Page images
PDF
EPUB

cover latent talent, and set it to work; stimulate vacant minds, and set them to think; find out the unoccupied, and give them something to do; and by a genial influence upon such as are able to give, succeed in making them cheerful givers. In a church so trained the Spirit will work with freedom and energy ; in others, it will be cramped and confined. I know no problem of greater importance than how to bring out this hidden talent in our churches, so that it shall work in a healthy, holy, and useful way. And, much as I should shrink from an invasion of universal exhortation; I could almost say, better even that, with all its trial of patience and weary waste of time, if it will really set the Spirit free to choose its own instruments and give them work to do, than a cold and proud officialism, which damps all energies and ends by quenching all the light and fire that had otherwise been kindled by the Spirit of God.

(3) By avoiding an honest search for truth.

We have no such inspiration now as could enlarge the Bible, or add to its truths. It contains the whole truth. We no more expect a new edition of Christianity, amended and enlarged, than we expect new strata to be added to our earth, and new metals poured into its mines. But, as men of science have been engaged for centuries in exploring the earth, and are for ever bringing up something new to us, though it must have lain where they found it for myriads of years; so he who, with the help of God's Spirit, will honestly and earnestly dig in this book as for hid treasure, will find that we have not yet discovered all the truth, and God has more light to burst forth from both His works and word. But if we read with an assumption that we

do know all that is worth knowing, and a determination that the Spirit shall teach us nothing more; or if, to escape unwelcome conclusions, we explain and explain away, and read between the lines, or break off every thread that would lead us where we do not wish to go, we make the promised Spirit's guidance of no worth at all, and when we have it, quench the Spirit.

(4) Still more do we do this, by suppressing our own convictions.

The Spirit does not come to Christians now as it came to Peter, bidding him go to Cornelius nothing doubting, or to Paul to prevent his going to Bithynia, and direct his course to Troas. But, in ways no less distinct and clear does it produce convictions of duty that cannot be altogether ignored. If then, with such convictions, for the sake of

pleasure, ease, or gain, we force our conscience, turn away from the goal, shut our eyes to the duty, and will not go; "to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin." Or if, on the other hand, with strong misgivings, grave doubts, we do the thing our consciences condemn, and touch what we feel to be forbidden : "whatsoever is not of faith is also sin." The Spirit has said, "this is the way, walk ye in it," and we have quenched the Spirit.

garding the feelings which that Spirit (5) And, lastly, we do so by disre

awakens in our hearts.

There is no monotony in the work of the Spirit, even in the work of conversion. There are many in whose hearts from the very cradle there is some good thing towards the Lord God of Israel, and others whose earliest longings for spiritual life begin in their old age. Some are drawn by influences as gentle as those which draw the flower to the

light; and others driven as by the lightning and the storm. And many are wofully mistaken here. Waiting for their neighbour's experience, they attach but little importance to their own. Expecting to be driven, they will not be drawn, and with their ears on the stretch for a trumpet blast, they never catch the still small voice. Some, probably, quench the Spirit in this way. Firmly believing that they do know whence it cometh and whither it goeth, they "know not the day of their visitation."

But there are others who know it well enough. The voice of conscience, the leaning of the heart, are clear enough at times. My friends, we call it conscience and the heart, but I confidently claim it all for the Spirit of God. And if ever an impression has been made upon your heart-if ever a gentle voice has said, “You ought to be a Christian," or a passing softer feeling in your heart has said, "I wish I were a Christian," at that moment the Spirit of God was with you: and if you let it pass, and the thought vanished unheeded, and the feeling died without an effort or a prayer, "you quenched the Spirit." Oh, then, if ever such a moment should return, grasp it as a priceless opportunity; hold it fast; let it not go; it is thy life. This time, at least, "quench not the Spirit."

And now, brethren, let us all awake to a fuller consciousness of the worth and glory of the gift we possess. Without this Spirit we might indeed stand appalled before the difficulties that meet us in the

Word of God; the perpetual attacks that are made upon it by those who only study the works of God; the endless and apparently hopeless diversities and disagreements that divide the Church against itself; the strongholds of error and sin that we find in our own hearts and see apparently impregnable all over the world: and, as we think of our utter impotence and selfish indolence, might well exclaim, "Who is sufficient for these things?" But with this Spirit we have nothing to fear. Let us only accept His guidance, trust to His teaching, and rely upon His power, and we shall assuredly find "the crooked paths straight and the rough places plain." The enigmas that now perplex us would be solved; the divisions that enfeeble us would soon be healed; the assaults of infidelity would be bravely borne ; the searching criticism of an honest science, which, though sometimes apparently hostile, is really a friend in disguise, would be courted rather than maligned; and for her great work of converting the world to Christ, the Church would gird herself with braver heart and stronger hand, if only, instead of "quenching the Spirit," she would give to that Spirit a more hearty, generous, and unsparing confidence, hold fast to her standing principle, "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty, through God, to the pulling down of strongholds," and still adopt the grand watchword of both the old covenant and the new-" NOT BY MIGHT, NOR BY POWER, BUT BY MY SPIRIT, SAITH THE LORD."

THE

In Memoriam.

THE REV. B. EVANS, D.D., OF SCARBOROUGH.

THE HE well-known, earnest, useful, and self-denying Christian minister, a sketch of whose life forms the subject of this brief memoir, which the limited time and space at my command compel me to curtail as much as possible, was born on the 13th May, 1803, at Bilston, in Staffordshire.

Early in life he was employed as an artist to ornament articles made in the district, such as papier-maché tea-trays, &c.; and this skill in drawing and painting he retained in after life, surprising his family by the life-like delineation of objects his brush and pencil called forth.

If it be true, and I think it is true, that a man's birth-place has an influence on his character-that the scenery and associations, and the events among which he passes his childhood, modify his tastes, stimulate his imagination, direct his modes of thought, and give a bent to his whole mind-and his after experience confirms the truth of these impressions of his childhood

then we may say that Dr. Evans was providentially ushered into the world at this place and period.

He was born at a time when the Church of Christ had been raised from its lethargy and indifference to the state of the world, and when persecution had left it at liberty to turn its more complete attention to the work of the Gospel, and in a district known for the independence and freethought of its people, revelling certainly in many of the debasing and cruel customs of a more bar

barous age (I mean of the "good old times"), but exercising, as a right, the election of their clergyman by vote, and so making him truly the minister of his people.

[ocr errors]

Of an intellectual, inquiring mind, even as a boy his thirst for knowledge was intense, and he had scarcely reached adolescence, before a conviction of the truth of the Gospel forced itself upon him. His choice "whom he would serve was quickly made, and he joined the Baptist Church in his native town. But this did not satisfy his sanguine nature; he felt he was called to higher work, and, although of an extremely delicate constitution, added to a sensitive and excitable temperament, making study very unadvisable, his iron will bore down all opposing influences, and, in the twentieth year of his age, his name was entered on the books of Horton College, Bradford, then under the presidency of the Rev. Dr. Stead

man.

re

On joining the college, his appearance and character may be thus described his demeanour was : markable for its meekness, modesty, and timidity; and his sermons answered exactly to these characteristics. His hair was combed straight down his forehead, and it was ob served that his apparel was not of the most fashionable cut of the day. On his arrival at Scarborough, to take the pastorate, all these were altered; his apparel was improved, his hair brushed up; a pair of spectacles, rendered necessary by night-study,

was assumed; and his sermons were delivered with that boldness of enunciation which, in after life, so well fitted him to spread effectually the grand truths of the Gospel.

The reason of this change was that, between the beginning and close of the student's course at college, he had looked into many things, had contemplated many theories, had preached many sermons, had written many essays-in fact, had begun to feel his own power, and was determined to use it to the best of his ability. That power he retained, continually increasing until the day of his death, and now, in very truth, "his works do follow him."

Of his college days he always preserved a grateful remembrance, and for the memory of his tutors he ever cherished a respectful veneration; and of this he gave frequent proofs by the effectual efforts he for forty years made, to assist the work of the Institution now transferred to Rawdon. The prospect of his usefulness was soon apparent, and, before he had completed the usual curriculum of study, he received more than one call to the pastorate. By the consent of the committee, he was allowed to abridge his period at college, and, by the influence of his venerable tutor, intensified, perhaps, by his own innate love of facing difficulties, especially in the cause of Christ, he was induced to decide in favour of the unanimous and cordial invitation given him by the Church at Scarborough. And now began that course of public and private usefulness which has lasted through his whole life, and in which, by his unfailing trust in God, he has been upheld, without one stain ever resting upon his character, or hindering his devoted ministry.

On coming to Scarborough, in 1825, he found not only the Baptist

cause small numerically, and financially poor, but Nonconformity at a very low ebb, and High Church influence almost paramount in the town. The minister of the Society of Friends scarcely ever preached a sermon without extracts from "our beautiful liturgy;" the Independent minister was out of the Establishment simply because he could not swear "assent and consent" to all the Thirty-nine Articles; the Wesleyans had not taken the position they now hold; and, above all, the Baptist Church had not the best character in the world, nor had acted in the most Christian manner to some of his predecessors. None of these things daunted him, but rather served to draw forth the full power of his enthusiastic, determined nature. One stipulation he made with the Church was, that a new and larger chapel should be built for him. This was assented to; and the foundation-stone was laid the day after his ordination. It held double the number of the old one, and, when finished, it was the largest, best situated, and most attractive chapel in the town.

Numbers from all denominations flocked to hear him-Episcopalian, Independent, and not unfrequently Wesleyan ministers, and their leading friends, were found among his congregation.

Here he soon became a useful, laborious, and very popular minister. On the Sabbath he preached twice in his own chapel, and sometimes after the evening service, again in the open air, generally selecting the market-place, or other public position, so that he might be heard by as many as possible. Not only did many from his own congregation follow him, but the numbers were augmented from the people leaving the different places of worship, and by those who went to no place at all, and he thus was the instrument in

[merged small][ocr errors]

He also on the Lord's-day conducted two prayer-meetings; and when he did not preach in the open air, this number was increased to three one at seven o'clock in the morning, another at three o'clock in the afternoon, and a third at eight o'clock, after the evening service. In addition to these public services on the Sabbath, he held a Bibleclass, before the afternoon service in the chapel, and generally gave some attendance and oversight to the Sunday-school. During the week he preached once, presided at two prayer-meetings, and held Bibleclasses for young men and young women. Four sermons, five prayermeetings, and three classes each week could only be continued by intense mental energy and continual application, and from a prospect of such labour many young ministers would shrink back appalled; yet it was borne by this diligent, self-sacrificing pastor, not only as a young man, but (with the single exception of the early morning prayer-meeting) when the winters of nearly sixty years had passed over his head-in short, during the whole of his pastorate of forty years.

From being a branch of the parent church at Bridlington, at first numbering only fifteen members, that at Scarborough had now, through the earnest laborious zeal of Mr. Evans, become the largest Baptist Church in the East and West Ridings of Yorkshire, and, as its pastor, this position entailed upon him, in addition to the work of his own charge, an immense amount of mental and

physical labour, attended with no little anxiety and expense. Most of his ministerial brethren in the disstrict were somewhat advanced in life, and their churches small; but they were men of intelligence, well read in evangelical theology, and of great moral worth. They did not oppose the zeal of their more youthful colleague, which was, indeed, in harmony with their own views, but enabled him to form an association for the North and East Ridings, of which he acted as secretary, until its union with that of the West Riding in one, embracing the whole county of York. He generally wrote the circular letter, and usually filled the post of moderator at the meetings held annually, in one or other of the towns to which the associated churches belonged.

In short, he himself records, "there was scarcely any matter brought forward at our annual gatherings, much less carried out, which did not devolve upon me; and truly the weight of all the churches presses upon me daily, indeed no one but myself knows the amount of labour, mental and bodily, and the expense, involved in these matters.”

Through his zealous efforts churches were planted in several of the neighbouring towns and villages, and over one of these he ordained a Primitive Methodist minister of Scarborough, whom he had baptized, after convincing him that immersion was the only form of baptism in the New Testament.

During a visit to England of one of the sons of the Rev. William Hague-his predecessor in the pastorate-who resided at Memel, in Prussia, the religious destitution of the British sailors who visited that port was brought to his notice. By the help of his father-in-law, Christopher Hill, Esq., who for forty years held office as a deacon in the church at Scarborough,

« PreviousContinue »