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In Loving Memory of Robert C. Chapman,

OH, what a welcome from the friends of years,

Dear, aged father-brother, thou wouldst have

Within the gates of pearl! The golden street

Would echo and re-echo with their song

"Ten thousand welcomes, aged pilgrim, home!"

For nigh a century, thine arms and heart

Were opened wide to welcome every saint

Who loved the Name of Jesus Christ thy Lord.

Those whom thou didst embrace, embrace thee now,

And many more beside, for in that Home

Love beams in every eye and fills each heart!

And He whose welcome would them all excel

The Guard and Guide of all thy pilgrim days,

Whom thou didst pray: "Leave me not long to roam

An exile from my Home" hath given thee place

In His own presence: rest and joy complete!

We view thy life, the distant and the near:

What hast thou wrought? Two pillars towering high

Are left as landmarks in thy history;

One, "GOD IS LIGHT," the other, "GOD IS LOVE."

Thy lip and life together testified

God's "RIGHTEOUSNESS" and" LOVE" in harmony.

His Word was deeply pondered in thy heart

Esteemed more necessary than thy food;

Pondered to be obeyed: and thus God's peace

Kept calm thy heart, and shewed upon thy face

‘Mid many a storm; till, with thy latest breath

"Peace passeth understanding; God's own peace,"

Told out the unruffled peace which dwelt within!

The Church- yea, all the world-is poorer now!

How we shall miss thee at the mercy- seat

Thy constant intercession, morn and eve,

Will rise for us no more! Yet, God be praised,

CHRIST "ever lives" for us to intercede!

Thus one by one the great and good depart

The longest earthly life finds here an end;

(An end which but begins the bliss of those

Who trust in J ESUS' blood and righteousness;)

But CHRIST, the "First and Last," for aye remains

M. M. D.

 

Brief Memorials of Robert C. Chapman

 

 At the advanced age of ninety-nine years, and five months, this greatly beloved and honored servant of Christ was called to his rest on the evening of Thursday, June 12th, at 8.50. His last audible words were, "The peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:7).

 

For over seventy years, the busy market town of Barnstaple, in North Devon, was known to many children of God in home and distant lands as the abode of Robert Chapman. There, in a humble, godly home, he welcomed, entertained, and sought to help on in the heavenward way, hundreds of the Lord's people who visited him there, while many worn out and weary servants of Christ who labor in other lands were under the hospitable roof rested, cheered and replenished for further service in the harvest field.

 

Robert Cleaver Chapman was born in Elsinore, Denmark, on January 4th, 1803. He was the son of Sir George Chapman, who was attached to the Copenhagen Court. His school days over, he was trained for the law, but having heard and received the Gospel of God's grace, his heart was won for Christ, and he was called by that grace to give his life and energies to the spread of the Gospel and the truth of God.

 

His conversion took place before he was twenty, under the preaching of Harrington Evans, whose ministry was then being mightily used of God in arousing sinners out of the dead formality that then enshrouded the land. At the invitation of a friend, he went to hear the plain Gospeler, and was then and there converted to God. He took his stand at once as a confessor of Christ, owning Him as his Lord.

 

Converted thus in early life, Mr. Chapman was led with others to take the Word of God alone as his counselor and guide, and by the teaching of the Spirit, was led into the deep things of God treasured therein. As a result of his reverent study of the Sacred Word, with the desire to learn and do the will of God, he knew no law, no guide, save the commandments of the Lord. He was led out from the Church of England, because he found its constitution, its worship and its ministry contrary to the will of God, and with others was led on step by step, following as he received light from God through His Word, to gather together unto the Name of the Lord Jesus alone, as the early disciples did, outside of all sectarianism, owning no name but that of "Christians," welcoming all whom God had received, and seeking to own the Lordship of Christ and the authority of His Word in all that pertained to the assembling and fellowship of His people collectively; as he personally did in his own individual path. While ever seeking to manifest his love to all the household of faith, and to recognize in every believer a fellow-member of the body of Christ, he held fast with a firm yet gracious grasp the truth of God, which kept him separate from the world's religion as surely as from its frivolities. To him the Word was" the law of the Lord," which claimed his unreserved obedience in everything, and whatever was apart from that Word, or contrary to it, he was separate from. Throughout a long and diligent life In the service of the Lord, whom he loved, his great delight was in the Scriptures, and by daily meditation therein, his soul was filled with their riches, so that his ministry in public and in private, was like the springing fountain, bearing life and refreshment to those to whom it came. His love for the whole household of God, his continual intercession for all saints, his deep humility of mind, and his unswerving devotion to the truth which he esteemed his chief treasure, characterized the life and service of the departed one. Thousands who never saw his face, were the subjects of his prayers, and the whole company of the redeemed he bore upon his heart, continually before the throne. He was in reality a stranger on earth: a pilgrim to heaven.

 

A couple of verses from one of his earlier hymns, express more fully than any other words can, his real attitude towards both worlds.

 

The cords that bound my heart to earth

Are broken by His hand,

Before His cross I found myself

A stranger in the land.

My heart is with Him on the throne,

And ill can brook delay;

Each moment listening for the voice,

"Rise up and come away."

 

Mr. Chapman went to Barnstaple in 1832, and for over seventy years he lived and labored for his Master there. When he relinquished his profession as a barrister, and gave himself to the Lord for His service, some of his friends remarked that "Robert would never make a preacher." His reply is said to have been-"There are many who preach, but not so many who live Christ. My aim shall be to live Christ." And through grace, this his chief desire was granted, for it was the beauty of his Christ-like life, and the devotedness of his Christ-like spirit, that were the outstanding features in Robt. Chapman's testimony for his Lord.  Although no

in the world's estimation an eloquent preacher, he was an able minister of the Word, and by means of his teaching--which was always full of the person and work of Christ-many were fed and led on in the truth. He preached the Gospel in the open-air with great plainness, never fearing to express the hollowness of man's religion, or tell the Christ-rejecter of his danger and his doom. His heart was much exercised in the spread of the Gospel in other lands, a chief part of his service, especially in his later years being, to receive and help by spiritual counsel, servants of Christ who were home on a visit from their spheres of labor. In 1838, Mr. Chapman made a tour through Spain, at that time almost closed against the Gospel, and was used to open the way for other laborers who have since reaped the harvests of his sowing. With his fellow-laborer, Mr. Wm. Hake, he welcomed all the children of God, without distinction, to their home, which was the resting-place of hundreds of the Lord's people, many of whom came from far to see and share the spiritual fellowship of the man of God. His Bible readings were sources of spiritual help to many. Twice a week these were conducted in his house, besides the public gatherings in the Meeting-Room. He was an early riser, usually about 4 am., the early hours of each day being spent in intercession and with the Scriptures. His guests were wakened by a gentle tap at their bedroom door, with a verse of the Word as a morning greeting.

As an open air preacher, Mr. Chapman had much power, his manly form and his deep, rich voice causing many to stand and hear the Word of life from his lips. His presence was much prized for many years at the Leominster Conferences, where so many of the Lord's servants have been cheered and refreshed by spiritual fellowship, and his words of holy counsel eagerly sought. At the table after meals, his brief, lucid expositions of the Word were usually very helpful, being full of gracious and Christ-exalting words, which were strengthening his own soul and filling his heart with heavenly joy, and he was at his best in contributing his part in the Conversational Bible Readings and Meetings for the Consideration of Scripture which have always been so marked a feature of the Leominster gatherings.

 

But the home-life of the man of God was the special charm that drew believers from far to the humble dwelling at New Buildings, Barnstaple: the savor of Christ found there, was a power that none could resist, all the more so because it is so rare. And beloved Robert Chapman never seemed happier than when under his hospitable roof, fellow-pilgrims who came to sojourn were refreshed at the heavenly spring and sent on their way rejoicing. Sometimes as many as twenty guests would be under his roof at one time, besides many visitors and callers who would remain for dinner or tea. The rules of his home were few and simple. The household assembled for breakfast at 7 am., followed by the whole circle gathering for morning worship. At noon there was dinner, after which, a hymn was sung followed by prayer.  After tea a psalm was read, with praise and prayer commending the household to the Father's care.

 

In a volume issued by a Victorian Church of England minister, who visited Mr. Chapman and stayed for a brief period at New Buildings, he gives a very full and deeply interesting account of his experiences there, from which we give the following brief extract, which serves to show how a stranger - and one not ecclesiastically associated with Mr. Chapman - was impressed by what he saw and heard while there. Mr. Macartney says:- "I learned that he was preeminently holy: a man who rose early, and prayed much, and always walked with God. I was told that he always spent Saturday apart; that the day was passed in communion; that no exercise was taken, except indoors at his lathe; and that a visitor who had once been obliged to break in upon his solitude, beheld his face as it had been the face of an angel." Mr. Macartney then describes his visit to the little "settlement" of which Mr. Chapman was the head, and his introduction to the latter. "At last Mr. Chapman entered, a strong built man of about seventy, with gray hair, beard, and mustache, the very image of Moses. Mr. Hake followed: taller, but more bent, old and thin, and suffering. He reminded me of Aaron, the saint of the Lord. Such a kindly welcome from both the brothers, and then I listened to know how a man with such a reputation for holiness would converse-how he would differ from other men." A baby in a young mother's arms commenced to cry lustily, and the visitor was rather annoyed at the interruption. "Both Mr. Chapman and Mr. Hake spoke to the mother with the greatest concern and tenderness. The young mother was calmed by their thoughtfulness, and soon her baby slept. This was my first lesson there in the art of love."

 

Mr. Macartney then goes on to describe how Mr. Chapman "waited like a lover" on Mr. Hake, "and the language of Canaan spread like a silver veil over the whole body of their conversation. After tea, we wrapped up again and went out to a cottage meeting, and for the first time I heard Robert Chapman expound the Scriptures. Deep called to deep, as he warmed into his subject. The impression made on my mind is almost all that I can remember, as I took no notes; but as his Bible closed, I felt like an infant in the knowledge of God, compared with a giant like this. Returning home I was confounded to find that he, instead of I, was taking the place of infant as we walked together.  He sought to know all that I knew of God, and so I believe it is always with him, as if his visitors knew more and loved more than he."

 

The following from the same pen gives an interesting insight to the manner of life at Mr. Chapman's home.

 

Tuesday, December 10th.-We all retired to rest about nine o'clock last night; for the hours at "New Buildings are particularly early-breakfast at seven, dinner at noon. Mr. Chapman always retires at nine and rises at four. From four o'clock until twelve he is principally occupied with God. It was laid on his heart very soon after his affections had become fixed on better things, that the world stood in great need of intercession, and that intercession was to be peculiarly his vocation; therefore his first and best hours are given to prayer. Devotion does not, however, in any way interfere with the energies of life. He preaches to 800 souls every Sunday; he undertakes pastoral work; he attends to the minutest bodily and spiritual wants of a stream of visitors, some of whom stay for an hour, some for a month; he is the mainspring of a great evangelistic and Bible work in England and in Spain; he corresponds with men like George Muller, and with seekers and workers in various parts of the world. Nor is he shut up during those first eight hours. For instance, it was his practice, till quite recently, to go round to every door and take away the boots of his guests, to clean them with his own hands. He called me at my own request at five. I was awake and waiting for his step. He put his venerable head in at my door just at the hour, lighting my candle and giving me for my morning portion-"As for God, His way is perfect." A little after, he came to guide me to a little sitting room, where a chair and warm rug were placed beside a table furnished with a reading lamp, and just in front of a lovely fire. At six o'clock I heard him calling one of the married couples in an adjacent room, with the words, "l will fear no evil," and yet again giving orders that the young father and mother whom I mentioned above, should not be disturbed at the hour they had named, for the baby had been restless at night.

 

We breakfasted by lamplight at seven o'clock, and Mr. Chapman, who had prepared his own breakfast earlier, joined us at eight o'clock for family worship.

 

After dinner at twelve o'clock I explored the neighborhood a little, till it was time for the Bible reading at half-past three. The Song of Solomon occupied our thoughts till nearly six o'clock, when we had tea, during which fresh visitors from a distance came in intending to stay for the night. But at seven o'clock, Mr. Chapman, according to promise, took me away with Mr. Hake to a little room at the end of the courtyard, which I had not seen before, and for two hours unfolded to me his thoughts and researches on prophecy; and with the gentlest, and with what it almost seems presumption to call the most teachable spirit, sought to know my mind. This is what strikes me most of all in the retrospect; that a man so well born, so well educated, muscularly so strong and vigorous, such a traveler, so much sought after, one who knows the Lord face to face, should be so lowly. But the last characteristic accounts for it all-communion with God makes him childlike.

 

Wednesday, December 11th.- A text was given me, and my candle and fire lighted yet earlier this morning. Prayers and breakfast ended, I visited Mr. Chapman's workshop; carried away a bread platter, cut by his own lathe, took farewell of good old Mr. Hake and some of the other guests, and while a large party accompanied Miss Hanbury to the train, we walked together by a lonely road to the station. This was the most profitable time I had yet had. I asked him many questions about the Christian life, and got the broadest, most comprehensive answers. I told him of a dear friend of mine, a perfectionist, who said he had got back to Adam's state--no sin in him, but only the possibility of sinning if he did not watch. "Adam's state!" he said with vehemence; "back to Adam's state! I would not change places with Adam before the fall, for a hundred thousand worlds!" Speaking of prayer, he said, "When I bow to God, God stoops to me." Speaking of wholehearted service, he said, "As the father and child do all they can to please each other, so do I all I can to please God, and God does all he can to please me." On the subject of gaining the mastery over besetting sins he was very positive. He said, "Give yourself to attacking the filthiness of the spirit more than the filthiness of the flesh-pride, selfishness, self-seeking, &c.-these are the ringleaders; aim at them. Fight ye not with small or great, save only with the king of Israel. While you are occupied in gaining the victory over little sins, great sins will be occupied in gaining the victory over you. 'When great sins are overcome, little sins fall with them." Thus we reached the train-in falling snow and bitter cold, but our hearts were full."

 

Mr. Chapman was a devout student of the Word of God. Daily he read, meditated and drank in the sacred truth, by which his spiritual life was strengthened and his heart made glad. This was the secret of his lips being always filled with fragrant passages full of "things touching the King." Speaking to a friend one day when in his ninety-ninth year, he said, "Beloved brother, I have been reading the Bible now for over seventy years, and it is becoming quite a new book to me."

 

For over half a century his habit was to visit the surrounding towns and villages proclaiming the Gospel and ministering to the saints, often walking very long distances. The little assemblies of believers throughout North Devon and a long way further afield, were all his especial care, and although he loved all the children of God, no matter where they were found or to what denomination they had attached themselves, he never swerved from the path of separation to God, and from the world's religion, or turned aside from the plain but narrow path along which the Spirit and the Word had led him for so many years, and which he fully believed to be the path of obedience. To recognize any form of sectarianism, he regarded as contrary to the teachings of Scripture. He loved the saints, but kept himself entirely apart from the unscriptural religious associations in which many of them were found, gathering simply with those who owned no name but the Name of Christ, no ecclesiastical authority save that of his Lord, and no creed but the Word of God.

 

In his later years, when unable by reason of failing strength to take part in the public ministry of the Word, he gave himself to intercession. Up to the very close of his long pilgrimage, his mental and spiritual vision was unimpaired, and like Moses, his eye was undimmed, and the dew of his youth remained with him.

 

On June 2nd, 1902, he was seized with paralysis, and after ten days of weakness, during which his spiritual vision was as clear as ever, and his heart and mind, stored with the Word, poured forth their riches. To the saints gathered at the Annual Fellowship Meeting the week before he passed away, he sent the message-"We know that God is love, and if with love of which there is no measure, is conjoined wisdom that makes no mistakes, what becomes us His children but to be full of thankfulness." At 8.50 on Thursday evening, June 12th, he peacefully " fell asleep" without a struggle, and was "at home" with the Lord whom he loved so well.

THE FUNERAL.

His body was laid to rest in the Barnstaple Cemetery on Tuesday, 17th June, amidst scenes of mourning and respect such as are seldom witnessed. The streets were crowded with respectful observers, and it was computed that not less than two thousand mourners and spectators surrounded the grave, while brethren from all parts of the country paid their last tokens of loving regard to the memory of this greatly honored servant of Christ, who had so long and so consistently led them in the path of testimony.

 

The aged pilgrim has reached the goal for which he sighed. The church below has lost a true helper, and the world-although it knows it not-is poorer, because of the absence of one whose daily supplications on its behalf were never forgotten. May the gracious spirit, the loving heart, the humble mind, and the deep reverence for God's Word, that through grace characterized Robert Chapman throughout his long and beautiful life, lead us who remain to the same source of supply-the living Christ at God's right hand above, revealed through the written Word by the Spirit to our faith below, to whom cleaving closely and following fully, we too, in our feeble measure shall be conformed, and thus be enabled to shed some little ray of heavenly light on those who are yet in darkness and in the shadow of death.

 

Brief Notes of Bible Readings.

 

In order to give some idea of the character of the Bible Readings, which were for so many years carried on by Mr. Chapman in his house, to which so many of the Lord's people came to share the deep things of the Word of God, and by means of which so many were refreshed and strengthened, we append a few brief notes taken by a friend who long attended them. As has truly been said, "it is difficult to put in writing what was given on these occasions." It was not only the words, but the wonderful sweetness and power in which they were spoken, that carried life and spiritual refreshing to the souls of all who were present. May these fragments "gathered up" be used by the Holy Spirit to same end.