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CHRISTIAN GUARDIAN

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Church of England Magazine.

OCTOBER 1838.

MEMOIR OF THE REV. CHARLES JOHN PATERSON.

PRECIOUS in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints; and it is therefore, doubtless, well pleasing in his sight to collect and retain such memorials of his departed servants as may stimulate others to follow them as they followed Christ. In this point of view, the following brief Memoir of a pious. and excellent minister, recently departed, is especially deserving of attention. It is extracted chiefly from a small volume recently published by the Rev. Charles James Hoare, M.A. entitled, Remains of the late Rev. Charles John Paterson, B.A. Vicar of West Hoathley, Sussex; consisting of a Memoir, with Correspondence and Sermons.

Charles John Paterson was born March 11, 1800. His father was of highly respectable Scotch parentage; his mother was the daughter of Thomas Vardon, Esq. of Battersea. The early death of his father, when he was but three years old, and of his mother when he was twenty-two, were events, which, though in different ways, must greatly have affected the scenes and circumstances of his opening life. Among their offspring, six in number, Charles John, the fifth, early discovered very high constitutional sensibilities; and to these was added a native strength of character which is not rarely their accompaniment; but they who knew him longest

OCTOBER 1838.

will best appreciate the value of those qualities, when directed by the guiding influence of a divine hand, and controlled by a very remarkable and rapid growth in the gifts of divine grace.

The education and habits of Mr. Paterson were such as are common to those who, live in affluence; and it was not till he had been some time a resident at college, that he was apprised of the fact, that, through the sudden depression of West India affairs, he had been deprived of the independent fortune which he had been taught to expect; and that his personal exertions had become a matter no less of necessity than of duty. He thus became, we may say, under the unforeseen strokes of Providence, a child of early vicissitude and trial; with the gracious purpose, we may hope, of making him a monument of peculiar mercy, and an instructive example to many a member of Christ's suffering flock, in a common scene of earthly probation.

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Mr. Paterson was educated at Putney, under Dr. Carmult, where he attained the highest place in the school, and possessed the con fidence of his instructors. Soon after his mother was induced to remove him from school, and retain him under her own roof at Brighton; from this time his education appears to have been very

much neglected, though his mind was actively employed in natural history, mineralogy, &c. In 1819, Mr. P. was removed to Caius and Gonville College, Cambridge, where he continued till he took his degree, and at Easter 1824, was ordained by the then Bishop of Chester, and appointed to the curacy of East Grinstead, Sus

sex.

Hitherto Mr. Paterson does not appears to have attended seriously to religion. The period of ordination, says his biographer, had nearly arrived, and a course of theological study commenced, when marks of distrust in himself became manifest. Evangelical truth was at this time laid before him by one who, in prayer and watchfulness, sought opportunity to enter upon points of vital interest with him; but these were met with an irritated feeling, if not direct opposition. Books were presented, silently, as it were, to solicit his attention; some were looked at, but outwardly disregarded. At length, however, it pleased God effectually to separate this soul for himself. The loss of his surviving parent was sanctified to produce in him an important change. The messenger of death seemed to him the bearer of life; and as he followed to the grave his beloved and sainted parent, doubtless the bright choirs of heaven redoubled their rejoicing over the regained son and the redeemed mother. Slow, however, and gradual was his reception of evangelical truth: first one opinion, then one practice, was surrendered; all held with tenacity, till proved to be wrong.

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In the year 1826, Mr. P. moved from East Grinstead, and entered on the curacy of Haslemere in Surrey. He had some time before adopted the practice of recording his views and feelings in a private journal; which contains the following account of

his feelings on delivering his last sermon at East Grinstead.

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July 4, 1826. - Finished my last farewell sermon "Woe is me if I preach not the gospel." Large congregation. Administered the blessed cup with much tenderness and affection to many, who seemed to feel it was the last time. The thought struck me, I "shall drink no more of the fruit of the vine," &c. What a solemn, awful reflection. Shall I, shall those souls, ever taste of that new wine? Had almost resolved, twice or thrice, to give up the afternoon farewell, but was enabled to withstand the temptation, strengthened and supported in a manner astonishing. Indeed, indeed, Lord, thou art true; thou hast never failed thy servant. "As thy day is, thy strength shall be." Never before needed help so much; never so experienced thy power; I felt the minister of Christ, and indeed with boldness delivered his message for the last time to my first flock. My address was not satisfactory to me; and indeed I should never have been satisfied, feeling the extreme delicacy and difficulty of my circumstances. To spare

to forget self, to comfort the faithful, to alarm the unconverted, to expostulate with the opposed, to leave a parting testimony to the truth without offending,-I felt to be, on such an occasion, impossible. God is good, how good! Blessed them affectionately, commended them ardently to his love and protection in Jesus, and was enabled to bid a tender and cordial farewell. A great part of the congregation in tears. The remark is, that they left the church as returning from a funeral. Oh, may they soon forget the minister, the word never! Jesus, I implore thee bless-bless my last attempt in thy name! Thou hast indeed strengthened me: oh convert, comfort, and strengthen thy people as they stand in need! Give power

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How devoted, how zealous, how faithful should I have been found; and what have I done? O God, enter not into judgment ! Pardon, for Jesu's sake, pardon my lukewarmness and neglect ! May a bright and burning star speedily be established in my room! Thy ways are inscrutable, O Lord; clouds and darkness are round about thee; but righteousness and judgment are the habitation of thy seat. All things shall work together for good to thy people. We need not fear to trust them to thy hand. Humble me, humble me, below the dust. Forgive, for Jesu's sake, my cruel want of love and zeal.'

After a short residence at Haslemere, efforts were made on the part of friends to bring him back again to his former neighbourhood. Amongst these friends, the late Lord Colchester, penetrating with a keen eye the sterling value of his character, took a very prominent part and their aim was accomplished by Mr. Paterson's being presented, through his lordship's influence, to the small living of West Hoathley, Sussex; a piece of preferment in the gift of the Lord Chancellor, and recorded in the parliamentary returns at 1507. per annum. During Mr. Paterson's residence at East Grinstead, he had frequently officiated at West Hoathley, (chiefly by means of an occasional evening service) and

had given much satisfaction to the congregation of that place. This pleasing task, however, did not interfere with his prior duties at East Grinstead, where he thought it right to increase his labours by adding an afternoon sermon; for which gratuitous service the flock at this latter place thought proper to raise amongst themselves a separate purse, and to present it as a token of their esteem to their diligent and beloved curate. Mr. Paterson was always very unwilling to accept any such remuneration for services, which he was yet always most ready to perform.

The appointment to West Hoathley was a matter of honest, though sanctified joy to Mr. Paterson, as well as of sincere congratulation to his friends. It is thus noticed in his journal: May 29, 1827. (Sunday.) Letter from Lord Colchester, which I concluded contained unfavourable tidings, but opened it not. This was a trial. How earthly our hearts! After service I opened the letter, which contained notice of the Chancellor's order to prepare for my presentation to Hoathley. Struck with an astonishing sense of humble and self-annihilating gratitude to God. Praised and prayed incoherently; filled with peace, life, and activity. What principle so prompt as love? Told of my appointment to three of my flock: they seemed to dread the idea of a change of pastor, and confessed their obligation, under God, to poor me. Father, forgive me, if I have felt more delight than I should have done on such an occasion, or than is consistent with self-examination. Oh, we may b’ess, yea, will bless thee, for so eminently distinguishing us, as to give us souls for our hire! What wages like these!'

He laboured most assiduously, says an intimate friend in his parish of West Hoathley, in his study, and reminded me more of the character of some of our old

divines, of almost ascetic habits, as if they belonged not to this world, except to enlighten it by their lives and writings, than of a young minister, in the prime of life, when the natural buoyancy of feeling seems almost incompatible with habitual gravity and seriousness. He was affectionately interested in the state of his own family; and, at the risk of being thought too serious, never ceased to urge the pressing importance of the entire devotedness of the heart to God. Indeed this unceasing and unswerving aim to promote spiritual growth in himself and others, seemed almost prophetic of the shortness of his career. He certainly did not put off duty from day to day; and I believe none will ever be able to accuse him of having thrown away any opportunity of calling their attention to the one thing needful. . . . . He considered home as a post, which he was not permitted to quit for a moment longer than was necessary. It was in vain to urge him. Even considerations of health could not touch him; he believed he had strength for exertion, and in that belief he was carried was carried through fatigues and studies, which would otherwise have been too great for him. Latterly he combined with his own business that of his parishioners. He made purchases for the poor of his village where it could be done with the greatest advantage, and charged himself with the trouble of the transfer of what he bought. In these matters he was, I believe, as humble and as pains-taking as the celebrated Fenelon, who cheerfully went in search of a cow, which constituted all the property of one of his parishioners, and had been driven away by the military. I believe our dear friend thought all service honourable, which in any way exhibited the love of his Master. But all was done as by a mind, to which business was of secondary

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importance, and only engaged in because, like food, it was essential to the movements of life. Everything shewed that increasing spirituality and serenity of mind,-the peace that passeth not away, was his abiding portion. Comparing his mind in later years with what it was when I first knew him, I could not but be struck with the wonderful change. And how encouraging the reflection, that a few short years may, when blessed in the use, elevate all and each of us from earth to heaven, from sin to holiness; from corruption, to honour, glory, and eternal life; from sinful dust and ashes, to be partakers of the divine nature!

The following remarks on Dr. Chalmers and Mrs. More appear in his journal, and deserve attention:

'I could reflect upon the subject of Chalmers' Sermons, his style, &c., and perhaps should venture a little word of caution and jealousy, did you express a much larger measure of enthusiastic admiration. He is very captivating and powerful; I know nothing like him. But we want something else, and something more, dearest friend, than novel and affecting illustrations, or even new ideas, in reading for spiritual improvement. My own natural taste carried me formerly so fearfully far in such matters, that I find it prudent, if not needful, to deny a somewhat perilous appetite, which seeks rather a feast for the imagination than solid food for the heart, and which less invigorates and enlarges, than excites the devotional affections. spite of this solemn admonition, I think, if I possessed this striking author's works, I should accept your agreeable challenge of participating your daily intellectual delight.'

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I have given, I believe, some hours to Mrs. More Letters to-day. Thanks to the silken cord which marked the best of the volumes:

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