Page:Groves - Darbyism - Its Rise and Development and a Review of the Bethesda Question.djvu/31

 occupying the anomalous position of belonging to no party, and who without personal resources were content as it was said at the time, “to minister without salary, and to accommodate their hearers without pew rents.” But the Lord whom they served has these many years showed that “those who honor him he will honor,” so that it has been remarked that there was scarce a chapel of any Christian denomination in Bristol, where it would not be considered a privilege to enjoy their ministry, though in so very many ways differing from them. Mr. Craik often preached for others, and thus realised one of the objects proposed in earlier days, wherein it was desired that brethren by walking in grace towards all saints, should win their confidence in Christ, and thus have an opportunity of testifying to all, of the good things God had revealed to them. They sought “to let their words drop noiselessly as the dew,” and without attempting to set up a model assembly. The Lord has so caused the light of the saints gathered in fellowship to shine abroad, that persons from a distance have come to see and to be helped. on in the path of faith and in matters connected with church fellowship and ministry. Brethren ministering in Holland, Sweden, France, Portugal, and other places far and near, have come to learn the way of the Lord more perfectly, and to know the secret of that order, harmony, and fellowship, which has for so many years characterized them, It is further an interesting fact, that there are many assemblies meeting in the north of Ireland, the fruit of the late revival there, which owe their present liberty of church communion and ministry, to reading Mr. Müller’s Narrative; and one who is now with the Lord, and was used as the instrument in the Lord’s hand of the awakening in those parts, acknowledged to the writer when he met him at Kells in 1858, as he did subsequently in Bristol, that the sense of the reality of prayer which he had obtained from reading Mr. Müller's Narrative, led him to seek for that faith in reference to the conversion of sinners, which resulted in that wonderful revival which began in the north of Ireland eight years ago.

In 1832 the first seven members were received into fellowship in Bethesda. That year cholera broke out, and the Lord wonderfully blessed the ministry of the Word to the conversion of many a poor sinner, and from that small commencement has the Lord been adding continually to the church, till the number in fellowship at present stands about nine hundred. This is mentioned to show that the labors in the Lord of his servants have not been in vain, and it will not fail to be noticed by those who have much intercourse with the saints, particularly with the poorer class, how much the paths of practical godliness and of living faith, that have been taught