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EVANGELICAL MAGAZINE.

NOVEMBER, 1807.

MEMOIR

OF

THE LATE REV. JONATHAN SCOTT.

E

We have seldom had occasion to call the attention of our readers to a life of greater importance to the best interests of mankind than that of Mr. Scott: an importance which arose from the connection of his situation, character, and exertions, with the late revival of the cause of Christ. Long before his call to the Christian ministry, and while he was a lover of pleasure and a slave to sin, the great work of God had been carried on with eminent success in various parts of Great Britain, both in the Established Church and among Protestant Dissenters; and especially under the ministry of the Rev. George Whitfield, and others connected with him; but, throughout a considerable extent of country, in the midst of which the Lord was mercifully pleased to fix the residence of this his faithful servant, little had been done. Seeing himself surrounded with towns and villages, in which multitudes were perishing for want of spiritual knowledge, he devised liberal plans for enlightening and saving them. The God whom he served, enabled him to execute those plans with persevering diligence and zeal; and, in many places, crowned his endeavours with great success.

The Rev. Jonathan Scott was born at Shrewsbury on the 15th of November, 1735. He was the second son of Richard Scott, Esq. by Mary his wife, the daughter and sole heiress of Jonathan Scott, Esq. of Betton, in the county of Salop. Richard Scott, Esq. was a military officer, and rose to the rank of captain in the British army. His son Jonathan, having received a polite education, embraced the profession of arms in his 17th year. He began his military career in the capacity of a cornet; and was, in due course of time, promoted to the rank of a captain-lieutenant in the 7th regiment of dragoons. He continued to serve his king and country as a soldier, about 17 years. It does not appear that he ever had opportunity particularly to distinguish himself by any military exploit. Although he was with the Britisk

army on the continent of Europe during three campaigns, and was present at several engagements with the enemy, and sometimes in situations of peculiar danger, he was never in the very hottest of battle. In the actions in which he was engaged, the cavalry, to which he belonged, took no part until the heat of the engagement was over. He was present at the famous battle fought near Minden, on the 1st of August, 1759; but, being attached to the cavalry of the right wing of the allied army, commanded by Lord George Sackville, had no share in the

action.

The former part of Mr. Scott's military life was spent in gaiety and folly. The army proved to him, what it has been to multitudes beside, -a school of vice. What he heard from the lips, and saw in the lives, of his dissipated associates, exactly suited the sinful propensities of his heart. He entered into their views, went with them in their ways, and was, for a considerable length of time, as much, perhaps, devoted to a life of dissipation as the gayest of them all. Yet the army appears to have been, eventually, to this chosen vessel, a school of religion.

The danger to which, as a soldier, he was exposed, was seriously impressed upon his mind. This led to a train of thoughts, and a succession of resolutions, which appear to have been preparatory to his acquiring self-knowledge, to his reception of the gospei, and to the conversion of his soul. His resolutions were, at this period, and for a considerable time afterwards, pharisaical. They were founded in self-confidence; and, therefore, terminated in disappointment and shame. His selfish religion was without steadiness, and without perseverance. He had, from time to time, what he termed, Religious Fits. It was his custom, at the beginning of one of these fits, to make a resolution to be very strict and pious for a certain time, perhaps for a month; judging, that if he could keep his resolution to the end of the month, he should be able to persevere for a further limited time; but, alas! before the fixed period arrived, sometimes, perhaps, but a little before, some unthought-of temptation came in his way, and down fell all his work in ruins at once; the consequence was, his pleasing hopes vanished, and he was left in the greatest distress.

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All this while, it was his daily practice (though felt as a toilsome duty) to read the psalms and lessons of the day: a practice well known to his brother-officers; but, as his conduct in other respects conformed to theirs, they gave him no opposition; but were used pleasantly to ask him, "Well, Scott, have you read your psalms and lessons to-day ?"

While Mr. Scott continued to strive to make himself righteous by his own works, he necessarily laboured in vain. He" followed after righteousness, but did not attain righteousness, because he sought it not by faith, but, as it were, by the works of

the law." He renewed his resolutions from time to time, but invariably, in the event, broke through them all. Being much concerned to find himself so very unable to live up to the plans he had laid down, he happened to meet with those words of David, "Seven times a day will I praise thee." "Here,' said he to himself, 'I have failed; for want of acting thus, my resolutions have come to nothing.' In consequence of this, he made it his practice for some time to pray to God as often as he understood the psalmist proposed to do, not doubting now, after he had made this discovery, but he should be able to maintain his ground and persevere. Nevertheless, his future conduct taught him that he was not yet right-that something was still wanting; but what that something was, he could by no means discover; he felt his poverty, but was altogether unacquainted with the Pearl of great price. Occasionally it was his practice to omit religious duties altogether, sometimes from the conviction of their inefficacy, aud sometimes of their hypocrisy, as it was his apprehension that he should be miserable without the gratification of those sinful propensities against which he prayed.

It may not be improper here to introduce an anecdote which Mr. Scott related to one of his particular friends. In a town where he happened to be with his regiment, there had been a bequest of certain books on religious subjects, to be distributed gratis to every soldier that should pass through the place. Mr. Scott having heard of the bequest, earnestly intreated the commander of the regiment to procure those books for his officers and men, alleging, that they might do them a great deal of good, or, at least, could do them no harm. The commander consented, the books were obtained, and one having been allotted to Mr. Scott, he eagerly retired to his room to read it. While alone, he used a form of prayer contained in this book. The prayer concluded with the words, "for Jesus' sake." Of the name of Jesus he was then entirely ignorant, and indeed continued so to be for some time after; yet, on repeating that blessed name, he was seized with feelings of an extraordinary kind, such as he could not describe, but which were sweet to his soul, and which he was persuaded he should never forget. He was constrained to repeat the words "for Jesus' sake,' which had made so powerful an impression on his mind, again and again. Whatever may be thought of the nature of this impression, he was to be the subject of others of a no less agreeable, but of a more permanent kind, consequent on the great change, which, by the instrumentality of the divine word, afterwards took place in his mind; but it may not be improper, previously, to introduce a very singular instance of Divine Providence, by which he was preserved for the great work to be wrought in him, and the important ends to be accomplished through him. In riding near Shrewsbury, his horse fell with

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him, and actually dislocated his neck; but a person of surgical skill coming by at the instant, and perceiving his situation, immediately replaced it: a circumstance which he was accustomed to repeat with the greatest sense of gratitude to the God of his

life.

The circumstances attending his conversion were as follows:At a time when he was quartered in or near Brighthelmstone, Mr Romaine was engaged to preach at Oat Hall, in Sussex, in a house fitted up by Lady Huntingdon. At this place, Mr. Scott was led to hear that venerable man of God in the following singular manner : Being out a shooting, he was overtaken with a storm; and, recollecting that a farmer lived near, with whom some horses belonging to the regiment had been at grass, he betook himself to his house for shelter; where he was kindly and hospitably entertained. The farmer being a pious man, and Mr. Scott happening at this time to be in one of his religious fits, the conversation took a serious turn, which issued in an importunate invitation of the former to Mr. Scott, to accompany him to hear Mr. Romaine, whom he represented as a very extraordinary man, Mr. Scott complied; and was true to his appointment. He was struck with the neatness and solemnity of the congregation, as well as the impressive manner in which the prayers were read. Mr. Romaine preached on our Lord's words in John xiv. 6, “I am the way.' The truth delivered was exactly suited to his case; and God, who, in his good providence, brought him to hear it, by the power of his grace, made it effectual to the ever, lasting benefit of his soul. When giving an account of his conversion, under the ministry of Mr. Romaine, to two of his friends, about six years before his death, he informed them that his mind was at that time fully prepared to receive the gospel of Christ; so that, the instant he heard it, he received and embraced it with all his heart. "This," said he to himself on the blessed occasion, "this is the thing, the very thing I want, and have wanted so long, and knew not what it was, or how to obtain it ;" and, of so decisive a nature was the work now wrought, that he has been heard to declare that, from this period, he never, to his knowledge, heard any other than a gospel sermon; or ever neglected an opportunity he could embrace for nearing one.

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After he had heard Mr. Romaine with so much satisfaction and profit, he was particularly anxious to have some couversation with him. He rode with him from preaching, was with him in the house where he took some refreshment after preach,

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*It may he proper to remark, that a complete dislocation of the neck would so compress the spinal marrow, that it would produce a palsy of all the vital organs, which would be inevitably followed by death; but a partial dislocation might take place; and, by being speedily restored, the patient would survive. The latter might occasion such a distortion as would be apparent; and is what is commonly, but incorrectly, called breaking the neck,

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