them to wait a little; he wants to obtain some property from his cabin; he passes under the companion, rushes down the stairs, hurriedly snatches up what he wants to get, and, running on deck, hastens to the side of the ship, and Where is the boat?-Yonder she is, tossed like a feather upon the tempestuous sea! While he was below the rope broke. Escape for his life" he cannot; his faithful crew would return to him, but, alas! they are unable; they have neither oars nor sail. See that solitary man-alone in that awful storm! how wildly he looks! He has secured his property; what does it avail? He has lost for it the only way of escape. He gazes in despair! what would he give to be in that boat! It is too late! The creaking timbers of that broken ship and the surging waters sound his funeral knell, as he sinks and dies amid the desolations of that storm-having obtained his gold, but lost his life !* How faithful a picture of thousands around us, who love the world, its riches, its honours, its pleasures and its companionships, giving in exchange their undying souls! Jesus calls upon them to leave these for himself. He asks them to love him. He calls them now he calls them again; they linger until death snaps the brittle thread of life, and, like the unhappy captain with the boat in view, they perish !— they perish, and that for ever! Dear children, "escape for your life," flee to Jesus Christ-flee unto him NOW; for, behold, "now is the accepted time"-Now is the day of salvaG. M. H. tion. MEMOIR OF THE REV. JOSEPH GILL, LATE OF EGERTON, NEAR BOLTON, LANCASHIRE. THE REV. Joseph Gill, who was born in the year 1776, at Eton, near London, was left an orphan at a very tender age, and thrown upon the wide world in circumstances of extreme destitution and helplessness. After residing a few years in his native place, where he had *This occurred at the close of 1847. to encounter the difficulties and privations incident to a condition of orphanage, the providence of God directed his course to Manchester. Having obtained employment in one of the manufactories of this metropolis of the nanufacturing districts, he prosecuted the duties of his calling with great diligence and success for several years. During the period of his residence there, he was an occasional attendant on the ministry of Dr. Bailey, at that time a popular Evangelical clergyman of this town; and, under his ministry, was brought to a knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus; but not approving, on inquiry, the ecclesiastical polity of the Church of England, and adopting the views of the Independents, he subsequently attended the ministry of the Rev. W. Roby, and eventually joined the church under the pastoral care of this devoted and successful minister of Christ. The diligence with which he devoted himself to his secular calling was rewarded with such an amount of success, that, at the age of twenty-four, an opportunity was presented before him of commencing business on his own account, with the prospect of realizing a handsome fortune. But God His activity, had otherwise ordained. and zeal, and usefulness, in connection with the church of which he was a member, soon attracted the notice of the excellent pastor and other friends, in whose judgment he possessed qualifications which peculiarly fitted him for the work of the ministry; and at their instigation, and as the result of mature and prayerful deliberation, he was led to abandon his secular calling, and to pursue a course of studies under the direction of Mr. Roby, with a view to entering the college. After a pre paratory course of two years, at the age of twenty-six he was admitted a student at Rotherham College, then presided over by the late eminent Dr. Williams. tracted and unhappy church, and immediately declined an invitation which he had received from a peaceful and prosperous church at Shelley, in Yorkshire, and cast in his lot with the people at Hinckley. He was ordained as pastor of the church at Hinckley in 1806, and re for ten years; at the expiration of which time he saw it his duty to leave them, very much to the regret of the church and congregation, and inhabitants generally. During his ministry at Hinckley, he was honoured of God to fill the chapel with attentive hearers, and to gather many souls to Christ; he also established a small interest. at Burbage, a village about three miles distant, where he raised funds to build, and eventually to pay, the entire cost of erection of a commodious school room, in which the worship of God was periodically conducted. Having completed his collegiate education at this institution, he received and accepted a unanimous invitation to take the oversight of the Indepen-mained with them in peace and love dent church at Hinckley, in Leicestershire. The circumstances under which he entered upon his labours at this place afford a striking illustration of one of the principal traits in the character of our departed friend. He was emphatically a man of peace, and rejoiced in every opportunity of restoring it where it had been disturbed, which was unhappily the case with the church at Hinckley at the time he became a candidate for the pastorate. This church had been for several years without a stated minister, owing chiefly to their being unable to unite in the choice of any one of the numerous candidates by On leaving Hinckley, he received an whom the pulpit had been occupied, invitation to Middlewich, in Cheshire; and to the very bad spirit they had but, on his way to supply the vacant shown in the discussion of their respect-pulpit in this place, he called upon his ive claims, which had rendered their old friend, Mr. Roby, who directed his church meetings, and even their meet-attention to Walmsley chapel, Egerton, ings for public worship, scenes of con- near Bolton. "There is a small interfusion and unseemly strife. Such a est there," said Mr. Roby, "where, I state of things rendered the church at think, you will be able to do much Hinckley most unattractive; and would good. The people are so poor they have operated to prevent most men cannot support a minister, and are from accepting even a unanimous in- going to close the chapel. If that chavitation from such a people. But this pel is shut up, the only place of worwas the very circumstance which in- ship then open will be the Socinian duced Mr. Gill to take the oversight chapel. You have some property, and of them. Although they had been that, with what the poor people will divided in respect to every other can give, will, perhaps, keep your family. didate, they all united in wishing him Go, and trust Providence for the rest!” to come amongst them; and, such being He went, and received a cordial invitathe case, he saw an opportunity of re-tion from the people there, which he storing peace and comfort to a dis- accepted; and remained with them until within two years of the present time--a period of twenty-eight years. During his pastorate at Egerton, he and obtain supplies for the pulpit from the Blackburn Academy. About ten years ago he commenced an effort to build a large sabbath and was honoured as the instrument of ac-day-school in connection with the chacomplishing much good, in the conver- pel at Egerton, to accommodate 400 sion of many souls to Christ, and the scholars. This was accomplished by building-up of the church, and other great exertion, and is now an ornament works of usefulness. When he came to the neighbourhood, and free from to the scene of his last labours as a debt. In the accomplishment of these Christian minister, he found only a objects, Mr. Gill had to make repeated small chapel, and that in an unfinished appeals to the sympathy and assistance state, without vestry, schools, and other of the Christian public, which were geconveniences, and encumbered with a nerously awarded; and his own condebt of £500. In a few years, as the tributions were added to those of the result of great exertion, he succeeded church and congregation over which he in building a vestry, with a small presided. About two years ago, after school-room over it, in which to con- having lived and laboured for twentyduct the week-evening services, and a eight years among a poor but peacesmall cottage adjoining, the rent of ful, united, and affectionate people, he which might go to pay the interest of was induced, in consequence of declinthe debt upon the chapel. His next ing strength, to resign his pastoral work was to build a commodious dwell- charge, and, in connection with his ing-house for the minister for the time beloved and now bereaved partner, to being; which, being completed, he next take up his abode in Pendleton, Manmade an effort to remove the debt upon chester, amongst the members of his the chapel, which he was enabled ulti- own family, the providence of God mately entirely to liquidate. About having supplied him with the means fifteen years ago he directed his atten- of a comfortable subsistence. tion to the establishment of a new interest at Belmont, a village about three miles from his own place, the inhabitants of which were in a most benighted and deplorable condition. Having obtained the use of a small dwelling-house in this place, he regularly conducted the worship of God here, in addition to his labours at Egerton, for many years; got together a few pious and active persons; built a large room, which was used both as a chapel and school-room; and eventually formed a church, and continued to minister amongst them until the people were enabled to build a neat chapel, On taking up his abode at Pendleton with his youngest son, whom he established in business there, he and his beloved partner attended the ministry, and, in a little while, joined the church at Pendleton, under the pastoral care of the Rev. A. E. Pearce. Our departed friend was very desirous of making himself useful in connection with this infant church, and greatly assisted the pastor by visiting the sick, by presiding over one of the "sectional meetings of the church," and by occasionally occupying the pulpit; and, had his health and strength permitted, would have rendered important service to the cause of the Redeemer in this place. But, after little more than twelve months, he was almost laid aside from active labour; and it was apparent to all his friends that his constitution was gradually breaking up. In the month of March last he sustained a severe attack of illness, but from which he recovered, and enjoyed comparative health till the approach of winter. On Lord's-day, Oct. 17th, he attended Divine worship in Pendleton chapel for the last time; and on the following Tuesday, being much worse, took to his bed, from which he never rose again. All that medical skill, and the care and affectionate attention of his family, could do to arrest the progress of the disease which was fast pressing him to the grave, was resorted to, but in vain. There is an appointed time to man upon the earth, and our departed friend seemed to know that the time of his departure was at hand; and, in the prospect of death, his calmness and resignation to the will of God were truly gratifying to his family and friends. His frame of mind during the last seven weeks of his illness, was one of calm and settled peace, which nothing was permitted for a single moment to disturb. He evinced a peculiarly grateful spirit; delighted to contemplate the dealings of God with him and his family, both in providence and in grace; and spoke frequently and feelingly of the kindness and compassion of his heavenly Benefactor, to one who had been so unworthy of the least of all his mercies. He had no desire to live, unless he might be restored to strength, to enable him to be useful in the church. He was visited by many ministers and friends, whose conversation and prayers he highly valued. 66 Although his extreme debility prevented him from talking much towards the close of his life, and almost rendered him inaudible, yet a few expressions have been gathered from his dying lips, which are deemed worthy of being put on record. Frequently, when reminded of the blessedness of being prepared for sickness and death by a life of faith and holiness, he would exclaim, What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me?" or, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me," &c. A few days before his death, a friend, who was standing at his bed-side, said: "You are still waiting, Mr. Gill?" "Yes," he said, "looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ." The same friend, at another time, after a severe fit of coughing which had much distressed him, said, "I wish I could help you, sir;" to which he replied, in the words of the poet,— "One there is, above all others, Well deserves the name of Friend ; Costly, free, and knows no end: Several times during his illness, and Will land me safe on Canaan's coast." The night before he died he said, in reply to a friend, who asked him if his mind was composed and fixed upon the "Rock of ages," "Yes; I can say with the dying patriarch, I am waiting for thy salvation, O Lord!" and immediately added, "If Mr. Pearce should improve my death, I should like him to preach from those words, but to say nothing about myself." A few hours before he died he desired all the members of his family, including all his grandchildren, to be summoned to his bedside, as he felt, he said, that his end was approaching, and should like to take his leave of them. When they had surrounded his bed he addressed them in a strain of animation and affection, besought them to live together in harmony and peace, and to devote themselves more unreservedly to the service of God. Shortly after this he suffered severe pain of body, during the paroxysms of which he exclaimed, clasping his hands, “ O my Father! my heavenly Father! my kind Benefactor!" The pain having abated, he exclaimed with great animation, "Oh, my blessed Lord and Master is coming to fetch me home!" These were the last words he was heard to utter, and very soon after he "fell asleep in Christ," on the 80th day of November, 1847, in the 71st year of his age. death most impressively illustrate the reality and importance of religion. He was for nearly half a century a preacher of righteousness, and during the whole of that time exemplified the principles of the religion he professed and taught, by a most consistent and devoted life. His religion was a practical operative principle—a principle of power. It was religion that formed his character—a character distinguished by a rare combination of excellencies. It excited him to holy and beneficent action on behalf of sinful and perishing men, and thus by arraying itself in a living form of love, and moving to and fro among men, it demonstrated at once its divinity and its power, by a life of holy and self-denying beneficence. It supported and cheered him amid the toils and the duties of life, and sustained and comforted him under its trials and its sorrows, and not only enabled him to meet them with calmness, but administered to him a triumph over them all; and the religion which thus manifested its power in his life, evinced a nobler power in his death. The reli dared to die by; his countenance during his sickness was never seen to betray the slightest symptom of terror or agitation in the prospect of dying, nor was there anything which betokened the shrinking back of the soul from the grasp of death, but all was calmness and triumph. How precious-how inestimably precious is the religion of Christ!—a religion which can accomplish such wonders-which can admi The mortal remains of our departed friend were interred in the burial-gion he lived by was a religion he ground at Egerton, at the back of the pulpit in which he so long and so faithfully proclaimed the gospel. The Rev. A. E. Pearce officiated at the interment, and addressed a crowded congregation of the hearers of the deceased pastor, and on the following Lord's day improved his death in his own place of worship from the words which had been chosen for that purpose. It was peculiarly gratifying to hear the high testimony borne to the many excellen-nister such triumph in life and in cies of this tried and faithful servant death, and which triumphs yet more of Christ, by those who had known gloriously in eternity! A. E. P. him intimately for a long course of years. His holy life and peaceful Pendleton, Manchester. |