pleasure, in reference to yourself, and from which I gathered a hope you
was growing in the knowledge of God our Saviour. This is life eternal to
know him, and it is a very great favour indeed to be growing in that
knowledge; many of the Lord’s children are grieved that they cannot get
better, nor grow into a good opinion of themselves. Hence they are not
pleased with themselves, and cast down because they appear so bad to
themselves, whereas our main concern should be to get better acquainted
with Christ, as he is revealed in the gospel, carrying on the great work
of salvation. You and I must lament, that when God’s children meet
together, even in their most serious moments, they spend all their time
in talking about their frames, and feelings, instead of Christ; whereas,
talking about Jesus, and striving to get some sweet ideas of him, as he
is set forth in the word, and communicating those ideas, would be the
best subject, to improve the mind, warm the heart, and lead out the soul
to love Christ, and one another. This would be the communion of saints,
as connected with the forgiveness of sins. Poor, tried saints are always
talking about their feelings; and common professors are talking about
this religious society, and the other, and thus they are well pleased
with what they do for God, before God has done any thing for them: There
is no communion in all this, ’tis a mere bubble, and a plan of Satan’s,
to keep Christ out of the mind. Christ is all in heaven, and he should
be all in the Church; and when he is all in all to us, we have got the
sweetest evidence that we can have, that we belong to God. I am
sometimes cast down in soul, but the Lord raises me up again; and
although the work of God is genuine on the soul, yet I find, by repeated
experience, that I can neither love, believe, or hope, but as the blessed
Spirit operates on the soul. Without Christ we can do nothing, no more
than a body without a head, or limb cut off the body, or sick man without
a physician, or an accused man without a counsellor, or a condemned man
without a pardon. Christ is our Lord, physician, advocate, and
atonement, our righteousness and strength; and it is our mercy he is the
balm in Gilead, health amongst the witnesses, and the healer there.
Gilead signifies witnesses: these are the Bible, and in the Church, and,
blessed be God, in our hearts; also as there are many things there can
witness for him. Hence God says, Ye are my witnesses, and my servant,
whom I have chosen. Christ was God’s witness to us, and we are witnesses
of the freeness of his grace, and the value of his blood. Christ
represents us to God and we represent Christ—he is God-Man in one. Man
ruined himself in aspiring to be God, and God saves man by becoming man;
the divinity is espoused to our nature, that our souls might be espoused
to Christ, and to God in him. The adorable Father and eternal Spirit
aims at the exaltation of Christ, as God-Man, and all things are made for
this purpose.
All things for _his_ sake did Jehovah prepare,
For of _him_, and through _him_, and to _him_ they are;
All systems and worlds which revolve through the sky
Were made for the lifting of Jesus on high.
May he be glorified in your salvation and mine, and reward you both for
your sincere esteem for him, who remains
Your’s in him,
_Ruhamah_.
LETTER L.
_Achor’s Vale_, _October_ 26th, 1819.
Mr. FOSSETT.
MY DEAR FRIEND AND BROTHER,
When the chastising hand of God is laid heavily upon a nation, a family,
an individual, or a church, it becomes the afflicted to ask, Is there not
cause? When the troubles abounded on pious Job, he said unto God, Shew
me wherefore thou contendest with me? and when the Lord made a breach
upon Uzzah, the reason is assigned, no doubt as an answer to some
enquiring souls, who were deeply affected with the Lord’s hand. David
finding the cause of the breach was that of acting contrary to the orders
which had been previously given, in reference to the persons bearing the
ark (1 Chronicles, xv, 13) The Lord our God made a breach upon us, for
that we did not seek him after the due order. And it is an awful
circumstance recorded in the New Testament, that, the sad disorders and
conduct of the Church at Corinth, was resented by the great Head of the
Church on many of its members (see 1 Cor. xi, 30). It has pleased the
Lord to make an awful breach amongst us, as a Church; the removal and
long reproach of your minister, the troubles and disgrace of the
congregation, the affliction of mind, body, and circumstances of the
Church at large, must be viewed as the rod of a Father, chastising and
correcting, reproving and calling to consideration. As an individual, I
trust the Lord has convinced me of the sad occasion of these afflictions,
and having granted me the assurance of his pardoning mercy, I feel it my
duty to call the attention and exertion of the deacons and managers, the
church and congregation, to lay this important matter to heart; and
knowing the cause, to endeavour to remove it. The Lord Jesus is jealous
of his honour, and whatever sullies or tarnishes that glory, he will
resent it in some way or other.
It has been a source of grief to many pious, grace-taught, and
conscientious persons, that there is so great a neglect of the order of
the gospel amongst us, as professing to believe in, and love the Lard
Jesus, by the teaching of his Spirit—permit me to say, that this is a
reason why the Lord has thus so deeply afflicted us. I have been
constantly preaching the word, as far as I was taught, and helped, to the
Lord’s people amongst us, for some years: God has given his testimony to
the word of his grace, and there has been an assembling in his house, a
submission to the ordinance of baptism, by the majority, and a constant
attendance at the Lord’s table. This was well as far as it went; but it
is necessary to stand complete in the _whole_ will of God, and to act in
_all_ things, consistent with the rules laid down in his word. The
precepts of the New Testament are the laws of Christ, as king in Zion,
and they must form our rule of conduct in the Church, and in the world.
A wilful neglect of this rule, is an insult upon the Saviour, and he will
resent such conduct in his own People. Let us therefore search and try
our ways, and turn again unto the Lord.
I have frequently endeavored to rectify the error into which we have
fallen, viz. The neglect of Church order. Some years ago, I published a
pamphlet, entitled “The Nature of a Gospel Church,” with the covenant
into which all the members were to enter, upon their admission to the
Lord’s table. But, alas! this has scarcely ever been noticed since: it
was approved of, but never practised. I hope, at a future day, to revise
that little book, and add the following Articles, which appear to me to
be important, to the founding and establishing the Church in future, and
for the glory of the Saviour; but till we are settled again, as a
congregation, I take this opportunity of sending you what I humbly
conceive to be the Spirit’s mind, concerning the well-being of the Church
of Christ. These Articles, I pray the God of all grace, to enable us
constantly to observe, with the rules laid down in the members covenant,
and the confession of faith there published.
The Articles, I hope, will be punctually attended to. I know your
concern of mind on this subject, and have no doubt, by prayer and
perseverance, but the Lord will succeed our humble attempt to glorify his
holy name.—Christian love to Mrs. F.
I remain, your’s truly, in gospel bonds,
_Ruhamah_.
Rules of the Ruhamah Society.
1.—That as many Deacons be chosen, as the circumstances of the Church may
require: that they may be men taught of God, and good moral characters,
and who are Baptists, both in Principle and Practice.
2.—That the Deacons shall be chosen by Lot, or by a Majority of the
Members, at a public Meeting of the Church, when every Member shall be
entitled to a Vote, except those who are under Church censure: such
cannot be admitted to vote, till fully restored.
3.—That the Minister shall make it a particular point of conscience, to
point out the work of Deacons, in the faithful discharge of their office.
4.—That the Minister and Deacons shall be reproved by the Church, for any
inconsistency of conduct, or a deviation from any of the fundamental
doctrines of the gospel; and should either Minister or Deacons continue
to persist in such practises, or errors, they must be suspended, should a
majority of the Church so determine,
5.—Should any of the Members act in any unjustifiable way to the
Minister, such shall be reproved; and if they continue such conduct, the
Church shall expel them.
6.—That the Minister is to have but one voice in the Church, on any
occasion whatever.
7.—That the Church meet once a month, at which the Minister, if possible,
is to be always present, and the Deacons also to make it a point of
conscience to attend _all_ the public and private meetings of the Church
and Congregation, as far as they are able.
8.—That the Church Meetings shall always be opened with Prayer, and
reading the preceptive parts of the New Testament, setting forth the Duty
of Church Members.
9.—That the Minister shall have the privilege to call the Church together
on any special occasion.
10.—That no Minister be suffered to go into the Pulpit to preach, without
the consent of the majority of the Church, unless on any urgent occasion,
when either Minister or Deacons may give their consent.
11.—That the Minister shall appoint some of the Deacons to manage all the
temporal affairs of the Church, and appoint one of the Members once a
year, to act as Secretary to them, and report the state of the temporal
affairs of the Chapel to the Church.
12.—That the particular Affairs of the Church shall not be disclosed to
those who have no connection with us; and any unpleasant circumstances
which may arise in the Church, or concerning any Member, shall not be
exposed to the world—and all Admonitions to offending Persons shall be
kept from general observation.
13.—That a Book or Books shall be kept to record the names of the
Members, and every important transaction in the Church.
14.—That no Person acting as a Servant in the Church shall hold more than
one Office, except by particular request.
15.—That no Member be allowed to bring any grievance of a temporal
nature, before the Church, till it has obtained the Consent of the
Minister and Deacons.
16.—That the Ordinance of the Lord’s Supper be duly administered every
first Lord’s Day in the month, in the Evening, and on particular
occasions, when the Minister shall appoint.
17.—That when a Person desires to unite with the Church, to break Bread,
and to partake of the various Privileges of the Lord’s House, they are to
intimate the same to the Minister or to the Deacons, or to any Member to
introduce them.
18.—That the Deacons are to enquire into the state of their souls,
respecting a Work of Grace, and if they are satisfied, the Candidate is
to be brought to the Minister, who is to propose them to the Church at
the earliest Meeting thereof. This Examination is to be in a very
faithful, yet candid and affectionate manner. The Deacons are also to
take the earliest opportunity of minutely enquiring into the moral
Character and Conduct of such Persons, and upon approbation the Candidate
must attend at the next Church Meeting.
19.—That Persons wishing to be admitted be also requested to relate to
the Church the dealings of God with their souls; but, if timid, they may
give in a written account of the same, or the Minister to ask them such
questions as relate to the subject; and upon the Candidate’s retirement,
the Deacons are to give an account of the report of their moral conduct,
and if there is a majority of Votes, they shall be immediately admitted
as Members of the Church.
20.—That if such Persons are not baptized by immersion, the subject is to
be particularly explained to them by the Deacons and Members of the
Church, as they have opportunity, but they are not to be admitted to the
Lordly Table till the subject is opened to them.
21.—That any desirous of Baptism, are to signify the same as early as
possible to the Deacons, or Minister, that, when there is a convenient
number, they may partake of that ordinance. Not less than twelve
persons, unless under very peculiar circumstances. And if it be
signified, privately, that any Person or Persons are not able to bear the
usual expence attending the ordinance, the Church is to bear that
expence, as on those occasions there is much damage done to the Chapel.
22.—That the baptized Persons, and all those who were admitted as Members
at the Church Meeting, shall be publicly received at the ordinance of the
Lord’s Supper, when the Articles of Faith shall be read to them, an
address be given them, with singing and prayer, when they are to receive
the right hand of fellowship from the Minister, the representative of the
Church.
23.—That the Minister and Deacons shall enforce the various Duties of
Church Members, and stir each other up to every good word and work. That
they shall sympathize with each other; study each other’s spiritual and
temporal welfare—that they shall deal and trade with each other, as much
as their circumstances will admit, in preference to any other, as
Children of the same Father. That they warn the unruly, instruct the
ignorant, comfort the feeble-minded; give timely, kind, affectionate, but
_faithful_ reproof, when needed; restore the Backslider, and endeavour to
promote the prosperity and peace of the Church. But if any Member
persists in walking inconsistently, such shall be admonished by the
Minister and Deacons; but if this has no avail, the Church shall be
informed of it, and if no reproof has had any effect, such offender shall
be cut off, till some signs of penitence and reformation appear, when, if
it be desired, such Person shall be re-admitted.
* * * * *
FINIS.