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viction of sin; but had also been blessed with a sense of pardoning love through the atonement of Christ.

We found the peaceful inhabitants of this fertile and romantic valley in a state of great excitement, in consequence of a visit which had been paid them, not of a friendly nature, by some of their more distant friends, to remove a woman of some consequence, who was about to be married to one of their Chiefs. The Saturday was spent in the examination of candidates for baptism; and the whole of the Lord's Day was devoted to religious exercises. On Monday the people assembled to have their grievances adjusted; and some harsh sentences were made use of by the principal people, who were the aggrieved party. In the morning of Tuesday the Chiefs left in a dissatisfied state. I then met the other people, and requested them to remain firm in their proceedings; and recommended them, if the Chiefs should seek recompense for the insult which had been offered them in the removal of the woman, to separate from them by removing down the river; this they promised to do. I left them next day.

In a short time news reached Kaikohi, that an awakening had taken place at Mangakaiah. My Kaikohi teacher set off immediately to visit them, and his report was very satisfactory. On the 3rd of February I arrived among them, accompanied by the same teacher. A change was visible. I had not been long among them before some of them came around me, acknowledging, with apparent contrition, the heinousness of their sins. After having examined the candidates, I addressed them in the open air. After Morning Service and School on the Lord's Day, I went down the valley to visit a sick person. As we passed by a village we saw a man lying by the side of the road, covered with his blanket. I drew the blanket from his face, and inquired what was the matter. he said may be comprised in these words: "Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up." I spoke to him, and passed on. On our return, a young

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Chief who had accompanied us, turned round and stood before us in the path, and spoke in a serious manner of the wickedness of his heart and the burden of his sins. I spoke of the love of God in Christ, and of the visible display of that love toward them in thus convincing them of sin. This melted his heart, and the tears ran down his cheeks. I observed to my companion, "No crucifix is required here to work on the affections." After evening service, which was rather late, the serious natives assembled around our tent, and we conversed with them until nine o'clock, under the broad canopy of heaven. Monday was spent in religious conversation and examining Scripture; in the evening we assembled in the chapel. Tuesday was also spent among them in a somewhat similar way. On Wednesday we left them with much regret.

In this district the work is growing upon us. They told me another chapel would be erected further down the river at the fall of the year, when the material would be ready; this I engaged to visit.

KAUAKAUA.-One circumstance, however, occurred, which greatly marred our joy in this work of love. Opotiki has been taken up of late years by the Roman-Catholic Priests, and one of their number permanently resides here. On Lord's-day, the 28th ultimo, when a large number of people had assembled at that Native Settlement, probably owing to my visit, Mr. Wilson and myself resolved to keep Divine Service outside the church, as it would not have held half the people who were desirous to attend. The hearers seated themselves quietly in rows, forming a most interesting sight; when, to our great astonishment and regret, the RomanCatholic Priest, who had watched our movements, collected his party of Natives, and arranged them in rows like our people, in our very face. I wore my surplice, the Priest wore his he looked in my face, I in his. The Priest commenced his chant, and our people sang in loud and solemn tone the 100th Psalm, Thus there

were two large religious bodies confronting and interrupting one another with the avowed purpose of worshipping and serving God. I charged our congregation to act in the meek spirit of our Divine Master. When the

services were respectively concluded, the Roman-Catholic party drew near to ours; on which I again requested our people to go to their respective places of abode in quietness and peace. The Papists surrounded us in a noisy manner; but I had the happiness to witness our congregation acting as it became their profession, seriously and orderly retiring without answering a single word. In the evening, I would not again subject myself to such an annoyance, and therefore kept Service in the Church, though numbers had to stay without for want of room, and I was almost suffocated from the heat and closeness within. I was pressed to extend my visit to Wakatane, Kupenga, and Urewera; but I felt it was impossible to comply with the people's request. There is a pressing necessity for another clergyman in this district.

On the 29th of January I reached Tonupahore, another Native Settlement. Here, also, the Papists have not only a strong party, but endeavour to draw our people over to their side by very unfair means. The native Teacher, Hamuera, assured me, that

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EFFECTS OF NATIVE AGENCY.A wonderful change has been wrought among these people; and much of it has been brought about through native agency. The natives are fond of reading, and take a delight in teaching one another. They think nothing of wandering 100 or even 200 miles, to visit their friends, and to talk about their Pukapuka (Book or Testament); and wherever a few of them join to read the Scriptures, a church is immediately erected for morning and evening service. Hence it is that the Missionary in his tours often finds a place of worship in places never trodden by European feet. You will be surprised when I add, that the 186 persons whom I baptized during the tour above described, had learned the Catechism by heart; and that most of them were able to read the Scriptures.

SUMMARY OF PASSING EVENTS.

"There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord that shall stand."

THE aspect of public affairs is still sufficiently frightful and critical; yet amidst all the darkening clouds which threaten us there are bright spots on which the mind loves to linger, and which give hope for our beloved nation, for its dearest and only substantial interests. May came in to cheer us with the tidings of the seed-sowing of the heavenly husbandman throughout the field of the world. If the heart has been made to ache with the announcement of districts white for the harvest, but for which there are

no labourers, it is matter of thankfulness at least, that there has been no diminution of effort to meet the increasing demand, but rather in every department an increase of funds and of warm, eager spirit to do the work.

The finest manifestation of a benevolent spirit is perhaps evident in the Methodist Missionary Society, in which the wealthy and prosperous members seem tired of the offering of a sovereign subscription or a £10 donation, and one after another step forward with their £1000. This is as

it should be. It is far easier, and in far juster proportion for many a man to give his thousand a-year to such a blessed cause, than it is for a poor straitened minister to give his half-sovereign: and where a sovereign might be in fair proportion formerly for the work that could be done, a thousand now is not beyond it. Oh, that numbers may be stirred up to go and do likewise! Our national prosperity will very soon be our national ruin, if it be not consecrated to God, and turned with its mighty tide over the sterile and parched portions of suffering and needy humanity to fertilize and bless them.

And May came in as a messenger of peace, soothing and elevating the harassed mind with the exhibition of uninterrupted harmony and love in her various assemblies; a sweet and blessed luxury, largely enhanced this year by the appendage of the antiMaynooth meetings, in which it was utterly beyond anything that we could have calculated upon, to see such masses of heterogeneous materials all stript of their weapons, all tongue-tied for the utterance of strife and division, all forming one common PeaceSociety in order to uphold the endangered interests of Protestantism.

We could not help feeling that the mysterious designs of Providence were rapidly developing, and that however it might be with the temporal interests of particular sections of the external Church of Christ on earth, there were hastening into existence, more rapidly than we could ever have contemplated, materials for Christian union; and that the time was at hand when "Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim."

Still the horizon thickens. If anything were wanting to complete our apprehensions, it would be the apparent determination of the Premier to succour and endow Popery, to legalize and nationalize error in its most dangerous form against the sound Protestant feeling of the nation generally. There is nothing to be expected from the Government or the House of Commons. How can there-when the Premier can speak of the consola

tions of religion coming to the sick and dying as readily through Popish as Protestant channels, and when the very idea of regarding the question of Maynooth in a theological light in the House of Commons, is ridiculed and scorned. How is it possible to legislate for the religious instruction of the nation apart from religious considerations and principles? But it is all of a piece with the spirit of the day. There is the non-natural sense in which articles can now be subscribed; and there is the principle on which the Secretaries of the Gospel Propagation Society can run down to Oxford to vote for Mr. Ward, apart from all theological considerations; and the most important changes in the religious departments of the realm are to be effected without any recognition of religious or Scriptural principle! What can we expect from all this? What, but that if we thus

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sow to the flesh, we shall of the flesh reap corruption!" God is not mocked. If the nations drive him out of their councils, and the rulers take counsel together on the principles of worldly expediency irrespective of Scriptural truth, God will leave them to see what their own unassisted policy will do for them, and to discover that not the largest and most extensive national prosperity, in a worldly point of view, can shield and protect a people from the withering and blighting influence of the frown of a neglected and offended Deity. We may rest assured that we are fast hastening into most perilous times. Let the faithful be quick in making their calling and election sure. their hands be busy in sowing the good seed of the kingdom in every direction. It may not spring up at once, but it will lose nothing under the fearful winter that awaits it. It will lie ready to benefit by all the storm and tempest that are soon coming; and when the powers of darkness have spent themselves, and the storm subsides, the sun will burst forth with an hitherto unknown splendour and efficacy, and then what a harvest will spring up to fill the garner of heaven

Notices to Correspondents in our next.

Let

THE CHRISTIAN GUARDIAN,

AND

CHURCH OF ENGLAND MAGAZINE.

JULY, 1845.

MEMOIR OF THE REV. THOMAS JONES,

OFFICIATING MINISTER OF CREATON, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE.

THE subject of this Memoir was born April 2, 1752, near Havod, now in the possession of the Duke of Newcastle, about twelve miles from Aberystwyth, in the county of Cardigan. He was brought up at Ystradmeirig, about ten miles from his father's residence-a school, then and afterwards in considerable repute, conducted at that time by its chief founder, Mr. Edward Richards, a layman of great native talent, strict in his discipline, but very kind and paternal to his pupils; for whom Mr. Jones ever retained a very high esteem, bordering on veneration. He did not think him clear in his views of the Gospel, but a religious man, as he used to say, in his own way, having more of the spirit of the law than of the Gospel.

Our lamented brother could recollect no serious impressions previous to the time that he was about twelve years of age, the time he entered the Grammar School where he was educated. Soon after he entered that school, the Rev. Daniel Rowlands, of Llangeitho, came to JULY-1845,

the neighbourhood to preach. He went to hear him; and the preacher arrested his attention in an extra

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ordinary manner. When speaking of this event, Mr. Jones once made these remarks-" I used to go to Church, stay there during the service, and return home, without taking the least notice of what was said there. It was the remarkable manner of Rowlands that drew my attention. I have now (in 1829, in his 77th year,) a perfect recollection of his manner, though not of his sermon." And he said further, "I could not but listen to him.' Without gaining attention no good can possibly be done: and to gain this is an object too little attended to in general. Such was the esteem he entertained for Rowlands, that he had his portrait hung up over his chimney-piece; and, as he often said, he frequently looked at it, while preparing his sermons or composing his works, as the recollection of him tended much to elevate his mind and enliven his feelings and it is probable that he derived from him, in some measure, 20

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the energy of his diction, and the conciseness of his style.

Ever since he had heard Rowlands, he had some serious thoughts, though it was some time before they issued in anything real and decisive. All the time he was at school he had seasons of seriousness amidst all the levity and playfulness of youth. While at home, during the holidays, he frequently resorted to some secret place for prayer, often to the wood near his father's house. "I used to cry very much," was his own account, "and say something I did not know what." The thought that very commonly occurred to him was that of eternity. He often tried to form some idea of it, but could not; and his mind was greatly perplexed, and even distressed. In this state of mind he continued till he was ordained, and for some time after. Indifference

and levity, formed his general character, interrupted by occasional thoughts of deep seriousness. He was naturally as to his mind very quick and active, and as to his disposition very social and cheerful, and had a turn for what is witty and humourous; and had it not been for some restraint within, some serious misgiving at times as to his spiritual state, he must have been led astray into worldly society, and eventually into dissipation and vain amusements. The restraining power of grace, even in its weak beginning, is often very extraordinary. According to his own account, he was all this time, "wholly inconsistent;" vacillating between the world and religion, mostly with the world, and yet having occasionally very serious thoughts. All that he could remember, some years ago (in 1829), of the state of his mind at his ordination, was, that he prayed that he might not be ad

mitted into orders, if he was not designed by God for the ministry.

Mr. Jones was ordained in 1774, at Hereford, by letters dimissory from the Bishop of St. David's. His curacy was Llangevelin and Eglwysvach, not far from Aberystwyth. He was ordained priest, by the Bishop of St. David's, in 1776.

In 1778, he removed to the curacy of Leintwardine, in Herefordshire, where he continued a year and a half. His next removal was to Longnor, in Shropshire ; and he served four churches, three every Sunday, for £40 a-year!

It was here that the seed, which had evidently been sown, sprang up. The grain, dropped among the furrows, the deeper it is, the longer it is before it germinates, and the stronger it afterwards grows. He came among a people that were extremely ignorant, immersed in spiritual darkness: but it was there that the light shone strongly on his own mind, that he became really and deeply acquainted with the truth. "The half-year I was there," to use his own words, was the time that I began really to feel the importance of religion. I have comfort sometimes in thinking, that it was God's doing, and not man's. I had none there to assist me. They were all heathens."

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From this place he removed to Oswestry; and of his ministry there, which was only for the short space of half a year, he ever spoke with the most lively feelings of gratitude. He never referred to any part of his ministry with so much delight, or with a fuller acknowledgement of the power of divine grace. Of his own attainments at the time, he entertained a very low estimate. A knowledge of the main truths of the Gospel he possessed, and not much more; but he had zeal, humility, and a

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