The Testimony of Francis Lowther. MINISTER OF BAPTIST CHURCH, BARROW-IN-FURNESS, LANCASHIRE. CHAPTER III. This DURING these trying circumstances, I was compelled to go home. was in the beginning of the summer of 1859. About this time I with some other young men went to a school-room, to hear a Presbyterian minister preach, (near Belfast) and during his discourse, I thought he made some dreadful statements concerning the wicked and ungodly; such as, "they shall be as the burning of lime; as thorns cut up, shall they be burned in the fire." (Isaiah xxxiii. 12.) Then he went on to give a graphic description of the nature of the punishment that the damned will have to endure for ever. The next thing he told us which I thought was really too bad, was, that no unconverted man could say the Lord's prayer which he taught his disciples without telling a lie, and by way of confirmation he quoted the passage of Scripture which reads thus, “No man can say that Jesus Christ is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." These words were fastened in my mind and conscience, so much so, that they caused me to have many a serious thought, and my mind being thus exercised, I was led to make a serious enquiry if I was so dreadfully fallen, and sunk in sin; and being led seriously and anxiously to do So, I not only discovered by the convincing power of the Holy Ghost that I was fallen in sin but also led captive by Satan. And that Satan, the god of this world, was my father as far as my works were concerned, inasmuch as they were only sin; and sin having originated from Satan, who is the author of everything that is vile, and hateful in God's sight, therefore the great Jehovah who is pure and holy, and because He is pure and holy, He cannot sin, nor yet be the author of sin, as some carnal and wicked professors have endeavoured to blame those godly men who preach the everlasting doctrines of the sovereign grace of God, to be the author of sin. At this epoch of my history there was no rest for me night or day, nothing but sin staring in my face, and the dreadful nature of it. In this way I continued for about two months, during which time I sometimes sighed and groaned in spirit to the Lord, that He in His love and compassion, might have mercy on my poor naked soul, that was exposed to the dreadful assaults and temptations of Satan, the arch-enemy of our souls. About this time I was very much bowed down in spirit, because Satan by the subtilty of his temptations led me to think that the dear Lord never would save me, owing to the enormity of my guilt, by which suggestion I thought, although it was true that I was a great sinner yet God was possessed of great mercy, which by the way led me to hope that he would appear on my behalf in his own good time. About this time I recollect going to a prayer-meeting which was conducted by a few young men, and on my going to the house of prayer, I prayed to the Lord that he might appear on my behalf. Still I found no comfort to my poor soul at the meeting, and when I returned home, I went into my bedroom and shut myself in, and I prayed to the Lord that He might hide his face from my sins, by washing me in the blood of Jesus, that blood which cleanseth from all sin, and that He might give His Holy Spirit to bear witness with my spirit that I was a child of God; and O, how my very spirit wrestled with the Lord, that He might give me strong and living faith in Christ His Son. After having prayed over and over again that night to the Lord, I retired to bed in hopes that I might get a little rest, but I could find none; neither for the old body, which was very much fatigued, nor yet for the poor soul; I can truly say, I sought the Lord night and day, having sometimes a hope that He would appear on my behalf, which gave me a little comfort from time to time; other times in a state of despair. At this time I believe the. Lord so slayed what I boasted of at one time, namely free-will, so much so, that I heartily renounced such a belief. For when the Lord takes a poor sinner in hand, and shews him what a dreadful creature he is by nature, the sinner is then led by the convincing power of God the Holy Ghost to see what a helpless creature he is, and that of himself he can do nothing. At this time I searched the Word of God diligently, not through mere curiosity, but in order that I might find some word of comfort therein; and I recollect my mind was drawn to the 12th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, and O! I think I shall never forget what passed through my mind during the time I was reading that portion of God's precious word, more especially when I read from the 5th to the end of the 7th verses; "Peter therefore was kept in prison," according to the authority and orders of that wicked king Herod. I therefore looked upon myself as being in the prison house of sin and Satan, and that these chains by which Peter was bound, (though literal), represented the chains that Satan would bind the ransomed of the Lord with if possible. But when I was led to behold the marvellous interposition of a covenant God on the part of His servant, I had then some ray of hope that He would according to His own Divine and Sovereign mercy, interpose on my behalf, and that he would not suffer Satan to triumph over me, and drag me down to the pit of everlasting woe. When I left off reading I retired to my closet and knelt down in prayer to the God of all grace, and asked Him for the sake of His only begotten and well-beloved Son, to wash me in the blood of Jesus, and to give me a sense of pardoned guilt. Still no peace came for several weeks, during which time I can truly say, I again cried unto the Lord day and night, that he might have mercy upon my poor hell-deserving soul, for such I found myself to be, yea, I felt that He would act justly by sending me to everlasting perdition. About this time, my steps were directed to another schoolroom, Ann street, Belfast, where there was a Bible class held at that time by Mr. Beagley, Independent minister. The subject we had for the lesson that night was, "Justification by faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus." During the service I paid the greatest attention, in hopes that I might, if it was the Lord's will, hear a word that should suit my case, but there was not, until the service was almost finished, and then these words were uttered, "All that the Father giveth to Me, shall come unto Me, and whosoever cometh I will in no wise cast out." (Jno. v. 37.) This text, bless the dear Lord, sunk deep into my heart; and that night I got a faith's view of my glorious Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, whom to know is life eternal. I then beheld Him in His atoning sacrifice, as having borne my sins in His own body on the tree, and that for me he poured out His soul even unto death. (Isaiah liii. 12.) And being thus led to behold my precious Saviour by faith, in all the perfections of His glorious sacrifice, joy and gladness filled my soul which was beyond all expression. I could then truly say that Jesus had removed all my sin and guilt by the application of His precious blood which cleanses from all sin; and that He had found a prodigal, and led him to lie at His feet, where there is none of the husks which the swine eat, but delicious dainties, for the new and spiritual appetite of His heavenly born sons and daughters. Hence the Lord said by the mouth of His servant the prophet of old, "I will make a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined." (Isaiah xxv. 6.) This is truly a delicious feast, but if I have not got an appetite for this heavenly feast, then I can have no delight in this glorious provision which the Lord has made for His people. But when the dear Lord says, "Awake, O north wind, and come, thou south, blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out, let my beloved come into His garden and eat His pleasant fruit." (Cant. iv. 16.) It is in this way the Lord forms His people, and gives them new desires and spiritual appetites; then the blessings of eternal life become sweet to our taste, when this heavenly wind blows upon the dry bones of the spiritual Israel. And now I can truly say that "I was born, not of blood,"for from it we inherit corruption,- nor of the will of the flesh,”—for the works of the flesh are only sin,-" nor of the will of man,”—for the carnal mind is enmity to everything that is spiritual,—" but of God." Thus we are saved by grace alone, independent to creature efforts; and were it not for the work of grace which the Lord begins in the souls of His people, whom He has loved with an everlasting love, and carries it on in the soul, we never would be saved. Grace all the work shall crown Through everlasting days; It lays in heaven the topmost stone, Hence the Lord cut away all my false hopes, and refuges of lies, which I would fain have hid myself in when I was in my carnal state by nature. And instead of me becoming religious just when I pleased, He taught me to know the time was His own, and He teaches His people to bow to Himself and submit to His time. And I never read that beautiful hymn (200 Gadsby's selection,) but my poor heart is filled with joy and gladness to the God of all grace, for the blessings He so freely bestows upon His unworthy ones. Ah, but for free and sovereign grace, I still had lived estranged from God; And grace having taken the possession of the soul, it teaches us to discern the helping hand. But O, amazed, I see the hand That stopp'd me in my wild career; A miracle of grace I stand, The Lord has taught my heart to pray. The Bitterness and the Blessedness of Grace in the Heart. A SERMON PREACHED BY THE LATE MR. ARTHUR TRIGGS. WHAT a sweet position to be in-to want nothing but Christ; heaven will not make one happy without Christ. Ah, but I think I should be happy if I was there. No, you would not, for the spiritual mind of a child of God will be satisfied with nothing, nor any person, short of Christ. Just take notice of the olden Church, and you find their thoughts and desires were constantly going out after the person of Christ; and let me tell you freely that the person of Christ is greater than the work of Christ. Some may not like the expression, but it is the truth. By the work of Christ law and justice is honoured and magnified, and the Church eternally delivered; but it is in the person of Christ we are complete; it is the person of Christ that is "Jehovah our righteousness;" it is the person of Christ that is "the way, the truth, and the life ;" and it is the person of Christ that is a soul-satisfying portion to every child of God. Mark you, Jeremiah had more trials than we have; he was put into a dungeon, his feet were put in the stocks, yet amidst it all what was Jeremiah's consolation? "The Lord is my portion, saith my soul, therefore will I hope in Him." And we find although Thomas was a disciple, yet he would not believe what the other disciples told him ; but when the Master stepped in and said, "Thomas, reach hither thy hand and put it into my side," &c., Thomas said unto Him, "My Lord and my God." Hath ever the Lord spoken personally unto you? We know by experience that we are not able to overcome unbelief, though we have prayed hundreds of times against it; yeu none can stop its working but the Lord; and it is only for Him to speak, it becomes still as a stone. I must have another remark on this subject. The nature of the work of God in a sinner's heart is such, that the Lord brings him into such a position that every thing he stands possessed of, however near and dear they may be, yet they shall become a trouble, that Christ may be increasingly precious to him. I have often said it, and I know it is true, as creatures we are very fond of idols. Oh, say some, I have thrown mine all away. Well, I never could throw one away willingly until God had embittered it to me; then it was good riddance of bad rubbish. What a mercy it is to be led into an acquaintance of these things; and also of what the poet saith, "Though words can never tell my case, Nor all my sorrows paint; This I can say before Thy face That Christ is all I want." Our God is all ear and attention to us; and more or less this will be the believer's prayer while he is a dweller in the wilderness. But we come to the words of our text, "That their hearts might be comforted," &c.-Col. ii. 2. We have already spoken of God taking away our stony heart and giving us a heart of flesh; and also, concerning "Hannah praying in her heart;" and also, that "hope deferred maketh the heart sick; but when the desire cometh it is a tree of life." "And the heart of man knoweth its own bitterness, and a stranger intermeddleth not with his joy." In the original it stands thus, "The heart knoweth the bitterness of his own soul," heart and soul goes together. And, beloved, observe, the bitterness appears to be of such a nature that the believer cannot help experiencing it. It is said, the heart knoweth its own bitterness; and we do not know much in reality without feeling. I know there are many running about setting aside a feeling religion; let them go on and talk, and we will walk in the truths of the Lord. Just notice another mercy: we never had, nor never can, and never shall feel bitterness if we have not life to feel it. Then there is another thing which is equally precious, that is, the sensibility there is in that fleshly heart that God gives His people; that from the first day of receiving it to the close of their lives sin is no plaything to them; nor can they trifle with it. Some of you may not have expected this; but I am speaking before God the truth from an experience of it. A notional knowledge of the doctrines will not prevent you from trifling with or wallowing in sin; but a knowledge of sin in its sinfulness will make you and me loathe ourselves and hate sin and the devil as bad as the devil hates us. There is no compromise here; it is either the one or other—either dead in sin or dead to sin-and alive in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is a blessed mercy to be at a point on these glorious and eternal realities. And there is another thing I would just notice there are a variety of things in their working, according to God's wisdom and love, that will cause bitterness in the heart; and trouble will be in connection with that bitterness; but what is a trouble to one child may not be a trouble to another. There was a time I even laughed at some things that God's children were troubled about—what I then called such little things; but now even the moving of a straw will put me a trembling, for what God intends for a trouble must be accomplished; it is no matter what it is, the shaking of a leaf may make a sinner tremble, for God's majesty is present in the action. But as a sinner's heart knoweth its own bitterness, there is one source of blessedness that he can no more live without than he can live without life, and that is, the privilege of coming with boldness to a throne of grace. I don't mean that you shall act as the Pharisee, stand at the corner of the streets and make long prayers, but to pour out the bitterness of your heart before God; and I have been in that state from the bitterness in my heart, that I knew none but God could give me comfort; and although I could not speak a word yet I could sigh and groan out my troubles. Then comes another very dear mercy, expressed by David, "As the hart panteth after the water brooks." I have thought the reason he was brought into such a state of panting was from his being hunted, worried, or driven out from his own place. Well, do you know anything of what it is to be devil-hunted, perplexed, vexed, and your soul filled with bitterness, and sometimes like Jacob, ready to say, "All these things are against me;" and to say with David, "No man careth for my soul?" Yet it is a precious position to be brought into; but it is not a very easy one to be in. Well, then, it appears very certain that we must have bitterness before we shall experience joy; and it is expressed also like this, "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the |