Christian Theology - Media Sabda Org
Christian Theology - Media Sabda Org Christian Theology - Media Sabda Org
many hardships, often sleeping in lofts and outhouses, and being obliged to subsist on very scanty fare. From Norwich he went in the year 1784 to St. Austell, in Cornwall, which was also a very heavy circuit; the places were numerous, and he had to preach almost every week in the year in the open air, and at times too when the rain was pouring down, and when the snow lay deep upon the ground. "But the prosperity of Methodism made every thing pleasant." A heavenly flame broke out, and great numbers joined the society. Among these was Samuel Drew, who was then just terminating his apprenticeship to a shoemaker: "A man," says Mr. Clarke, "of primitive simplicity of manners, amiableness of disposition, piety toward God, and benevolence to men, seldom to be equalled; and for reach of thought, keenness of discrimination, purity of language, and manly eloquence, not to be surpassed in any of the common walks of life. In short, his circumstances considered, with the mode of his education, he is one of those prodigies of nature and grace which God rarely exhibits; but which serve to keep up the connecting link between those who are confined to houses of clay, whose foundations are in the dust, and beings of a superior order in those realms where infirmity cannot enter, and where the sunshine of knowledge suffers neither diminution nor eclipse." Eulogistic as this is, I can bear testimony to its correctness. I knew Mr. Drew well, received many a useful lesson from him, esteemed him while he lived, and now deeply revere his memory. I have frequently heard him and my venerable father, with other aged Methodists in my native circuit, speak of Mr. Clarke's unbounded popularity in those early days; he being sometimes obliged, when the chapel had been thronged, to enter through the window, and creep on his hands and knees over the heads and shoulders of the people, in order to reach the pulpit. The doctor's death was a severe stroke to Mr. Drew; he survived it only a few months; they were then joined "In those Elysian seats Where Jonathan his David meets."
In 1785 Mr. Clarke was appointed to Plymouth Dock, (now called Devonport,) where the society was doubled in the course of the year. Here Chambers' Cyclopaedia, in two volumes folio, was lent him by James Hore, Esq. He read it attentively, made nearly every subject discussed in it his own; and laid the whole under contribution to his ministerial labours. He also obtained the loan from Miss Kennicott, of her brother's (the celebrated Dr. Kennicott's) edition of the Hebrew Bible, two volumes folio, with various readings from near seven hundred MSS. and early printed editions. This book greatly increased his thirst for a better knowledge of biblical criticism. The next three years were spent in the Norman Isles. Here he obtained much assistance from the public library of St. Heliers, where he spent most of his leisure hours in reading and collating the original texts in Walton's Polyglot Bible, particularly the Hebrew, Samaritan, Chaldee, Syriac, Vulgate, and Septuagint: and before he left, he was enabled to purchase a Polyglot for himself, with ten pounds which he had received in a letter from a person from whom he had no expectation of receiving any thing of the kind. But what was more pleasing to him, the word of the Lord had free course and was glorified. Among the converts was a soldier who had been a slave to drunkenness. One morning, having become intoxicated before five o'clock, he had strolled out to Les Torres, where Mr. Clarke was preaching, and was deeply convinced of his lost condition. At the close of the service, he took Mr. Clarke by the hand, and with the tears streaming down his cheeks, between drunkenness and distress, said, "O sir! I know you are a man possessed by the Spirit of God!" He went home; and after three days' agonies, God, in tender compassion, set his soul at liberty. While on this station he had several very remarkable deliverances: once or twice from the hands of a furious mob; another time from the fatal effects of intense cold, while walking through deep snow; and once from a watery grave, while in a little vessel, during a tremendous storm, off Alderney.
- Page 1 and 2: WESLEYAN HERITAGE LIBRARY CHRISTIAN
- Page 3 and 4: CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY. Adam Clarke ADV
- Page 5 and 6: CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY. Adam Clarke CON
- Page 7 and 8: XXXIII.—Hell XXXIV.—Heaven XXXV
- Page 9 and 10: Mr. Clarke kept an English and clas
- Page 11 and 12: of sorrow, the day of deliverance d
- Page 13 and 14: another village, and repeated the s
- Page 15: Mr. Clarke entered on the regular w
- Page 19 and 20: The year 1791 is remarkable in the
- Page 21 and 22: duty as a Methodist preacher. In th
- Page 23 and 24: His "Concise View of the Succession
- Page 25 and 26: eneficial effect upon his constitut
- Page 27 and 28: is indebted to Dr. Clarke, will not
- Page 29 and 30: the mightiest and happiest nation o
- Page 31 and 32: from 1 Tim. i, 15: "This is a faith
- Page 33 and 34: needlessly; keep from all unnecessa
- Page 35 and 36: serve for their dinner. I said, 'Go
- Page 37 and 38: popular; but God scarcely ever empl
- Page 39 and 40: on the shortest notice, and pour fo
- Page 41 and 42: voes, and men, and devils would be
- Page 43 and 44: itself. Whatever errors may be obse
- Page 45 and 46: Irish Academy,—member of the Amer
- Page 47 and 48: and intelligent heathens. They had
- Page 49 and 50: government, and with many millions
- Page 51 and 52: mercy on those whose ignorance lead
- Page 53 and 54: was in Judea, where every thing tha
- Page 55 and 56: 1. By the personal appearance of Hi
- Page 57 and 58: holiness, omniscience, and omnipote
- Page 59 and 60: The law of God is a code of instruc
- Page 61 and 62: The law could not pardon; the law c
- Page 63 and 64: CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY. Adam Clarke II.
- Page 65 and 66: Thus we find that he is the most ex
In 1785 Mr. Clarke was appointed to Plymouth Dock, (now called<br />
Devonport,) where the society was doubled in the course of the year. Here<br />
Chambers' Cyclopaedia, in two volumes folio, was lent him by James<br />
Hore, Esq. He read it attentively, made nearly every subject discussed in<br />
it his own; and laid the whole under contribution to his ministerial<br />
labours. He also obtained the loan from Miss Kennicott, of her brother's<br />
(the celebrated Dr. Kennicott's) edition of the Hebrew Bible, two volumes<br />
folio, with various readings from near seven hundred MSS. and early<br />
printed editions. This book greatly increased his thirst for a better<br />
knowledge of biblical criticism.<br />
The next three years were spent in the Norman Isles. Here he obtained<br />
much assistance from the public library of St. Heliers, where he spent<br />
most of his leisure hours in reading and collating the original texts in<br />
Walton's Polyglot Bible, particularly the Hebrew, Samaritan, Chaldee,<br />
Syriac, Vulgate, and Septuagint: and before he left, he was enabled to<br />
purchase a Polyglot for himself, with ten pounds which he had received<br />
in a letter from a person from whom he had no expectation of receiving<br />
any thing of the kind. But what was more pleasing to him, the word of the<br />
Lord had free course and was glorified. Among the converts was a soldier<br />
who had been a slave to drunkenness. One morning, having become<br />
intoxicated before five o'clock, he had strolled out to Les Torres, where<br />
Mr. Clarke was preaching, and was deeply convinced of his lost<br />
condition. At the close of the service, he took Mr. Clarke by the hand, and<br />
with the tears streaming down his cheeks, between drunkenness and<br />
distress, said, "O sir! I know you are a man possessed by the Spirit of<br />
God!" He went home; and after three days' agonies, God, in tender<br />
compassion, set his soul at liberty.<br />
While on this station he had several very remarkable deliverances:<br />
once or twice from the hands of a furious mob; another time from the<br />
fatal effects of intense cold, while walking through deep snow; and once<br />
from a watery grave, while in a little vessel, during a tremendous storm,<br />
off Alderney.
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