very little of the word of God, he ought to read it very much; for the
Spirit explains the Word by the Word. And if he enjoys the reading of the
Word little, that is just the reason why he should read it much; for the
frequent reading of the Scriptures creates a delight in them, so that the
more we read them, the more we desire to do so. And if the reader should
be an unbeliever, I would likewise entreat him to read the Scriptures
earnestly, but to ask God previously to give him a blessing. For in doing
so, God may make him wise unto salvation, 2 Tim. iii. 16.
If any one should ask me, how he may read the Scriptures most profitably,
I would advise him, that
I. Above all he should seek to have it settled in his own mind, that God
alone, by His Spirit, can teach him, and that therefore, as God will be
inquired of for blessings, it becomes him to seek God's blessing previous
to reading, and also whilst reading.
II. He should have it, moreover, settled in his mind, that although the
Holy Spirit is the best and sufficient teacher, yet that this teacher does
not always teach immediately when we desire it, and that, therefore, we
may have to entreat Him again and again for the explanation of certain
passages; but that He will surely teach us at last, if indeed we are
seeking for light prayerfully, patiently, and with a view to the glory of
God.
III. It is of immense importance for the understanding of the word of
God, to read it in course, so that we may read every day a portion of the
Old and a portion of the New Testament, going on where we previously left
off. This is important--1, because it throws light upon the connexion, and
a different course, according to which one habitually selects particular
chapters, will make it utterly impossible ever to understand much of the
Scriptures. 2, Whilst we are in the body, we need a change even in
spiritual things, and this change the Lord has graciously provided in the
great variety which is to be found in His word. 3, It tends to the glory
of God; for the leaving out some chapters here and there, is practically
saying, that certain portions are better than others; or, that there are
certain parts of revealed truth unprofitable or unnecessary. 4, It may
keep us, by the blessing of God, from erroneous views, as in reading thus
regularly through the Scriptures, we are led to see the meaning of the
whole, and also kept from laying too much stress upon certain favourite
views. 5, The Scriptures contain the whole revealed will of God, and
therefore we ought to seek to read from time to time through the whole of
that revealed will. There are many believers, I fear, in our day, who have
not read even once through the whole of the Scriptures; and yet in a few
months, by reading only a few chapters every day, they might accomplish it.
IV. It is also of the greatest importance to meditate on what we read, so
that perhaps a small portion of that which we have read, or, if we have
time, the whole may be meditated upon in the course of the day. Or a small
portion of a book, or an epistle, or a gospel, through which we go
regularly for meditation, may be considered every day, without, however,
suffering oneself to be brought into bondage by this plan.
Learned commentaries I have found to store the head with many notions,
and often also with the truth of God; but when the Spirit teaches, through
the instrumentality of prayer and meditation, the heart is affected. The
former kind of knowledge generally puffs up, and is often renounced, when
another commentary gives a different opinion, and often also is found good
for nothing, when it is to be carried out into practice. The latter kind
of knowledge generally humbles, gives joy, leads us nearer to God, and is
not easily reasoned away; and having been obtained from God, and thus
having entered into the heart, and become our own, is also generally
carried out. If the inquirer after truth does not understand the Hebrew
and Greek languages, so as to be able to compare the common translation
with the original, he may, concerning several passages, get light by an
improved rendering, provided he can be sure that the translator was a
truly spiritual person.
The last and most important means of, grace, namely, prayer, was
comparatively but little improved by me. I prayed, and I prayed often. I
also prayed, in general, by the grace of God, with sincerity; but had I
been more earnestly praying, or even only as much, as I have prayed of
late years, I should have made much more rapid progress.
In August, 1827, I heard that the Continental Society in England intended
to send a minister to Bucharest, the residence of many nominal German
Christians, to help an aged brother in the work of the Lord; the two other
German Protestant ministers in that place being, the one a Socinian, and
the other an unenlightened orthodox preacher. After consideration and
prayer I offered myself for this work to professor Tholuck, who was
requested to look out for a suitable individual; for with all my weakness
I had a great desire to live wholly for God. Most unexpectedly my father
gave his consent, though Bucharest was above a thousand miles from my
home, and as completely a missionary station as any other. I considered
this a remarkable providence; though I see now, that a servant of Christ
has to act for his Master, whether it be according to the will of his
earthly father or not. I then went home to, spend a short time with my
father. In the town where he lived, containing about 3000 inhabitants, I
could not hear of a single believer, though I made many inquiries. The
time I stayed with my father was more profitably spent than it had
formerly been. I was enabled more than ever before to realize my high
calling. I had by the grace of God power over sin; at least much more than
at any former period of my life.
I returned to Halle, and now prepared with earnestness for the work of
the Lord. I set before me the sufferings which might await me. I counted
the cost. And he, who once so fully-served Satan, was now willing,
constrained by the love of Christ, rather to suffer affliction for the
sake of Jesus, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. I also
prayed with, a degree of earnestness concerning my future work.
One day, at the end of October, the above-mentioned brother, Hermann
Ball, missionary to the Jews, attended the Lord's day evening meeting in
my room, on his way through Halle, and stated that he feared, on account
of his health, his should be obliged to give up labouring among the Jews.
When I heard this, I felt a peculiar desire to fill up his place. About
this very time also I became exceedingly fond of the Hebrew language,
which I had cared about very little up to that time, and which I had
merely studied now and then, from a sense of duty. But now I studied it,
for many weeks, with the greatest eagerness and delight. Whilst I thus
from time to time felt a desire to fill up Brother Ball's place as a
missionary to the Jews, (about which, however, I did not seriously think,
because Dr. Tholuck daily expected a letter from London, finally to settle
the particulars respecting my going to Bucharest); and whilst I thus
greatly delighted in the study of Hebrew: I called in the evening of Nov.
17th on Dr. Tholuck. In the course of conversation he asked me, whether I
had ever had a desire to be a missionary to the Jews, as I might be
connected with the London Missionary Society, for promoting Christianity
among them, for which he was an agent. I was struck with the question, and
told him what had passed in my mind, but added that it was not proper to
think anything about that, as I was going to Bucharest: to which he agreed.
When I came home, however, these few words were like fire within me. The
next morning I felt all desire for going to Bucharest gone, which appeared
to me very wrong and fleshly, and I therefore entreated the Lord, to
restore to me the former desire for labouring on that missionary station.
He graciously did so almost immediately. My earnestness in studying
Hebrew, and my peculiar love for it, however, continued. About this time I
had an offer of becoming tutor to the sons of a pious Gentleman of title,
which I did not accept on account of my purpose of going to Bucharest, and
if that should come to nothing, on account of my desire of being a
missionary to the Jews.
About ten days after, Dr. Tholuck received a letter from the Continental
Society, stating, that, on account of the war between the Turks and
Russians, it appeared well to the committee, for the time being to give up
the thought of sending a minister to Bucharest, as it was the seat of war
between the two armies. Dr. Tholuck then asked me again, what I now
thought about being a missionary to the Jews. My reply was, that I could
not then give an answer, but that I would let him know, after I had
prayerfully considered the matter. After prayer and consideration, and
consulting with experienced brethren, in order that they might probe my
heart as to my motives, I came to this conclusion, that, though I could
not say with certainty it was the will of God that I should be a
missionary to the Jews, yet, that I ought to offer myself to the
committee, leaving it with the Lord to do with me afterwards, as it might
seem good in His sight. Accordingly Dr. Tholuck wrote, about the beginning
of December, 1827, to the committee in London.
At Christmas I spent a few days at Belleben, a village about fifteen
miles from Halle, where I had been once or twice before, both for the sake
of refreshing the few brethren living there, and also of having my own
spirit refreshed by their love. One evening, when I was expounding the
Scriptures to them, an unconverted young man happened to be present, and
it pleased the Lord to touch his heart, so that he was brought to the
knowledge of the truth.
In the beginning of the year 1828 there was a new workhouse established
at Halle, into which persons of bad character were put for a time, and
made to work. Being disposed to benefit unbelievers, I heartily desired to
have permission statedly to preach the word of truth to them while I
stayed at Halle, particularly as I understood that one of the lecturers of
divinity in the university, who was a Socinian, had applied for this
living. I wrote to the magistrates of the city, and offered to preach to
those criminals gratuitously, hoping that in this way there would be less
objection to my doing so. The reply was, that Dr.--had applied for this
living, and that it had been laid before the provincial government for
consideration, but that they would be glad if I would preach in the
workhouse till the matter was decided. The decision did not come for some
time, and I had thus an opportunity of preaching twice every Lord's day,
and once or twice on the week evenings; and besides this I took the
criminals one by one into a room, to converse with them about their souls.
Thus the Lord condescended to give to one so unworthy, so ignorant, so
weak in grace, and so young in the faith and in years, a most important
field of labour. However, it was well, that even under these circumstances
I should have laboured there; for humanly speaking, had I not been there,
they would have had either no instruction at all, or a Socinian, or an
unenlightened preacher would have preached to them. And besides this, I
had at least some qualification for ministering there; for I knew the
state of those poor sinners, having been myself formerly, in all
probability, a great deal worse than most of them, and my simplicity and
plainness of speech they would not have found in every minister. After
some months the matter was decided, the Socinian lecturer of divinity, Dr.
--, was appointed to the living, and I had to discontinue my labours.
It was not before March 1828, that Professor Tholuck received an answer
from London respecting me, in which the committee put a number of
questions to me, on the satisfactory answers to which my being received by
them would depend. After replying to this first communication, I waited
daily for an answer, and was so much the more desirous of having it, as my
course in the university was completed. But no answer came. Had my desire,
to serve the Lord among the Jews, been of the flesh, it would in all
likelihood not have continued; but I still thought about it, and continued
to make it a subject of prayer. At last, on June 13th, I received a letter
from London, stating that the committee had determined, to take me as a
missionary student for six months on probation, provided that I would come
to London.
I had now had the matter before me about seven months, having supposed,
not only that it would have been settled in a few weeks, but also, that,
if I were accepted, I should be sent out immediately, as I had passed the
university. Instead of this, not only seven months passed over before the
decision came, but I was also expected to come to London, and not only so,
but, though I had from my infancy been more or less studying, and now at
last wished actively to be engaged, it was required that I should again
become a student. For a few moments, therefore, I was greatly disappointed
and tried. But, on calmly considering the matter, it appeared to me but
right that the committee should know me personally, and that it was also
well for me to know them more intimately than merely by correspondence, as
this afterwards would make our connexion much more comfortable. I
determined therefore, after I had seen my father, and found no difficulty
on his part, to go to London.
There was, however, an obstacle in the way of my leaving the country.
Every Prussian male subject is under the necessity of being for three
years a soldier, provided his state of body allows it; but those who have
had a classical education up to a certain degree, and especially those who
have passed the university, need to be only one year in the army, but have
to equip and maintain themselves during that year. Now, as I had been
considered fit for service, when I was examined in my twentieth year, and
had only been put back, at my own request, till my twenty-third year, and
as I was now nearly twenty-three, I could not obtain a passport out of the
country, till I had either served, my time, or had been exempted by the
King himself. The latter I hoped would be the case; for it was a well
known fact that those who had given themselves to missionary service, had
been always exempted. Certain brethren of influence, living in the
capital, to whom I wrote on the subject, advised me, however, to write
first to the president of the government of the province to which I
belonged. This was done, but I was not exempted. Then those brethren wrote
to the King himself; but he replied, that the matter must be referred to
the ministry and to the law, and no exception was made in my favour.
I now knew not what to do. In the meantime, at the beginning of August, I
was taken ill. It was a common cold at first, but I could not get rid of
it, as formerly. At last a skillful physician was consulted, and powerful
means were used. After some time, he prescribed tonics and wine. For a day
or two I seemed to get better, but after that it appeared, by the return
of giddiness in my head, that the tonics had been too soon resorted to. At
last, having used still other means, I seemed in a fit state for tonics,
and began again to take them. At the same time one of my friends, an
American Professor, took me as a companion with him to Berlin and other
places, so that we rode about the country for about ten days together. As
long as I was day after day in the open air, going from place to place,
drinking wine and taking tonics, I felt well; but as soon as I returned to
Hale, the old symptoms returned. A second time the tonics were given up,
and the former means used.
About ten weeks had by this time passed away, since I was first taken
ill. This illness, in which a particular care for the body seemed to be so
right, and in which therefore frequent walks were taken, and in which I
thought myself justified in laying aside the study of Hebrew, &c., had not
at all a beneficial effect on my soul. In connexion with this one of my
chief companions at this time, the last-mentioned American Professor, was
a backslider. If the believing reader does not know much of his own heart
and of man's weakness, he will scarcely think it possible that, after I
had been borne with by the Lord so long, and had received so many mercies
at His hands, and had been so fully and freely pardoned through the blood
of Jesus, which I both knew from His word, and had also enjoyed; and after
that I had been in such various ways engaged in the work of the Lord; I
should have been once more guilty of great backsliding, and that at the
very time when the hand of God was lying heavily upon me. Oh! how
desperately wicked is the human heart.
It was in this cold state of heart, that I rode with my friend to
Leipsic, at the time of the famous Michaelmas fair. He wished me to go
with him to the Opera. I went, but had not the least enjoyment. After the
first act I took a glass of ice for refreshment. After the second act I
was taken faint in consequence of this, my stomach being in a very weak
state; but I was well enough; after a while, to go to the hotel, where I
passed a tolerable night. On the next morning my friend ordered the
carriage for our return to Halle. This circumstance the Lord graciously
used as a means of arousing me; and on our way home, I freely opened my
mind to my friend about the way in which we had been going on; and he then
told me that he was in a different state of heart, when he left America.
He also told me, when I was taken faint, that he thought it was an awful
place to die in. This was the second and last time, since I have believed
in the Lord Jesus, that I was in a theatre; and but once, in the year
1827, I went to a concert, when I likewise felt, that it was unbecoming
for me, as a child of God, to be in such a place. On my return to Halle I
broke a blood-vessel in my stomach, in consequence of the glass of ice. I
was now exceedingly weak, in which state I continued far several weeks,
and then went for change of air into the country, to the house of a
beloved brother in the Lord, who, up to this day, has continued a kind and
faithful friend to me. My heart was now again in a better state than it
had been before the rupture of the blood-vessel, Thus the Lord, in the
faithful love of His heart, seeing that I was in a backsliding state,
chastised me for my profit; and the chastisement yielded, in a measure at
least, the peaceable fruit of righteousness. Heb. xii. 10, 11.
Whilst I was staying in the country, I received a letter from the
American Professor, who had in the meantime changed Halle for Berlin, and
who wished me to come to Berlin, where, being near the Court, I should be
more likely to obtain an exemption from my military duty; and he
mentioned, at the same time, that all the expenses, connected with my
staying in Berlin, would be fully covered by the remuneration I should
receive for teaching German to himself and two of his friends, for a few
hours every week. As I had no more connexion with the university at Halle,
my course having been finished for more than six months past, and as I had
the prospect of being spiritually benefited through my stay in Berlin, and
there was no probability, if I remained at Halle, of obtaining the
above-mentioned exemption, I came to the conclusion to go to Berlin.
Two ladies of title traveled with me to Berlin in a hired carriage. As I
knew that we should be for two days together, I thought, in my fleshly
wisdom, that though I ought to speak to them about the things of God, I
should first show them kindness and attention, and that, after having thus
opened a way to their hearts, I might fully set before them their state by
nature, and point them to the Lamb of God. We went on together most
amicably, I making only a few general remarks about divine things. On the
second evening, however, when we were near the end of our journey, I felt
that it was high time to speak. And no sooner had I begun plainly to do
so, than one of them replied, "Oh! Sir, I wish you had spoken sooner about
these things, for we have, for a long time, wished to have some one to
whom we might open our hearts; but seeing that the ministers whom we know
do not live consistently, we have been kept from speaking to them." I now
found that they had been under conviction of sin for some time, but did
not know the way to obtain peace, even by faith in the Lord Jesus. After
this I spoke freely to them during the hour that yet remained. They parted
from me under feelings of gratitude and regret that they could hear no
more, for they only passed through Berlin. I felt myself greatly reproved,
and all I could do was, by a long letter, to seek to make up for my
deficiency in ministering to them on the journey. May this circumstance
never be forgotten by me, and may it prove a blessing to the believing
reader.
My chief concern now was how I might obtain a passport for England,
through exemption from military duty. But the more certain brethren tried,
though they knew how to set about the matter, and were also persons of
rank, the greater difficulty there appeared to be in obtaining my object;
so that in the middle of January 1829 it seemed as if I must immediately
become a soldier. There was now but one more way untried, and it was at
last resorted to. A believing major, who was on good terms with one of the
chief generals, proposed that I should actually offer myself for entering
the army, and that then I should be examined as to my bodily
qualifications, in the hope, that, as I was still in a very weak state of
body, I should be found unfit for military service. In that case it would
belong to the chief general finally to settle the matter; who, being a
godly man himself, on the major's recommendation would, no doubt, hasten
the decision, on account of my desire to be a missionary to the Jews. At
the same time it stood so, that, if I should be found fit for service, I
should have to enter the army immediately.
Thus far the Lord had allowed things to go, to show me, it appears, that
all my friends could not procure me a passport till His time was come. But
now it was come. The King of kings had intended that I should go to
England, because He would bless me there, and make me a blessing, though I
was at that time, and am still most unworthy of it; and, therefore, though
the King of Prussia had not been pleased to make an exemption in my
favour, yet now all was made plain, and that at a time when hope had
almost been given up, and when the last means had been resorted to. I was
examined, and was declared to be unfit for military service. With a
medical certificate to this effect, and a letter of recommendation from
the major I went to this chief general, who received me very kindly and
who himself wrote instantaneously to a second military physician, likewise
to examine me at once. This was done, and it was by him confirmed that I
was unfit. Now the chief general himself, as his adjutants happened to be
absent, in order to hasten the matter, wrote with his own hands the papers
which were needed, and I got a complete dismissal, and that for life, from
all military engagements. This was much more than I could have expected.
This military gentleman spoke to me in a very kind way, and pointed out
certain parts of the Scriptures, which he in particular advised me to
bring before the Jews, especially Romans xi.
On considering why the Lord delayed my obtaining this permission, I find
that one of the reasons may have been, that I might both be profited
myself by my stay in Berlin, and that I also might be instrumental in
benefiting others. As to the first, I would mention, that I learned a
lesson in Berlin which I did not know before. Whilst I was at Halle, I
thought I should much enjoy being among so many christians as there are in
Berlin. But when I was there I found, that enjoyment in the Lord does not
depend upon the multitude of believers, by whom we are surrounded. As to
the second point, perhaps the last day may show, that the Lord had some
work for me in Berlin: for, from the time of my coming until I left, I
preached three, four, or five times every week in the wards of a
poorhouse, which was inhabited by about three hundred aged and infirm
people. I also preached once in a church, and likewise visited one of the
prisons several times on Lord's days to converse with the prisoners about
their souls, where I was locked in by the keeper with the criminals in
their cells.