George Vicesimus Wigram was converted whilst a subaltern officer in the army, and in 1826 entered at Queen's College, Oxford, with the view of taking orders. As an undergraduate he came into contact with Mr. Jarratt of the same college, and with Messrs. James L. Harris and Benjamin Wills Newton, both of Exeter College, who were all destined to take part in the ecclesiastical movement with which Wigram's name is also prominently connected. This connection was strengthened from about the year 1830, when these friends, all Devonians, were associated in the formation of a company of Christians at Plymouth, who separated from the organised churches, and were gathered to the Name alone of Jesus, in view of bearing a testimony to the unity of the church, and to its direction by the Holy Spirit alone, whilst awaiting the second coming of the Lord.
Wigram was active in the initiation of a like testimony in London, where by the year 1838 a considerable number of gatherings were formed on the model of that at Plymouth.
In 1856 he produced a new hymn book, "Hymns for the Poor of the Flock," which for some twenty-five years remained the staple of praise in the meetings with which he was associated. Ten years after the first appearance of the hymn book edited by him he stood by J. N. Darby once again at a critical juncture, when the question of the doctrine maintained by the latter on the sufferings of Christ some further dissension occurred, though the teaching was vindicated. During the rest of his life he paid visits to the West Indies, New Zealand, etc., where his ministry seems to have been much appreciated. He passed away in 1879.
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Article
A Cry From Bochim
Introduction.
Confession and humiliation suit, and in a peculiar way, become the children of God in the present day. Neither the glory of God, nor the honour of Christ, nor the presence of the Holy Ghost, has been faithfully cared for by us; and, the church -- where is it? and what is its condition upon earth?
But it is not the wide range o ...read
Article
A Few Words on the Scriptures
The Scriptures are the means by which God speaks to our consciences. They speak judgment on all around. The knowledge of them brings us into new things, into a new place. They give us the mind of God; our God providing the fulness of His own mind to detect the evil that is around us. They lead the saints on in their circumstances here. "Whatsoever ...read
Article
A Fragment on John 12-14
John 12, 13, 14 are remarkably connected together, as bringing out the work of Christ in the eternal redemption of a people to be sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty. The Jews had tried to put Lazarus to death, not liking to have such a witness of the presence among them of One who could raise the dead. God puts it into the hearts of the people ...read
Sermon
A Gospel Address
2 Cor. 4, 5.
I have read these chapters together because they present the gospel in the way in which Paul learnt all the leading points of it. There was a certain man very remarkable for his self-righteousness -- Saul of Tarsus. He thought he could put forth his power mightily to vindicate God's cause against One whom he thought an impostor -- ...read
Letter
A Letter -- 1846
London,
March 8th, 1846.
My Dear Brethren,
I have read a paper professing to be a reply to my letter of the 9th ultimo.
Its contents may be divided into three parts:
1st. Statements as to certain facts;
[which I only refer to, as the writer says. "silence gives consent." I could not subscribe to the correctness of these statements a ...read
Letter
A Letter on Conscience
My Dear -, What is commonly called a vow (that is, pledging yourself without or with penalties if it is broken) is, in itself, the fruit of self-confidence and energy in the flesh -- two things which mark fallen men, and which God abhors.
Conscience is a natural thing, and came in with the fall in Eden; for, till then, all in man was right, and ...read
Sermon
A Marriage Address
Gen. 2: 18-24; Eph. 5: 22-33.
An immense sphere, if one looks at the scene laid there in the garden, and, on the other hand, that scene in which the last Adam, life-giving Spirit, will present to Himself a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing. It surely is part of the special grace of God to His people on an occasion like ...read
Commentary
A Study of the Psalms: Part 1
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.
It has pleased the Most High to reveal Himself to us (in that which men call the New Testament), under the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (Matt. 28: 19). In this we learn redemption eternal and for Heaven.
Of old, in the Creation of the world, He had revealed His eternal power and Godhead (Ro ...read
A Study of the Psalms: Part 2
I print the Psalms as poetry; they are so in Hebrew. G.V.W.
[Publisher's note: In Present Testimony the Psalms are rendered in full as the Authorised Version, here only the notes are reproduced.]
First Book (Pss. 1 - 51) "The faithful are looked at as not yet driven out from Jerusalem; hence covenant mercies and the name of Jehovah are refe ...read
Article
A Word on the Fellowship of Saints
A Word on the Fellowship of Saints to any who are puzzled about the English Bethesda Question.
There is a Man, a glorified Man, sitting now on the throne of God in heaven -- the Man that is Jehovah's Fellow. To Him, God, the Holy Spirit, has borne testimony in the Scriptures; to Him He calls the sinner's attention; to Him He guides the eye of ...read
Article
Account of Two Scenes
...in which the world saw the unity of the church; and so could believe that the Father sent the Son.
Acts 2: 41-47; and Acts 4: 31-35.
FIRST SCENE.
"Then they that gladly received His word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and ...read
Sermon
Addresses on the Seven Churches: Introduction
Revelation 1.
Rev. 1: 1. The "revelation" (unveiling, uncovering, manifestation, as in Romans 8, "manifestation of the sons of God") "of Jesus Christ" (in this book to show the way in which He meets all God's desires in the midst of the wreck and ruin of the Church) which God gave unto Him, to show unto His servants things which must shortly c ...read
Addresses on the Seven Churches: 1: Ephesus
REVELATION 2: 1-7.
*This lecture, as well as one or two others, is very imperfectly reported. But though fragmentary, they have their special value, and are given to complete the series. -- ED.
CHRIST sympathizes with God as well as with us; therefore He judges us according to the blessing He has bestowed on us. If Christ is the High Prie ...read
Addresses on the Seven Churches: 2: Smyrna
REVELATION 2: 8-11.
THE peculiarity of the Church of Smyrna is that it preserved its character before God. There is something very blessed in the state indicated. The end signifies that they would be able to go through death for Christ's sake; and therefore the promise is that they should not be "hurt of the second death," but have "a crown of ...read
Addresses on the Seven Churches: 3: Pergamos
REVELATION 2: 12-17.
As before observed, we find a remarkable harmony between the character in which Christ comes to address these churches, and the promises given to them. In the epistles of Paul we notice, that when the state of the Church is low the higher subjects cannot be introduced to them, and when they are in a higher state they do no ...read
Addresses on the Seven Churches: 4: Thyatira
REVELATION 2: 18-29.
THE three first addresses end with promise. The four last with exhortations. This is doubtless significant. The three first churches have the cheering word last, and the four last have the cheering word first, and the warning afterwards. In verse 18, we have the Lord coming to Thyatira as the Son of God, who had "His eyes ...read
Addresses on the Seven Churches: 5: Sardis
REVELATION 3: 1-6.
THE titles under which the Lord presents Himself to this Church, in the first verse, are these: "He that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars." We find the Spirit of God spoken of in other places as the eyes of the Lord that run to and fro throughout the earth. These, and the expression "seven Spirits before th ...read
Addresses on the Seven Churches: 6: Philadelphia Lecture 1
REVELATION 3: 7-12.
THE titles under which the Lord presents Himself to this Church are these: "He that is holy, He that is true, He that hath the key of David, He that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth." There is something very remarkable in the address to Philadelphia. The very name is full of blessing -- brother ...read
Addresses on the Seven Churches: 7: Philadelphia Lecture 2
REVELATION 3: 7-12.
Rev. 3: 8: "I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut, it." There is often great enlargement gained in the sense, through the change of a word - none rather than "no man." In the conflict of things here, even supposing we had to lay down our lives, no one, not even Satan himself, can overcome, for it is again ...read
Addresses on the Seven Churches: 8: Philadelphia Lecture 3
REVELATION 3: 7-12.
IN the very name of this church the Lord's love to His people is recalled, and there is something peculiarly sweet in this, in their time of difficulty and trial from the evil around.
My desire in mentioning a few things is not to bring out new truths, but old truth which God may use for the good of the sheep, as they go ...read
