James Cromark
Feb. /44
Br. James Cromark born at in Jany 1767 & baptised in the Ch of Engld, but his father joining the Brn soon afterwards he brot his chil- dren regularly with him to our chapel also that (he knew the truth) from our souls childhood, & was made ac- quainted with the people among whom he subsequently cast in his lot. When 12 or 13 yrs. of age he was put appren- tice to clothier of the name of Mir- field of Green?? Pudsey whose wife was also a member of our choir so that he had still attended the means of Grace here. Some yrs after his apprenticeship termina- ted he marrd his present widow & in 1798 they were both added to our Society & afterwards recd into the Congn & admitted to the H. Comn together, & have ever since remain- ed attached & faithful members. The good deed of the word was early sown in our late Brs heart so that his understanding was enlightened, his conscience made tender & his heart in clined to fear Gods, & hence his con- duct was never, even in his youth loose or immoral; on the other hand he always shunned evil company & maintained a good character. It was however under the ministry of the late
Br John Hartley that both he & his
ner were incited to devote themselves
unreservedly to their Savr & to seek
fellowship with a Xtian Church &
they joined our the Congn because they
felt themselves divinely called to
it. During the 46 yrs. that our
late Br has gone in & out among
us, we saw in him the testimony
that he walked humbly with his God
that his faith was simple & childlike
& no doubt his heart was purified
by means of that faith for it wrought
by love – the love of God shed abroad in
his heart by the H. Ghost, for & he evi-
dently loved both the Lord, & his people.
He made no ostentatious display of
his piety, was a quiet, retiring
unobtrusive character & a man of
few words; but that he had experien-
ced grace & lived in communion with
the Friend of his soul was manifest
from his whole conduct & spirit;
when he did speak on spiritual
matters, his words tho’ few, were to the
point & particularly during his
last illness, when the love of Christ a crucified Savr
displayed to & in him, a poor sinner
was the subject. his eyes might be
seen suffused with tears. His charac-
ter was such, that he was beloved by his family (& especially his children, whom he & his partner strove to bring up in the nurture & admonition of the Lord, & that Lord blessed their tions & heard their prayers) & respec- ted by all that knew him.
4 or 5 months ago he fell ill of the jaundice, & tho’ he seemed to get over that disease, dropsical symptoms appeared in his legs, which after re maining stationary for some time, began to spread rapidly about a fort- night ago, & compelled him to take almost entirely to his bed. He seems to have apprehended his approaching dissolution from the first, but was perfectly resigned to his divine Master’s will. he was always found cheerful when visited, humbly yet confident- ly trusting in our Savr & only desi- rous to be made ready for his coming. Last week he felt some- what gloomy & doubts & fears some rather what harassed him, probably no doubt in con- sequence of bodily pain & increasing debility; yet in the under of all he told his wife he knew it was but a transient season of distress & for that his Redeemer would comfort & assure him again. Last Friday I called
upon him & administered to him the consolations, which are calculated so abundantly to cheer & strengthen a child of God, when walking thro’ the valley of the shadow of death, reminding him of the many sweet & precious promises given to the afflicted believer & above all, of the all suffering of Him, in whom he had believed the all ataining virtue of His blood the perfectness of his righteousness, of his being so ten- derly compassionate a high-priest, of His being Jesus Christ same yesterday to-day & for ever. These precious truths & promises served to revive his spirit & I then commended him in fervant prayer to the mercies of his God & Savr. He assured me, before I left him, that he felt much comforted, the tears meantime trickling down his cheeks. Indeed, he re- mained cheerful to the end, & told his partners, not long before he died, that he was perfectly tranquil & happy in his mind, full of confidence in the Savr. & longing to depart & to be with Xt! He fell asleep in Jesus without a struggle or a groan, on Tuesday morn last abt. 5 a.m., aged 77 years. He had 10 childr, 5 of whom have pre- ceded him into eternity, & 25 grand- children, most of whom are still living & many of them scholars in our Sun- day School. May the Lord give them all grace to follow in their father’s or grandfa- ther, as far as he followed Xt. & visbly comfort & graciously guide & sustain our dr. Sister, his aged & afflicted widow!
