Seventy Years Ago

Extract from a letter, October, 1862, by a gentleman of high University honours. If the letter was in season then, how much more is it in season to-day!

The public is becoming accustomed to the strange vagaries on the Bible which men of learning seem so constantly falling into ... it is very observable that almost all the men who have thus notoriously erred from the way of truth are men of some kind of eminence in natural ability ... I know from past experience that the possession of very considerable natural acumen does not in the least degree aid a man whose mind is perplexed about the foundations of Bible truth. My own history was just this-I had read and studied deeply in mathematics, had mastered every fresh subject I entered upon with ease and delight; had become accustomed (as every exact mathematician must do) to investigate and discover fundamental differences between things which seem to the uninitiated one and the same; had seen my way into physical astronomy and the higher parts of Newton's immortal "Principia," and been frequently lost in admiration of his genius ... I had, in fact (as we say), made myself master of dynamics, and become gradually more and more a believer in the unlimited capabilities of my own mind ... it would have spared me many an hour of misery in my after days had I really felt what I so often said, that, the deeper a man went in science, the

humbler he ought to be ... I had yet to learn that humility, in spiritual things, is never found in a natural man. I took "orders," and began to preach, and then I found out the grand deficit in my theology. 1 had not the Spirit's teaching myself, and how could I without it preach "in demonstration of the Spirit and of power?"

In vain did I reach Chalmers, Paley, Butler, Gaussen, and so forth; and determined that, as I had mastered all the other subjects I had grappled with, so I would the Bible, and that I would make myself a believer. I found a poor ignorant old woman in my parish, more than a match for me in Divine things, I was distressed to find that she was often happy in the evident mercy of the Lord to her, and that she found prayer answered, and that all this was proved sincere by her blameless and harmless walk amongst her neighbours; whilst I, with all my science and investigation, was barren, and unprofitable, and miserable-an unbeliever in heart, and yet not daring to

avow it, partly from the fear of man, but more from a certain inward conviction that all my sceptical difficulties would be crushed and leaped over by the experience of the most illiterate Christian.

It may now be asked how I came ever to view divine truth differently. I desire to ascribe all praise to Him to Whom power belongeth; I desire to put my own mouth in the dust, and be ashamed, because of my former unbelief. I cannot describe all I passed through, but I desire with humility and gratitude to say, I was made willing in a day of Christ's power. He melted down my proud heart with His love; He shut my mouth for ever from cavilling at any difficulties in the written Word ... Oh, I am quite certain no natural man can see the things of God; and I am equally certain he cannot make himself do so. "By the grace of God I am what I am" said Paul; and so, in a modified and humble sense, I can truly say.

It used to be a terrible stumbling-block to me to find so many learned men infidels. It is not so now; I see that God has said, "not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called"; I see, as plainly as it is possible for me to see anything, that no natural man can receive the things of the Spirit of God. Hence I expect to find men of this stamp of intellect coming out boldly with their avowals of unbelief in the written Word of God. The only answer I can give to them is, "God has in mercy taught me better"; and never do I sing those beautiful words in the well known hymn, but I feel my eyes filling with tears of gratitude to the God of all compassion-

Jesus sought me when a stranger,

Wandering from the fold of God.

So it was with me; so it must be with any one of them if ever they are to know the truth in its power, or to receive the love of the truth that they may be saved.

I feel very much for the young of this generation, remembering the conflict I passed through in consequence of the errors of men of ability.

(communicated by Mr. E. Booth.)

unknown | Jan 1933
General