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ON MAKING RELIGION OUR BUSINESS.

watcheth his thoughts, lest they should turn to froth: "How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?" (Jer. iv. 14.) What a world of sin is minted in the fancy! A child of God sets a spy over his thoughts, he summons them in, and captivates them "to the obedience of Christ." (2 Cor. x. 5.)

(3.) He who makes religion his business watcheth over his passions.-Passion is like gunpowder, which the devil setting on fire, blows up the soul. Jonah in a passion quarrels with the Almighty. (Jonah iv. 1, 9.) He who is devoted to religion watcheth his passions, lest, the tide growing high, reason should be carried down the stream, and be drowned in it. (4.) He who makes religion his business watcheth his duties." Watch and pray." (Matt. xxvi. 41.) First, He doth watch in prayer. The heart is subject to remissness; if it be not dead in sin, it will be dead in prayer; a Christian watcheth, lest he should abate his fervour in duty; he knows if the strings of his spiritual viol slacken, he cannot "make melody in his heart to the Lord." (Eph. v. 19; Col. iii. 16.) Secondly, He doth watch after prayer. As a man is most careful of himself when he comes out of a hot bath, the pores being then most open and subject to cold; so a Christian is most careful when he comes from an ordinance, lest his heart should decoy him into sin: therefore, when he hath prayed, he sets a watch. He deals with his heart as the Jews dealt with Christ's sepulchre; they "made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch." (Matt. xxvii. 66) A good Christian having been at the word and sacrament (that sealing ordinance), after the sealing he sets a watch.

(5.) He who makes religion his business watcheth his temptations.-Temptation is the scout which the devil sends out to discover our forces; it is the train he lays to blow up our grace. Satan ever lies at the catch; he hath his "depths" (Rev. ii. 24); his "methods" ! (Eph. iv. 14); his "devices." (2 Cor. ii. 11.) He is continually fishing for our souls; and, if Satan be angling, we had need be watching. He who makes religion his business is full of holy exubation; he lies sentinel, and, with the prophet, stands upon his watch-tower. (Hab. ii. 1.) Solomon saith of a virtuous woman, "Her candle goeth not out by night." (Prov. xxxi. 18.) The good Christian keeps his watch-candle always burning.

Char. 8. He who makes religion his business, every day casts up his accounts to see how things go in his soul. (Lam. iii. 40.) Solomon

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saith, "Know the state of thy flocks." (Prov. xxvii. 23.) A man that makes religion his work is careful to know the state of his soul; before the Lord bring him to a trial, he brings himself to a trial; he had rather use the looking-glass of the Word to see his own heart, than put on the broad spectacles of censure to see another's fault. He plays the critic upon himself. He searcheth whether he have grace or no, and he tries whether it be genuine or spurious. He is as much afraid of painted holiness as he is of going to a painted heaven. He tra verseth things in his soul, and will never leave, till that question, "whether he be in the faith," be put out of question. (2 Cor. xiii. 5.) Here is the man making religion his business; he is loath to be a spiritual bankrupt; therefore is still calling himself to account.

Char. 9. He who makes religion his business will be religious, whatever it cost him. He is a resolved man: "I have sworn that I will keep thy righteous judgments." (Ps. cxix. 106.) There are some who will be rich (1 Tim. vi. 9); and there are some who will be godly. (2 Tim. iii. 12.) He that makes religion his business will not, as Luther saith, be put off with other things: he can want health, riches, friends; but he cannot want Christ or grace. He will be godly: let the times be what they will, they shall not take him off the work of religion; he will follow Christ upon the water; the floods of persecution cannot drown his zeal; he doth not say, "There is a lion in the way;" he will wrestle with difficulties, march in the face of death. The Christians of the primitive Church cried out to the persecutor, "Hew us in pieces, burn us: we will never worship your idols." These were in good earnest for heaven. There is a great deal of difference between those who go to sea for pleasure, and those mariners who are to go a voyage to the East Indies: the first, upon the least storm, retreat back to shore; but they who are embarked for a voyage hold on their course, though the sea be rough and stormy, and will venture their lives in hope of the golden harvest at the Indies. Hypocrites seem religious when things are serene and calm; but they will not sail in a storm: those only who make religion their business will hold out their voyage to heaven in the midst of tempests and death-threatening dangers.

Char. 10. He that makes religion his business lives every day as his last day. He prays in the morning as if he were to die at night; he lives as if he were presently to be called to God's bar; he walks "soberly, righteou

lly

(Tit. i. 12); he girds his loins, trims his lamp, sets his house in order, that when death comes for him with an habeas corpus, he may have nothing to do but to die. Behold here the man who makes religion his business.*

JOHN HUSS.

JOHN HUSS was condemned before the Council of Constance for adhering to certain of the "heresies" of Wycliffe. It was in his case that the Church of Rome sanctioned and exemplified the atrocious principle, that "no faith is to be kept with heretics." When John Huss went to stand his trial before the council, he received a "safe-conduct," or pass, from the Emperor Sigismund, certifying that he should be allowed to go to Constance, and return in safety. After the council had condemned him, however, they passed a decree to the effect that, Huss being a heretic, the emperor "should not in this case be obliged to keep his promise, by whatsoever tie he might have been engaged;" and, accordingly, Huss was handed over to the tender mercies of the magistrates of Constance. The following account of his sentence and death is taken from a work of singular interest, a translation of which has recently been published-" The Reformers before the Reformation," by

Bonnechose:

John Huss remained for thirty days in prison after having publicly replied to his judges; and it was on the 6th July that he appeared for the last time before the council, in the fifteenth general session, in order to hear his sentence pronounced.

The Cardinal de Viviers presided: the emperor and all the princes of the empire were present; and an immense crowd had assembled from all quarters to view this sad spectacle. Mass was being celebrated when Huss arrived; and he was kept outside until it was over, lest the holy mysteries should be profaned by the presence of so great a heretic. A high table had been erected in the midst of the church, and on it were placed sacerdotal habits, with which John Huss was to be invested, in order to be stripped of them afterwards. He was directed to seat himself in front of this table on a footstool, elevated enough to allow him to be seen by every one. On taking his seat, he made a long prayer in a low voice; and, whilst he was employed in this self-communion, the Bishop of Lodi ascended the pulpit. He took for his text this passage of St. Paul: " That the body of sin might be destroyed." (Rom. vi. 6.) He concluded with these words, addressed to Sigismund: "Destroy heresies and errors, and, above all,"

This admirable paper is from the same pen as the article, entitled "How to read the Bible with profit," previously

inserted, pp. 433

pointing to John Huss, "this obstinate heretic. It is a holy work, glorious prince, that which is reserved to you to accomplish-you, to whom the authority of justice is given. Smite, then, such great enemies of the faith, in order that your praises may proceed from the mouth of children, and that your glory may be eternal. May Jesus Christ, for ever blessed, deign to accord you his favour!"

the decree, by which the council demanded silence: and nothing testifies more strongly than this the omnipotence which the council arrogated to itself, and the humiliation in which the kings and the emperor were held in its presence. This decree is thus worded: “The holy Council of Constance, lawfully assembled by the influence of the Holy Spirit, decrees and orders every one, with whatever dignity he may be invested, whether imperial, royal, or episcopal, to abstain, during the present session, from all language, murmur; and noise, which may trouble the assembly, convoked with the inspiration of God; and this, under pain of incurmonths, and to be declared an abetter of heresy." ring excommunication, an imprisonment of two

Immediately after the sermon, a bishop read

This decree having been read, Henry Piron, the proctor of the council, rose up and demanded, in its name, the condemnation of John Huss and of his writings.

The council had first sixty articles of Wy

cliffe, extracted from the books already condemned, read aloud; and it condemned them afresh. It then proceeded to the works of John Huss, and thirty articles were gone through which had not been previously read in public, but several of which were a mere repetition of those on which he had been already interrogated.

Huss wished to reply to each separately; but the Cardinal of Cambray ordered him to be silent, declaring that he could reply, at the end, to all of them together. Huss represented to him that so great an effort of memory was absolutely impossible, and was proceeding to enforce his request to be allowed to speak on each article as it arose, when the Cardinal of Florence stood up, and exclaiming, "You are stunning us!" gave orders to the ushers of the council to seize him, and force him to keep silence.

He was a second time prevented from speaking; and, finding that he was not permitted to repel so many accusations, he kneeled down, and, raising his hands and eyes to heaven, recommended his cause to the Sovereign Judge of the universe.

After the reading of the articles had been gone through, the depositions of witnesses were proceeded to, and these were designated by their titles and qualities, and not by their names. The accusation previously brought against him, relative to his doctrine on the administration of the sacrament, was again adduced, although he had victoriously refuted

JOHN HUSS.

it, and had been pronounced orthodox on the point. He was also accused, amongst other absurd charges, of having given himself out as the fourth person of the Trinity. This accusation was supported by the testimony of a doctor, whose name was not given. John Huss, replied by repeating aloud the Athanasian Creed.

His appeal to Jesus Christ was also again laid to his charge as a heavy crime. He, however, repeated it, and maintained that it was a just and proper proceeding, and founded upon the example of Jesus Christ himself. "Behold!" cried he, with his hands joined together and raised to heaven, "behold, O most kind Jesus, how thy council condemns what thou hast both ordered and practised! when, being borne down by thy enemies, thou deliveredst up thy cause into the hands of God, thy Father, leaving us this example, that we might ourselves have recourse to the judgment of God, the most righteous Judge, against oppression. Yes," continued he, turning towards the assembly, "I have maintained, and I still uphold, that it is impossible to appeal more safely than to Jesus Christ, because He cannot be either corrupted by presents, or deceived by false witnesses, or overreached by any artifice." When they accused him of having treated with contempt the excommunication of the pope, he observed: "I did not despise it; but as I did not consider him legitimate, I continued the duties of my priesthood. I sent my procurators to Rome, where they were thrown into prison, ill-treated, and driven out. It is on that account that I determined, of my own free will, to appear before this council, under the public * protection and faith of the emperor here present."

John Huss, in pronouncing these last words, looked stedfastly at Sigismund, and a deep blush at once mounted to the imperial brow.

Huss' refusal to abjure having been publicly repeated before the council, two sentences were pronounced-one of which condemned all his writings to be publicly burned; and the other devoted him to degradation from his sacred office, as a true and manifest heretic, proved guilty of having publicly taught errors which had been long condemned by the Church of God-of having advanced several things that were scandalous, rash, and offensive to pious ears, to the great opprobrium of the Divine Majesty, and to the detriment of the Catholic faith;-in fine, of having stubbornly persisted in scandalizing Christians by his appeal to Jesus Christ as to a sovereign Judge, in contempt of the apostolic see, and of the censures and the keys of the Church.

During the reading of the sentence. Huss, who was listening very attentively, exclaimed against it several times, and, in particular, repelled the accusation of stubbornness. "I have always desired," said he, "and am still

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most anxious, to be better instructed by the Scriptures. I declare that my zeal for the truth is such, that if, by a single word, I could overturn all the errors of heretics, there is no peril that I would not encounter for such a result." He then fell on his knees, and said "Lord Jesus, pardon my enemies! Thou knowest that they have falsely accused me, and that they have had recourse to false testimony and vile calumnies against me;-pardon them from thy infinite mercy!"

This prayer produced feelings of indignation in some of the members of the council, and called forth mockery in others, particularly amongst the heads of the assembly.

Then commenced the afflicting ceremony of degradation. The bishops clothed John Huss in sacerdotal habits, and placed the chalice in his hand, as if he was about to celebrate mass. He said, in taking the alb, "Our Lord Jesus Christ was covered with a white robe, by way of insult, when Herod had him conducted before Pilate." Being thus clad, the prelates again exhorted him to retract, for his salvation and his honour; but he declared aloud, turning towards the people, that he should take good care not to scandalize and lead astray believers by a hypocritical abjuration. "How could I," said he," after having done so, raise my face to heaven? With what eye could I support the looks of that crowd of men whom I have instructed, should it come to pass, through my fault, that those same things which are now regarded by them as certainties, should become matters of doubt-if, by my example, I caused confusion and trouble in so many souls, so many consciences, which I have filled with the pure doctrine of Christ's Gospel, and which I have strengthened against the snares of the devil? No! no! it shall never be said that I preferred the safety of this miserable body, now destined to death, to their eternal salvation!"

The bishops then made him descend from his seat, and took the chalice out of his hand, saying, "O accursed Judas! who, having abandoned the counsels of peace, have taken part in that of the Jews, we take from you this cup filled with the blood of Jesus Christ!"

"I hope, by the mercy of God," replied John Huss," that this very day I shall drink of his cup in his own kingdom; and in one hundred years, you shall answer before God and before me!"

His habits were then taken off one after the other, and on each of them the bishops pronounced some maledictions. When, last of all, it was necessary to efface the marks of the tonsure, a dispute arose amongst them whether a razor or scissors ought to be employed. "See," said John Huss, turning towards the emperor, "though they are all equally cruel, yet can they not agree on the manner of exercising their cruelty."

They placed on his head a sort of crown or

pyramidal mitre, on which were painted frightful figures of demons, with this inscription, "THE ARCH-HERETIC," and when he was thus arrayed, the prelates devoted his soul to the devils. John Huss, however, recommended his spirit to God, and said aloud, "I wear with joy this crown of opprobrium, for the love of Him who bore a crown of thorns."

which he was firmly tied to a stake, driven deep into the ground. When he was so affixed some person objected to his face being turned to the east, saying that this ought not to be, since he was a heretic. He was then untied, and bound again to the stake with his face to the west. His head was held close to the wood by a chain smeared with soot, and the view of which inspired him with pious reflections on the ignominy of our Saviour's sufferings.

The Church then gave up all claim to himdeclared him a layman-and, as such, delivered him over to the secular power, to conduct him Fagots were then arranged about and under to the place of punishment. John Huss, by the his feet, and around him was piled up a quanorder of Sigismund, was given up by the Elec-tity of wood and straw. When all these pretor Palatine, vicar of the empire, to the chief magistrate of Constance, who, in his turn, abandoned him to the officers of justice. He walked between four town-sergeants to the place of execution. The princes followed, with an escort of eight hundred men, strongly armed; and the concourse of the people was so prodigious, that a bridge was very near breaking down under the multitude. In passing by the episcopal palace, Huss beheld a great fire consuming his books, and he smiled at the sight.

The place of punishment was a meadow adjoining the gardens of the city, outside the gate of Gotleben. On arriving there, Huss kneeled down and recited some of the penitential psalms. Several of the people, hearing him pray with fervour, said aloud, "We are ignorant of this man's crime; but he offers up to God most ex. cellent prayers."

When he was in front of the pile of wood which was to consume his body, he was recommended to confess his sins. Huss consented, and a priest was brought to him, a man of great learning and high reputation. The priest refused to hear him, unless he avowed his errors, and retracted. "A heretic," he observed, "could neither give nor receive the sacraments." Huss replied: "I do not feel myself to be guilty of any mortal sin, and now that I am on the point of appearing before God, I will not purchase absolution by a perjury."

When he wished to address the crowd in German, the Elector Palatine opposed it, and ordered him to be forthwith burned. "Lord Jesus!" cried John Huss, "I shall endeavour to endure, with humility, this frightful death, which I am awarded for thy Holy Gospel. Pardon all my enemies." Whilst he was praying thus, with his eyes raised up to heaven, the paper crown fell off: he smiled, but the soldiers replaced it on his head, in order, as they declared, that he might be burned with the devils whom he had obeyed.

Having obtained permission to speak to his keepers, he thanked them for the good treatment he had received at their hands. "My brethren," said he, "learn that I firmly believe in my Saviour; it is in his name that I suffer, and this very day shall I go and reign with him!"

His body was then bound with thongs, with

parations were completed, the Elector Palatine, accompanied by Count d'Oppenheim, marshal of the empire, came up to him, and for the last time recommended him to retract. But he, looking up to heaven, said with a loud voice, "I call God to witness, that I have never either taught or written what those false witnesses have laid to my charge. My sermons, my books, my writings, have all been done with the sole view of rescuing souls from the tyranny of sin; and, therefore, most joyfully will I confirm with my blood that which I have taught, written, and preached; and which is confirmed by the divine law and the holy fathers."

The elector and the marshal then withdrew, and fire was set to the pile! "Jesus, Son of the living God," cried John Huss, "have pity on me!" He prayed and sung a hymn in the midst of his torments, but soon after, the wind having risen, his voice was drowned by the roaring of the flames. He was perceived for some time longer moving his head and lips, and as if still praying-and then he gave up the spirit. His habits were burned with him, and the executioners tore in pieces the remains of his body and threw them back into the funeral pile, until the fire had absolutely consumed everything; the ashes were then collected together and thrown into the Rhine.

THE REAPER AND THE FLOWERS.

BY HENRY W. LONGFELLOW.

THERE is a reaper whose name is Death,
And, with sickle keen,

He reaps the bearded grain at a breath,
And the flowers that grow between.

"Shall I have naught that is fair?" saith he,
"Have naught but the bearded grain?
Though the breath of these flowers is sweet to me,
I will give them all back again."

He gazed at the flowers with tearful eyes;
He kissed their drooping leaves;
It was for the Lord of Paradise

He bound them in his sheaves.

"My Lord hath need of these flow rets gay,"
The reaper said, and smiled;
"Dear tokens of the earth are they,
Where he was once a child.

JULIAN THE APOSTATE.

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PRAISE FROM THE STAMMERING
TONGUE.

THE following account of the conversion of
William Sallah, an African boy, was received
from his own lips by a Wesleyan missionary:-
"From a little boy I like for read too much.
I pray; but, mind, that time I no feel nothing
in my heart. The first thing led me to class
good was. One day my father" (Pierre Sallah,
who had taken him, when a boy, from the libe-
rated African yard) "says, "Little boy will
die as well as big man.' When I hear that,
the next day I went to Mr. Fox, and tell him,
'I want to join myself to class.' He tell me,
'What reason you want join yourself to class?'
I answered, 'I not hungry for food. My soul
is hungry.' He asked me,' How do you know
your soul is hungry? You not see your soul.
How you know it is hungry?' He ask me,
'What pray is?' I tell him, 'Pray is beg.' He
said, 'Do you sabby (know) beg?' I tell him,
Yes, if I hungry I sabby beg person nyam,
nyam (food). As I sabby nyam, nyam, for my
body, so I think if I beg God nyam, nyam,
for my soul, he go give me.' He say, 'Don't
you hear what Christ say?-Suffer little children
to come unto me. I say, I hear that very well
from my father all time; but I think I do so
much bad, Christ can't carry me to that place.'
When he hear that, he pleased very much, and
asked me,
What class you wish to meet?' I
tell him to 'Monday.' He tell me, 'Monday
you come to class.'

"In Monday I come and join myself in class: then next Monday I come in class, I pray: it please Mr. Fox very much. So I continually; but I not feel the pardon of my sins. Sometimes when I pray, my heart sweet me very much: sometimes it still dark. One day I pray, my heart sweet me very well. I see nothing in world. I only want for die. I was with my mother in middle day. I say, 'Mammy, I want nothing but die.' She asked me, William, are you hungry? Have you nothing to cover your skin? Anything hurt you? I tell, her, 'No;' but I didn't tell her what reason.

"In this way I continued until Mr. Swallow sent me in Fattota to teach in 1842. I was in house by me one (myself). In night I cook

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me supper; done, I put it in middle house.. I think, By and by he cool.' I come back, I eat him. I go in piazza and lay down; the moon shine, and I see plenty star come out. I think of one word my father tell me one of the prophets say before: When I consider the heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man that thou art mindful of him?' &c. I think, That person who make them no him finger, he no bad as me.' I say, 'If he hear man as me; if he let the firmament fall down and crush me to I die, I am sure I shall be in hell.' When I think upon that, I am afraid and trembling. I rise, and went in the house to pray. When I begin to pray, I wish to pray sofely (softly); but my heart force me to pray aloud. Many Mandingoes and other people heard me and came; but my sin troubled me, and I pray loud and loud, till I believe in Jesus Christ, when I feel in my heart, Thy sins are forgiven thee.' Then my heart glad. That same night I not take my supper for the sake of my heart rejoice.

"In next morning the people begin come to meeting. I begin tell them all that God done for me. They astonishing. They get no proper word to say, until some say, I hope God will give me that blessing to feel it in my heart." I tell them, hope, without believing could not give them that. They all went home, and pray much; but no one return back and tell me anything.

"The same morning I write to my father. It please him very much. He give very good work. This was January 5th, 1842. I thank God, I feel this yet."

JULIAN THE APOSTATE.

ON no subject is the Word of God more explicit than regarding those who have made shipwreck of the faith and a good conscience. In one passage we read, that it is impossible to renew to repentance those who were once enlightened, but have subsequently fallen away. (Heb. vi. 4-6.) In another it is written, that "if we sin wilfully, after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins" (Heb. x. 26); and in the same chapter (verse 38) we read, "If any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." Except the phrases which describe the hopelessly lost, the eternally condemned, there are no stronger expressions employed in Scripture than those which thus apply to apostasy and apostates.

And as it is thus in the Word of God, there is frequently a response to it in the consciences of men. Few conversions take place in which, at some stage of the change, the thought does not occur to, or engross the mind, that the unpardonable sin has been committed, and the Spirit for ever grieved or quenched. It is felt that warnings have been slighted, that grace has been resisted, conscience stifled, and sin committed, not in ignorance, but against light. Hence deep,

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