During the former part of his illness, before it had assumed a dangerous
aspect, I conversed with him respecting the importance of not leaving
the concerns of religion to a moment when disease unfits the mind for
reflection, and congratulated him on the fact of his having been
enabled, through grace, to prepare in health for the solemnities of
eternity. He devoutly acknowledged the mercy which, in this respect, he
had received; but neither then, nor on the following day, when our
respected independent brother, with whom he had long been on terms of
closest intimacy, prayed with him, did he appear to have the conviction
that his "sickness was unto death." About a week before this period,
having occasion to consult him respecting some important business
connected with the church, our conversation assumed a more than commonly
serious tone. I was led to ask him several questions respecting his own
experience in religion, and the motives by which he had been actuated in
his singular devotedness to this particular interest; and such were his
replies, and in so affecting a manner were they given, that I left him
with the deepest conviction that he was eminently a man of God: and
since his departure, I have considered the statements which he then made
as an anticipatory dying testimony to the genuineness and vigour of his
personal piety.
There were public as well as private circumstances of a somewhat similar
nature, which are now cherished in the memories of his friends. At the
last monthly prayer-meeting at which he was permitted to attend, he
manifested a most solemn and intense devotional spirit. When praying for
the prosperity of the church, he was so greatly affected as to be
scarcely able, for several minutes, to proceed, while sympathy made the
exercise one of general weeping as well as of supplication. At the last
Sunday-school Union prayer-meeting also, many of the teachers remarked
at the time, how very earnestly he wrestled on their behalf; and since
that period, they have very naturally dwelt much on the fact, that he
concluded the engagement by giving out and setting the tune to the
following expressive lines:--
"Come, Christian brethren! ere we part,
Join every voice and every heart," &c.
Having laboured for us ardently and efficiently, instead of repining at
his removal, let us, by divine assistance, be grateful that a still more
speedy termination was not put to his probationary career; and rejoice
in his blissful possession of the "recompence of reward;" our loss being
his imperishable gain.
THE TRIUMPH OF PRINCIPLE OVER INTOLERANCE,
ILLUSTRATED IN THE LIFE OF THE LATE MR. BERRIDGE, OF EVERTON
_To the Editor of the Baptist Magazine._
The following letter was written by the late Mr. Sutcliff of Olney, and
not having been extensively circulated, may perhaps be acceptable to
some of the readers of the Baptist Magazine.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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