The National Register. — London, England, 1811-09-01 00:00:00

.........orie llo Wi z,,..,,_ In 1• T A ►1 The late Rev. T. SPENCER, .of LIVERPOOL. LETTER 11. • TO THE EDITOR OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER. SlR—Anxious to do some little justice to the subject, but, at the same time, fearful of trespassing, by too long a letter on the space which your kindness has so readily granted me, I am in duced to confine myself, at present, to some remarks of a general nature, on the office and talents of a minister of the gospel; re serving, for my next communication, the more particular stric tures on the style and method of the late Mr. Spencer's sermons : and to accomplish this with the better effect, the present hints, I hope, will not be deemed an unseasonable preliminary. I firmly hold with those good and soberly-thinking men, who consider the age for the effusion of the Holy Ghost in his mira culous gifts as past; and, therefore, I judge, that every man of piety and sense, wishing to offer his services to God, as a minis ter of the gospel of his Son, will be concerned to enquire, what previous qualifications are necessary to an entrance upon so sa cred an office. A mind under such conscientious impressions, would doubtless he led to esteem as indispensibk pre-requisites, — First—The saving experience, in his own heart, of the infinite value of the blessings of salvation : and, Secondly—The possession of a pure, disinterested zeal, to pro mote the glory of God, and the best interests of the human-kind, by the extension of the knowledge of this salvation. Under the first pre-requisite, I include—a heart sanctified by the belief of the truth; and a life and conversation becoming a true servant of Jesus Christ : and under the second, I suppose such a zeal to be under the guidance of a mind, possessing a clear and comprehensive view of the Christian doctrines of sal vation, as revealed in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testa ments : for, surely, they who would step forward to teach others, should appear to have been taught themselves. The triumph of pure and undefiled religion, is much impeded, in one day, by that zeal (or ratherphrenry,) which has hurried so many into the pulpit, under the influence of the heat of a (per haps, piously) disordered mind; which has been mistaken for the fire of divine inspiration 1 And it is to be regarded as a sad evil, that in various and populous parts of the kingdom, (not ex cepting even the Metropolis,) there are numbers of these self ordained, zealous preachers, who, by the manner in which they handle divine subjects on the sabbath, evidently evince, that they are themselves ignorant of the " very first principles of the oracles of God ;" and prove, that the week-days—which, by a true Christian pastor, are filled up with labours of love amongst his flock, and in communion with his God, in h,,ly meditations and prayer,—are to them, a season fur the exercise of the only gift at which they were born to be sharp or to shiuc—with the needle, the awl, or the brush! I know some characters, of good sense in other matters, who yet seem, from sabbath to sabbath, to enjoy the labours, (or , rather, labourings,) of such expounders of the truth ; and who even speak of their preaching (pardon my improper use of the term,) as of primitive and apostolical fashion ! for, say they, (and it is a favourite argument,) " Were not the Apostles FISHER MEN, &c. poor and illiterate ?" Now, Sir, this idea is so majes tically bold and imposing, that I cannot presume to enter the lists, in argument against it : I, therefore, only beg to hint at one little difference that evidently subsists, between the gifts of our modern apostles, and those of the lake of Genneserat. The illiterate fishermen of Galilee, it appears by the 2d chapter of the Acts, could discourse with fluency and propriety, in twenty dif fitrent tongues, on the " wonderful works of God ;" but our mo dern primitives, it is known, rest all their apostolical dignity, on being scarcely able to speak, with common propriety, in their otother-tongue 1 But to return from this digression— In conjunction. with, the requisites mentioqed, of faith, sod, and knowledge, we must suppose the ability, in some tolerable , degree, to propose, confirm, and apply, Divine instructions to others ; and any one entering upon the Christian ministry thus endowed, may hope to discharge its important duties, if not with eclat, certainly with what is intrinsically more valuable, comfort to himself, and profit to others. But if, to the necessary qualifications already noted, we sum. add the union of distinguished natural endowments—a lively memory, a sound and discriminating judgment, genius, taste— and view these all shedding their benign influence on the medi tations of the closet, and exhibiting their combined energy, front the chair of truth, in discourses warm from the heart,—impres sive and affecting ;—we have just ground to infer, that such an as semblage of talent, in unison with a pure religious taste, was not bestowed but to elevate the individual intrusted with such rare endowments, to an extensive and distinguished sphere of useful ness, in the church of Christ. Such was the prospect that en raptured many a heart, when, in June last, Mr. Spencer was oi dained the pastor of a congregation at Liverpool: and this prospect ammed a still brighter aspect, when, but shortly afterwards, in the midst of admiring multitudes, he laid the foundation-stone of a more noble and extensive edifice, for the worship of his numerous and increasing flock. But the hands and lips which were then engaged, in work so exalted and divine, are now the tenants of the silent dust ! We bow to the dispensa tion and adore! " 'Tis God that lifts our comforts high, " Or sinks them in the grave ; " He gives, (and blessed be his name!) 46 He takes but what He gave." The poetical tribute to his memory will accompany my 'Ku_ Nsumuuication. I remain, Sir, Very respecctfully, yours, &c. C. Kennington, Aug 29, 1811. WHAT IS TO COME ? or, 1811-1812 ! J'ai un pressottiment qu'un jour rile de Corse itonnera l'Europe ! ty S E AU. Events may he predicted in their cause:. It was in this way that . Rousseau penned the astonishing pi eseutiment contairied in the motto I have chosen for the following anticipations. Pre cisely in di:• s.lme spirit, I first ventured to hint, during t h e January of 1802, what might be expected to transpire on the political theatre of the world, especially that part of it In which we are concerned, should the system of action we then adopt ed he persisted in by our politicians. These were my words at' that time.—" Wise in our own eyes, our politics, with Web we arc so perpetually reproached, have begtiiled our minds. and our real interests. We never entered heartily into the conflict.; of the surrounding nations, because we felt no rea son to engage in ; and yet, against this self conviction, we have struggled (and bled too!) to det(nd Mow coun:ries• folio did not wish to defend themselves. We have done more. It was • deemed politic in us to support the exiled family of-the Bourbons ; who had shewn themselves our bitterest enemies, and who are as avowedly hostile to Me principles both of civil mut svii&us liberty." Thus we then acted, and thus are we content still to act. William Pitt died., ejannlating, Oh, my. Country !'--as if enlightened try the beams of immortality, he had then some glimpses of the calamities impending over the nations ; as ifi in truth, "...the Pilot," who had been so hastily congratulated as having." weathered the storm," now saw, for the first time, that the real tempest .was but about to commence. Have his successors since profited by him ? Are we not lust where he was ? No impediments embarrass us ; no appearames admonish us. Balaarn was blinded. What strange events crowd• upon the mind ! it was on the thirtieth of November, 1.7.89, not quite twentr-tw►o year,' glace. that the National Assembly decreed Corsica to appertain to. I..+11110• .. 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