I have been reading a little about Charles Simeon, considered by many to be the brains behind Evangelicalism. While I wouldn’t consider myself an Evangelical — at least, not exclusively so — it’s easy to agree with what he wrote about meditation in the last paragraph of the short piece that follows, which landed in my inbox this week, and prompted me to look a little further.
God’s Goodness
Charles Simeon was born in 1759 and educated at Cambridge University. When he was twenty-three, he was appointed the vicar of Holy Trinity Church in Cambridge. Led by the Holy Spirit, he began preaching the Gospel in a non-compromising manner for over fifty-three years. Initially his congregation was hostile to his forthright preaching, but as the years passed he became known as one of the leading clergymen in the Church of England. Holy Trinity became a center of teaching and preaching and Simeon’s preaching sparked England’s great Evangelical Awakening. He was the catalyst for the formation of important evangelical societies including the Church Missionary Society and the British and Foreign Bible Society.
Once a student asked him, “How do you maintain a close walk with God?”
He replied: “By constantly meditating on the goodness of God and on our great deliverance from that punishment which our sins deserve. Keeping both of these in mind, we shall find ourselves advancing on our course; we shall feel the presence of God; we shall experience His love; we shall live in the enjoyment of His favour and in the hope of His grace. Meditation is the grand means of growth and grace.”
One place I found that had what appears to be some very good information about Charles Simeon is at the Church Times, here. I hope that link will stay live.
About Paul Sibley
Andrew Gosden (now 16) has been missing from his Doncaster home since 14 September 2007. The search continues.
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