. the society low, and the congregations small: but, before the end of the year, he saw the congregations increase, and the society flourish considerably; and he laboured here with pleasure to himself, and satisfaction to the people, the Lord giving him many seals to his ministry. At the Conference in 1814, he was returned to this circuit, and the young man also with whom he had laboured the preceding year. They now began to find some of their places too small to contain the people; and were obliged to enlarge and build chapels to hold the people who flocked to hear them. These two years were among the happiest of his life. In his letters to me he expresses himself as being happy in his soul, and growing in grace. Here he appears to have been at the height of his usefulness: the great Head of the church gave him favour in the sight of the people, and his ministry was made a peculiar blessing to many. The people in Ludlow used great exertions to have him appointed to the circuit a third year; but he was resolved on leaving it, that he might be placed in a circuit where he should have a little more time for reading and study. He was therefore removed by the Conference, held in Manchester, in 1815, to Paisley. By this time he had acquired a good library; and, in Scotland, he began to study very closely, and read some of the best publications on divinity in the English language. Indeed, he appears to have been rising to considerable eminence as a preacher; and it is very likely, had he lived, he would have been an able minister of Jesus Christ. He had several things to contend with, in this circuit, to which he was unaccustomed. The division of the Glasgow circuit was to him a source of uneasiness. It was in a journey about the division of this circuit, that he caught a cold, which hastened his death. He was appointed for Paisley in 1816, and continued his labours till March, 1817, when he was obliged to desist from a work in which his whole soul was engaged. The best medical skill was procured; but the disordered state of his lungs baffled all human efforts for his recovery. He was advised to remove home to his friends in Yorkshire. He did so; and arrived safe at Shafton, soon after the Sheffield Conference, being put down supernumerary for the Barnsley circuit. As soon as I fixed my eyes upon him, I lost all hopes of his recovery. I questioned him very closely, with respect to the state of his mind; and he expressed himself in clear and positive terms, respecting his acceptance with God. He spake but little during the latter part of his affliction, owing to his extreme weakness, and his being forbidden by the doctors to speak much. A few days before his death, he desired his wife, who had been in the habit of reading to him, to read the 5th chapter of 2 Cor. "For if the earthly house," &c. "This," said he, " contains my experience: I have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." On the morning of Oct. 18th, he altered for death. The night before he said to me, "My brother, I am happy; I have been particularly happy for two or three days past.' I said to him, "Do you now feel your evidence clear for heaven? Are you without a doubt?" He said, "I am." I prayed with him, and left him asleep. The following morning I was called in: but he was too far gone to say any thing. He died without a struggle or sigh, about eight o'clock in the morning, in the 35th year of his life, and the 11th of his itinerancy: thus did he triumphantly finish his life. In his last sickness, no murmuring word was ever heard to drop from his lips. He gave up his wife and child with the fortitude of a Christian, and not with the cold indifference of the Stoic. In his death his wife has lost an affectionate husband-his child, a tender father-his friends, a valuable relative-and the church of God, a holy minister. May my last end be like his! Shafton, Feb. 2, 1818. MEMOIR OF JAMES ROBERTS. T. SYKES. The subject of this Memoir was born in Kingswood, and, by the example and instructions of a pious mother, was induced, at a very early period of his life, to reflect much on a future state of rewards and punishments, which kept him from those vices by which many young persons are led captive. He constantly attended public worship at the Methodist chapel at Kingswood: and, at the age of about 11 years, was powerfully awakened by hearing the word, and convinced of his lost condition by sin, and of the necessity of regeneration by grace. At that time there was a great outpouring of the Spirit of God at Kingswood; nearly twenty youths of both sexes were converted to God; some of whom, with James, have taken their seats at God's right hand; others are filling useful offices in the church of Christ; and the greater part of the rest have their faces Sionward. James, with many others, joined the society, and received his first note of admission from that worthy servant of God, Mr. Valton, and soon obtained peace with God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; and continued to walk in the light of God's countenance several years. But afterwards he unhappily drank into the spirit of the world; sought happiness in the creature, and brought guilt and condemnation upon his soul. Soon feeling, however, his awful state, he was determined, with the Prodigal, to arise and go to his father; and soon experienced that God had healed his backslidings, and loved him again freely. About 1796 he was appointed to the office of a class-leader, and filled that station with faithfulness and integrity; continuing to hold it to the day of his death, excepting a short interruption occasioned by his removal from Kingswood to Bristol. But God had designed him for more extensive usefulness; which was soon discovered by his brethren, and made known to him: viz. to visit, with others, some obscure places in the country, where the gospel was not regularly preached, and the people not disposed to go far to hear. And God was with them, and made them a blessing to many. When the late Mr. John Pawson was last on this circuit, he met them, and, being made acquainted with their unblemished character, and pure motives, he encouraged them to go on in the name of the Lord; laying his hands on our departed brother Roberts, and blessing him. Being desired to attend at the next Local Preachers' meeting, he was examined with respect to his Christian experience, and his knowledge of faith in the doctrines of the Gospel; and, his answers being satisfactory, he was appointed to preach in Ebenezer chapel, before Mr. Highfield and others, by way of trial. This he did, much to their satisfaction; was admitted a local preacher, and continued to preach, from time to time, with much success. God, who had called him, gave him seals to his ministry; while his profiting therein, and his growth in grace, appeared to all. In the building of Redfield chapel, he took an active part, as far as God put it in his power; and was appointed one of the trustees, and went from house to house, with Mr. Smith, late on Kingswood circuit, soliciting help for that purpose. A new class was raised at that place, which he met on Sunday mornings, besides the class he before led in Bristol, on Wednesday evenings, He was not weary in well-doing; and his unwearied diligence, zeal for God's glory, and love for souls, were witnessed by all. In September last, he caught a cold; but, supposing it would soon go off, and being called to labour at a considerable distance from home, he did not pay that attention to it which was requisite. Instead of getting better, therefore, he grew worse, and was obliged to give over labour. His case being now considered as dangerous, a doctor was called in, and recourse had to medicine; and for a short time hopes were entertained of his recovery. These, however, were of short continuance. Though the force of the disease seemed to be broken, yet nature continued to sink; and, in a short time, he appeared to be on the verge of eternity. In and through all, his mind was kept in perfect peace. Some friends calling to see him, after some conversation, he said, "I have been thinking on those characters, who, on the great day of accounts, shall say, Lord, we have taught in thy name, and in thy name have done many wonderful works,' &c. and on our Lord's reply, I never knew you;' and have been reflecting on my past labours, and have nothing whereon to trust, but Jesus: he is mine, I am his." On another occasion, being asked, " Is Jesus precious? do you feel him with you?" he paused, and said, "Why do you ask? do you think he will desert me now? No." Change of air was now recommended, and its salutary effects expected. He was removed to Barton Hill; but the change of air produced no good effect. He continued to grow weaker, and said to some friends, who visited him, that he had not expected to be called away so soon, being desirous to be restored for the sake of his family, and that he might again preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. When brought home, he was considerably weaker in body, but his mind was still kept in peace, for he had resigned all into the hands of his heavenly Father, who, said he, "will keep that which I have committed to him against that day." He conversed freely on the subject of death and the grave; and being asked, if he felt no kind of shrinking back when he spoke of those gloomy subjects, he answered, "No; why should I? there," (meaning the grave,) "the dear flesh of Jesus lay, and left a sweet perfume; and where should the dying members rest, but with their dying head?" "O, what a mighty change Shall Jesu's sufferers know, While o'er the happy plains they range, On Good Friday some of the class-leaders, local preachers, and others, called to see him; and one of them, speaking largely on the nature of faith, he said, "there is no end of the subject of faith: nor have I any fear of death. Was death there, and you there," pointing to two places at his bed-side, "I should be no more afraid of death than of you." One present beholding his difficulty in conversing, through extreme weakness, said, “ Poor man." He immediately noticed the expression, and said, "Don't call me poor: I am not poor, I am rich, rich in faith, an heir of the kingdom." And he exhorted all present, who had to recommend religion, not to be afraid of going too far in their commendations of it. This was a solemn and very affecting season to all present. On Easter Tuesday, being visited by one who had been intimately acquainted with him forty years, and being asked by him how he was, he replied, "Very ill as respects my body, though every means have been used for my recovery; but the prospect I have before me is indescribable. Glory! Glory be to God 1" His friend said, "You have not followed cunningly devised fables:" he said, "I know I have not." He was then asked if he had represented the enjoyments of the Gospel in too strong a light? He answered," By no means; rather as VOL. XLII. MAY, 1819. * 2 P * nothing to what I now enjoy of it." And he exhorted his friend to cleave to God with all his heart, as he would never have to repent of doing so. The power of God was greatly felt during the conversation. From this time to his departure, he continued in the same happy frame of mind. No complaining word came out of his lips, but, on the contrary, praise and thanksgiving to God. He often praised God for calling him among the Methodists, with whom he had enjoyed sweet fellowship and communion, and who had given evidence of their love to him, by their unwearied attention, kindness, and beneficence towards him, particularly at the season of his greatest need. This was more than his grateful soul could well bear. "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Glory! Glory be to God!" often flowed from his heart and filled his tongue. And his inquiry was, "What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me? tell me how I may praise the Lord better than I do!" In this happy state of mind he continued till Sunday, April 19, 1818; when being asked, "Is all well?" he answered, "All is well." And, soon after a friend had commended him to God, his happy spirit took its flight to the regions of light and immortality. DIVINITY. AN ESSAY ON MARRIAGE.* SECTION I. The peculiarity and importance of the Marriage Relation. possibility of knowing the will of God in this affair. Law laid down. The The How wonderful is it, that two persons, who perhaps never met before, should, by a train of circumstances be brought together, obtain a peculiar propriety in each other, and form one absolute communion of wishes, joys, and sorrows. If we compare this relation with other connections, we shall find that it surpasses them all.-Are other unions optional? They may be limited in their continuance, or terminated at pleasure. But this is permanent, and indissoluble. You cannot marry for a given period. It is for life.-Are other unions natural? Intimate indeed is the relation between brother and sister: tender is the relation between parents and children, espe cially between the mother and "the son of her womb." "But for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall We are sorry we cannot learn to whom we are indebted for this very excellent and edifying Essay.. |