66

down on the sofa, she spoke occasionally to her husband during the afternoon, and in the evening she passed quietly into her eternal rest. Of her spiritual life she never said much openly. I think she held her safety and immortal hope as an assured possession from the beginning. The deep and precious things of God were hidden in the heart, and only manifested in her daily life. When questioned as to her readiness to meet her Saviour, her face was lifted up as with a quiet surprise, as she said, "O yes!" The grace of life within her was like the waters of Siloam, which "go softly." I might fill pages with quotations from these letters. They come from a large circle of friends, especially ministers who have laboured here, or have been students at Ranmoor College, and all bear the same testimony of much loving-kindness. She will be missed by many, and for long, but by none as by those left in her earthly home, where "her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. T. A.

Sheffield.

SAMUEL BROOK, OF STICKER LANE, BRADFORD CIRCUIT. SOME of the leading members of our Churches are distinguished on account of their rare devotion and usefulness, while others are remarkable for their quaintness and originality. Our departed brother, "Sammy" Brook, might have claimed relationship with each of the above-mentioned types of Christian manhood. He presented in his character and life a combination of singular devotion, originality, and usefulness.

He belonged to a class which the great rounding, levelling forces of our age are more likely to destroy than to create-a class, the individuals of which stand out with pointed, rugged forms peculiarly their own. Men called "characters" belong to this class, and our brother was one of them.

Sheer force of character and originality of thought and manner gave him a place by himself among the inhabitants of the locality in which he lived. And when by his conversion he became a new creature in Christ Jesus, his natural gifts, retained and sanctified, made him an object of interest and admiration to all who loved the Lord Jesus, and to many beside.

Brother Brook was born at Bradford, Yorkshire, so long ago as 1795, when that now large and important centre of industry and commerce was a place of but small dimensions and of little importance. His parents were poor working people, and the family to which he belonged was impoverished and disgraced by the drinking habits of the father, who spent all he could earn, and all he could get, at the public-house.

As soon as "Sammy" could do anything he was sent to work. He entered the "pit" as a little collier when only six years old. He had to work many hours each day for very little money, and when, at the end of the week, he got his wages, his father would often meet him on his way home and take his money from him, to spend it at the public-house. In those early days not only had he to work very hard, but he got very little to eat. He once told the writer that when a lad, in the coal-mine, he had

worked through a whole day with nought but horse-beans for his meat. When " Sammy " became a man he was but small in stature. His back was bent, and his person bowed-not by any accident, but through working so hard and faring so badly in early life. Brother Brook continued to work in the mine until he became a man, when he changed his occupation, and became a weaver. Soon after this change in his employ. ment another change of vast importance took place in his heart.

In an old school-room, in the Wakefield-road, which was used at the time as a place of worship by the Wesleyan Methodists, he yielded himself to God, received the forgiveness of sins, and became a new creature in Christ Jesus.

From the day of his second birth he lived another life, served another Master, and pursued another course. It required not a little strength and courage to enable him to stand fast and persevere. He had much opposition, and many enemies to contend with. The most confirmed scoffers and unbelievers made him the object of their ridicule and persecution; but the grace Divine was sufficient for him, and he continued steadfast and unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.

Directly after his conversion he set to work to improve his mind, and increase his knowledge of Gospel truth. His Bible was his daily companion, his constant comforter and guide. His delight was in the law of the Lord. He loved his hymn-book, too, and with a memory strong to retain, and a heart disposed to meditate on what he read, he soon got much Scripture and many hymns fixed in his mind. And in his old age, when his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he would sit in his chair and think over what he had read in the holy Book, and for an hour together recite chapter after chapter and hymn after hymn.

The writer, when visiting him, always spent more of the time in listening than in speaking. For half an hour together the dear old pilgrim, blind and helpless, would pour out of his well-stored mind passages and hymns, expressive of his religious experience, without either slip or pause. He was a remarkable man, and he was mighty in the Scriptures. For more than sixty years our brother lived a Christian life, perfectly consistent and pre-eminently useful. The story of his conversion and religious experience, as related by him at lovefeasts and fellowship meetings, would often bring tears into people's eyes, and lead the unconverted to decide for Christ. Everybody liked to hear "Sammy" speak. He was always fresh and always fervent. There was force and fragrance in his simple, earnest words. He was known for miles round where he lived, and by all who knew him he was respected and revered. People who lived far away sent for him to pray with their sick, and read over their dead. All the children in the neighbourhood knew him and honoured him. They were accustomed to speak of him as the "burying" man-the man who talked over the dead. In one year he attended as many as 103 funerals, and visited a much larger number of afflicted people. Our brother had a well-nigh marvellous faith in God. What the Lord had said he never thought of doubting. When he had eight young children, and the youngest was but three days' old, his wife died. He was accustomed to refer to

that sad event as an overwhelming trouble; but he took it at once to the Lord, and while he was on his knees he heard the words, as from the Lord Himself, "Trust in the Lord, and do good, and verily thou shalt be fed."

Soon after this he found employment at the Bowling Foundry, where he continued till failing sight obliged him to give up his work and remain at home. For six years before his death he was totally blind; but the Lord was his light and his salvation, and when the end came it found him resting in the Lord, and waiting patiently for Him. He kept his bed for a week, and then departed to be for ever with the Lord, in the 88th year of his age.

We hope our young men will catch his spirit, and follow him, as he followed Christ. T. S. W.

MR. THOMAS RODGERS, OF DERBY.

THOMAS RODGERS was born at Wilne, in March, 1808. His parents did not profess any kind of religion, and therefore did not exert the best influences over their son, and his early companionships were not of the best kind. But when he was seventeen years of age he attended a Baptist chapel, and there God's Spirit strove with him, and he resolved to lead a new life, and to join the Baptist community. This course his father strongly opposed, the result being that, in order to please his father, he left them. He soon, however, began to feel that the Divine voice in his soul calling him to a higher life would not be silenced; he longed for the communion of saints, and Zion's songs of praise had an unspeakable charm for him. Hence he found his way to our own chapel at Wilne, and early in the year 1830 he threw in his lot fully with our friends there. About the same time that he joined the Church he was married to one whose long exemplary life proved her to be one of the best of wives, as well as a kind and loving mother. Her loss he was called to mourn in he year 1881, after having enjoyed over fifty years of tranquil wedded life. Mr. Rodgers was not great according to the human standard of great. ness, but he was great according to a higher, viz., a divine. He regarded the claims of God's house as first and foremost; he honoured God with the first-fruits of his increase; he was constant in his attendance at the Sabbath-school, at the Sunday and week-night preaching services, the class-meeting, and the Sunday morning prayer-meeting, and, indeed, was never absent from any of these except when prevented through illness.

Although we have said that the wedded life of Mr. Rodgers was a tranquil one, yet it must not be thought that he was exempt from the trials that are incident to human life. Although clever at his work, yet his income was very limited, and having a rather large family to bring up, he had to experience the pinchings of adversity. But, notwithstanding this, his heart and his home were ever open to the ministers and the local preachers, some of whom when preaching at Wilne always stayed at his house. It was ever a pleasure to him to act the part of host towards God's servants, not regarding the fact that the other days of the week would have to suffer a little for the hospitality of Sunday. In 1851 he

removed to Derby, where he united himself to our Church here. At Derby he obtained better wages, but his life was not all sunshine, for he experienced difficulties and drawbacks in his family.

The death of Mrs. Rodgers was a blow that fell with crushing weight upon her surviving 'husband, for their love had been mutually deep and sincere; and we can scarcely wonder that, with advancing years and attendant infirmities, Mr. Rodgers felt his loneliness much, and often longed for the day of re-union in that land where the cares of life are over, where time does not furrow the cheek and whiten the hair, where "Sickness and sorrow, pain and death,

Are felt and feared no more."

About nine months before his death he retired from active labour, and from that time he seemed to grow stronger. No unfavourable symptoms were manifested until within eight days of his death, when his medical adviser, on being called in, told him to be quiet for a few days, and then he would soon be better; but the end was fast approaching, though none knew it was so near. On the day of his death he was able to go out to make some purchases for dinner. In the evening he was visited by one of his sons, and he then seemed to be quiet and free from pain. In answer to his son's inquiry, he said he was just the same, although his son really thought him better; but the presentiment of death was on him. During the afternoon he was informed of the sudden death of a prominent townsman; his reply was, "I think I shall be called away suddenly at some time, but if ever you find me dead, you may be sure that I am happy." He expressed a wish to see the writer, who had then been in the town but a very few days. He was much pleased at my visit, and responded earnestly to the prayer offered, and heartily gripped my hand, as he bade me "good night," hoping I would soon come again. Before retiring to rest, he said to his niece, "Now, Mary, let me show you the way to wind up the clock, as I shall not always be able to do it." The clock was wound up under his directions, but the seconds of his life were numbered; for in ten minutes afterwards, Death with his icy fingers touched his heart-strings, and they ceased to vibrate; the spirit had taken its everlasting flight, peacefully and calmly had deserted its tenement of clay, and, exchanging death for life, the pilgrim of earth had reached his goal, and had joined the blood-washed throng before the Throne, July 6, 1883, aged 75 years. J. P. T.

RECENT DEATHS.

On October 8 there passed away, peacefully, a well-known and highly-respected friend in Leeds, Mr. JOHN W. BOOTH, aged 78 years. He had been a member and local preacher in the Leeds First Circuit a very long time, and held a position of trust in the service of Messrs. Tiffany for over sixty-two years. His diligence, intelligence, conscientiousness, and rare consistency, combined with a respectful and courteous bearing, won for him the entire confidence and hearty esteem of a host of friends. His memory is blessed.

Mr. WILLIAM CRISP, of Nottingham, was called home by his heavenly Father on October 15, aged 66 years. Until within the last few years he was a most influen

tial and useful leader and lay preacher; but paralytic seizures withdrew him from Christian work, and intense suffering-known only to a few, and relieved as far as it could be by devoted and untiring family attentions-has been the portion of his cup. He was a man of scholarly tastes and poetic gifts, as articles from his pen, published not seldom in this magazine, have proved. In social life he was most genial and kindly; and his Christian work, in whatever office he held, produced and resulted in genuine good. To his bereaved family a large measure of deserved sympathy will be shown; and the Nottingham circuit has again the chastened joy of knowing that another of its many grand old men has been added to the shining ranks in glory.

server

Our Connexional Outlook.