Sayfadaki görseller
PDF
ePub

47

Entelligence.

INTELLIGENCE, HONDURAS.
(Communicated by Mr. Crowe.)

Concluded from page 24.

"I have at least six Catholic children in my day school, and three of them to my knowledge have been confirmed by these priests. One is a Spaniard, another a Frenchman, and both speak English tolerably well. Thus you see, dear Brother, there has been also a Catholic agitation amongst us, but we trust that again our Lord has heard and delivered us from so great a calamity. Their audacity arouses my spirit, to think of a few peaceable industrious Protestants being asked to aid in the erection of a place of worship for parties who have had exclusive possession of the country for 300 years, whilst, at the same time, they deny to us the liberty of sojourn amongst them unless by abjuring our religion. A Spanish School of 22 pupils has been opened, and we have no books for them, do my Brother, do try to put useful elementary books into their hands." "Edward Kelly goes on encouragingly

at Baker's Bank Station."

Further particulars respecting Tilletton, etc., have been communicated by the same mail in a letter to Br. Norton. I

have also received a letter from Mrs. Willats from the Island of St. Thomas, more than half-way on her voyage, of which I subjoin almost a verbatim copy. October 3rd, 1851,-Onboard the Medway, at Anchor off St. Thomas.'

Mr. Crowe,
Dear Brother,

As the mail boy with letters for England, is to be sent ashore by nine o'clock in the morning, I cannot let the opportunity pass without letting you know something about our comforts since we left Southampton.

In the first place we have all through mercy enjoyed a good share of health; only having one day's sickness, which was the first Monday after sailing, it being a very rough sea that day. But we have been very much favoured in the weather, as the Captain says he never remembers having so fine a run.

"We have our meals in the saloon, at the same table which you and I sat at on the 17th of September. There has been in all seventeen children, three nurses,

two French, and one Irish gentleman have their meals with us. We breakfast at eight o'clock on hot rolls, hashed meat, ham, eggs, bread and butter. Dine at one on fowls, hot joints of fresh meat, baked rice puddings and tarts. Tea at Six.

The first-class passengers breakfast at nine, lunch at twelve, dine at four, tea at seven. These things I mention in order that you may see how much more comfortable every thing has been than we expected, and also that we are quite distinct from the warrant officers, who mess in a small cabin between decks, this I feel very thankful for..........

Of the passengers one who is a clergyman was asked to preach the first Sunday on board, but refused, because he had not been ordained.

Of cur five Wesleyan brethren I can say little, they have kept very much to themselves. I suppose there is something forbidding in my appearance that they

are afraid of me. We have the Church

Prayers read by the Captain on Sunday the Missionaries. It is all over in one morning, and a short Sermon by one of religious service on board. hour or rather less. This is the only There has evening, the Clergyman being one of the been dancing after tea almost every musicians, and the others looking on. I have felt it my duty to take the children to the other end of the vessel (we have liberty to go all over the decks,) and there let them sing bymns, etc., by themselves. One evening they had a singing party on board, in which, I am sorry to say, three of the Wesleyans joined in singing songs. The rule laid down was that every one present should sing a song in their turn. They afterwards told me that they should not have joined in it, if they had thought it would not have been confined to moral songs. I felt cast down at being compelled to stand all alone, but when the Captain and another gentleman said to me, "Why don't you join them? You are often singing with your young ones?" I said "I would gladly join them if they were singing the songs of Zion, but I could not join in the idle words that they were using, when I remembered that for every idle word I must give an account at the day of judgment." The next evening when one of the gentlemen asked me to

be his partner after tea, in the dance, saying, "that it was my turn now," I replied that "for a long time I had not knowingly engaged in any thing which I could not ask God's blessing upon, and I felt that I could not ask it upon such an amusement." He appeared to feel the remark and said "we did not think of that as we ought."

I have distributed a good many tracts among the Sailors, and my attention has been directed to two youths, one an orphan fourteen years of age, who is going as servant to a gentleman on board, bound to Nassau,-the other who is sixteen, has no mother, and the first four days he was very ill, which drew forth Ebenezer's sympathy. They both like to read the books which I lend them, and one of them comes with my own to family worship after breakfast. This is pleasing. There is also another gentleman who at first opposed religion, and was always trying to bring something forward that he thought could not be proved, but the Lord I think has begun the work of grace in his heart. He told me on Sunday that he had been a Sunday School Teacher, that he had lost his mother when very young, and his aunt had brought him up, but had been dead these eight years, and her last prayer was for him, He said that they were his happy days,' when he was a Sunday School Teacher. He is travelling on business, and says he will never neglect the House of God again, when on land. He expressed his wish to another person, that he had had more conversation with me, as he felt much more comfortable in his mind, than when he came on board. I hope that it is the Lord's work.

A merchant going home to Barbadoes, quite the gentleman, a father and grandfather, last Monday said to me, if I was going to Barbadoes, that he should be very glad to take charge of my boys, as he had been watching them, and, was pleased with the way they are brought up, and their behaviour. I told him I was not going there. He then said, that, he would take one and bring him up for the Counting-house. He should be treated as one of his own, and he would make a gentleman of him. I thanked him for his kindness, but told him, I could not part with one at present, where there was no prospect of my seeing him again. He has been asking the children if they would not like to go with him.

I think my dear Brother, it would not

be prudent of me to let one go with a person almost a stranger to me.

The Captain and all indeed on board, behave very kind to me and the children, The last four days the Captain has sent one of them down after he has come up from dinner, to ask for fruit for themselves, and yesterday he brought some in his pocket and gave to me for them. I should not name these things, but it shows me how the Lord has answered the prayers of Mr. Williams, in giving me favour in the eyes of those on board.

We

I have been able to do a good deal of work, and do not think of going ashore here, as there are so many of us. are all glad to sleep without blankets, and I should be glad to have a glass of cold water, it is all warm.

[After several affectionate messages and salutations. she says.]

When we entered the Harbour at four o'clock this afternoon, and saw the pretty little town of St. Thomas, I could not help feeling depressed, as I thought I should never see England again, and those dear friends whom I love. And then as I saw some coming in their boats to meet their friends, 1 thought that if spared to arrive at Belize there would not be one that I knew. But the Lord was pleased to enable me to look above these circumstances, and under the consciousness that I am in the path of duty, to leave all in His hands who has promised never to leave, nor ever to forsake me. Feeling confident that I am remembered in your prayers, and desiring to be remembered by all Christian friends,

I remain, Your affectionate sister,
Elizabeth Mary Willats.

I must close as the man has come to put out all lights,-Farewell.

PS. October 4th,-Ten o'clock. The children are eating or rather sucking, sugar cane, brought on board by some of the passengers,-All is bustle. We expect to go on board another steamer to-day.

RECENT DEATH.

On Friday Evening, January 16th. aged 69, Mr. Alexander Pirie, Elder of the Original Baptist Church in Dandce.

[blocks in formation]

To this important query many would reply, The Church of Christ. Others would say, a Kingdom or Kingdoms in Heaven beyond the skies. A few contend that it is none of these, but, the Kingdom which God has promised to set up upon the earth, when the tyrant, the lawless one, represented by Daniel's little horn, is given to the devouring flame; that Kingdom of which Daniel in chapter vii. speaks thus, "And the Kingdom, and the dominion, and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most high; whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom, and all dominions (rulers) shall serve and obey him." Most cheerfully does the writer of this article, identify himself with the latter party.

That the Church of Christ is not the Kingdom of God, is evident from many considerations; but a desire to save space and time, limits us at the present to only one. The Church cannot be the Kingdom of God, because after the Church was fairly commenced, the

scriptures represent the Kingdom as being still in the future. Thus in Acts Chapter xiv. Paul exhorts a Church "to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God;" an exhortation which most evidently implies that they had not yet entered into God's Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is also clearly put into the future in 1 Cor. xv. 50, Eph. v. 5, 2 Tim. iv. 1. Heb. xii. 28, James ii. 5, 2 Pet. i. 11, Rev. xi. 15-18; This last text not only shews that the Kingdom of God, and of Christ is still future, but, also makes known when it will come; namely, at the sounding of the last of the seven trumpets, which is also the trump of God, because it ushers God upon the scene. From the 18th verse we learn that when the Kingdom becomes the Lord's (Psalm xxii. 28) the following things will be cotemporaneous events. 1. The nations will be angry, agreeable to Rev. xix. 19, Isaiah xvii. 12—15, Dan. viii. 25, Ezek. xxxviii. 39, Zeph. iii. 8, Zech. xiv. 2 The wrath of God will be come. Rev. vi. 17, Ezek.

G

xx. 4.

xxxviii. 18-19, &c., Psalm ii. 12, Psalm cx. 5—6. 3. The time to judge the dead will have come. Dan. xii. 2, Rev. xx. 4. The time to reward the Saints will have come. Dan. xii. 3, Matth. xiii. 43, Col. iii. 4, 2 Thess. i. 7, 2 Tim. iv. 8, Rev. 5. The time to destroy them that destroy the earth will be come. See most of the passages already referred to. Now as the Kingdom of God will come just when these things take place, and as none of them have taken place yet, it follows that "the Kingdom of God and of Christ" (Eph. v. 5.) is not come yet, consequently it cannot be the Church of Christ.

[ocr errors]

By this time some of your readers may be ready to burst with a number of texts which they deem proofs that the Christian Church is the Kingdom of God. Some texts may appear to do so at first sight, just as some texts have the appearance at first sight of teaching that Jesus is not God, as well as man; like that one Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one; that is God." But this text can easily be harmonised with those texts that clearly prove the divinity of Christ; and so the texts which to some may appear at first sight to teach that the Church is the Kingdom, can be very easily harmonised with those texts which unequivocally teach that the Kingdom is still in the future. Let us

see.

1. Matth. xvi. 28. "Verily I say unto you, there be some standing here which shall not taste of death till they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom." That these words do not refer to the commencement of the Church on Pentecost is clear. Firstly: From the fact that the Son of Man did not then come in his Kingdom.

Secondly. That the wonders of Pentecost were not seen by the some but by all the Disciples of Jesus. To understand this passage aright we must observe; 1 That just before uttering these words Jesus had been speaking of the reward which those who would losetheir lives for his sake should get. 2 He specifies the time when they should get this reward; at his appearing and Kingdom, ver. 27. 3 Then to shew the certainty of this reward, that it was not a cunningly devised fable he says, verily I say unto you, &c. 4 Observe next that "some" of the Disciples, viz Peter, James, and John, eight days after this declaration saw Jesus arrayed in that very glory which he will possess, and which his people shall share with him, (Col. iii. 4., 1 John iii. 1—4.,) “ at his appearing and Kingdom," or, to use his own words when "they see the Son of Man coming in his. Kingdom." 5 Lastly, observe how this exposition of the passage is confirmed by 2 Pet Chap. i. There the Apostle exhorts the Saints to abound in the work of the Lord, that they may obtain an abundant entrance into his everlasting Kingdom. Then he tells them that the things which the Apostles had preached to them concerning this Kingdom, was no cunningly devised fable, for some of them had seen his power and glory when they were with Jesus in the holy mount. It was not in the Church that Christians were to obtain the`r reward of which Jesus was speaking.. Hence the inconclusiveness, the impropriety of applying his words to the Church. On the other band it is in his everlasting Kingdom, at his coming, that the Saints will receive their reward. Hence the propriety and conclusiveness of the

application of these words to that Kingdom; of which the transfiguration on the holy mount was a confirmatory figure and foretaste,

2. Col. i. 13. "Who (God) hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love." We can no more infer from this verse that the Saints are already in the Kingdom of God, than from Rom. viii. 30, that they are already glorified, As respects glorification, Rom. viii. 30 must be understood in harmony with Col. iii. 4; and as respects translation into the Kingdom of Christ, Col. i. 13 must be understood in harmony with 2 Peter i. 11. There is one scriptural principle that harmonises both. That principle is, that God calleth things that be not as though they were. Having once made a promise to an individual or body of individuals, he afterwards speaks of it as already fulfilled. Thus he promised Abraham to make him the father of many nations, and then called him so when Abraham had no child. Again he promised to redeem Jacob and glorify himself in Israel, at the deliverance of creation from its bondage. Then he spake of it as already done. " Sing O heavens; for the Lord hath done it; shout ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein; for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel." Isaiah. So the Lord has promised to give a kingdom to them that love him, James ii. 5; and, hence speaks in Col. i. 13, as though they were already in it; the gifts and callings of God being without repentance. 3 Rev. i. 9, agrees with Acts xiv. 22, and 2 Thess. iii. 5; the doctrine of these and many

other scriptures being " If we suffer with him we shall also reign with him." Saints are companions and brethren in the patient waiting for Jesus' coming, and in enduring afflictions in the hope of reigning with him in his Kingdom; and this is the only view of Rev. i. 9, which makes it to harmonise with "the other scriptures."

We conclude then that the Kingdom of God is still in the futurethat it is not the Church of Christ and that it will not be come, till the coming of the Lord. As respects the Kingdom when it is come, its chief people on the earth will be Israel and Judah restored to their own land, converted soundly to God, and formed into one nation and power. At the same time it (the Kingdom of God,) will embrace all nations. "All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the Kingdom is the Lord's; and he is the governor among the nations." Psalm xxii. 27-28.

Did space permit, we should endeavour to establish from the Word of God as chief items in the Kingdom of God, the following facts; 1. The restoration, Ezek. xxxvii. Conversion, Ezek. xxxvi. 25-30; and national pre-eminence of God's ancient people, Micah iv. 6-8. 2. The regeneration of the nations as consequent upon Israel's redemption, Rom. xi. Îl—15. 3. The deliverance of creation from its present bondage and groaning, Rom. viii. 19-23; as compared with Isaiah xi. 6-9, xliv. 23, Psalm lxvii. 96-98, Rev. v. 13, xxii. 3-4, to which we may add as first in order of events, although given here as the last, the advent of the Lord, and the glory of the Church

« ÖncekiDevam »