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BAPTIST MAGAZINE.

FEBRUARY, 1829.

Memoir of the REV. W.W.SIMPSON.

(Continued from p. 3.)

a promptitude and liberality nobly expressive of his love to God, and his benevolence to man, he, in the THE ardour of Mr. Simpson's mind same year, purchased premises for for the Christian ministry, to which the establishment of religious worwe alluded in the short sketch ship in the neighbouring town of given of him in our last number, Eye, a spot at that time marked was however, blended with the by almost every feature of moral most unaffected humility, in his desolation. He speaks with great estimate of his own capacities for animation in his journal respecta work so great. His past efforts ing the opening of this place, at public speaking were in the November 4th, 1802, when he form of expository remarks, and preached from 1 Tim. i. 15. "This his first exercises were addressed is a faithful saying and worthy of to the church at Diss, of which he all acceptation, that Christ Jesus had become a member. These came into the world to save sinwere so acceptable that on the ill-ners, of whom I am chief," and ness and death of their pastor Mr. Farmery, to whom he was most affectionately attached, he was frequently called to occupy the pulpit of his lamented friend. In April 1802 he preached his first sermon from 1 Cor. i. 26-29. "For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called; but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised "November 7th, 1802. Lord'shath God chosen, yea, and things day morning, I was sent out by which are not, to bring to nought the church to preach the gospel. things which are: That no flesh Several friends engaged in prayer should glory in his presence." on the occasion, after which I From this period he became more exclusively devoted to his public labours. Nor were these confined to the place of his residence. With VOL. IV. 3d Series.

refers to the conversion of a scoffing hearer, who came with many a confederate enemy of the gospel to mock at the mercy which reached him by the preaching of the cross. This consolatory circumstance spoke like a testimony of the divine approbation to the heart of Mr. Simpson, an encouragement he greatly needed in the outset of his ministry, and which he gratefully acknowledges in a memorandum found in his pocket bible. The recognition of his ministerial gifts by the church at Diss, on the following Lord's day, is thus noticed in his journal.

gave

an account of the leadings of Providence from the time that I was called by grace to my first public attempts at speaking, and con

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Brown. I trust the Lord was with us through the day, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen!"

cluded by giving an account of my faith. I also preached from 1 Sam. xii. 23, 24. Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against With the same unequivocal zeal the Lord, in ceasing to pray for of holy affection, he continued his you: but I will teach you the good pastoral labours for the space of and right way only fear the Lord thirteen years, till the purer fervors and serve him in truth with all your of the spiritual man seemed more heart for consider how great and more distinct than in their first things he hath done for you." The emanations, when they were blendLord graciously manifested his ed with the natural ardour of his presence with us, and I hope his temperament in earlier life. In the blessing will follow the work and year 1823 the infirmities of age so worship of the day. Glory be to far interfered with his ministerial God in the highest, on earth peace engagements, that he resigned the and good will to men.' pastorship: an office sustained for Mr. Simpson continued his la-a short period by the writer of this bours at Eye for eight years, fear-memoir, who was of course inlessly enduring an opposition some-dulged with a large portion of his times characterized by such ma-social intercourse, and who looks lignity, as to threaten the life of back to this passage in his life with Him who came to them with those indescribable interest and gratimessages of love that brought life tude. The repose enjoyed in his and immortality to light. And well domestic retirement was, however, compensated were these faithful labours, for at the termination of years of patient endurance in well-doing, a chapel was erected, a congregation was gathered, a church was formed, and the weapons of hostility were laid down! He himself too was ordained pastor over this people. These events are thus briefly and devoutly registered in his journal.

"September 30, 1810. Lord's day. Baptized three persons and formed a Baptist church at Eye. I preached from Psalm cxviii. latter part of 25th verse. "O Lord I beseech thee send now prosperity." I think I may safely say that the Lord was with us in every part of our worship, for which I desire to bless and praise his holy name. Glory be to the triune Jehovah for ever and ever. Amen."

"October 4th, 1810. I opened the Baptist meeting-house at Eye, and I was ordained pastor there. The service was conducted by brethren, White, Munser, Cowell and

invaded by sorrow, but by sorrow tending rather to deepen than to destroy the tone of devotion so long habitual to his mind. The sudden death of Mrs. Simpson on the 30th of May 1823, while it terminated a long and felicitous conjugal union, afforded its own ample and sublime consolation in the hope of future and eternal companionship. In the succeeding year died his amiable and accomplished granddaughter, Miss Ward, whose young and cultivated mind endowed with many of the attractive graces of this world, had taken the yet lovelier impression of the Mediator's image, and who was on that account unspeakably dear to her venerable relative. Her death was followed in less than two years by that of her mother, Mr. Simpson's eldest daughter, whose exemplary piety, diffusing its pure, and gentle and comforting influences through all the relative duties and associations of her life, beamed out with unusual lustre in the triumph of

her death-a triumph which will expectation that my unprofitable long glow in the hearts, and we life will be lengthened out another trust, will long exhibit its hal-year; neither do I wish it any furlowed impressions in the lives of ther, than if it should be the Lord's the surviving members of her fa- will to continue me in this wastemily! howling wilderness for another year or whatever period it may please Him. I have a real desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is infinitely better than all this world can present to me."

Mr. Simpson felt, deeply felt these desolations in the circle of domestic comfort, but his sorrow was subdued in proportion as his faith was vigorous, and he still held the shield with the strong arm of a veteran warrior, looking to the great captain of salvation for the moment of decisive victory: even while his nature languished in the decline of life, he maintained the spiritual conflict, and was frequently observed to indulge in high and powerful anticipations of the life to come. Proof of this is also given in passages of his letters, dated in the early part of the year 1827. In a letter bearing the date of March he writes thus:

Yet his pilgrimage was lengthened through another year, and his strength so far restored as to allow him to visit his son at his residence in Chelsea, a visit exceedingly delightful to the feelings of his strong paternal character, and which, indeed, seemed like the last look of interest on earthly habitations, ere his eye of faith fixed its finally perspective gaze upon the king in his beauty, and the land that is very far off!

We shall present, however, the

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"I am still very poorly, and ex-closing scenes of his life in the lanpect to follow my old friend into guage of his daughter Mrs. Mines the other world very soon; and of Diss, whose filial love was the what an infinite mercy that I have solace of his declining years. no doubt but that though absent from the body, I shall be present with the Lord, and then I shall realize what the Apostle says as to this life, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.''

To another correspondent in the same month he says:-"My continual prayer to God is, that he may mercifully reconcile me to his will, and take me to himself. I bless his name, I have not a doubt of my being happy with Jesus for ever; but I want to be calm and happy here, till my change shall

come.

In a letter dated April, he thus expresses himself:-"I have no

* He alludes bere to some recent trials.

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On the 13th of July, 1827, my dear father returned from Chelsea, where he had been spending several weeks with his son. He much enjoyed his visit; and the intercourse which it afforded him with his Christian friends in London and its vicinity, imparted great spiritual refreshment to his soul. From the natural flow of his animal spirits he was frequently betrayed into greater physical exertion than comported with his strength at his advanced age. The evening on which he arrived at home, he complained of feeling very ill, and said, 'Since my absence from you, I have done enough to lay up many a man of forty,' referring to the number of friends he had visited, the many sermons he had heard, together with the journeys he had undertaken for

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52 Worthies of the Reformation.- William Tyndale.

these purposes. From this time he continued to grow much weaker, and was very soon confined to his room, but we had the happiness to see that though his outward man was decaying, his inward man was renewed day by day.

and animated manner. We were especially surprised at the correctness of his memory upon every part of Scripture. When the reading was finished he said, 'I should like to spend a few minutes in prayer with you as I sit up in my bed.' He then prayed in the most fervent and spiritual manner, commending my dear husband and myself with the other branches of our family to the care and keeping of Jehovah."

(To be continued.)

WORTHIES OF THE REFORMATION.
NO. I.

William Tyndale.
(Continued from p. 11.)

"On Monday the 13th of August, he conversed very sweetly with Mr. M. and myself, and said, 'You can have no idea how happy I am in feeling that my dependence is alone fixed on what the dear Redeemer has done and suffered for me. Though nothing but in sin myself, I have the blessed assurance that his precious blood cleanseth from all sin, and that by his stripes I am healed.' He presently afterwards added, I have much to be ashamed of in myself; IN the second petition of his my irritable temper has too often" Supplication," &c. Tyndale says, got the better of me, and I have given way to it when I ought to have checked it. What an infinite mercy that the Lord knoweth my frame and remembereth that I am but dust! I believe through grace I shall join the general assembly and church of the first-born in hea-chiefly drawn." There

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"I beseech his Grace to have mercy upon his own soul, and not to suffer Christ and his holy Testament to be persecuted under his name any longer, that the sword of the wrath of God may be put up again, which for that cause, no doubt, is most

He then entreats, that "the succession to the crown might be settled by the King; and that the temporal lords would fall before the King's Grace, and humbly desire his Majesty to suffer it to be tried who of right ought to succeed; and if he or she fail, who next, and who third; and let it be proclaimed openly,"

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"Oh,' he exclaimed, what a mercy that I do not suffer from bodily pain, and that as it regards this world I have not a single wish | &c. &c. but is gratified!' During this week In the next section he calls earhe was visited by a pious clergy-nestly upon the people of England man, from whose conversation and prayers he expressed himself as having derived much comfort and benefit. On the evening of the 14th, Mr. M. and myself went into his room after the other members of the family were retired to rest. Mr. M. read several chapters to him, many passages of which he commented on in a very striking

to repent; for," says he, "the
cause of evil rulers is the sin of the
subjects, as testifieth the Scrip-
tures."-"Let us, therefore, forgive
each other, remembering the greater
sinners, the more welcome if we
repent, according to the similitude
of the riotous son, Luke, xv.
Christ died for sinners, and is their
Saviour, and his blood their trea-

For

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