Ful/3/203

Joseph Bentley

Obituary Notices

of several persons, who had died at Bailden in the year 1837, communicated by Br. Libbey, who had visited them during their last illnesses.

1. Joseph Bentley

After the afternoon service on Sunday April 30th

I was informed, that a poor man, labouring under a mortal disease, wished to see me. My informant added; “He is very ignorant, having never in his life attended any place of Worship; but spent it in sin and wickedness. At the last York Assizes he was tried for felony, but not convicted, the prosecutor; from motives of compassion with holding the required evidence. He is now suffe- ring from a blow, received in an affray with the gamekeepers on Mr F’s estate, when detected with some of his companions in poaching.” We ascertained, that it was not the fear of death, which induced him to search for me, but that he showed some of persistance and contrition of spirit; I went to see him, on as my official notice allowed it.

When I entered his house and begun to speak to him I perceived that the wound in his head had quite exhausted his strength, and that his mind had been bewildered by the presence of so many persons who in the course of the day had come to see him. After

a few words I asked if he wished me to pray. But even this he declined, saying, “So many have been here today and prayed with me, that my head is quite confused.” I therefore left him, promi- sing to call again the following day. Feeling an increasing interest in his case, I repeated my calls almost daily, and somedays saw him more than once. The work of the Holy Spirit on his heart was stri- kingly evident, and being of an open turn of mind his candid confession of himself, and the simplici- ty of his declaration, made the conversations wtih him more interesting as the following brief notices of my interviews with him each show.

May 1st. He was sitting by the fire, and I took my seat by the side of him. I had scarecly sat down when he began very freely to disclose him feelings and the state of his mind, experiencing very strongly fear of death and the judgment. He trembled when speaking of the crimes he had committed, and of his approaching death. I felt much for him, and in silent prayer besought the Lord so to direct my words, as to suit his care. Turning to him, I said, “I come to tell you good news.” Instanly he exclai- med, “What is that?” I continued, “The Lord loves you.” I shall not easily forget his look, when he rejoined, That is impossible! He cannot love such a wretch as I am.” “Listen”

to me,” said I, “while I tell you what He has done for you. He came down from heaven, became a poor man and, out of love to you and me and all sinners, was nailed to the cross, and shed His blood to purchase pardon & happiness for us.” He was appeared very thoughtful, which I quoted several texts of Scripture on this subject, illustrating it by allusion to common things Br. I. Terry coming in our conversation was interrupted, and I deemed it prudent to with draw. He prefered my heart and, with tears in his eyes, said; Please, sir, come again, for you have done me good.” It proved a great encourage ment to me when informed by Br. Terry, that on my leaving the house, the sick man sat silent for some time and then, turning to Br. T. said, “What do you think Mr. Libbey has told me? He told me that God loves me; yes, and he has proved it too. The Lord died for me on the cross. Is not that good news, John?”

May 2nd. I found his mind dwelling on the subject of the love of God; but still perplexed with doubts and fears, being not yet able unreservedly to be- lieve the Gospel. A Divine ray of hope has indeed burned into his soul, but at sinner unbelief had him in bondate. This caused him He gave vent

to his feeling by short sentences, “O that I could believe, that mercy can be shown to such a wretch as me! I cannot pray aright: I cannot pray enough.” I repeated to him the beautiful de- clarative of our Saviour, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” /Joh. 3.14/ I was Having explained it to him by referring the case of the wounded Israelites, he I exclaimed in the simplicity of his heart; “Am I only to look up?” I replied, “To look up means to believe, and this is all our Saviour requires you to do.” “But,” said he, “my heart is so very wicked; O you do not know what a wicked man I have been. Since our conversation yesterday I have thought more of my sins, than I did before, and when I think how good God has been to me, to do so mcuh for me, and that He has not cut me off in my sins, I see that I have been sinning against love; This makes me afraid. If I felt as good men feel, then I could believe there was mercy for me, but, Oh! I have committed so many sins.” To this I replied, “If you had committed as many sins as all the men in the village, I would yet

encourage you to come to Jesus, for it is stands in the Bible; The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.” I further showed him, that the Israelites were commanded to look to the brazen serpent because they were wounded, and that they were healed when they did look, “so must we,” said I; “we must go to our Saviour, because we do not feel happ well and happy in our minds, beacuse we are sinners; and then He will have mercy upon us.” “Then,” said he, “we must first look to Jesus, or believe in Him; as we shall be pardoned.” I replied, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” The word was blessed to his soul.

May 4th: He expressed some doubts as to his acceptance at last; and tho’ he was evidently enjoying a degree of rest & peace, yet gloomy apprehension of death now and then shot across his mind. I repeated the words, “Jesus has opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers”, adding, “He is the Master of the house and the Lord of the kingdom, and says, “I have the key of David, I open the door and no man can shut it, and I shut and no man can open shut it.” I continued, “you are the master of your own house, If I came to see you and found the door fastened I should

knock; and if you opened the foor I should come in. We go by faith to our Saviour and ask to be admitted into His kingdom; and He says, “I have set before then an open door and no man can shut it! Thus hath He opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.” He re- mained thoughtful, but appeared much more composed in his mind.

5. May 5th. I found him in a most delightful state of mind. Among other things he said; “When you came to see me last Sunday I was as ignorant as a beast. Some persons told me to pray to God Almighty but I did so to forgive me; but I did not know how to pray anymore than the ash in the fire. But now when I sit alone, or lie sleepless in my bed, and think of Jesus, how He was a poor man and suffered for our sins, and how kindly He spoke to the people the tears run down my face and I can pray to Him in my heart; and I feel something that tells me, He loves me, and will not leave me to perish at last.” I asked him, “If the Lord should be pleased to call you soon out of the world, can you be satisfied, and can you rest on what you have heard?” Looking at me with a cheerful mien he replied, “To be sure I can; what can I want more? Did He not die for me, and does He not love me. I am a great sinner; but I shall go to heaven.”

May 8th. I saw him for the last time, tho’

I had then no idea that he was so near eternity. His expressions were not so clear and encouraging as the preceding Satturday. This I could easily account for when he told me, that a great many people had called on him the day before, and many had prayed with him and spoken so loud, which had so much affected his head, that, /to me his own experience/ “I was so weak you might have knocked me down with a feather.” However, what he said to of the state of his mind showed that he still depended for salvation solely on the merits of Jesus. He departed about 2 o’clock the following morning. From the testimony of those who were with him at the time I have reason to believe that the Lord graciously supported him in that trying hour, enabling him to make a good confession of faith in the God of his salvation. About ten minutes before he left this word, he exhorted those present to seek the Lord, adding, “I shall soon die; but, oh! how bright, how blinded will the last mintues of my life be when I am leaving this world of sin and misery, and going to see my Saviour!”

My visit to this poor man excited many serious reflections. In his case I saw in vivid colours 1. The unhappiness and folly of sin. My blood has chilled at the recitals of this man, when relating the awful course of sin he had led his hairbreadth escape from cruel death, and the unhappy state of his mind during all this time, and, as he himself

expressed it, the heavy load he had had to carry warily, the Devil is a hard taskmaster.

2. The Mercy of God in plucking sinners from ever- lasting burning. As the good shepherd He had fol- lowed this dying sheep thro’ all his wanderings, for it was evident from what he told me, that he had not been without convictions and reproof of conscience while persuing his wicked ways, and before his last illness. On one occasion his remorse of consci- ence was so strong, that tho’ he set out on a Sunday morning to join his wicked comerades, the sight meeting accidentally of a good man, whom he accidentally met, so alarmed him, that he turned and leaped over a wall, crying like a child. He actually turned back, andn tried to pray to God, promising to lead a different life. Scenes of folly again diverted his mind, and obliterated serious thoughts.

3. The power of the Word of the Cross, when accompa- nied by the influence of the Holy Ghost, whose office it is to glorify Jesus, by leading poor sinners to faith in the atonement.

4. How the fruits of the Spirit appear in thou, who have faith in Jesus, by resignation to the will of God, love and thankfulness for His mercy – patience under affliction – meekness and forgiving of sin and a desire that others should enjoy [???] happi- ness, and attain to eternal life.