He Was an Incarnated Sermon

The history of Evan Henry Hopkins, the mentor and guide of the famous Keswick Conference.

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Evan Hopkins was born in England in 1837. As a youngster, he graduated in a University as a mining Engineer. At 26 years of age, helped by a Coast Guard, Evan Hopkins was saved. Surprisingly, for the Coast Guard, Evan was his first convert, because he had converted just the day before!

With a great desire to know more about the Word of God, Hopkins entered the School of Theology in King's College, London. When concluding his studies, he was ordained as a minister in the Church of England.

Due to the excellent preparation that he received, as much in the University as in the School of Theology, Evan Hopkins was a very educated and cultured man.

Hopkins worked diligently and the Lord used him greatly. He helped countless brothers and sisters. For ten years, Evan Hopkins was devoted to his Master's service. But, after every year of so much work, he didn't feel satisfied. For those ten years he remained with a great hunger which he wanted to satisfy. Evan Hopkins felt that he could not expose such a situation to the other brothers and sisters, because they all looked to him with certain trust. He who tried to encourage the brothers and sisters to continue in the Lord, felt unsatisfied and hungry.

A special encounter with the Lord

One day, in May 1873, when he was 36 years old, Evan Hopkins was invited to participate in a small meeting. In that time, there was a great move of the Spirit occurring in Europe. The Lord was using an American brother, Robert Pearsall Smith, greatly, and many brothers and sisters were led to the Lord in new way, in small meetings, known as "consecration meetings." When arriving at the building where the meeting would take place, Evan Hopkins was surprised to see, together with him, sixteen very well-known and famous brothers. He thought that he was the only preacher that, in spite of having been used by the Lord to help other brothers and sisters, felt useless, hungry and unsatisfied within.

Smith preached that sanctification, the same as justification, was received by means of faith. Evan Hopkins could never forget that day. He called it "that day of May." In that meeting he met with his Boaz. In those previous ten years he was diligently, working in the field, helping the other reapers, but that day his eyes were opened and he heard about the truth of "Remain in me."

His wife later testified saying: "I remember his return to the house well, deeply touched by what he had seen and experienced. He told me that he felt as if he had seen a wide and beautiful land, flowing with milk and honey. This land must be possessed. It belonged to him. As he described it, I perceived that he had received an overflowing blessing, much more than what I knew."

Later, through a certain verse, the Lord gave him light, opened his eyes, and for the rest of his life never separated from that verse. It is in 2 Corinthians 9:8: "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that ye, always, having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work." Through this word, "all" which appears repeatedly, his eyes were open. He then began to see Christ's sufficiency. For that reason he says that he saw the land where milk and honey flowed, which must be possessed and which belonged to him.

Now he had the light. Through the whole history of the Church, this torch of light has been passed down from one hand to another. And the Lord also qualified him to pass this light to others, so that they, in turn, later could also pass it on, so that we know that we must remain in Christ. Evan Hopkins could help other brothers and sisters greatly. He received the torch of light from the Lord and passed it on to other brothers and sisters.

During those years, the Lord used those small "consecration meetings" wonderfully. So, the Lord had begun to do something even greater.

The Lord does something on a bigger scale

In the summer of 1874, there was a one week conference in Broadlands. There were nearly 100 brothers and sisters, coming from different towns and circumstances, gathered there, who having been brought by the Lord, wanted to meet during those days. Among them, there were some theologians who had gone with a very critical mind; but who, in some way, were convinced by the Lord and decided to go. The brothers and sisters resolved to make this conference because they had already been in those "consecration meetings" in various places, and had a great desire to be able to meet in a conference to share their experiences. Although there were many differences among them, the common bond that was among them was very strong and vital, it was Christ Himself. Christ was their centre of attraction.

The experience was so good that they resolved to have another conference in the following month. So, during August of 1874, in Oxford, they had the second conference, but this time, instead of one week, it lasted 10 days. The Lord carried out a great work there. Evan Hopkins was one of the speakers, and the Lord used him to give a message that was in His heart. The river of life flowed from the throne of grace. The brothers and sisters present there were deeply touched by the Lord, and came to see that same light that Evan Hopkins had seen. There were many famous leaders there. One of them was especially helped when Evan Hopkins talked about the story of the noble man whose son was sick: "On the way, going toward Jesus, that man had faith, the faith that searches. But on the way back toward his house, he had the faith that is able to rest." That brother felt as if he were in the same situation as that noble man. His faith in the Lord was a faith that searched. But through that word, he simply rested in Jesus' Word.

Within two months there were another two conferences where the Lord also worked greatly. And in the following year, once again the Lord gathered His people. From May 29 to June 7, seven thousand brothers and sisters met. Twenty-three nations were represented there. And again the Lord visited His people with His Word.

The next conference was in July, in a beautiful English city called Keswick. And from that time onward, every year, in the month of July, the Lord gathered His people there and supplied His Word. For 39 years, Evan Hopkins was always present in the conferences in Keswick. Not only as a speaker, but also as a great leader, almost like a pilot who stayed at the back when other brothers and sisters were at the front. He was always hidden, but the Lord really used him, and in a very special way.

The great topic of Keswick was, according to Francis Ridley Havergal: "Sanctity through faith in Jesus, not by one's own effort." Watchman Nee once said that the pulpit in Keswick was, at that time, the highest pulpit in the world. There, during those 39 years, the Lord supplied His people with an abundance of His Word.

Foulleton says, regarding Hopkins: "The sanctity that he preached was more than a theory, it was his own life. Others were hardly lecturers, he was a leader. Evan Hopkins was the power behind the throne. He was not only the theologian of Keswick, but rather he was also the guardian of the pulpit. On one hand, he was attentive to discover new voices that could give testimony of the truth. On the other, he ensured to impede the acceptance of any person to preach who didn't have the personal experience of the things that were preached."

Alex Smellie, one of his biographers, wrote: "He was an incarnated sermon. The radiance of the best Homeland -where he invested days and nights- he trembled in his soul and was articulated in his words; he was not only an audible radiance, but also a visible one." He was called by people "the beloved Evan Hopkins." F.B. Meyer says, with respect to him: "Our brother has always given clarity in his speeches, precision in the Scriptures and perfect illustrations, which is the mark that characterizes his ministry." For example, one time he illustrated a truth in the following way. "Take an iron bar. It can say: I am black, cold and hard. But place me in the fire and I will say that I am red, hot and malleable. The bar is hardly in the fire and the fire is in the bar." This exemplifies our union with Christ. We too are like this bar-black, cold and hard-but placed in the fire, and the fire in us, then we are totally transformed.

Difficulties

Evan Hopkins also passed through many difficulties. Among them was the accusation that in Keswick they preached heresies. After some years of conferences in Keswick, people began to use the terms "the teaching of Keswick" and "the movement of Keswick." Evan Hopkins was considered the theologian of Keswick and was accused of preaching "perfection without sin", by way of having not only preached justification by faith, but also sanctification by faith.

In 1884, Evan Hopkins, at 47 years of age, wrote a very important book, so that people could know the theology which was applied in Keswick. Later this book became a classic. It is titled "The law of freedom in the spiritual life." Through that book we can see how the Lord entrusted a ministry to Evan Hopkins that definitively helped many others. In order to clarify all the misinterpretations, Hopkins sent a copy to a very well-known brother of that time, so that he himself could write a commentary and publish it in a certain newspaper. This brother read the book and found that it was very important. He thought that it should be published and placed in the hands of brothers and sisters. But he felt that he was not properly enough qualified to write a good commentary, so he went to the newspaper and suggested that they send the book to H.C.G. Moule, the bishop of Durham, a famous erudite of Cambridge.

Evan Hopkins and Bishop Moule

H.C.G. Moule was an intellectual and read that book analyzing each detail carefully. He had already heard something of the Conference of Keswick and, finally, wrote four articles commenting on the book. They were four articles that contained negative comments about that book. And as he was very learned, and very precise, everyone heard about it.

Evan Hopkins had written the book to clarify which was, truly, the so-called "teaching of Keswick", and now he had four published articles speaking against the book, written by bishop Moule. But Evan Hopkins's life was the true commentary of that which he taught. He really rested in the Lord. He stopped trying to do everything and rested in the Lord. And when he stopped, the Lord began to move.

Barely two months after having published the fourth article, something happened to bishop Moule. Later he testified about that day which he could never forget. It was a day that produced an overturn in his life.

He decided to take some vacations in the house of some relatives who lived in Keswick. These were very rich; they possessed a great country property. And he was in precisely the barns of the country property where many believers met for the great Conference of Keswick. He was invited to go to the meetings, but he didn't want to accept. He knew that he was famous and that everyone would recognize him.

People saw his exterior: his learning, his godliness, his fame, but only he knew that inside something was missing. He recognized that he was very brilliant in the mind but not in the heart. He only knew that, after writing those criticisms on that book, he didn't feel happy.

But the Lord, in His great love, prepared that wonderful occasion. In the beginning, he refused to attend, but later he had to accept. Then he went, but with a very critical outlook, and planning not to return again. In fact, he was disappointed with the meeting and decided not to go again. But the Holy Spirit was operating in him, and he ended up going again. That night two brothers spoke. One of them spoke about the book of Haggai, on "eating and not being satisfied." Later bishop H. Moule testified that that word was like a hammer beating him. That word penetrated him, and he felt a true inner agony. That brother explained the biblical passage saying that in many ways the religious "I" interferes in God's work. God's finger pointed into the life of His servant and cried out inside him: "What should I do to be freed from myself?" Then God gave him a second message. And this was given by Evan Hopkins. The answer to the question was: "you don't do anything." For bishop H. Moule, this was a great surprise. But Evan E. Hopkins, without knowing that that question was in that man of God's heart, continued: "you don't do anything. Surrender to the Lord as a slave. On the other hand, trust Him for a powerful victory within your."

This word really brought a transformation in bishop Moule's life. Before leaving that meeting he did two things before the Lord. First, he surrendered himself to the Lord as a slave. Later, in his ministry, he always spoke of the story of that slave. He was telling of his own experience. And then he trusted Lord, with a new direction, so that his image began to be transformed, which only Christ can do.

There was no more fighting within him, there was no more feigning. He trusted the Lord and let Him do the work. He could never forget this experience. An enormous transformation was produced in this erudite.

When returning to Cambridge, he wrote a book that also ended up being a Christian classic: "Thoughts about Christian sanctity." And he wrote a fifth article on Evan Hopkins's book. He said: "I met the author. I know that he is not preaching perfection without sin." And he testified how the message of that dear brother had transformed his life.

From that moment on, Evan Hopkins and bishop Moule became friends. And bishop Moule also became on of the brothers that got up to speak in the pulpit of Keswick to share the word. Evan Hopkins didn't fight, but the Lord went to his defense. And then the Lord could use bishop Moule greatly.

A painter with a good sense of humor

Evan Hopkins painted very well. He liked painting with watercolors and his favorite paintings were faces and rabbits. He painted many rabbits, in diverse poses, in different clothes and with ties.

He had a great sense of humor. One time he was put up in a brother's house, where there was a young girl who doubted in being consecrated to the Lord. She thought that a spiritual person was somebody who could never smile, who had to use dark colored clothes, and who could not be attractive. But when she got to know Evan Hopkins, she was deeply impressed. One time when he was not at home, she took, out of the pocket of his jacket, one of the gloves that was ripped, sewed it up, and placed it back in the pocket of the jacket. He left, but a the few days later this young girl received a letter. In this letter Evan Hopkins had painted two gloves, one beside the other one. The first one was torn and the other one was sewn up. Under the first glove he wrote: "As I once was." And under the second glove: "As I now am. Thank you!." The Lord used this to touch that youth and to make her understand His love.

Remain in me

Evan Hopkins had three children. When they were still small, occasionally, there were misunderstandings between them. One day he called the elder son, Evan, who was six, to his study room. He wanted to teach him the important truth: "in Christ." He wanted his son to understand what "to remain in Christ" means. So he took a card and a pencil. He drew a circle, placed the pencil in the centre and said to the boy: "do you see this pencil? I want you to stay in Christ just as this pencil is inside the circle. Inside the circle you will find everything to be happy, kind and obedient. But there are many small doors around the circle and when you come out of one of them, you become disordered. There is no bad mood that can show itself if you stay inside the circle. But if you come out through some door, you become disordered." And then he told the small boy what some of those doors were.

One day, his children fought again. He heard the older boy was crying. Then, he went to him asked him what had happened. The answer amid tears was: "Daddy, I left the circle."

The boy was very heart-stricken, fearful of not being able to return into the circle. So Evan Hopkins asked him: "Evan, which door did you leave through?" He responded at once: "Through that door." His father explained to him: "If you came out through that door, you should return back through that same one." And both knelt down with that card in front of them, he confessed his sin, and when they got up, his face was radiant. He knew that he had entered into the circle again, and that he could enjoy Christ's presence.

To possess the land

Like those brothers and sisters, we should enter into the experience of Ruth. If we want to know what union with Christ is, we have to remain in Christ. The land before us, that flows with milk and honey must be possessed. It is ours. We are not only in Christ, but rather Christ is also in us. Now we can say: "This is ours." This land doesn't only belong to Boaz. By reason of our union with Him, we can say: "It is ours." It flows with milk and honey and it must be possessed.

"Remain in me, and I will remain in you." (John 15:4).

Taken with permission from "À Maturidade" (Adapted).

Copyright © AGUAS VIVAS | CHILE 2003