Sivut kuvina
PDF
ePub

events of remote antiquity, confessed that they had no certain evidence that they related the truth; and while it is notorious, that the further back they ascended from their own times, the more uncertain and fabulous were their accounts;-the writers of sacred history wrote with such clearness and perspicuity, and left to future ages such incontrovertible evidence of the truth of what they relate, that no enemy of the Bible, in any subsequent age, could overturn it. Besides having the advantage over every other bistory in veracity, the sacred historians have also priority in respect of time. Moses, who wrote 1500 years prior to the birth of Christ, was unquestionably the first writer of history in the world. Besides living at an age which ancient heathen writers could scarcely reach, even in their fabulous history, he wrote a brief but connected history of the world from the creation up to his own times, comprising a period of 2500 years. Successive sacred writers continued the history of the Jewish nation for more than 1000 years longer, and they had concluded their labours before accredited heathen historians commenced with theirs.

And the biography of the Bible bears not less the impress of truth, than does its history. The Bible is the only book where we find biography written in perfection. Here is no attempt to varnish or set off a person's character to the best advantage, but a plain impartial statement of facts is given, whether they were favourable to his character, or otherwise. In this mirror of human nature, we see men of every shade of character so faithfully and vividly pourtrayed, that the individuals appear to be set in array before us, with the essential traits of their character written on their foreheads for our instruction.

The character of our blessed Redeemer shines in the sacred pages preeminently above the rest. He is the sun of righteousness, and the saints, like planets, shine with rays borrowed from him. We view our Redeemer with admiration and delight while we see him "going about doing good," and thus giving to the world a thousand proofs of the greatness and disinterestedness of his love; and when we contemplate the depth of his humility, being the humblest of men, though at the same time he was the maker and upholder of all things, the Lord of angels and of men, we are astonished at such condescension, and are constrained to "let that mind be in us which was also in Christ Jesus." His perfect obedience to his heavenly Father, and his steady perseverance in the work which he came into the world to perform, even the work of redeeming a fallen world, command our utmost admiration and esteem; and especially during the closing scene, his sufferings and death, which all the evangelists have related with inimitable simplicity, the divine excellencies of his character burst upon our view with overpowering splendour, so that the more steadily we view them, the more dazzled we are at their grandeur. When the trying moment came; when the wicked surrounded him, fierce "as the strong bulls of Bashan ;" when hell with its legions harrassed his mind; when divine justice pierced his soul, and "laid upon him the iniquity of us all;" and when his heavenly Father withdrew the sensible manifestations of his love, yet he did not shrink from his work, but "Nobly stood, and saved a fallen world." It is impossible for a person with an enlightened mind to read and think on these traits of the Redeemer's character unmoved; but with the exercise of humble faith, "with open face beholding, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, we are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the spirit of the Lord."

4. But the chief glory of the Scriptures consists in their testifying of Christ.

Our Redeemer himself said to the unbelieving Jews, "Search the Scrip tures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me." And if we examine the Old Testament, with an enlightened mind, possessed of the key of knowledge, even genuine faith in Jesus Christ, and the enlightening influence of the Holy Spirit, we may unlock and explore the choicest treasures of the Bible. By the aid of the key of knowledge we behold a glory in the burdensome rites, ceremonies, and sacrifices instituted by Moses, because they pre-figure him who was the substance of every shadow, and who was the real sacrifice for the sins of the world, to which all the Jewish sacrifices pointed, and from which they derived all their efficacy.

The Scriptures testify of Christ by prophecy. When Divine justice. pronounced sentence upon fallen man, the rigour of the sentence was softened by the promise of a Saviour. As time rolled on, the intimations of a Saviour to come to restore the world to virtue and happiness became more plain and frequent. These prophecies are so numerous and circumstantial, that every material circumstance respecting the Saviour's person, dignity, offices-his lineal descent, the time of his appearance, the place of his nativity, the circumstances attending his life, character, and especially his sufferings, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and future glorious and successful reign-are predicted with such clearness and circumstantial correctness, that they could not have been more exact had they been written subsequent to the events. In the New Testament, Christ and him crucified are the themes from beginning to end. In the incomparable, plain, and faithful narrations of the evangelists, the Redeemer appears in all the benevolence, the humility, and the wisdom, which adorned his character. Circumstances are narrated which show how exactly ancient prophecies were fulfilled in him.

The Apostle Paul, in his epistles, employs the energies of his powerful and cultivated mind in the cause of his Redeemer. Here are displayed unrivalled powers of reasoning, and inimitable specimens of oratory, while setting forth the claims of Jesus to the Messiahship; the dignity and glory of his Divine Master, or the privileges of his people.

These, my fellow labourers, are a few things which tend, though very imperfectly, to show the transcendent value of the Scriptures; and I will conclude this communication with an extract from a recent work.*

"The Bible expands the mind, exalts the faculties, developes the powers of the will and of feeling, furnishes a more just estimate of the true dignity of man, and opens more sources of intellectual enjoyment than any other book. Whether we consider its influence upon an oral and written language; upon history and literature; upon laws and government; upon civil and religious liberty; upon the social institutions; upon moral science and the moral virtues; upon the holiness which fits men for heaven, and the peculiar spirit and exalted character which prepares them to act well their part on the earth; upon the happiness they enjoy in the present world; or upon the agency and power by which these desirable results are secured, we shall be at no loss to see, that the world in which we live is under everlasting obligations to a supernatural revelation."

*Spring's Obligations of the World to the Bible.

Continued from page 175.

THE late eminent countess of Huntingdon may justly be considered as the prime instrument employed in raising that body of the General Baptists called the New Connexion: not indeed under that denomination, or approximating to their present sentiments or discipline, but as using the first effectual means in calling some of those men, who afterwards became Baptists, out of darkness into light. A person, whose name was David Taylor, a servant of the countess, residing at Donington Park, being a religious man, and occasionally employed in preaching in the villages, first drew the attention of several of the inhabitants, and laid the foundation for their dissent from the Church of England. Among other places, he preached at Glenfield and Ratby, near Leicester; and though he gained but few proselytes there, yet it was not without effect. Samuel Deacon, of Ratby, who afterwards become a preacher, was one who went out of curiosity to hear this new doctrine: his curiosity terminated in serious reflection upon the state of his soul, and a diligent examination of the Scriptures. He soon found, that whatever this new doctrine was, he was not right himself, and was therefore determined, if possible, to know the truth, and to follow after righteousness.

This was in the year 1741; and David Taylor was about this time dismissed from the service of the countess, because she thought he might be more useful in devoting himself to itinerant preaching, than by continuing in her service, as he could then pursue it with more regularity. After his dismission, he continued to preach frequently at Glenfield and Ratby, and was instrumental in awakening the attention of several, and producing a serious inquiry after religion.

In 1742, David Taylor brought with him a companion, whoso name was Stephen Dixon, who also was employed in preaching. Their followers increased, and some of these began to exhort, and to preach in the best manner they could They thought they had found a more excellent way, and were desirous that all their neighbours might be brought into it. Two persons of Markfield, John Taylor and Charles Clapham, schoolmasters, were of this class, and they, on account of their office, were thought the more qualified. These men preached frequently at Ratby, and one of them resided there for a short time, and raised a society somewhat resembling the plan of Mr. Wesley.

It may easily be conceived that these things would be noised abroad, and at times collect people from other villages to hear what these babblers had to say. There were, however, more of the curious than of the serious among their hearers, and these are generally satisfied when curiosity is gratified. Still there were a few who dared to countenance, and invite them to preach in their houses, though they were generally such as had nothing to lose, and no prospect of obtaining any temporal advantage. But, indeed, what object ought so stand in competition with the salvation of the soul, and having "the gospel preached unto them?"

1743. A poor man of Osbaston near Market Bosworth, attending at Markfield, invited the preachers to his house, and they accordingly went, and great numbers assembled from the neighbouring villages to bear. The novelty of the thing induced John Whyatt, a carpenter of Barton-in-the-Beans, to make one of the number; and he, for the first time, and under the first sermon, was brought to a sense of sin, and a conviction of his danger. He began in earnest to search the Scriptures, and to inquire what is "the way of salvation." He repeated his visit to Osbaston, the next time the preacher came, and invited a neighbour, Mr. John Aldridge, son of Mr. Thomas Aldridge, a farmer of Barton, to go with him. He accepted the invitation, and on hearing found himself in the same predicament with his companion Whyatt. Being both in earnest in the same cause, they united their endeavours to assist each other in that important work in which they had engaged, and indeed were afterwards considerably useful in spreading the gospel of Christ by their conversation and preaching.*

The impressions made on Mr. Whyatt and Mr. Aldridge induced them to soli

John Whyatt was many years a zealous preacher, and was chosen co-pastor with Samuel Deacon over the Church at Barton. John Aldridge preached a considerable time, but afterwards declined it; but he lived and died a sincere disciple of Jesus.

cit the preacher to visit Barton. John Taylor was the first who came, and he preached in Mr. Whyatt's house. He repeated his visits for some weeks, without interruption; but at length a storm arose, which seemed to threaten very serious consequences to this rising cause, though it might probably, in its effects, contribute more than any thing else, to strike its roots, and extend its branches beyond what it otherwise might have done.

Persecution for religious opinion is a sure indication of ignorance, or wickedness, or both, in those who exercise it: but, in some cases, religious characters may thank themselves for many sufferings they experience. An affected singularity, a foolish boasting of their superior knowledge, to the degradation of others, and an introduction of improper subjects into sermons, delivered before the ignorant and profane, often raises disgust and resentment, which may terminate in real persecution. This was in a measure the case in the present instance. Taylor took an opportunity to read in public a part of John Cennick's journal, in which his treatment is related, while an itinerant preacher of the gospel. This had undoubtedly a very different effect to what the preacher intended; for instead of exciting the compassion of the audience for a persecuted man, or convincing them that he had suffered in the cause of righteousness, they received sufficient instruction how to proceed in treating this new sect. The next time of meeting, therefore, a great number of persons came to Nailstone, about a mile from Barton, and used various means to disturb the congregation. Some with bells tied about them, with which they danced most merrily. Some singing, others swearing, and now and then threatening vengeance against the preacher, the house, and Mr. Wyatt, who had received him. In short, the preacher could not proceed, and was obliged to conceal himself and escape. He had however more courage than might have been expected; for he made repeated attacks, though he received repeated insults, and was shamefully abused every time he came. As the vulgar rabble could not put a stop to the preaching by their folly and noise, it somehow came into the sapient head of a swaggering farmer to unite his influence, and sanction their cause. He procured a fit man for his purpose, a pretty complete blackguard, equipped him with a horn, and dispatched him to the neighbouring villages to make this proclamation, that "Whosoever will attend, and assist in taking the Methodist Parson, the next time he comes, wheresoever he shall be found, shall be rewarded with A BARREL OF ALE: and shall be indemnified, though the house be pulled down where he is."

In consequence of these proceedings Mr. Aldridge applied to Sir Wolston Dixie, bart., residing at Market Bosworth, to ask advice in the affair, who listened to his complaint, and observed that they would be justified in resisting, and even firing upon, such a lawless banditti, who offered violence to their dwellings; but at the same time recommended more lenient means, and intimated his design to discountenance and punish future offenders. On receiving this encouragement from the honourable baronet, Mr. Aldridge judged it would be more prudent to take the preacher under his own protection, being a considerable farmer, and possessing somewhat more influence than Mr. Whyatt. The next time, therefore, when the preacher came, which was on the Saturday evening, a great number of people came, more for the sake of the barrel of ale than from religious motives, and began to behave in a most disorderly manner. Mr. Whyatt's house was first besieged by some of the leading desperadoes, who were headed by the constable of Nailstone and several of the principal farmers; but not finding their prize, they then ransacked every house in the village till they came to Mr. Aldridge's. Here the preacher was, and a number of people assembled for the purpose of worship, though service was not begun : and on seeing some hundreds of people rush into the yard, some of the family locked the outer door, which was soon broken open by the mob. In the passage betwixt the outer and inner door, Mr. Robert Aldridge, eldest son of Mr. Thomas Aldridge, stood with his gun, threatening to shoot such of them as dared to proceed farther, but being unwilling to put his threats into execution, and the insurgents rushing violently in, they disarmed Mr. A., dragged him into the yard, and let the gun off in the air. The inner door being also either locked

or bolted, they tried to force it open by several of them thrusting their fingers and hands betwixt the door and the door-post. One of Mr. A.'s daughters, and sister to Robert and John Aldridge, seeing so many fingers so neatly arranged, took down the cleaver, and beginning at the top, drew it down with pretty good accuracy, and equal velocity, over the whole range; and so effectual was the device, that they all withdrew the remainder of their fingers without further expostulation. Dreadful was the outcry, and terrible the vengeance which ensued. The door was presently burst open, and the assailants became possessed of the citadel. Old Mr. Aldridge, who was very infirm, they drew into the yard, very much bruised and lamed him. Mrs. Aldridge had shut herself up in a parlour, but she could not escape their cruelty. The preacher had secured himself in another room, which was also broken open; and here their joy was full. Huzzas, and vollies of oaths, like peals of thunder, announced the capture of the parson, whom they began to march away. They likewise seized several of the hearers, and led them off also in triumph. They proceeded to Nailstone, and with the utmost derision they shewed their captives from house to house.* From thence they went to Osbaston, about two miles distant, hoping to receive an additional reward for their exploits from - Mundy, Esq., who it appeared was too much of a gentleman to countenance such riotous behaviour.

By the time they had been at Osbaston, the evening was far advanced, and they judged it necessary to return to Nailstone. They could not, however, let any favourable opportunity slide by, which might afford them diversion, or display their inhumanity. Some of the people they drew into the brook; and Mr. J. Aldridge was thrown into a fish-pond. In the scuffle two of the persecuting gentry got in likewise, and even then used their best endeavours to drive Mr Aldridge beyond his depth, threatening to drown him if he would not recant. He bore their treatment with Christian patience for a considerable time, till he saw he must exert himself or lose his life; and being a very strong man, and in the prime of life, he found it no very hard matter to give both his antagonists a pretty sufficient ducking, and so made his escape.

One of the company among the persecuted at this time was Joseph Donisthorpe, of Normanton-on-the-Heath, near Ashby-de-la-Zouch, who afterwards became a noted preacher amongst the General Baptists. Him they abused by taking hold of his hair and bending his neck over a gate, threatening his destruction with horrid imprecations. Others had their clothes cut and torn in pieces, were pelted with clods and dung, and led through the most filthy places, until their enemies were fatigued, and almost unable to proceed. They took care, however, that the preacher and Mr. Whyatt should not escape. The preacher they confined in a chamber at the Bull's-head, and Mr. Whyatt they suffered to sit by the kitchen fire. In a little time they would fain have dismissed him, but he was determined not to forsake his friend and teacher, and so staid the whole night, amidst the most shameful treatment. They cut his clothes, his hair, and blacked his face; all which he bore with patience. At length they quarrelled among themselves, and by fighting broke the ribs of one of their own companions. In the morning Mr. Whyatt returned home, and notwithstanding the wearisome night he had experienced, he prepared himself for worship in the forenoon, and returned to Nailstone church for that purpose. The preacher also went to church; but he was still a prisoner, and went under a guard.

On Monday morning the constable, with some of the ringleaders of the Nailstone

*While they were thus exposing to ridicule the preacher and his flock, he repeated at several houses the following lines;

For me my Saviour thus was led

For me a gazing-stock was made;
All praise be to his holy name,

Who counts me worthy of his shame.

+ Barton is in the parish of Nailstone; and these people did not as yet absent themselves from their perish church on the Lord's-days.

« EdellinenJatka »