“Near the mad mansion of Moorfields I bawl,
Friends, fathers, mothers, sisters, one and all,
Shut up your shops, and listen to my call;
With labour, toil, all second means dispense;
And live a rent charge upon Providence:
Prick up your ears, a story I will tell,
Which once a widow and her child befel;
I knew the daughter and her mother well.
Poor, it is true, they were, but never wanted,
For, whatsoe’er they asked, it was granted;
One fatal day, the matron’s faith was tried,
She wanted meat and drink, and fairly cried.
‘Mother! you cry;’ ‘Oh! child, I’ve got no bread;’
‘What matters that?—Why, Providence arn’t dead!’
With reason good this truth the child might say,
For there came in at noon, that very day,
Bread, greens, potatoes, and a leg of mutton,
A better, sure, a table ne’er was put on.”Gospel Mag. Feb. 1824.
This is a base attack upon Divine Providence, as though persons who believe in it, and have so much experience of it, gave themselves up to indolence, neglecting the use of means to support themselves and families. It is to be lamented that there are some in all churches and chapels, who are mumping about in idleness, and talking about religion, to deceive the simple and unwary, and from such I have suffered a little in pocket and character. But the apostle, by virtue of his high commission, has said—“For this we commanded you, that if any will not work, neither shall he eat.” A neglect of the means is most daring presumption; and none but a hypocrite could act so: but the sincere Christian, who, in the use of means, is watching the hand of God, will be often honoured with the gracious appearances of God in his divine providences; for that God who fed the Israelites forty years in the wilderness, conducted Abraham from Ur of the Chaldees, increased the widow’s oil and meal, sent out his apostles with a staff only, will supply the needs, not the wants of his people. Surely I can set to my seal. This is true.
The good hand of God appeared in answering my poor breathings, at an early period. I was about 18 years of age when I particularly began to watch the hand of God in a providential way. I was involved in a difficulty, although not of my own seeking; yet I had to bear the trouble. I was exceedingly distressed for a few shillings, and it came into my mind to call on the Lord to send it me, by some means, as I had not a friend in the world, to whom I could apply for it. I traversed the garden of the house where I lived, and made my case known to the Lord, urging his care of me, and the early tokens he had given me of his love. The next morning I had occasion to go out on an errand, and, in a very conspicuous place, I saw a one-pound note lay on the ground; and, although it was very windy weather, being in the month of March, yet the note lay still. I could see no one near, to whom it belonged, nor did I ever hear of any one who had lost it. This delivered me entirely from that trouble: I bought a Bible and another good book with the change—this taught me the blessedness of carrying my temporal affairs to the Lord, who has the concerns of all his dear people in his hands, and is the appointed heir of all things to his church.
Soon after this I had a very severe trial to undergo. My arbitrary master had endeavoured to prejudice the Governors of the Foundling Hospital against me, entirely on account of religion; I had to make my appearance before them, to answer for my conduct. I laid this case before the Lord, and begged his Divine Majesty to fulfil his gracious promise, in my experience, as he did for his dear servants, the apostles.—“I will give you a mouth and wisdom.” This promise I turned into constant prayer, and the Lord answered me, to the joy of my heart. My adversary was conquered, and I was commended.
When I left my apprenticeship, being separated from my master by a magistrate, after serving him duty and truly for nine years; yet, having two years more of my time to serve, I was left destitute of a home:—relations I never knew, and where to lay my head I know not. I had but three bad half-peace in the world. I well remember leaning against a post, in Moor-street, Seven Dials, and, while my heart was ready to break, I begged of the Lord to direct me which way to go; but, while looking up for direction, it was brought to my mind where to go, and what to do, and there the Lord opened a door in providence. When I had left my situation in the Borough, a person had previously promised me work; but when I went to him, he pretended to have forgot such a promise, and I was again left destitute. I knew not what to do, but the Lord led out my mind in prayer, that he would appear for me; and, in less than ten minutes, I again found an answer to prayer, by a door being opened for me. I found the Lord appear again in a few months after this, in a most remarkable manner: and thus the Lord continually followed me, wherever I went, and manifested his providential care towards me. I was, at one time, brought very low, and all things seemed to fail, to that I was reduced to a sad extremity; when, passing by St. Clement’s church, by the light of a window, I saw some halfpence lay on the ground, which I greedily picked up, and went on blessing God who had appeared for me, at that time. And, as I found the good hand of God in my low situation, I was destined to see more of his good hand in a more eminent manner; and it would, indeed, fill a volume to rehearse the many conspicuous providences that I experienced in my family. When we have been reduced to the greatest necessity, the Lord has sent relief in the very moment of extremity. Having married, as related before, I was completely destitute of furniture; I acknowledge this was imprudent, but my concern was getting my bird before I had a cage to put it in: yet the Lord, in due time, sent us first one article, and then another, in a most surprising manner. A gentleman also sent me a good suit of clothes, with a charge frequently to read the 12th chapter of Luke.
When I first began to preach, it was in coloured cloaths; but a friend soon after sent me a suit of black. When my wife was taken in labour, with one of her children, we had but two-pence in the world, which distressed her feelings; but, looking to the Lord, without naming our circumstances to any, abundance of mercies flowed in a whole month—and, as my family increased, so the Lord increased my income. When leaving the country, I was sixty pounds in debt; but, in a few weeks, the Lord raised me up friends to pay that: and, how often, when we have been destitute of money, of food, and of clothes, has his good hand appeared! Frequently when others have been distressed, I have relieved them, to my own injury, for the time; but the Lord has always amply repaid me. Amongst many instances I will only relate this:—a poor, but good man, was in prison for debt: he sent to me for thirty or forty shillings; I had just thirty, and sent it to him. On the preaching-night satan harassed my mind sorely in the pulpit, on account of my folly; but, as soon as I had concluded my sermon, a lady came into the vestry, and put two pounds in my hand—thus I was paid well. And so I have found it true, that he that hath pity on the poor lendeth to the Lord; and that which he layeth out he will pay him again.
All my days I have been a pensioner on the Divine Providence for every shilling—for food and raiment. Many a one has relieved my wants, when they had not the least idea I was at that moment in extremity. I can only look back with wonder and gratitude at forty years’ experience of superabounding grace; at thousands of displays of a kind providence; and the amazing manifestations of divine care and faithfulness; and, at times, overwhelmed with a sense of covenant goodness, can only say, with David, “Who am I, O Lord God, that thou hast brought me hitherto; and is this the manner of men, O Lord God?”—Oh, for a grateful heart.
Yours, J. C.
I must observe, here, that it is the business of faith not only to be looking to Jesus for salvation, but to be eyeing God, in Christ, as a covenant God, in temporal mercies; and to be perpetually pleading what God is, and what he has promised in the covenant: it is a mercy to see him, as the Father, the begetter of mercies, and to be looking to his care for us. “He careth for you.” His wisdom in managing; his condescension; his free grace; his divine sovereignty; the gracious ends he has in view; the channel of atoning blood, through which all our temporal mercies flow; and the amazing goodness of God in all, both in what is denied us, and what is given us!
“Good when he gives, supremely good,
Nor less, when he denies;
E’en crosses, from his sovereign hand,
Are blessings in disguise.”