Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

quiries and explanations, the affair was ended by letters, expressing high approval and commendation on the part of Lords Auckland and Hood, and an interview with Bishop Horsley, in which his lordship made personal apology to Mr. Dyer, and freely acknowledged his regret that he had unintentionally misrepresented the Secretary of Greenwich Hospital. His righteousness was thus brought forth like the light, and his judgment as the noon-day."

The influence which Mr. Dyer enjoyed, in these official situations, he ever employed in a manner the most just and benevolent, and many a tear will be dropped in silence by those whose introduction into useful spheres, and whose subsequent prosperity and happiness in life are ascribable to the instrumentality, name, and character of him whose departure from among us we, on this occasion, so deeply deplore.

After a period of useful and laborious public service, extending through forty years, in the two positions which have been mentioned, Mr. Dyer retired from the weight and pressure of his official obligations, to the repose and comfort of a private life. He left London, and all the wide and attached circle of his friends, and went to reside at Cricklade, a village in Wiltshire, not far from Salisbury Plain. It was hardly to be expected that a transition from a life so active, to one so perfectly secluded, and almost solitary, should long accord with the tastes and habits of his mind. He accordingly returned, after a few years spent at Cricklade, to the neighbourhood of London, and selected for himself a residence at Clapton, from which he removed, as his last change, to the mansions of glory, which Christ has prepared for his people, and from which he will go no more out.

But our chief concern and interest is in that part of the life of Mr. Dyer, which may be regarded as religious and ecclesiastical. He was firmly, and from conscientious conviction, a Nonconformist, under every outward and worldly inducement to the contrary, as is apparent from the facts already stated. But as a Nonconformist, nobody could be more free from bitterness or bigotry, or narrowness of mind, nobody more full of love and charity to all, of every name, who call upon the Lord Jesus Christ, both our Lord and theirs. For several years he filled the important ecclesiastical function of deacon to the Congregational church at Greenwich under the pastoral superintendance of the Rev. J. Chapman.

In the year 1820 he removed from Greenwich to this vicinity. He was immediately requested to fill the same office at Paddington chapel, which he had formerly occupied at Greenwich. With this request he at once complied, and, till the year 1833, when

he removed to Cricklade, he was the faithful, affectionate, uniform, disinterested friend and helper, in every good word and work of him who now sorrowfully pronounces this testimony to departed worth and goodness. By the church and congregation in this place, by the teachers of the sabbathschool, by the scholars in the school, and by every person, of every class, he was most highly respected and esteemed, and, might

add, tenderly and affectionately loved. His condescension, his dignity, the ineffable sweetness of his mind and manners, diffused peace and concord, and a Christlike loveliness everywhere around him. It was a dark day to many when Mr. Dyer felt that he was led by Divine Providence to another sphere of duty and service, in his removal to Cricklade.

But the highest point of all to be regarded and rejoiced in was, the depth and tenderness of his personal religion. His first serious impressions were occasioned by a conversation which he overheard between two poor women in Somersetshire, who had been attending a field preacher, and who were talking to one another about the joy in heaven among the angels of God, over a sinner that repenteth. There the first beam of light entered into his mind, and after this he retired, for the first time, alone to pray. From that small germ, how stately and beautiful the tree which subsequently arose, and was developed! For he came to be a man of enlarged knowledge, firm faith, and great usefulness. In the last interview I had with him, which I did not at all expect to be the last, he said, "All is safe with me, I am on the rock of ages; I simply wait the time when Christ shall call me to himself." And the basis of what he believed, he knew to be strong and indestructible. He rested on the spotless sacrifice, the perfect obedience, and the priestly intercession of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for his acceptance with God. He perfectly understood, and deeply sympathised with St. Paul, when he said, "That I may win Christ and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." And again, "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.'

[ocr errors]

He was a man of prayer; his attendance was regular, exact, and punctual at the weekly meetings for that purpose, where services were held which are grateful to the recollection of many who are passed into heaven, and of many who still remain in the conflict and pilgrimage of the present world. Whoever was absent, Mr. Dyer was thereand the pressure of the public, and ofttimes

vexatious and difficult duties of the Admiralty, was never pleaded as an apology for non-attendance; on the contrary, he seemed to find in the house of God his solace, and refreshment, and consolation, amidst all the trials and collisions of the world.

He was a man of great benevolence and public spirit. The Board of Foreign Missions had, for a long series of years, the advantage of his knowledge, wisdom, and counsel; and although, in the later period of his life, his energy and aptitude for business were not what they had been, yet his friends knew how to value and appreciate his influence and assistance in manifold forms not here to be specified, and well remembered what they had been in the ripeness and vigour, the prime and maturity of his days. He had been a mighty man of valour in his time, though he lived to find the grasshopper a burden, and to feel that the head and the hand could not, as in the spring time and summer of his life, perform their enterprise.

He cheerfully gave up a valued (an invaluable) son to the missionary work, who, after a career of twenty years of laborious, indefatigable, self-denying service, with a blameless name, a character sweet and lovely as the morning-star, has fallen on the field of glory. And in whatever form of personal exertion, or pecuniary contribution, aid was required, which Mr. Dyer could render, he was ready, prompt, and cheerful with his presence and his means. What his hand found to do, he did with his might, and he was blessed in his deed.

His end was tranquil and serene, clouded by no donbt, ruffled by no fear. After two days of bodily suffering, difficulty of respiration, and other symptoms of his approaching decease, he made his escape to that world, "where the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest."

His last words were, "Oh that that faith were exchanged for sight. Lord Jesus come quickly to receive my spirit." He is gone, earth is despoiled of a treasure, heaven is enriched with a gem. "The memory of the just is blessed;" there is a bloom and a fragrancy in the name of John Dyer, which will never die. We shall ever pronounce that name but with respect, solemnity, and love. "We are followers of them who, through faith and patience, inherit the promises;" and are all mortal; we are all pilgrims and strangers upon the earth; we are seeking a city which endures, whose Builder and Maker is God. Oh, thrice happy, thrice glorious is that world where all the faithful, the wise, the holy, the humble, and the good of all ages, all countries, and all times, have met, and shall meet, in grand association and confederacy, to keep together an everlasting festival of

love and concord, of wisdom, of knowledge, of holiness, and joy: Christ, in his presence, diffusing over them the light of his glory, and, through them, the plenitude of his bliss. They are all crowned, they are a diademed assembly, they are a congregation of the honoured, illustrious, and victorious; they are the first fruits of all creatures; they are the flower and prime of the empire of Christ, who sits upon the throne, and will sit in the midst of them for ever. May you and I make our successful progress through this world of strife, and difficulty, and danger, to that condition of honour and repose, of holiness and compensation, to which our departed and glorified brother has already attained.

"Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church, by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end. Amen."

MRS. ELIZABETH GERVIS OPIE.

"No fear! happy-perfectly happy!" were amongst the last words which flowed from the lips of the subject of the following brief memorial. Possessed of good natural ability, and generous disposition, a mind which could not stoop to a mean act, and a temper at once ardent and amiable, affections warm and strong, and manners vivacious and agreeable, the late Elizabeth Gervis Opie was a favourite in her family, and among a numerous circle of young friends. Her personal attractions were of no common order, and difficult is it for those who knew her in the days of blooming health and beauty, to realize that that loveliness is now consuming in the cold, dark grave. Her fondness for music was excessive, and long will her fine voice dwell in the memory of such as were wont to listen to its rich, yet sonorous tones. Never again will those sounds enliven the evening circle, or the domestic group; but the regrets which this reflection might awaken are hushed by the thought that that voice now swells the anthems of the blessed, and aids the triumphant song of Moses and the Lamb. Mrs. Opie's early years were spent amid the fascinations of gay life. Referring, when lying on a dying bed, to that period, she said, more than once, "I would not exchange my couch of suffering for the season of health, although I then thought I was as happy as I could be, for at that time I was without God, and without hope in the world. In a note which she wrote, during last autumn, to a relative, she made this acknowledgment: "Even when in the midst of gaiety, I often heard a still small voice,

saying to me, What doest thou here?' and when I have retired for the night, have retired to weep." Thus it is evident that a partially enlightened conscience would not permit her uninterruptedly to enjoy the pleasures of sin. The voice of this inward monitor was, however, unheeded, as were also the counsels of a pious mother and endeared relatives. God's thoughts towards her were thoughts of good, and not of evil; and, to accomplish his purposes of love, He laid low this dear young friend. "I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction," was the Divine message, to which the sufferer would oft reply, "I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, and that thou, in faithfulness, hast afflicted me." Whilst yet a youthful bride, evidences of consumption were exhibited. Even before her anxious friends were fully alarmed, Mrs. Opie expressed her belief that the sickness was unto death. With a short exception, she continued to entertain this opinion throughout the remaining six months of her earthly pilgrimage. What a mercy was it that, instead of indulging the fallacious hope of recovery, which generally characterizes the disease under which she laboured, she was enabled, yes, compelled, to keep eternity in constant view. As must be the case wherever the work is genuine, the first evidences that the Holy Spirit was attracting her from the path of destruction to the path of life, were a deep conviction of sin, and a low prostration of soul before a just and holy God. For many weeks, nay, months, such was her sense of an evil heart, and of distance from her Maker, that she could scarcely entertain a hope that she should be saved. The Sun of Righteousness, however, dispelled these thick, dark clouds, and she was enabled to lay hold of the promises, and, taking her standing as a lost sinner beneath the droppings of Calvary's cross, to cry, "My Lord and my God." She now began to live. Fresh hopes, fresh objects, fresh expectations, burst upon her view. She wondered that "she could have lived so long without seeing a loveliness in Jesus to desire him." Christian friends felt it a privilege to visit her. Amongst the most valued of these was the Rev. Mr. Cowie, of the Scotch Free Church, who, whilst the spirit remained in its clayey tabernacle, was assiduous in his endeavours to assist its growth in the knowledge of Christ and him crucified. Although Mrs. Opie's sufferings were at times very great, her sick room was marked by an air of cheerfulness, which told how bright were the anticipations of its interesting inmate. She would sometimes say, "I am sinking fast, but do not grieve for me. God calls me with the voice of love." Her maturity for heaven was rapid. A few only of her

expiring sentences can here be given. "How guilty, how unworthy am I! O, how I pray for that purity of heart which will make me more spiritually-minded, for O what a holy God must I appear before. I tremble when I think of it. May I but be in the lowest mansion in heaven. I shall rejoice, for Christ is there; and where he is, I must be happy. He is the light of the world-the bright and morning star. Think, dearest mamma, what a mercy it is that I, unworthy as I am, shall form one of the Saviour's jewels." Her dear parent said to her, "You suffer much," she immediately replied, "I deserve all, and much more; I bless God for this affliction. saw it was the only way by which I could be brought to him." At another time she said, "Now I can give up all for Christ; yes, even my sweet, dear mother and husband? I should have been thankful, might I have been permitted to show my love to Jesus by labouring in his vineyard here on earth, but it is all right, God is about to remove me to more perfect work in heaven." About this time a relative, to whom she was much attached, visiting her, she said, "Ah, dear! you used to ask me to sing to you. You will never more listen to my songs; but never mind

"Soon in a sweeter, nobler song,
I'll sing Christ's power to save,

When this poor lisping stammering tongue
Lies silent in the grave."

He

She remarked to a friend, that she frequently pictured to her imagination the beautiful service of the Established Church, (beautiful, when associated with a departed believer,) being read over her entombed remains. Death, once so unwelcome, and dreaded, had lost its sting, and the grave was disarmed of its terrors. A few days prior to her decease she distributed her books and clothes amongst her sisters and some friends, after which she remarked to her mother, "One robe only I want-that my Saviour will give me." A nosegay of white crysanthemums being sent to her, she selected some of the finest flowers, which she gave to a beloved cousin, saying, "Do you remember your dear mamma giving one to each of us as we surrounded her dying bed, and comparing the golden centre to the Sun of righteousness, and the white leaves to the multitudes arrayed in white robes? Dear aunt! I shall soon be with her, and, if we may converse, I will tell her that I have seen you." Soon after, she requested that one of these flowers might be placed in her hand when lying in her coffin, which request was complied with. Her Bible was her constant companion, and when too weak to peruse its sacred pages, she would ask her mother to read to her. She spoke a faithful word to all who came near her, entreating

such as were strangers to vital godliness to seek the Lord whilst in the possession of health and strength.

In the afternoon of Wednesday, November the 15th, the dear invalid sat up for some hours in an easy chair. Her mind was very composed. She asked her mamma to sing to her the Evening Hymn, and attempted to join in one verse, but was unable to proceed. She then said, "Will you read to me the 23rd of Luke?" After this wish had been met she exclaimed, "O talk to me of Jesus, I want to hear of none beside." About five o'clock she retired to bed. For some time she lay still, without speaking. Suddenly she screamed. Her mother, who was alone with her in the room, ran to her side, and immediately perceived that the king of terrors had indeed arrived. Fixing her eyes on her parent she said, "I am dying." Then gazing upwards with a smile of inexpressible sweetness, she uttered

"Nothing in my hand I bring,

Simply to thy cross I cling.'"

Blessed Saviour! what are my sufferings when compared with his! O that I might be permitted to communicate to you the joys of heaven which I shall so soon know!" Two or three hours of severe conflict succeeded, during which the frequent assurance of "perfect happiness" was confirmed by the serenity which marked her lovely countenance. About midnight she fell asleep, to wake no more until that glorious morning dawn, when the dead in Christ shall rise. Then, clothed in its Saviour's image, the immortal form shall rejoin the waiting disembodied spirit, and, fully satisfied, and made perfect, the endeared subject of this brief sketch shall enter into the joy of her Lord. We sorrow not as those who have no hope for those who sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

Home Chronicle.

THOUGHTS ON THE PRESENT SCARCITY

AND DEARTH.

It cannot be questioned, by any rightthinking mind, that God's judgments are abroad in our land. If this great and solemn fact is overlooked, the moral and religious benefits of the visitation will be lost, and other displays of Divine chastisement may yet be looked for. The thought of tens of thousands of our countrymen approaching the very verge of starvation, is a monitory and awful lesson of Divine Providence. We cannot contemplate it without feeling that the Almighty Disposer of events is speaking loudly to all ranks and classes in the midst of us, to consider their ways, and to turn unto Him that smiteth. How easy were it for God to make the case of the few that of the many-to cut off the staff of life from the people at large, and to send cleanness of teeth into all our borders, with disease and pestilence, the ordinary accompaniments of famine.

[blocks in formation]

We are not the interpreters of the ways of God, and dare not pronounce upon the specific intentions of the All-Wise and AllPerfect Being. But when great calamities are sent to any people, we may assure ourselves that they are intended to chasten them for their sins, to call them to repentance, to remind them that there is verily a God that judgeth in the earth, that all hearts of the proudest and loftiest, and that depend on him, that he can bow down the when the poor and needy cry for help, he can raise up benefactors for them in the hour of their deep calamity. May He who has sent these national afflictions upon Great Britain abundantly sanctify them to every individual apart, and every family apart!

GOVERNMENT PROPOSALS FOR THE EDUCATION OF THE PEOPLE.

We had fully intended, this month, to have continued our remarks on the controversy which has arisen between Mr. Baines and Dr. Vaughan, on the subject of national education, with the view mainly of softening asperities, and placing the facts of the case in their true lights; but since the appearance of our February number, the development of the views and purposes of Government, in reference to education, have awakened such intense alarm, in many most enlightened quarters, that it becomes our duty to suspend all further remarks, at

cation, to be all at once arrested in their glorious career, by the adoption of Government plans, never fairly discussed in Parliament, nor subjected to the test of public opinion? Well may our friend Mr. Baines appeal to the Marquis of Lansdowne in the following terms. His Lordship ought to listen to the voice of a sincere friend.

present, on the differences of our friends, | such a vast extent the amount of Bible eduand to address ourselves to the duty which an unexpected crisis has devolved upon us. We are, it appears, from the Marquis of Lansdowne's statements in the House of Lords, to have a vast engine of national education set to work, grafted upon the "Minutes of the Committee of Council on Education, in August and December, 1846," involving an enormous outlay of public money, the appointment of a vast multitude of government agents, and intended to pervade and affect the whole country, without the formality even of a public bill, or any opportunity being afforded to the friends of education to express their concurrence or dissent, except such as may be supplied to them when the votes of the year are placed before Parliament.

We do think, and we know we express the convictions of tens of thousands who have made large sacrifices, in various ways, to promote the interests of sound scriptural education, that such a course on the part of Government, is very unfair, and is greatly calculated to disturb the confidence, and to wound the feelings of their best friends. We say it not in anger but in grief, they ought not so to deal with a question which, at the present moment, exercises the deep thoughts and the powerful determinations of some of the best and wisest men in the country.

--

We are not alarmists, but we predict, from all we have seen of the working of the committee of council on education, that if the unconstitutional increase of power and money contemplated shall take place, in less than ten years the education of the people will be in the hands of the clergy ;not, indeed, because they are more sincerely anxious to perform their part in the great work of enlightened and scriptural education; not that they originally took the lead in those efforts which have so materially improved the state of public education; but because they will one and all avail themselves of the grants of money dispensed by Government, and will, from the aristocratic position they occupy, be able, upon the plan pursued by the committee of council on education, to command for Church of England training-that is, for sectarian education nine-tenths of the money voted by Parliament.

Is it fair, we ask, thus to deal with the great body of dissenters ? Is it constitutional to involve them in a heavy system of taxation, the benefits of which they either cannot or will not enjoy! Is all their selfsacrificing devotion, for the last forty years, to the cause of education to be thrown to the winds? Are those philanthropic men, who have done so much to enlighten and stir the public mind, and to increase to

"And whilst you thus load the church with influence and patronage, what effect will your measure have on dissenters and their schools? It professes impartiality. It offers help to all schools alike. But what will be its practical working? You know that those who consistently hold the Voluntary principle cannot receive any of the money which you so profusely scatter. You know this, because in your speech you alleged the scruples of the Voluntaries as one reason for not introducing an entire system of Government education. Then if dissenters refuse the grants of money, see the cruel position in which they are placed. You lure away their schoolmasters, by your grants, gratuities, and pensions. You lure away their scholars, by the advantages of pupil-teachers, stipendiary monitors, Queen's scholars, appointments in the revenue departments, school-gardens, workshops, kitchens, and washhouses in the church schools, You lure their school-committees to desert their principles, and accept your money. You lure their subscribers to give up their subscriptions, under pretence that Government grants ought to be accepted. You may look with composure on these undermining and sapping processes; but depend upon it, my lord, there are scores of thousands of dissenters, hitherto favourable to your party, who will regard the measure, as I do, with the liveliest indignation.

"Every dissenter will see that this measure is erecting a new religious establishment a school establishment appended to the church establishment. It is not a measure for secular education, but distinctly a measure for religious education, and, in all church schools, for education in the principles of the Church of England, to which you will compel the dissenter to pay, as you now compel him to pay tithes and church

rates.

"Why should the Wesleyan, the Independent, the Baptist, the Quaker, and every other nonconformist, be forced by a new law to pay for the teaching of doctrines which they do not believe, and the upholding of a system which they regard as unscriptural!

"As the church are in general the richer class, and the dissenters the poorer, your measure is one of aggravated cruelty to the latter. Knowing as you do that they cannot accept of grants for their own

« AnteriorContinuar »