CHARITY IN RELIGION. 33 pause for a moment, to consider his own contradiction of that injurious thought. 66 My nature hath evermore fled controversy so much as I could. My delight and desire hath been to preach Christ, and our salvation by Him, in simplicity and truth; and to comfort myself with the sweet promises of the Gospel, and in prayer." These were the settled feelings of his mind; and we are further informed, that he paid no regard to matters of mere speculation, that he looked upon a holy life as the true end of religion, and that the religious knowledge to which he aspired was such as would best assist his growth in piety and holiness of living. CHAPTER III. THE PASTOR. Who is God's chosen priest? Who hath learned lowliness From his Lord's cradle, patience from his cross, Who both in agony Hath seen Him, and in glory; and in both In witness of his Lord, In humble following of his Saviour dear.-Christian Year. Ar a period when few models of pastoral watchfulness and industry existed in England, and those few were chiefly to be found far away in the southern counties, Bernard Gilpin, taking the word of God for his guide, became one of the brightest patterns of the ministerial character which have ever shone upon the world. We have already noticed some striking proofs that VOL. II. D he entertained solemn apprehensions of the responsible nature of that holy office. Not satisfied with being strictly virtuous, sincere and devout, and anxious for the welfare of souls, he had resigned his living of Norton under an impression that his views of Scriptural doctrine were not yet sufficiently clear and settled. And, when he had drunk of the streams of religious knowledge which were opened to him abroad, and returned to exercise a charge of superintendence as archdeacon, he used strenuous efforts to awaken others to a perception of those responsibilities of the Christian ministry, by which his own heart was so deeply affected. In the discharge of his parochial duties, he carried one broad maxim into effect, with a scrupulously tender conscience, that he was bound to devote all his talents unceasingly to the glory of God, and the good of his parish. Acting upon this principle, Gilpin freely sacrificed his own comfort and convenience whenever occasion required it, he withdrew himself from the pleasures of life, and from the enjoyment of those studious and retired pursuits which, as we are told, were most congenial to his taste. He was impelled to this devotedness, not by any motive of worldly praise, for his station was one in which a decent formality would have gained him esteem; nor was it that he had to satisfy the craving desire of a people hungering for the bread of life, on the contrary, he had to create an appetite as well as to open the pastures; but he thus fully exercised the work of his ministry, in order that, on the confines of eternal glory, he might render his account with joy. The scene of his labours, when he first entered upon them, has been already described as a moral waste; it was in so wild a state, that any one, not possessed of great energy of character, would have despaired of working a reformation; and nothing but the most unremitting industry could have succeeded in effecting it. Nothing worthy of the name of Christianity had been cultivated EFFECTS OF HIS MINISTRY. 35 there, and superstition and ungodliness prevailed together. But he put his hand to the plough, and God was with him to prosper his labours. Being the first preacher of the doctrines of the Reformation whose voice had been heard at Houghton, he declined no exertion which seemed requisite to implant its vital principles, and to promote their fruitfulness. His His first aim was to secure the confidence and affection of the people. Many of the papers which were preserved by his family, testified his sense of the great importance of that object; and in truth he soon made his parishioners feel that their new minister was their sincere friend. demeanour was frank and engaging, he condescended to their capacities and the limited boundaries of their knowledge, treated their scruples with respect, and made charitable allowances for their faults. He had so happy a way of adapting his instructions to the apprehensions of his congregation, that his preaching was often attended with very surprising effects; of which an instance is recorded with regard to a sermon which he delivered on honesty. A man who was present, struck with the warmth and earnestness with which he spoke, stood up in the midst of a large congregation, and gave glory to God by freely confessing his offences, and making hearty professions of repentance. In the private functions of the pastoral care, Gilpin was unremitting in his exertions for the spiritual benefit of his flock. He invited his parishioners to communicate all their doubts and difficulties to him, promising a serious and patient attention; he gave assistance and encouragement in the most engaging manner to those whom he thought well-disposed; and even his reproofs were like the kind remonstrances of a friend. To all he threw his doors open, that they might bring to him their spiritual sorrows or wants; wisdom as well as piety were manifested by his treatment of each case; and those who had no concern about themselves found that he watched for their souls. But while his care and diligence embraced the whole population of his parish of every age, his chief hopes of success arose from his ministrations amongst the young. He felt that it was a far more promising and far easier task to train up a child in the way that he should go, than to extricate the full-grown man from his accustomed paths. For such reasons he established a free-school in the parish; a measure which we, who live in an age of general education, cannot justly appreciate, until we have considered that he had not the stimulus of surrounding example. But, whether they attended his school or not, his eye rested with an anxious interest upon the rising generation, and he studied to teach them that the ways of religion were ways of pleasantness, and to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. The afflicted members of the flock also partook largely of his sympathy and tender care; and when at length the infirmities of age prevented him from attending in person to administer to their consolation, he was accustomed to write beautiful and tender letters to sooth their anguish, and to remind them wherefore their troubles were sent. One of these letters has been preserved to this day, and may enable us to judge of the general tenour of others, and of his conversation in the house of mourning. It is as follows:--- After my most due commendations, I beseech you, gentle Mrs. Carr, diligently to call to mind how mercifully God hath dealt with you in many respects. He hath given you a gentleman of worship to be your husband; one that I know loveth you dearly, as a christian man should love his wife. And by him God hath blessed you with a goodly family of children, which both you and your husband must take to be the favourable and free gift of God. But, good Mrs. Carr, you must understand, that both that gift of God, and all others, and we ourvelves, are in his hands: He takes what He will, whom He will, and when He will; and whomsoever He taketh, in youth or in age, we must fully persuade ourselves that He ordereth all things for the best. We may not murmur, or think much at any of his doings: but must learn to speak from our hearts HIS EXERTIONS BLESSED. 37 the petition of the Lord's Prayer, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. It is unto this holy obedience that St. Peter calleth all Christians, saying, Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God. This godly submission did cause the holy patriarch Job, when it pleased God to take from him not only one, but all his children, seven brethren and their three sisters, upon one day, never to grieve himself with what God had done; but meekly to say, The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord. And here I would have you, good Mrs. Carr, to consider, how small cause you have to mourn, or fall into a deep sorrow, in comparison of the holy patriarch. God hath taken from you only one young daughter, and hath left you a goodly family of children, which, I trust, with good education, will prove a blessed comfort to you. This example of Job, and other examples in Holy Scripture, being written (as the Apostle saith) for our admonition, I must needs declare you to be worthy of great blame, if you continue any space in such great sorrow and heaviness, as I hear you take for your young daughter. St. Peter saith, that Christ Jesus suffered for us most cruel torments, and last of all, a most cruel death, to leave us an example that all that believe in Him should follow his blessed steps: that is, to bear his cross, to be armed with all patience, whensoever we lose anything that we love in this world. And the same Apostle saith, Seeing Christ hath suffered for us in his body, all you that are Christians must be armed with the same thought. Furthermore, the Scripture saith, that unto us it is given not only to believe in Christ, but also to suffer for his sake. And St. Paul, in the 8th to the Romans, hath a most comfortable sentence to all that will learn to suffer with him; and a most fearful sentence to all those that refuse to suffer with him, and to bear his cross. The Spirit (saith he) beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God; and if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and fellow heirs with Christ, it followeth, if so be that we suffer together with Him that we may also be glorified with Him. And St. Paul, in the first chapter of the second to the Corinthians, saith to all the faithful, As ye are companions of those things which Christ hath suffered, so shall ye be companions of his consolations. All these things considered, I doubt not, good Mrs. Carr, but that you will arm yourself with patience, and bear Christ's cross, learning |