LAST ILLNESS AND DEATH OF MR. ISAAC JONES. only is my Rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength and my refuge is in God. Trust in him at all times, ye people, pour out your hearts before him.' Selah. When a believer is thus waiting upon, and hoping in God for salvation, it shews that this hope is his grand support under all the afflictions, trials, disappointments, and discouragements he meets with by the wayhe endures, as seeing him who is invisible, whom, having not seen, he loves; and against hope believeth in hope-many a thing, both within and without, tend to oppose this hope; such as remaining corruptions, fiery temptations, worldly prosperity, worldly troubles, or daily converse with sensible objects. But though often cast down, hope is not destroyed, but like an anchor, sure and steadfast, it entereth within the vail. "Each trial fills the appointed place, How many, in the sharpest trials, have sung, 'God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble; living not only in the hope of, but in the enjoyment of salvation, gives solace, support, and comfort to the mind under all the adverse blasts of providence, and enables the soul to outride the severest storm; it renders the heaviest affliction comparatively light, and enables the believer to shout, 'These light afflictions which are but for a moment.' &c. Such is the life of a saint. He has such an abiding sense of his lost condition as to exclude every idea of help from himself. But, being favoured with some happy discoveries of the mercy, grace, and salvation of God, which is held out to him in the promise the hold he has of that promise by the hand of faith, supports the mind, and he is borne up and carried safely through all the adverse trials he meets with. And what, though heaviness may endure for a night, yet joy cometh in the morning. Yea, when God sees fit,' at evening time it shall be light,' as was the case with our departed friend. When laid upon his dying bed, he exclaimed, 'This bed has often been to me a bed of cares and sorrows, but is now a bed of joy and rejoicing.' "A Father's love may raise a frown, Having lived, and now dying in the expectation of God's salvation, he now looked upon death as a period to all his sorrowstemptations nor trouble of any kind can follow him no longer-he lays down the body of sin and death to bear the burden no more-dying, he resigns every thing 111 but his hope; and that contained a treasure to enrich him for ever. He is to sigh to sorrow no more for ever; for the days of his mourning are now brought to a conclusion, his warfare is ended, the battle fought, the victory gained. 'O death where is thy sting? Tears are all wiped away. He calls his wife and children round the bed and in the most kind, tender, affectionate and parental language he warns, and cautions them against the evil of sin and the world, to pay all dutiful regard to their mother, and to make the Word of God their study and follow its precepts and commands. May we learn to reflect upon the life and death of the righteous to mark the perfect, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace.' His life was an honour to the doctrines he professed, and his death is a confirmation that there is a reality in religion and this reality is divine, it is spiritual, it is heavenly, it is God-like, for God himself is the author and the finisher of it; the mere speculative, superficial professor being unacquainted with the nature and powerful operation and influence of the grace and Spirit of God in his own soul, is envious and jealous; he does not like to hear of real experimental and practical religion, as evinced and demonstrated in the life and death of a real professor of vital godliness. But how it cheers the heart, comforts the mind, and elevates the soul of the real believer to hear of the achievements, the triumphs of faith, as evidenced in the dying moments of a fellow christian. He attributes it all to divine power and faithfulness, and not to the creature. Therefore, in what we have said, and may further say, we ascribe it to the God of all grace, who, as Peter says, has called us unto his eternal glory, by Christ Jesus, who, after we have suffered awhile, will make us perfect, stablish, strengthen and settle us. The formalist may grow with the wheat as the tares for a season, but their end is to be burned. And what can the world do for its votaries when death comes to lay its cold hand upon them? It retires, withdraws all its charms, and all its deluding hopes in a moment; it leaves him to grapple alone with the king of terrors. Not so religion; which comes from, and leads to God; it steps forward with its friendly aid, supports and comforts in a sinking hour, and shews that 'Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.' We now come to the last particular'Thy years are throughout all generations,' or as the 27th verse, 'But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.' These words are expressive of the eternity of God and of Christ, amidst all the fluctuating and changing scenes of mortal life, and that life drawing to a close. Thus our dear friend might say, 'I die, but Jesus lives. I am about to leave the partner of my life, and the hitherto sharer of my troubles, the mother of my children, ten 112 A GOOD MAN'S ACCOUNT OF THE WORK OF GRACE IN HIS SOUL. in number. But the time of my change is come, and my departure is at hand; thy days and years are the same; he is the eternal I am, the unchangeable Jehovah, immutable in his nature and perfections in his love and affection to his people. I know he loves my wife; and who can tell but he may love my children? I commit them unto him; it is in his power to keep them; in his wisdom to guide and direct them; in his righteousness to clothe them, and render them acceptable to God; in his blood to cleanse them and speak peace and pardon to them; in his fulness to supply them. Yes, dear Lord; thou hast said, (Jer. xlix. 11,) 'Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive, and let thy widows trust in me.' And again, I will be a husband to the widow, and a father to the fatherless; and I know he will fulfil his word.' It was now evident that his end was near; but faith was in exercise, and he exclaimed,' Tell Holland to preach Christ as all and in all.' And from that passage did our brother preach a faithful sermon to a numerous, attentive, and much affected congregation. One thing more, respecting our departed friend-Dying, surrounded by his friends, he repeated with glowing ecstacy, the 75th hymn of the second book of Watts's 66 From thee my God, my joys shall rise, And all created bounds." O, methinks I hear his well-known voice, and emphatic manner! If I have coveted any man's gift of late, it was his of giving out hymns. There was nothing of that bawling, drawling noise, which some think is so impressive-nothing of that hollow sepulchral tone, which others think is solemnity-there was nothing of that monotonous school-boy intonation-but, with a serious, reverential awe, a sweet cadence and proper emphasis, every word seemed to fit and tell, and was felt and fed upon by speaker and hearer. O, then hear the dying man! 66 The holy triumphs of my soul Shall death itself outbrave; Leave dull mortality behind, And fly beyond the grave." Then he dwelt upon, and repeated the sixth verse-" Millions of years!" Yes Millions of years, my wond'ring eyes Shall o'er thy beauties rove; And endless ages I'll adore The glories of thy love!" Thus, fully ripened by grace, our brother came to his grave like a shock of cornafter being exposed to many a storm; beset and entangled with many a weed; subsisting under many a dark and frowning sky; weighed down under many a heavy shower; at length it is ripened and housed safe from every danger. Peterboro, April, 1849. JOHN CARTER. A GOOD MAN'S ACCOUNT OF The Work of Grace in his Soul. CHRISTIAN FRIENDS I hope these few lines will find you in the enjoyment of all spiritual blessings, holding sweet fellowship one with another; and this arising from your holding fellowship with God the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. I still feel myself a poor, guilty, weak, sinful, helpless worm; there is nothing good in me except God has put it there; I am not sufficient of myself to think a good thought, but all my sufficiency is of God; and it is my happy lot, (all praise to divine grace) to enjoy many foretastes of heaven, while sojourning in this world of sin and sorrow. And all my trials, perplexities, and cares, what are they? They will soon all be over, and I shall overcome through the blood of the Lamb. The name of Jesus is the sweetest of all themes to my soul while here; it is the name of Jesus that sweetens every bitter cup of trials; it is the name of Jesus that has borne me up, and will still bear me up above the world and its persecutions, and enable me to testify to them that I am born of God; this Redeemer is my only refuge, and will be for evermore; in his embraces I have lived, in his embraces I shall die, and in his presence I shall dwell to all eternity. I know my sheep,' says our blessed Lord, and am known of mine.' And, blessed be his name, I know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable to his death. But, my friends, I have found some severe discipline, before I was thus permitted to behold my once dying, but now exalted Lord. And alas, we need it, we need it to wean and crucify us to this present world, we need putting in the furnace very often, that we may be purged from our dross, to make the gold shine brighter and brighter. The Lord says he will give grace and glory, and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly; so that if he sees affliction a good thing, we shall have it; if persecution and trial be good things we shall have them; if darkness of mind and feeling the power of indwelling sin be good things to lay us in the dust of self-abasement at his feet, and shew us that all our springs are in him, we shall have them; and if the light of heaven shining into our souls be a good thing to shew us the power of Almighty grace, the glorious enjoyment of heaven, while on earth, and the assurance that we shall one day meet our Redeemer there, we shall have this blessing too. The Lord will withhold no good thing from them that walk uprightly. I have for the last few years at times, been much blessed with the divine presence, and my mind so enraptured with the glory and blessedness of heaven, and the love of a dear Redeemer, that no words that I can use, can give a correct statement of my feelings. I have been to Gethsemane and to Calvary-and A GOOD MAN'S ACCOUNT OF THE WORK OF GRACE IN HIS SOUL. 113 there had fellowship with my Lord in his ous, who is the propitiation for our sins. sufferings; and when I have followed him I am ignorant; but if any man lack wisfrom the cross to his mediatorial throne-dom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all floods of light have darted into my mind, as men liberally, and upbraideth not.' Brethif I saw the Lord Jesus standing before his ren, do you not often drink at these reFather's throne as my intercessor-the freshing streams? There is a river, the blessed Spirit seemed to unfold to me the streams whereof make glad the city of mysteries of redeeming love, and apply to God.' These streams flow into my soul in my soul the precious promises of the gospel, various ways:-sometimes when reading just suited to me, as a guilty sinner-my the Bible; sometimes when in my closet; sius were all gone-the world with all its sometimes in conversing with a friend, for cares beneath my feet-the language of my I meet with here and there a traveller heart was this- Whom have in heaven bound for endless bliss, who is ready to but thee? and there is none upon the earth confess that he is a stranger and pilgrim that I desire beside thee.' But after such on the earth. enjoyment the devil has tried to come upon me with redoubled force, and has often tried to lay such snares for me as should catch me almost before I was aware; when the Holy Spirit has shewn me his craft, and held me back, as it were, from getting ensnared by this subtle foe; and I then could sing"Though hell and sin resist my course, Yet hell and sin are vanquish'd foes; Our Jesus nail'd them to his cross, And sang the triumphs when he rose." Sin and unbelief, my friend, often rob me of these precious blessings. Sometimes my Beloved is gone, and I cannot find him; when on my knees at a throne of grace, I cannot feel that nearness to him as I want, nor that sweetness of divine love animating my soul as when I am brought near to him; this brings me again with weeping and supplications at his feet, determined to give him no rest till I again feel myself embraced in his everlasting arms; I have kept on praying for days and days with this resolution, till I have again felt light break in upon my soul, my heart touched with love divine; I hear the voice of my Beloved come leaping over the mountains and skipping over the hills, dispersing from my mind these clouds of darkness; and again I hold sweet communion with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. The elect must never expect any cessation of arms on this side the grave; our enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devil are all busy at work against us, rousing up all they can, the evil lusts and passions of fallen nature; and though the devil cannot destroy, he is ever determined to distress the children of God. But when he has done all he can the church stands the same -complete in Christ her head, 'fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners.' I often long to be in heaven, where I can sing with Dr. Watts "Sin, my worst enemy before, Shall vex my eyes and ears no more; My inward foes shall all be slain, Nor satan break my peace again." My soul was wonderfully melted down a few weeks ago. I went to see my mother, who was ill; and this brought me near to the spot where my grandmother offered up so many fervent prayers for me on her dying bed; and it seemed all brought afresh to my memory that day, as if it had just happened. She told me before she died, that she was a pardoned sinner, and she was going to heaven, to dwell with Jesus; and she begged of God that I might meet her there; she prayed that I might find the Lord Jesus to be a friend that sticketh closer than a brother, as she had done; and that I might never be ashamed of his name in this world; but acknowledge him in all my ways; and I have lived to see the prayers of this dying saint answered in my own experience. I was by myself a good while that day, and my thoughts took their flight within the veil; my conversation was in heaven; I turned mine eyes upon this world, and thought within myself, 'all things here must one day perish; what are all your grandeurs, your riches, your pleasures, which mortals so much prize? One five minutes such blessedness as I now enjoy outweighs you all! This is pleasure which I shall never know to the full extent till I get to glory; in his presence there is fulness of joy, and at his right hand there are pleasures for evermore.' The apostle says, in the second chapter of Colossians,' Ye are complete in him.' If there is ever a poor trembling distressed child of God among you, just look over this and remember it speaks the I am like Mr. Osbourn-I love to tell of same language to the weakest member of the triumphs of almighty grace over the Christ's body. What can we want more? devil and sin; there is a fulness in Christ Yea, what can we have more? 'Ye are suited to the most wretched sinner's case. complete in him which is the head of all I am a vile, hell-deserving sinner by na- principality and power. We are subject ture and practice; but what a blessed de- to so many changes, but he never changes. claration meets me here!-'The blood of He still says, 'I have loved thee with an Jesus Christ, God's dear Son, cleanseth everlasting love.' O, what matchless love, from all sin. All my best performances what infinite condescension, what amazing are mixed with sin; but we read again, grace that the Lord of life and glory should "If any man sin we have an advocate with thus bear with us guilty sinners! This the Father, even Jesus Christ the righte-love has so overpowered me at times, that 114 JEHOVAH'S SHALLS AND WILLS, "Be with his likeness satisfied, And grieve and sin no more.' "O, for that love, let rocks and hills, Their lasting silence break; And all harmonious human tongues He left his radiant throne on high- And came to earth to bleed and die Was ever love like this?" But, my friends, how do we love him in return? Which of you, if you examine closely your own hearts, can say you have not often crucified your Lord afresh? I, alas, have done it; yes, crucified my blessed Lord afresh, and put him to an open shame; and yet he loves me still; he blesses me still; he bears with my weakness still; he still says to me in his Holy Word without, and the Holy Spirit re-echoes the same within my heart, 'I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.' May the blessed Lord give to each one of you all needful grace; and then you will be preparing for that world of glory, where we, with all his saints shall meet at last, to join in singing the praises of him who hath loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood. I remain, yours affectionately, in that blessed name which is all my delight now, and in whom I desire to be found, both living and dying; and to whom, with the Father and the Eternal Spirit be equal, and undivided honours evermore. Amen. J. COLES. Market Harborough, Nov. 12, 1848. "Bradwardin affirms that whatever things come to pass, they are brought to pass by the providence of God. Nor could he suppose that the great and blessed God is, in point of wisdom, fore-cast and attention, inferior even to a prudent master of a family, who takes care of every thing that belongs to him, and makes provision beforehand according to the best of his knowledge and power, and leaves nothing unregulated in his house, but exactly appoints the due time and place for every thing, by a divine decree which God hath irrevocably pronounced or spoken." "I have no will apart from that of the Lord; he will do with me what pleases him; but, had I five heads, I would lose them all sooner than retract the testimony which I have borne to the holy Christian faith."-Luther. Jehovah's Shalls and Wills. Or all the riches found in Bible stores, As if no theme my doubting mind could cheer? I will bestow a humble contrite heart, I I will be always with you to the end, And you shall find me an unchanging friend, I will prepare a place for you in heaven, And grace and glory shall to you be given. Hastings. T. U. The Pilgrim Walking in Darkness. TAKE courage, now, my christian freind, That word, that's to salvation wise, At all times, and not fear; I know the Spirit's mighty work The patriarch wrestled long with God, The Lord Jehovah's strength's so great, Old Israel had a journey long, To reach the promis'd land; Then hope, my friend, do not despair, You're safe in his embrace, and there THE SNARE BROKEN-THE SOUL DELIVERED. 115 The Snare Broken: the Soul Delivered. I of throwing herself over Blackfriars Bridge, I THINK the following circumstance may, in the Lord's hands, prove a blessing and encouragement to many of the tried and tempted children of God. but God was watching over her, and by his mysterious providence, led her along Great Alie Street; and as she was passing Zoar Chapel, they were singing; the music caught her ear; she went in trembling; when the singing was over, a good old man went to prayer, and in his prayer he was led to pray for any who were under the power of satan, and that the Lord would preserve them that they might not fall; and that he would watch over them, and be a wall of fire round about them, that they might be preserved. The good old man's prayer pierced her soul; the devil's snare was broken; she was brought to the feet of Jesus with a broken and a contrite heart; she now returned home, and nearly all that night she was weeping with a heart broken by the love of God, and thanking and praising him for his delivering mer As I was passing by the London Dock Wall, I saw a young woman with a child at her side; as I had previously known her, I spoke to her; she burst into tears, and began to relate some of the various trials and temptations she had been called to pass through, and how the Lord had appeared for her, and helped her in providence, by supplying her pressing wants when wandering the streets, having no place whereon to lay her head, and of that sweet consolation which the Lord had many times spoken to her soul; while hearing her relate these things my heart was broken, and we both wept, for I had ex-cies. perienced something of the same, so that there was a union of feeling, and we parted, blessing and praising the Lord, with a promise to meet again, which I did at her house on Friday, March 30, 1849; and then she resumed the subject, and gave me an outline of her history wherein I saw how wonderfully the Lord does watch over and preserve his people in the hour of temptation. When she was about twenty years old she was a long while under the apprehension of going to hell, and that if she made away with herself while young, her punishment would not be so severe; so one day she took the clothes' line, and went into the top room and fixed the rope to the bed post, and then about her neck, and just about this time she heard a voice say, Do thyself no harm;' and this so struck her mind that she untied the rope, and came down stairs, wondering at the sound of that powerful voice. The Lord, in his own time gave her a little peace in her mind, so that she had a hope that the Lord would have mercy upon her, and pardon her sin through the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Time rolled on, and she was married; and after being married a few years, her husband being a good deal out of work, things went sadly with her; and she sometimes knew not where to get a piece of bread; once, while wandering the streets, having nothing to eat for two days, she saw a woman coming out of a baker's shop, she asked her for a piece of bread, which she gave her; and a man passing by at the time saw she was very hungry, he spoke to her, and gave her two-pence; and just after she picked up a penny, and with that three-pence she got a lodging for the night; and a few days after this she was in such distress, by poverty, and in such darkness of soul that she was on the borders of despair, and the enemy of souls now assailed her with the horrid dart of self-murder; and, being overcome with the awful temptation, she left her home with the intention "Thus great the mystery, truly great, That hell's design should hell defeat." As I do not wish to eat my morsel alone, I have sent these lines; and I pray God to bless them to any poor soul who may be called to pass through similar trials. Limehouse, April, 1849. THOMAS HALL. Lines on the Death of Mr. Thos. Banks, WHO DIED ON MONDAY APRIL 2, 1849, FROM INJURIES RECEIVED IN CONSE QUENCE OF BEING RUN OVER. DEAR aged saint, thy work is done; But strange to us it doth appear, But on thy head, which was knock'd down, 'Twas purchas'd with the crimson tide, Each kindred tie, each much-lov'd friend From his dear head the blood did pour, This melting story, us below To praise the Lamb who bled for thee, Farewell, thou blessed saint, farewell! ELIZA. |