state of his soul, and commending the miserable creature to God in prayer, he pursued his journey. As soon as he entered his house, Mrs. Jones was alarmed at his extraordinary appearance, and hastily inquired if any thing disastrous bad happened to him. The good man soon quieted her fears by relating the particulars of what had occurred. "You did well, my dear," said she; "you have other clothes to put on; let us be thankful to God that we are not in the poor man's circumstances."

Chap. xxvi, ver. 14, 15, 16.—Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, and said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time. he sought opportunity to betray him.

During Monmouth's rebellion, in the reign of James II, a certain person, knowing the humane disposition of one Mrs. Gaunt, whose life was one continued exercise of beneficence, fled to her house, where he was concealed and maintained for some time. Hearing, however, of the proclamation which promised an indemnity and reward to those who discovered such as harbored the rebels, he betrayed his benefactress; and such was the spirit of justice and equity which prevailed among the ministers, that be was pardoned and recompensed for his treachery, while she was burnt alive for her charity! The love of money is the root of all evil.

Chap. xxvi, ver. 74, 75.-Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. And

Peter remembered the words of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.

"Bishop Jewel," says Fuller, "being, by the violence of Popish inquisitors, assaulted on a sudden, to subscribe, he took a pen in his hand, and said, smiling, 'Have you a mind to see how well I can write?' And thereupon under-writ their opinions." Jewel, however, by his "cowardly compliance, made his foes no fewer without, and one the more, a guilty conscience, within him. His life being way-laid for, with great difficulty he got over into Germany." Having arrived at Frankfort, by the advice of some friends, he made a solemn and affecting recantation of his subscription, in a full congregation of English Protestants, on a Sabbath morning, after having preached a most tender, penitential sermon. "It was," said he, " my abject and cowardly mind, and faint heart, that made my weak hand commit this wickedness." He bitterly bewailed his fall; and, with sighs and tears, supplicated forgiveness of the God whose truth he had denied, and of the church of Christ, which he had so grievously offended. The congregation were melted into tears, and "all embraced him as a brother in Christ; yea, as an angel of God. Whoever seriously considers the high parts of Mr. Jewel," adds Fuller, "will conclude, that his fall was necessary for his humiliation.

Chap. xxvii, ver. 29.-And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!

When John Huss, the Bohemian martyr, was brought out to be burnt, they put on his head a triple crown of paper, with painted devils on it. On seeing

it, he said, "My Lord Jesus Christ, for my sake, wore a crown of thorns; why should not I then, for his sake, wear this light crown, be it never so ignominious? Truly I will do it, and that willingly." When it was set upon his head, the bishops said, "Now we commit thy soul to the devil."-" But I," said Huss, lifting up his eyes towards heaven, "do commit my spirit into thy hands, oh Lord Jesus Christ; to thee I commend my spirit, which thou hast redeemed."

Chap. xxvii, ver. 46.—And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Mr. Job Throgmorton, a puritan divine, who was described by his contemporaries, as being "as holy and as choice a preacher as any in England," is said to have lived thirty-seven years without any comfortable assurance as to his spiritual condition. When dying, he addressed the venerable Mr. Dod in the following words, " What will you say of him who is going out of the world, and can find no comfort?" "What will you say of him," replied Mr. Dod," who, when he was going out of the world, found no comfort, but cried, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" This prompt reply administered consolation to the troubled spirit of his dying friend, who departed an hour after, rejoicing in the Lord.

Chap. xxviii, ver. 19.-Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

In the following account, given by the Rev. Pliny Fisk, late American Missionary in Palestine, we see a departure from Scripture simplicity in the dispensing of baptism ::-"I went," says he," one morning to the Syrian church to witness a baptism. The administrator was the Bishop Abdool Messeeh. The

D

resident Bishop, Abdool Ahad, was present, and assisted in the service. When I arrived at the church, I found about a dozen persons present going through with the prayers and ceremonies preparatory to the baptism. One part of the service was explained to me as intended to expel the devil from the child. When ready for the baptism, the font was uncovered, and a small quantity, first of warm, and then of cold water, was poured into it. The child, in a state of perfect nudity, was then taken by the bishop, who held it in one hand, while with the other he anointed the whole body with oil. He then held the child in the font, its feet and legs being in the water, and with his right hand he took up water, and poured it on the child, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. After this, he anointed it with oil, and returned it to the parents.

Chap. xxviii, ver. 20.-Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Mr. Robert Bruce, an eminent minister in Scotland, having to preach on a solemn occasion, was late in coming to the congregation. Some of the people beginning to be weary, and others wondering at his stay; the bells having been rung long, and the time far spent, the beadle was desired to go and inquire the reasons; who, coming to his house, and finding his chamber door shut, and hearing a sound, drew near, and hearing a sound, drew near, and listening, overheard Mr. Bruce often, with much seriousness, say, "I protest I will not go, except thou go with me." Whereupon the man, supposing that some person was in company with him, withdrew without knocking at the door. On being asked at his return, the cause of Mr. Bruce's delay, he answered he could not tell; but supposed that some person was with him, who was unwilling to come to church, and he was engaged in pressing him to come peremptorily, declaring he would not go without him. Mr. Bruce soon after eame, accompanied with no man, but he came in the

« PreviousContinue »