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THE

EVANGELICAL MAGAZINE.

FEBRUARY, 1804.

MEMOIR
OF

THE LATE REV. JEREMIAH NEWELL.

Ir real virtue is true nobility, the subject of this Memoir will have no cause to blush for the authors of his birth. His father, now living, was a farmer in Radnorshire;

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a man of primitive manners, whom the world branded as a Methodist; but who felt himself happy in receiving the gospel of the grace of God, under the itinerant labourers for Christ, in North Wales: and his mother was a woman of the same stamp, united in the bonds of affection; and more nearly as living members of the living Head Christ Jesus. They were long childless; and waited and prayed for a blessing, which the Lord for many years was pleased to withhold; but the prayer of faith was at last answered, and God gave them a son, an only one, who received the name of Jeremiah; and whom, from his birth, and probably before it, they solemnly devoted to the Lord, who had given him. Their instructions and examples produced an early impression, through the di vine blessing, on the mind of the child. He was led to the ministry of the same teachers, and embraced early in life the same truths as his parents taught him, which Paul preached, and which are now, under the term Calvinistic, branded as heretical.

He continued labouring with his father, having obtained. only the improvement of a common school; but the suggestions of many ministers and others, who witnessed his genuine piety, that he might be useful in the ministry, turned his thoughts to desire so noble an employment of his days, if God, in the way of his providence, should open a door for his

admission.

The great and good Countess of Huntingdon had then established her College at Trevecka, about twenty miles distant from Llandewy, for the education of young men for the ministry. Her benevolence was everywhere spoken of; and on application, permission given to the good father to bring up his son to her, Ladyship for examination. A scene of the most affecting nature passed on the occasion. After the usual enquiries and approbation, the old man, whose locks were then

ilvered, went up into the study, where Lady Huntingdon nad collected the students, and there falling on his knees with his son, he poured out his soul in prayer for him and his work (for he was a man of prayer) and, with many tears, solemnly gave up his Samuel, his only son, to God our Saviour, as a devoted child and servant, with such fervour of devotion as produced a flood of tears from every one present.

At Trevecka he studied about a year or more, going in turn, with the other students, to exhort in the vicinage the poor of the flock; and daily pursued his studies with the other pupils. But this change of life and kind of labour seemed to affect. his lungs, and threaten consumptive symptoms: he, therefore, was sent home to his parental house, to drink goats' milk; and desist from every other attention but to his health. This, after a while, was mercifully restored; and expressing a wish to gain admittance into the Church of England, which, by an education at Trevecka, would have probably met with great obstacles, it was advised, that he should pursue his education under the tuition of Mr. Jones, Vicar of Lanbadan Fawr, Brecknockshire. There he continued till his twenty-fifth year, with considerable improvement in classical learning; and what he reckoned a much higher attainment, a growing acquaintance with the Scriptures of truth.

As from these schools many of the Welch students, who cannot afford an university education, have been often ordained to the ministry in the church, he obtained a title from that highly respectable servant of Jesus, James Stillingfleet, Prebend of Worcester; and served with great fidelity and blessing the parishes of Knightwick and Doddington upwards of six years; and afterwards, under the same kind patron, re◄ moved to St. John's, Worcester.

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During the time of his service with Mr. Stillingfleet, he formed a connection with one in the family, who was of the household of faith; and hath proved for many years his faithful friend and helper. A numerous family and a small vision subjected him to difficulties; but he pursued the work of his ministry with steadiness and zeal. The exercises he met in the deaths of seven out of ten children, often called for sorrow, patience, and resignation; and led him to seek in his afflictions nearer communion with God, and to employ the great Christian remedy of humiliation and prayer.

The unvarying life of a parish-priest in the habitual discharge of his daily repeated offices, affords little matter for biographical anecdote. The most important occurrence worthy notice, was his removal to Missenden, in Buckinghamshire.

In the year 1787 the estate of Missenden Abbey (the ancient seat and religious house of Sir T. Missenden) was purchased in chancery by J. O. Oldham, Esq. together with the presentation to the living. As it was a principal object with him to

introduce the gospel into that village, which then was in a state of gross spiritual darkness, Mr. Oldham applied to Lady Huntingdon for a suitable minister; and she recommended good Mr. Newell, in the following terms: -

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My good Friend,

Your kindest of thoughts for Mr. Newell I am much comforted by, as Mr. Stillingfleet has just left me, and wishes to testify himself of that excellent young man, though nothing but your intended goodness to him could make him bear the thoughts of parting with him. Mr. Stilling fleet wishes to see you any morning by ten o'clock, that, in person, he may assure you of his fullest sentiments relative to him; and which would be the greatest satisfaction to me, as no partiality on my part, but my best judgment, engages for your faithful zealous care of the poor. You will find Mr. and Mrs. Stillingfleet, gracious people, joyful to see you, according to the following direction: The Rev. Mr. Stillingfleet, No. 28, South Molton Street.

Spa Fields, 22 May, 1787.

I ain,

with great regard and gratitude,
your ever faithful friend,
S. HUNTINGDON."

In what light Mr. Stillingfleet considered our deceased friend, will appear from his letter to Mr. Oldham; which is also subjoined, as neither this, nor the preceding, has before appeared in print.

"Dear Sir,

"Through the blessing of God, we returned safe and well to Worcester yesterday evening. Immediately upon my arrival, I sent for my curate Mr. Newell, to whom I have given a strict charge to write, both to Lady Huntingdon and to you, by this day's post. I hope her Ladyship and you will excuse his negligence, in omitting to return a direct answer to his kind benefactors: indeed, he did not know you by name, 'till I told him that you intended to become his patron. He certainly ought to have returned an answer, without delay, to Lady Huntingdon; and so I told him. But, poor fellow, he was so amazed and confounded at so unexpected an offer, that hę did not know what to say till he had seen me. His wife, to my great surprize, holds up still: fully expected she would have been confined to her bed; she is in expectation every hour. As soon as he can be spared, upou the supposition of her safety after her delivery, I will spare him for a. week, to come and see you: but I must, in the first place, get a substitute for that time; and I have laid out for one. It will be a satisfaction to you to hear, that the gentleman I had wrote to, as a proper person to succeed Mr. Newell in my curacy, has returned a favourable answer. Mrs. Stillingfleet joins in compliments to you and Mrs. Oldham. Pray pre

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sent kind respects from us both to Lady Huntingdon. I hope you will both forgive poor Newell.

Worcester,

8th June, 1787.

I am, dear Sir, yours very sincerely,

J. STILLINGFLEET,

It is pleasing to compare this Letter with another which Mr. Stillingfleet addressed to his Widow, immediately after Mr. Newell's decease, as it shews the uniformity of his character through life; and that his progress increased, instead of lessening the esteem of his judicious friends.

"I had formed," says he, " an expectation of seeing once more my former amiable and most valuable fellow - labourer. Inconceivably, and beyond all imagination happy, as I am fully persuaded poor dear Mr. Newell now is, freed from a body of sin and death, and tasting largely of those pleasures which are at God's right hand for evermore, I cannot but lament his loss to you, to his children, to his friends, to the Church of Christ in general, and to his parish of Missenden in particular. A more simple-hearted, devoted, faithful minister there never was; and Mr. Oldham, in my opinion, will be at a great loss to find his fellow for his successor."

What were this good man's feelings on being inducted ta Missenden, and the manner of his reception, will best appear from the following

to say,

Extract from Mr. Newell's Common-Place Book.

"When I reflect on the providence of God, and the many unexpected favours he hath bestowed on me, I am constrained "Thou preventest me with the blessings of thy goodness." My presentation to the vicarage of Missenden is a signal instance of the Lord's conferring unsought mercies upon me. I was Curate to the Rev. James Stillingfleet, of Worcester, totally unknown to Mr. Oldham, when he, from pure love to the gospel of Christ, offered me his living. As the living was given me without solicitation, the comforts it affords me are sweeter, and the crosses I necessarily meet with, are easier borne on that account.

"Dec. 16, 1787, I preached my first sermon in Missenden church. The text was, Acts xiii. 26, " Unto you is the word of this salvation sent." As the generality of the people were then entirely unacquainted with the doctrines of the gospel, and greatly prejudiced against extempore preaching, they laughed and sneered a good deal at what they heard: some of them betrayed their ignorance so far, as to laugh at the words of the text. In the course of the following week, I was informed, the boys ran about the streets crying, "Unto you is the word of this salvation seut:" but I trust this sermon was made useful to the conversion of some souls. One person, who had lain in darkness and the shadow of death, about two years after, said to me," Sir, when you preached your first sermon

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