Memorials of the Independent Churches in Northamptonshire: with biographical notices of their pastors, and some account of the puritan ministers who laboured in the county.Coleman, Thomas
History
Memorials of the Independent Churches in Northamptonshire: with biographical notices of their pastors, and some account of the puritan ministers who laboured in the county.
Coleman, Thomas
Clergy -- England -- Northamptonshire; Independent churches -- England -- Northamptonshire; Puritans -- England -- Northamptonshire
needed from him, what provision was made for us, what we were
receiving, and what services we should render; often leading us on to
the dying hour, and to the opening grandeurs of eternity. The value of
such a ministry was apparent in the many cases of eminent piety that
appeared amongst those that were trained up under it. Much of the
Christian temper, the spirit of devotion, lively faith in the Redeemer,
and the power of practical religion, were manifested in a considerable
number of cases, considering the size of the place. There were "living
epistles of Christ, known and read of all." We remember an eminently
pious female member of the Church, of whom the pastor said, when
improving her death, "He should esteem it an honour to be permitted to
hold up her train in the heavenly world." While this showed the deep
humility of the pastor, it showed the high estimate he had formed of the
devoted member.
In the year 1799 Mr. Toller received invitations from the congregations
at Carter Lane, London, and at Clapham, to become their minister, with
an offer of great pecuniary advantages; but such was the attachment felt
to him by his people at Kettering, as manifested in their great anxiety
on the subject, and in the affectionate addresses presented to him on
this occasion, that he gave a decided negative to these urgent and
repeated solicitations.
In an address he delivered from the pulpit, in answer to those which he
had received from his people, he bore a noble testimony to the kindness
with which he had ever been treated by them; observing, "Twenty-four
years ago I came to this place, under considerable and peculiar
disadvantages, arising from extreme youth, inexperience, and the then
critical and disjointed state of the congregation. I entered upon the
station with fear and trembling, and with scarce a peradventure of being
able to give any general or lasting satisfaction. During this interval,
I have gone through many trying afflictions, some of which you have
known, and others, some of the most trying, you have never known. I have
many faults to remember this day before God, much coldness of heart,
many neglects of duty, and much unfruitfulness in my office; but I will
do you the justice to say, that I have no injuries from you to
enumerate, no personal ill behaviour from a single individual in all
this time to complain of; and if you had all treated my great Master
with a regard proportioned to that I have received from you, I should
have been the happiest and most blessed minister on earth," &c.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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