The Life And Ministry Of Richard Burbridge

Earthen Vessel 1892:

Mr. Richard Burbridge, Pastor, Camden Town

Mr Dear Brother Winters,—Acording to promise, I send you a brief sketch of the Lord’s goodness and mercy to me in providence and grace. I was born in Mid-Kent, in the parish of Boughton-Malherb, in an old farm-house. Like others, I grew up to be exceedingly fond of the world and all its pastimes, and was ever active in the service of sin and Satan. But, in due time, the Lord came “Not to propose, but call by grace,” and separated me from the service and tyranny of Satan, laying the axe of His holy law to the root of my free-will, which made me tremble from head to foot. He then discovered to me my lost and ruined condition, and told me plainly that “the soul that sinned should die,” and that “the wicked should be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” My conscience said, “Thou art the man!”

“I felt the arrows of distress,

And found I had no hiding-place.”

Oh, how I wished I had never been born. God’s wrath lay hard upon me, and I said, with the prophet, “Who can dwell with and in devouring fire?” Oh, how often I cried and said, “O Lord, do save me from the burning lake!” But it seemed to me that God could not save me, because He was so holy and just, and that He had said, “the wicked shall be turned into hell.” I really thought to that place I should go, as I believe God meant what He said; consequently, my sins laying heavy upon me, caused me great trouble and sorrow. Sometimes I thought I would try and be good and please God and get to heaven that way, but my corrupt nature was so strong, and my heart so full of rebellion against God, that I felt I could pull Him down from His throne, and yet I wept at times because I could not cease from sin. Sometimes, in the struggle between flesh and spirit, I felt quite ill, and said, “I will never pray again, for my doom is fixed, and I shall never see the King in His beauty.” I found something had got hold of me that was my master. If I laboured to be good I felt to be without strength; then I thought I would pray no more. Still, I hoped God would pour upon me the spirit of prayer and supplication, for I could not help crying mightily to the Lord for mercy; but He seemed to look so angry at me, as though He would look me out of existence. This conflict continued a long time. In the morning I would say, “O that it were night,” and at night I would say, “O that it were morning; how shall I get through this long season of sorrow and trouble?” At the same time I had a strong impression that God would send Satan after me, and that he would take me directly into the burning lake; and that impression was so powerful night and day, that even when I was asleep I thought l could feel Satan pulling me out of bed and preparing to take me into perdition. In my own feelings I was so near the bottomless pit, that I often thought I heard the groans and screams of the lost, and it seemed to be only a question of a few hours and I should be there too. I was shut up, and could not come forth. But the set time of love to favour me did come eventually. One night on my return from Bethersden, where I had been for some goods, my distress increased beyond description, but I said, with Jonah, “I will once more look towards the holy temple of the Lord.” It was literally a wet, cold windy, and dark night, and being near a large stock of willow-wood, I went into a secret place, as I thought for the last time, to ask the Lord to forgive me all my sins.

At that time I had never heard a Gospel sermon preached, and knew nothing of Christ and His substitutionary work. However, the Holy Spirit sweetly revealed the things of Jesus to me, and while I was praying in the wood at midnight, a Royal Person appeared to me, partly bright and partly suffused with blood, and He looked so pleasantly at me, and showed me His hands and His feet, and held up His finger to His bleeding temple, and I clearly saw the crown of thorns, and He said distinctly to my heart, ”All this was for you.” He then gave me faith to believe it, and peace came in like a river, and joy like an over-flowing stream. I had joy and peace in believing, through the Lord Jesus Christ, by whom I had received the atonement. My sins, sorrows, and fears all fell off my conscience at the sight of Him who holds the keys of death and the grave. I then saw clearly that Christ was made sin for me, and that I was made the righteousness of God in Him. Truly I could sing:—

“O Love, how high Thy glories swell, 

How great, immutable, and free;

Ten thousand sins, as black as hell,

Are swallowed np, O Love, in Thee.”

I could then see the whole of the Scriptures were on my side; even law and justice too. I felt I was healed, and sheltered from condemnation, as those in Christ Jesus. Then opened He my understanding that I might understand the Scriptures, and, in due course, hundreds of passages of Scripture appeared to open of their own accord to my mind, for I never learned them of men, but by the revelations of Jesus Christ, who loved me and gave Himself for me. These sacred things none—as John says—can learn, but the “hundred and forty and four thousand that were redeemed from among men.”

Respecting preaching the everlasting Gospel, the Holy Spirit made the Trinity in unity so clear and precious to my soul, in opening up the everlasting love of God the Father, in giving His beloved Son Jesus Christ to the Church, and the Holy Spirit as her great Regenerator, Teacher, and Comforter, that I felt an ardent desire

“To tell to sinners round

What a dear Saviour I had found.”

And so I was led to pray many times to the Lord that He would graciously make the way very clear and open doors if He had a work for me to do in preaching the Gospel of Christ. And this He did in His own time and manner. Thus when God the Lord works, all hindrances vanish before Him.