The Cowper and Newton Museum in Olney, England

     As the bus wound its way through the fields, hedgerows and roundabouts, our first sight of Olney was the magnificent spire of the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul. Five minutes later we stepped off into the village square and there, only 100 yards away was “Orchard Side”, the home of William Cowper from 1768-1786.

   We paid admission and passed through the house into the garden behind. As we sat quietly on a bench and admired the stonework of the garden walls and the tiled roofs in front of us, we could almost believe that it was 1780 and the gardener working nearby was Cowper himself.

     Later we passed through a door in the garden wall and found ourselves facing a little shed—Cowper’s summer house and “verse manufactory.” In his letters, he described it as being just big enough for a table and two chairs. It looks much the same now as it did 230 years ago— but the walls and ceiling are covered with the signatures of hundreds of visitors over the centuries.

     We then entered the house through a door (duck if you’re over 5’6”!) leading into the kitchen. Cooking seemed to be done over an open fire, using hooks and handles to get the cooking pots into place. Our next stops were the parlour and the hall, then up a tapering stair to Cowper’s bedroom. Not much of the original furniture remains— we did see an “architect’s desk” where he did some of his writing; his shoe buckles; his pocket watch and its stand; his washstand and shaving mirror; a stuffed hare (he had three as pets); his genealogy; and a replica of the strange hat he wore.

     We took lots of pictures, because there was too much to remember. As we left, one last view from the street looked through an arched, gated passageway to the garden and beyond, once again, to the church spire.

     Around the corner, through the car park, and down the pathway through the common brought us past the “Old Vicarage”, home of John Newton and, in about a quarter mile, to the church where he was curate. Built in the 14^th century, it is awe-inspiring. We have nothing in Canada to compare. We peeked into the church since it wasn’t locked, and walked around outside, past hundreds of gravestones.   A little printed sign on a stake directed us “to John Newton’s tomb” and we found the monument. His remains were moved here from London in 1893— one side reads, “JOHN NEWTON DIED 21^ST  DEC^R 1807…” and the opposite side reads, “JOHN NEWTON, CLERK, ONCE AN INFIDEL AND LIBERTINE, A SERVANT OF SLAVES IN AFRICA, WAS, BY THE RICH MERCY OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST PRESERVED, RESTORED, PARDONED AND APPOINTED TO PREACH THE FAITH HE HAD LONG LABOURED TO DESTROY. NEAR 16 YEARS AS CURATE OF THIS PARISH AND 28 YEARS AS RECTOR OF ST. MARY WOOLNOTH.” 

     We sat for a few minutes on the warm grass by the tomb, looked up at the marvellous spire and the blue sky, then moved on, as the bells in the tower chimed three.

     Tea, scones with jam and clotted cream, and delicious French-pressed coffee at a shop in the square rounded out our time in Olney, and we caught the 1608 bus back to our rooms.

     Looking back over two centuries, we have to say that God brought together two men with great spiritual and literary gift, but vastly different backgrounds, to bless many generations of believers. Scripture says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” (Prov.27:17.) Newton wrote “Amazing Grace” at Olney and Cowper, in one of his “Olney Hymns” says,

“Such Jesus is, and such His grace;

       Oh, may He shine on you!
And tell Him, when you see His face,
       I long to see Him too.”
 
XXXIV—Seeking the Beloved   Ì

“Jesus is greater than Moses”

     Back in May, we looked at a few of the ways that Jesus is like Moses: they were “almost” killed in infancy; they both interceded for their people; and they both showed the glory of God in their faces. Now we want to go one step further—we want to note how Jesus is still “like” Moses, but greater. Three examples should make the point:

     They both produced water from a rock. The children of Israel camped at Rephidim but there was no water so they started to grumble and quarrel. They were ready to stone Moses, so God intervened: “I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” Ex.17:6.  —A physical solution to a physical problem. But when did Jesus ever do such a thing? Was it at Cana, when He turned water into wine? I don’t think so. Now we move into the spiritual realm. The apostle Paul tells us that “they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.” 1 Cor.10:4. Christ Himself is the Rock and he gave the Samaritan woman “living water” (John 4:10) —water that would cause her to “never thirst again!”

     They both provided a source of healing on a “tree”. As the Israelites travelled up the Red Sea road to bypass Edom, they started to grumble again: “There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!” Num.21:4-5. Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. When they repented, Moses prayed for the people and the Lord said, “Make a snake and put it on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” Num.21:8.—A unique instance of physical healing, but what is the greater parallel with Jesus? Again we move into the spiritual realm: “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” John 3:14-15

     They both went up through clouds and promised to return. In the days of the exodus, “Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai.” Ex.24:14-18. His parting words were, “Wait here for us until we come back to you.” Moses stayed on the mountain 40 days and 40 nights and he came back to a real mess and a total loss of faith by the people—“this fellow Moses…we don’t know what has happened to him.” Ex.32:1,27. What a parallel we have in Jesus—He too went up into a cloud (Acts 1:9) and two men dressed in white promised, “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” Acts 1:11. He, Himself, promised, “I will come back and take you to be with me.” John 14:3. And what will be the attitude of people when the Lord returns?—“When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” Lk 18:8. We know from Rev.2,3 that He will, but it may be very weak and hidden. In any case, “we will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” 1 Thess.4:17, 18.

     I hope that these great comparisons will encourage us. Three more suggestions worth looking at (out of many) are (i) the Spirit on them passed to others. [Moses in Num.11:1,17 and the Lord in Acts 2:1-18—God, of course “gives the Spirit without limit.” John 3:3.] (ii) they both participated in an “exodus”. [Moses, in Ex.12:31, and the Lord, when He died on the cross and ascended to heaven, and will lead many others there as well. Lk.9:31] and (iii) they both provided bread from heaven. [Moses, for physical life, John 6:31-32, Ex.16:12, and Jesus for our eternal life. He is the Bread from Heaven. John 6:32-51]

     Once again we have to say, “Jesus has been found worthy of greater honour than Moses.” Heb.3:3.  Ì