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REVIEWS-MEMOIR OF THE REV. THOMAS JONES.

ordinary attainments, well versed in the learned languages, possessing a high literary taste, and a mind imbued with the spirit of poetry. His few Welsh compositions, mostly of a pastoral kind, exceed everything in the language as to elegance and the charm of rhythm. His habits were quite primitive. He was a bachelor, and lived with his mother who kept a small public house, and was the most dutiful of sons. His influence over his pupils was unbounded, he was feared, venerated, and loved, being both a strict and a paternal disciplinarian. His authority was founded on his superior attainments,-firmness, good sense, judgment and native kindness. Mr. Jones entertained the highest esteem for him, partaking much of veneration.

He did not think him very clear in the peculiar doctrines of the Gospel; but a religious man, he used to say, in his way; having more of the spirit of the law than of the Gospel.

"Mr. Jones continued in this school until he was ordained, which was about nine years. During this time there were intervals of seriousness, but nothing remarkable. Soon after he entered, the Rev. Daniel Rowlands, the celebrated Whitfield of Wales, came to preach at Bontrhydfendi gaid,a village about two or three miles from Ystrad meirig. He went to hear him, and his attention was arrested in no ordinary degree. When speaking of this event, he once made the following remarks to the writer, 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 a perfect recollection of his manner though not of his sermon.' He had the highest opinion of Rowlands, having afterwards occasionally heard him; and when grown up, and in orders, he became acquainted with him; and once, as he told the writer, assisted him at Langeitho in administering the sacrament. The simple and plain portrait of Rowlands he had, through life, hung up over his mantlepiece; 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.

"It may be supposed, from Mr. Jones's natural vivacity, that the recreations of the school were things in which he took an active part and such was the case. He was strong, lively, and vigorous, and possessed great dexte

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rity as a wrestler; and in that feat he was the first in the school for several years. It does not appear that he excelled in any branch of learning. indeed there were only two branches taught in the school,the Classics and Divinity: but more particularly the first, for the other could hardly be said to have been taught, as the pupils were only directed to certain books, and were left to pursue their own studies. There was a tolerably good library attached to the school-room, which was then the parish church, a part of the west end having been separated for that purpose. There was nothing in the inside to shew that it was a church except the pulpit. It had four classes, two on each side; and at the east end there was a space for the younger children, who were learning to read and to write; and at the table which stood in the middle of this space sat the usher or the assistant, while the master sat generally in the library. The desks were rough hewn, shaped and formed more by the axe than by the plane. A ruder workmanship could have hardly been witnessed, and yet by these desks were learnt many a lesson both in Greek and Latin; and not a few had their minds imbued with the learning of the ancients, and were trained for useful spheres in life. The seeds of future improvements were here sown which afterwards sprung up, at least in some benefit of mankind. gained here was the future usefulness."

instances, for the What our friend foundation of his

At the time of his ordination to a Welch curacy, in 1774, Mr. Owen thus speaks of Mr. Jones:

"Probably the following is a correct account of him at this time: 'Indifference and levity, without any vice, 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 humorous and had it not been for some restraint within, some misgivings 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 divine 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 admitted into Orders, if he was not designed by God for the ministry: a good prayer no doubt, but very inadequate to the state and exigencies of one undertaking an office so weighty and important.'

"But he had through life, even after he seemed to have gained the main qualifications, a deep sense of his own unfitness for the ministry; which is, perhaps, one of the best evidences of fitness, and necessary as a stimulus to seek higher attainments. 'I have had many times,' he once observed to the writer, 'very desponding thoughts respecting the ministry. I have frequently felt disposed to give it up altogether, being ashamed of my poor preaching. But my support has been that comfortable saying, 'According to what a man hath.' I have frequently found wonderful relief from that text. Oh! it has often been a sweet text to me.'"

His first essay in attacking the ungodliness and immorality of his parish is very interesting, and furnishes no slight encouragement and example to ministers who may find themselves placed in similar circumstances:

"The first thing that I had to attempt was to humanize my parishioners, to suppress some of their barbarous and heathenish customs. They were notorious above most in that country for cockfighting. On the first great day they assembled for this purpose, I took possession of the pit before them.

I had

previously failed to persuade them to desist and now I argued on the ground the matter with the furious multitude, and at length prevailed on them to disperse. And what was rather remarkable, cockfighting wholly dropped at once, and I never learnt that it was revived. The

next heathenish custom I had to attack

was Sunday dancing, which had prevailed among them from time immemorial. This also with some difficulty was put down and never revived, together with several other practices of a similar nature. When we got rid of these barbarous customs, something like civilization appeared. which gradually increased with time.'"

In 1779, Mr. Jones left Wales for an English curacy, and a most fearful description is given of the moral and

religious state of his new sphere of duty:

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'Speaking of Herefordshire, Mr. Jones says, 'Darkness filled the land. The inhabitants of that country in those

days, had sunk into a state of ignorance and profligacy little short of heathenism. They had no idea of religion in any form; they only retained the name of Christians without any feature of Christianity.' Then referring to his parish, he says, 'The Sabbath was nearly lost among them, and the church was deserted. The Bible was laid aside, and morals were banished. There was death in the orchard, and drunkenness in their dwellings. They were in one word, a sordid, sottish

set, without any concern for the world to

come.'"'

The state of the place may easily be inferred, from the following description :

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Finding but very few people at church on the Sundays, and not many in the streets, I was convinced that they had retired from the village for sine purpose or other. I went one Sunday after service in quest of them, and at about a mile distant from the village, on entering a large secluded meadow, I found a company of at least three hundred persons, of all ages, engaged in all manner of diversions, such as cricket, foot-ball, etc. On seeing me entering the gate into the field, they all fled, some in every direction, so that in a few minutes not one was to be seen. This had no other good effect than to disperse them for that day. They turned not from their evil ways. And during the year and half I spent with them, no kind or degree of refor mation appeared to have taken place."

For some wise reason, Mr. Jones had here no ministerial success; and at length, displeased with the preaching of the truth, his people prevailed upon his Vicar to dismiss him, at the short warning of a month: on which Mr. Jones remarks,—

"I believed that it was God's will to remove me from a people that so entirely rejected Divine truths, and would have nothing to do with religion."

From this place he removed to a curacy in Shropshire; and it was here that the seed of Divine truth, which for a long season had been sown in his own heart, began to spring up and

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REVIEWS-MEMOIR OF THE REV. THOMAS JONES. 269

manifest that it was of God's own planting :

"The half-year I was there, was the time 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."

His next curacy was Oswestry; and the state of religion there, at that time, may be imagined by the following passages:

"Besides a host of lawyers, there were about ten clergymen residing in the town, who had churches in the country, which they served in the morning only, and they generally attended at our church in the afternoon. Some of these very soon began to be offended at my doctrine; especially one, Mr. John Jones, who was a Rural Dean. He tried at first to cure me by gentle means, but soon complained that I was obstinate. He then became violent; and one day he had his stick over my head, to try what that would do, when all other kinds of arguments had failed him. All this, and a great deal more of the same kind of insult I endured with patience and composure, though I was but a stripling, and this kind of rough treatment was quite

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"One day,' he says, the Rev. Mr. Trevor, my vicar, who resided on another living, came to the door of my lodging, and addressed me, as nearly as I can recollect in these words,'' Mr. Jones, I am concerned to tell you, that I find it necessary to give you notice to quit my curacy in this town, though I am very sorry to part with you.' Then,' said I,

why do you part with me, for I am willing to stay?' To which he replied, 'You have given such umbrage to my parishioners, with whom I have lived in peace for a great number of years, and shall not quarrel with them now on your account.' To this I answered, I certainly do not wish you to have any uneasiness on my account: when do you wish me to leave?' He said, ' In a month's time.' Very well, sir, in a month's time I shall be off the ground.''

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After an ineffectual attempt on the part of Sir R. Hill, to procure for Mr. Jones the living of Loppington, which terminated by Lord Thurlow's swearing that a Methodist should never have it, there then commenced the negociations which ended in the settlement

of Mr. Jones at his final earthly resting-place, Creaton.

Invited to assist Mr. Riland, of Birmingham, he there met, at a clerical meeting, with Simeon and Romaine; and Mr. Jones thus records the arrangement which then took place :

"Simeon, after having been with Riland in another room, came into the room where I was, and laying hold of my hand by his two hands, asked, ' Will you go to Creaton, Mr. Jones?'-'Where is Creaton?' said I. In Northamptonshire, a pleasant village, situated on an elevated part of the country. I preached there last Sunday to a very nice people.' After dinner I asked the company's advice respecting two situations-Creaton, and a Chapel in Yorkshire. maine said, 'You must go to Creaton, Mr. Jones.' Contented with this, I said nothing more; and I went there without delay, (he was at the time he said this on a visit at the sea side ;) and there I have been until now. Mr. Simeon made the motion, and Mr. Romaine seconded it.'"

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We must pass over much that is deeply interesting in the volume, previously extracting the following passages on the character and success of Mr. Jones's ministry :

"His connection with Creaton was from September 10th. 1785. to the end of December, 1833, the term of fortyseven years and four months, and in the capacity of a curate, with the exception of the five last years. In the year 1810, he had also the curacy of Spratton, which he held for eighteen years, that is till the year 1828.

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"To retain a good congregation, full church,' for so long a period, and especially when there was a Dissenting Chapel of long standing in the place, is of itself a proof that there was there a very efficient ministry.

"It was not distinguished by what is commonly called eloquence, though there was in it eloquence of the best kind, the eloquence of a heart warm with the subject It had no learned, no recondite disquisitions, but truths plainly told, deeply interesting to all who felt the importance of eternal things. It had no elegance of words, nor the round periods of declaimers, but the simple words of sobriety and truth, such as made a Felix to tremble. It dealt not in matters of minor importance, not essential to the salvation of men, but in the prominent

doctrines of the Gospel. It was dogmatic in the highest degree, without being presumptuous; and bold, without being arrogant. 'Thus saith the Lord,' was the authority, and not, Thus say I, or, Thus saith the church. It was the ministry of one, who came not in his own name, nor for the purpose of displaying his own talents, but of one who came as God's ambassador, with a message from heaven, and whose object it was to honour God, to exalt the Saviour, and to save the souls of men. It was also, and in an especial manner, the ministry of one who deeply felt, that though it was his duty to be faithful and diligent, yet the success depended wholly and exclusively on the favour and blessing of Him who doeth all things according to the pleasure of

His own will."

In reading the account of Mr. Jones's ministry at Creaton, in days in which there was a spiritual darkness which might be felt, it is interesting to see the influence which Mr. Jones's hearers-who came for the heavenly bread from the surrounding villages-had upon their fellow-parishioners :

"Those who came,' he says, 'from parishes around us, proved like so many lamps, that let their lights shine before men; and by their means, the light spread to a considerable distance. Much was done by the zealous and faithful individuals of eminent piety. As many candles may be lighted from one, so one pious and faithful soul may become a thousand. There is the greatest possible encouragement to be sincere and diligent in the work of the Lord. Laymen, as well as ministers, may win souls to Christ.' And he adds the following anecdote:

"I cannot forbear mentioning one good woman who for many years kept a turnpike gate, and who was constantly speaking to all, who came fairly in her way, about redemption and mercy, salvation and immortality; and God blessed her faithful exertions to many a poor sinner.

The good Mr. Shaw, of Kilkeny Ireland) preached three times one Sunday at Creaton; and this good woman heard him every time. Next morning he drove up to the gate she kept, and was going to pay her, but she said, O Sir, you have nothing to pay; you payed me yesterday most abundantly.' Mr. Shaw was struck with this novel conduct, and stopped a considerable time

to converse with this daughter of Abraham; and he declared, many years after, that he never enjoyed a conversation more. Through the kindness of God we had not a few such characters in our circle.'"

The forty-seven years of Mr. Jones's ministry at Creaton were passed in the most abundant labours in his Master's service, which were as abundantly owned by Him who has declared that His "word shall not return unto Him void." The early part of Mr. Jones's life and ministry was cast in times of peculiar deadness in spiritual things, especially within the Church of England; he had however, as comforters and hearty fellow labourers, in disseminating the light of life, such men as Venn, Simeon, Haweis, Robinson, Gillbee, Richmond, and others,-outliving whom, he thus speaks in 1830:

"Affections are strong things, not always under our control. I cannot yet wean mine even from some of the dead, they cleave to the dust of Richmond, Gillbee, Robinson, and of others, in whose bosom I lived for years."

It was not until 1828, at the age of seventy-six, that the illness commenced which rendered Mr. Jones incapable of exercising the ministry. After resigning the living of Creaton in 1833, we find him in the following year refusing a generous offer made by his friend Mr. Ramsden, to build a house for him near his own residence in Nottinghamshire. He says,

"Nothing could be more kind and generous than the offer you make to build me a House; for which I ought to empty my heart of thanks. I have for some years back given directions to John Crisp to get my house ready, and shewed to him where to build it. It is to be a very small dwelling, only one room, without a door or a window. If such be the house appointed for all living, it is indeed a humiliating lesson; yet man can be proud and vain though he is but dust, and must soon lie down in dust. How very wonderful that the great and eternal God should provide such a mansion as heaven for such beings, and to bring them there in such a wondrous way. It may well be said, Great is the mystery of Godliness. Great indeed it is; for the Son of God has been made to sin for us, that we might be made the

REVIEWS-MEMOIR OF THE REV. THOMAS JONES.

righteousness of God in him; and it doth not yet appear what we shall be. If I understand how things are with me now in the days of my resting on the shelf, my chief desire is, that God may be glorified in me, whether it be by life or by death. My earthly concerns are of very little moment; and through the goodness of God I leave them very quietly in his tender and safe hands, knowing that he careth for us. There is enough in the promises which he has made in Christ. And who will think it a great trouble to draw on his Banker, when he has plenty there?'"

Although compelled from illness and increasing infirmities to give up the regular duties of the ministry, Mr. Jones did not allow the remaining years of life to rust out in idleness.

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During this period, the space of about sixteen years, though he did not exercise the public ministry, he was yet engaged in almost all the other duties of his past life. The annual Clerical Meeting was still kept up; the Clerical Education Society was carried on; he took part in the Bible and Missionary Societies; he became more than ever the oracle of his brethren, and the counsellor and adviser of his pious friends: he exercised his influence in supplying churches in the neighbourhood, and elsewhere, with suitable curates; and a great part of his time was occupied in writing. He published during this period several books, and especially two, which have been very useful and much approved, 'The True Christian,' and 'The Fountain of Life.' These were the occupations of a man between seventy-six and ninety-three."

The following statement reflects equal honour upon Mr. Jones and his attached friends, who were deeply anxious to testify their affectionate interest in the temporal welfare of this venerable man of God:

"When he resigned the living of Creaton, his friends, knowing that his means were not very abundant, unsolicited and unknown to him, made up a subscription for him of one hundred and twenty-five pounds a year. It was a noble testimony to his worth. Nothing could have been a stronger proof of the estimation in which they held his past services. The individual who was commissioned to convey to him this intelligence was not authorized to disclose the names of the

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subscribers. But he refused this sum, and said that it was too much, as he had a little of his own, which might possibly be enough for him. He consented in the first instance to receive nearly half the sum, sixty pounds: and for the year 1834, a sum about this amount was transmitted to him. In the year 1835 he seemed anxious to know the names of his benefactors. When these were made known to him, he fixed on four out of the fourteen who had subscribed, and reduced the sum still lower. One of these contributed fifteen pounds and another twenty pounds, until he died. The whole amount at last was about thirty-five pounds. But the reduction in every instance was his own act and deed. The original sum, had he himself consented, would have no doubt been continued to him, and joyfully too, to the end of his life; that is, for the eleven years that he lived after the resignation of Creaton. The writer hesitates not to say this, from what he knows of the character of the subscribers. The Lord will never fail to provide for those who trust in Him. Let our chief care be to serve Him, and He will surely care for us."

But we must hasten to conclude this too lengthened notice, which the worth of the subject and the interesting nature of Mr. Owen's narrative, has extended far beyond our usual limits. Spared to see a great revival of religion throughout the land generally, and more particularly within the borders of his own beloved Church, Mr. Jones was also destined to see the fruits of that sowing of the great enemy, which has in our own day ended in the open apostacy to Rome of so many of our brethren. So late as 1840, when nearly 90, he went with a friend to Ryde, and there witnessed the services in one of those Romanizing chapels which have since so widely spread their baneful influences throughout the country. In a letter to his friend Miss Plumptre, he thus describes what he saw :

"I attended a chapel which was the very image of the Beast ;' it being fitted up in so gaudy a manner, like a theatre. He then gives us this account of the service :

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