From Death into Life - or, twenty years of my minstry by William Haslam
page 39 of 317 (12%)
page 39 of 317 (12%)
|
and others at baptism, is given upon the condition of personal faith and
repentance. Until a baptized person has been enabled by the Holy Ghost to repent and believe the Gospel, he is not really a new-born child of God, or raised from death into life, though nominally, in the words of the Catechism, he has "been made a child of God." __________________ * See Greek ___________________ Since the feuds and dissensions in my parish, the church was almost deserted, and left chiefly to myself, my clerk, and a few poor people, who, for the most part, were in ill favour in the chapels. One day I was absorbed in writing, or rather rewriting, a text over the porch door of the church. It was, "This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." A man who was standing at the foot of the ladder said, "Heaven is a long way from that gate, I reckon." I pretended not to hear him, but his speech stuck to me. I knew only too well from this, and many other indications, that the people had no respect for the church under my ministrations. CHAPTER 5 The New Parish, 1846. About this time the news reached us that the Vicar was dead; and thus ended my connection with Perranzabuloe. As the Dean and Chapter would |
|