Letters

Epicurus · Greek
promise, ‘Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon
you; and ye shall be witnesses unto Me.’

And why should not we be enjoying the same?  Why should not the same
power be given to our brother, this day raised to the episcopate, as was
given to Stephen when he laboured 1800 years ago in the diaconate?  Of
one thing I am perfectly sure, and that is, that it is the one desire of
his heart to be the faithful witness to the Lord Jesus; to bear the same
testimony as a Bishop which he has been enabled to bear as a Presbyter;
to speak from his episcopal chair with the same clear ring of Scriptural
truth as he has hitherto done from his parochial pulpit, and which has so
greatly endeared him to all of you who are come this day from Sheffield.
And our prayer for him this day must be that he may be, in his new
office, like Stephen, ‘full of faith and power,’ that so his ministry may
be accompanied by the power of the Holy Ghost, and his own soul filled by
the Spirit.

But while we pray for him in the high and conspicuous office of a Bishop,
let us not be unmindful of all those faithful men who, hidden from the
eye of the world, and without any prospects of the honours of the world,
are toiling on, some in quiet country parishes, some in the
densely-peopled districts of our large towns, and some in far-distant
missions, in patient perseverance witnessing for Christ.  When our
thoughts are directed to those who by the providence of God are brought
to the top, let us not forget those who are patiently toiling at the
bottom.  Do not they equally need the power?  Or, rather, Do not they
especially need the presence of the indwelling Spirit in their own souls,
and of the accompanying Spirit to give the power of patient perseverance
in their work?  O that God may grant that power to every branch of the
Church of England!  Power to her bishops, power to her presbyters, power
to her deacons, power to her laity!  May He grant such a measure of His
Spirit to fill all our hearts, and accompany all our work, that our dear
old Church may remain, true to her Reformation principles,—a faithful
witness for Christ; that her testimony may never be corrupted, and her
work never be powerless; that so when the Lord appears He may find her
with her lamp burning, without reserve, and without compromise,
maintaining His truth and giving glory to His name!

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        London; Printed by JOHN STRANGEWAYS, Castle St. Leicester

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By the same Author.


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