Imagens das páginas
PDF
ePub

by Paul;-consider well the passage; "But, when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons; and, because ye are sons," (such before ever the Spirit is given, mind,) " "God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." And, when the Spirit of adoption is received, and we are brought to claim in time what we were from everlasting, then we are called, furnished, and enabled to do so, and to live as children; "Where fore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ," Gal. iv. 4, 7. What a number of sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty have been called forth, raised up, and appeared as the peculiar treasure of the Lord, in this our isle!

:

[ocr errors]

This prophet further sees, in vision, all the wonderful victories and triumphs over the powers of hell that the British martyrs have obtained, and would again obtain, if called to pass through the flames to everlasting glory. Hear him describe them "They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord,” (that which attends his supporting power, and sensible soul-satisfying presence,) they shall cry aloud Wherefore glorify ye the Lord in the fires, even the name of the Lord God of Israel in the isles of the sea." Isai. xxiv. 14, 15. This includes very particularly, and perhaps more

from the sca.

[ocr errors]

than any other, the island of Britain. That the Lord God of Israel was glorified by numbers of his saints, even in the fires, in this island, Smithfield, Bow, Canterbury, Oxford, Hadiey, Carmarthen,* and a variety of other places, both in

[ocr errors]

* Such a singular display of the promised power of God was manifested in the experience of Doctor Robert Farrer, lord bishop of St. David's, who was burned in the market-place at Carmarthen, March 30, 1555, that I could not pass it without insertion. "A Mr. Jones coming to condole him on the painfulness of the death he was to undergo, the holy bishop made answer, If you see me once stir while I am burning, then give no credit to the truth of the doctrines for which I suffer.' God, under whose inspiration undoubtedly this was uttered, enabled his faithful martyr to make good his promise, for he stood like a rock in the midst of the waves, without flinching or moving so much as once; steadily holding up his arms, even when his hands were burnt away; till one Richard Gravel, a bye-stander, dashed him on the head with a staff, and so struck him down."

You have another remarkable instance in the case of Mr. Thomas Hawkes, a gentleman of Essex, who was burned at Coggeshall, June 10, 1555. "A little before his execution several of his particular friends, who, though stedfast Protestants, were in some degree of bondage through fear of that violent death, which they knew not how soon they might be called to undergo, rcquested him, that if the pain of burning was at all tolerable, he would give them a signal before he expired. The good man promised them that he would: and the token fixed upon was, that he should elevate his hands above his head towards heaven ere his soul ascended to God. Being fastened to the stake, the faggots were kindled; in which, when he had continued long, and when his speech was taken away by the violence of the flame, his skin shrivelled, and his fingers consumed, so that all thought certainly he had been gone; suddenly, and contrary to all expectation, the blessed servant of God, being mindful of his promise afore made,

England and Wales, do abundantly confirm, as recorded in the Book of Martyrs: and I doubt not but he will be further glorified, if hereafter any of his family should be called thus to finish their race. Peter is declared to glorify God in suffering martyrdom, John xxi. 18, 19. And so will all that are called to do the same, for they shall be more than conquerors through Christ that hath loved them. And this, like every other promise of the Lord, must and shall stand fast; "Behold, I give you," (and it belongs to every heir of promise, down to the end of time, as well as them,)" power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you," Luke x. 19. When it is said-nothing shall by any means hurt the saints -it signifies not their bodies, nor that they shall escape trouble or distress of soul; but that nothing shall by any means destroy their souls.After so long a digression, which however I hope will not prove unacceptable to the reader, I must return to my subject.

Every instrument has the work, which he has to do in Mercy's building, appointed and proportioned for him by the Lord. Thus Philip was

lifted up his hands (which were all in a blaze) over his head, and triumphantly struck them together thrice. At the sight of which the spectators, those especially who were apprised of the signal, gave uncommon shouts of applause. And so the blessed martyr of Christ, straightway sinking down into the fire, yielded up his Spirit."

ordained to preach Christ to the Ethiopian eunuch; Paul to the poor gaoler at Philippi in Macedonia; to the much people the Lord had at Corinth; as also many others. Peter must go from Joppa to Cornelius, and preach Christ to him and all in his house, that salvation might be enjoyed by them. Our blessed Saviour himself, as his Father's honoured servant, must needs go through Samaria, to save the poor woman at the well, and gather those Samaritans that were white already to harvest; cross the sea of Tiberias, to dispossess the legion of devils from the mad Gaderene, that he might be clothed and set down at his feet in his right mind. He passed He passed through Jericho, that Zaccheus might know for himself the salvation of the Lord. In all which he was doing the will of his Father that sent him, and these were portions of that work that he was appointed to finish. And so to this day all the members of the mystical body of Christ are useful in their place, and have each an appointed measure of work to accomplish, as Paul beautifully sets forth in the twelfth chapter of his first epistle to the Corinthians.

I consider the concurrence of circumstances that brought me acquainted with Mr. S-n as a full confirmation that, with respect to the Lord, there is no such thing as chance or accident, but every thing is absolutely preordained, irrevocably decreed, immutably fixed, and therefore infallibly certain to take place in time, without the

possibility of miscarriage; for what infinite Wisdom has planned is an absolutely perfect design, which Almighty power effects or accomplishes without the possibility of a single failure. And it is worthy of remark, that those very persons, who were the meaus of my becoming acquainted with Mr. S-n, have apostatized from their profession of the truth, after having performed the work appointed them to do in that respect, as Judas did at the head of the multitude that went to apprehend the Saviour; for he was guide to them that took Jesus; and, when he had performed that work, then he went to his own place, Luke xxii. 27, and Acts i. 16.

I paid my friend two visits in the North after our correspondence commenced; and found him a very unctuous, experimental soul. I loved him dearly for Christ and truth's sake. He left this world very suddenly; being well, ill, and dead (or rather asleep in Jesus) in about four days; but in the enjoyment of a solid peace, a living faith, and a joyful hope of the glory of God; as his widow's letter to me will shew; which, with my answer, finishes the intended publication. If, however, these letters should meet with your approbation, by the Lord's blessing in any measure attending the perusal of them, having many more in manuscript to other friends, I may probably be induced to publish some of them. I am well aware that my plainness of speech will give offence to many; but if, while I pass through evil

« AnteriorContinuar »