I experienced what I had seldom done before; for instead of that diftraction of mind, which often prevented my profiting under the word, I was now calm, collected, and filled with divine peace. After the fermon, as I walked in the fields, I thought the creation appeared adorned with exquifite charms; all nature feemed replete with the Divinity. At midnight I retired to reft in the fame tranquil frame of mind; and I rofe at four in the morning to call on the Lord. I proftrated myself before him, confident he would blefs me with a larger measure of peace. As I prayed, all my fins feemed to ftand in arrav before me: I cried, "O Lord, I am damned, but Chrift hath died!" Immediately these words were applied to my mind with power, "Arife, fhine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is rifen upon thee." O what joy, peace, and love filled my heart: I felt a love to all mankind; and was perfuaded that GOD loved the whole human race; and that Jefus Chrift tafted death for every man. I could chearfully fing O for a trumpet's voice; On all the world to call: In him who died for all! For all, for all, my SAVIOUR died! I blefs GOD, that, notwithstanding the various trials and temptations through which I have paffed, I never loft the evidence of his favour, nor doubted the univerfality of his Love to Mankind. I believe the Atonement of Chrift was made for all men. If mercy and love are effential properties in the Divine Nature, they are as extenfive as his Juftice, or his Truth. About this time I was much perplexed concerning the lawfulnefs of attending places of worship, when the minifters were wicked in life, or erroneous in doctrine. This was the cafe at the place where I fometimes attended. After much reading, converfation, and prayer, on the fubject, I was fatisfied by the following dream. I dreamed I was at church attending fervice; the minister was reading the Litany: a fudden noife caught my attention; and looking towards the place from whence it proceeded, I faw a perfon of bright appearance, who beckoned me with his hand. I followed him; He led me to the back part of the church, and defcending down a number of fteps into a cellar under the church.. It feemed as if the foundations of the church were removed, and the superstructure was now fupported upon pillars of wood, which were worm-eaten and rotten. I was much aftonifhed: My guide obferving this, faid, "You fee the fituation of this foundation; and then pointing to the place by which we entered, faid "Efcape!" I did fo and fuddenly awoke. This, and a thousand circumftances which have fince happened, have fatisfied me, that it is inexpedient for me to attend any place of worship where the Gofpel is not preached. But I condemn no man in this matter. Another thing which affected me much, was, the awful views which I had of the miferable condition of finners. For them I interceded with God in mighty prayer, that he would convert them to himself. Sometimes it was powerfully impreffed on my mind to peak in public, and warn my fellow finners of their danger. The awfulness of the work, and my unfitness, humbled me into the duft, and made me decline fo arduous an employ. God is my witness, that I never fought to speak in public; and could I have kept a good confcience, I am perfuaded, I fhould not have preached at all. When an opportunity offered I used to meet a clafs, pray in public, and at length gave an exhortation. The first time I ventured to take a text, was when we were dif appointed of a travelling preacher: I was altogether unprepared both with fubject and matter; but looking to the ftrong for ftrength, I was fupported. This was the cafe feveral times; but the Lord gave me favour in the eyes of the people, and fome finners were brought to himself, I never went to any place unless requested, for fear I fhould run before I was fent; but divine providence opened my way, fo that I foon had more work than I could well attend. Many were awakened, and bleffed be God, some stand to this day, year, In the fummer of 1790, I converfed with Mr. WESLEY on the fubject of travelling, but did not then give my confent, However thro' the folicitations of fome of the preachers, I afterwards complied; and at the Bristol Conference, the fame I was appointed to Nottingham. I went with much fear and trembling, but the people received me with great affection; they bore with my weakness, and by every inftance of love endea voured to ftrengthen my hands. Unworthy as I was, the Lord gave me fome feals in this place, and in fome other parts of the circuit. The next year I was ftationed at Huddersfield, where I continued two years; and tho' unworthy, the Lord gave me to fee his work revive, crowning my labours with fuccefs. In 1793, I removed to Bristol, where I met with fome friends, fome bleflings, and fome croffes, but all these have contributed to my good. The following year I laboured in Bath, the City of Folly and Diffipation; and I have reafon to believe with fome fuccefs. This year I entered into the marriage ftate, and blessed be God, I have an help-mate indeed. My prefent ftation is Birmingham, where pride, barbarism, deifm, and their half brother focinianifm, produce a copious crop. I am endeavouring to spread vital, rational piety; and tho' fatan has fown his tares, yet religion encreases; and I truft it will will continue its progrefs, until the univerfe is filled with the celeftial leaven and Jefus come to gather his wheat into his garner; among whom I hope I fhall be found without spot and blameless. Yours, &c. Wednesbury, RICHARD ELLIOT, SERMON ON MATTHEW XXVIII. 20. The Character and Encouragement of CHRIST'S Minifters. III. [Concluded from page 531.] AVING, in the preceding part of this Difcourfe, defcribed the Perfons, and their Office, to whom the great Promise in the text belongs, I now proceed, laftly, to confider the main part of the fubject, namely, The PROMISE, Lo, I am with you always, not now and then, but always: not even with my first apoftles only, but with all my true meffengers, to the end of the world. I would just here premife, that this is a very striking proof of our LORD's Divinity; for if he were not omniprefent, how could he be with his fervants always, and every where, till time shall be no more? Such a prerogative can only belong to him who fills heaven and earth, and whofe "eyes are in every place, behold ing the evil and the good." To proceed then with the Promife. I. He will be with his fervants, to enlighten and inftruct them. Their work will need his wifdom, as it will be oftentimes perplexed and knotty, by the powers of darkness, and the depravity of the human mind, and the various viciffitudes of human life. Here he has need to lead the blind by a way they know not, and in various paths which they have not known; to make darkness light before them, and crooked things ftraight. It is highly neceffary that he should teach them the myfteries of the kingdom of GoD, to make them fcribes well inftructed in the way to the kingdom, fo that they may bring forth things out of their treafury, new and old. But mark, this does not fupercede their closest endeavours, by no means. We are not to idle and lounge away our time under a pretence that Chrift will teach us; no, we are to be inftant in feafon and out of season; we are to give attention to reading, to meditation; to flir up the gift of GOD within us, and then we may expect our Lord will give us a right understanding in all things. If he is the light, we must walk in the light, fo fhall our path be as the fhining light, which fhineth more and more to the perfect day. This wildom is not only neceffary in their ftudy and public adminiftrations, for that is not half of a minifter's duty; but in governing and directing the flock; in keeping the fences in due repair they have to do with perfons of different itates and con ditions, ditions, tempers and difpofitions; fome tender, timerous, and fearful: others of a more obftinate and perverse turn, who will neither lead nor drive very readily; and yet there may be fome, thing good in them, which a minifter of Chrift would willingly preferve, fo that in the end they may be faved. 2. He is with them to comfort them in all their tribulations and various trials, which they will unavoidably meet with in the course of their labours Obferve, they are men of like paffions with others, and therefore have their own peculiar trials and temptations to grapple with; their own hopes and fears, joys and forrows dejections and elevations, their cloudy hours and lucid moments: they have likewife their own family affairs to cope with, which may be often very much embarraffed, a very trying circumstance to men of their fenfibilities; for I prefume, no man's feelings are more acute than those whofe hearts are penetrated with a fenfe of divine things. Thus they have their private and domestic difficul ties to contend with, as well as others : But befides thefe, the care of the churches, from whence a variety of heartfelt troubles are fure to arife from various causes, too numerous to particularize; but which you, who have been long in the miniftry, are not ignorant of. If we had only to combat with the avowed enemies of the cross of Chrift, the task would be eafy but we have falle brethren, real hypocrites, and felf-deceivers, who will give much trouble and uneafinefs; and many weak and mistaken fouls, who tho' they mean well, yet often give much trouble, and like fick children in a family, need much nurfing. Great numbers who are giving way to fin and error, will certainly give pain to a true minifter of Jefus, and often caufe his hands to hang down, and his knees to wax feeble. In all which cafes, they have need of the cheering presence of their Saviour, unto whom he fays, "Fear thou not, for I am with thee; be not difmayed, I am thy GOD: I will ftrengthen thee, yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteoufnefst." In all their afflictions he is afflicted, and walks with his fervants through the fire and thro' the water. And although they bemoan their want of fuccefs where they spend much labour, yet if they labour faithfully it is accepted. If Ifrael is not gathered, yet may the faithful minifter fay, "I fhall be glorious in the eyes of my GOD, and he will be my ftrength." And he is good company, like the rifing fun upon the nightly traveller; yea a hiding place from the wind, and like rivers of water in a dry place. In the world, he declares we must have tribulation; "but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." Thus will he be with them to comfort them. 3. But he will be with them to fupport and ftrengthen them in their work; for they need ftrong faith in many refpects, and a hope which may be as an anchor of the foul, fure and stedfaft: for they will have many buffetings from fatan, as well as from the world. We find even an apoйtle, bad fatan let loose upon him, + Ifa. xli. 10. * Isa, xlix. 5. for for which he earnestly befought the Lord thrice, that he might be released. It is not to be wondered that the ftandard-bearers fhould be fhot at, feeing they are making continual war against the kingdom of darkness, and fpiritual wickedness in high places: and who is fufficient for these things? Verily he only whofe fufficiency is of the Lord. He will not fail to ftrengthen them by his Spirit's might in the inner man, fo that they shall hold on their way, and wax ftronger and stronger. Befides, it is necessary that they should be tempted, that they may know how to fuccour and help tempted fouls. It is a part, a material part of their learning, without which no man can be a true minifter of Jefus Chrift. They must know how to speak a word in season, to such as are tempted and tried. How different are fuch preachers from him whofe chief or only talent confifts in ftringing a few pretty chiming fentences together, and affecting to play off the orator for half an hour, leaving his audience, as well as himself, highly pleased with the fermon, themselves, and their fins. The fervant of GOD, fpeaks from the heart, to the heart; and the word is fpirit and life; it is with the demonftration of the fpirit, and proves life and light, food and phyfic to his hearers. The faithful minifter of Jefus has the found of his Master's feet behind him and brings forth the bread of life: his difcourfe carries a living energy to the conscience, either to wound or to heal. Yea, he speaks as one having authority. Judge then, my brethren, whether fuch an one does not need the power of Chrift to be made manifeft in his weaknefs; and he that goes out in the ftrength of the Lord God, is fure to find his Saviour according to his promise. 4. The Lord will be with his fervants, to give fuccefs to their labours. For we know, that even Paul may plant, and Apollos may water, but it is GOD who must give the increase. A true minifter is not fatisfied with doing his duty, as it is called; that is, preaching or praying fo many times. No; he wants to fee fome fruit of his toil; namely, finners turned to God, mourners favingly comforted; fome truly quickened who were dead in trefpaffes and fins. He reads, that the falfe prophets ran and were not fent, and therefore did not profit the people. He dreads fuch a character, and therefore is very importunate with the great Shepherd, that he may be the happy inftrument of turning neverdying fouls to God, that he may have living feals to his ministry, for a crown of rejoicing in the day of the Lord: and that he may not run in vain, nor fpend his ftrength, his time and talents, for nothing. If we were more humble and faithful, we should undoubtedly find more fuccefs: For want of genuine humility, we cannot be trusted with fuccefs, it might prove our own ruin; and therefore for want of faith, our miniftry is too often wordy and empty; we fay much to little purpofe; and therefore fight like thofe that beat the air. To fee crowds attend upon our miniftry, VOL. XIX. Dec. 1796. is |