January 2009

from Octavius Winslow

Octavius Winslow was born in London in August 1808 and died in Brighton in March 1878. He is buried in Abbey Cemetery in Bath. He held pastorates in Leamington Spa, Bath and Brighton, in all of which he exercised a rich Christian ministry. An increasing number of his writings are now becoming available, which is good news indeed. There follows below a sweet savour of his ministry, written in 1852 – full, as ever, of Christ.

 It has been the distinctive aim, and the sincere desire of my ministry – to make known and to endear the Saviour to your hearts.

 Oh, how worthy is He of your most exalted conceptions, of your most implicit confidence, of your most self-denying service, of your most fervent love!

 When he could give you no more – and the fathomless depths of His love, and the boundless resources of His grace, would not be satisfied by giving you less – He gave you Himself!

Robed in your nature, laden with your curse, oppressed with your sorrows, wounded for your transgressions, and slain for your sins – He gave His entire self for you!

His redeeming work now finished – He is perpetually engaged in meeting out blessings to His people, from the exhaustless treasures of His love! He constantly woos your affection – invites your grief – and bids you repair with your daily trials to His sympathy, and with your hourly guilt to His blood. You cannot in your drafts upon Christ’s fullness, be too covetous; nor in your expectations of supply, be too extravagant! You may fail, as, alas! the most of us do, in making too little of Christ – but you cannot fail, in making too much of Him!

 It is utterly impossible to know Christ, and not become inspired with a desire to love Him supremely, to serve Him devotedly, to resemble Him closely, to glorify Him faithfully here, and to enjoy Him fully hereafter!

 (Friends desiring to become familiar with – and blessed from – Winslow’s writings, but not sure where best to start, may be directed in particular to his Morning Thoughts and Evening Thoughts. These are two magnificent volumes of daily devotionals, put together from his writings by Winslow himself, and published by Reformation Heritage Books).