marriage amidst scenes of gaiety and pleasure--in receiving and
returning the visits of his friends and associates; and though he
found an apology for this course of life in the example of others,
yet he felt it to be injurious to the religious tone of his mind,
and longed to return to his more settled religious habits. Had Mrs.
Beaufoy possessed a similar spirit, this incursion into the land of
the enemy would not have been productive of any essential injury;
but as she was now treading on her native soil, and moving in an
element congenial to her taste, she succeeded in estranging her
husband from the simplicity of a religious life, and induced him
to adopt the habits of the men of the world. The prayer-meeting,
in which his voice had often been heard, leading the devotion
of others, was now deserted for dinner and evening parties. The
sacredness of religious conversation with those who loved and feared
the Lord, was exchanged for the vain and trifling conversation of
the votaries of fashion; and though on the Sabbath-day he was seen
in his pew, yet the marked seriousness and peaceful serenity of his
countenance was supplanted by the knitted brow, or the listless
and inattentive air. The society of his former religious friends,
including Mr. Lewellin, now became less agreeable to him than that
of some gay worldlings, into whose company he was frequently thrown.
His letters to myself also were shorter and more reserved; but I
was still far from suspecting the dangerous nature of the career on
which he was now entering. Thus while retaining a name and a place
amongst the members of the church, he was rapidly receding from the
purity and fervour of the Christian spirit.
One of the earliest symptoms of apostasy from the pure faith of
Christ, is a fastidiousness of hearing, which few preachers can
please. The truth as it is in Jesus is tolerated on account of the
form or the manner in which it is presented; and the messenger is
admired more than the message which he delivers. Though we would not
condemn a predilection for the more graceful and the more eloquent
appeals of the pulpit, nor insinuate that a correct taste is a
_prima facie_ evidence of a heart in a state of departure from God,
yet it requires no lengthened argument to prove that when the truths
of the gospel are not loved and received for their own sake, and on
account of their beneficial tendency, it is a decisive proof that
the tone of the mind is injured; and that, notwithstanding the
outward appearance of devotion which may be kept up by a professor,
he is not walking in the fear of the Lord, nor in the comfort of
the Holy Ghost. He may have his favourite preachers; but if the
truth which they preach is not esteemed when it is delivered by men
equally zealous, and equally devoted to God, though not equally
gifted, we are supplied with a melancholy symptom of his being in a
backsliding state. It was this spirit of preference for the learning
of Paul--for the eloquence of Apollos--and for the peculiar charms
of Cephas, amongst the members of the church of Corinth, that the
apostle regards as an evidence of their indifference to Christ; and
which he adduces as a proof that a corrupt leaven was then working
amongst them. "For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I
am of Apollos," is it not a convincing proof, that the speaker is
more delighted with the correctness of the language which a preacher
employs, than the purity of the doctrines which he preaches?
Mr. Beaufoy, on his settlement in London, gave a decided preference
to the most evangelical and the most experimental preachers in his
Connexion; but now he began to admire the most fanciful and the
most florid, to whom he listened as an amateur does to a piece of
music--more for the gratification of his taste than the spiritual
improvement of his mind; and as he could not always hear them, he
began to absent himself from the chapel when they were not expected.
His habit of attendance at length became so irregular, that some
of his Christian brethren, who had watched with great anxiety
the progress of his defection, felt it their duty to have him
admonished; and they deputed an aged elder, in whom dwelt the spirit
of wisdom and of grace, to visit him.
The manner in which reproof is received often developes the
real temper and disposition of the mind, and supplies us with
a good criterion to form a correct judgment of character. "Let
the righteous smite me," said the Psalmist, when reviewing the
imperfections of his conduct, "it shall be a kindness; and let him
reprove me, it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my
head." And it is by the kind admonitions and the gentle reproofs
that we timely receive from those of our friends who watch over
us, that we are often indebted, under the Divine blessing, for our
spiritual prosperity, and to which we may trace our recovery from
that state of religious declension, to which we are so fatally prone.
"Indeed," said Mr. Beaufoy to his venerable friend, in whose company
he had formerly passed many a pleasant hour, "I think I am at
liberty to attend where and when I please, without being subject to
the inquisitorial interference of others. And though you are pleased
to say, that my late conduct has given my best friends reason to
fear that I am not so spiritual as when they first knew me, yet you
will permit me to say that I am the best judge on that subject."
"You certainly," replied the venerable elder, "are at liberty to
go where you please; but I hope you will not go away from Him who
'hath the words of eternal life;' and are at liberty to go when you
please; but do not forget the Divine injunction which commands us
to 'consider one another, to provoke unto love and to good works;
not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of
some is.'"
"I hope I shall not, Sir; but I must be permitted to consult my own
taste in the choice of the preachers on whose ministry I attend,
without being censured for any decrease in the spirituality of my
mind. If I do not talk quite so much on religious subjects as I
once did, that is no proof that I feel less; as we become reserved
on these high and awful considerations in proportion as we are
impressed by them."
"The Psalmist says," replied the elder, "'While I was musing the
fire burned; then spake I with my tongue.' I know you are displeased
with me, my brother, for the language which I have addressed to you;
and I assure you, that your displeasure gives me greater sorrow than
the cause of my visit, inasmuch as it convinces me that your heart
is not right with God. I have but a few years to live, and perhaps
only a few hours; and as I may not live to repeat a visit which
is as unacceptable to you as it is painful to myself, I cannot
leave you without giving you and Mrs. Beaufoy a message from the
Lord--'Take heed, lest there be in you an evil heart of unbelief, in
departing from the living God.'"
"I have no doubt, Sir, but your motives are good, and that you deem
the solemn admonition of the apostle necessary; but you will permit
us to form our own judgment on the propriety of its application."
The venerable elder then arose, took his young brother by the hand,
and wept; and after struggling for some moments to subdue the
feelings which were agitating his breast, he said, "My brother, I
fear that you have departed from the Lord, and that his Spirit has
departed from you; but let us kneel together at the throne of grace,
as we used to kneel when the light of his countenance shone upon
you, and pray for its return." He then knelt down, and offered up
a solemn and affecting prayer, which bespoke the fidelity of his
affection for his erring brother. When he arose, he received the
cold thanks of courtesy for his labour of love, and retired under a
strong presentiment that he should see his fellow-member's face no
more. And so it proved; for his feeble frame had received a shock
that evening from which he had not strength to recover. He hastened
home as fast as his tottering limbs would carry him--partook of
his frugal meal--read the twenty-third Psalm, and, in company with
his pious housekeeper (for he had buried his wife about six weeks
before this affliction came upon him), he knelt down, and closed the
toils of the day in the hallowed exercise of communion with God.
One petition he presented which he had never been heard to utter
before--"And if, Lord, it should please thee to call thy servant
this night, I thank thee that I am at last enabled to adopt the
language of Simeon--'Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in
peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation.'" This petition was
expressed with an energy of voice which indicated the animation of
a mind feeling its near approach to the prize of its high calling
of God in Christ Jesus. He retired to bed at his usual hour, but he
was restless and feverish; and about midnight he rang the bell. His
housekeeper entered his room, and on drawing aside the curtain of
his bed, heard him say,
"O! the pain, the bliss of dying."
He requested her to fetch his pious medical friend, who speedily
arrived, but it was only to confirm his old servant's worst fears.
The dying elder now related to the doctor, as a member of the same
church with himself, the particulars of his visit to Mr. Beaufoy. "I
know," he said, "I am dying, and that in a very few hours I shall
see the King in his beauty; but death hath lost its sting, and I
have lost my fears. I have long waited for my salvation, and now it
is come. I die in full and certain hope of a joyful resurrection
to eternal life. Give my dying love to my dear wandering brother,
and tell him that the language of the prophet is so impressed on my
mind, that I cannot leave the body without expressing a desire that
he will meditate on it. 'Thine own wickedness shall correct thee,
and thy backsliding shall reprove thee; know, therefore, and see,
that it is an evil thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord
thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of
hosts.'" He now gently waved his hand as he repeated the triumphant
language of the apostle:--"O death, where is thy sting? O grave,
where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength
of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ;" and reclining on the bosom of his
friend, he had one strong convulsive struggle, and then expired with
a smile settled on his venerable countenance.
The sudden death of this devout elder, who had been for more than
fifty years an ornament to his Christian profession, produced a
powerful sensation through the whole Society; and many attended his
funeral as an expression of the esteem and veneration in which they
held his character. Deep and heartfelt was the sorrow expressed on
the countenance of the assembled throng on that occasion, and every
one seemed to mourn as though he had lost a father or a brother.
On the following Sabbath, his funeral sermon was preached in the
chapel by the Rev. Mr. R----, from the words, "The hoary head is
a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness"
(Prov. xvi. 31). After a correct delineation of the character of
the deceased, he described the closing scene of his life. "He
was," said the preacher, "not only a good, but a devout man, and
pre-eminently endowed by the God of all grace, with a double portion
of the spirit of wisdom and understanding. Tremblingly alive for
the honour of his Master's cause, he would often weep when it was
endangered by the inconsistent conduct of its professed friends;
and it was to an extraordinary excitement occasioned by a visit of
mercy to a fellow-member, that we may ascribe his sudden decease.
His tender and sympathetic spirit yearning over the object of its
solicitude, was thrown into an agitation from which his feeble frame
never recovered. Having finished the work assigned him, he sunk
beneath the weight of his own grief, but not till he had assured
his mourning friends that he died in full and certain hope of a
joyful resurrection to eternal life. Be ye followers of him, who
through faith and patience is now inheriting the promises; and be
on your guard, lest, in departing from the living God, you should
bring down the gray hairs of some venerable elder with sorrow to
his grave, whose love may impel him to manifest a care for your
soul." Mr. Beaufoy heard this discourse, but it was evident by his
restlessness, and the indignant look which he cast towards the
preacher, that his pride was mortified, by the allusions which were
made to him.
Fidelity on the part of a minister is essential, not only to his
happiness, but his usefulness; yet when he permits his feelings to
overpower the dictates of prudence, he is in danger of frustrating
the design he wishes to accomplish. He should declare the word of
life without fear; but in administering reproof, he should never be
so personal in his remarks or allusions, as to turn the eyes of an
audience on the individual who may deserve it. By the adoption of
such a course no one would feel secure from attack, when he comes to
hear the message of grace; nor is it likely that the offender will
be reclaimed from the error of his way, when he finds himself made
a spectacle of reproach in the presence of his brethren. Instead of
relenting, he will be hardened; and may be induced to abandon the
place which the angel of mercy visits with his healing power, rather
than remain to receive instruction and reproof. A minister should
always combine the wisdom of the serpent with the harmlessness of
the dove; and while he desires to be faithful in the pulpit, he
should be solicitous to guard against all appearance of personality.
When the power of vital religion is declining in its influence over
the mind of a professor, and he begins to cherish feelings and adopt
habits which are opposed to the purity of his avowed principles,
he will not be able to endure the close appeals of the pulpit.
Prudence will often keep him from making any complaints against the
general fidelity of the ministry, even while his heart is writhing
under it; and his habits of intimacy with his Christian brethren
will sometimes prevent him from leaving a society with which he
has formed a close and a sacred union; but when the principle of
apostasy has gained ascendency over his conscience, and he begins to
treat the friendly remonstrances and admonitions with contempt, he
will soon discover some justifiable cause of offence, and retire in
disgust, if not in wrath.
Thus it was with Mr. Beaufoy. Stung to the quick by the allusions
which the preacher made to the visit of the venerable elder, and
the supposed cause of his sudden death, he left the chapel in the
greatest indignation; and the following morning, he sent his arrears
of subscription to the managers, requesting, at the same time, that
they would consider him as no longer a member of their church.
On being informed of her husband's abandoning his connection with
the Wesleyans, Mrs. Beaufoy was rather pleased than disappointed,
as she hoped she would now have greater scope for sharing in the
amusements of the gay world. Both thought it right, however, still
to attend some place of worship, and thus keep up the appearance
of respect for the public services of religion. Where to go, was
a question which they could not easily determine; but as some of
their friends, whose acquaintance they had lately made, attended a
Socinian meeting in E---- Street, they resolved to go there on the
following Sabbath. This sudden transition, from the fervid devotion
of Methodism, to the frigid apathy of Socinianism, produced no
unpleasant impressions on the mind of his wife, but Mr. Beaufoy was
not quite prepared for it. His heart was become hardened through
the deceitfulness of sin, yet he still believed in the essential
doctrines of Christianity, which retained their dominion over him,
though they had lost their original power of impression. They
were both struck with the gracefulness of the preacher's manner,
and admired his elocution; but Mr. Beaufoy could not renounce
the divinity, or the atonement of Christ, nor could he regard
the doctrine of regeneration as a corruption of the gospel. Mrs.
Beaufoy thought that every modification of Christianity was equally
acceptable to God, but Mr. Beaufoy was capable of distinguishing
truth from error; and while she adopted for her creed the poet's
stanza,
"For modes of faith let graceless zealots fight;
His can't be wrong, whose life is in the right,"
he was convinced that no man ought to be considered a Christian, who
rejected the leading doctrines of revelation.
At length, when expressing his abhorrence of some of the daring
charges which he heard advanced against the orthodox faith, and
which he considered as tending to universal scepticism, she replied,
"Well, my dear, you can very easily retain your own opinions, and
yet attend on Mr. B----'s ministry, because he cannot force you
to believe against the dictates of your own judgment, and if you
sometimes hear them controverted, that circumstance ought not to
disquiet you. As your belief is founded on evidence, and matured by
deep reflection, you are in no danger of being carried about with
every wind of doctrine, but may fairly calculate on your ability
to hold it fast, amidst all the efforts which may be employed
to destroy or disturb it." "Very true," he replied, "I like the
morals of Socinianism better than the doctrines. Well it shall be
so;"--and so it was. They took their pew, and occupied it; and as
the only restraint which had kept them for a long time from a more
extended course of gaiety was now removed, they began to walk more
openly in the ways of their own heart, and in the sight of their
own eyes. Hitherto they had kept up some semblance of religion,
but now they began to conform to the customs of the world, and to
avail themselves of the various sources of gratification which its
pleasures and amusements afford. Family-prayer, the last vestige of
their former habits of devotion, was now entirely neglected. The
Bible, which they once revered as their guide to everlasting life,
was thrown aside; and though Mr. Beaufoy could not forget that he
had been a religious man, yet he wished others to believe that now
he was a more happy one.
It has been very justly observed, that when we begin to think
lightly of error we are in great danger of being corrupted by it;
and the experience of all ages proves, that if a professor hold
the truth in unrighteousness, he is ultimately given up to believe
a lie. That there have been many departures from evangelical
principles in modern times no one will presume to deny; but if they
were closely examined, it would be found that they were preceded
by a neglect of private prayer, watchfulness, self-diffidence, and
walking humbly with God; and every one may perceive that they are
followed with similar effects. It has been acknowledged by some
who have embraced the Socinian system, that since they entertained
those views they have lost even the gift of prayer. Perhaps they
might draw up and read an _address to the Deity_; but they could
not pray. Where the principles of the gospel are abandoned, the
spirit of prayer and all communion with God will likewise depart.
The confession of Peter, that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God,
is thought to be that which our Lord denominates the rock on which
he would build his church. We are sure that the belief of this
article of faith was required as a test of Christianity; and who
can look into the Christian world with attention, and not perceive
that it still continues the key-stone of the building? If this
give way, the fabric falls. Relapses of this nature are infinitely
dangerous. He that declines in holy practice has to labour against
the remonstrances of conscience; but he that brings himself to think
lightly of sin, and meanly of the Saviour (which is what every
false system of religion teaches), has gone far towards silencing
the accusations of this unpleasant monitor. He is upon good terms
with himself. The disorder of his soul is deep, but it is of a
flattering nature. The declension of serious religion in him is no
less apparent to others than the physical decay of the body in a
consumption, where in each case the party himself frequently has no
suspicion of his danger.
As Mr. Beaufoy had no family, the love of accumulation had less
dominion over his mind than the passion for display, which had taken
an earlier possession of his mind than he himself was aware of, and
to its fatal tendency may be attributed, in a great measure, all the
evils and misery of his subsequent life.
On this subject we may here quote the words of a judicious
writer:--"We need not affect singularity in things indifferent,
but to maintain a constant endeavour to follow in the train of
fashion, is not only an indication of a vain and little mind, but is
certainly inconsistent with pressing towards the mark for the prize
of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. The desire of making an
appearance has ruined many people in their circumstances--more in
their characters--and most of all in their souls. We may flatter
ourselves that we can pursue these things, and be religious at
the same time; but it is a mistake. The vanity of mind which they
cherish destroys everything of a humble, serious, and holy nature,
rendering us an easy prey to the temptations which are thrown in
our way. A Christian's rule is the revealed will of God; and where
the customs of the world run counter to this, it is his business to
withstand them, even though in so doing he may have to withstand
a multitude--yea, and a multitude of people of fashion; but if we
feel ambitious of their applause, we shall not be able to endure
the scorn which a singularity of conduct will draw upon us. Thus
we shall be carried down the stream of this world; and shall either
fall into the gulf of perdition, or if any good thing should be
found in us towards the Lord God of Israel, it will be indiscernible
and useless."
Mr. Beaufoy's amiable disposition, and admirable conversational
powers, made his society courted by an extensive circle of
acquaintances. Balls, parties, and theatres now consumed the hours
of the evenings which were once devoted to reading, meditation,
and prayer; and not unfrequently the sanctity of the Sabbath was
violated by excursions to the country. It was just after they had
made an engagement to take an excursion on the Thames on the ensuing
Sabbath, that Mr. Beaufoy received a letter from his aged mother,
whom he held in the highest veneration, and from whom he wished to
conceal the fact of his apostasy. It breathed a spirit of gentle
reproach and remonstrance, and opened to his view her agony of mind,
occasioned by the intelligence of the defection of her beloved son
from the paths of righteousness:--
"BROOKCOMBE, _12th July, 18--_.
"MY DEAR HENRY,--You know I always dreaded your going to London,
and now, if what I hear be true, I have cause for my fears. A
friend called on us the other day, and told us that you had
left our Society and become a Socinian. I don't know much about
Socinians, but I understand they say that Jesus Christ is
nothing more than a man, and that we must not expect 'redemption
through his blood, or the forgiveness of sins through the riches
of his grace,' but from our own good works. And have you, my
Henry, forsaken that Saviour whom, unseen, you loved when you
lived at home with us? and have you made a shipwreck of that
precious faith which once filled you with so much joy and peace
in believing? and have you departed from the ways of the Lord
for the pleasures of sin, which are only for a season? We have
had no rest since we received these awful tidings, and the
spirit of your poor dear father is so broken with sorrow, that
he has not had a smile upon his countenance since. And can
you, my dear Henry, leave the Saviour who once had compassion
on you, and did such great things for you, as you so often told
us of? If you leave him now, how will you be able to stand
before him, when he comes with 'ten thousand of his saints, to
execute judgment upon all; and to convince all that are ungodly
among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly
committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners
have spoken against him?' O let me entreat you to return to the
Lord with weeping and supplication, and he will yet have mercy
upon you, and heal all your backslidings; he will accept you
graciously, and love you freely. I cannot give you up, no, I
cannot! You are my child, and I cannot endure the thought of
living separated from you in another world. Let me hear from
you directly, and tell me if you are as happy, and as holy, and
as spiritually-minded now, as when you first believed in the
Lord Jesus Christ. Your father joins me in love to you and dear
Sophia, and in beseeching both of you to consider the error of
your ways ere it be too late. --Your affectionate mother,
AMELIA BEAUFOY."