Nor were the strenuous exertions of this good man in the cause of Christ in vain. Several," says Mr. R., "I am myself acquainted with, who will, I hope, be his joy and crown of rejoicing in the day of the Lord Jesus, who hearing him preach upon the entire ruin of man by the fall, were convinced that they were in this state, and upon the entire recovery of man through Jesus Christ were enabled by his word and Spirit to believe in him for righteousness, and to live upon him for grace to walk, as he also walked."

Mr. Jones experienced the truth of the declaration "whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth." In addition to the numberless insults he met with under which the sweetness of his natural temper, great as it eminently was, would never have supported him, had it not been strengthened as well as adorned by a sublimer influence,* he had to undergo great bodily affliction. For some years previous to his death, he was afflicted with a disorder which kept him low and often brought him to death's door: but under his long illness he was never known to murmur. During these years his growth in grace was very evident to all his spiritual friends. "We," says his biographer, "could see a manifest victory gained over the old man, whose power was weakened in his members which are

upon the earth. He grew also dead to the world, and experienced what the apostle means, when he says, 'the world is crucified to me and I unto the world.' Its pleasures, its riches, its honours, were nothing to him. He did not despise them because he could not get them, but he parted with them freely when he had them in his power. God had provided for him a comfortable main

* Middleton's Evangelical Biog. vol. 4. p. 138.

tenance,* but he laid up nothing, except for the poor, to whom he gave liberally of what he had, and with a willing mind. In the furnace of affliction he had been refining for some years, and much dross had been done away. Because he was precious in the sight of the Lord, he was tried, like gold, and purified seven times in the fire. He had been so long kept under the Cross, that it had been the means of crucifying the world unto him, of subduing his own will and his own tempers, of trying his faith, and of exercising his patience. In this school of affliction he was enabled to profit greatly. Therein he learnt resignation to the will of God, which made him under his long and great weakness of body kiss the rod and be thankful, and which delivered him from impatience, fretfulness, murmuring, and those selfish tempers that want to have our will, and not God's, to be done. There he learnt to live by faith upon Christ in all his offices, as a prophet to teach him wisdom to lead him to God, as a priest to bring him near to God by his atoning blood and righteousness, and as a king to keep him near to God, ruling in him and over him. This faith was tried, and it grew by trials. The more it was exercised the more did he find of the safety and happiness of living by faith upon the Son of God. And hereby he learnt what the patience of the saints is. Patience is an act of

*"This maintenance very little exceeded £100 a year. But it was surprising (by that frugality which distinguished the primitive Christians,) how much good he did with it. He did not appear to live for himself, even in the common means and matters of human life. All seemed in him to be devoted to God and godliness. His compassionate heart could sympathize with the sorrows of men, and his gracious heart was always eager to relieve them." Middleton's Evan. Biog. vol. 4, p. 385,

note.

faith under outward afflictions, looking up to God for grace to hold out, as long as the afflictions last. Thus did our brother's patience."

But this zealous young minister was cut off in the midst of his life of usefulness. When he was compelled to discontinue preaching we are not informed; but "his last sickness was altogether sweetened with divine love. His faith, his resignation, his comforts, failed him not. A gracious God showed how dear and precious he was to him by removing everything far from him which could render death in the least dreadful. He was not even suffered to have one doubt concerning his interest in Christ, but lived happily throughout his illness, and died rejoicing. Upon his death-bed he was afraid of nothing but impatience, and God out of the tenderest love kept him until patience had done its perfect work. Although his fever was violent for seven days, yet his soul was still and calm. He was not troubled with any fear of death; that was kindly taken away. He had no doubt concerning his eternal state. He was made patient to God's will, bore pain without murmuring, and waited the Lord's time for his release. To the last he did not forget his flock, but in his sickness would be often crying out, "Lord, feed thy sheep! Lord, feed thy sheep!" He told Mr. Romaine who discoursed with him about the state of his soul, "that, as a dying man, he had nothing to trust to but the righteousness of Jesus Christ; and that his faith in it had been so strengthened in his illness, that he had not one doubt or fear." To a servant of Christ who went to see him in his illness, and asked him how he did, he answered, am so full of pain, and so ill, that I can think but little, but I know that Jesus is carrying on the inte

I

rests of my poor soul notwithstanding." He had been long dead to the world, and this he knew was the real death to the Christian. "It is not," he said, "dying out of the world, but dying in the world, and parting with all its toys and trifles, and that not with sickness or pain." To Mrs. Jones he said with great faith and conjugal affection, "Do not be surprised at any alteration you may see in me; for death always makes strange alterations. When the Lord is pleased to give me my dismission, rejoice over my corpse, and praise God for what we have suffered here, and for what we shall enjoy together hereafter." On another occasion he said, "An eternal life of glory for a life of misery-who would not change misery for happiness? Hasten, hasten, dear Lord!"

Towards the latter end he was much in prayer. These were some of his expressions:-"The silver cords of life are breaking, and man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets.Lord, guide me home in safety, and lead me through the shadow of death. This mortal shall soon put on immortality. Though worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God, whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another.I go hence like a shadow that declineth, I wither away like grass, but the Lord is the portion of my soul and my strong hope." In one of his weakest hours he said, "Blessed be the Lord for that degree of faith which he hath given me; though it has operated in so weak a manner, yet I have many blessed and comfortable marks in my own soul of his love to me.'

Here," continues Mr. R., who has shown particular care in recording the dying words of this servant

of God, ፡፡ was faith and much humility. He could find nothing in himself to put the least trust in as to his acceptance with God, and therefore his trust was stronger in Christ. This showed itself in what he said on his death-bed; 'What an unfelt, what an unthought-of corruption is here, both in body and soul.' He felt more of

· a covenant

it, and in a greater degree, than he had ever thought of before; and yet this deep sense of his corruption did not drive him from Christ, but made his faith cleave the closer to him. My flesh and my heart faileth,' saith he, but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.' His ground for this, he declared, was, of mercy-free grace in the Lord Jesus;' in which, knowing that he had his share, he could say, 'Now let thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation: Now, Lord, I can lay me down in peace and safely take my rest.' In this happy frame he was praying, 'Lord, secure a soul thou hast died to save.' Then, after a pause, he cried, He will, he will! I have part here, I shall have all soon.' Oh, what precious, precious faith was this! What great love did the Lord manifest to him in thus strengthening his faith on the bed of languishing, and visiting him with the sight of his salvation. As he said on Friday, 'I have had a glorious view of the love of Christ to my soul this morning.' This love shed abroad in his heart brought many sweet words out of his dying mouth, such as 'For me to live is Christ, to die is gain.' He knew that Christ would be his gain in death as well as in life, and therefore he prayed, 'Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly, and give me an easy dismission. Lord, give me an easy dismission to a blessed eternity.' And this triumph of

faith held out to the last. He looked forward with joy, when he said, 'Before this time to-morrow, it may be, I shall be where all sorrow shall be done away;' and at another time he said, 'I shall have a sabbath of Trinity before I thought of it, to worship a triune God," which was granted him. He kept his Trinity Sunday in heaven, adoring the Three Persons in One Jehovah. One of his last sayings

was, I am of the Church of the Firstborn, who shall stand on Mount Zion. One chosen from among my brethren-a sinner saved, a sinner saved!'

Mr. Jones departed this life on the 6th of June, 1762, in the 33rd year of his age; and his funeral sermon, a discourse worthy of the occasion, was preached by Mr. Romaine. Two brothers, who had received much edification from his ministry, erected a decent monument of their own kindness for his memory in St. Saviour's church, where he was buried, with the following inscription:

behaviour, in his conversation, he shewed that he had put on, as one of the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, long suffering, ready to bear with others, and ready to forgive, as Christ had also freely forgiven him. These ami

able tempers of the new man appeared in all his conduct; and, particularly when he stood up to minister to holy things, one might discover throughout great kindness and tender love to precious souls. He was humble indeed. The witnesses are as many as knew him; and when there could be no view in deceiving any body, when he was waiting for his dissolution, he demonstrated how greatly the Lord had humbled him. But how much he was emptied of self, and enabled to live in a humble dependance upon the grace and strength of Christ, will best appear from his life, in which, through faith, many precious fruits are produced. As to honour, he wanted not that from men; he was led to choose a better: he has it now." Of his zeal for the salvation of souls his whole ministry was a continued instance." Mr. Jones," observes Lady Huntingdon,* "lived happily and died rejoicing. He was long the subject of affliction, and often at death's door. But he was refined in the furnace of affliction, and his growth in grace and knowledge of the Saviour great and remarkable."

Of his attachment and adherence to the doctrines of the Church of England there is full evidence in his writings; and his Exposition of the Catechism is a proof that he valued her formularies. "I have thought it my duty," he says in one place,† as a minister of the

*Life and Times, Vol. i. p. 325. † Works, p. 213.

JUNE-1845.

Church of England, to preach no other doctrines among you than those of that Church." And in another place* he says, "It is their peculiar advantage, who have the honour to be despised for Christ, that the doctrines they teach are not only to be found in Scripture, but are plainly taught and strongly enforced by the Church of England. And I cannot help remarking that, of all the pieces hitherto published against what some choose to call the new way of preaching, not one of them takes notice of the proofs we bring in support of it from the articles, homilies, and liturgy of our own Church. A confession, surely, this, that the authors of those pieces cannot invalidate the arguments that are brought from her authority." And in his Exposition of the Catechism† having given several reasons in defence of the doctrine of Justification by Faith, he thus proceeds: "These are my reasons, and I could give you as many more, if you had time to hear them: for I can safely appeal to the sacred Scriptures, to all the primitive fathers, to all the foreign Protestant Churches, to our own pious reformers, to our own Church in her articles, homilies, and liturgy, as also to the writings of her ablest divines in her better days. This, namely, Justification by Christ alone, without merits or deservings, this is the doctrine which the Papists always oppose, and in defence of which, Cranmer, Latimer, Ridley, Hooper, Taylor, and a whole army of martyrs, nobly bled. This is the doctrine our forefathers hazarded their lives in defence of, that they might transmit it to us in its primitive purity. How would the venerable Bishop Hall, or the learned Andrews, (who lies entombed in this

21

*P. 282. † P. 87.

place,*) how would either of them stand amazed to hear those doctrines they so bravely defended, exploded and ridiculed as wild enthusiasm? But God is faithful, who has promised to his Church, that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.'"

After his decease, his single sermons were, at the request of many of his friends, collected and published in a volume by Mr. Romaine, who prefixed a short account of his life. Their style is simple and earnest, making the reader think of himself rather than of the preacher. He had such a variety of business of a private as well as public nature on his hands, that he had no time, he himself tells us, to embellish his discourses, which he seldom began to compose till Saturday in the afternoon, and often not till late in the evening. As his works are probably not in the hands of many of my readers, I will give an extract from the sermon called "The Beauties of Spring," which has greater pretensions to elegance than any other of his writings:

"Our blessed Redeemer, in order to give us the highest idea of the flourishing state of his kingdom, paints it to our view under the pleasing image of the season of spring. What the sun does at this time in nature, Jesus Christ, the true Light of Life, continues to do in grace. By taking a short survey of the delights of spring, you may be able to form a faint idea of those delights attending a spring-time in the soul. May the Spirit of God give you all to experience it for yourselves! But to observe the parallel.

is the present return of spring to us all! In winter we saw creation deprived of all its ornaments, the trees and plants were stripped of their verdure, and the fertilizing sap retired to their respective roots. The fruit of the vines and fig-tree failed, and the field did yield no meat; every thing had retired to silent slumbers, and lay buried in the grave of the earth. But now, blessed be God who remembers us, how much soever we forget him, now the scene is changed; all nature is revived, and wears a smiling aspect. The cold, dark winter is past, the nipping frosts are ceased, the rain is over and gone, the stormy winds and deluge of waters are stopped, and the earth now receives such gentle drops (at proper times) as enables it to send forth its fruits in its season. The flowers appear on the earth, and perfume the air with their fragrant sweets. The time of the singing of birds is come, and they delight the ear with their melodious notes; having, at last, found a place for the soles of their feet upon the slender twigs, they tune their little throats, and upbraid their admiring hearers while they warble forth their gratitude in hymns of praises to their God. The voice of the turtle is heard in our land, which, having been benumbed by the winter's cold, is now revived, and, by its constancy to its mate, reads the lawless libertine a lecture upon chaste affection. The fig-tree putteth forth her green figs in the more southern climes, and yields a delicious repast to the weary traveller. And the vines with the tender grape, in places near the sun, give a good smell, and dispense their pleasing odours to all around them. The fig-tree and the vines, where Solomon reigned, were remarkable for their fragrancy and deliciousness. And in those souls