Mr. Holmes
With this gentleman I became intimately acquainted early in my ministry. He then resided at Ide, in the vicinity of Exeter. He had good natural talents; was well educated; read the Scriptures familiarly in their original languages; and could speak French fluently. He was also, without assuming the ministerial office, occasionally a preacher. For though he had retired from merchandize, in which God had prospered him, he did not consider himself as thereby justified in living a life of ease and indolence; but as the more bound, (as in some respects the more able) to do good; and to serve his own generation according to the will of God, especially in their spiritual interests.
He possessed an ample fortune, kept his carriage, and lived in a genteel style becoming his circumstances; but expended nothing in gay extravagance, and saved up nothing by sordid hoarding. He viewed himself as a steward, used his property as a talent, and kept in mind the day of account.
I pass by his private benefactions, in which he never sought to be seen of men, to notice two or three things of a more public nature, by which being dead he yet speaketh; and in which, I hope, he may be instructive and exemplary.
Observing the people in the villages so exceedingly ignorant and irreligious, he found out individuals of good character and decent capacity, and employed them as schoolmasters during the week, and as preachers on the sabbath, and supported them at his own expense. He was the means of re-opening some meeting-houses which error had shut up, of repairing others that were decaying, and of enlarging others that had become too small.
He erected, exclusively at his own cost, a large and commodious chapel at Teignmouth; and principally, if not entirely, supported it for some years. When he resolved on this there were no pious individuals in the place. I only remember, (and I had opportunities of knowing) one person who made any pretension to serious religion. And here I differed from my friend, thinking that, in all cases of this kind, we should first make trial of the will of God, and see if there is a disposition to hear, and then build. But the founder said, he was strongly impressed with the importance of the measure, and was fully persuaded in due time much good would be done by means of it. His expectation, however, was not immediately accomplished. Some years passed before there was any considerable appearance of success. It must indeed be allowed that, for a good while, the preaching was not much suited to the station, or adapted to convert or to edify. But in process of time things changed for the better; a good congregation was raised, and the church made to prosper, and continue to be a flourishing interest. I preached at the opening. My subjects were. Psalm xciii. 5, “Holiness becometh thine house, O Lord, for ever,^^ — and 1 Sam. i. 13, ‘Now Hannah she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.”
, Owing to its being opened on the Lords day, ministers could not attend without leaving their own places. One brother only was there, but he took no part in the service, except the introductory prayer. Being a hypochondriac he had left his pastoral office. I never had the pleasure of seeing him again. But I heard afterwards of his misfortune, shall I call it? — or happii HOLMES, ESQ. 417
ness? He was a man of sober years, and was going to be conjugated to a dame of discretion; but happening to pass a fortnight with her at the house of a relation previously to their union, they gained such a mutual increase of knowledge, as induced them to be satisfied to remain in statu quo.
The first six sabbaths I remained to ofi&ciate. Mr. Holmes himself preached in the afternoon, and I in the morning and evening. We came from his house on the Saturday, and returned on the Monday. Our accommodations were always at the inn.
Mr. Holmes had children by his first wife, but they all died young. His second wife was the daughter of the Rector of
W n. She had then two brothers in the church, evangelical
preachers, but afterwards turned away from the truth. I trust she was a good woman; but though she had married a rich Dissenter, her heart was left behind. I could perceive, the six weeks I resided in the house, that she did not relish what her husband was doing out of the Establishment; and I foresaw what would be the consequence if she survived him. The event took place, and the apprehension was realized. It is desirable when persons marry, to marry as much as possible in their own religious community. To justify a contrary course two things are at least necessary.
First: That they hold the sentiments in which they differ with moderation, and feel them to be subordinate; and,
Secondly: That they consent to attend the same place of worship. Worshipping together cherishes and promotes social and devout affections; and has a lively and favourable effect upon children and servants. What evil consequences have I often seen arising from husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, always repairing to separate sanctuaries, or worshipping alternately at different places!
I do not herein condemn myself. I married the daughter of
E E a clergyman, but there was no separation in our devotions, or differences in the training of our children. We united with each other much more as Christians, than Episcopalians and Dissenters; and never had we, in a long and happy union, one word of discord, or even dispute.. .v ., .-.
I happened, in my way to the opening of a Meeting-house at Tavistock, to spend a week at Painton. The people of Teignmouth hearing of this sent a deputation to uie me to preach for them on the following Sabbath, as it was the very day of ray opening their sanctuary thirty years before. This I did, and was pleased to see the state of things so prosperous and promising. Two days after, when I had reached Totness, as the chaise was at the door to take me forward to Tavistock, I was recalled home by a messenger announcing the apprehended death of my youngest daughter, whom I had left perfectly well. I was only in time to see her expire. How much do times and places derive from association and recollection! What have been my feelings in passing through Totness since!
To proceed with this Reminiscence — On my return from the dedication of the chapel at Teignmouth to Bath, Mr. Holmes brought me in his carriage as far as Taunton, where I took coach. He had made engagements for me to preach in my way back at Chudleigh, Tiverton, Wellington, and Taunton. At Taunton I preached for Mr. Reader, then the Tutor of the Western Academy. He was a yerj pious and spiritual man; but had for some time past been led inordinately to the study of the Revelation of St. John. His wife assured me, that sometimes for near an hour at a time would he be agonizing with God in prayer, when he found difficulties in the Book, and could get no satisfaction from human authors. Hence he too readily concluded that what came into his mind after these prayers, was the meaning of the Holy Ghost, and this made him too positive in his interpretations. As out of the abundance of “: — HOLMES, ESQ. ‘T 419
the heart the mouth speaketh, his reference to the Apocalypse was almost incessant. My friend apprized me of this addiction, and desired me to observe as we were approaching his house, how long it would be before he brought forth his favourite topic. Within a quarter of an hour, the name of Mr. Newton was incidentally mentioned; when he said, “Ah, Mr. Nevrton is a very good man, but God will correct him before his death. ^’ Wherefore? it was asked.” Because of his indifference,’^ said he, “towards the blessed Book of The Revelation.’’ I asked wherein he had shown this indifference.” Sir,” said he, “when I had finished my Exposition of that Book, I sent him a copy for his acceptance, and begged his opinion of the work; and this,” said he, pulling a letter out of his bureau, ‘4s his answer.” — “‘Dear Sir, — I am much obliged by your kindness in sending me the volume on the Apocalypse; but you must excuse me for not criticising the contents, for which I have neither leisure nor ability. I hope God has for some years given me a word in season for him that is weary, but he has not given a capacity to open the seals. — I am, &c., John Newton.’”
Now, I do not go the length of South, nor admire the unhallowed wit that says, — “The Revelation always finds a man mad, or leaves him so:” yet we may learn from this good man; and what I say concerning him, I speak as with affection, so I speak only what I could verify: — this kind of prophetical zeal gave a sort of new and unhappy turn to his preaching. It injuriously affected the congregation: —
“The hungry sheep look’d up and were not fed;”
and sinners heard less of repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ, than before.
We are not ignorant of his devices who is not only the accuser of the brethren, but the tempter too. Had he addressed this excellent man with anything obviously erroneous or sinful, he
E E 2 would have said, “Get thee behind me, Satan.” But it was otherwise when he approached him in a sacred attire, with the Bible in his hand, and this text in his mouth, — “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that understand the words of this prophecy.’^
Would it not be well if professors, and especially preachers, were not only to think of the difficulty (not to say impossibility) of deciding many things in dispute — but remember their little value, comparatively, if demonstrated, — “What is the chaff to the wheat?’’
After preaching for this good old man, and returning into his house, he said, “Sir, I did not like what you said of candour this evening.’’ I answered, “I think I sufficiently guarded it, and distinguished it from indifference with regard to essential truth.” “Sir,” said he, “you have had many apostates to hear you, and they will think too favourably of you.” While he was thus speaking, Mr. (afterwards Dr.) Toulmin was introduced into the parlour, asking me to preach for him, like Eobinson, saying, his pulpit was open to all good men. At this, Mr. Reader pounced upon me — a confirmation of what he had said; nor did he ask the applicant to sit down, or even speak to him. And is this the meekness of wisdom? If we cannot love persons as Christians, are we to refuse them civilities as men? Is this the way to win souls? Not that I was disposed to preach for him. 1 never officiated but twice in a Unitarian pulpit; and in each instance I took care not to be asked under an ignorance of my sentiments. I said, “The thing with me is not where I preach, but what I preach. I must speak according to my own principles. Allow me this liberty and I will comply. I shall not go out of my way to insult or oppose; but I cannot forbear to deliver what my conscience tells me I should deliver from the same text in my own place.”
Having said all that honesty and fairness required, I spoke
with freedom; but one of the two ministers who invited me the first time went out in the middle of the discourse, and the other before I began had rather cautiously intimated that — “it was always better to avoid abstruse doctrines, and teach our people how to keep Gods commandments and find their way to heaven/^ I told him, I always made this my ultimate aim. — Yet I felt not at home. I seemed not to be among my own people, and was not a little embarrassed in the intercessory part of my prayer for the ministers; for under what character could I pray for them as Pastors?
I was only once after this coldly asked, and I refused; for, besides the difficulty I had felt in the performances, I considered how liable it was to misconstruction; and how careful we should be not to offend against the generation of the upright. Upon the same principle Mr. Hall acted. He had occasionally, when he came to Bristol, preached for Mr. E n the Unitarian mtuister; but after a while, with godly prudence, he declined; and saved from surmise, fear, and distress, some who, if not his most intelligent, were yet his most pious and prayerful hearers. The last sermon he preached there was against Atheism!
I see in his Diary, Mr. Toplady (who lived not far from Exeter), though a beneficed clergyman, was most cordially intimate with Mr. Holmes. — Here I insert two short extracts taken from Mr. Toplady’s Posthumous Volumes, page 279 and 285.
“Spent about an hour and a half with good Mr. Holmes, whom I found in great distress, on account of his only surviving son being given over in a fever. During our interview, God so opened my mouth and so enlarged my heart, that I trust both my friend and myself found our spiritual strength renewed, and were sensibly and powerfully comforted from above.”
“After breakfast, rode to Exeter, where I dined at Mr. Holmes’s. Found that dear and excellent man not only more resigned to the will of God, but even more cheerful than I could have conceived. — Mrs. Paul of Topsham, and Mr. Lewis, a worthy Baptist minister, dined with us. Our conversation at table was on the best subjects; and I found our Christian discussions sensibly blessed to my soul. After tea, myself and four more followed the remains of Master Holmes to Cade, about two miles out of the city, where they were interred. Mr. Cole, curate of the parish, read the funeral service. I preached a sermon suitable to the solemn occasion to a large auditory, and one of the most attentive ones I ever saw.”