Obrázky stránek
PDF
ePub

churchman and the dissenter on this point? Does the churchman think the religious education of children should be attended to, and the dissenter that it should be neglected? Both, if religious men, are united here. The question is not, shall the child receive a religious education, but by whom?"—p. 17.

Contemplating the possibility of Sir James Graham's bill becoming the law of the land, Dr. Payne boldly declares :

66

No government in the world has any right to bind any man to support the "ism" of another. To God he is in bondage, to man he is free. And we, the nonconformists of this country, would sacrifice life rather than this freedom which God has given to us. Let the law become what it may, we will still hold ourselves morally free. And should the contemplated act of oppression-the bill of Sir James Graham-be added to other acts of oppression under which we have long groaned; should the threatened attack upon our civil and religious liberties-upon all that is dear to us as men and as christians-be actually made upon us, by carrying that bill into law, it must become a question-in my view of the case it ought to become a question-whether we shall not avail ourselves of the option, which, according to Blackstone, we have by law, in reference to all actions which do not bind the conscience, i. e. (which have no moral character, per se) the option whether we shall obey such law, or quietly suffer the consequences of disobedience. On that question we need not now pass an opinion. "Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof."

Let us be thankful to the great ruler of all that we have not been called upon practically to decide this important question. We trust that the mighty movement which caused the abandonment of this bill has taught our rulers a lesson which they will not soon forget, and that in future they will tremble ere they touch the ark of our liberties.

"The Signs of the Times:" or, the present position of the Established Church, considered in relation to the grand Interests of the Protestant Reformation. By John Morison, D.D. London: T. Ward and Co., Paternoster Row.

Another attempt to direct the minds of christians to the great practical improvement which they are bound to make of the fearful signs of the times. The beautiful passage extracted in another part of our columns will shew the lovely spirit and powerful style in which the appeal is made.

THE

INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE.

SEPTEMBER, 1843.

A SHORT ADDRESS TO OUR READERS. The present Editor of the Independent Magazine, in commencing his labours, cannot forbear addressing a few words to his readers. It is not without a sense of the responsibility of his office that he has consented to accept it. His object is to benefit the more advanced amongst the young of the Independent denomination. The magazine is not intended for children, but for our rising youth of both sexes; and his aim will be to furnish them, from month to month, with a variety of matter, adapted especially to their age, growing intelligence, and important position in society. He hopes to confirm them in the pure faith of the gospel-in the leading principles of congregationalism-in the love of everything that is truthful, beautiful, and heavenly-in the pursuit of wisdom and honour -and in zealous, enlightened devotedness to the cause of Christ.

In conducting the Magazine, the Editor has sketched out for his own guidance the following plan-to admit no article which breathes a bitter, or sectarian, or unchristian spirit--to furnish his readers with as much original matter as possible-to afford variety in every number-to suit his pages in due proportion to all the respective aspects in which the young may be regarded, as individuals, as members of churches and families, as sunday school teachers, and as component parts of a great communityto impart information, discuss difficulties, confirm principles,

S

refute errors to mingle history and biography, spiritedly written, with shorter articles on moral and religious topics, and such as are likely to promote a pure and healthy taste-in brief, to make "the Independent" answer all the ends of a literary, moral, theological, and practically religious magazine. His aim is high, but not too high for the class for whom he is willing to labour. He earnestly invites the cooperation of others, that his object may not fail. Ministers and our intelligent laymen may assist him by their pens; and the readers of the magazine by aiding its circulation. As there is no other magazine of precisely the same order amongst us, it is to be hoped that the denomination at large will smile upon our efforts to indoctrinate the rising generation in the principles of evangelical truth and congregationalism.

We have commenced in the present number a series of lessons for classes in our sunday schools. It is our intention to continue them monthly. There is one feature in the part of our plan to which we call the attention of our sunday school teachers. Now and then we propose to insert a catechetical lesson on some of our distinctive principles, as a substitute for the usual ones explanatory of scripture. Those principles are in the New Testament, and it is high time that sunday scholars learnt them. We will do our best to assist our teachers in this important part of their labours.

THE LIFE OF JOHN BUNYAN.

FIRST PERIOD-OR PREVIOUS TO HIS CONVERSION.

The subject of this biography was born in the year 1628, at Elstow, a village near Bedford. His father was a tinker; but nevertheless an honest man who "bore a fair character." By his care young Bunyan was sent to school to read and write, according to the rate of other poor men's children. It seems that at school he did not learn good manners, although he must have got on pretty well with his grammer. He says of himself: "from a child I had but few equals for cursing, swearing, lying, and blaspheming the holy name of God.".

In early life, however, Bunyan was the subject of religious impressions, sometimes of the most powerful kind. At the age of between nine and ten, his mind became filled with fears of divine wrath and a day of judgment. And what is more remarkable, his very fears even then took the shape of dreams and visions. The tendency to allegorize was exhibited even in his childhood. "Once," says one of his early biographers, "he dreamt he saw the face of the heavens, as it were, all on fire, the firmament crackling and shivering as with the noise of mighty thunders, and an archangel flew in the midst of heaven sounding a trumpet, and a glorious throne was seated in the east, whereon sat one in brightness like the morning star; upon which he, thinking it was the end of the world, fell upon his knees, and with uplifted hands towards heaven, cried, 'O Lord God, have mercy upon me! what shall I do? the day of judgment is come, and I am not prepared!' When immediately he heard a voice behind him exceedingly loud, saying, 'repent;' and upon this he awoke, and found it but a dream." This dream, like the many others by which his slumbers were disturbed, had little practical influence over his conduct. Instead of renouncing sin, he pursued it with even more avidity than before. In fact he became one of the most daring and notorious sinners round Bedford.

Such a youth seemed formed for the reckless life of a soldier; and we are not surprized therefore to learn that he became one. He entered the army of the Parliament in the year 1645, at the age of seventeen. He lived in perilous times. Tyranny and liberty were struggling together for the victory. King Charles was fighting with his cavaliers for despotism. Oliver Cromwell and the Parliamentarians were fighting for the nation. Bunyan enlisted on the popular side. It was somewhat remarkable, and on some accounts well for him, that he did so. The army of the court was composed chiefly of dissolute men; the Parliamentary army of devout, prayerful, psalm-singing men. Of course there were exceptions on both sides. There were some better spirits amongst the Cavaliers: there were some hypocrites and many fanatics amongst the Roundheads. But the general rule was as we have stated. It was well for Bunyan that he did not join the Cavaliers; for their example would have confirmed him in impiety. It was well that he joined the Parliamentarians; for

their companionship recalled him to better thoughts, and their example did not encourage him in sin. He did not remain in the army long; there was no need for it: it was victorious. But it is, perhaps, on the whole, well for us, that he was in it for a short time. For he was present at the siege of Leicester, and probably at the battle of Naseby; and here he made those observations which fitted him to write the Holy War. Bunyan was an attentive observer of all that came under his notice; and profited by his presence on these two occasions. But for this, in all probability we should never have had that wonderful book. Indeed he was a better observer than soldier; for his first biographer says: "he appearing to the officer to be somewhat awkward in handling his arms, another man voluntarily thrust himself into his place." This very awkwardness was providentially overruled for the good of Bunyan himself, and the many generations who were to be benefited by his writings. The man who superseded him was, as Bunyan writes, "shot in the head and died."

Immediately after leaving the army he married; and the virtues and lovely disposition of his wife did much towards reclaim ing him from gross vice, and tended to his reformation. If not a changed character, she was comparatively devout. She enticed him to reading, and won him over to reflection. Before, he was the ringleader in all brutal sports; now, he became her pupil, which was far better. God, in his great mercy, began from this time to work upon his soul: first, by alarming his fears; then by leading him to see his helplessness as a sinner; then by directing him gradually, and not without many bitter pangs, to Christ as the sole refuge. This period of his history must not be passed over briefly: it may be of importance to some of our readers.

What Philip calls Bunyan's first reformation is somewhat remarkable. It was wholly an outward one. Instead of profaning the whole Sabbath, as he had been accustomed to do, he was induced by his wife to go to church "twice a day," and

66

very devoutly both say and sing as others did." Yet, as he himself confesses, he retained his "wicked life." "I was so overrun," he says, "with the spirit of superstition, that I adored, and that with great devotion, even all things belonging to the church; the high place (pulpit), priest, clerk, vestment, service,

« PředchozíPokračovat »