Mr. Welsh
I am the more inclined to speak of this good man because I believe no account of him, even in a funeral discourse, has been published. I can assign no reason for this; but, as we proceed in this brief narrative, the omission will raise our wonderp and show us that the excellency and usefulness of persons are not to be always estimated by the noise they make or the notice they excite at the time. I say “at the time, because, as the thing is only partial, so it is often only temporary. In due season, and in a way which marks the providence of God, he brings forth their “righteousness as the light, and their judgment as the noonday.’’ How many of the Nonconformists are now admired, whose names were even cast out as evil! When Cowper wrote, he seemed forbidden to mention Whitfield by name...; -
“Leuconomus, (beneath well-sounding Greek, -’.....’; - I slnr a name a poet must not speak).” ’ -”
Is there a man now in the kingdom but considers him an upright, honest man, who lived only to do good? But Bunyan! poor Bunyan! that ignoramus, that fanatic, that rebel, that traitor to his country, insulted on his trial, infamously condemned, cruelly imprisoned for twelve long years; what, where — is he now? His book is acknowledged the first of allegories, and his Statue has been voted into one of our parliamentary niches!..
Good men should be willing to leave their reputation, like everything else, with God; and it is well if, when little is said of thenij their works praise them in the gate. By these ‘’ the memory of the just is blessed.^’
Mr. Welsh was a considerable banker in London. One of the partners in the firm was Mr. Kogers, the father of the poet. His wife was a daughter of the famous Thomas Bradbury, of political, polemic, and facetious memory; and she had much of her father’s humour about her. She often mentioned some of his witticisms. I wish I had recorded them. Two of them at this moment I just remember. One day, meeting with a man who was going to push him from the wall, saying, ‘^ I don’t choose to give the wall to every fool I meet,’’ — says Mr. Bradbury, “I do, and so pray take it.” Another day he was at the coffee-house, where several gentlemen were reading the papers, and one of them having read that, the Sunday before, a man who was violating the Sabbath fell from his horse, and fractured his leg and thigh; upon which he said, turning to Mr. Bradbury, “I suppose, Mr. Bradbury, you deem this a Divine judgment?” “Why, sir,” said Mr. Bradbury, “if you deem it a Divine mercy, we will have no dispute about it.”
The church over which the Reminiscent has so long and happily presided owed very much to the zeal and liberality of Mr. Welsh. He unceasingly nursed it in its infant state; and, when it had only a small and incommodious place to assemble in, he, principally at his own expense, fitted up the old Roman Catholic chapel, which had been left very much in ruins, from the Protestant riots in 1780. He also, from their having only a successional and uncertain supply of preachers, recommended to them an able pastor, who could feed them with knowledge and. understanding, and engaged to support him till the congregation should be capable of bearing the burden themselves.
Mr. Welsh commonly passed some weeks, if not months.
annually in Bath; and nothing in these visits afforded him more pleasure than to observe the cause he had so patronised increasing and prospering; and this was the case even after the loss of my predecessor, the Rev. Thomas Tuppen, whom he had introduced, and especially after the opening of our new chapel in Argyle-street, and which even then required to be enlarged.
But this was not all, but comparatively little, of what Mr. Welsh accomplished. I was once passing the evening with him; he was in a very solemn and feeling mood; and after a while he said, with tears, “I am growing old, and I ought, and I wish, to do something more to glorify God, and serve my generation, according to his will, than I have done; and I have the means.” Several schemes passed under our review; and at last he mentioned what, (as I entirely approved of) I did all in my power to enforce. I will simply specify the case.
At this time our country was in a state very different from its present condition. It was generally under the greatest of all curses, the curse of an unregenerate ministry, especially in the smaller towns and villages, where many of the people, though in a land of vision, and with an Established Church, were yet perishing for lack of knowledge.
We, therefore, thought (for it was the Kings business, and required haste) that it was desirable immediately to search out, and educate, a number of young men of gifts and grace for the ministry, and place them in a kind of domestic academies. These seminaries were not to be in opposition to any larger and higher establishments, but rather in addition to them. They were to give these young men a less literary training, but a more theological and practical; or with a fuller reference principally, though not exclusively, to divinity and preaching. These students were to be placed for some years under the care of ministers of piety, experience, and competent learning, residing in separate localities; and where they could be, even during their tuition, employed in teaching the poor, and ignorant, and vicious; and, while employed, to be also improved, and actually prepared for their work, like those who are taught to run by running, and to walk by walking, and not by mere rule and lesson.
Of seven tutors, Mr. Welsh chose three, engaging to support several students under each. Cornelius Winter was one ot them. He had, indeed, been engaged in such work before, though without any regular and certain provision for expense, like Professor Frank, at Halle, in his work of faith and labour of love.
The Reminiscent was not one of Mr. Welshes students, but belonged to an earlier class under Mr. Winters care, and principally supported by John Thornton, Esq., Sir Richard Hill, and others.
Mr. Welsh married a second time, late in life, the half-sister of Dr. Evans, of Bristol. He lived to a good old age, and died very suddenly. I had preached before him in the morning, from the words of our Lord to the Church at Ephesus; —” To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me on my throne.^’ It was the last sermon he heard; and, one hour after, rising from dinner to return thanks, he fell down upon the floor, and expired: —
>” A soul prepared needs no delays;
The summons comes, the saint obeys;
Swift was his flight, and short the road, — , He closed his eyes, and woke with God!”
To conclude this brief and imperfect memoir. — We read of ^’ the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning.” This is a fine and an advantageous union; fervour enlivens prudence, and prudence qualifies fervour. Therefore, says the Apostle, “let your love abound yet more and more in all knowledge and in all judgment.” As if he should say,” Be not weary in well-doing.
but in your benevolence exercise discretion as to time, and place, and means, and manner; and as your ability is always but small, endeavour to make a little go a great way/^ I cannot but think a more judicious course of usefulness could not have been chosen than that which Mr. Welsh encouraged; and, though some were disposed to contemn it at first, and though more may now deem it too humble for modern Dissent, yet how many opportunities have I had, and thousands more, of witnessing its blessed efiects, in turning sinners from darkness to light, of evangelizing heathen neighbourhoods, and even in forming congregations, whose beginning indeed was small, but whose latter end greatly increased!
And here, without the least wish to check or undervalue superior degrees of literary attainment, may not the Reminiscent be allowed to ask a few questions? Is there no distinction between an educated and a learned ministry? If — (and the Apostle says, ‘^ Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel ^^), if the chief design of the ministry is to preach, and faith cometh by hearing, should not everything in the preparation be made to bear principally upon it? And is this unceasingly and obviously the case in all our existing institutions? Are mathematical and classical acquirements, especially in their higher degrees, equally necessary in all stations, and for all teachers? Are there not cases in which these distinctions may relatively even disqualify, more than help; first, by their aptness to draw away the preacher too much into the pursuit of things in which he excels, and in which, therefore, he delights? and, secondly, by betraying him into a manner of address less intelligible, familiar, and impressive, to the mass of his audience? Is not a minister of the Gospel to be the teacher of religion, the subjects of which are matter of pure testimony and not of reasoning; and, therefore, little depending on talent and science? for “by faith we stand,” Is there no difference in the department of preparation between a kingdom which is “not of this world,” and one which is? Is the minister to be laboriously qualified to meet the casual, intellectual few, rather than the certain many, that may attend his teaching? Is. the church the proper and express sphere for the highest cultivation of genius and literature? Or for studying and striving for degrees and titles derived from the arts and sciences? Far be it from the Reminiscent to domineer or dictate; but may he not again ask, Is there any mode of address so little likely to be popularly useful as that of a dry, cold intellectuality? Is there no difference between the press and the pulpit? May not that which is proper for the one be unsuitable for the other? Is there no difference between a treatise and a sermon? I will buy the former, if it be published, and read it with pleasure; but I will never hear it under the form of the latter, if I know it. Can a discourse adapted to general improvement safely admit more than a certain portion of intelligence and argument? Can that be felt that is not understood? And that carried away which is not portable? And is there no danger of rendering the Scriptures in time a mere book for criticism, and to be treated scientifically, without regarding it for the sole purpose for which it was given, — to guide our feet into the path of life, and to answer the inquiry,” What must I do to be saved? ‘’
But to return. Let us redeem our time, and use our resources and abilities, whatever they may be; and let us never forget that, if we have not ten talents, we have one, and that the man with one talent was the unprofitable servant, and therefore the wicked servant, and therefore the punished servant. He hid his talent in a napkin. And let us see what a single individual may accomplish, when (as it is said of the builders at the Temple,) he has a mind to work. What good did this man effect by the natural and simple instrumentality which he set in motion? Why, “there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth,” He that saves one soul from death does more than he who rescues a country from civil bondage. And how many were here turned from the error of their way, and made partakers of that” godliness, which is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, as well as of that which is to come! ‘^ Yes; and how extensive was the good done to all these! for it not only saved their souls, but blessed their bodies, and the labour of their hands, and their relations and families. And, then, how perpetuated was this good! The subjects of it themselves were the medium of it to others; and now, even now, it is operating in various influences and effects, and will continue to operate till the last day.
And by what was he rendered most a benefactor? By the consecration of a measure of his substance to the service of his God and Saviour. One is almost afraid to speak in favour of money, lest avarice should hail the remark, and capture the praise, and apply it to perverted purposes. But, the truth is, that while the love of money is the root of all evil, the use of it may be made the root of all good. In one respect, it is the most important of all agencies, because it can employ in its service all other instrumentalities — labour, genius, eloquence, learning, and even piety itself The lawful acquisition of it, therefore, should never be neglected; a penny of it should never be wasted; nor a farthing of it be sordidly or needlessly hoarded up. “Charge them,^’ says the Apostle, “that are rich in this world, that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate.” Again, he says, “To do good, and to communicate, forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”
Thus did Mr. Welsh. He was in a good degree his own executor, and had the satisfaction to see the seed he had sown ripened and reaped. Nor was it a small sum, which he only in this one instance employed, in defraying the expenses of the tuition and boarding of such a number of students from year to year.
Eut what shall we say of some, yes, even professors of religion, who perhaps began with little, accumulated much, did nothing with their abundance while they lived, and secured by their accursed treasures the depravity and destruction of their descendants when they died! Shame be to those pliant ministers who, in compliment to their connections, will preach funeral sermons for such characters, — unless they take for their text, ‘’ But whoso hath this world’s goods, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him; how dwelleth the love of God in him?” — There are two suppositions concerning these men. The first is awful, and we shrink back from it. “Lo, this is the man that made not God his trust, but trusted in the multitude of his riches.’^ — “With these words,” say the Jewish Rabbi, “the angels sing down to hell the soul of the wealthy sinner, when it leaves his body.” We do not believe this; we have a better opinion of those heavenly beings, than to suppose they rejoice and sing at the misery of any creature, though they may acquiesce in it. But says Young —
“Hell’s loudest laugh — the thought of dying rich.”
The second is perplexing. It regards the supposition, (how hard to be realized!) that those persons who die in such affluence are received up into glory. We naturally think that grief and shame can never enter heaven; and yet Christians are never more happy now than when they are most ashamed, and mourn after a godly sort, under a sense of the Divine goodness. It seems improbable that those saints who died so rich will then be free from certain reflections. There is a relation between the present and the future; and not a relation of sequence only, but one of cause and effect; for “whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap; he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” No one can deny that there will be in another world a consciousness of our state and conduct in this j but the consciousness must affect us according to the nature and quality of the recollections themselves. In that world things will be seen clearly and perfectly; and, in the morality and holiness of heaven, there must be righteousness in our feelings, as well as in our conceptions. What, then, we should be ready to say, must such an individual think and feel, when he knows what a power of every kind of usefulness his wealth gave him, and remembering what good he neglected to do with it; — the many poor he might have fed and clothed; the children he might have educated; the academical institutions he might have endowed; the Gospel he might have extended; the souls he might have saved! And when, in addition to this, he reflects upon the evil his property is now doing, — surrounding his children and dependants with temptations, providing for their evil passions; so much going to the gaming table, so much in riotous living, so much swallowed up in the pride of life; the evil still extending and multiplying, and operating in its effects, perhaps, for generations to come! And when he remembers, how the Book he was constantly reading and hearing charged him to be a good steward of the manifold gifts of God! And when he sees face to face. Him, who, “though he was rich, yet for our sakes became poor, that we through His poverty might be made rich,’^ who was always going about doing good, and who said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,’^ and gave His life a ransom for us. We leave the subject, —” Consider of itj take advice j and speak your