The Candle Burned Out Long Ago, The Legend Never Did

The below is a quote fron Daniel Nea’s “history of the Puritans”  and it occurred to me as reading, as how it could apply as easily to my country today; Today we of course  have many churches, no less than there has always been, however to find a Biblically sound one, that  practices purity in worship  for the whole of England, that I could attend without wounding my conscience even if able to go out and about, we have 3 churches.  The Pentecostals are the denominations on the highest increase here. You can easily find a muslim temple to worship at, far easier than one can find a Biblically sound,  Christian church.

Its lamentable when one things of the great history we have here; how the martyrs ashes spread the truth abroad, and carried the torch and candle for reform. But we know that God will deliver his church, in his own season; that even now he could be raising  up men who have the hearts of those fearless nobles of long ago, who was willing to foresake all for Christ’s cause and seal it with their blood, and that in the meanwhiole, the very scattered remanant remains, and  knows that as lamentable as it maybe,  We have a God whose in complete control. I do believe it will be by judgement that the church is delivered, because we seem to have made comfort and the everything for easy andn quickness the idol of our age, and in doing so, we have put ourselves too comfortable too often, to want to be a bit discomfitted in continuing the work of bringing the Kingdom in.  My only wonder, is the patience and long-suffeirng that God has  showed in bearing with us this long but, one day, as the book of Ezekiel  keeps saying about the Judgments that have come upon the land.  They will know, that I am God. Because God is glorified as much by his judgments when he shows his strong arm, as he is by his mercy.

Great was the Scarcity of preachers about England at this time, in the large and populous town of Northampton there was not one, nor had been for a Considerable time, though the people applied to the Bishop of the diocess by most humble application for the bread of life. In the County of Cornwall there were one hundred and forty clergymen, not one of which was  capable of preaching a sermon, and most of them were pluralists and non-residents, Even the city of London was in a lamentable case, as appears by their petition  to the parliament which met the winter In which are these words:
“-May it please you therefore for the tender mercies of God, to understand the woeful estate of many thousands of souls dwelling in deep darkness, and
in the Shadow of death, in this famous and populous city of London: a place, in respect of others, accounted as the Morning star, or rather as the
Sun in its brightness, because of the Gospel, supposed to shine gloriously and abundantly in The same; but being near looked into, will be found Sorely
eclipsed and darkened through the  dim cloud of unlearned ministers, whereof there be no small number. There are in this city a great number of-churches, but, the one half of them  at least are utterly unfurnished of preaching ministers, and are pestered with candlesticks net of gold, but of
clay, unworthy to have the  Lord’s light Set in them, with . watchmen that have no eyes, nd Clouds that have no water ;–        in the other half, partly by  Means of non-residents, which are very many ; partly through the poverty of many meanly qualified there is scarcely the tenth man
that makes conscience to wait  upon his charge, Whereby the ord’s Sabbath is often times wholly neglected, and for the most part miserably mangled;
ignorance Increaseth, and wickedness comes upon us like an armed man-As sheep therefore going astray I we humbly  on our knees beseech this          honourable assembly, in the   bowels and blood of Jesus  Christ, to become humble suitors to her Majesty, that we may have guides ; as hungry men
bound to abide by our empty  rackstaves, we do beg of you to be means, That the bread of life may be brought home  to us ; that the sower may come
into the fallow ground ; that the pipes of water may be brought nto our assemblies ; That there may be food and Refreshing for us, our poor wives, and forton children: So shall the Lord have his due honour; you shall discharge good duty to her majesty; many languishing Souls shall be comforted
atheism and heresy banished; her majesty have more faithful subjects ;  and you move hearty prayers for your prosperity in this life, and full happiness in the life to come through Jesus Christ, our alone Saviour Amen
—Daniel Neal, History of the Puritans, Volume One