FROM THE LIBRARY OF REV. LOUIS FITZGERALD BENSON. D. D. BEQUEATHED BY HIM TO THE LIBRARY OF PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY Pcction / 0 0>C? I &:fk THE ^fitf OF P«/v^, SEP £9 1931 LIFE AND LETTERS & ^/CALS^A1 OF REV. WILLIAM PENNEFATHER, B.A. EDITED BY REV. ROBERT BRAITHWAITE, VICAR OF CHIPPING CAMPDEN. " (To ibe untse of the 3 lorn of pis grate." CHEAP EDIT! OX LONDON: JOHN F. S II AW AND C O. 48 PATERNOSTER ROW. [All rights reserved.] CONTENTS. Introduction ... • • i ■ IX CHAPTER I. 18 16-1 833. Early Childhood— Schooldays at Westbury-on-Trym— Extracts from Letters written at School— Recollections of a Schoolfellow (Rev. F. Le Hunte) —Memorandum by an Aged Clergyman— Removal to Levens Parsonage- Letter from Mr. Stephens— Introduction to Mr. and Mrs. Crewdson— Letters written from Levens . . . t j_20 CHAPTER II. 1834-1836. Entering College— Protracted Illness and Disappointed Hopes— Letters from Dublin— Visit to Westmoreland— Journey to London— Visits to Cromore and Monellan— Letters from thence— Ministry among the Poor Cottagers at Portstewart— Recollections of an Aged Fisherman— Marriage of°his Sister— Sojourn at Sizergh— Medical Treatment at Milnthorpe— Letters from thence— Return to Dublin . „ ,0 * • • • A*.— qo CHAPTER III. 1837-1S39. Return to College— Death of his Sister, Mrs. Jessop— Letters from Dublin- Visit to Knockeevan— Letters from Stuart Hall and Monellan— College Examinations— Various Letters— Marriage of his Youngest Sister— Irish Society— Brethrenism— Father Matthew— Letters and Extracts . 49-76 CHAPTER IV. 1839-1840. Spiritual Destitution in Connemara— Visit to Roundstone— Preparations for building a Church there— Return to College— Difficulties at Roundstone— Second Visit to Connemara and to the Islands of Arran— Various Letters —Illness of his Sister— Letters from Edinburgh— Return to Dublin- Poem written by one of the Roundstone Flock . . . 77-99 CHAPTER V. 1840-1841. Takes his Degree— Divinity Course— Proposed Curacy at Ballymacugh— Letters— Increased Delicacy of Health— Journey to Cromore— Family CONTENTS. Trials— Re-opening of Bethesda Chapel, Dublin— Spiritual Conflicts- Leaves Knockeevan- Various Letters— Tour of the Irish Islands- Death of a Cousin-Ordination at Durham— First Sermon at Levens- Preaches at Bethesda— Enters on his Curacy— Letters . 100-125 CHAPTER VI. 1841-1842. Interest in the Irish Society— First Acquaintance with Miss Monck Mason and Rev. R. Winning— Meeting at Cavan— Illness of his Mother— Journey to England— Ordained Priest at Durham— Return to Ireland— School Examinations and Various Letters-Death of his Mother— Visit to Kings- court— Journey to Paris ..... 126-147 CHAPTER VII. 1S43. Detention in Paris— Letters to Miss Mason— Visits to Leamington and Westmoreland— Return to Ireland— Meeting of the Irish Society at Ballymacugh— Visit to Roundstone and Consecration of the Church there— Return to Parochial Work— Various Letters . 148-166 CHAPTER VIII. 1844-1845. Contemplated Change of Residence— Proposed Removal to Swanlinbar— Presentation to the Living of Mellifont — Recollections of a Parishioner at Ballymacugh, and a Friend living in the Neighbourhood— Various Letters— Enters on his Ministry at Mellifont— Visit to Portstewart— Preaches at Liverpool for the Irish Society— Letters . 167-184 CHAPTER IX. 184 6-1 847. Mission-Rooms and Cottage-Lectures— Early History of the Rev. R. Ryder — Failing Health — Enforced Absence from Home — Work for the Irish Society — Recollections of an Irish Friend — Visit to Germany — Irish Famine — Recollections of Visits to Kingscourt — Mission- School at Cloagh- Patrick — Visits to England — Marriage — Days spent in Westmoreland — Letters . ... 185-207 CHAPTER X. 1 847- 1 848. Return to Mellifont — Prevalence of Famine-Fever — Relief given at the Mission- School— Visit to Dublin — Illness — Death of Admiral King — Offer of a Church at Aylesbury — Removal to England — History of the CONTENTS. Building of Trinity Church, Walton — Great Need of Schools — Efforts of Romanism — Temporary School and Site Purchased for a New Building — Preaching to the Bargemen — Crowded Church — Letters to Miss Mason — Prayer-Meetings ...... 20S-227 CHAPTER XI. 1 849-1 850. Letters — Consecration of Bishops at Canterbury — Clerical Meetings — Inter- course with the Rev. S. Thornton — Letters — Death of his Eldest Brother — Hurried Journey to Ireland — Church enlarged and New Schools com- pleted— Visitation of Cholera in England — Prayer-Meetings and Special Services — Death of Mr. Thornton — Recollections of Walton by Mrs. Thornton — Sale of Work — Floating Chapel — Visit to Elleray— Letters — Message from the Bishop of Tuam .... 228-252 CHAPTER XII. 1851-1852. Study of Prophecy — Parochial Work — Encouragement in Schools — Visit to Ireland — Letters — Death of Rev. W. Krause — Recollections of an Irish Friend — Proposed Removal to Barnet — Long Waiting and Prayer — Farewell Letter to the Congregation of Trinity Church — Remark- able Instances both of Blessing and Opposition — Recollections of Friends ...... . 253-273 CHAPTER XIII. 1852-1855. Delay in Entering on his Ministry at Barnet — Italian Christians — Letter from Rosa Madiai — Commences Work at Christ Church, Barnet — Release of the Madiai — Enlarged Schoolroom — Visit to Aylesbury — Rev. C. Skrine — Advice to Young Ministers — Visits to Ireland and Dover — Parochial Work — The Crimean War — Death of his Brother — Visits to Rev. D. F. Jarrnan — Care of Orphans — Ministry among Children — Enlarged Church— Visit to Edinburgh . . . 274-296 CHAPTER XIV. 1856-1858. Conference Proposed — Letters on Various Subjects — First Barnet Conference — Letters — Illness of his Wife — Stay in Wiltshire and Visit to Wonston — Services for the Militia — Coffee-house for Working-Men — Extra Services — Second Conference — Recollections of the Conference of 1858 from several Friends ...... 297-320 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XV. 1859-1S61. Prophetical Alliance— The Church of England Home Mission— Letters in connection with the Mission— Visits to Ireland— Death of Baron Penne- father— Third Conference— Trying Visit to Ireland— Parochial Trials- Letters to Orphan Children— Illness— Conference of 1S60— Letter from Mrs. Bayly — Missionary Training Home — Sickness in his Parish — Building of an Iron Room— Death of Rev. W. Cleaver— Invitation from Loodiana Week of Prayer — Work of Revival in Barnet and its Neighbourhood — Death of a Swedish Lady— Conference of 1861— Great Power of the Enemy— Mission Circuit— Death of his Sister— Death of the Prince Consort . • • 32I_353 CHAPTER XVI. 1862-1S63. Extracts of Letters from Friends — Visits to Wellington and Liverpool— Death of his Mother-in-law— Letters— Visit to North Wales— Conference of 1862 — Recollections of Annie Macpherson — Association of Female Workers — Barnet Fair — Cotton Famine — Visits to Sheffield, Liverpool, &c. — Letters from Blackburn— Plome for Missionaries' Children— Spanish Children — Death of his Nephew — Marriage of the Prince of Wales- Difficulties attending its Celebration — Conference of 1863 — After-trials — Perth Conference— Letters from Blackburn, &c. — Proposed Removal from Barnet — Recollections of Friends .... 354~3^2 CHAPTER XVII, 1864-1866. Enters on his Ministry at St. Jude's, Mildmay Park — First Conference in London — Visits to Harrogate and Ilkley — Loss of a very dear Friend — Building of New Schools — Parochial Agencies — Visit to the Blackdown Hills — Letters — Visit to Pendeen — Recollections of the Rev. W. H. M. Aitken — Visit to Switzerland — Glaciers — Conference — Parochial Activi- ties— Extracts from Letters — Sickness in his House and Parish — Second Visit to the Blackdown Hills — Remembrances of a Friend— Visitation of Cholera in London — Deaconess Work — Recollections of the Rev. C. H. Waller fc 383-412 CHAPTER XVIII. 1S67-1S6S. Parochial Organisation — Visit to Switzerland — Foreign Institutions — Letters — House at Ridge — Fellow-Workers — Conference of 1S67 — Letter written and distributed at its Close— Original Hymns — Death of his Sister-in-law — Visit to Guildford — Death of an Old Friend — Letters and Recollections — Visit to the West of England — Projected Conference Hall — Visit to CONTENTS. vu Westmoreland— Railway Accident— Death of Lord and Lady Farnham —Perth Conference— Ground for Conference Hall- Recollections of a Friend— Conversion of a Young Man, now a Clergyman— Children's Special Service Mission — Letters , 413-441 CHAPTER XIX. 1S69-1S70. Extracts from Public Journals— Services at St. Jude's Church— Death of the Rev. C. Hargrove — Subscriptions for Conference Hall — Cottage at Richmond— Memorial Stone of the Hall laid — Conference — Recollections of one then present — Letters— Death of an Aunt — Tourney to the Continent — Commemoration Meeting— Illness — Visit to Buxton — First Conference in the Hall — Cheering Circumstance — Accident and Deliverance — Attend- ance on the Dying Bed of Rev. W. B. Mackenzie— Visitation of the Sick — Recollections of the Rev. T. Phillips . . , 442-464 CHAPTER XX. 1871-1872. Interest in Working-Men— Enlargement of St. Jude's Church— Letters— Cottage at Muswell Hill— Opening of the Deaconess House— Letters to Deaconesses — Conference — Purchase of Garden — Journey to Homburg — Letters— Consecration and Re-opening of the Church — Prosperity of the Work — Training of Workers — Testimony of the Rev. Dr. Baillie — Death of a Lady in the Deaconess House— Notes on Praise— Death of another Friend— Agreement in Prayer— Conference— Mr. Moody and Major Malan —Visits Schwalbach and Rippoldsau— Letters— Return to Mildmay— Visit to Westmoreland— Social Intercourse— Letters . 465-49S CHAPTER XXI. EARLY MONTHS OF 1 873. Parochial Work — Illness — Recollections of a Friend — Week of Prayer — New Year's Text — Last Sermons — Removal to Muswell Hill — Letters— Im- proved Health— Visit to Mildmay— Closing Scene— Funeral— Recollec- tions of Friends — Extracts from Funeral Sermons . . 499-522 APPENDICES. Appendix A B C D E F 525 526 528 529 534 INTRODUCTION. "^ THE beloved friend who is the subject of this memoir once wrote concerning the death of a believer — " What is death to one whom God has pardoned and sanctified ? It is passing from a prison with its fetters, to a Father's house where joy and liberty abound. It is exchanging ignorance for knowledge, warfare for victory, trembling and sorrow for perfect peace and endless glory ,4^tt^fu^ And yet though we know the Lord's chariots convey our loved ones into regions of light, we do, we must, mourn ; we follow them, but it is with tears, as we try to catch a glimpse of the brightness in which they shall abide for evermore. We have but to wait until we too shall hear the voice which has summoned them, saying, ' The Master is come, and calleth for thee.' " More than five years have elapsed since he who penned these words has realised the fulness of the glory, even now the portion of those whose spirits are with Jesus ; and he has left us mourning — trying, as it were, amid our tears to catch a glimpse of the brightness in which he shall abide for ever. But whilst thus stretching forth into the bright- ness, we have longed to trace his course on earth, to view him under the Master's training, to understand in measure the Master's dealings, and learn how " his will became broken" and conformed in all things to the Lord's. One of the many who have greatly desired some such record writes — " It would be an unspeakable blessing to the Church, and especially to ministers. The thoughts and opinions and daily habits in the life of such an honoured INTRODUCTION. and widely-blessed instrument of God are much needed in the present state of the Church. Meekness and lowli- ness of heart such as the Lord gave to Mr. Pennefather is a rare gift, especially when brightened by wisdom and a deep acquaintance with the Word of God." "I have wondered," writes another clergyman, "whether a life so remarkable in its effects on the Church at large would die with the memory of living friends." But there were many difficulties in the way. The extreme reluctance of the one without whose consent and assistance no memoir could be attempted, and the scanty materials likely to be forthcoming, were among the most formidable, but in the good providence of God these and many others have been overcome ; and this volume is now presented to the Church of Christ, in humble trust that He who is the Head of that Church will use it for His glory and for the furtherance of His kingdom. The subject of it was one of His brightest jewels. Early drawn to yield himself to His easy yoke, that yoke borne so joyously, in combination with a disposition natu- rally all but perfect, an intellect of no common order, and an imagination ever bright and playful, made his character one of peculiar attractiveness. The memoir seeks to show him mainly by his own pen ; he speaks in almost every page. For the invalu- able treasures here preserved (in the shape of letters) we are wholly indebted to the kindness of those who have contributed them, and our thanks are here gratefully tendered for the same. There has been no attempt made to alter or repress the language he employed, which, it will at once be seen, is of the most free and friendly character, and will enable the reader to enter in some measure into his inner mind. And whilst endeavouring to open up the activities which occupied him unceasingly, the aim has been ever kept in INTRODUCTION. view that the life which told so marvellously upon the world around him shall still exercise its power, so that he being dead may yet speak — speak, as it were, to the praise of his God and Saviour. In these pages the boy at school is seen in all the joyousness of youth, with his heart consecrated to the Lord. Here, too, we are permitted to trace him in early manhood, as a student in Trinity College, Dublin, chequered as that period was with severe and protracted suffering. The extreme delicacy of constitution which marked his whole life was often a heavy trial, impeding, as it seemed to him, the longing desires of his heart to spend and be spent for Christ; but he was led to see how a loving Saviour overruled it all, to his growth in the knowledge of the Divine Word, and a blessed experience in the faith- fulness and love of his Heavenly Father. The days of his earthly ministry as an ordained clergy- man of the Church of England will be traced in this memoir with peculiar profit and delight. Here the ser- vant of Christ may learn much of the mighty power of the Divine Word. If Mr. Pennefather in his early days came across, as we shall find, difficulties trying to an inquiring and sensitive mind, if he saw many to whom he had been accustomed to look up waver and turn from the Church of their fathers, he was not exempt from the same perplexing circumstances jn his later years. But whilst he greatly marvelled and was much distressed, he never wavered. He ever felt "the extreme danger of slighting Holy Scripture and making its narratives unreal — reducing them to mythical stones, or setting up human reason in con- tradistinction to the revealed will of God." " Nothino- " he writes, abut abiding in the living Vine will save us in the overwhelming darkness and trial that is coming upon the Church." Again, " There is no peace for a sensitive nature until the soul is anchored in God." INTRODUCTION. This memoir in some measure lifts the veil and opens out to us his inner being, the secret of his ministerial suc- cess, the reality of his ministerial life. " To win souls for Christ by all means and by any means ; " this was his paramount object. " Work, Lord, by whatsoever and whomsoever Thou wilt, only work for Thine own glory," was his ever-recurring prayer. The roll of communicants wherever he laboured aston- ished all who were acquainted with his congregations. These were drawn out by earnest, prayerful effort, and were the result of the Spirit's work. At all times he dis- couraged a mere formal attendance at the table of the Lord. How Mr. Pennefather, after years of prayer and earnest thought upon the subject, was led by the Spirit of God to urge upon his fellow-Christians the duty and privilege of communion one with another, of united prayer and praise to the Triune Jehovah, and conference in the fear of God touching the things revealed in the Word of God for the life and guidance of the universal Church — how those Conferences grew and prospered which have edified so many — how as a sequence the instrumentalities so potent for good to perishing thousands grew up in con- nection with them — all this the memoir details with thrill- ing interest. It seemed in great measure reserved for this humble, prayerful servant of Christ to show to the world at large, in its blessed reality, that unity among the disciples of Christ for which the Lord Jesus prayed on the night of His betrayal. " Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word ; that they all may be one, as Thou, Father, art in Me and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us : that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me. And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one even as we are one ; I in them and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one ; and INTRODUCTION. xiii that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them as Thou hast loved Me " (John xvii. 20-23. The organisations in existence among Protestant Evan- gelical Christians were not attempted to be disturbed; — rather in all Mr. Pennefather's movements his constant aim was to maintain them in their integrity, for the strengthening of the Church of Christ ; at the same time to lead Christians to see how this was compatible with a union one with another based on the Word of God — a union through the Holy Ghost with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. He has expressed this beautifully in the following stanzas from the hymn beginning "Ten thousand times ten thousand," — 3B " One life divine pervadeth The souls that cling to Thee, And love unites the members Of Thy great family. While clustering round Thee, Jesus, What have Thy saints to fear ? V/e shall be close together If all to Thee draw near." My part in this work has been one of peculiar privilege. In God's good providence circumstances gave me in early life frequent opportunities of meeting this distinguished servant of God. Often, with him, the guest of my beloved relatives,* whose house in Westmoreland he emphatically called his " English home," I had the gratification of * To these relatives the memoir owes much, not only from the correspond- ence so lovingly preserved, hut from " Recollections of William Pennefalher," a small work printed hy Mrs. Crewdson for private circulation soon after his lamented decease. Whilst this work was preparing for the press, Mrs. Crewdson wrote to me as follows : — " I so long that my thanksgivings to our gracious God may he recorded, in that I was led to preserve these precious letters, extending over a period of about forty years. I do not remember to have burned one that came from his hand." xiv INTRODUCTION. seeing him without restraint. It was at that period of life, too when the heart is especially susceptible; and there was an attraction about him which made a deep impres- sion Even then, to see him and to know him was to feel that it was his uniformly hallowed, consecrated life which told so powerfully upon those with whom he was brought in contact. For many years I was privileged to share with my dear relatives much of his valued correspondence ; and I have with ever-increasing interest watched his career to the time when he was summoned into " the presence of the King." The Mildmay Conference will as long as memory lasts be linked with his loving, living presence. It has been difficult to avoid in these pages, to which many writers have contributed, the use of language which may appear almost extravagant— difficult to depict the character of one whose life has moulded so many lives, without admitting strong expressions of admiration from those who owed him so much. But the remembrance of his own aversion to anything which might appear eulogistic, and, above all, the dread of defeating the one object for publishing the records of his life, namely, to magnify the Lord he so ardently loved, has, I trust, preserved the memoir from anything but the most simple, unvarnished truth. The loving friends who have furnished us with interesting recollections will understand that of this simple truth much has been necessarily omitted and much more curtailed. We are well aware that Christian friends must be sensible of defect, for no pen can set forth that pecu- liarity of character which knit him heart to heart with his fellow-believers : this was the effect of a hidden walk with God, which no narrative can reproduce. This volume is now sent forth with the humble, earnest prayer that God may graciously use it for His own glory. INTRODUCTION. xv If its perusal shall establish any soul upon the Everlastino Rock, if it shall animate any labourer in the blessed ser- vice of his Lord and Master, quicken any to gird up his loins afresh for the conflict, confirm any in the faith of the everlasting Gospel, encourage any to lay hold upon the hope of His coming, who is the glory of His Church, it will have fulfilled its purpose, in doing that which biography is intended to effect — namely, not only to preserve the memory, but to prolong. the usefulness of the life it has attempted to delineate. R. B. Chipping Campden Vicarage, September, 1878. THE LIFE AND LETTERS OF REV. WILLIAM PENNEFATHER. B.A. CHAPTER I. i8i6-I333. Early Childhood — School-days at Westbury-on-Trym — Extracts from Letters written at School— Recollections of a School-fellow (Rev. F. Le Hunte)— Memorandum by an Aged Clergyman- Removal to Levens Parsonage— Letter from Mr. Stephens- Introduction to Mr. and Mrs. Crewdson— Letters written from Levens. ^HERE are some pictures in which strong outline and accurate detail seem to meet all the requirements of a truthful representation. There are others which must needs owe so much of their effect to light and atmosphere, so much of their beauty to the impalpable and the undefined, that the skill of the artist is altogether baffled, and any attempt at delineation seems to be of neces- sity failure. And thus it is with the different human lives that leave their " footprints on the sands of time." FAMILY ANTECEDENTS. [chap t. While, in many cases, the force of a graphic pen may suffice to give the portraiture, there are others in which all words must fail ; those who did know will be utterly dissatisfied, those who did not know will be unable to realise a fragrance and a charm that can belong only to a living presence. Of one whose name is a household word in many a home and embalmed in many a heart, this is emphatically true. Thousands remember him not so much for what he did, as for what he was, and the unceasing activity of his self-denying labours told less upon the world around him than the uniformly holy in- fluence of his consecrated life. But some record is urgently asked for, and an attempt must be made. William Pennefather was born in Merrion Square Dublin, on the 5th of February 18 16. His father, whose name was well known on the Irish Bench for thirty-six years, was the son of William Pennefather, M.P. for Cashel in 177 1, who married Ellin or, eldest daughter of the Vener- able Edward Moore, D.D., Archdeacon of Emly. They had two sons, and both were educated for the Irish Bar. Richard, the elder of these two, was made Baron of the Court of Exchequer in 182 1, and Edward became Lord Chief- Justice of Ireland in 1841. Richard, Baron Pennefather, married Jane, daughter of Judge Bennett, and had eight children, of whom William was the youngest.* * His eldest son Richard held appointments in the Chief Secretary's Office in Dublin during the Lord Lieutenancy of Tiarl de Grey, and the Viceroyalty ibi6-29.] EARLY CHILDHOOD. 3 William's early childhood was remarkable chiefly for an amount of energy and vivacity of mind, which contrasted somewhat strangely with a very languid and delicate constitution, — the buoyancy of his spirit surmounting all hindrance to his active amusements. A cousin used to tell, that once, when a very little boy, sadly ill and suffering, he betrayed some impatience and unwillingness to take his medicine. His mother remarking, " I can- not call you my angel now" (his common desig- nation), the child, with his usual sprightliness, replied, " Oh ! yes, I am ; but I'm your fallen angel." Repeated attacks of illness prevented his leaving home ; and with the exception of daily attendance at a preparatory school in Dublin, he was not sent to school till 1829, when he was thirteen years of age. It was then decided that he should be educated in England, though not strong enough to follow in the steps of his elder brothers, who had been sent to public schools with the prospect of entering Balliol College, Oxford. It was one of the sorrows of his early life that his educational advantages were thus necessarily cur- tailed, and he would often refer, in later years, to the seemingly dark, yet loving dispensation which had again and again disappointed his youthful of Lord Heytesbury. He married Lady Emily Butler, daughter of the Earl of Glengall. His second son, John, was called to the Irish Bar in 1839. He married a daughter of the Hon. E. De Moleyns, brother of Lord Ventry. She died in 1849. He afterwards married Rose, daughter of the Rev. D« Mahony. SCHOOL DA VS. [chap i. ambition, and blighted, as it might seem, his cherished earthly hopes. The school selected by his parents on his first leaving home was at Westbury, near Bristol, where his name was long remembered, and many a one who knew him there would speak of him in after years as "the saintly boy." It seems difficult to ascertain when his heart was first given to God, and his naturally beautiful character brought under the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost. He used himself to speak of a day when, as a very little boy, he was lifted upon the bed of his eldest sister, Mrs. Cromie, who was then dying, to receive her parting blessing, and her words, "Will Willy be a good boy?" seem never to have left his mind. The loving entreaties of another sister, some years after, were evidently used to deepen the impression, and he went to school as one who had already taken the Lord for his God. The Rev. Samuel Field, cousin to the Bishop of Newfoundland, was then head-master of Westbury College, and Mrs. Field retained such a loving recollection of William Pennefather, that his likeness hung at the foot of her bed until her death in 1858. A few extracts from letters written to his sisters in those school-boy days may be interesting, indi- cating as they do, amid their simplicity and natural- ness, traits of character which were to be more fully developed in riper years : — 1S30.] LETTERS FROM SCHOOL. % "Westbury College, April 6th, 1830. "My Dear S., " I received darling G.'s letter to-day, for which you must thank her. By what she says of the weather, I think it was just the same as we had. On Tuesday and Wednesday the heat was intense, and we played cricket ; on Thursday, snow; on Friday, a good deal of snow ; and every day since there has been frost and very great cold. I forgot to tell you that when I had been ill Miss F. very kindly lent me the Memoir of Oberlin. I liked it so much that I was sure dear G. would like it too. I was eoino- to buy it for her, thinking she might not be able to get it in Dublin, and it made me laugh when I found that you were reading it at the same time, and when I was saying, ' I am sure dear G. would like it,' you were thinking that I would like it too. Have you come to Oberlin's mar- riage ? It is very extraordinary how little he trusted his own judgment, but every event of his life was trusted to Providence. What pleasures he denied himself to be of more use ! What a lovely character, so totally devoted to his Lord and Saviour 1 " "Westbury, 1830. " Darling S., " I am sure you will be wanting to hear, and I will not longer delay writing. Your trip to C must have been very delightful ; I almost envy you, but we cannot have all we wish now. How delightful, when in the blessed kingdom, we shall never want, never be sinful, never be envious I Let us ' so run that we may obtain, ever remembering ' if any man draw back My soul shall have no pleasure in him.' That text is often in my mind. "I thought as I left Dublin that about ten minutes after seven you would be singing the missionary hymn, ' From Greenland's icy mountains/ . . . LETTERS FROM SCHOOL. [chap, i, "Mrs. F. is better; I think she is astonishingly kind to me. Surely the lot has fallen unto me in pleasant places ; but the long journey does not please me as to my money. Tell Johnny he shall hear all about the games in the next letter. " Your loving brother, «W. P." "Westbury, 1831 *' Darling S., " I received G.'s letter on Friday, and, as you may well suppose, I was delighted to get it. Will you thank her very much for her kind advice. ... I believe I did not tell you that Mr. Gurney has been to Bristol.* I mean the one who was with Mrs. Fry; and a lady who came with him, and seemed rather nice, asked Mr. Field to let me go and hear him. However, Mr. Gurney came here, and into our school-room when we were at lessons, and spoke to the boys. He gave them five rules for life, which were extremely good, and his manner is very pleasing. The rules were these, as well as I remember : — "ist, To be a whole man to one thing at a time — that is, whatever we are engaged in, to give our whole mind to it. 2d, Never to begin or end the day without private prayer. 3d, To be always extremely attentive while at church. 4th, To read a portion of the Scripture every day. And 5 th, Never to offend our conscience. " Do you not think these are very good ? I had the honour of shaking hands with him, and he said I was very like my father. I hope, God permitting, to sail for Dublin on Wednesday the 15th, this day four weeks. Oh ! that is very soon, and the time is passing very fast. I suppose I shall spend almost all my holidays in Dublin, but if I am with my dear ones, it does not matter much; * The well-known Joseph John Gurney of Earlham, Norwich, brother to Mrs, Fry. 1831.] RECOLLECTIONS OF A SCHOOL-FELLOW. I should be happy in a wilderness with them. I ought to be filled with gratitude to God for His unbounded mercies to me. How much, much I ought to be thankful ! Write, darling, very soon, for it is such a delight to hear. "Your devoted and loving brother, "W. P." Even in these early days he had begun to exer- cise that strong personal influence for which he was so remarkable, and a little band of boys regularly assembled for Bible-reading and prayer under his leadership. One of the very few of his school com- panions who still lives, the Rev. Francis Le Hunte, Rector of New Ross, thus writes : — " My first acquaintance with William Pennefather was in the autumn of 1830, after going with my second brother to school at Westbury-on-Trym, under the Rev. Samuel Field. Pennefather had been at school there for some years previously, and was shortly to leave. He and my eldest brother had been school-fellows there, and there had been an intimacy for many years between our respec- tive families, so that we did not meet altogether as strangers ; and I have a very happy recollection of the kind interest which he at once took in me and my brother. He was then just what he was to the end of his life, the pious, consistent, cheerful Christian. It is impossible to over- estimate the value of such a one in a school, especially to very young boys coming from the care of a godly mother, whose last charge was never to neglect reading the Word of God and private prayer, a thing not easy for little fellows to do without the happy example of one who was a senior. He formed a Bible-class, to which all who were disposed were invited. We used to meet in one of the smaller dormitories, when he would read and explain 8 RECOLLECTIONS OF A SCHOOL-FELLOW, [chap, v some passage of Scripture, inviting remarks from those present. I should mention that in all this he was fully supported by another boy of the same age as himself, Dawson Mayne, between whom and Pennefather there was the closest friendship* There is one thing that it may not be without its use to mention. There was per- haps too great strictness in relation to the attendance at these little meetings. It was a rule that if it was neglected twice, the one who neglected it could not attend in future; which was not, I think, a wise step. In the case of one I knew it had a bad effect. Through complete forgetfulness he was twice absent, and so thenceforth excluded, which had evidently a discouraging effect upon him. Young Christians are prone to be too rigid from want of experi- ence of their own weakness ; they do not make sufficient allowance for the shortcomings of others. This class was, however, much blessed to many, and left its traces long after Pennefather and Mayne had departed from the school. He showed, too, at that time his great anxiety for spiritual instruction, walking every Sunday more than three miles to attend a church where he found true teach- ing. We were not more than one ' half at school toee- ther, but his happy influence was never lost. When next we met, it was in Trinity College, Dublin, which he was just leaving as I entered. He was still just the same; all his influence was for good, seeking in every way to lead us in the right path, both by precept and example. I well remember one of his first acts when we met thus was to take me off to hear a preacher whom he thought likely to make an impression on me. We afterwards seldom met, but when we did, he was always the same affectionate, cheerful friend to whom one felt irresistibly, drawn, and that it was good to meet him even in a passing way." The questionable rule here mentioned is very * This friendship continued as long as Mr. Mayne lived. 1831.] RECOLLECTIONS OF A CLERGYMAN. characteristic, and will remind many of the dis- cipline and order which marked the work of after years. We may add a short sketch of his early days, written by an aged clergyman, a relative of his own, on hearing the sad tidings of bereavement in 1S73:- " Having been earnestly requested to prepare a memo- randum of circumstances connected with the early years of my beloved relative, with a view to elucidate the com- mencement and growth of his spiritual life, I must express the sense of my utter inability to perform the task in a suitable manner. The suddenness of his death, and deep sorrow caused by the loss of such a friend and brother, have left my mind in so bewildered a state, that I am ill able to recall facts, still less to describe them with clear- ness and truth. " I cannot trust myself to dwell upon the charms of his natural character, which, even in childhood, developed themgelves in such a manner as to draw forth the love and admiration of all who came into contact with him, nor upon the sensitiveness and tenderness of his disposition, which flowed spontaneously in love towards all around him. His sympathies were not bounded by the limits of kindred, nor' of the large circle of friends attracted in his sweet youth by the beauty of his countenance and the singular elegance and refinement of his manners, but their kindliness and desire to be a source of happiness extended even to the lowest of God's creatures, and he could as little bear to set foot upon a worm as to wound the feel- ings of his fellow-man. I remember a great and good man remarking of him as a child, < He exhibits less trace of the fall than any being I have ever seen.' All this, however, belonged to the natural man, and the transition to his state as a child of God must have appeared to the io RECOLLECTIONS OF A CLERGYMAN. [chap, l world hardly distinguishable, but it was not so to himself. Once, when leaving home, a near relative, to whom he was very dear, in saying farewell, added, ' When next we meet, we shall be nearer to heaven or to hell' These words entered into his soul, and were never forgotten. A new object rose before his mind — salvation and deliverance from the power of Satan and the punishment of sin. " My intercourse with him was interrupted. He passed the time of his education in England, and I was tied by my clerical duties in the North of Ireland ; but the deep attachment which existed between us did not cease. I often received letters from him, in which the progress of Divine life exhibited itself, but I know few of the inci- dents of his school-boy days. I remember meeting him when grown up to manhood, and in the room was a young friend of his, who had brought him some beautiful flowers. On inquiring into the cause of the great affection which subsisted between the two young men, I learnt that the stranger was an old school-fellow, and one who had joined with the boys in the cruelty which he had to endure when, as a boy, he boldly avowed himself on the Lord's side. "This young man was one of four who came to see him, and who confessed that the testimony to the truth they had seen in him had been the means, in after-lite, of bringing them to own as their Master that Saviour whom they had persecuted in the person of the boy who loved and served Him. One young_man fell down on his hneesjo^ask his £ajjol^an?with bitter tears ofsorrow lamented, the wickedness and madness of his ^enmity againsta^child of God~ I need add no more ; indeed, I cannot dwell any more on the happy days which are gone for ever; referring to which, my dear relative expressed himself not long ago in a letter full of affection, and wrote these words, 'It was you who warmed my youthful heart with the love of Jesus.' " l«32j BETTER FROM REV. W. STEPHENS. n The exact date of William Pennefather s removal from Westbury does not appear, but early in 1832 he was placed under the care of the Rev. William Stephens at Levens Parsonage, six miles from the town of Kendal. A letter, written by Mr. Stephens to Baron Pennefather in February 1832, soon after his son's arrival, implies some anxiety as to the state of his health, " to which," he says, " we shall pay the more attention, because it is evidently the last thing- he considers himself. His attainments are more considerable than I expected. In the elementary parts of Greek and Latin, he is better instructed than most boys whom I have met of his standing ; and when he stirs up his mind, he exhibits more than ordinary acuteness, uniting with the simplicity and playfulness of a child the thoughtfulness of age. If he is per- mitted to pursue his studies, I have no doubt of his being well prepared to enter the University at October 1833, JU(%ing by his present acquire- ments, and calculating upon ordinary application." Some of his own letters to his sisters at this time give amusing descriptions of his new surroundings. His vivid imagination was always filled with anti- cipations of the beautiful wherever he went, and was doomed to severe disappointments in this respect all through life. He says on the present occasion, " My ideas are not at all realised, but I have taken many a delightful walk, and really I suppose the country must be fine in summer. I LE VENS PARSON A GE. [chap. I. have read Mr. E.'s little book, and like it very much. One chapter is on backsliding. Oh I darling S., pray for me that I may continue stead- fast. Often, often, when supplicating at the throne of grace, think of your little Willy, and pray for him as you love him. Do you know a book called 'The Natural History of Enthusiasm'? I should like to have your opinion of it, as I may have an opportunity of reading it." It was in the summer of 1833 that William Pennefather was first introduced to the friends whose warm love and unwearied kindness led him to call their house his " English home," and made Westmoreland from that day forward one of the brightest spots in the map of his earthly life. In all after changes of time and place he could truly say, "My heart untravelled, fondly turns to thee." Mr. and Mrs. Crewdson were at that time living at Kendal, but soon after removed to Sizergh Hall, only a few miles from Levens, and their young friend was at once surrounded by associations very congenial both to his natural and spiritual tastes. Poetry, painting, and music had powerful attractions for him, and the love of scenery was nothing less than a passion to the end of his days. But high above all other influences, and keeping all else in subordination, as those who knew him will testify, rose the one absorbing, unswerving purpose of his life, " I, Thy servant, fear the Lord from my youth." The Lake District of Westmoreland was at this ,833-] LAKE DISTRICT. 13 time the land of poets; Southey, Coleridge, and Mrs. Hemans were familiar names, while Words- worth, now at the zenith of his fame, was the centre of a large circle of admiring friends. Some years after, Fox How, the home of the Arnolds, added its literary attractions to a neighbourhood already rich in more than one kind of beauty. Surely it was " loving-kindness and tender mercy" which thus provided for one, accustomed to no common love and refinement in his own home, so much happy intercourse and congenial friendship among those who had but lately been strangers. In a little memorial written by Mrs. Crewdson for per- sonal friends in 1873 she says, speaking of their first introduction : — "How little could we have supposed that in the gentle youth, then in his eighteenth year, God was preparing for us one of the richest of the blessings which has marked a lengthened pilgrim- age; for on that day commenced a friendship which has been cemented by every succeeding year, so that we may truly say, as St. Paul did to his beloved Philippians, ' I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now/ And we count it a signal joy to have known him from his early days, and to have seen the development of the Christian graces from year to year of this gifted and blessed servant of the Captain of our salvation. " It was on the evening of a Bible Society meet- H RECOLLECTIONS OF MRS. CREWDSON. [chap. I. ing that he first came among us ; he was then read- ing with our dear friend the Rev. William Stephens, of Levens, preparatory to his entering Trinity College, Dublin. Levens Parsonage being six miles from us, our meetings were not very frequent, but, whenever they did occur, we found him to be one whose early life was devoted to Him whom he hoped afterwards to serve in the highest calling ; and about him there was such a glow of heartfelt love, that it was a refreshment and joy to listen to him ; his lips were as if touched ' with a live coal from the altar/ and, ' I believed, therefore have I spoken/ was the testimony of his life and actions. In one of his earliest visits to us, I recall the way in which he went over a sermon by the Rev. William Cleaver, the beloved pastor of Delgany, which his memory seemed to retain word for word. The sermon was on Christ as our example ; and the way in which he repeated it rises vividly before me now, as expressed in the deep earnestness of his manner, which so impressed the minds and memories of those who heard him when he spoke of heavenly things : " The following letter was written to two favourite cousins, after spending part of his vacation at their father's place in the county of Donegal, and is inserted as a specimen (remarkable from the pen of a lad of eighteen years of age) of the corre- spondence of those early days : — 1833, i834-] LETTERS FROM LEVENS. \% " Levens, (probably 1834). "My Dearest J. and M., "You must think me very unkind for not answering your dear packet, that gave me such pleasure, and transported me to dear Monellan. It gave me a few minutes' chat with you, and it really rejoiced my heart. I well remember that poor old man that you took me to see ; his pale face we shall never see again, save on the tablets of memory. Oh ! did we look at all human beings as tottering on the brink of the grave, did we see them just hastening from the shores of time into the boundless ocean of eternity, and as creatures to be warned while here to flee from the wrath to come, — were all these things impressed on our minds, our tongues could never cease to speak entreaties, warnings, and prayers. How must the angels look down upon 11s, who have been just awakened from death, but who are contented in careless sloth to let thousands perish ! You would like me to tell you what I have thought since I saw you on the last verse of John 1, as we talked of it when we walked down the lane from your back gate. I have been reading to my dear old woman regularly, beginning the Gospel of St. John. I thought both she and I would profit more by going regularly through a certain portion of the Scriptures than reading here and there, and I do trust the Lord may bless it to us both. The old woman is ninety-seven, with most uncommon strength and quickness of mind, and she understands the meaning of a passage in a most aston- ishing way. Before I have finished explaining my ideas, she will take up my train of thought and finish it for me, &nd if I endeavour to spiritualise a passage, before I com- plete what I have to say she catches the meaning, and seems so pleased. I think there is much to be learned in the history of Nathanael, just given in the short and impressive language of the Evangelists. When Philip findeth Nathanael, he tells him, 'We have found Him of 16 LETTERS FROM LEVENS. [chap. i. whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph/ Nathanael, like those to whom Christ is first presented, said, ' Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth ? ' Like the unconverted now, he thought Christ was not 'lovely;' he saw Him not then ' the chiefest among ten thousand ;' yet he acted far differently from many people in the world ; for when Philip said, 'Come and see/ he came;. he cast away (at least his great) prejudice, and he came with Philip. Would that every unbeliever, though he sees not the love- liness of Christ, would cast away his prejudice, and only just come and taste that the Lord is gracious ! How quickly would he, with the upright, gentle Nathanael, exclaim in rapture, ' Thou art the Son of God, Thou art the King of Israel ! ' Oh ! when the soul, hitherto a stranger to Jesus, sees Him, though but through 'the lattice,' how it is transported with the sight! How do some of the glories of Christ shine into the mind ! Nathanael, though struck by a sense of the omnipotence of Christ and of His Divine attributes, perhaps had as yet no idea why He came into this world. He saw Him not as a Saviour ; indeed, we see that none of His disciples, until after His resurrection, had any perfect notion of Christ's Divine mission on earth. Thus we see Peter rebuking Him when He spoke of His sufferings, and we see also (Luke xviii. 34) that when He detailed fully His coming trials, &c, they 'understood none of these things/ Christ proceeds to tell Nathanael, that though he was astonished at the idea of His having seen him under the fig-tree, he should hereafter see greater things. ' Thou shalt see greater things than these ; thou shalt see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man/ As time rolls on, as the Spirit opens your mind, you will see Christ exalted infinitely above what you now think He is; you will see that He has thrown open the gates of heaven; you will see hereafter that since Christ has died an entrance is offered to 1834.] LETTERS FROM LEVENS. I? you and every child of Adam into heaven, hereafter you will take a clearer view, you will see it is those who walk in white that are in heaven, and you will know that it is the blood of the Lamb which hath made them pure and white; hereafter you will see that I am the ladder between earth and heaven, upon which the ministering spirits descend, to minister unto those who shall be heirs of sal- vation. If I had not died, there must have been a gult between earth and heaven, which would never have been crossed ; but now 'I am the Way' — the blessings of heaven may be showered down, the gates of heaven are opened, and those ministering spirits can descend by Me to fallen man, laden with the gems of heaven. Man, who would have been bound to earth and hell, can now ascend by Me into heaven. I am a ladder fixed on earth, with the top reaching to the dwelling-place of God. Certainly my views of Christ, as I meditated on that passage, were fuller than anything I ever had seen before, yet how infinitely short they fall of the reality ! I sweetly saw the beauty and wisdom of the scheme of redemption. I could enter into the feelings of the Bride in the Canticles, when in a rapture she breaks forth like the little lark, which, awakened by the glory of the rising sun, breaks from its slumbers, rises from earth, and the higher it ascends warbles the more strongly and more sweetly ! Would to God that every Christian was thus awakened ! would that the glorious rays of the Sun of Righteousness mi^ht awaken each one from his slumbers, and cause him to rise from this misty world into a clearer and fresher atmo- sphere, nearer and nearer and nearer to his God ! How often would he then sing the praises of his Redeemer! Warmed with the quickening influences of the Spirit, hi? weak voice would scarce be able to bear the flowings of the heart towards his God ! " It was a trial for you that your friends differed so much in opinion from you, and yet happy that, notwithstanding 1 8 LETTERS FROM LEVENS. /chap. I. all little things, you could feel that they were children of the same Father. There are not, I believe, many holding the same opinions in England. Mr. W. was an Irishman, Fellow of Dublin College, and he gave up his fellowship because he could not agree with the Church of England, but I believe he did not succeed in drawing many followers in this country. Mr. W. Wilson * came here to preach an annual missionary sermon for Mr. S., and his wife accompanied him. His text was Isa. xli. 17-20: he described the miserable condition of the heathen as ' poor and needy,' and then, turning to those present, he asked if they felt their condition as ' poor and needy.' He went on, after beautifully and practically applying the passage to those present, to say that the heathen were seeking water: he told of the many openings there were for the Gospel, and the encouragement to Christians to go on sending it, for them that cry unto Him, He will hear, &c, &c. " Mr. Wilson had to go home in the evening, and Mrs. W. asked if I might accompany them, and return on Monday, which I was delighted to do. Their house stands by the sea, on a bay which is like a very broad river, for the shore on each side slopes into the water. The house looks to the opposite coast, which is pretty and wild, bounded by low headlands, prettily shaped, and varied by little woods and cottages. In the back are bold hills, which look grand against the sky. The tide goes out very far, and you can cross on horseback to the other side. One evening the scene was extremely pretty ; the tide was far out, the sun was setting gloriously behind the dark hills, the sand sparkled, and figures on horse- back, crossing from the opposite side with lengthened shadows, looked extremely picturesque. The crimson clouds were most brilliant and beautifully shaped. After descending a hill you get a glimpse of a little nook of the * Mr. Carus Wilson of Casterton, wbq had, at this time, a house at More* cambe Bay. 1 834.] LETTERS FROM LEVENS. 19 sea. . . . But I must end. I often think of the dear little children at your school. Do you know, if all is well next July, I purpose entering college, but I hope to visit you and Mrs. S. before then. "W. P." To a friend who had promised help for his beloved Ireland, Levens, "April 14th, 1S34. " My Dear , " I felt very much obliged for your great kind- ness in writing me so long a letter, and for mentioning that you had spoken to your dear friend on the subject of 'Jacob's ladder,' and letting me know his answer, because I had been very anxious to hear some one con- firm my opinion, to whom I could look up with respect, as I do not think it is right for the young and inex- perienced to hazard neiv interpretations of Scripture ; but that thoitgJit having given me once the greatest comfort and joy, and having broken upon me while pondering on the last verse of John i., I felt very anxious to know whether it had ever struck any one in the same light. Dear Madam, you spoke of being indebted to me for my kindness to you : surely I can little repay your kindness to me ; and not to me only, but to my poor neglected country. Oh dear Madam, when I see or hear of those who are interested for that land, round which my heart is entwined, I feel as if they were bestowing on me some personal benefit. I feel a longing to hail them as my dear benefactors, and to afford them some proof that I am grateful, but this I cannot always do. May the Almighty Father, the Giver of every perfect gift, shower down upon them the dew of His Holy Spirit ; may He enrich them with imperishable riches, guide them through this narrow, barren wilderness, and receive them into never-fading glory hereafter. I am sure you will be very glad to hea** 20 LETTERS FROM LEVENS. [chap. i. that Mr. Daly, who had gone to England chiefly to for- ward his own particular Society, was welcomed with the greatest kindness and liberality at Brighton, and received, besides contributions on an extensive scale to his ' dear Society' (the Irish Society), promises of money to support five Scripture-readers. I know you will join with me in thanking Him who has thus turned the hearts of our dear brethren in England to come over (with their money) and help us. Pray excuse my freedom, but my heart has been drawn towards you in a manner I cannot express. " W. P." Those who knew Mr. Pennefather in after years, will discover in these young days the characteristics of a mind which, though mellowed by God's grace and chastened by life's experiences, remained sin- gularly true to its original type. ( 21 ) CHAPTER II. 1834-1836. Entering College — Protracted illness and disappointed hopes — Letters from Dublin — Visit to Westmoreland— Journey to London — Visits to Cromore and Monellan— Letters from thence— Ministry among the Poor Cottagers at Portstewart— Recollections of an Aged Fisherman— Marriage of his sister— Sojourn at Sizergh— Medical treatment at Milnthorpe— Letters from thence — Return to Dublin. ^HE hopes expressed by Mr. Stephens in February 1832, and echoed by his pupil in his own letter already quoted, were not to be realised. In the summer of 1834, William Penne- father returned to his father s house in Dublin, and entered at Trinity College as a Fellow-Commoner. But it soon became apparent that the state of his health was such as to make further study impos- sible, and to set aside all present prospect of continu- ing his college course. He was placed under medical care, and tenderly nursed for many months by his sister Susan, who remained with him in Dublin when the rest of the family went as usual to Knockeevan, their country place in the county of Tipperary. At one time there was considerable apprehension of consumption, as the great prostration of strength was accompanied by a distressing cough, but after FAILURE OF HEALTH. [chap. n. a protracted season of weakness and suffering, durino- which he submitted to most painful remedies, it became evident that there was no organic disease. From earliest childhood it had been the longing of his heart to enter the ministry of the Church, and his Heavenly Father was preparing in His own best way, though it might seem a dark way, to fulfil this cherished desire ; but the memoranda and correspondence of the next few years tell of such an amount of suffering and debility, from spinal irritation and other physical causes, that the un- tiring energy and calmness of spirit with which he went through the strain of his after life seem little less than miraculous. A letter written at this time by his younger sister, while it speaks of his health, may have a further interest for the few who still cherish the remembrance of a bright circle of Christian friends, most of whom have been called to their heavenly rest. The one that follows it, was written by himself when under the impression that he had quitted the North of England for ever. D. P. to Mrs. C. " Merrion Square, j "March itfh, 1835. " My Dear Mrs. G, " I have too long delayed to thank you for your kind packet of letters. It is always a great delight to all of us to hear from you. My sister desires me to thank you very much for the interesting account of the twin brothers which you sent her. I felt it quite a 1835.] LETTERS FROM DUBLIN. 23 humbling lesson, yet how delightful to hear of the power of religion ! There has been very little change in our dear William since my sister wrote last to you : we can- not perceive that he is better, nor does he appear worse : he has still a cough, his side and back continue to give him pain, and his strength and appetite are both bad. He does not grow thinner, and he is better able to stand than he was, which is the only improvement I see. Every fine day he drives in an open carriage for two hours, which revives him at the time, but afterwards he seems fatigued ; he is as patient as ever, and never murmurs, but I do not think he is quite so cheerful as he was, perhaps because he is more nervous. He is not able to interest himself long in any way, except in Scripture, on which he meditates day and night with delight. You will forgive this long detail, as you are so interested in our dear invalid. Our doctor still persists that he is recovering, which Papa believes, and therefore has not consented to our moving him to England for further advice. He was much gratified by your kind invitation. I wish that we could pay you a visit, but at present I see no prospect of it. Papa is on circuit, and we are leading a very quiet life here. Mr. is in Dublin, and we have the enjoyment of seeing him sometimes. He calls here occasionally, and seems to communicate the joy in heavenly things which he feels. He presses rejoicing on believers very much, because he says, ' Christ not only died, but is risen, and has purchased everything for us, and believers are children and heirs.' This joy in believ- ing, he thinks, is the surest way of bringing about dead- ness to the world. I believe that you know his views about the Church of England: he wishes to draw believers out of it, although he admits there is salvation in it. On this subject he has not spoken to any of us. Surely we may be living as risen with Christ, whether connected with the Church of England or not. Many real Christians 24 LETTERS FROM DUBLIN, [chap. ii. on this ground do not like to associate with Mr. ; but this I cannot enter into, when there are so many delightful spots of common meeting. He appears to be engaged from morning till night preaching, expounding, visiting, &c: he now seems ready to go anywhere, either to dine or call, always premising, ' If you will allow me to preach ; ' and he never goes anywhere unless about his Master's business. He says he feels his office principally lies in urging believers to walk worthy of their high and holy calling. " Lady Powerscourt is living at present in Dublin ; through a mutual friend, S. and I were invited to attend a meeting for reading the Scriptures, which she has estab- lished once a week : • we were there at one reading, and are going again to-day. I found it very profitable, and so did Susan ; every one is allowed to give an opinion, or to ask questions. Mr. and two or three clergymen were present. The former read I John i., and spoke beautifully on the Christian's hopes and present comforts. Others said but little; the ladies were silent, with the excep- tion of two or three questions. Lady P. only asked one, which I could not hear. She is a lovely-looking creature, pale, elegant, dignified, and retiring ; her face looks as it she were much in prayer and communion with God. We were introduced to her, and her address is very pleasing. Mr. and Lady Harberton kept up an interesting conversation, he urging rejoicing, she seeming to fear presumption. " Lady P. had not been living at Powerscourt for two or three years, and I have not heard whether she is to have a prophecy-meeting this year. Last year, I hear, many wild and unsatisfactory opinions were started — so much so, that sober-minded people would not attend. Some of our friends here are, however, dwelling much on the coming of the Lord, which they believe to be near. We continue to attend Mr. Irwin's church, which is always peaceful and pleasant. Our friend Mr. Woodward and his daughter I335-] LETTERS FROM DUBLIN. 25 are to be in town in a few days, and will remain a month, which will be great enjoyment to us ; he is already engaged to preach six times. I wish you could meet him ; he is a holy man, gifted with the most brilliant mind I ever met with, full of imagination and originality. I was tantalised by being in the room with Dr. O'Brien one evening at the Provost's, and did not hear the sound of his voice : he kept apart, and no one drew him out. There were many learned people there, but too many for any profitable conversation. I wish I had room to say how sincerely I love you. "D. P." W. P. to Mrs. C. "Saturday, "March 14th, 1835. "Your kind letter, with its enclosure, did indeed make me very happy. Need I say that scarcely anything would give me more enjoyment than to accept your and Mr. C/s kind invitation ? Tell him I sincerely thank him, but for the present I fear I must forego the pleasure. " The hymn you sent me has been a great comfort to me. I had seen it before, but sent to me by so kind a friend, I read it with double interest. My sister has told you that Mr. is now in Dublin : he has kindly called on me several times, and his visits I have greatly enjoyed. He, happily, has never touched on those points on which I cannot agree with him, and which would only disturb us both. I know of no one more calculated to deal with sincere but desponding Christians. The privileges of be- lievers and the enjoyments of heaven are placed by him before the mind with all the vividness of reality. He was speaking a good deal one evening on seeing Christ as the speaker in the Psalms, and what he said was very beauti- 26 LETTERS FROM DUBLIN. [chap. If. ful : if we view Christ as the speaker in the Psalms, we shall find an additional reason for enjoying the reading of them. The believer, as one with Christ, should walk as He walked. In the Gospels we have the acts of Christ's life, in the Psalms we have His experience (if I may use the expression), His converse with God. The more the be- liever approaches the likeness of Christ, the more will he find the Psalms suit him. " Now one reason I had not hitherto liked the idea of viewing Christ as the speaker (or David speaking pro- phetically in the Psalms) was, that I thought then I was not privileged to use them as the breathing of my heart, and I had often found them most sweetly soothing. He brought forth some examples : — 'The 4th verse of Ps. 38/ he said, i brings the type of the scape-goat strikingly before ny mind. The Father laid the iniquities of the Church on the head of Christ/ 'But how' (I asked) ' could Christ say, My sins are as a heavy burden, too heavy for me to bear?' 'Too heavy for His mortal frame to bear, they Weighed Him down even unto death. In the 22nd Psalm it is beautiful to remark Christ's experience. He begins by saying, " My God, my God," &c, but "Thou continuest holy, O Thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel." He felt that, weighed down as He was in mortal agony, " sorrowful even unto death," the Father was doing all in perfect accordance with His own blessed character. He was acting a holy and just and beautiful part, a part which the angels of heaven applauded wonderingly, and which the redeemed Israel of God throughout eternity will praise without ceasing. Now the more we approach to the spirit of the Saviour, the more we shall feel the force of this expression, " But Thou art holy," &c. Are we in trouble and bearing affliction like the Son of God ? then we can see the Father acting a merciful, yet a just part. We can see Him continuing holy, and inhabiting the praises of Israel. We would not wish God's decrees i835-l LETTERS FROM DUBLIN. 27 altered one jot ; His way is best, and likewise hap- piest.'* " I know not whether I have made myself intelligible. What are your views on the Psalms ? I know Mr. I. holds the same opinion as Mr. . I have long found the Psalms most comforting. When unable to use much exertion of mind, I turn to them with delight; they are the plain yet beautiful breathings of a devout soul. I have been able to read very little lately, but I am now much pleased with Robert Hall's Life by Dr. Gregory. I have had Words- worth's Poems lent to me, some of which I like much. I regret now that when I was near him I never saw him,-)* but I always felt that I was too young to intrude on him by myself, and I had no opportunity of going with literary men. " Do you find your sojourn at H L pleasant ? I passed the gate once ; it was the last time I left West- moreland. I then thought I should shortly return, but my dwelling there is over, and it now seems like a dream. I can scarcely realise that I lived there for nearly three years, the time seems so short. Oh ! how brief will all our life appear when we review it from the shores of Canaan! " I look forward to meeting such dear friends, as you and Mr. C are to me, in glory. I sometimes grieve when I think our converse is perhaps over, and then I am cheered by the thought that we have met in Christ, and He is from everlasting to everlasting. May we all go from strength to strength, and at length appear before God in Zion. "W. P." * "Christ in the Psalms " was a subject on which Mr. P. delighted to dwell in after years. He did not agree with those who make the speaker to be in every Psalm the Lord Jesus, — but he believed that they revealed more of the " inner life of the Son of Man " than any other book in the Bible, and that their extraordinary adaptation to the experience of all believers is accounted for by the fact that many of them are primarily the language of the Head of the Church. t Pis afterwards enjoyed that privilege. 28 VISIT TO SIZERGH. [chap. ir. After many months of suffering, Mr. Penne- father was permitted to visit his dear friends in Westmoreland, accompanied by his loving and watchful sister. Mrs. Crewdson says in the narrative already quoted — "They came to us early in the year 1835, and surely seldom did any guests so gladden the spirits of those they visited as did that brother and sister. She had great strength of character, blended with much perception and sympathy, and over all played a light of sparkling humour, enhanced by the truest and highest of all gifts, that of childlike faith in Him who had early called her. " A sister and brother so gifted were most closely bound together, and a rare delight it was to look upon such a bond, and intimately to share the friendship of both. Those who knew him best, will remember his natural gaiety of spirit, and the playfulness that mingled with the deep and holy thoughts which formed the element in which he seemed to breathe. "They were both very fond of poetry and music, and often has the verse, 'Who but a Christian through all life That blessing may prolong ? Who through the world's sad day of strife Still chant his morning song ? ' occurred to me as expressive of the life-long cheer- fulness of our beloved friend ; and how he did 1835.] VISITS TO LONDON AND PORTSTEWART. 29 adopt as his own, in his long-continued weakness, the words known to some of us, * Wish not, dear friends, my pain away, Wish me a vise and thankful heart, With God in all my griefs to stay, Nor from His loved correction start.' * When leaving Westmoreland, it was arranged that he should visit London, as further medical advice was considered necessary. Several of his family accompanied him, and his sister writes : " Dear Willy ! I think his strength has in some measure improved, and the London physicians gave hopes that his health might be restored ; but London disagreed with him, and the cough and pain in his side increased. He would see all that we saw, and overfatigued himself. We heard Mr. Melville preach at Camberwell ; his eloquence is astonishing, and his reasoning power great." On returning to Ireland, William Pennefather and his sister paid a visit to Mr. Cromie's place, near Portstewart, a little fishing town on the north coast of Ireland, described by Susan, in a letter written at this time, as " a very delightful spot, a nice village on the sea-shore, the view bounded by distant headlands, the shore rocky — ■ black rocks, on which the white waves are now dashing themselves." It was here that the eldest sister of the family had passed the one short year of her married life, and was then in her 20th year called up higher, leaving 3o LETTERS FROM PORTSTEWART. [chap. it. a lovely little girl, who was at this time about eleven years old. Many members of the family seem to have met at Cromore, and Susan writes from thence to their kind friends in England, " You will be glad to hear that Willy is better than when you saw him : he has less pain, and we have not lately had to resort to severe remedies ; but he suffers much from languor, and his cough, which is often distressing, reminds us that he is a frail flower, and one that a blast might easily waft to other climes." After reading these words, we are not surprised to find from the following letter, written by himself after a short visit to Monellan, that long suffering had told in some measure on this buoyant spirit : — 11 Portstewart, "August 22d, 1835. "My very Dear Friend, " I cannot but feel sorry that you have not heard before from us, as then we might have enjoyed the pleasure of receiving tidings from you during your distant travels, and have had you connected more in our minds with present enjoyments. The morning you left England our thoughts went with you, and your first Sabbath abroad was linked with ours at our highly- favoured little church in the mountains. We had a most interesting visit to Monellan, and met with many of God's dear connected though scattered children. I was made to drive about a great deal, and visited some nice people with my cousin. We took one fine drive to a mountain pass called the Gap of Dunlow. From a steep winding road the cliffs rise in craggy eminences to a considerable height: no human dwelling seems near; the eagles hold 1835.] LETTERS FROM PORTSTEWART. 31 undisputed sway along rocky steeps ; and I thought of the splendid passes through which you, in the wilderness of eternal snows, would shortly be alone. Yet why do I say alone ? only because I think, in a wild uninhabited mountain pass, I feel my nothingness so solemnly, that had I not the presence of Him in whose presence there is fulness of joy, I should be miserable. ... I trust you have not been disappointed, and that the joy with which you contemplated the journey has not been abated. May you both daily more and more experience that joy which is strength : yea, may He be your glory and crown of rejoicing ! " There was a time when every thrill which rushed across my heart was joy ; when every glow of imagination was of the warmest kind ; when all in the future was lit up with sunshine ; but now it is far otherwise : perhaps such a change takes place in the mind as years roll over our heads, yet I sometimes fear my hopes are not as bright as formerly, and that my God is not the same source of joy as He once was to me. Oh may I go from strength to strength, and daily be more and more conformed to the image of my Saviour ! " I am afraid my short letter is most stupid. I do hope, if my spirits have been subdued, my heart and affections have not grown cold ; but I certainly am not the same elastic being I once was, when I first went to Levens. You remember my description of that meeting ? It fatigues me much to write, and I am afraid my writing is quite illegible. VV. P." Two other letters are added belonging to this period, the first written on his arrival at Cromore, the other telling of a little work besom with his first hours of recruited strength among the fisher- men and their families. 32 LETTERS FROM PORTSTEWART. [chap. ii. " Portstewart, "Julyitfh, 1835. " It will grieve you to hear of the cause of our silence We have been in deep sorrow all the time we have been here : our beloved Mr. Smyly can no more be seen until that day when he shall rise in his Saviour's likeness, and shall be satisfied. It was on the Sabbath before last that his bright and glorious spirit broke from its earthly tene- ment, to spend an everlasting day of rest before the throne of God and the Lamb. A friend who was with him to the last said, 'The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous runneth into it, and is safe/ He replied immediately, ' There is therefore now no condem- nation to them that are in Christ Jesus : ' these were the last words he spoke. He came over from his parish very ill on Tuesday; the 2d of this month he grew much worse; on Saturday there was a delusive amendment, and Sunday morning he slept in Jesus. " His dear wife and six sweet children are left solitary, alone in this wicked world. Solitary and alone, did I say? No, they are not : she has leant on the arm of her Lord and Saviour in the wilderness, and has found Him a refuge in the day of adversity ; and will He not be a Father to the fatherless children? "All the time of our dear friends illness he was in peace, but for about twelve hours before his death he was in great joy. He seemed to catch the light of the glorious kingdom ; he seemed to hear the Song of Moses and the Lamb, and to behold Him who long had been the joy and rejoicing of his heart. He asked, ' Is it selfish to long to depart ? ' and to his dear wife he said, ' I had one fear in dying, that you could never bear it ; but God has supported you, and I have now no care. Kitty, it is a miracle of mercy you are so supported ! ' 11 On a friend repeating to him the 23d Psalm, he said : ' Blessed be God for all the comforts of His Holy Word.' 1 835. } LETTERS FROM PORTSTEWART. 33 " I have lost a friend, a guide, a rejoicer of my heart, May God enable me to look more entirely to Him ; He can be more than all to me. The power of divine strength is marvellous as exhibited in his dear wife, who almost idolised him. She, who has perhaps the warmest feelings I ever witnessed, is calm, resigned, yea joyful. She does not think of her loss, in comparison of the joy of which he is made partaker. But I must stop, for on this theme my pen could run on for ever. " We arrived here on Wednesday, 24th; the day we left Dublin was cold and turned out wet ; we had two unin- teresting companions inside the coach. I had taken a look at the company outside, and saw a nice-looking lady and a gentleman, who, as I concluded, was her husband. The poor lady after some time excited my compassion, for the day became extremely cold. I begged of her to change places with me, which she refused, but accepted a warm cloak, which I was not using. This little event proved, as Newton expresses it, a 'pivot on which greater things turned.' " The lady and gentleman and a friend of theirs all slept at the inn we did, and the next day we found they were also coming on to Coleraine, from thence they were going to Derry. They were our fellow-passengers inside the coach on the second day, and we found they were three Americans, Mr. and Mrs. M. and a Col. G. Mr. M. was in delicate health, coming to Europe for the first time, and going on with his wife to winter in Italy. Col. G. was travelling for amusement. Mrs. M. turned out to be a most delightful Christian ; she had left home greatly against her wish, had travelled over England, but as yet had found nothing to soothe her troubled heart. We prevailed on them to come to this village and to see the Giant's Causeway, eight miles distant; they consented, and drank tea with us that evening. We parted really friends, and they invited us to their house in Philadelphia 34 LETTERS FROM PORTSTEWART. [chap. ii. if we should cross the Atlantic ; I believe they went from Deny to Glasgow * " We have met some devoted Christians since we came here ; they had little meetings at their house for Scripture and prayer, and have been a great source of comfort to us. They are the Earl and Countess of Castlestuart, with two sons and one only daughter. The father and mother and two sons are most devoted ; the daughter seems the same, but is very young and retiring, and less easily known. W. P." In a letter written by his sister we find the following allusion to the same season of bereave- ment— "We have been afflicted, but I can say it has been good for us. God has removed dear Mr. Smyly, perhaps because all who knew him almost idolised him. " We came here full of hope of the pleasure of meeting him. I saw him so changed that I could not trace a feature in his face, once so beautiful. He died of fever and erysipelas extending to the brain. " Dear Willy is much better : I think the sea-air here has agreed with him : he was wonderfully supported, and so continually calm and peaceful himself as to be of much use in soothing poor Mrs. Smyly." On October ist Mr. Pennefather writes from the same place— " I am very glad that you have in your travels realised your expectation. It was pleasant to be at Geneva during that remarkable period^ and it must have been * An abiding friendship was formed with Mrs. M., and we often find her referred to in after correspondence, 1835.] LETTERS FROM PORTSTEWART. 35 most refreshing to have seen the work of the Lord pros- pering-, though secretly, in that dark city. The ancient Jewish Temple rose silently, no sound of hammer, &c, was heard therein ; and does not that Temple, which is ' fitly framed together/ silently rise to its God ? Oh, what a day that will be, when the Church, built and perfected as one glorious habitation for the living God, shall 'look forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners ! ' "Your picture of Chamounix was glorious and exciting. .... I am alone here, remaining for the bracing of the sea-air. All our party are gone to the county of Tip- perary, having spent some days of great enjoyment at Rathsalla (my uncle Pennefather's place), which were sadly broken up by the sudden and alarming illness of my aunt. But, thank God, she is better. S. returned from Knockeevan to help in the nursing. She writes to me : — 'Darling aunt's patience, and sweetness, and cheerful- ness, make it a pleasure and privilege to attend her. Her delight with some flowers to-day was very touching. Dear uncle's calmness and meek submission I shall never forget.' "I have had some pleasant times here; the poor are nearly all Protestants, and we sometimes meet to read the Scriptures and pray together. I have been reading with them St. John in the New Testament, and Isaiah in the Old, and briefly commenting as we go on. " I suffer much from my back, and, indeed, am not allowed to write, but have stolen the pleasure to-day. "Thank God, I have just heard that my dear aunt is much better. " W. R" His memory was cherished among- these poor people long after he had entered on his wider sphere of usefulness, arid one old man still lives to *ft LETTER FROM A FISHERMAN. [chap. n. tell of those youthful labours. We give some of his own words — " Portstewart, "August, 1877. "I first knew the dear young gentleman in 1835 ; he was staying in the house of his brother-in-law, John Cromie, Esq. Both were devoted Christians, both now in the ' home over there.' At the date I mention, Mr. Penne- father was a young man, or indeed a boy, but though it was not for many years afterwards that he took holy orders, he was as much devoted then to the service of the Lord as in after years. There was something wonderful in his gentle manner, and then he was so humble, he was always wanting to be taught. He would just sit down in the schools like a little child and listen, and never look tired as long as the Blessed Jesus was being talked of. Some of us will never forget his humility, and how he never seemed to see it was a condescension to sit down just as a brother with the poor fishermen. I can recall him now, coming to my bed-side when I was ill, just sitting on the edge of the bed and talking to me, even settling my pillow comfortably with his own hands. And the secret of the power he wielded over others (I would say) is this, he lived what he preached. " I could give the names of many (long since dead) who in earlier years lived in vice and drunkenness, but who were brought into the fold through the instrumentality of the dear young gentleman. He loved his Church, yet gave the right hand of fellowship to Christians of all denominations." Mr. Pennefather often spoke of this as the beginning of his ministry, though he was now only nineteen years of age. In the month of May 1836, Susan Pennefather 1836.] MARRIAGE OF HIS SISTER. 37 was married to the Rev. Robert Jessop, and her brother lost his constant companion and tender nurse. Our space does not allow the insertion of many interesting letters, written by him at this time, full of deep heart-anguish and unselfish rejoic- ing, mingled with the unfailing recognition of God's will, and always true to the key-note of his life, " the Lord's name be praised." The trying preparation-scenes and the marriage- day were all gone through with that calmness and self-possession which ever made him such a strength to others in times of excitement, though often concealing an amount of inward conflict little suspected by those around. But the strain told painfully on his very delicate frame, and the physician who had been for some time attending him ordered him immediately to leave Dublin. His thoughts at once turned to his " English home;" and we again refer to the memoranda of his kind friend : — " After his sister's marriage, he spent a good deal of time with us at Sizergh,* to which we had lately removed, and truly sweet was the privilege of ministering to the dear young servant of his Lord, in the long season of his * Sizergh Hall is one of those old fortified buildings, a few examples of which still exist amongst us, linking us so unmistakeably with the past. The records concerning it date from the reign of King John ; and though it has evidently seen many changes, its spacious apartments, fine oak panelling, Gobelin tapestry, and curious antique relics, render it a residence of peculiar interest. 38 VISIT TO SIZERGH. [chap. II. bodily weakness. It was in that old and quiet home, and when he had none of his own beloved relations with him, that we learnt more fully to understand his mind and cha- racter, so amiable, yet so perceptive ; so deeply spiritual, yet so lively ; sympathising as one who might have been very long taught in a school of sorrow, yet ever ready to rejoice with the rejoicing ; and whilst prepared to enter into the enjoyments of art and literature, yet always find- ing his dearest pleasure in the Word of God and prayer, and many were the hours spent in those hallowed exercises. Well do I remember one occasion, with which the 50th chapter of Isaiah has ever since been linked in my mind ; he looked the very picture of a weary one to whom He, who was weary for our sakes, could alone bring effectual comfort; and truly did the beloved invalid receive that cup of consolation, and open to others what that wonder- ful chapter offers. " He, the Lord, who 'clothed the heavens' by His word 'with blackness;' He, the Lord of all power and might; He, the very same, speaks of Himself as taking the place of a servant, and why ? ' that He may know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary;' He, the mighty God, taking the place of the suffering man ; He ' giving His back to the smiters ; ' He/ wakened up morn- ing by morning, that He might know how to speak with the given ' tongue of the learned/ the very word for the very hour. I think I never since have dwelt on the 50th chapter of Isaiah without thinking of the living illustration of the power of that precious word, which on that day was thus brought before me." But there were still further lessons to be learnt. A course of treatment which had proved success- ful in many instances of prolonged physical weak- ness, was strongly recommended to his family as 1 836.] SO JO URN A T MILNTHORPE. 39 possibly suited to his case ; and after some hesita- tion it was decided that he should submit to the experiment. The house where this medical system was carried out (the use of friction and other remedies) was situated in the village of Milnthorpe ; and the adoption of the plan involved a residence of some months' duration in a little country lodging, separated from his family. He was too weak to ramble on the hills and enjoy the beauties of nature, which were always to him companionship ; the short dark days were coming on, and it was more than likely that his Christmas must be spent in this lodging. There was a great struggle of feeling, but no murmur ; and looking out, as was his habit, for mercies, he thanked God continually that Milnthorpe was within reach of Levens and Sizergh. His thoughtful friends added many comforts to his humble room, and kind Mrs. Stephens arranged that the sister who generally lived with her should take care of him in his new abode. We find him spending some days in the old haunts at Levens Parsonage, and then entering on his invalid life at Milnthorpe. Mrs. C. says of his temporary home — ■ "In the little town of Milnthorpe lodgings did not abound, and the place which was obtained for a residence of many weeks, in its bare outlines looked most unfit for him ; but it soon became a proof of what skilful manage- ment and the hand of careful affection could do. It was 4o LETTERS FROM MILNTHORPE. [chap. ii. beautified by the life that was lived in it, and drew into its focus full many ' a gem of purest ray serene,' emanating from Him who is the sun and centre of the souls of His people. " It is pleasant to recall the names of some, now citizens of the heavenly world, whose spirits mingled with that of the temporary occupant of those little rooms." A few letters of his own will best tell his history, and record God's dealings with His still chastened child. They may carry cheering thoughts to some of the Lord's sick ones. On arriving at Milnthorpe, September u, 1836, he writes — " Thank you many times, my very dear friend, for the cheerful appearance my snug little dwelling wore when I entered it last evening with a heart rather full. I trust 1 had some grateful feelings towards the Giver of all good for having brought me so far in peace, for having pro- vided such dear friends for my comfort as I find in you and the dear Levens people. The flowers that you brought still look very pretty, and they have been a pleasure and refreshment to me for their own fair sakes, and for hers who so lovingly provided them. " Tell dear Mr. C. I like my piano very much, far better than I expected ; indeed, my comforts are many. 11 Dear Miss D. watches over me with great care. I trust the Lord may bless us, and grant that we may spend the time profitably. We had a little evening worship, and intend to read regularly through St. Matthew's Gospel. " My prayers follow you both : may you feel the blessings of a Covenant God descending on you to-day through the opened heaven ! I have just been to Mr. Jones's church ; it was pleasant to be in the gathering together of God's children for worship. 1836.] LETTERS FROM MILNTHORPE. 41 " His sermon was good, but I was languid and tired. " The Lord send down abundantly on you both the secret treasures of His love. W. P." Written in pencil at Milnthorpe when very suffering. " September, 1836. " My very dear Friend, i( Many, many thanks for your little note : it was a great cheer to me, for I felt particularly solitary yesterday. Indeed, I was very miserable all the morning — so wretchedly low that I fain would have had a good cry. I could not rouse myself. I knew that ' Rejoice in the Lord alway ' was a sweet command, but I could not, or would not, obey it ; and why, I thought, cannot I rejoice ? I have been brought hitherto by that Heavenly Fathei who ' carrieth the lambs in His bosom;' He hath ordered all things with tenderness, wisdom, and love for me. I am still spared, still ' embraced on every side' with mercies, and yet I will not rejoice ! Oh, that a new song may be put into my mouth, even praise unto our God ! that I may show forth His loving-kindness in the morning (of my life), and His faithfulness at its close ! " Pray for me. I need all kinds of help to stay my un- believing soul; but thanks be to God, ' He remaineth true and faithful, He cannot deny Himself;' and notwithstand- ing all our unworthiness, He watches over us with un- changing love. ' Oh the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God ! ' One of the first things that roused me a little yesterday was considering a very beautiful verse, Isaiah xxvii. 3, ' The Lord keeps His vine- yard: 1st, His people are kept in the way of salvation, ' who are kept by the power of God,' &c. ; and ' I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand/ &c. John x. 28, 29, see also John xvii. 12-15. ^ur prayer then should 42 LETTERS FROM MILNTHORPE. [chap. ii. be 'Keep me as the apple of Thine eye, hide me under the shadow of Thy wing.' — 2nd, They are kept lest anything Inert them. 'He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways ; ' see also Genesis xxviii. 15, and Exodus xxiii. 20 — ' He will keep us from evil/ He will be our confidence, and keep our feet from being taken, Proverbs iii. 26 ; see also I Samuel ii. 9, and Isaiah xlii. 6. They shall be kept in peace, 'Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace/ &c. We shall be kept in tenderness, see Jer. xxxi. 10, we shall be watered every moment ; this implies, 1st, spiritual growth, 'I will be as the dew unto Israel/ ' He shall grow as a lily ; 2nd, Refreshment in abund- ance, and sufficient supply for every moment: 'whoso drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst/ &c. Not for an instant does the water fail us ; we may not always (like Hagar) see the well, but it is there. We may not always let down our pitchers, but there is a stream sufficient to make glad even the whole city of the New Jerusalem, the city of God ; and surely, therefore, enough for one thirsty soul. Oh that, like the Saviour, we may drink of that brook by the way, then shall we lift up our head, and rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. " But we are kept by night and by day, as well when all is cloudy and dangerous and dark as when all is bright. "These, dear friend, are a few of the heads of thought which a little cheered me yesterday. I have not time to enlarge. W. P." "Milnthorpe, October 9th, 1836. " Sunday Evening. " To Mrs. C . " Your dear note, with the beautiful flowers, came yesterday to cheer me when I was quite alone. Dear Mr. , I did indeed enjoy our little meeting to- gether, and I felt my heart drawn out toward him. I 1836.3 LETTERS FROM MILNTHORPE. 43 thought I would take him on common ground, and ask him to read and pray. He was very kind and sweet, and his prayer for me was truly touching. I love the society of God's children, and I love to take Christians of different denominations on the ground of brotherhood ! Has not the one Father created us, watched over us, carried us in His bosom ? Has not the one Son redeemed us, bought us with His blood, called us His friends? Has not the one Spirit sanctified us, and comforted and sealed us to the day of redemption ? Do we not journey on the same road, to the same home ? (' See that ye fall not out by the way'). Have we not the same trials, the same victory; are we not limbs of the same body, branches of the same vine, stones of the same building ? Why then, when our Heavenly Father has brought us together, ' to talk together of the things that have happened,' and to journey a little while in one another's company, why waste (if it is not worse) the precious moments in fighting with one another, because not clothed in the same colour, on this our one path and journey ? "Did you like Mr. 's exposition ? I did very much, and the hymns were beautiful. I am so glad he sang for Miss C , and that you enjoyed the evening. . . . "Last evening to me was rather fatiguing, and your dear letter was a rest, I read to old Mr. W. till six, and then had to hurry with a letter to my sister, and left out many things I wanted to say. The flowers were lovely, the geraniums so beautiful, and the leaf so sweet. To-day I am languid in body and mind, but not unhappy. Mr. did me good. I read Venn, which I like, the Psalms and second lesson for the day, and visited Miss B. in the afternoon. She was very poorly. I read to her the evening Psalms and Revelation xxii., and prayed. I felt happy in the contemplation of the New Jerusalem, particu- larly at the thought of ' seeing His face.' 'His servants shall serve Him, and shall reign for ever and ever.' * The 44 LETTERS FROM MILNTHORPE [chap. ir. river,' too, was refreshing. Then I went to Mr. W : poor man ! he is suffering much, and has slept very little for many nights. I read him a sketch of Felix Neff's life. I came in tired, and have not long done tea. Miss W. has been sitting with me; she is very good, and very humble. I. feel ashamed of holding forth before her and Miss B. ; would that I had their submissive spirit ! " Susan was horrified when, by way of comforting her, M. A. D. wrote to tell her I should be three months here. I had carefully concealed it from them all. It does seem sometimes very, very long, and again I think ' yet a little while.' One month has passed. I took Miss B. some of the flowers, they were so lovely. I thought the poor soul would enjoy them, as she never gets out, and she did enjoy them. Oh ! the pleasure of a flower in a sick room! W. P." "Milnthorpe, "November 17 th, 1836. " My very dear Friend, " My conscience must be unburdened, and as I think you will not dislike to be ' Father Confessor,' I un- burden myself to you. Do you say, ' What is coming ? ' Well (to commence a la Westmoreland), when you were here yesterday, my head was so bad that I really (I speak English) did not know what I was saying or doing. I was in the state of a person who has been knocked on the head, and though I thought of it, I never thanked you or Miss D. for copying ' Head of the Church triumphant/ which has soothed and delighted me every time I have played it, to try and calm my irritable and irritated nerves. When you were all gone, I felt so disappointed at myself. I fain would have been bright, I fain would have had some pleasant intercourse with such dear children of God as you and your valued friends, but I could not ; so my strength was certainly 'to sit still/ Had Miss D. J836.] LETTERS FROM MILNTHORPE. 4S played for me, I should perhaps have been better ; but it would have been rude to Mr. L. to ask her to do so for my amusement. " Your dear friends both struck me as very sweet Chris- tians, and I think Mrs. L. has a very interesting face, and the dear child also, buoyant as the gayest breeze on an opening summer morning. When I see so bright a spirit in its infant play, my mind runs onward through the coming life, and the thoughts of so much sorrow and temp- tation rush into my mind as almost to check the joy that would be uppermost. What then must be the aching of a mother's anxious heart ? I could not but lift my heart for that dear child, that it might be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. " Though I was so disagreeable, the pleasure to me of having seen dear Mr. and Mrs. L. is great : a sight of the Lord's children should always be a joy to our hearts. " I hope you and Miss D. will come to an early tea very soon, though it sometimes strikes me I am very selfish in wishing you to take the long drive to this ugly little spot. " This beautiful day has been a pleasure to me ; I could not but feel thankful for it. " I had scarcely concluded dinner when there was a tap at the door, and a young gentleman entered ; my mind supplied the introduction, and I asked him in. " We shook hands, and presently he said he was Mr. Monsell,* which I had already guessed. He is very inter- esting in his appearance. I sat conning his face, having heard so much of him, and felt glad I had not missed him a second time. He spoke a little on Ps. lxxxix., clearly and sweetly, but my head was bad, and again I was humbled, but it is good for me. W. P." A few fragments are added taken from other letters. * Dr. Monsell, well known in after years. 46 LETTERS FROM MILNTHORPE. [chap, it " Milnthorpe, "October, 1836. "Yesterday I went to read a little with old Mr. W. and got a scolding from Miss D. because it took me out in the damp. To-day I am a good deal tired after a visit to Miss T., but have been resting, though I believe I shall never know what that word rest means till I enter into 'the rest that remaineth.' I hope I am resigned to wait the Lord's time. His is best, ' Yet a little while.' Dear friend, I have not thanked you for wishing to have me on Saturday and Sunday. It was so kind to propose it, but I do not feel I could do it, I am so little equal to exertion, and the pleasure of seeing you and talking to you is too much for my wretchedly weak nerves. I often say, O Lord, have mercy upon me, for I am weak ! Weak in how many ways ! " " November. " I was grieved to let the day pass without writing a few lines, but I had been in my bed all day, and when I had dressed in the evening and was going to tea, I nearly fainted. " Miss D. was alarmed, but I told her I was subject to such attacks, and in about an hour I recovered. However, this stopped my plan of writing that evening to my dear anxious friends, to whom I often fear to express what I really feel (as to health). I am just in a safe place, be- tween hope and fear, and thus cast more entirely on that God who will do all things well concerning me. He makes His rebellious child to feel that, whichever way my sojourn here turns out, it will be well. The only thing I desire is that my health may not be restored if I shall not spend it in His service, if it will not be for His glory. Dear friends, let this be your prayer for me. Oh, that I may be purified! I am fearfully corrupt, yea, abomin- able ! " 1837.] LETTERS FROM MILNTHORPE. 47 " December 20th. " I fear I must stay more than the fifteen weeks, but I have many mercies and mitigations. I have a nice letter from John ; he is, I believe, now on his way home for Christ- mas, having just taken his degree at Oxford, and come off with flying colours. " I had some pleasant time with the invalids on Sunday evening. Heb. x. was our chapter, and the evening Psalms gave me some happy thoughts. " A dear robin cheered me yesterday ; it perched itself on a tall spray of a young tree, and sang so sweetly. It kept a joyful Sabbath — a day of praise and rest." " December 2&th, 1836. "A letter from William S. tells me of the death of Lady Powerscourt. I have not seen her for many years, yet I felt as if I knew and loved her. She was one whose soul has been panting after the fulness of Him who filleth all in all, and therefore surely felt that this was not her rest. " Christmas passed better than could have been ex- pected. ' My cup runneth over ; ' He daily loadeth me with benefits. Pray that I may be thankful. May He put a new song in my mouth ! " And now that I am breaking up my little home at Miln- thorpe, I want to sing of mercy. All God's dealings have had love visibly stamped upon them. I hardly know what to say to you, for my heart is full. Pray that I may spend myself in the service of God. It is very pleasant to me, when my mind is so tossed, to think of the centre of rest, where we shall often meet in spirit." Early in January 1837 ^le ^e^ Milnthorpe, and after spending a short time with his friends at 48 RETURN TO DUBLIN. [chap. ii. Sizergh, returned to Dublin. The only mention we have of his arrival is in a short note dated January 27th — " Thank God, I reached home after a prosper- ous journey, and passage of thirteen hours." " Dear S. and R. still here. The damp to my joy is his illness." To this his sister Dora adds : " I do not see any great improvement in William — just a little ; but perhaps I was too sanguine. It is a great blessing getting him back ; it has quite revived me. ( 49 ) CHAPTER III. 1837-1839. Return to College — Death of his Sister, Mrs. Jessop — Letters from Dublin — Visit to Knockeevan — Letters from Stuart Hall and Monellan — College Examinations — Various Letters — Marriage of his youngest Sister — Irish Society — Brethrenism — Father Matthew — Letters and Extracts. /^N the 27th of January 1837 Mr. Pennefather was permitted to return to his home, with some measure of renewed strength, and evidently with revived hopes, proposing at once to go into residence at Trinity College, from which he had so unwillingly absented himself. It was, however, decided, in consideration of his still delicate health, that he should continue to live at his father's house, attending classes, lectures, &c, daily. Though this arrangement was in some respects advantageous, it laid him open to much interruption, which he often lamented. In writing to a friend he says — "March, 1837. " I am now regularly attending college; everyday is of importance to me, but I am sometimes kept at home by R.'s illness, who wants much of my attendance." 50 DEA TH OF HIS SISTER. [chap. hi. He goes on to speak of the annual religious meetings taking place at the Rotunda, adding — " I was not able to attend any of them, but heard Mr. Stowell of Manchester preach on Sunday, and was much interested; his sermon was well arranged and useful, on the text, ' Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature.' I also heard Mr. preach, but his sermon was to me very disagreeable ; an affected piece of empty talkativeness, by way of eloquence. He is very much run after, and the crowd was very great." The spring seems to have opened brightly, but a terrible blow was impending. On the 12th of April he writes to his friends at Sizergh — " Our dear Susan has given me cause for writing to- day, and I lose no time in telling you that a dear little boy made his appearance between 2 and 3 o'clock this afternoon. She is now doing pretty well, but was in great danger." During the next few days a succession of bulletins from the pen of the fond brother tell of alternate hopes and fears, the last one, " She lies at the point of death," being soon followed by the sorrowful tid- ings, that the young mother had passed away. Loved and admired by all who knew her, few perhaps have lived so truly in "heavenly places" amid much that made earth attractive. There was a blank in many hearts, and a dark shadow in more than one home, when she was called thus suddenly to see the King in His beauty. To her brother William it was a life-long sorrow, 1 83 7-1 LETTERS FROM DUBLIN. §t but one that raised him yet nearer to the home of all his joys. We insert one of the letters written at this time. " 5 Merrion Square South, Dublin, "May nt/i, 1837. " My dear Friend, " The busy time of my examinations has passed favourably, as I daresay you have heard from Mr. S., but I am soon to begin again to prepare for a second, though still far off. The work is more difficult, and vacation soon comes on, when the opportunity of getting help from tutors will be ended. " I felt comfort even in the midst or the bustle of the Examination Hall when I thought o\ your love ; and the love of God does indeed shed a calm over this stormy life. " How humbling it is that human affection sometimes does for us what love to our Heavenly Father fails to do It shows the heart capable of warmth, and yet rejoicing in the scanty heat of its own kindling, and saying, ' Aha ! I am warm, I have seen the fire.' May we comprehend more and more of that love 'which passeth knowledge/ and be filled ' with all the fulness of God/ " I have been rather weak and poorly, which must plead rny excuse for silence. ' The Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save, nor His ear heavy that He cannot hear ; ' and I can testify how He delights to show, that when every other means is ineffectual, He can draw us out of many waters. We may combat and struggle with overwhelming waves, but He can lift us out of all. And what floods more terrible than the floods of temp- tation ? ' The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters (not one wave, but many) ; yea, than the mighty waves of the sea/ " I have not much to tell you of ourselves ; the baby is 52 LETTERS FROM DUBLIN. [chap. in. thriving. My mother still continues to shine in the midst of us; she is calm and holy, just what we could wish her to be. I try never to look forward : may we just. ' day by day magnify Thee, O Lord,' keeping our eyes fixed on eternal things, looking for the glorious appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He will come quickly, yet a little while. — ' We have waited for thy salvation, O Lord.' " The dear D.'s are still with us. This is one of the many tender mercies which every morning are renewed to us. Oh, that wTe could see how the heavens throng with messengers of love to our unworthy (yet worthy) souls ! Mercies embrace us on every side. Another dear friend, of whom perhaps you have heard me speak, has joined the choir above. I mean Lady L. She was one who through a long life of trouble and deep affliction had sought her Lord, but always trembled at the thought of entering 'the Valley of the Shadow of Death ; ' and yet, when it pleased the Lord to bring her into it, she 'feared no evil,' for He was with her. Her simple, firm, calm reliance on her Saviour was touching. She said to her physicians, ' You know I dreaded to die, but now I have not a single fear. Christ is all to me ; He is all-sufficient for a poor sinner.' " She was ill about three weeks, the last week one of great bodily suffering, but her faith burned brighter and brighter. " D. was very fond of her, and she liked me to visit her. The last conversation we had was on the sufficiency of Christ even for the vilest of sinners. We spoke of the latter end of the 1st chapter of St. John, that favourite passage of mine. How little did I then think she would soon see the meaning in its most extended sense— 'the heavens opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man,' come to take her into the joy of her Lord. An aunt of mine likewise entered 1837.] LETTERS FROM DUBLIN. 53 recently into the same joy. There was bright evidence that she had been long waiting with her lamp burning for the coming of her Lord. Thus many amongst us have entered the everlasting gates. . . . We have great cause to sing of the mercies of the Lord. He has placed the happiness of our darling S. beyond the reach of anything, or any one, that could mar it. When I see around me many things which once pained and vexed her righteous soul, I cannot but feel peace at the thought that she is landed on that shore of 'pure delight, where saints immortal reign.' — May the Lord quicken us to run with patience the race set before us. W. P." Again he writes, May 24th, 1837 — " This has been a day of peculiar trial, but the Lord has supported us. When, indeed, is it not now to us a time of trial, and when, I may add, does not the Lord support ? My dear mother is very poorly, and suffering much. I cannot comfort, but I can commit her to Jesus, and He will pity even as a Father pitieth His children. You know something of what my love to her was ; you know I always thought her unlike and superior to every one. But I do not allow myself to dwell on these things. " ' I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever ; ' this should be my frame of mind, for truly mercies embrace me on every side. I go to college daily except when pre- vented by more than usual debility, but, thank God, I am wonderfully well." His sister Dora writes at this time : " Willy is better, able to do some reading, some preaching, and much comforting." Again he writes a little later — " Speak to me of my darling S., who lies treasured in my heart ; but she has a better treasure-house, even that one 54 VARIOUS JOURNEYS. [chap, hi which is eternal in the heavens. What she was to me I never can describe, and the Lord has removed her from my sight, that I may love Him supremely. When that is attained, He will restore us to one another in joy and gladness. What a glorious reunion will that be ! The Lord sanctify me for it, and make me thankful for the choice blessings He has left me." The summer vacation seems to have been divided between his father's place in Tipperary and friends in the north of Ireland. From Knockeevan he paid a flying visit to London, where his brother John was laid up from the effects of an accident. Speak- ing of this hurried journey, his sister Dora says : 11 It was a trying time to him in many ways, but his spirit was refreshed by hearing Mr. Wilkinson preach at St. Bartholomew's Church, behind the Bank. He preaches the gospel clearly and energetic- ally, and has done so for the last fifty years. He is now past ninety ! " She adds : " William is beginning a little service on Sunday evening for the few Protestants here, who are quite out of reach of any place of worship." The account of a visit paid to Stuart Hall about this time may be interesting. The circumstances under which he was again called to the house of mourning were peculiar, Lady Castlestuart having just lost her only daughter (mentioned in a former letter from Portstewart), who had been accidentally burnt to death. The early part of the letter speaks of his arrival 1837.] LETTER FROM MO NELL AN. 5 5 late at night, after a long and fatiguing journey, glad to be spared the pain of meeting with Lady C. that night. He then goes on — " Monellan, '7^27//;, 1837. " Breakfast came the next morning, and the dear lady- was not present. I felt nervous till I should see her: she had purposely gone to her Infant School, and her class with the mothers of the children, not wishing- to meet me in the house. At about 12 o'clock I went to meet her, and found her worn and dejected, just rising from teaching the women. She had been seated in a little field beside a poor cottage, on the brow of a high hill commanding a fine view of Stuart Hall, and Loch Neagh in the distance. She was a good deal moved at seeing me, but I felt thankful that the Lord supported and brought us through without any break-down, which I feared on her part. She soon began to talk of Lady Julia, and from what I heard from her, and also from a friend of Lady Julia who attended her during her brief agonising sufferings, her faith, fortitude, and patience were a wonder- ful lesson to all around, and ever since 'she being dead vet speaketh/ " I have seldom heard of a more instructive end. Rich indeed she must have been in faith, for during her hours of agony she exhorted all who came near her, asked her brother to give thanks, that though she had long wished to speak a word for God, and had been hindered by fear, He had now given her courage to declare His name, adding, ' Oh, what a mercy to one so unworthy of the least of His favours ! ' She was frightfully burnt, for she did not scream, or cry for help, until her own efforts to extinguish the flames had been ineffectual. Yet her face was uninjured — a mercy to her brother W., who arrived 56 LETTER FROM MONELLAN. [chap. hi. from Dublin only to see her wing her flight to the bright land we love. " I could fill my paper with what I heard about her: an awful but a most touching history of the Lord's dealings towards His people would be the sum of all I could say. Miss G., the lady who told me about her, said she must have had a mind long and deeply impressed with the things of God, and a courage for the Lord's glory which was not supposed. I cannot but remember our little talk about her. What events a day may bring forth, truly we know not. "Dear Lady Castlestuart finds her only comfort in having her Bible classes amongst the poor, and the preaching at Stuart Hall. Every Sunday and Friday there is a con- gregation and a sermon there; any minister of any denom- ination, whom they have reason to think really good, officiates, and the numbers that attend on Sundays are large — from 300 to 350. " Every day in the week finds her reading with the poor women, who assemble in each other's cottages, throughout the neighbourhood of Stuart Hall. To several of these little meetings I went, and we enjoyed the reading of God's Word together. How deeply did I feel for her, without any one now to accompany her; but her loved companion has entered with her Saviour into the holy place, there to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple ! I felt thankful that I was able to be a comfort to her, and that she enjoyed having me to accompany her, for truly it is a privilege to be able to minister to the Lord's people. I stayed a week at Stuart Hall, and then came across the country here. Last Tuesday evening, in a distant part of the parish, I lectured for R. D. quite unex- pectedly, as he was suddenly called away, and some one had to speak to a tolerable number who had assembled. They are simple, kind people, and I felt thankful, notwith- standing my nervousness and incapacity, to be able to 1837.] LETTERS FROM DUBLIN. 57 speak on Revelation xxii. 17. I thought you would like to hear of my little labours. I have been very busy with the schools &c. W. P." The following belong to the same sad year — - " Blackrock, Dublin, " October 26th, 1837. u My very dear Friend, " Soon after receiving your letter I left Knockeevan with R. and the dear baby, to come to college to prepare for my examinations, which take place next Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I have been living here, but going into town generally every day. The darling child is well : sometimes I am tempted to be careful for the future concerning him. My mind glances over the rough and foaming ocean he may have to cross, but 'be still, and know that I am God ; ' He will l gather the lambs in His bosom.' Yes, and perhaps it may be His gracious pleasure to take that little treasure to Himself ere it has passed over many of the billows of life's stormy sea. Whatever happens, my Father has done well. I can say this now, even when my heart is full ; for, oh ! the sweetness of that sister's tender love ! My Father, I thank Thee for the blessing of having had such a sister ; then why not praise Thee for Thy mercies, instead of murmuring at Thy dealings ? If we read them aright, we should find that each had engraven on it these words, ' God is love.' Yes, He is love. It is not that He has shown Himself full of love in former times ; it is not that He has given His Son for us, that He has smiled upon us in love, but that He is love ; that He is at this present moment beholding us in love ; dealing with us in love ; in fact, we can only repeat, * God is love ' ! " This is the lesson that we are to be taught here, and this is the lesson which heaven in all its glory and sweetness 58 LETTERS FROM DUBLIN. [chap. hi. will teach us still. Then it will be no faith to say, Pie is love ; let us therefore, while we have the opportunity, trust His character when circumstances seem to deny it. I am a little nervous about the examinations of next week: from the many interruptions I have met with, I have not been able to read as steadily as I could have wished. My father's illness, my trip to London, &c. " Did I tell you that my father had a bad inflammation in one of his eyes, which, considering their tendency to dimness,* alarmed us much ? He was laid up for a long- time and suffered greatly, but, thank God, he is nearly as well as ever. " May the Lord be with you both ! may the Comforter take more and more of the things of Christ, and show them unto you, until you reach that heavenly kingdom, where you shall behold His face in righteousness, and awake up in His likeness for ever satisfied ! W. P." On November 6th, 1837, he writes from Dublin— " My very dear Mr. C , " It would not be easy to tell you how refreshed I was by your and Mrs. C.'s joint letter. It was a token of that affection which the Lord has, in His great mercy, so often afforded me in times of trial : a time of trial this last month has been to me, and yet I feel that my mouth should be always declaring with thankfulness the loving- kindness of the Lord. " I passed through my three days' examinations with as much credit as I could reasonably expect, not having been able to read for the month previous to my examination,! and my little stock of strength having been expended in * Baron Pennefather became totally blind, but his wonderfully retentive memory enabled him to act as judge long after he had lost his sight. + It was always a marvel to his friends that he battled so successfully with the physical suffering which constantly impeded his studies at college, andnofr- withstanding which he was carried with credit through every examination. 1 837.] LETTERS FROM DUBLIN. 59 nursing J., who was very ill. The Lord, in His mercy and great love, has long since seen fit to keep down my too worldly spirit by weakness of body, and I often think how much my little trials were needed to curb my thought- less enthusiasm. I was suffering under a heavy cold and headache during most of the time I was in the Hall ; but I was not the worse, though I still feel weak and languid. " How often do I repose on that one truth, ' God is love,' when all else seems incapable of affording me any stay. " Is it not wonderful, that with such love every moment vouchsafed to us, present things should weigh us down ? It shames me to think that the bow of the covenant is not enough to support me during the passing clouds of time. 1 Teach me Thy love ! ' ' This is life eternal, to know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.' " It is remarkable that the reason given why all the awful curses mentioned in Deut. xxviii. should come upon the children of Israel, is ' because' (verse 47) ' thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things.' Thankfulness and rejoicing should be the language of our hearts. Well may / cry, Oh for a heart to praise my God, A heart from sin set free.' How delightful will it be, when, burning with holy love, we shall utter our praises before the throne of God and the Lamb, with all the fervour of redeemed and eman- cipated spirits. Soon shall we see Him face to face, and be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is ! "Your account of the B.'s cottage and Rydal was very touching : perhaps I may yet see it, but I dare not look forward ; and sometimes I begin to think my love for the beauties of nature is almost gone; why, I cannot tell, except that I feel incapable of pleasurable excitement now, 6o LETTERS FROM DUBLIN. [chap. hi. "The spring of life seems sometimes almost broken, but I know I should strive against this morbid feeling, as it warps and saps true piety, and keeps the soul in a sluggish and unhealthy state — ' awake, lute and harp ; I myself will awake right early.' Tell dear Mrs. C. that though I have not read the work to which she refers, I may almost say with certainty that I should consider Mr. H.'s views of the sacrament (judging from what I know of his writings), very much wanting in the simplicity of Scrip- ture, and a great deal too High-Church to please me. Dr. S. thinks so, and he is one whose opinion may be trusted. " R. is to preach for Lady Harberton's Infant Schools next Sunday at St. Thomas' Church. Dear Lady H. is one who has given up all for Christ, — such a devoted spirit, a talented, singular, holy character, one who will shine gloriously in the kingdom of her Father. " \V. P." The letters written during the next few years are so numerous that it is difficult to make a selec- tion. They all breathe the same intense love to God and man, the same aspirations after holiness, mingling with the incidents and interests of family life. We can only give a few of the shorter ones, and extracts from others. Many of the religious ques- tions of the day are touched upon, and there is frequent reference to labours of love carried out incidentally, as his college duties would allow. It was his custom to send letters of sympathy to those he knew or heard of as peculiarly tried in mind or circumstances ; sometimes with, sometimes without 1S38.] LETTER FROM PORTSTEWART. 61 the name of the writer. His mother, when visiting a lady in deep mental depression, was once told of a very precious letter which had brought her great help and comfort, though to the name of the writer she had not the faintest clue. Mrs. Pennefather asked to see the letter, and at once recognised the handwriting of her youngest son. Early in 1838 he paid a visit to the north of Ireland, and writes from " Portstewart, "February 22d. "My dear Friend, " You were right when you supposed Monellan a place just suited to me. I do not think there is any place where I feel so removed from the world, or enjoy so much of the calm refreshment of the Lord's pre- sence. . . . " I went with dear M. over heath and bog to meet her poor women, who assemble in one another's houses to repeat verses of Scripture and be questioned on them. I wish you could have been with us. I know no greater spiritual enjoyment than is to be found in these classes. To poor and ignorant people I am sure it is a better mode of instruction than lectures. You get at the real state of their minds by questioning, and the necessity of learning the passage of Scripture by heart must make them in some measure acquainted with the Word of Truth. Certainly at these classes there is a great desire for in- struction, to which the mere fact of old women taking the trouble to learn nine or ten verses by heart abundantly testifies. ... As you ask particularly about my health, I must confess that I have been very poorly; constant weakness, with pain, not acute, but wearing. It is a great drag upon me. Perhaps if I were more devoted, I should 62 LETTER FROM PORTSTEWART. [chap. hi. feel it less deadening to my spirit. Sometimes I fear I am sinfully anxious to be delivered from the body of this death ; sometimes I long to flee away and be at rest ! But is not Jesus my rest ? ' They that believe do enter into rest/ And is not this sufficient to make one sing under the pressure of suffering, and rejoice in tribu- lation ? "It will be easy for us to be joyful in heaven, but we cannot there rejoice while partaking of the sufferings of Christ. We cannot there smile in grief, and see with the eyes of faith the form of the Son of Man treading the dark waves of trouble, and lighting up the foam with the radiance of His glory ! No ! there will be a sea there sufficiently resembling water to bring back the recollection of the waves of sorrow which our gracious Leader brought us safely through : but there will not even be a ripple ; it is one even, calm, molten surface, like glass — a mirror, as it were, reflecting the full radiance of the sun when he sinks in crimson glory. — ' I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire.' " I brought De Burgh's tracts * with me here, and have read them all. I like the spirit in which they are written very much (what he says of the Church better than what he says of the dispensations), but I am not prepared to follow him in all that he propounds. In fact, I do not see how things are to go on at all if he is correct. Is no Christian to follow what is called a secular employment ? I have not studied the subject very deeply, but I think that if we endeavour to spiritualise our duties (I mean those wrongly called secular), and live in the world as those whose treasure is in heaven, we shall come nearer to the mind of Him who left us an example that we should tread in His steps. When Mr. B. touches on the prospects of the Church, I do feel inclined to join and * These tracts have been long out of print. The author's work on the Eook of Revelation is better known. 1838.] LETTER FROM PORTSTEWART. 6^ proclaim with him: 'Lift up your hearts, ye drooping disciples, for His redemption draweth nigh. Behold He cometh, go ye out to meet Him ! ' " Yes ! truly, I am aware that ' Christ is not preached in His fulness/ far from it. In the first place, few fully preach His atonement (though Mr. B. rather implies this is done). Few exhibit the love, the Father's love, as manifested in the Son. 'Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed/ &c. We hear of Jesus dying; do we hear much of the Father bestowing ? Who can make us see these things, comprehend this Love, this Atonement ? ' When He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth.' Is this preached ? Oh ! beloved friend, can we say Atonement is fully preached ? 1 Lo, these are parts of His ways, but how little a portion is known of Him ! ' "And then the life of Jesus is rarely taught — the out- shining of Divinity through the tabernacle of mortality ! the motive of all His actions, the daily path of trial which He walked ; His manhood, and yet His Godhead : then His death, His living again, His intercession, His re- appearing, His endless glory! But I cannot unfold what we do know, and still less point out what we do not know. 'We know in part;' we get a glimpse of that glorious will by which God draws man to Himself, governs the worlds, rules principalities and powers ! But oh! we shall behold His glory ! 'Father, I will that they whom Thou hast given Me be with Me where I am.' "And then, is the Holy Spirit preached as the Guide of the Church — the Spirit, whose habitation we are, the present Intercessor in the Church, the Comforter, taking of the things of Christ and showing them to us ? Our Saviour says, ' Herein is My Father glorified/ &c. What fruit can we bear ? The fruit of the Spirit, is this fully declared ? Dear friend, when I reflect that I know next to nothing of what ought to be preached, and when again I 64 LETTER FROM DUBLIN. [chap. in. feel that I am not equal to exhibit even this comparative nothing, my heart faints, and I cry out, ' Who is sufficient for these things ? ' "And then again, when I think how, by partial exhibi- tions of truth, we may do more harm than good, and by injudiciously and ignorantly setting forth God's dealings with man, we may only obscure the minds of our hearers instead of enlightening them, I am ready to tremble at what lies before me. " But thanks be to God, I have One beside me, who will uphold, and guide, and teach, and enlighten, and enable even mc to do all things by His ' strength made perfect in my weakness.' " The next is from Dublin — " November 28, 1838. " I have to tell you of the death of a dear, dear Christian in a wretched garret, in a back street behind the north side of this square. On this day week her happy spirit fled. Her history was briefly this : she and her husband were Roman Catholics, but, by what instrumentality I know not, were converted. They had two children. The husband about ten months ago died of consumption, and on a wretched bed on the floor he glorified his God in death. " His poor wife had been taken ill of the same com- plaint shortly before his death, and could not leave her bed, when he lay cold. She never left it : the disease made rapid progress. D. and J. visited her repeatedly. The Lord wonderfully supported her in great sufferings. R. was also constantly with her, and proved the means of sustain- ing and brightening her hope ; he was with her when she died. I went to see her about twelve o'clock each Sunday on my way from the college chapel (which begins so nice and early that it is generally over by that time), and I I839-] MARRIAGE OF HIS SISTER. 65 greatly enjoyed reading and talking to her. She seemed already to have commenced the eternal Sabbath, and when I spoke of the New Jerusalem and the glories which are above, she said, " Oh, is not that nice, to see Him face to face, to be with Him for ever and ever, that is the thing ! " She was a remarkable woman, with very dark eyes which shone with uncommon brightness. Her sensi- bilities were peculiarly acute. When unable to speak, she would point to a chair for me to rest, and seemed pained if she thought I was uncomfortable. When near her end I spoke of Jesus' love, she raised her emaciated hand, and looking up, smiled so sweetly, I could fancy that she even saw His beauty then. " I could say much more about her, but do not like colouring a death-bed scene, and were I to relate facts, in this case, they might seem like it. Death is in any case a solemn thing, and when we look on one dying, even when passing into the glory of God, we see the penalty of sin, though iniquity is pardoned and transgression purged away. Surely this makes the thought of our Lord's coming exceedingly sweet. Then will death indeed be ' swallowed up in victory ; ' ' we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.' " D. sends much love, and desires me to say she is not as High-Church as you suppose, though more so than she was last year. I am in statu quo, loving our Church much, but wishing God speed to all who join with me in loving her Lord and Master. W. P." In the spring of 1839 Dora Pennefathei' was married to the Hon. Somerset Maxwell. Her brother remarks in announcing the event — " She leaves me alone, 'the one red leaf, the last of its clan/ but I do not look forward, ' the Lord will provide." ' E 66 LETTER FROM DUBLIN. [chap. hi. The following letter was written about the same time : — " 5 Merrion Square South, Dublin, * May yd, 1839. "My time has been greatly occupied. I have been attending on my father, reading to him, &c, and finishing my examinations, which terminated this day week very favourably. I came off well, though without honours ; I had not read for them, and did not expect to succeed, after my many hindrances, as well as I did. ... I also completed a short fragment of a hundred lines on the 'Mutiny of the "Bounty,"' which was the subject for the prize. The poem was limited to a hundred lines, which gave no scope to a subject teeming with interest, though not of a very poetic character. The prize will not be decided for two or three weeks ; I scarcely can expect it, as there are many candidates, and I wrote in great haste. I have to recount many mercies, the Lord wonderfully supporting me at the prospect of losing my darling D. I can rejoice, and feel thankful at the happiness opening before her, which she receives in calm, thankful joy. " Did it ever strike you that the forty days during which our Lord remained on earth after His resurrection, may represent to the believer what a life of Christian prosperity is to be ! I will not say, imagine the feelings of our Holy Lord, for they cannot be imagined, but how changed must have been the feelings of One, Who, having vanquished every temptation and every trial to which this world was subject, afterwards lived in it ! As no tongue can tell the depth of His woe, so no tongue can tell the holiness of His joy, when He beheld life and immortality brought to light, where death and darkness had held undisputed sway; and yet there was a calmness in that joy which harmonised with the character of Him who was the Prince of Peace. " Rejoice then, believer, but rejoice with your Lord. Are you in sorrow ? Behold the Son of God, and see sorrow r839-] IRISH SOCIETY. 67 turned into joy. Are you in pain ? Behold Jesus, once in the same body of pain, now saying-, ' Handle Me, and see that it is I Myself/ He knew no suffering then. Chris- tian ! believe that since thy Saviour's sorrows were turned into joy, His pains into pleasure, and thou art united to Him, so thy weeping may endure for a night, but joy shall come in the morning." The spiritual welfare of his country lay very near Mr. Pennefather's heart, and the Society which brought God's truth to the people in their native tongue had his special sympathy. He writes — u Arley Cottage, Co. of Cavan, "January 26th, 1839. " I had the pleasure of hearing Mr. Daly, some Sabbaths ago, preach at St. Peter's Church for the Irish Society. His sermon was exceedingly interesting ; and gloomy as are the prospects of this wretched country in most respects, the thought that, in the County of Kerry, there have been a few who have hazarded their lives for the truth's sake, have left Popery and joined themselves to the true Church, is like a gleam of sunshine in the midst of storm. " Thank God, such a gleam does exist ! Through the instrumentality of Irish preaching many individuals have been brought into marvellous light; they have formed them- selves into a body, and have petitioned the Irish Society that their minister may be permanently established amongst them. The Irish Society has consented; funds have been, and are being, collected ; an Irish church is rising, and those poor, superstitious, ignorant crea- tures hear in their own tongue the wonderful works of God! " New members have been added to the Church, schools are being built, and there at least the Word of God seems to have free course and is glorified. Is it not interesting ? 68 LETTERS FROM ARLEY COTTAGE. [chap. hi. I will try to get an accurate report of numbers and send it to you. " Poor Ireland ! when will her children own the Lord our Righteousness ? Would that all Christians, feeling the awful responsibility of the thousands lying under the yoke of superstition and ignorance, would unite in prayer and in the diligent use of means which God has blessed, and in His strength strive to bring Gospel light into the regions of darkness and death. It is grievous that while the enemy is ravaging the fold, the flock is fighting for some particular portion of the green pastures in which God's people feed ! " Satan is wise ; would that we were wise too, not forget- ting our Lord's command, * Be ye wise (not venomous) as serpents, and harmless as doves ' . . . . Perhaps you smile and think W. is getting ' High-Church,' but you know me too well ; I love the freedom of the Church of England, I love its Catholicity, I can think and feel, and talk and act without referring my standard and opinions to the dictates of an individual, but I dread, and trust I ever shall dread, every effort that is made to change the freedom of Church of England piety into the iron formality of mere cere- monial. " Beloved friends, I trust my feelings will never expe- rience any change, save that which shall conform them more and more to the mind of the Spirit, and what a mind is His ! The imperfection of all systems makes one long indeed for that system which Christ shall establish ; a reign of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." To one who had been giving way to much anxiety, he writes, Sep. 16th, 1839 — " Do, beloved friend, in such a case commit your cause to our Heavenly Father, and confide more in His unerring wisdom, His unfailing tenderness. I839-] ! LETTERS FROM ARLEY COTTAGE. 69 "Believe that nothing can happen, even to one of the inferior works of creation, without His cognizance, and surely, therefore, nothing to one whom He has purchased with the blood of His Son, and made a joint-heir with Him of never-ending glory ! I know what it is to be anxious, but, thank God, He has taught me, too, to hear Him say, ' Peace be still ! ' With the tender reproof of a friend I would say, 'May the Lord of Peace Himself give you peace always, by all means.' You know some- thing of my thoughts about peace of mind. Oh, dear friend, this is what we should strive after. Be assured we are not legitimately working for the Lord, when we are working (even as it may seem in His service) in a restless spirit and with panting anxiety. " I do not hesitate to say we should sooner give up what we consider might be beneficial to the cause we have at heart, than execute it, with the loss of resting on our God. The longer I live, the more destructive do I feel ' hyst ' * to be, to the calm progress of the Divine life within us. We have not such command over our physical organisa- tion as to permit us with impunity, wilfully, to expose our poor minds to all the perturbations that may surround us. What then ? Are we to enter a convent or monastery to avoid the harassing effects of contact with society ? No, surely ; but we must learn to balance mind and matter, social intercourse and retirement, active service, and calm meditation, public worship and private prayer, keeping such an equilibrium as to sustain our peace in all. True, we cannot entirely effect this in our present imper- fect state, but we should aim at it. May the God of Peace be with you ! " The Brethren (I call them such to please you, though I think it hardly fair to imply that other Christians are not brethren) are rather on the increase in C , and I * A family word, which he was constantly in the habit of using to express "undue worry." 70 FA THER MA THE W. [chap. hi. regret to say are agitating questions little conducive to edification. I honestly confess I see no safeguard against error in the system (for system it undoubtedly is) of Brethrenism. . . . But I will turn from the subject. I would rather talk about it when we can meet, and have a chat tete-h-tete. Blessed be God, you own me as a brother, though not belonging to that peculiar sect ; and though I often feel unworthy of the appellation, yet I may be thankful that you receive me as such." The following refers to the remarkable Temper- ance movement which took place in Ireland at this time, and so changed the habits of the people as to attract much attention in England as well as in Ireland— " Has the name of ' Father Mathew,' a Cork priest, reached you ? He has produced no common sensation here. I believe it was about a year ago that he took up the cause of Temperance, and at first among his own congregation formed a Total Abstinence Society. I be- lieve his motives were good. He made the people ' promise, with the assistance of God, to keep from all spirituous liquors, &c, except ordered by a physician.' This they pronounced kneeling before him. He then made the figure of the cross over them, and they departed, cured, as they imagined, even of the desire for drink. For some time he has been an itinerant temperance advocate. The superstitious multitudes believe he can not only eradicate all love of whisky, but can cure diseases ; and they have flocked to him in thousands, and certainly many great drunkards have been 'cured/ " He was at Clonmel lately for three days, during which time he enrolled, I believe, about 40,000 names. He stood upon a platform in the court-house from early dawn till midnight. From 300 to 400 were admitted at a time, and 1839.] FATHER MATHEW. 71 prostrating themselves before him, he pronounced the words, and they departed. " So extraordinary is the sensation produced, that it is confidently reported the distilleries will be closed, and that the only persons claiming admittance into the new poorhouse will be the publicans ! Barley has fallen con- siderably in price. Mathew makes them pay for a medal, which they receive from the parish priest according to his direction, so that the sum he has raised is calculated to be something prodigious. The medal has the figure of the Cross on one side, on the other the head of Father Mathew and the words ' Total Abstinence Society.' During his stay in Clonmel, I heard from the common people that night and day the roads were thronged with people coming from a distance to him. " Some politicians are alarmed at it, as O'Connell has now declared himself in favour of the movement, and they march, with staves and green ribbons, in thousands. Just before the rebellion of '98 the people were all sober, and used to meet in organised bodies. However, my opinion is, that Father Mathew, besides really wishing the cause of temperance to prosper, is desirous of raising money for monasteries and chapels, which they are intent on locating in every place of any consequence in Ireland. " I am writing on St. Patrick's Day — a day peculiarly linked with you and my beloved S. in my mind, for she wrote an account of your going to the Irish Society Meeting (which is always held on this day) when you were in Ireland. She always used to wear a shamrock on St. Patrick's Day (as almost all the poor people do), in honour of her country, and the last shamrock she ever wore I gave her. You may imagine it brings a melancholy tide of thought upon my mind, yet I can also say, a blessed sense of her unspeakable peace. " As Irishmen say that a shamrock never grows on English ground, I send you a bit. From early dawn 72 LETTERS FROM DUBLIN. [chap. iti. women with baskets go about the towns crying, ' Sham- rocks, green shamrocks ! ' How melancholy anniversaries are, don't you think so ? . . . . " I must not end this letter without saying that St. Patrick's Day — generally a day of drunkenness— has this year been celebrated by numerous processions of teeto- talers with flags, banners, scarfs, and bands of music. They are called now Mathewites. The day was very favourable for anything of the kind. Certainly the movement is very extraordinary; some fear the most awful results, as it is another proof that the priests, by a single veto, can make the people do anything. "W. P." The following is evidently in reply to some ex- pression of opinion which he considered narrow: " I know how difficult it is to rise from the hazy atmo- sphere of preconceived opinions, and to breathe the free air of the religion of the gospel. Alas ! I know too well what it is to narrow my view to some speck of truth, or some single error, instead of standing on the Mount of Pisgah, and viewing the whole of the journey through the wilderness at once ; and then, as it were, seeing the valleys, the mountains, and the rivers of the heavenly Canaan laid out before the eye. " Thus must God's attributes be viewed. We must take no attribute alone— ' Mercy and truth have met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other.' Thus must God's dealings be viewed. We must mark their bearing, not decide on them too hastily; they will look deformed if only inspected from one side. " So with God's providence. The formation of the uni- verse and the forces which govern it. in fact, everything connected with Deity, must be viewed with eyes that can see each part as belonging to a whole. I839-] LETTERS FROM PORTSTEWART. 73 " And so with Christ's religion ; it, too, must be looked at from high ground, you must take a wide range. It is no narrowing of the mind into some confined spot, but it is the transforming us into the image of God, it is making us like Him; and the more unbiassed and extended our views become, the more we shall be conformed to His image. W. P." Ao-ain he writes from Portstewart — " I was talking to-day to a dear friend, one of God's holy children, Mr. C.'s late butler, a man who has lived with him ever since we knew him ; he has now by numerous providential circumstances become keeper of the Inn at Portstewart; so refined, so devoted a man I never saw in his rank of life. He will not open his house on Sundays, or take out a spirit-licence. Portstewart is beautifully situated on a rocky shore, very healthy, eight miles from the Giant's Causeway and in the neighbourhood of Dunluce; and now it contains a most comfortable and rising Inn, kept by this most devoted saint. Often have I felt when I saw that man attending at dinner, that I ought to have been ministering to him, rather than see him waiting upon me. His very countenance beams calm and spiritual piety. Such a character in such a situation is not often met with. He has regular family prayer. I hope he may succeed. His wife is a good woman, too, and his only aim is to glorify his God, and meet his expenses ; already he has experienced severe trial for refusing gentlemen calling on Sundays for wine, &c, but he is gentle and firm, and thinks when his principles are known that he will not meet the reproach he now does. " 1 believe I have mentioned to you the church which is in process of building at Ventry, and the desire of the poor people to have Mr. Moriarty, who can preach in Irish, resident among them. The church wants funds ; if you can collect money for it send it to A. Kerry is 74 LETTERS FROM PORTSTE WART. [chap. lit. indeed thirsting after God. Mr. Moriarty has preached in many places with great success, and at the funeral of his father, who had in his later years renounced the errors of popery, he addressed a great crowd of people for the first time, in Irish, in a churchyard at the foot of the lofty mountain of Brandon, which precipitously frowns above the roaring waves cf the Atlantic; here hundreds heard the glad tidings of a Saviour's love in their own tongue. "The village of Ventry is on the sea-coast. A remark- able circumstance occurred there lately, which has pro- videntially favoured the spread of truth. A number of poor fishermen in that place entirely support themselves and their families by their nets. The Roman Catholics got permission from their priest to go fishing on a Sabbath-day ; they toiled that day, and on till the afternoon of Monday without success. A Protestant boat's crew went out on Monday, and caught a multi- tude of fish, which were brought to land with great rejoicing. A Roman Catholic fisherwoman was waiting for her own boat, and on seeing it return empty and the Protestant fishermen coming in laden, her wrath burst out in words to the following effect, — ' I gave the priest ten shillings for leave to fish, and as much for blessing the boat, but never a halfpenny of mine shall he get again.' This circumstance has made a wonderful impression in the village." We may add a few more extracts from letters to his cousins, belonging to this year — " I have just come in from Miss J.'s, and brought such exquisite flowers, — they look as if they might have flourished in some heavenly clime. I have left them with darling J. and now hasten to send you a few words of love. . . . " Miss J. gave me quite a scolding because I do not 1 839.] LETTERS TO HIS COUSINS. 75 read Sir Walter Scott's works, and also because I do not intend to go abroad before I settle down as a minister. I told her I would not leave my mother until I should be able to go forth and tell dying sinners of Christ and His salvation. This seemed to surprise her greatly — and as to books, — I know I do not manage my time as well as I might, but I cannot get through nearly all the books I desire to read, so, even putting religious feeling out of the question, I am not likely to read novels. How delightful will it be when our minds shall be so strength- ened and purified, that we shall receive with perfect ease all the knowledge which we are now vainly endeavouring to acquire with such toil and restless anxiety. The power of grasping much that is now unattainable, the insight into character, the full enjoyment of intercourse with one another, are among my bright imaginations of the future state. . . . But oh ! that we may now seek to 'know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings ! ' " "July -yd, 1839. " I have had some enjoyable reading, and was rather glad of the wet weather. ... I like W. much. There is no great talent or originality of thought in what he says? but in his prayers there is such genuine simplicity and such true breathing of the soul to God, as is surely in the sight of Him who seeth not as man seeth ' of great price.' " Mr. C. is very fond of music, and we often have hymns. He is delighted with G.'s tunes, but I can scarcely play them without tears, when I think of the history of the composer. . . . We are fearfully and wonderfully made, and how keen the suffering where the workmanship is exquisite! The Lord does lead His children through deep waters ; and I think unexpressed feelings and conflicts, that cannot be told in words, are often the deepest through which a soul can pass. Our 76 LETTER TO HIS COUSINS. [chap. hi. sensibilities are so manifold, and the channels through which these sensibilities are acted upon by the external world are so numerous, that we are constantly touched and wounded and made to shrink. There is no peace for a sensitive nature until the soul is anchored on God, and finds peace in Hun who gave up His own peace, that He might restore it to those who had not thought it worth the keeping. These remarks are for yourself. Some might call them mere sentiment. " The longer I live the more I feel the importance of main- taining an even temperament of soul, not drooping and not elated— activity without hurry, enjoyment without tumul- tuous excitement, love of solitude without morbid feeling, &c., but, alas ! I am far from having attained to it. I heard Mr. G. preach an interesting sermon on Sunday morning. There was not much of the Gospel message, but a true view of the blessings of holiness, and an earnest panting after them. ... I heard him again in the evening. The tone was simple and holy, but he seemed to take it too much for granted that all baptized persons are really justified. His manner is deeply serious, and his mind very interesting. I have just received your precious letters. Truly ' I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.' ' ( 77 ) CHAPTER IV. 1839- 1840. Spiritual Destitution in Connemara— Visit to Roundstone— Prepara- tions for building a church there— Return to College— Diffi- culties at Roundstone— Second visit to Connemara and to the Islands of Arran— Various letters— Illness of his Sister— Letters from Edinburgh— Return to Dublin— Poem written by one of the Roundstone flock. TTwas in the summer of 1839 that Mr. Penne- *■ father's mind was directed to an object of in- terest, which for several years after occupied much of his time and energy ; and which, while it cost him many anxieties and disappointments, was to cause eventually "many thanksgivings unto God." His brother John had gone on a fishing expedi- tion to the West of Ireland, and had spent some time in the wilds of Connemara. On his return home, when relating his various adventures and experiences, he was eagerly questioned by his brother William as to the religious state of the people in the tract of country through which he had passed. In answer to these inquiries, he expressed his belief that along a great stretch of that wild western coast no Protestant place of worship could 78 VISIT TO CONNEMARA. [chap. iv. be found. He spoke particularly of one spot called Roundstone, where a little flock of Protestants existed, but in great ignorance, without church or pastor, adding that he had heard they would be delighted to welcome a minister. Such tidings could not be a matter of indifference to one whose soul was burning with desire for the salvation of sinners. The long vacation had be- gun ; William had some time at his disposal, and he set himself, with characteristic determination, to collect all needful information respecting the neio-h- bourhood of Roundstone. Having ascertained the names of the landowners and principal resident farmers, and discovered also that the Protestant families, who were partly Presbyterians and partly members of the Church of England, were willing to unite themselves under a minister of either denomin- ation, he determined to pay them a visit, and see for himself. Though his health was still very frail, no difficulties or distance could be allowed to stand in the way, and the following letter describes, in his own words, his first journey to Connemara :— " Knockeevan, " September ith, 1839. 0 I have much of interest and of the Lord's goodness to relate, .which will cause you to thank Him for all His dealings with me. I left Dublin on Friday night, the 30th, upon the top of the Mail, which was full inside, 'and I had a trying journey owing to the incessant rain. We changed guards about half-way from Dublin, and when daylight came, I was struck by the interesting appearance of the 1839-1 VISIT TO CONNEMARA. 79 man we had taken up. He was tall and handsome, and on entering into conversation with him, I found him a very earnest Christian ; he sat on the lug-gage to converse with me, and I knelt on the seat, to change my position and be nearer to him. He refreshed me greatly with an account of God's dealings with him, and the peace which he enjoyed in his own soul. He has three children, and a wife who helps him forward in his heavenly race. I felt quite as if I had met a friend, and when we parted at Galway, it was with grateful feelings at having met by the way. " There were a few gleams of sunshine as the Mail skirted the shores of the bay and entered the old town, which Inglis describes as bearing a Spanish appearance. From Galway to Roundstone is a distance of forty Irish miles. The peasantry along the way interested me ; the women all wear scarlet woollen petticoats, and talk Irish with all the vivacity and rapidity for which that language is famous. The road lies rather near the shore of Lough Corrib, which stretches without apparent boundary to the right, while on all sides the wild rocks and scanty patches of wood, and the hills rising in the distance, make a remarkable though bleak picture. The stage car pro- ceeded slowly, and I indulged my silent propensities for some time, and committed my cares and anxieties into the hands of Him who has never forsaken me. I found my only companion on the car also going to Roundstone, and he was exceedingly interesting, from the intelligence of his conversation and the information he was able to give me of the people and country. The evening light was fading in the sky when we left the high road and wound round the head of Ballinahinch Lake, whose dark wooded islands and old castle and craggy heights were just discernible. This lake was the most picturesque of the many which I passed during the day. " Connemara abounds both in ' bays of the sea,' as its So VISIT TO CONNEMARA. [chap iv. name denotes, and also in lakes inland. Its wild, unculti- vated moors are broken in their stretching barrenness by the sudden rising of some pinnacled hill, or rocky crag, or towering mountain, at whose feet the dark lakes and tarns lie nestling. I felt as if nothing reigned here but the wild eagle, shooting from its castle-like crag, and the waterfall which leaped down the black sides of the precipitous mountains. " I found Mr. R. a very intelligent, well-informed Scotchman, but I had been travelling twenty-four hours and was glad of rest. The next morning was Sunday. It was stormy and rainy, and Mr. R. was not sure of my coming, so had not announced it, and the congrega- tion was small, partly hindered also by the seventy of the day ; but the order, the attention, the love which seemed to exist between the members of the little flock, and their apparent interest in the service, made it deeply interesting to me. It is a singular fact that when Mr. R. was urged by the Presbyterian minister of Galway to apply to Scot- land for a minister, he answered, 'We are such a small band, it would be a pity to divide us, and perhaps the Churchmen would not attend.' He will subscribe largely to our little church, and will superintend the building, and, in the meantime, will himself conduct a service. " I commenced with the Confession, and, while reading the Psalms, Lessons, and Litany, longed for some loved Christian friend to share my happy thoughts; but I blessed God that, though a stranger in this wild spot, 'the barbarous people showed me no little kindness.' The singing was really good. I then prayed that the Lord would look down and behold our condition and visit us with His favour, raising up a pastor to guide, and giving us a temple where the voice of prayer and praise might be heard. I felt refreshed and as if the Lord had heard our prayer. We then sang again, and I spoke for about half an hour on Nehemiah vi. 3. 1839.] VISIT TO CONNEMARA. Si "We met again in the evening, when I spoke on Nehemiah ix. 16, 17. After the service I gave them the books I had brought ; I told them they were to be a little memorial of my coming among them. " The next day I visited some of the people, among whom were an old gentleman and his daughter ; he put an envelope into my hand containing a few stanzas,* as a ' memorial ' to me of my visit, and took me to see a very interesting young woman who has been confined to her bed for four years. Brought up a Roman Catholic, she was hired by an English lady who invited her in to family prayer, where her mind was awakened ; she became anxious for instruction, and determined to go to church. She did so, and the next day, as she was going to fetch water from the well, she was waylaid and beaten so violently that she has never since been able to leave her bed ; yet she blesses God for her heavy chastisement, prays for her enemies, and says her happiest hours have been spent on that sick-bed. " I left Roundstone in the afternoon, and went to Mr. M.'s at Ballinahinch, to meet the mail car in the morning, which passes near his house. He lives in imi- tation of the old princes of Connemara, his house without an avenue in the midst of heath and rocks. He was kind, and said he would lend his assistance and encour- agement to the work at Roundstone. I left next morn- ing in a gig of Mr. M.'s to meet the Mail, and as we were passing over a dark river on a bridge, the parapet of which was broken down, I said to the servant, ' This is a dangerous spot.' At that moment the horse reared, the shafts were smashed, the gig upset, and we were nearly precipitated into the river below, but the Lord saved us — indeed, we were not hurt. After all I was in time for the mail car, and had a prosperous but rather uninteresting journey to Dublin. * These verses are <;iven at the end of this chapter. F 82 COLLECTING MONEY. [chap. IV. " On arriving in town I had an interview with the secretary of the Additional Curates' Fund Society, Mr. A. J. He was interested in my plan, but said that they were not in the habit of granting money to rectors for paying additional curates, where the rector did not reside/ and Mr. T. lives in Dublin. He advised me to raise money for an endowment, and then have the nomination in my own power. I think the Ecclesiastical Commissioners may perhaps assist me ; if not, I must raise the sum of £ 1600. W- P- The work of collecting money, from which he had naturally a most sensitive shrinking, now began, and seemed to belong to him all his life a^an allotted service. It was one which brought him into much communion with God, and much experience of His faithfulness to His trusting people. While diligent in the use of all reason- able means for collecting funds, he strongly ob- jected to a style of appeal which seemed, as he said, " to make God's cause a beggar at the worlds footstool ! " " My Father owns the wealth of the universe," was his answer to the apprehensions of unbelief ; and that Father manifestly honoured the faith of His child, though often testing it by a variety of trials. On the present occasion we find many allusions to discouragements and " wet blankets," very painful to a young beginner, but much thankfulness also, both to God and man, for cheering kindness and liberality. One feature which always characterised his col- 1839.} DIVINITY LECTURES. 83 lections, an exceeding value for the contributions of the poor, was not wanting in the early days of Roundstone. He writes — " Knockeevan, " October 30///, 1839. " Your account of dear Maria Rigg * melted my heart. Thank her many, many times, and her dear aunt for their precious pennies, and remind them of ' the cup of cold water given to a disciple,' which our Saviour looks upon as given to Himself. Your mention of Maria having, for twenty years, sought the Lord's teaching from His sacred Word five times a day, humbles me indeed. I feel it truly a blessing to be acquainted with such a dear child of God. "How beautifully ripe she seems for glory. Your account of the little child made me melancholy, yet why should it, when I remember the Good Shepherd carrieth the lambs in His bosom ; may she feel that He cherishes and watches over her with tender care." For some months things looked hopeful, and Roundstone was the subject of unceasing prayer, while many a plan was devised for its future benefit. Towards the close of 1839 he writes — " I am now attending Dr. O'Brien's interesting Divinity Lectures. They are highly useful and profitable. Our class is large, a hundred and thirteen attend. I have com- menced Hebrew, and shall attend the Lectures on that language, also Dr. Singer's Lectures, which are very in- structive : not dry criticisms on Scripture, but a devout searching into its meaning. He is Assistant Divinity Lecturer. These studies, you may imagine, keep me very busy. " Thank you many times for all your exertions about * A poor old woman in Kendal. U DIFFICUL TIES AT RO UNDSTONE. [chap. IV. Roundstone. I have had an interesting letter from the Bishop, which most likely will relieve my friends and my- self from begging, at least for the endowment of the church. He has liberally offered, not only to pay a curate at Roundstone (and I hear from Dr. O'Brien that the person named is a good man), but also another in some other part of the Union. He adds that he thinks the Ecclesiastical Commissioners will help considerably with the church. If all this is effected, the efforts of my kind friends will not be much longer needed. However, I intend to go on raising money, that, in case he is not able to carry out what he proposes, I may still have sufficient to endow the church. Miss D. has just sent me such a large sum ! £33, 3s. Miss L., too, has been most kind. I am very anxious about the little library I am trying to establish at Roundstone. . . . Mr. B. is an excellent man, but his preaching seemed to me too declamatory and verbose, wanting in arrangement and calm handling of the subject." But the work was not to be so easy, or the way so smooth, as at first appeared. In the early months of 1840 we find that letters sent to Round- stone were not answered, and no direct information could be obtained. We extract from a letter written at this time— " I was greatly distressed, especially as I heard by report that the Synod of Ulster had sent a Presbyterian minister to the place, and were about to build a chapel ; and that this minister and the curate appointed by the Bishop did not agree, and were not working in harmony ! At length, wearied with hearing nothing but casual reports, I wrote to Ballinahinch, begging Mrs. M. to send me a few lines. She did so, saying that they did not now expect any help from the Bishop for the furtherance of my object, 1 810.] DIFFICUL TIES A T ROUNDSTONE. 8 5 and that the foundation of the new Presbyterian chapel was to be laid on the 3rd of April. I was greatly per- plexed, and as Dr. O'Brien was ill, I could not consult him, so I determined to write to Mr. S. and enclose the letter, which spoke for itself. Mr. S. quite agrees with me that it will be better to give them place. Surely the land is large enough to hold us, and so many localities are thirsting for the glad tidings of the Gospel of Peace. I shall be greatly obliged for your help, when I am ready to acquaint those friends who have contributed with my plans, but I shall do nothing until I have visited the place." In the next letter we find further arrangements for carrying out this thought of going as soon as possible to Roundstone. " April 2$tht 1840. " D. seems to have been greatly refreshed and com- forted in London by Mr. G.'s sermons. She thinks he is the best preacher she ever heard, and says he is a little in Mr. Cleaver's style ; but I say no one could come up to him ; he moves in a region above this lower world. I saw his heavenly countenance the other day, and it did me good. He invited me to Delgany, but I cannot go. The little flock in the west prevents my going, where I should otherwise be strongly tempted to run for a fortnight, even to dear Westmoreland. " I am distressed about Roundstone, but not ' cast down;' I agree with you, in what you say about opposi- tion; I only go, because I think it is right to visit the place; my subscribers, too, might think me otherwise wanting in zeal. Now, for my plans. My examination days are, Thursday, April 30th, and Friday, May 1st. I propose to leave town that same Friday night, as I wish to spend a Sunday at Roundstone, and I am greatly hurried. I desire if possible to go from Roundstone to Sligo, and from thence g6 JO URNE Y TO RO UNDS TONE. [chap. iv. to Strabane. I must be in town on the 17th, when my Divinity Lectures begin, and the journey to Sligo may not be practicable, in which case, I should remain with Mr. M. at Ballinahinch Castle a few days longer." Then follows a detailed account of the journey to Roundstone — " Ballinahinch Castle, "May $th, 1840. " According to my promise, I sit down to give you some details about the last few days. " I left Dublin on Friday night ; the dewy mists, which we have had lately, made it cold, and I was delighted to find myself drawing near to Galway after more than eleven hours outside the coach. The good guard I wrote of before got on the coach at Moat, so I had the pleasure of renewing my acquaintance with him, and having some pleasant conversation. I left Galway at 12.30, and have seldom, if ever, felt the heat of the sun more intense than when, without any shelter, we traversed the wild region of country from Galway to this place. I arrived about 8 o'clock. When I left Galway a gentleman got up on the mail car, who appeared to be a clergyman. I found he knew accurately all about Roundstone and all my perplexities. It was a great cheer to me to talk to him. By a curious coincidence, before he got on the car I had been thinking what I should do regarding Roundstone, and had chalked out a plan which I thought might answer ; and in the course of conversation he suggested the very same idea, namely, that I should pitch my little tabernacle on one of the islands of Arran. There is an Irish reader there who has been a great blessing to the place, and both Roman Catholics and Protestants are anxious about religion. " There are about eighty Protestants, and the Irish Island Society are proposing to pay a minister there. 1840.] VISIT TO ROUNDSTONE. 87 Great Arran contains a good harbour and excellent pas- turage. It is about twenty-four miles from Roundstone, situated amid the wild waves of the Atlantic. " I still see difficulty in the way, but I think this is the 'square stone!' on which I will plant my little church. Mr. West, the curate of Roundstone, promises to use all his influence with the Bishop. "And now I must turn to a painful subject — " I rode to Roundstone on Sunday on Miss M.'s pony ; and went to the house where I had preached, but, alas ! the flock was scattered ; there were only fourteen present. The Presbyterians were carrying on their service in another room, and a bitter spirit had rent the body. " However, I got leave to meet all together, and after a little difficulty and hesitation in some quarters, we assembled at 6 o'clock in the Presbyterian room. Some were present who had not met for a long time, and between whom unpleasant feelings existed. I preached on Ephesians iv. 4-6, and to my joy Mrs. and Mr. shook hands when the service was over. I trust the Lord's presence was among us. To me it was a great pleasure, though the occasion which led to it was a painful one. Discordant feeling had risen to a melancholy pitch. Both parties were in the wrong ; both were injudicious. Mr. — — -, though anxious for the welfare of the people, and desirous to honour his Master, is very weak, low-spirited, and ready to take offence." The satisfactory and permanent effect of this peace-making visit reminds us of the memorial sketch already quoted. His friend says — " It would hardly be giving a fair portrait of him in these early years not to mention the power he even then exercised over others — a kind of gentle force, by which he seemed able to lead them to do as he wished, in a way 88 ISLAND OF ARRAN. [chap. iv. which I never remember to have observed in any one else. We used to smile at and enjoy what we called his * gift of ride' Was it not the foreshadowing of that force and power which came forth in after years, to the admiration of so many, ever connected as it was with such kindness and consideration for all." Another letter gives some particulars of the same visit to Connemara — rt I visited the poor girl who was so injured for becom- ing a Protestant, and found her in a happy state, but very suffering. A lady had given me a pound for her, and I found that she had been three days without any- thing to eat or drink, but a piece of bread and cold water. Poor creature, she seemed overpowered with gratitude. " The scenery here is very uncommon and very inter- esting, at some parts beautiful, and I have taken several sketches. " I was up early on Monday morning, hoping to be soon off; but our large and unpunctual party did not assemble till nearly nine o'clock, and it was almost ten when we set sail, with a fair, fresh wind. I was very ill (of course), but we had a quick passage of three hours and ten minutes, and landed at Port Murray, the nearest port on the Galway side. As I crawled up the sandy bank I descried a pleasant-looking school-house, which was a great cheer to my heart, and on reaching it found it was built by the Island Society. There was a nice school- master teaching a few children and some adults. His name is Hogan ; he seems a real Christian, and a very interesting man, a convert from Romanism, — the means of his conversion the Irish Scriptures. But he speaks English remarkably well, as indeed do most of the inhabi- tants of Arran and Connemara, though Irish is their ver- nacular tongue, and the language of their hearts. " We saw a great deal of Hogan during our two days' 1840.] ISLAND OF ARRAN. 8q visiting on the Island, and everything we saw raised him in our estimation. He is clever, unassuming, and most zealous, with a very holy mind. He has suffered bitter persecution for the truth's sake." The letter goes on to give an interesting descrip- tion of the island itself, with its geographical and geological peculiarities, and many touching details of visits anions its inhabitants, but too lono- for insertion. The party slept at a small farmhouse " where there were two tolerably clean beds," and returned to Galway on the evening of the second day. Mr. Pennefather proceeded at once to lay his difficulties and proposed plan before the Bishop, and writing from Tuam says — 11 1 have just spent an hour with the Bishop. He was very civil, wanted me to stay the night, and invited me at any time I came to Connemara, to make Tuam my way. He told me he had not the least objection to my building a church at Arran, and would wish it erected immediately, adding that he would consecrate it in the summer. " With reference to the minister he said he thought it could easily be managed by the Irish Island Society and the Curates' Fund ; so I think I will, if I can arrange matters with Mr. D., the proprietor of Arran, com- mence immediately, and leave the appointment of a minister to the Lord's guidance. I ought to be thankful that things have progressed even so far, and I must only pray and hope for the remainder, but sometimes I am faithless and desponding." It may be well to mention here, though we are somewhat anticipating, that these plans for the po NEW PLANS FOR ROUNDSTONE. [chap. iv. Island of Arran were not accomplished. There was much correspondence, and many hopes and fears. Difficulties arose with regard to the pur- chase of land, and it seemed possible that the existing school-rooms might be made available for such services as would be carried on, the Protestant population being as yet small. Mr. Pennefather, not to be baffled in a scheme deliberately and prayerfully undertaken, again turned his thoughts to Roundstone. We should rather say his hopes, for that wild spot had never lost its place in his heart. We find continual reference to it in writing to different friends. " Got up early and thought and prayed about my little flock at Roundstone.,, " How my heart goes after those few sheep in the wilderness ! " " Do you remember to pray for Roundstone ? " and many similar allusions. His visit and efforts had not been in vain, and the aspect of things had become more peaceable and encourao-inor In a letter which we introduce o o here, though of somewhat later date, we find the following : — " You will be glad to hear that Roundstone has lately got a minister who, from what I can hear, is likely to be a real blessing to the place ; and as there are difficulties about placing a church in Arran, the people having a school-house and seeming hardly ripe for more, I am thinking now of commencing the church at Roundstone. Will you pray for me and for it ? " It has been an anxious business, but I hope will prove 1840.] IRISH ISLANDS. 9T a rich blessing. Do you ever think of the Irish Islands ? There are afflicted, persecuted, yet noble followers of the Lamb there. A few days since I had one of the natives of Arran with me, one who has been persecuted nearly to death for the religion of Jesus. He has been in Dublin for some time preparing to teach the glad tidings of salvation in the Island of Innismurray, where the people have neither priest nor Protestant pastor. He is a man of a holy, humble spirit. I saw him the day he left; we knelt together in prayer that God would prosper his work, keep him in His faith and fear, and bless him abundantly. " He is one who was himself bound in the chains of sin and superstition. How we need to pray for such humble labourers ! . . . Tell Mr. I hope he prays, too, for a weak brother, who is soon to stand up as an ambassador for Christ, a dispenser of the truth ! Surely the place is holy ground. Oh ! that I may ever go forth in the strength of the Lord, making mention of His righteous- ness, and of His only ! " We return to the intervening months, and give a few short extracts on various subjects. "1840. " My beloved Friend, " As I have lately been considering the work and offices of the Eternal Spirit, I have prayed that you might fully partake of and enjoy the glorious results of that blessed work. I think we often lose sight of the peculiarity of the present dispensation. We do not suffi- ciently consider the exalted position of believers, and are too apt to look upon the happiness of those who walked and lived with our Lord, when on earth, in contrast with our dispensation, to the disparagement of the latter; yet, if we reflect, we shall have to acknowledge the glorious truth that our position is more favourable to spirituality, 92 LETTERS FROM DUBLIN. Ichap. iv and therefore more blessed. Was Christ a Comforter to His disciples when on earth? We have 'another Com- forter.' Did He speak of the things which belonged to their peace ? We have One who will bring all things to our remembrance, whatsoever He hath said. Did He pray for them ? We have Him, not interceding as an afflicted man on earth, but as a glorified High Priest above, and we have the Eternal Spirit to 'walk in us, and dwell in us/ and to intercede for us here below. " We have a glorious communication thrown open for us between earth and heaven, we have the Spirit of wisdom, joy, and love, willing to abide with us for ever; we have Him to unfold the glories of a Saviour's love, and to exalt us to the place where Christ is gone before. Oh blessed thoughts ! May we ever, as we live in the Spirit, walk in the Spirit." "Trinity College, 1840. " My Missionary Lecture has not yet been delivered, but it will take place on Wednesday. Some divinity examina- tions interfered with the previous arrangements. "Yesterday D. and I went to hear Robert M'Ghee, at Harold's Cross church. He is preaching upon the Creed, and yesterday his text was 1 John i. 3, in con- nection with the 'Holy Catholic Church and the Com- munion of Saints,' which he made explanatory of each other. The subject was splendid. He showed that the Communion of Saints is the sense of union with believers in virtue of union with Jesus, that it is feeling consciously united to that glorious company who have passed into the heavens, to the worshipping thousands who are still on earth, and to those who yet shall enter into the family of the redeemed. Not mere church fellowship nor union of creeds, but unity of soul. With reference to this deeply- interestaig subject, I heard dear Mr. Irwin preach beauti- fully upon Hebrews xii. 18-24, drawing attention strikingly 1840.] LETTERS FROM KNOCKEEVAN. 93 to the actual possession into which the reception of the Gospel introduces the sinner. All things become his, things present and things to come, and therefore it can be said with truth, ' ye are come,' &c. u I wish I could show you St. Peter's school ; I teach there every Wednesday for about an hour. It is an ad- mirable school, the information of the children is quite extraordinary. It sometimes puzzles me to find suitable questions for them. There is a danger in teaching such children, lest one should be so occupied with their heads as to exclude their hearts. But I must end. " W. P." u Knockeevan, " October 22nd. "Dr. O'Brien is a great invalid, and I fear he will not be able to lecture next term, which will be a great loss to us divinity students. I have been reading Mrs. S.'s Psalter, and like the interpretation of the Hebrew titles extremely. " The Psalms have ever been to me an unfailing spring of living water; — when wearied thev have refreshed me; in sickness they have almost restored me ; in joy they have given me words to express my thankfulness; in sorrow they have been a channel in which my grief flowed, leading me away from myself to ' behold and see if there was ever sorrow like unto His sorrow.' "Like Jerusalem, situated in the centre of the world and the joy of the whole earth, that heavenly city which shall yet be established in the beauty of holiness, they lie, as it were, in the very heart of the Word of God, and seem to me as the fairest spot in that land which floweth with milk and honey ; they are at once the soul of the Old Testament and the sun of the New, the index of the mind of Him who is the glory of the Invisible God, and the sympathising Friend and Companion of His people." 94 LETTER FROM DUBLIN. [chap. IV. " Dublin (the exact date does not appear). 11 1 did not tell you that I went to meet Mr. ; the dear man was to drink tea with Miss P., and she asked me to join them. Some of 'the Brethren ' were there and four or five members of the Church of England. We read I Thess. v. and had some general conversation ; then Mr. spoke, unfolding the love of God and the conse- quent privileges and duties of believers. It was animating and practical. We had the hymn, ' Head of the Church triumphant/ and prayer. Then he spoke on his own particular views, more strongly than I had heard him do before. " I love him dearly, but must think these views, in many respects, very erroneous. Mr. B. and I had some nice conversation in a quiet corner ; we spoke on the neglect both among individuals and churches of the due exalta- tion of the Holy Ghost. The personality of the Blessed Spirit is not sufficiently considered. I think, too, there is a danger with some of forcing growth too much in young believers. Should we not remember our dear Lord's words which may be applied to such forcing, when He spoke of the seed which ' sprang up immediately,' and ' immediately withered away.' Well, the Lord is accom- plishing His purposes in the midst of all the confusion that is around. May we be kept daily by His power, continually advancing in holiness, made meet for that inheritance which has been purchased for us by the blood of Jesus ! 11 You ask me what I think of the Oxford Tracts. As far as I know their peculiarities, they seem to me at variance with the Word of God, and contrary to the true teaching of the Church of England ; so think more learned men than I, Dr. O'Brien, Dr. Singer, &c. But they are not spreading in Ireland. We see too much of what real Popery is to countenance anything which seems to tread in its steps. I cannot understand how those who hold 1 840.]" ILLNESS OF HIS SISTER. 95 such views can remain in the position of Dissenters (for such they surely are) from the Romish Church." Again, about the same time — " I have been thinking of Arnside, and our happy walk there, but truly do I rejoice that you say I am brought to your mind, not only by hill and dale, poetry and music, classic learning and mere earthly associations. . . . "You well knew my mind, beloved friend, when you said I would value much more being linked with scenes where Christ is named, where His kingdom is spoken of, where His children talk of His glory ! I am thankful that then and there you remember me. God grant that I may ever share your holiest thoughts, and come into your mind when heaven is the subject of your contemplation. . . . "Yes! I remember the person you mention, who was at Maria Rigg's, and seemed refreshed by our meeting. Such seasons are indeed eternal, ' like circles widening round upon a clear blue river,' their effects know no termination. Should not such a thought make us diligent to lay up treasure ' where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt.' " But amid all these varied interests and labours a weight of sorrow was resting on his heart. His only remaining sister, Mrs. Maxwell, had fallen into very delicate health shortly after her marriage, and during the months that had followed, her own suf- ferings and the anxiety of those who loved her were continually on the increase. The effects of illness telling on the nervous system took the form of intense mental depression, and she, who had been the messenger of peace and sunshine to others, lost all joy in life and all hope of salvation. 96 VISIT TO EDINBURGH. [chap. iv. It would be impossible to give a faithful record of her brother's life without alluding to this, the abiding grief of so many years, the unceasing 'sub- ject of so many prayers. His affectionate anxiety for her, and deep sympathy with her beloved husband, ever seemed to weave a thread of sadness into the happiest moments of his life. Though light occasionally broke in, the gleams were transient; and none but those who knew the sorrow could realise the joyful thanksgiving of many hearts when the cloud was eventually lifted, and the bright spirit completely emancipated before the call came, " to enter into the joy of her Lord." It was in the spring of 1840, on his return from the visit to Connemara and Arran already described, that Mr. Pennefather was unexpectedly called upon to accompany his mother to England to meet her invalid daughter. The friends, whose faithful love always abounded in acts of kindness to himself and his family, had received her into their house, and from thence the whole party went to Scotland for further medical advice. This will account for the date of the following letter — " Edinburgh, "June nt/i, 1840. " Here we are, in this city which I dreamt of in child- hood, and in riper years panted to behold ! .... But oh! what changes have passed over us, and with what a sad heart have I entered it now ! " My darling mother is wonderfully well after the long journey. I took an inside place in the coach, that she 1840.] JOURNEY TO EDINBURGH. 97 might sleep on my shoulder, which she did. We had a splendid night, and though we could not see much, the valley of the Esk was most beautiful. As we wound up the high ground above Kendal, how smilingly did the valley lie beneath us, a valley now so dear to my heart ! I looked at Kentmere, at the Ambleside mountains, Whit- barrow, Morecambe Bay, and the beautiful vale of the Kent, and felt as though Westmoreland were the place of my birth. We were delighted with Penrith. The mountains around the head of Ullswater were blue as the heavens to which they towered, and Helvellyn and Saddleback brought crowds of recollections to my mind. At Carlisle we found a letter to say that the dear tra- vellers had pressed on; and when we arrived here I found that D. had borne the journey better than I expected. After a little rest and breakfast, I went out to see the city in the early morning. It was about five o'clock when I reached the summit of Arthur's Seat. The view was splendid. The city had not yet awakened from its still- ness. In solitary grandeur, like a presiding spirit, the old and gallant Castle towered on high, and Holyrood Palace, lying wrapped in the mantle of the past, slum- bered at my feet. I think Edinburgh very grand, but the Hill, which is to imitate the Areopagus and the ancient structures of Greece, seems to me a melancholy specimen of human folly, and tends considerably to mar the effect which Edinburgh undoubtedly produces. I read and prayed at the top of Salisbury Crag: all was still, only a few white sails flitted over the Firth, and I was 'delightfully alone.'" And again, in a later letter — "Yesterday evening I was again on the Calton Hill; most of the city towards the east was wrapped in gloom. The colossal rock, with the old Castle surmounting it, looked as though presiding in silence over the city, and 98 RETURN TO DUBLIN. [chap. iv. twilight shed its sombre influence over the whole scene ; when the sun, as though just taking a farewell glance at us, looked forth from a wreath of dark clouds. In a moment a kind of golden light shot across the Firth, the old but- tresses of the Castle caught the glow, and the gloomy vapour, which hovered over the city, was changed into a mantle of glory." After a week spent in Edinburgh, he returned alone to Dublin for college lectures, leaving his sister somewhat improved. "5 Merrion Square, Dublin, " June i Mi, 1840. "Here I am, thank God, after a very severe passage of thirty-three hours. I was very ill and suffered greatly, but I feel wonderfully well this morning. I have, of course, missed my lecture of yesterday, but I trust I shall not lose my term, — indeed, I am almost sure I shall not. The country from Edinburgh to Glasgow is unin- teresting. We remained at Greenock nearly an hour, but of course I could not judge of the beauty of the Clyde, as it blew hard, and at times rained in torrents. In Dublin Bay, though still blowing fresh, the sun shone forth, and the Wicklow mountains looked beautiful." This power of enjoying external beauty, even under the most unlikely circumstances, went with him to the end of his days. 1840.] MEMORIAL LINES FROM ROUNDSTONE. 99 " September 2nd, 1839. On the Proposed Building of the Church at Roundstone. (Written by a Member of the tittle Congregation.) "Amidst the wilds of Erin's Isle, A feeble flock were left to stray j No pastor cheered them with his smile, Within no temple's sacred aisle Could these poor wanderers pray ! w There, mountains form a barrier rude O'er which few care to roam; And seldom travellers dare intrude Where wretchedness and famine brood, Midst rocks and billows' foam. " At length a pitying stranger came, Inspired with holy love. Blest be that gentle Christian's name ! Blest He who gave the sacred flame — Our heavenly Friend above ! " No longer feeble, faint, and few, Without a home or guide ; God's courts shall soon our strength renew, A kind and faithful pastor too His mercy shall provide. "But he, through whom these gifts are sent, Oh ! may his path be bright ; In Jesu's name still eloquent, Willing to spend and still be spent, Be his ' a shining light ! ' u Memorials * of his visit here Our grateful hearts shall prize ; And when our temple's walls appear, Within its courts, deep and sincere, Shall prayer for him arise ! " * Books distributed by Mr. Pennefather on his first visit to Roundstone f ICO ) CHAPTER V 1840-1841. Takes his degree— Divinity course— Proposed curacy at Ballymacus'n —Letters— Increased delicacy of health— Journey to Cromore— Family trials— Reopening of Bethesda Chapel, Dublin— Spiritual conflicts— Leaves Knockeevan — Various letters — Tour for the Irish Islands— Death of a cousin— Ordination at Durham— First sermon at Levens— Preaches at Bethesda— Enters on his curacy — Letters. TN 1840 Mr. Pennefather took his Bachelor's Degree,* and entered on the last year of his divinity course. He says, in writing to a friend — " I have much to study this last year— Church History, Church Government, Biblical History, Biblical Interpreta- tion and manuscripts, Internal Evidence, &c. I know you will pray for me." In the course of the summer a proposal was very unexpectedly made to him respecting a future sphere of ministerial labour. Arley Cottage, where he had often visited his brother-in-law, on the banks of Loch Sheelan, in the County of Cavan, was situated in the parish of Ballymacugh, and the rector of that parish suggested to Mr. Maxwell that Mr. * He sometimes regretted that in his busy life he had never "found time" to take his Master's Degree. 1840.] PROSPECT OF A CURACY. ioi Pennefather, when ordained, should act as his curate, though without stipend (which he was unable to provide), and reside at Arley Cottage. Writing from the Cottage he thus speaks of the proposal — " Such a plan never once crossed my mind, I never sought or desired it. I see some advantages, and I also see that, as I am to receive no stipend, no other person is likely to accept the curacy, and the population of 900 Protestants, schools, &c, would remain neglected. There are, however, objections which I clearly see : — 1st. That as I shall be obliged to live in this house, there being no other (or if there were, I could not live in it as I am to receive no pay), I shall not be at the same liberty to pursue my course of mental discipline, and my daily routine of parish duties, as if I were totally alone. 2nd. That the comforts here may be adverse to my growth in grace. If ever I formed for a moment any dream of ministerial labour, it was in such a place as Arran, a complete missionary field. It has, however, been the prevailing feeling of my mind that while my prospect of working as a minister was distant, I should be careful neither as to the place where I should be located, nor the duties which might devolve upon me. Now, however, since my lot has been in some measure denned, I seem to see something of the vastness of the work. Oh, what is it to watch for souls as one that must give account ! To warn the unruly, comfort the feeble-minded, support the weak, give to every man spiritually as he needeth ! I am some- times greatly oppressed with the sense of responsibility, and pray that if the present plan be not for the glory of God, the good of souls, and my own advancement in grace, something may occur to prevent it. I have said 102 LETTER FROM ARLEY COTTAGE, [chap. v. to the Lord, ' Here1 am I, send me/ and I have always felt that He would open a way for me, I did not much care where" To his English friends, who congratulated him on this prospect, he writes — " Arley Cottage, " Ait 'gust 21st, 1840. " I smiled, in reading your letter, when I came to the part which spoke of my residence here. You think that my future parishioners are refined and cultivated people ! There are but two or three families in the parish in the rank of gentlemen, almost all the rest are poor and indi- gent. Were you to see the misery and filth and pigs which I have to visit, you would indeed be surprised. "When visiting Maria Rigg, I have been amused at your apologies about the room not being ' tidied up ; ' here I have gone to visit a poor woman, and found pigs feed- ing on the floor ! — T. don't say this to make you pity vie, but only to show you that in point of dirt and wildness of people, one part of Ireland is to an English eye pretty much the same as another. There are exceptions to the ordinary state of things, but an Irish clergyman will always meet among some of his parishioners dirt and wretched- ness, such as Englishmen never witness. " The church here is nearly deserted ; the children, though intelligent, are very ignorant, and the people for the most part asleep. . . . Have you ever seen a very nice tract, called ' General Union for private prayer.' * It is simply giving eight heads for prayer, to be made use of by individuals, separately, in all parts of the world, on every Saturday between seven and eight o'clock in the morning, if convenient. It is by Mr. Dallas, an English clergyman, a most delightful person. I have used it for some time with pleasure and profit ; I will send you one, * This was one of the first associations for united prayer, now so common. 1840.] Union for pra yer. 103 and ask you to join. The subjects for prayer are as follows : — " 1st. For an abundant gift of the Holy Spirit and of His gracious influences. " 2nd. For the purity and unity of the Church of Christ. " 3rd. For the Queen and all in authority under her, and for a blessing on our country. "4th. That God would raise up in great numbers fit persons to serve in the sacred ministry. " 5th. That a blessing may accompany the ministrations of the Word of God, in order that it may have free course and be glorified. " 6th. For the propagation of the gospel among the heathen. " 7th. For the fulfilment of God's promises to His ancient people. " 8th. For a special blessing upon all the members of the Union. " I feel it oftentimes peculiarly delightful to think that there is a glorious band of worshippers pleading before the Lord, week after week, for these heavenly blessings, and I cannot but feel it as one of those many preparations which seem to mark the approach of His advent. " I hear Mr. Dallas's parish is most beautiful — he is one who looks forward with great animation to Christ's appearing. The Lord has wonderfully answered his prayers for his people. " More and more I feel prayer to be our only resource. Prospects are so dark, sin so abounding, the love of many waxing cold ; but I know He is Almighty. The Eternal Spirit is interceding with groanings which cannot be uttered. The eternal world opens brightly to our view, and, no longer shackled with the trammels of time and sense, we breathe the air of eternity, and rejoice in the resources of the great ' I Am.' Pray for me, that I may labour, not as in the sight of man but God, that I may 104 DELICACY OF HEALTH. [chap. v. be supported under ministerial discouragements and dis- appointments, and be kept humble under encouraging evidence of success. I feel sometimes well-nigh over- whelmed with the prospect which opens before me ; and again I feel that help is laid upon One who is mighty, and therefore I should not be cast down. " I have a great deal to do at present, and am trying to learn Irish, which I hope to prosecute during the summer, as I don't intend to go in for Dr. O'Brien's Divinity Premium in November. W. P." Before the close of the summer returning symp- toms of illness caused anxiety to his friends, and he was persuaded to consult an eminent physician, who recommended a sojourn on the Continent, which, however, he felt to be impracticable. The following letter refers to this proposal : — " Merrion Square, "August ijth (probably), 1840. " I must say that your most thoughtful and kind pro- posal about a tour was very like you. I think it not unlikely I may go next year for a short time, but I do not look forward. The Pyrenees or the Alps would answer the purpose ; and oh! what joy to me, if I were to go, to have you both for my travelling companions ! Should my health be restored previous to that time, I would relinquish the idea,* or, at any rate, many things might occur to pre- vent it. " Dr. S. advised me to travel with friends ; he did not think me able to travel abroad alone, and he said that in my present state of health I should be certainly quite un- fit for clerical duty, even if I were ready to be ordained. " This is just the way things stand. I am, thank God, * His health improved, and he was ordained without further delay. 1840.] LETTER FROM DUBLIN. 105 better than I was some time ago, my cough is less trouble- some, and the weakness and pain in my back not so distressing ; often, indeed, I say to myself how much better am I than I deserve to be ! Mr. is still in London, his movements are always very uncertain. I long to see him, he is very dear to my heart. I like him much the best of any of his little community that I have met, he has so much of that spirit which should really nil the heart of a Christian ' brother.' Oh ! for more of it, that we may open wide the arms of love, and embrace, as our beloved Lord was wont to do, all who are willing to come within them to be pressed to our bosom. "Are we not one? We speak the same language, we bear the same image, we have the same ' name,' are clothed in the same garments, adopted by the same Parent, ani- mated by the same Spirit, united to the same Father's throne, because united to the same Redeemer ; shall we then refuse to own one another because we are not in the same regimental uniform, though we are soldiers of the same Captain, engaged in the same warfare, and shall partake of the same victory ? " Oh no ! let not Satan be able to say that among his troops he finds unity, while the soldiers of the Cross are hewing each other down ! Yet I quite agree with you, that we should never have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness under pretext of being ' all things to all men.' " I heard to-day from Mr. G. that he was going to Levens, and I shall trouble him with this and a copy of my verses,* which I should have sent sooner, but really they are paltry things, and I know you will be disap- pointed, if you will only have the boldness to say so ! There are more prize poems than one, so I was not the only successful one. I do not believe they are ever printed, except, perhaps, in very particular cases. They * A Poem which had just gained the prize. 106 TIMES OF TRIAL. [chap. v. must be short, that is a necessary qualification, if not the principal one. There are one or two allusions which I daresay your classical mind can supply. The bearer 01 this letter is a very humble, holy Christian, whose acquaint- ance I greatly value. You ask about my ministerial work. I have had but little lately ; at Knockeevan I shall have Sunday evening services at the steward's house as usual. I enjoy it much ; it is all extempore — Lecture and prayer. Bear me in mind before God, I am very weak and need every prop. W. P." But this year was not to close without still heavier clouds. Family trials appear to have accumulated during the autumn months, and the sympathies of one who lived but to minister, and to sacrifice himself in the service of others, were drawn upon to a painful extent. Very weak in health, and pressed almost " above measure," his own unceasing prayer to be " altogether purified " was receiving the Father's answer, though the frail vessel seemed, as he said himself, " ready to perish " under the Refiner's hand. We make a few brief extracts from letters written at this time — "How little do we know what is before us ; instead ol being in Dublin to-morrow, as I supposed, I expect to be setting out with D. on a tedious journey to Cromore. We are passing through bitter trial, but, thank God, I feel Him to be ' a present help in time of trouble.' Were I not sensible of His Presence, I could not for a moment go on. All is so dark, but by His light I walk through darkness And yet sometimes I feel past feeling, as if nothing would move me. Do you know what that is ? I should think not. A cold, frozen, paralyzed state, in which you move through scenes of bitterness like an automaton ! To Him I340.] RE-OPENING OF BETHESDA CHURCH. 107 who ' turneth the shadow of death into the morning ' I commend you." And again — " I have been bitterly tried in the trials of others ; but perhaps the Lord has more completely taught me my foolishness and nothingness." And after various matters of detail, the letter ends with these words — " But enough, We shall be holy I " Late in the autumn we find him for a short time in Dublin ; and an account of the re-opening of Bethesda Church, so dear to many hearts, may be interesting — " Knockeevan, " December 1yd, 1840. u Last Sunday week dear M. A. D. and I went to Bethesda in the evening. It was the opening of the new chapel ; the former one was burned down upon the awful night of the great storm in January 1839. It 1S now rebuilt upon a larger and more commodious scale. Bethesda is the ' St. John's Chapel, Bedford Row/ * of Dublin — a 'house of mercy,' where the glad tidings of the Gospel were proclaimed with power when much dark- ness lay around. Here the faithful Mr. Mathias, for many years, amid much persecution and contumely, raised the banner of the cross, and sheltered within the fold many a trembling disciple of the lowly Jesus. " Mr. John Gregg, of Trinity Church, preached in the morning the opening sermon, and Mr. Krause, the appointed chaplain, in the evening. He was lately curate of Cavan, and a great friend of 'the good Lady Farnham.' * The well-known church where Richard Cecil, Daniel Wilson, the Hon. and Rev. B. W. Noel, and others, laboured so successfully. 10S LETTER FROM KNOCKEEVAN. [chap. v. " He was once an officer, and echoed the shout of victory on the plains of Waterloo; he became afterwards Private Secretary to the late Lord Farnham, and comparatively late in life entered the ministry of the Church. " His sermon was deeply interesting (2 Cor. iv. 1), upon the dignity and fulness of the Christian ministry, ordained by God, fragrant with blessings to man, deeply fraught with responsibilities both to pastor and flock. The sermon was to me peculiarly interesting ; I could not help realising what my feelings would be in a similar situa- tion ; and oh ! how fearfully near my entrance into the ministry sometimes seems. I think my sense of its awful responsibility daily increases. I almost shrink at the sanctity of the office, and at the thought of the neces- sary qualification ' rightly to fulfil the same/ Yet cannot Jehovah make the weak things of this world to confound the mighty ? Cannot He clothe me in armour suited to the battle ? If I am not arrayed in the burnished steel that secures man's admiration, yet, relying on the God of Israel, I can go forth without many (if any) human weapons, and slay the enemy who opposes my way continually. W. P." We close the year 1840 with one more extract from a letter, written from Knockeevan. "Knockeevan, " December 29///, 1 840 " I ought to have written sooner, but when my mind is battling with a flood of unholiness and 'torrents of temp- tation,' I cannot bear to commune with absent friends. Such hours are best spent alone. I wish only to be a reflector of the rays from the Celestial City to your soul. Oh! that the Sun of Righteousness might cause me continually to shine with a borrowed light. The year is fast closing upon me, a year of darkness, yet with some L841.] PROSPECT OF 0RDINAT10X. 109 gleams of light, a year of mercies, yet of unnumbered transgressions. " I advance to the threshold of the opening year with trembling footsteps. ' O God, uphold my goings in Thy paths that my footsteps slip not ! ' The way before me is strewed with responsibilities ; my weakness, my sinfulness, need no comment. Yet can I look up and say, ' 0 God, my Lord, Thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.' " May this coming year unfold to you and your beloved husband more and more of the treasures of God's Word, of the sweetness of the throne of grace, of the glory of fellowship with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ ! When I seem to be forgetful, remember my infirmities. God, He knows my foolishness, and my sins are not hid from Him, may He subdue my iniquities and cast my sins into the depths of the sea, W. P." The year 1841 opened upon Mr. Pennefather as the one in which he hoped and expected to be set apart for the ministry of the Gospel of Christ. To one so nervously and spiritually sensitive, the consciousness both of privilege and responsibility was intense, and his whole correspondence at this time indicates the struggle through which he was passing. Early in January we find him leaving his country home, as he said, for the last time — " 5 Merrion Square, South, '; Jatiuary nt/i, 1841. " I was obliged to come to town on business, and a sore trial it was to leave my darling mother ; she could not but remember that I was parting from Knockeevan as my home for ever, and it wrung her soul. It was indeed bitter to see her thus cast down, but thanks be to God, He helped us ; and when we were brought low, He LETTERS FROM DUBLIN. [chap. v. shone upon our souls, and she was comforted by mutual prayer. I often thought of dear Henry Martyn, who left all for Christ. What a bitter pang it was to him and what is it to him now ? We have been reading Chalmers (3rd Volume) on the Romans. Like all his other writings, it is grand panoramic painting, with most minute delineation. One is almost exhausted with endeavouring to see with his eyes and understand with his mind. "I went to Fethard Church last Sunday-week by myself. It was Sacrament Sunday, my last. In the evening I had my last sermon in the steward's house, I had the servants and my dear mother. It was a very solemn time. How many opportunities had I neglected ! My subject was chiefly in connection with the New Year. I did not like to review my little ministry, lest my dear mother should have found it too painful. I spoke of eternity approaching, and those subjects which ordinarily suggest themselves at such seasons. " I could not but feel, as each day brought me nearer to my journey, the importance of that ministerial work which will, in all probability, devolve upon me ere this year closes. I had to put up all my possessions, and this too was very painful to my mother. I had a most intensely cold journey, and have been laid up in conse- quence, but, thank God, am quite convalescent to-day. M. A. D., who is ever a friend in need, has been most kind during my little illness. She has been attending Mr. Krause's ministry with the greatest delight. I go on Thursday to Newtownbarry. D. is, I think, better. I am delighted that Mr. Dallas' Union for Prayer is spread- ing. Prayer is the golden pipe through which the oil of the Spirit flows into the Church." In another letter soon after he says — u J must tell you of my journey to Woodfield, As we 1841.] LETTERS FROM DUBLIN. in approached Ferns on Friday, we met and passed many gentlemen on horseback. There was a look of anxiety and distress on every countenance. Alas ! they were about to attend the inquest on the body of Mr. B., who on the previous afternoon, close to his own house and within a short distance of the spot where his labourers were working, was murdered by ' some person or persons unknown.' He was on horseback, and the report was so loud that many of the men thought it was a blast. The intended murder was well known by the inhabitants of the place, some of whom, on seeing Mr. B. enter the field where it was to take place, moved away to a distance, that they might prove they were not present. He was a Protestant, but a Liberal in politics ; he employed a great number of workmen, about 180 daily. " The supposed cause is that he proposed to eject some tenants for non-payment of rent ; but it is merely the working of that awful fire kindled by the Jesuits in this unhappy country. We live in fearful times ! We met S. and R. just at the town of Ferns looking painfully shocked and anxious. But I need say no more on so terrible a subject. The everlasting arms are around us." A little later he writes from Dublin — " It is singular that I had been thinking a great deal lately upon the Christian conflict, and also on the subject of fasting, so that your sketch of Mr. M'Neile's able sermon quite fitted in with my meditations. I had even written last week a sermon on that wonderful text, ' We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers/ &c. The subject is one which has long occupied my mind, but I had never written upon it until now. I perfectly agree with Mr. M'Neile's view of fast- ing. It is a means of grace which God blesses ; it should be done in secret : it should be accompanied with much r 1 2 LETTERS FROM D UBLIN. [chap. v. prayer ; it should be pressed only upon those who are living members of Christ's Body. ... It is often singu- larly blessed as a means 'to the pulling down of strong- holds,' to the subduing of lusts, to the ' mortifying of our members which are upon the earth.' And I cannot but think that the power of the evil one is just now more than ever manifest. Oh ! how he afflicts my soul ! May God deliver me from the grasp of Satan, and bring me into the glorious liberty of His children. "But, as I have often said, I do not wish to speak of the conflicts which I have with the great enemy of my soul, for after all they would perhaps be more severe if I were more faithful. ' / am poor, and miserable, and blind, and naked;' but rather let me sound forth His praises, who can make ' the worm Jacob to thresh the mountains/ who can enable the sinner to be more than conqueror, who can present us ' faultless before the presence of His Father with exceeding joy.' " I have been greatly interested in attending the two first lectures of our Irish professor. At last our college has fulfilled one of the chief purposes for which Her Gracious Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, founded it, and for which King James patronised it ; the cultivation of the Irish language, to enable the people of Ireland to hear in their own tongue the wonderful works of God. Centuries have been looking forward to this event. A gentleman of fortune and great learning bequeathed a property of ^6000 per annum for the endowment of a Professorship of Irish, and for the collection of Irish manuscripts; but that intention was frustrated; some legal informalities were proved in the will, and the property passed away. The celebrated mathematician Leibnitz left it on record, that he considered an accurate knowledge of the European languages could not be acquired without a knowledge of the Celtic, and that Irish was the purest Celtic extant. Sir R. Bacon added his distinguished name 1840.I LOVE OF MUSIC. 113 to the encouragement of our beautiful language. And Luyd, the eminent Welsh philologist, declared that an accurate knowledge of Welsh could not be acquired with- out understanding the Irish tongue. But the acquirement of Irish is chiefly urged upon divinity students as the great lever, whereby to raise the mind of the Irish people to the things of God. So deeply impressed was Bishop Bedell with the importance of causing all the people of Ireland to hear the gospel in their own tongue, that he commenced the study, at the advanced age of fifty-nine, and acquired such an accurate knowledge of it, that he translated the Scriptures into Irish ; and though he lived in the troublous times of the great rebellion, so respected was he even by his bitterest foes that Roman Catholics followed him to his grave, and the rebels, when his body was committed to the dust, fired a salute." Again he writes to a friend — " I am delighted to hear you speak so enthusiastically on the subject of Handel ; you praised ' Comfort ye/ even enough for me I I remember once in particular hearing that sung in the College chapel, and it seemed as though I could almost realise the heaven and earth passing away, and that amidst the wreck of elements, the Arch- angel, standing in the sun, cried aloud to the long-afflicted Church, ' Comfort ye, comfort ye my people ; cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned ; ' and then it almost seemed as if I beheld the rude fragments of the universe moulded into the new creation, every valley exalted, and every mountain and hill made low." * * His passionate love of music could be little indulged in after days, but it was always ready to be called forth. It was told of him that once when preaching in a church where the music was very faulty, he fixed his eyes on the choir with such a reproachful gaze that the singing ceased at once, to the great consternation of the congregation. II H4 MISSIONS TO THE HEATHEN. [chap. v. During the course of Mr. Pennefathers college life, we meet with frequent allusions to a topic which always held a prominent place in his mind — the subject of missions to the heathen. We find him speaking more than once at a little meeting, " where six of us divinity students meet at eight o'clock in the morning, to consider the most pro- bable means of exciting a missionary spirit among ourselves and our fellow-students." And again, " We have had a deeply interesting time. Two of the six are, I believe, going forth to labour among the heathen." In another place he speaks of an address published by order of the committee of the Church Missionary Society, drawn up by himself and two other students. Again he says, " Two of our little company spoke powerfully of our Lord's coming as the earnest desire of the Church, and ere that blessed season arrive, the Gospel must be preached as a witness in all nations." He had evidently considered very seriously, as has perhaps been the case at some time or other with most ardent Christians, whether he was called to offer himself for the foreign field ; and we find him saying, in answer to a friend, " You need not at present fear my going out as a missionary ; what may occur in the future I cannot say, but now I feel Ireland is the land where my lot is cast." Having come to the decision that Ireland was to be his present sphere of labour, we find him in the 1 841.] IRISH ISLAND SOCIETY. 1 1 5 short vacation before his ordination offering himself to the Irish Island Society, to make a tour of inspec- tion among their missions on the western coast. Writing after this journey, he says — " It was on Monday evening I returned from my short tour of inspection of the Island Society's schools, off the coast. I have been in wild and remote regions, which, with respect to their inhabitants, in language, appearance, costume, religion, &c, are as different from the midland counties of Ireland as a foreign country. How little do even Irish people know of many districts, both in the north, west, and south, shut out by chains of mountains from intercourse and contact with the rest of the world. I often thought how surprised you would have been had you seen me, sometimes wandering alone through bleak, desolate defiles, sometimes along the broken shores of the Atlantic, and sometimes seated in the huts of the poor, wild inhabitants. " The waves were rolling in upon the shore splendidly, but I felt sad, thinking of the President* Alas ! I fear she has perished amid the waters, never to be heard of till ' the sea shall give up her dead.' " I trust the tour was of use to myself, for how ignorant I am of the wants of my poor country ! I am glad, too, to be employed in active work just at this time. It was curious that you should have been admiring the cliffs of Cheddar just when I was standing on the promontory of Horn Head, and glancing down at the awful abyss below. I have often stood on the cliffs of the Giant's Causeway, and wondered at the splendour of the scene, but the cliffs at the Horn are much more wonderful. As I lay on the top, gazing upon the waters sweeping in with one unbroken tide from the continent of America, a splendid eagle, shoot- ing from beneath, soared over my head, and waving its * Written just at the time when that noble vessel was missing. n6 PLANS FOR ORDINATION. [chap. v. mighty pinions in the air, at length alighted in one of the ravines at my side, so near that I watched it pluming its feathers and preparing to mount again. But my letter must close ; I had not intended to describe Horn Head." It was Mr. Pennefather's earnest desire to be ordained in England. He had been confirmed by the Bishop of Chester (Dr. Sumner, afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury), and he determined that, if possible, the same devoted servant of God should admit him to the work of the ministry. His divinity course would be closed at the end of June, and an ordination to be held by the Bishop of Chester at Durham was announced for the month of July. He made up his mind to take advantage of it, and for that purpose applied for letters dimissory from the Bishop of Kilmore, in whose diocese the parish of Ballymacugh was situated. Various diffi- culties arose, but were eventually surmounted. The following letter was written at the time : — " J lay 3 1 sf, 1 841. " My mind has been in a very anxious state for some time, as my purposed ordination at Durham, and my settlement at Arley Cottage, were nearly all overturned. It was only this that kept me silent, as I could scarcely write without mentioning the difficulties and anxieties which beset my path. However, thank God, they are all smooth now. The Bishop justly objected to ordain me to a curacy where I should not be paid. But he is now satisfied, and will not, I think, make any more difficulties. Indeed, nothing could be kinder than he was, and now, if I pass my college divinity examinations (June 25 and 26), 1841.] DEATH OF A COUSIN. 117 there will be nothing further in my way, except a slighter ordination-examination at Kilmore. (Then after detail- ing plans, &c.) And now, in the thought of spending some little time beneath your roof, my earnest desire and prayer is, that I may come in the ' fulness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ.' " Pray, beloved friends, that our intercourse may be holy, our conversation in heaven, and that our mutual enjoy- ment of one another's society may be for the Lord's glory, and for the advancement of His cause in the world. Eelievers in Christ are often selfish ; they think they are walking holily and profitably with one another, when they are only pleasing themselves. Do they not often wish to meet more for the pleasure to be enjoyed than for the impulses that may be given to God's cause in the world ? Is Christ's giory or their own gratification uppermost ? Remember that He ' pleased not Himself!' ' The plan here alluded to was set aside by another call to the house of mourning. Mr. Penne- father passed his examinations, and took his divinity testimonium at the close of June, proposing then to spend a little time with his old tutor at Levens and his friends at Sizergh, but such was not his Father's will. A few months before, he had attended the dying bed of one young cousin, and now he was detained in Dublin by the fatal illness of another. After speaking of the sad scene of sorrow (his cousin was stricken down by malignant fever, and died in his arms), he says — " How much have I had to teach me not to form plans/' He left Dublin only in time to go direct to 1 1 8 ORDINA TJON AT D URHAM. [chap. v. Durham, from whence he wrote to the sister of him who had just been taken to glory — " My darling M , " I cannot leave Durham without letting you know that amidst thoughts and feelings of no common kind, you and your dear afflicted charge * were not for- gotten by me. Yesterday, when at the ordination at eight o'clock in the morning, I received from the good Bishop the ' authority to execute the office of a deacon,' the prayers of many, many kind friends were ascending for me, and He that answereth prayer heard them. The peace of God reigned in my heart, and oh ! how thankful should I be that God vouchsafed in that hour to 'restore unto me the joy of His salvation, and to uphold me with His free Spirit.' Nothing can exceed the kindness, the marked kindness, of the dear Bishop to me. He has all that I can return to him, my fervent prayers. The ordination services were over a little after nine o'clock. We then had breakfast in the University (fifty-two of us). The University is a most interesting building, and har- monises with the magnificent cathedral, which is quite contiguous. The students were absent, as this is vacation time, and we took their place. Meals were served daily in the hall for the candidates for Orders, and some of them had rooms there during the examination. At ten o'clock we went to morning service ; the singing is very good, the voices exquisite, but there is a want of tenors. I hear their best tenor is absent, they have a beautiful counter-tenor ; we had the last chorus in the Messiah for anthem. " The Bishop asked me to dinner : he is a most pleasing man, gentle yet dignified. At four o'clock we had after- noon service, and then coffee with the Bishop ; then evening service in the beautiful chapel in the cathedral, * The widow of his departed cousin, herself laid down in fever. 1 84 1 .] ORDINA TION AT D URHAM. 1 , 9 which the good Bishop has fitted up for evening service, without chanting. The choir sang the evening hymn and a Psalm ; it was beautiful ; and the Bishop preached on 1 Thess. iii. 6-8. " The only drawback I have had is that the organ is being tuned, and there is no afternoon service in the cathedral except on Sunday. I do love cathedral worship, but I could muse in solitude around the walls, and feel that my God ' dwelleth not in temples made with hands.' May my heart be His dwelling-place, my body His temple ! "The situation of the cathedral cannot be surpassed. It stands over a winding and thickly-wooded river, from the opposite side of which the massive yet beautiful towers of the cathedral rise above majestic trees, ash, oak, and elm. The cathedral is of Norman architecture, the roof supported by pillars of surprising magnitude, but it is so lofty that they do not appear heavy. It is more grand than beautiful, more colossal than elegant. I prefer Gothic architecture, but none grow more upon you than Norman and Saxon. I could live within its walls, and now it is wound round my heart with most peculiar sympathies. " Do I make you smile at my enthusiasm ? I believe I have never passed through a season of deeper feeling. I can scarcely believe I am ordained, so long have I been looking forward to it, yet so suddenly has it come. I feel, however, that God has blessed me, and I am thankful. May He keep me and preserve me unto His heavenly kingdom. But darlinq;, don't think that while surrounded by such new scenes and circumstances, I am dead to the trials which you are passing through. Ah! no, but why should I tell you my feelings ? Jesus feels for you, pleads for you, loves you ; let us think of Him, talk of Him, and our poor selves will not occupy much of our thoughts. May the God of all comfort bless and keep you. 1 20 FIRST SERMON AT LE VENS. [chap, v, "The memory of dear John (her brother) is precious to me. I had no idea I loved him so much, but he had got in a surprising manner greatly attached to me, and I should have been worse than I am had not my heart been drawn out to him. He took a wonderful interest in my examinations, &c. I am thankful we had that little time of sympathy together, we shall meet with joy as brothers beloved in the Lord. Sometimes we are given to feel that blessed Home unspeakably near ; the river which separates us from the celestial Canaan seems but a narrow line, and the hills and valleys of Paradise stand forth in all the distinctness of reality. Then we seem to see the throne of God and the Lamb, surrounded by the great multitudes whom no man can number, and girt about with the glorious rainbow, in sight like unto an emerald." Mr. Pennefather preached his first sermon at Levens, where loving hearers listened with special interest ; and after spending a few days with West- moreland friends, joined his mother at Newtown- barry, where we find him preaching again. " Merrion Square, "August 26th, 1 84 1. " My plans have been unexpectedly changed. Dear Lady Carrick is gone, gone to a soil congenial to her active and benevolent and youthful spirit ; all are young there; — ' They reckon not by months and years where she is gone to dwell.' I little thought that her animated voice would never sound in my ears again. " Never did I meet so unselfish an old person. I was afraid my beloved aunt was going too, to join the bright choir above, but, thank God, she is now wonderfully recovered, and is only suffering from the weakness con- sequent upon so severe an attack of illness. There are few I should have regretted more ; and yet there are few 1841-] VARIOUS SERMONS. 121 to whom heaven would be a more blessed change ; her wonderful intellect, and matured education, and deeply spiritual mind, make her a well-spring of enjoyment to those around her. . . . " I have at length left my darling mother, and my heart never clung to her as now. God was gracious indeed to leave me another Wednesday and Sunday with her. My text on Sunday was * preaching the Lord Jesus' (Acts xi., latter part of verse 20). Preaching the Lord Jesus — " 1st. In His eternal Godhead. " 2nd. Preaching Him as a Saviour (which included His life, death, resurrection, and ascension). " 3rd. Preaching Him as an Example. " 4th. Preaching Him in His future glory as King and as Judge. " I am to preach next Sunday at Bethesda, as Mr. Krause goes to England for a fortnight. I am rather nervous at the thought of preaching there, and begged he would not ask me, if he could get any one else to supply his place, but it is fixed, and I cannot now draw back. I shall leave this next Tuesday (31st), and commence my ministry at Arley Cottage on the 1st Sunday in September, which, being Sacrament Sunday, will be very pleasant. I am tried by feeling I have been a long time absent from my curacy, but it was quite unavoidable, and as it gave my mother great pleasure and enabled me to declare once more at Newtownbarry God's love to sinners, I do feel thankful for it. W. P." Bethesda was at that time the rallying point of many of the most enlightened Christians in Dublin belonging to the Church of England, and it was no little ordeal for a young man, just ordained, to stand up in its pulpit ; but it was one of his rules through life simply to go where he was asked (if no legiti- 122 PREACHING AT BETHESDA. [chap. v. mate hindrance stood in the way), and trust God both for the needed strength and the results. Of the day at Bethesda he writes — " I must tell you of my sermons at Bethesda. I was, thank God, much less nervous than I expected. We had a large congregation in the morning, many friends were there, Dr. O'Brien, and others kindly interested in me. I was a good deal exhausted, but was graciously supported. The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was administered. After the close of the whole service, while I was lying back in a chair in the vestry in a state of great fatigue, a tall dignitary of the Church entered, and suddenly taking my hand, complimented me extravagantly on my sermon, then vanished, before I was collected enough to utter a syllable. I had never seen him before, but found it was Archdeacon K. Some thought the sermon heavy and stupid, but any arrow from the Gospel quiver can, by the Spirit's influence, prove sharper than a two-edged sword, while without that power, the most polished shaft falls blunted and harmless at the feet of those at whom it is aimed. " I preached again in the evening, for the clergyman who was to have done so had a (nervous ! ) cold. I took 1 the witnesses ' for my subject. I have since heard that an elderly clergyman, present both morning. and evening, was much interested, and spoke of the sermons, particu- larly the second, very much to his family. He was then in perfect health ; went on the following Wednesday to take a bath, — and was in eternity ere the sun had set. What a solemn lesson !" After one more Sunday in Dublin, he entered upon his ministry at Ballymacugh, preaching his first sermon on September 6th. In the week fol- lowing he says to a cousin — 1841.] SETTLED AT BALLYMACUGH. 123 "Here I am, regularly settled and pursuing my routine of work, thank God, wonderfully little flurried, though I have a great deal to do." And at another time — " The people receive me readily, but I sometimes fear from interested motives. (Is this the charity which thinketh no evil !) They are grossly ignorant and care- less, many of them sunk in poverty and wretchedness, but I have found some bright jewels among the multi- tude. I have a few promising young men and women, and two or three heads of families, who really desire to serve the Lord." Space will not allow us to follow him through the laborious details of a parochial minister's life. Here and there we find bright gleams of promise ; but the sphere was a difficult one, and diligence, rather than any marked success, seems to character- ise the records of his ministry at this early period. We close the chapter with two extracts belonging to the same year. The following was written to one very dear to him, and is an example of that faithfulness which was never sacrificed, either in private or public, to his natural tenderness of feeling : — « Dublin, "August 26th, 1 84 1 "And now let me turn to the part of your letters in which, like a good daughter of the Church, you confess your naughtiness. The more I consider the ' sin which doth so easily beset us/ the more confirmed I am in my former view of the passage. The sin which you complain of does peculiarly encompass your path, but what is it that gives 124 LETTER FROM DUBLIN. [chap. v. to it or any temptation or sin its power over us ? It is ■unbelief. For instance, you are too dependent on the sympathy of others. Why ? because you walk not as see- in°- Him who is invisible. Ah ! beloved friend, how little would things temporal move us if we looked at unseen, even eternal things. Are we too much distressed when those in whom we have confided seem to disappoint us ? We are losing sight of the union between ourselves and Christ, which if sctn and felt would carry us on rejoicing through a host of trials. I do pray for you, and I do sometimes feel unhappy that you allow your present repose in God to be marred by things which, when viewed in the light of eternity (and this is faith) are as nothing. I also feel you are too dependent on human friendship and human love. Consider the High Priest ' of our profession,' Jesus Christ; dwell on His perfections, the sweets of His friendship, the exceeding riches of His grace; remember that He is your nearest and dearest friend, that His arm is the one on which you must lean, and which can alone support when the foundations of our earthly pleasures are overthrown. Enoch walked with God, and 'he was not, for God took him.' In that short summary of Enoch's pilgrimage here, and of his glorious translation to the eternal world, there is more instruction than many folios contain. Walking with God includes endeared friend- ship, reposing love, progress in religion, elevated objects, holy cheerfulness, in fine, what idea is there of blessed- ness, of peace, of holiness, of calmness which it does not convey to the mind ? And this walking of Enoch was walking by faith, the Apostle tells us ; it was so laying aside the sin of unbelief, which doth so easily beset us, that faith was soon swallowed up in sight, 'he was not, for God took him.' " Thank you for telling me how you felt ; I like to know your failings, as well as your graces, that I may plead for you." 1841.] LETTER FROM DUBLIN. J2-, To one Jiarassed and burdened. u ' His strength is made perfect in weakness.' He is our Guide, our Counsellor ; He will put a word in our mouth which our adversary shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. " Beloved Friend, is it not a comfort in our daily duties to be assured of these blessed truths ? He will strengthen you, He will uphold you on your way, and enable you to conquer. I pray for you, I feel for you, I know what it is to be harassed by petty concerns. The only relief is to * enter into your chamber,' and lock the door, and pace llie room in prayer, if too restless and unsettled to kneel. I believe few Christians have gone through more mental suffering than I have, or been more weighed down by the sense of iniquity. Blessed be God's Holy Name, He has pardoned abundantly ; but I daily need to be washed, to be purified by the precious blood, to say daily ' God be merciful to me a sinner.'" C 126 ) CHAPTER VI. 1841-1842. Interest in the Irish Society — First acquaintance with Miss Monck Mason and Rev. R. Winning — Meeting at Cavan — Illness of his Mother— Journey to England — Ordained Priest at Durham — Return to Ireland — School-examinations, and various letters — Death of Mrs. Pennefather — Visit to Kingscourt — Journey to Paris. f" T was at this early stage of his ministerial life that Mr. Pennefather became acquainted with two faithful workers in the Masters vineyard, with whom he had much fellowship of spirit, and in whose labours of love he rejoiced to be henceforth associated. The Rev. Robert Winning, Rector of Kings- court, County of Cavan, was at this time one of the most able and zealous advocates of the Irish Society, and Miss Alicia Monck Mason had begun her life-long service in the same cause, as Secretary of the Ladies' Auxiliary Society. Those who are acquainted with the records of the Church in Ireland during the last forty years, will remember the season of awakening at Kingscourt in the years 1840-41, when so many earnest men came over, not only to the ranks of Protestantism, but to the cause 1S41.] IRISH SOCIETY. 127 of vital Christianity, ready to encounter persecution and martyrdom, if only they might carry the message of Christ's glorious gospel to their be- nighted fellow-countrymen. While tokens of encouragement appeared in several of the northern counties, a similar work was eoinof on simultane- ously in the south, where the Rev. Charles Gayer and others were reaping a blessed harvest in Dingle and its neighbourhood. Secreted in the poorest cabins, or seated behind walls and hedges in the least frequented places, the Irish readers were sow- ing the incorruptible seed among groups of humble scholars, and poor peasants were risking their little all, not to say their lives, in listening to the glad tidings of salvation. Who that knows their history can doubt that many of those faithful men will be found enrolled in the noble army of martyrs ? Mr. Pennefather's first meeting with Mr. Winning was at the house of Lord Gough (probably in 1839), where a large party of friends were invited to dinner, and during the evening many interesting details were given of the work of the Irish Society. Much conversation followed, and Mr. W.'s attention was attracted by the marked interest and eager questioning of one young man, whose name he did not know. Time passed on, and nearly two years had elapsed after the evening spent at Lord Gough's, when Mr. Winning received a message from, " the Rev. Wm. Pennefather, curate of Ballymacugh," 128 IRISH SOCIETY. [chap, vl reminding him of the young man who had asked him so many questions, and who had then and there resolved that, if ever permitted to enter the ministry, he would give his best services in aid of the Irish Society. He was " that young man, and was now ordained, and ready to redeem his pledge." From that time a close friendship was formed between them, and notices of Kingscourt are frequent in Mr. Pennefather s correspondence. The following letter tells of one of the meetings held in connection with the Irish Society, in the County of Cavan : — " Arley Cottage, " October yoth, 1841. " Many thanks, dear friend, for your interest in that persecuted man Hogan and his orphan charge. May the earnest pleadings of those orphans at the throne of grace draw down rich blessings on the heads of the friends who so kindly listened to their complaint. "Your dear mother ! her heart has often responded to calls from me. May God continually uphold and bless her, and long preserve her to you and her numerous friends. I often think of her as a most beautiful specimen of a holy woman, such as might have been found in patriarchal days, recounting to her children and children's children the noble acts of the Lord. " Tuesday was a bright and beautiful day. I had gone the preceding day to the neighbourhood of Farnham, in order to attend a meeting of the Irish Society in Cavan. It was deeply interesting. There were about sixty teachers present, who were examined by Dr. Carson, rector of Cavan, Mr. Winning, who for so many years has done much for the Irish Society in the neighbourhood of Kingscourt, and other clergymen. Their answering in 1841.] IRISH SOCIETY. 129 Scripture, would have done credit to candidates for Holy Orders. It certainly was delightful to hear full statements of truth, powerfully corroborated by Scripture, from the lips of uneducated men, all of whom had been Roman Catholics, brought up in the midst of error and super- stition. <{ The Society is progressing in the counties of Cavan, Meath, Monaghan, Tyrone, &c. There are, I believe, 1700 reading the Irish Scriptures in these counties. It is wonderful to see the keen, eager manner of the men, while drinking in the Word of Life. " Mr. Winning made an admirable speech at the end of the meeting. It had the eloquence of facts, though not garnished with the ornament of words ; it was lucid, for- cible, convincing, and animating. "The priests denounce and curse; but the Society pros- pers. A parish priest near Castle Blayney thus addressed his hearers — ' This Irish teaching must be put down, or our holy and ancient Catholic religion will be destroyed. Trample those books under your feet, or we shall be say- ing mass to empty walls ! ' A glorious testimony to the simple power of the Irish Bible ; an English one does them no damage, for a Roman Catholic will not touch a book ' written by the devil ; but the devil never knew Irish, or spoke the language of Paradise !' "The £\o Mr. C. sent me I have added to some money of my own, and applied it to the purchase of cloth- ing, which I am to sell at reduced prices to the poor. I have laid out about £80, and hope it may really turn to good account. The people have been scraping together their earnings for some weeks, and I trust many will be relieved before winter : poor creatures, they are in great delight. I could not help contrasting their zeal in pur- chasing, with the deadness of those who will not buy 1 without money and without price.' W. P." But while his heart was yearning to follow out 1 i3o LETTER FROM ARLEY COTTAGE, [chap. vi. these widening interests, the shadow of domestic trial was again falling on his path, and the year 1842 was to be one of much anxiety and sorrow. In the spring of this year his mother came to spend some time at Arley Cottage, and it was too evident to all around her that her health was rapidly declining. Her son, though conscientiously persevering in his parish work, was himself weak and suffering, and apparently little able for this added burden. In a letter from his sister, who was now at the Cottage, we read of him as, " very poorly, and look- ing sadly worn," but preaching a sermon, "full of experience, and holy communion with the Lord." A letter of his own, written to his cousin, Miss Delap, will tell something of his feelings — " Alley Cottage, * April nth, 1842. " My darling J., " I have neglected you all, and treated you basely. The plants you sent ought to have been acknow- ledged by me, as well as by D., and I ought to have thanked my precious M. for a sweet note she sent me with some Easter texts. " But notwithstanding my silence I have had you in my heart. Many things have combined to retard my pen,, and I have been trusting unduly to others to tell you all while, being more than usually weak and languid myself, I have given way to indolence. " My dear mother is here, and her state has been very wearing and distressing ; suffering much, and so low in spirits that she constantly says she is dying, and never expects to leave this house. Though I feel she is certainly 1842.] LETTER FROM ARLEY COTTAGE. 131 far from well, I see no immediate cause for alarm. Her mind is very anxious, and inclined to dwell on past sorrows. Dear creature ! would that like Hagar her eyes might be opened to see the wells of joy around her ! "The Christian should never be broken-hearted. Cannot the wonders of the cross and the joy set before us (no less than the possession of Jehovah Himself) compensate for all other loss ? "Think of the everlasting kindness, think of the infinite love which has saved us from the pit of destruction ; and not this only, but has given us the lamp which shall guide us through the sorrows of the way ! " I feel I am upbraiding myself; but I wish to be put in remem- brance of these things ; I want to walk by faith ; and it is no faith to trust the Lord when all things seen are as we wish them to be. " My father leaves us on Thursday. My mother will, according to her own wish, remain here for some time ; but the future is undecided. "I purpose, please God, going to Durham at the end of June for my Priest's Orders, and visiting the Crewdsons on my return. They are most anxious that my mother should accompany me, but I cannot say how this will be. I do not think of leaving home before that time. "I preached on Sunday morning on Heb. xii. 1, 2. My father was there, and seemed interested ; it was a written sermon.* " I am sure your garden is looking beautiful. I do love the opening flowers, the fresh colouring of the meadows, so lately brown and sere, the birds wakening us with the melody of their voices — all this animated beauty brighten- ing a world that is hoar with Sige, and tottering, as it were to its very foundations. Surely it calls upon us to " ' Awake, and run the heavenly race, And put a cheerful courage on.' It was his custom during the earlier years of his ministry to preach one wrUten sermon and one extempore each Sunday. 132 LETTERS FROM ARLEY COTTAGE. [chap. vi. Surely it points us to the blessed morning when the new heavens and the new earth shall receive the Divine Bridegroom and His Bride, 'made comely with His comeliness.' Then indeed shall ' old things have passed away, and all things have become new.' " To some people in sorrow the contrast between re- viving nature and their own feelings is too great, the transition too painful. I can understand this perfectly in the case of a person to whom ' life and immortality ' has not ' been brought to light' But to a Christian this reviving (in a world nearly six thousand years old), this bursting of the fettered leaf after the winter season, this song of birds after the silence of months, should be as mes- sengers of love from Him Who is ' the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever/ and with Whom we shall soon enter on an 'inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away.' " Again, to the same — " I trust the school will go on well. It is an anxious charge, but I believe a nursery for heaven. "We are to have a confirmation either in this church or a neighbouring parish early in the summer, after a lapse of very many years. May it be a season of blessing to some of our young people ! " I have the Wonston Confirmation Tracts, Robinson's of Leicester, Davy's, &c; can you tell me of anything else, interesting, plain, and instructive, on the subject?* . . . " My thoughts follow my darling Min in her work, often over bush and brake, and hill and dale ; but she is fol- lowed by One Who never leaves nor forsakes her. " Your ever loving, "W. P." The season of confirmation was always one of deep and solemn interest to Mr. Pennefather, and one in which God gave him much blessing. Whai- ever tracts he gave to the candidates, he prepared his own papers and ques. tions for examination. 1 842.] DEATH OF A COUSIN. 133 Again, to a friend — "April 27 th. " My dear mother has been very suffering, and I feel the responsibility of taking care of her, without any assistance, almost too much for me. " Thank God, she got some ease on Saturday, and was able to attend church on Sunday. She heard me preach my third sermon on Isaiah liii. 4, 5, and it cheered me to see her look comforted and happy while listening to it. . . . I can leave her in a Father's hands. Thanks be to God, she is His; and as He is wise and tender, lie knows what is best for her." In the following month the sympathies of the family were painfully called out by the unexpected death of a young cousin, son of Chief-Justice Penne- father, who, while walking on Bray Head with a younger brother, lost his footing, and " fell against a sharp ledge of rock, which inflicted a deep wound on the temple, and he died instantly." " He was a sweet, placid, gentle lad," says his cousin, "his mother's constant companion. He had just risen from prayer when he went out to walk." Following upon this trial came another severe shock in the removal of an intiamte friend, Judge Foster, who died suddenly, while attending the Assizes at Cavan. In a letter, dated July 12th, Mr. Pennefather says — "My father came to me on Friday after my Irish meeting, and remained till Sunday, when he was most unexpectedly called to Cavan. I was awakened on Sun- day morning, between five and six o'clock, by an express from Cavan, bringing the awful intelligence that Judge 134 LETTER FROM DUBLIN. [chap, vi Foster, who had opened the Commission on Saturday, and dined with the grand jury in his usual health, was no more. He had burst a blood-vessel after going to bed, and in half an hour was a corpse — summoned from an earthly tribunal into the presence of the Judge of all ! " I had to send to Oldcastle (eight miles) for horses, and after church, instead of spending a calm Sabbath evening, we were hurrying across the country to Cavan. I did not like my father to go alone, and I also felt that I ought to go and see whether in any way I could help or comfort." All his correspondence during these months con- tains touching details of anxieties and trial. His mother and sister had both ox>ne to Dublin for o medical advice (the latter having had a severe return of illness), leaving him to complete some parochial arrangements before going to Durham for his ordination. We insert two extracts from letters written at this time — To Mrs. Creivdson. " Merrion Square, "July i6//t. " I had a sad day yesterday. Leaving Arley Cottage, the future seemed so dark, all so uncertain ; and I had not recovered the shock of Judge Foster's death. I found S. better ; Dora very ill. I went over to Howth to see my darling mother. I found her changed, greatly changed ; she has suffered much since we parted ; her weakness has increased, and the doctor's opinion is un- favourable, though he will not say the case is hopeless. She feels that she is dying. Oh ! beloved friend, it was a bitter thing to see her ! She was able to walk a little with me, and I tried to talk of the "' Land of pure delight, Where saints immortal reign,' 1842.] LETTERS FROM DUBLIN. 135 and of His love 'who doth not willingly afflict;' but I felt unable to say more than a few words. "Dora came with S. in the evening, looking very ill, as Sir H. Marsh thought it better for her to be at Howth for a few days. Having prayed with them both, I hurried away, feeling as though I might have seen them for the last time. Yet, God can restore ! " The doctors have ordered Dora to Marienbad, and if she is able, S. proposes sailing with her and M. on Thursday next. It is also proposed that my mother and J. should accompany them to London, in order to consult Sir B. Brodie. She dislikes this exceedingly, but we trust she will yield to the wishes of those around her. If she goes, it is probable that I shall have to bring her back, in which case I should probably go from Durham to London direct. Oh ! how you would, how you do feel for us ! Yet how many are the mercies of the Lord! " My beloved parent is in His everlasting arms. He is but preparing to gather her into His bosom, and she will share His glory throughout eternity. " Others of our friends have been greatly afflicted, the poor Bishop of Meath (Dr. Dickinson) died of typhus fever this week, leaving eight children. " He was young and hale. It is not much more than a year since he was made Bishop. He had an interval of reason previous to his death, and often exclaimed : ' Lord Jesus, pardon my innumerable sins ' adding, ' I do believe that His blood has blotted them out.' How I feel for his poor wife, and dear Mrs. Foster ! I sail late on Monday night. I wonder shall I see you on my return from Durham. God's will be done ! " To a Cousin he says — " We must have thoughts sometimes concerning the future, but, thank God, the future cannot be dark; a 1 36 ORDINA TION AND JO URNE VS. [chap, v Saviour's love will light up even the heaviest cloud! Oh ! that my beloved mother may be strengthened, and that ' the joy set before her ' may enable her to endure the cross. It is enough ! It supported our Redeemer under His painful cross and most bitter shame ! and is not our joy in some little measure like His ? How often I think of that wondrous prayer, 'Father, I will that they whom Thou hast given Me be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory ! ' Dearest J., our past speaks loudly of His love. It has had its hours of sorrow, of bitter sorrow, but the whisper of His compassionate voice was heard amid all, and behind the thick cloud there was clear, blue sky shining with His light. Yet a little while and all clouds will have disappeared, except (I sometimes think) some radiant ones around His throne, showing that He can take our sorrows and turn them into iov some, too, it may be, gathered beneath His feet, reminding us of His compassion, and calling us to thank Him for our sad hours in the world of tears. " Perhaps G. will say I am talking nonsense, and had better stop my pen ! " It appears that the plans alluded to in this letter were carried out ; and that Mr. Pennefather, im- mediately after his ordination, went to London to rejoin his mother, and took her, not direct to Ire- land, but to the home he loved so well in West- moreland. After a little time of rest there, we find him writ- ing to Sizergh to tell of his arrival, with his dear invalid, in Dublin. " 5 Merrion Square, "August iSt/i, 1842. " As we left your beloved home, my dear, dear friends, I could only return your many kindnesses by prayer; .] PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS. 137 prayer that you might be kept in peace, that you might abound in all knowledge and love, and that you might be more and more conformed to the image of Him, ' Whose you are, and Whom you serve.' . . . Sometimes the thought was suggested, ' was I selfish in taking my dear mother to Sizergh ? Was I gratifying myself, at the expense of my precious friends?' But such thoughts were checked by the remembrance, * Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.' " (The remainder of the letter is taken up with details of the journey.) Mrs. Pennefather returned with her son to Arley Cottage, where he found many parochial engage- ments and anxieties awaiting him. None but those who have laboured in Ireland can fully ap- preciate the difficulties which the managers of Protestant schools have to encounter. In writing to a cousin in the month of September, Mr. Pennefather says — " There has been a strong tide of prejudice and opposi- tion running against the school, and I thought it a good plan to have a public examination, that parents and others might have an opportunity of ascertaining the truth or falsehood of what they have heard. " I wrote to Mr. Lewis (our Diocesan Inspector) re- questing him to come over and examine, and giving due notice to the people. For five hours to-day he and I have been examining, and the result is most satisfactory. I send you a copy of his certificate. It has quite cheered me, and indeed I needed it, for I had often been ready to faint in this work; but 'He that judgeth us is the Lord.' However, I would gladly go through all the trouble again if there may be real blessing in the end, and 138 LETTERS FROM ARLEY COTTAGE. [chap. vi. I doubt not there will be. . . . I know the Lord hears the prayers of His people, and few things in which I am interested have had more continued supplication than that school and the dear children attending it. I have been teaching the girls singing every Tuesday since I returned, and trust they are improving. ... I have been preach- ing for the Society for Promoting Christianity among the Jews, and also the Church Missionary Society, in aid of an association embracing two or three parishes to be con- nected with these Societies. "I have a new family come into my parish, about whom I am anxious. I think they are good, and may prove useful, but they hold extreme Methodist views, of which I confess I have a great horror." The following extract is very characteristic. After speaking of one who had embraced opinions differing from those of his family and friends, Mr. Pennefather adds — "The harsh and unfeeling manner in which he treated those from whom he was conscientiously constrained to differ was to me very painful. Let us bear in mind that often, while we are simply gratifying our own passions and following the leadings of our corrupt nature, Satan is transforming himself into an angel of light, and assuring us that we are doing God service. " I felt bitterly grieved when I heard all that F. had suffered through Mr. . Let us not allude to him ao-ain." This is only one instance of the habitual silence imposed on himself and others with regard to pain- ful and unprofitable subjects. His expression of censure was very decided, when necessary, but it was seldom repeated. 1842.] LETTERS FROM ARLEY COTTAGE. 139 The quiet determination with which he could quench frivolous or uncharitable conversation will not soon be forgotten by those who knew him. On the 1 2th of September, he writes to Miss Monck Mason : — " My dear Madam, " Mr. Nixon wrote to me from the County ot Sli^o, relative to your proposal that I should go to Scotland on behalf of the Irish Society, and I replied to him by return of post, the substance of which reply I will now repeat, in answer to your very interesting letter received this morning. Few things would give me more pleasure than to be able to plead successfully the cause of the Irish Society. It has my prayers, my warmest interest, and the deliberate conviction of my judgment that it is organised on principles, to which alone the friends of Ireland can look for blessing, on a scale at all commen- surate with our wants. But notwithstanding these feelings, I hesitate to comply with your request for two reasons : — "1st. I am not intimately acquainted with the opera- tions of the Society, though loving its principles for some years. I have not visited our southern fields, which are white to the harvest, and deputations should, as far as possible, speak of the things they see as well as of the things they hear. Surely among the many long-tried friends of our Society a more able champion may be found. " 2nd. My time is not altogether my own, and my move- ments at present depend on my dear mother. She is a great invalid, and is now staying with me. Under the most favourable circumstances she is not likely to move till the end of the month, so that I could not leave home before the first week in October, and then the state of her health might prevent my going at all. Under these cir- f 40 INCREASED ILLNESS OF HIS MOTHER, [chap. vi. cumstances, I think it better to decline going to Scotland. Uncertainty (beyond that, which is inevitable in this changing world) should never belong to a deputation. " I assure you, I write this with reluctance. May our Heavenly Father supply all your need, according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. I trust my prayers will not be wanting. W. P." The beloved parent, who had been watched over with such tender solicitude, was fast nearing her eternal Home. At the end of September a para- lytic attack, supervening upon long- continued suffering, rendered her feeble and helpless to a distressing degree, and it became evident that she would never return to her earthly home. But the depression which had clouded the earlier part of her illness was mercifully exchanged for the most perfect peace. An interesting record of her closing days was written for her family by her niece, Miss Delap; from which we eive a few short extracts — " The daily accounts from dear Willy of his mother's state became so alarming that I decided to go to them ; and on Saturday, October 8th, left home* at six o'clock in the morning, arriving at Arley Cottage at eight o'clock the same evening. . . . My dear aunt was much affected at seeing me, and shed many tears, saying — " ' Do not mind these tears, they are tears of joy, every wish of my heart is being fulfilled, I thought you would come.' She dwelt much on her mercies, the unceasing care of ' that angel, Willy. Oh ! what he has gone through with me, Jenny, and what his prayers have been to me ! ' She spoke of her thankfulness that D. was absent, and thus spared the parting scene. . . . * Monellan, in the County of Donegal. 1842.] RECORD OF CLOSING DAYS. 141 " On Sunday, when P. came into the room, she said 1 Come and see me, dear, three parts gone and the rest safe! . . . Looking earnestly at Willy, she said, ' I am afraid that face comes between me and Christ.' He repeated the words, ' Whom have I in heaven but Thee, and there is none upon earth I desire in comparison of Thee.' " Speaking of others of her family, she expressed a fear that it might be too much for them to see her thus, and turning again to W. ' I have you, and you were early trained to suffering'. . . . Her words were continually praise. ' Oh ! the mercy of dying here, and not in the noise of town. My little heaven on earth, as I always called it. I shall go from my heaven on earth to the heaven above.' . . . 11 She received each who came with perfect calmness, telling them of her unwavering peace. She seemed to feel much for the agonising grief of her two elder sons, who had now arrived, but was not herself the least over- come. She often fell into a half stupor, from which we could not succeed in rousing her, though she begged us to do so, saying that she had something more to do, and telling us all to pray that she might not continue in such languor. She soon after awoke to perfect consciousness and brightness." Many particulars are given of the touching words spoken to each member of her family, servants, &c. Then referring to her own past life * — " ' I thank God He gave me to see there was but one thing needful, and that Christ should be all and in all, and this alone can give peace at the last ; but oh ! it is in view of the cross of Christ that we see what our sin is. . . . And we must take up the cross, that is what I have been taught. Oh ! that lovely sermon on taking up * She had been brought to the Lord in her early years. i42 DEATH OF HIS MOTHER. [chap. vl the cross ; I never knew before what taking it up was. And now I wish to receive the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, not as a Popish ceremony (addressing herself to the doctor), but in remembrance of my Saviour's dying love, and that I may drink of the fruit of the Vine here, with those with whom I hope to drink the new wine in my Father's Kingdom.' " She repeated the responses throughout the service with a loud and clear voice, and after re- ceiving the wine, broke out into expressions of praise and gratitude for " that precious blood" shed for her. The remaining days were full of calm peace. Often, when speaking of her mercies and of the joy into which she was about to enter, she ex- claimed, " Will you not thank Him ? Oh ! rejoice, all of you, that your loved one is gone before you." The following note announces to the dear friends at Sizergh her happy release from the shattered tabernacle : — "October \Wi. " My beloved Friends, 1S43. " My dear Miss Mason, " I promised our dear Mr. Pennefather to in- form you of our first meeting at his place. It was held on the 2ist. inst. Sir George Hudson presided, and seemed to take a deep interest in our proceedings : there were upwards of a hundred teachers, a crowd of Romanists, and a great number of the clergymen and gentry from Meath, Longford, and Cavan. The meeting commenced with praise and prayer. Mr. Pennefather then read a very interesting report. The teachers with some scholars were was * The salary of an Irish Scripture-reader who acted as a missionar) £Zo a year, but there were many men who simply taught the reading oi the Scriptures in the Irish language,— these received only £5. 158 LETTER FROM REV. R. WINNING. [chap. vn. examined in translation and acquaintance with Scriptural doctrines. Their translations and knowledge of Scriptural truth interested and gratified all. When the examination concluded, there were several interesting resolutions moved. I never at any meeting heard more useful addresses delivered ; one of the resolutions led to speaking of the Church of Rome, and it was clearly proved that Romanism is a novelty, and Protestantism the ancient religion of Ireland. This seemed to delight our poor men? their plaudits of approbation were deafening. After the resolutions were moved, the chairman permitted the teachers to speak ; two or three availed themselves of the opportunity, and in a very humble and Christian manner addressed the meeting. They spoke of their previous state of ignorance, and of what the Society had effected for them and thousands equally ignorant; they contrasted their present with their past condition ; described the opposition and persecution to which they are exposed, their support and encouragement from the Word of God, &c. What they said evidently came from their hearts, and reached the hearts of all present ; so much so, that time passed insensibly. Though the meeting continued from 12 to 6 o'clock, there seemed an unwillingness that it should terminate. " Eight or ten of the teachers lived with Mr. Pennefather during several previous days, and on Sunday he examined them in the presence of the congregation ; their answering delighted the hearers, and gained friends to our cause. "Mr. Pennefather said the only diminution to the sincere pleasure we felt was your absence. He had intended to invite you to come, but when he reflected that he had only a bachelor's house to offer, he was deterred from writing to ask you. I said I knew you would have pre- ferred his society and that of the Irish readers to the company of any ladies. I think he was convinced I was right, and lamented that he had not written to you. If 1843] VISIT TO ROUNDSTOKE. 159 you had been present, you would have been greatly grati- fied, and thankful to God for making the Society the instrument of so much good. I never attended a more interesting meeting. I trust it will be blessed for good to many who were present, and that, whilst we are anxious to water the souls of others, we may feel ourselves refreshed. 11 In the best bonds I remain, "Dear Miss Mason, yours very sincerely, "R. Winning." In the month of September the little church at Roundstone was pronounced ready for consecration, and the Bishop of Tuam invited Mr. Pennefather to accompany him on his journey thither, and to preach the opening sermon. The wished-for day had been long delayed, and his letters tell how the deep and varied chastening, through which he had passed in the interval, had told upon his ardent spirit. The first extract is from a letter to his cousin — " Galway, "September \%th. "Your letter was a voice of friendship among strangers. I suppose D. has told you that the little church at Round- stone has been consecrated. I had much to make me joyful, and yet I was very sad. My former visits to Roundstone had been so linked with my mother, that this time her precious memory, which so often soothes and re- freshes me, seemed to make me wretched. Perhaps it was well that I was thus humbled and kept near the cross. We had 109 persons present at the service, a larger number than was expected, and yet what a little ilock ! a few sheep in the wilderness. I was greatly pleased with 160 CONSECRATION OF CHURCH. [chap. VII. the church, and the singing was really beautiful. I never thought Solomon's dedication prayer (which I read as the lesson) more magnificent. It seemed to bring us so immediately into the presence of Jehovah, and assure us of His unbounded love. The Bishop expressed himself as pleased with the sermon, but, alas ! I think it was very meagre. " On Saturday I went into Clifden to attend the con- firmation. It was an interesting sight, but I thought the children far too young. The Bishop went on to Achill, and other places. He seems rather sceptical of the use- fulness of the ' Achill mission/ so I hope what he sees will change his opinion. There was a great repeal meeting, and O'Connell and his court were there ! Yesterday (Sunday) I went again to Roundstone, and found the services very refreshing. I preached on the text, ' Herein is love/ &c. I sat with the poor suffering girl, and we talked of Jesus and His love. She reminds me of your poor Nanny Crawford.* How very sweet it has often been to me to sit and learn of her! — Blessed Jesus, what will it be when Thou dost unfold Thy beauty to our ravished eyes ! " Again, to a friend, September 23rd, after speak- ing of the conflict of mind through which he had passed — " But enough, and more than enough of feelings, I only speak of them to account for my silence. The morning of the 15th broke slowly through dark masses of cloud, and the rain (such a stranger in our land !) began to fall. We feared for our little flock, but the darkness of the morning proved the herald of a glorious day. The Bishop seems really anxious about his diocese, and spoke much of the destitute districts, and what he hopes to effect for * A very poor woman near Monellan. 1 843.] CONSECRA TION OF CHURCH. 16 1 them. About midway between Ballinahinch and Round- stone I first saw the neat little church crowning the summit of the village. A short time brought us to the place, which was quite gay with groups of people, the Romanists standing amazed at the sight of a Protestant Bishop and six clergymen, with a respectable congrega- tion gathered to meet them. I felt carried back in spirit to the bright day of Ireland's ancient church, and carried forward to that brighter day, when the Church of England, and all other instruments of God's appointment shall be- laid aside, to give place to the spiritual temple, whose glory shall fill the universe ; when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, and when we shall be for ever with the Lord. ... I read the first lesson (1 Kings viii.), and it brought me at once into converse and communion with God. My sermon was very poor (the subject Zech. iv. 10, with a glance at the whole vision), but I endeavoured to set forth the necessity of spiritual religion, and the awfulness of beautiful organisations without life. . . . " The inside of the building is uncommonly neat and well-finished, like a church, and yet perfectly plain and unadorned. How I wish you could have seen it ! The poor girl, whose history is so deeply interesting, was able, after six years of suffering, to come to church, in great weakness, leaning on a stick. Her aged mother, who watched over her, has fallen asleep in the faith and hope of the gospel. . . . Mr. D., the present minister 01 Round- stone, is in some respects admirably suited to the place. He has a love for souls, and speaks Irish. ... I preached again at Roundstone on Sunday, . . . and on Monday I attended a missionary meeting in Galway, proceeding to Dublin by the mail at half-past four, and arriving there a little after seven the next morning." Some weeks later, writing from Arley Cottage — " I can ill express how grateful I am for your gift to L 162 LETTERS FROM ARLEY COTTAGE, [chap. vii. that poor sufferer at Roundstone. Her sorrows are the Lord's; may we not say her consolations are His also, for He has said, ' Inasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.' This money will provide her with clothing and blankets, which she greatly needs in that inclement spot." On returning from his visit to Roundstone, Mr. Pennefather met his sister in Dublin, where she had arrived from Paris in improved health, and she and Mr. Maxwell joined him at Arley Cottage, for the autumn months, during which he seems to have been closely engaged in parochial labours. A few extracts from letters bring us to the winding up of the year. The first is part of a letter to a young Ensign in the army, about to start for India. u Arley Cottage, " June 25th, 1843. " My dear St. George, "I have just returned from F. C, where I learnt that you are about to le'ave England, and I cannot allow you to go without expressing my deep interest in your welfare. The few moments I passed with you in your own room at F. C. will long be remembered, and I bless my Heavenly Father for them. When I think of you, my gratitude is renewed to Him, who hitherto has spared and kept you, and will keep you to the end. " Painful as it was to hear what you had met with at Chatham, yet to know that you had been hid, and pre- served, and shielded by Jehovah, made my heart rejoice. I felt that if you had been of the world, you would have followed its course, I felt that God had covered you by His omnipotent shield, when perhaps you were uneon- 1 843-] LETTERS FROM ARLEY COTTAGE. 163 scious of His presence, and I could but render praises to Him for what His own power had wrought. "My dear St. George, I trust you are found in the ranks of the army of the King of kings; I trust that you wear His uniform and bear His standard. But you are a young soldier; you know not the force or the stratagems ot the enemy, and you know not your own weakness. One of the most trying features in the spiritual warfare is the varying nature of the enemy's attacks, and the tediousness of the contest ; it is not one mighty struggle that decides the war ; no, the enemy never comes down with his forces into one decisive field, where he may be met once, and for ever vanquished ; he hides himself in the fastnesses of the country ; he harasses by unexpected sallies, he uses every species of warfare, and every kind of weapon ; he separates, as it were, into many bands and companies, so that when one is conquered, another starts up. We have, therefore, peculiar need to remember the words of a skilful officer in the army of the Lamb (who had profited by his experience of the sagacity of the enemy, and his own former unguardedness), ' Be sober, be vigilant,' &c. But though the warfare is tedious, though the enemy is crafty, and though he has all the advantage of fighting in his own country, yet ' fear not, only believe, and thou shalt see the glory of God.' 'The Lord is our sun and shield! He will cover our head in the day of battle. Be continually asking your Captain for advice, and referring to His written orders for direction. The warfare must terminate, the soldiers of the cross shall yet * lay down their arms at Emmanuel's feet,' rest beneath His approving eye, and hearken to His gracious com- mendation. ' Yet a little while/ and the angelic hosts who (as an innumerable body-guard) surround the throne, shall echo with ten thousand times ten thousand voices, the rolling peals of Hallelujah, which shall rise from all redeemed creation. i64 LETTERS FROM ARLEY COTTAGE, [chap. vii. " My dear St. George, I know what you must feel at leaving home. But what is this world, if we have an eternal weight of glory in store for us ? I cannot but think that he who has been brought out of the 'horrible pit' of this world's delusions, and out of 'the miry clay' of this world's sins, should never cease singing the new song of praise and thanksgiving. True, we have trials, and God knows how bitter they sometimes are, but what is our portion ? God Himself. Therefore, if we have nothing, we possess all things ; if poor, we can make many rich ; if sorrowful, we should be always rejoicing. I sometimes wonder at my gloomy and discontented mind. I have been deeply tried by spiritual conflict, few know how deeply y in fact, none know it ; yet I have a portion so rich in God, that I ought alway to be singing of the loving-kindness of the Lord. A few brief years at most, and then everlasting joy shall be upon our heads. ' Let us give thanks unto our Lord God.' ' It is meet and right so to do.' Even now, our Friend is Jehovah ; our food ' the bread that came down from heaven ; ' our drink, ' rivers of living water.' ' Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when He shall appear we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.' Remember me in prayer, I need your prayers as much as you need mine." To a friend who was habitually neglectful of his health, he writes — " November 2$th, 1843. "I hear you have been laid up. Often, very often, have I thought that you were not acting as a faithful steward of your health. You know, dear friend, that our organisa- tion is such as to require suitable nourishment and support. You know also that our nerves and feelings are acted upon by our physical condition. Let that condition I843-] LETTERS FROM ARLEY COTTAGE. 165 be injured, let those wondrous nerves which (so to speak) connect mind and body be unstrung or neglected, and then the peace of the mind and the energy of the body become disturbed. While in the body we must be subject to physical laws, and if we despise those laws, we are despising the ordinance of God. I have often feared you would entail misery on yourself by what, I cannot but think, is somewhat of wilfulness. How can you expect to escape from injuries which you palpably inflict upon your poor body? Remember, beloved friend, your body is not your own ; it has been purchased at a vast price, redeemed with the precious blood of Jesus Christ, and you have no right to injure what the Saviour has thus made His own. Excuse me if I seem to dictate to one so much my senior both in age and experience ; but do calmly consider these things, and you will see that ' I speak forth the words of truth and soberness.' " To another on the same subject — ■ " I trust you will be enabled rightly to care for your body, and to brace your nerves. God's beautiful works help us to do this — the open country, shady dells, and happy fields ; the fragrance of summer flowers, leaves, and grasses ; the singing of birds, &c. Remember, it has been well said : ' The highest point of man's attainment will be, when he possesses a perfectly sound mind in a perfectly sound body.' The more nearly we can approach to this on earth, the greater will be our happiness and usefulness. I feel this to be a most important truth. Never deal with matter as if it were of necessity evil. God pronounced it very good, Christ inhabited it, and it was surely then very good. It shall yet again be fitted for the glorious presence of Jehovah." It may excite surprise in the minds of some, that one who appeared so utterly careless of his own 1 66 CHRISTMAS SERVICES. [chap. vii. health, should write so strongly on the subject. But while there can be no doubt that he did overtax his strength by incessant labour, he was not one of those who recklessly despise the laws of health. There were times when he knew full well that he was sacrificing himself in the cause he loved, but he had counted the cost, and the sacrifice was made willingly, not wilfully. As Christmas approached, he speaks of being, " very busy with my poor people, trying to clothe them for the winter. It has set in with severity, and the poverty is great. The country is in a fearful state ; but we are kept, thank God, without trembling." On December the 22nd he writes — " S. and D. talk of leaving home ; I shall probably remain stationary. I am expecting a new school-master, and must induct him. ... I do not feel by any means a fixture here. I am waiting for the pillar to move, endeavouring to live by the day, and trusting my path to Him whose eye is over His people. The year is to open with an early prayer-meeting, a service and sermon in the evening, and on the 2nd we hope to have all the school-children. On Christmas-day we had a prayer-meeting at 8 o'clock, and service, with the Lord's Supper, at 12. I preached on 1 Glory to God in the highest.' " ( 167 ) • CHAPTER VIII. 1844-1845. Contemplated change of Residence — Proposed removal to SwanlinbaT — Presentation to the Living of Mellifont — Recollections of a parishioner at Ballimacugh, and a friend living in the Neighbour- hood— Various Letters — Enters on his ministry at Mellifont — Visit to Portstewart — Preaches at Liverpool for the Irish Society — Letters. [N the opening of 1844 Mr. Pennefather was evidently contemplating a change in his sphere of labour. Such a change must ever be to a minister a matter of deep and solemn importance, and in the case of one who habitually acted with prayerful deliberation in the most common affairs of every-day life, it was not probable that so serious a step would be lightly taken. From the time he entered upon the responsible office of a pastor, he was accustomed to act on very fixed principles, in considering the many offers which came before him of new fields of service. He first of all desired to know that God had done with him in the place he had already occu- pied, and then that his own tastes and feelings and natural preferences had not the weight of a feather 168 CURACY OF SWANLINBAR. [chap. viii. in the balance on so important a question. It was striking and instructive to see one whose tastes were refined even to fastidiousness, and who was by nature peculiarly sensitive to surroundings, enabled to become utterly indifferent to all secondary things, when the case was one of ministry in the Church of God. In the present instance, he had evidently come to the conclusion that his time of service at Ballimacugh was drawing to a close, and the curacy of Swanlinbar which was offered to him early in the year was accepted, though considered by his friends to be too rough and laborious a post for one so frail in health. We find two letters announcing to his friends the proposed change of residence. To Mr. Crewdson. " Arley Cottage, " April 20th, 1844. " The accounts I receive of my dear sister are by no means good. She is exceedingly weak ; so much so, that I do not think she will be able to come here as she expected, so I know not what to say about your visit. And I am really going to Swanlinbar! Such is life! I returned this day from seeing it ; it is a wild district at the foot of some rather high mountains. A good many Protestants, and a simple, interesting people. ... I trust it is all for the best. My heart fails, but God is the strength of my life, and I flee to Him in this hour of need. I wish you could have seen this spot before I left it. I shall probably be living next in a little lodging in Swanlinbar. Pray for me. rt Your grateful friend, " W. P." 1844.] REMOVAL FROM ARLEY COTTAGE. 169 To R. Nugent, Esq, " May gtk. "I leave Arley on the 19th for Swanlinbar, in the north of the County of Cavan, having accepted Mr. John Fox's offer of that curacy. It will cost me many a bitter pang to leave Arley. I am much attached to some of the people ; but circumstances combined to make it needful for me to pitch my tent in some other halting-place in the wilderness, in some other portion of the Lord's vine- yard. ... I shall leave kind friends when I leave the neighbourhood of Farrenconnell ; and do not expect to find many such in this selfish world. But I must not repine, my Heavenly Father has graciously inclined the hearts of many of His dear children to deal gently with me. He has often turned my darkness into light, and shed His sweet showers of mercy on my hard and barren heart. . . . May God bless you, my dearest Richard, may you be kept leaning andw aiting on Christ ! " But while he himself was expecting and prepar- ing to labour among the people of Swanlinbar, his Heavenly Father was calling him to a different part of the harvest-field. On the 17th of May, his brother-in-law writes — "The Lord has wonderfully opened a way for our dear William. While we were all most anxious about his removal to Swanlinbar, which would have been too much for his weak frame, an offer came to him of a very small living in the County of Louth. A nice little house with ten acres of land, a very neat church with a congregation of about a hundred, and a nice school. D. has been very anxious about this, for by means of the Drogheda railroad just opened, he will be able to get to Dublin in about two hours, and thus this devoted son will be near his father in his declining years." 170 DEATH OF ISAAC CREW D SON, [chap. VIII. About the same time he writes to his friends Mr and Mrs. Crewdson from Drumkeen, where he was visiting a friend — " Your letter from London, announcing that another of our band had reached the Land of Promise, found me on the eve of starting for this place. ... I feel for you, beloved friends, and my heart runs on saying of your dear uncle — " l Soldier of Christ, well done ! Rest from thy sweet employ ; The battle o'er, the victory won, Enter thy Saviour's j oy ! ' " His was a blessed life, and oh ! how calm a death ! " . . ", Speaking of the same aged servant of Christ he says — " May \Zth, 1844. 11 Doubtless you remember how peculiarly dear to me is the name of Isaac Crewdson. It was in the year 1829, when I was going to school at Westbury, that my beloved Susan took up a little copy of ' Baxter's Saint's Rest,' edited by Isaac Crewdson, and putting it into my hand said, ' Read this, dear Willy, when you are far away from me/ And I did read it. It was the second religious book in which I ever had real pleasure. I shall never forget the enjoyment with which I read and re-read that wonderful book, and how I treasured in my memory the name of Isaac Crewdson. It was associated with some of the brightest views of glory ever afforded to my mind, and with the name, too, of one of the dearest whom God ever permitted me to love on earth. I believe I have told you this before, but I love to dwell upon his memory, who helped to give me many a blessed prospect of the heavenly Canaan, and who has now entered into that rest 1844-3 RECOLLECTIONS OF FRIENDS. 171 which is the prelude to everlasting glory. . . . And now, beloved friends, only think of the tender watchfulness of my Heavenly Father ! I have been offered a pretty little living two and a half miles from Drogheda. Its value is £92 per annum, with ten acres of land and a very neat house. My father will call it a starving (I have not told him yet) ; but I am very thankful. However, I must go to Mr. Fox as I had arranged, and remain some time at Swanlinbar." Aeain, from Drumkeen — " May 21st. " The tie which bound me to Arley has been loosened very mercifully and gently. I left the sweet Cottage to- day with a heavy heart, and yet with a thankful one. Who has such right to praise as I have! I would not speak of myself, but of the Lord I must speak, 'His compassions fail not, they are new every morning.' . . . I have been much overtaxed both in mind and body ; however, I am getting better." The many allusions in Mr. Pennefather's letters, both at this time and in later years, to the sphere of his early ministry, show how deeply he was attached to it, and a few of the flock still remain to cherish the remembrance of his labours of love. One of these (then a child) writes in 1877 — " The mention of his name brings back happy memories, for he was greatly beloved here; but most of the old people have passed away. I could not tell you half of his love or anxiety about me after I lost my sight. My mother and aunt were anxious to have me educated, and it was thought that one afflicted like myself would be the best to begin the work. Mr. Pennefather went to Dublin, saw Dr. Marks (who was then chaplain to the 172 RECOLLECTIONS OF FRIENDS. [chap, viii. Molyneux Asylum *), made his request known, and never left Dr. M. till he had consented to send one of the young girls, of whom he had the highest opinion (Mary Mason), to be my teacher. Mr. Pennefather himself met her at the coach, drove her to Lake View, where I was staying with my aunt, and then, putting my hand into hers, he prayed most beautifully that God might help us both." We find an allusion to this circumstance in a note of his own, written to Mrs. Booth, the mother of the child in whom he was interested. " I trust Mary may prove a blessing to dear Letitia. May they mutually lead one another to talk of the things that angels desire to look into, and wise men and pro- phets of old longed to see. May the King in His beauty, and the land of everlasting love, shine in upon their spiritual sight, and then, my dear Mrs. Booth, you and all who love that sweet child will rejoice even in her tribulation." Mr. Richard Nugent, whose family resided in the neighbourhood of Ballymacugh during the time of Mr. Pennefather's ministry in that place, recalls with affectionate remembrance those days of inter- course. "It was in the year 1840 that William Pennefather came to reside at Mr. Maxwell's place on Lough Sheelan, in the County of Cavan. He was preparing for his ordina- tion, and I had then the pleasure of becoming acquainted with him, an acquaintance which soon ripened into a warm affection. He was even then devoting himself to the practical duties, which would ultimately devolve on him as a minister of the parish, visiting the people, and hold- ing constant cottage-readings and lectures amongst them. * A school for the blind in Dublin. ,844.] RECOLLECTIONS OF FRIENDS. 173 " By his unfailing sympathy and genial manners he soon won the hearts of those who were, ere long, to be under his pastoral care. Not the least important of his labours, at this time, was a weekly Bible-reading with a class of young men, which was held at Arley Cottage. After his ordination I went over from my father's place (Farren- connell) on the other side of the lake, to spend the Sunday with him. I well remember his intense and prayerful anxiety about his first sermon. Every nerve was wrought up to the highest pitch as he opened his subject (Ezek. xxxiii. 7) and announced to the people the character in which he now came among them, as a watchman, who must himself give account to his Master. In expectation of hearing the young minister preach his first sermon the large church was crowded to excess, not only with the parishioners, but with many coming from neighbouring- parishes. The sermon was a most faithful exhibition of the Gospel, it might be truly said that 'Jesus Christ was evidently set forth crucified among them.* Another of his sermons preached on Christmas-day on Isa. xxx. 29, is graven on my heart after the lapse of nearly forty years. " He now set himself with redoubled energy and activity (far beyond his physical power) to his parochial work. Besides constantly visiting his people, he was at all times at their call. His intense anxiety for those who were in any sickness or sorrow were well known, and his deep loving sympathy was continually sought, and never sought in vain. His health needed much care, but it was the last thing he thought of, and often on my going to the cottage, the servants would come to me with the complaint, ' Oil ! sir, Mr. Pennefather is killing himself.' . . . "William Pennefather's work was by no means limited to his own people ; his was a true missionary spirit, going out to all who lay in darkness and in the shadow of death, whether 'Jew, Turk, infidel, or heretic/ while with a burning <74 RECOLLECTIONS OF FRIENDS, [chap. viii. patriotism he yearned over the inhabitants of his own beloved country, and longed that Ireland should once more become, what it was called in days of old, < the Island of Saints/ With all the energy of his nature he set him- self to learn the Irish language, and had his health per- mitted, he would, I doubt not, have become an able minister of the New Testament to his fellow-countrymen, in their own dearly-loved and sonorous tongue. I well remember his fitting up a large barn for a meeting of the Irish Society, and inviting the clergy and gentry of the neighbourhood, with all the teachers and scholars for miles round, many of the latter being Roman Catholics, and thus getting them to listen, while earnest and able men addressed them on the fundamental truths of the Gospel. He closed the meeting himself, with a speech of singular power and pathos, wisely securing the attention of his Irish hearers by opening his address in their native language. In the Missionary Association of the neigh- bourhood (comprising the Church Missionary and Jews' Societies) we looked upon William Pennefather as our sheet-anchor, both for sermons and meetings. The cause lay very near his heart, and he threw into it all his power and influence." Our limits will not allow further quotations from the recollections of this faithful friend, who closes his memoranda with these words : < He was indeed and in truth an epistle of Christ, known and read of all men, and they glorified God in him.' Many papers have been preserved written by Mr. Pennefather during his sojourn at Arley, with Scripture notes and sketches of sermons, but space will only permit a few further extracts from letters, as links in the history of 1844 — 1844-] LETTERS FROM ARLEY COTTAGE. 175 " January 29th, 1844. "I am now alone, yet not alone. My Heavenly Father's presence is with me. Is it not wonderful to think of the individuality of His care and tenderness? The universe in its vastness and variety claiming His attention, all the stars with their attendant worlds hearing His commands. Even the mists and vapours ' fulfilling His word,' and yet amid all, though His glorious works are numberless, and His compassionate care extended over them all, He has 1 a word in season for him that is weary,' and infinite love for each sinner who is 'looking unto Jesus/ I marvel at His special providence, at His personal care, and in the contemplation of such loving-kindness, my words must needs flow in the same channel as the Psalmist's, and exclaim : ' Oh ! that men would therefore praise the Lord for His goodness to the children of men.' . . . Did you think of the Bishop of Jerusalem yesterday ? The second anniversary of his residence in the Holy City." To a friend in trial. "I am thankful that you are able in clouds of trial to discern the bow of promise ; our Heavenly Father will never suffer His people to be in ' a horror of great dark- ness,' without lighting a lamp to guide them through it. The bow will not disappear until the cloud is gone ; nor the lamp be withdrawn until the horror of great darkness have passed away. There was but One, the Man Christ Jesus, who was wrapped in a cloud without a bow, who walked through thick darkness without a lamp." To Miss Mason. Arley Cottage, "March 22nd, 1 844. "I was absent from home, preaching for the Irish Society, or would have answered your kind note sooner. Many thanks for it. Though I have seemed negligent about i76 LETTERS FROM ARLEY COTTAGE, [chap. viii. our Irish orphans, I have borne them upon my heart. I am anxious that a meeting should be convened in Cavan for the purpose of forming a District Protestant Orphan Society, the special attention of which should be directed to the case of those children whose fathers have been engaged in the work of the Irish Society, and whose blood may have been shed in so holy a cause. I wish I could meet with some more experienced person than myself who is anxious to take up the same object. " It was not in my power to attend the (Dublin) meeting, and I greatly regret that I was absent from home when Manning's summons for Clarke arrived. I know that Clarke was most anxious to attend, but until the com- mittee invited, I did not think it right to send him. " We have done somewhat for the Society here : I will write to Mr. Winning by this post, relative to the money. Surely if orphans in general demand our sympathy, a Protestant orphan, whose parent has contended for the faith and shed his blood in the contest, has a peculiar claim ! " Shall our Society be the instrument of leading the father of a family to embrace that religion for which he lays down his life, and yet cast off his little ones ? Pray for us. Your work is often the subject of our feeble peti- tions. May God abundantly bless all that are concerned in it." To R. Nugent, Esq. "May, 1844. "I am to preach next Sunday in Cavan. There has been a series of Lent preachers, and I am to be the last. I have chosen Zech. ix. 9 as my subject. 1st, The king- ship of Christ. 2nd, The justice of Christ. 3rd, The salvation of Christ. 4th, The humility of Christ. "May we, my dearest R., learn to know more of the Redeemer in all these particulars. May the Eternal Spirit magnify Him in our eyes !" X844.] RESIDENCE AT MELLIFONT, 177 Mr. Pennefather entered upon his ministry at Mellifont, near Drogheda, early in July 1844. The parish was a very large one, with a population of about 4500 ; but the Protestants were few, and scat- tered over a large area, which made the pastoral work fatiguing and unsatisfactory. Outwardly it presented some attractions, — a neat parsonage- house and a pleasant country, within reach of a railway to Dublin ; these were no slight recom- mendations in the eyes of his friends, who always feared his settling in some wild field of missionary labour to which he was physically unequal. But regarding it from a ministerial point of view, Mr, Pennefather always looked back on his residence at Mellifont as a time of trial and discouragement, a time in which God was preparing him in much loneliness and isolation for a future of active and varied service. Writing from his new glebe-house on July 26th, he says — "This season, this new era in my life, which to many seems peculiarly bright, has had, blessed be God, such deep and touching associations, as have made me view it in somewhat of the true light in which all passing earthly scenes should be viewed. My precious mother's memory and that of my beloved Susan, have mingled with all my efforts to settle my wee establishment." And again — 11 July 30///. " This place is very bright, and will be a nice snot ; and yet my heart is too full of the past not to feel that they are gone, and I am still left upon the sea of life. But ' yet M 178 LETTERS FROM MELLIFONT. [chap. vill. a little while ' and I too shall moor my bark beside the shore of Canaan, and the ocean of life will be passed. While I do remain upon its heaving waters, there is One who will make every billow bright with His smile, and whose voice will whisper amid every storm, ' It is I, be not afraid.' Oh, what a Saviour is ours ! How great the love that led us to His cross ! " Then after speaking of household arrangements and presents received from kind friends — " I find my wants multiply, and am surprised that the machinery of my establishment requires so much to set it going. I dined at last night. All kind, but a little too grand for me." Again, about the same time — " Thanks for your valued gifts ; I do trust the flowers will nourish. My predecessors did not care for anything pretty, and the garden is full of potatoes. The place is truly Irish in its confusion, dirt, and negligence. I feel as if everything were so wholly gone to ruin that it is hope- less to think of repairing it. I trust I shall not be shackled by the cares of an evil world ! I feel in some danger. Pray for me." On undertaking the charge of the little congrega- tion at Mellifont, Mr. Pennefather immediately added an afternoon service on the Sunday, which had not hitherto been attempted on account of the scattered dwellings of the Protestants. Only a small num- ber could respond to the invitation, and the advan- tage seemed hardly commensurate with the demand made upon his small stock of strength. In the early autumn we find him at Portstewart, evidently I844-] VISIT TO PORTSTEWART. i79 very feeble in health. Writing from thence to his friend Mr. Nugent, on September 14th, he says— "A physician whom I have seen lately tells me I am on the eve of failing altogether, and he fears, unless I cease work now, I shall be forced to relinquish it, perhaps, for ever ! But I cannot give up yet. ' It is better to wear out than to rust out.'" Mr. Maxwell, then at Portstewart, writes to a friend — " September 10th. " We have had dearest Willy here for a fortnight ; he was indeed a gift from the Lord to our little circle. Besides the sweet social intercourse we had together, by his preaching in the church and his daily lectures in the hotel, he has left much of saving and comforting truth behind him here. His sermon on Ps. iv. 7, was one of the best I have ever heard from any one. His health is very indifferent, and two full services on Sunday are evidently beyond his strength." Notwithstanding the apprehensions of doctors and friends, Mr. Pennefather was enabled to return, after a very short absence, to Mellifont, and the two services were continued as lonsf as he resided there. We find him still occupied with the interests ol Roundstone, pleading with his friends on behalf of the poor crippled girl Catherine Mangan, and send- ing her the help obtained. At the end of October in. this same year, he writes from Kingscourt to his friends at Sizeroh — "I came here this morning to attend our anniversary meeting of the Irish Society, and remain here until 180 VISIT TO LIVERPOOL. [chap. viii. Thursday. I believe I may say that, if God permit, I am to preach in Liverpool on Sunday, November 17th, for the Irish Society. The most of that week will probably be occupied with sermons and meetings. I go as the servant of the Society, and cannot tell what more I may be able to do, but I might possibly spend a few days at Sizergh if you are able to receive me. If this is per- mitted, may I come in the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ ! I do not set my heart on it, but should feel it a rich mercy from the Lord. Oh ! dearest friends, I need your prayers. I have never gone on this sort of deputation before, and feel very unequal to the task. I would not have undertaken it, but that they could not find any one more suitable. Do pray that truth, wisdom, and love may be poured into my lips. If your beloved mother still tabernacles here, I would say, may the fulness of Christ's blessing be her support and consolation, may the Eternal Spirit sensibly abide with her, may the Father of Mercies be her shield and her exceeding great reward." The only further notice of this visit to Liverpool, which we find from his own pen, is in a short note to Mr. Winning, dated — " Mellifont, " December yd, 1844. " My dear Friend, " Young Clark mentions that you expect me to preach at Kingscourt soon. Do pray excuse me. I have been absent two Sundays in England lately, and cannot leave my people again at present. You know how hard it is to get away even for one Sunday. God blessed our mission to Liverpool. In addition to about £600 collected at the time, one gentleman contributed, anony- mously, £1000. May the Lord make us thankful ! We I845-] LETTER FROM MELLIFONT. i8r met with much kindness in England, but it was very fatiguing work." We give a few extracts from the correspondence of the following year, the records of which are some- what scanty. It seems to have been spent mostly at home in the quiet routine of ministerial duties. Of the results of his labours, at this or any other time, we can gather little from his own pen. He always shrank from speaking much of the success of work in which he was himself more immediately concerned. After detailing to a friend the circumstances of a terrible accident in his household, he says — "March 6th, 1845. " I have just finished reading Arnold's Life. His earnest desires to glorify God, and extend the kingdom of Christ on earth, are very striking. Much of his error seems to have been in theory, while the practice of his life we can- not fail to admire. His vivacity of mind, quick sensibility of feeling, and true courage, made him peculiarly suitable for his arduous position. In the training and moulding of youthful minds he seems to stand unequalled, and the reader cannot but regret, that he himself did not share the instruction and moral influence of Dr. Arnold. The variety of minds which shall be found amongst the redeemed in glory, and all purified from dross, will con- stitute a wondrous source of enjoyment, and the excel- lences and lineaments of beauty separately discernible in the creatures of His hands, will all be united and vividly portrayed in the glorious countenance of our Emmanuel. But I must write a letter, not an essay." 182 LETTER FROM ARMAGH, [chap. viii. To a Cousin. 11 The Palace, Armagh, "March 12 th, 1845. "Your dear letter was detained, and has only just reached me, so I have wronged you deeply by fiercely abusing you and B. in my letter to her. Here I am, and when leaving Drogheda I called at the post and found you faithful, when I deemed you so faithless ! " The day is piercingly cold, but I find myself in a large, comfortable room, at the top of this square, three- storied, dignified mansion ! The town of Armagh, with its venerable cathedral, its pretty parish church, and un- dulating hills, rises before me, with the trees of the palace demesne as a foreground. I came at once to my room, as we dine at seven, and I wished to scribble these few lines to ;plead my excuse, and to exonerate you. . Armagh is a very enjoyable place, and I shall be glad to see dear Haig,* but I always fear lest my enjoyments should be earthly rather than spiritual, and Oh ! what is this passing world ? Elegance, refinement, beauty, wealth, what are they all, unless linked with Him who is altogether lovely, with Him who is God from everlasting ! "When I met with much that is merely transitory, I do desire to keep my eye on Him whose calm and holy eye, as man, once looked on men, and who now beholds us from the throne of His glory, and marks those who live as He lived, and walk as He walked." To R. Nugent, in Lojidon. "May 12th, 1845. "You are now in the midst of the battle-field. How wonderful the aspect of the world at this crisis ! France expels the Jesuits, Switzerland is contending for the same politic measure, Germany is the scene of another Refor- * A former schoolfellow who had entered the ministry. 1845.] LETTERS FROM MELLIFONT. 183 mation, while England, Protestant England, is attempting to enact laws for the dominance of Popery over her once free and enlightened people. We turn to America and find the United States torn with dissensions, and loudly calling for war against the mother-country. What will the end be ? May we be found watching ! . . . God bless and keep you in His faith and fear l" The next letter is to his sister — ■ « Mellifont, "May 19th, 1845. " I should have written sooner, but have been perplexed with the affairs of the world— preparing to receive my father and Mr. Kilby. They arrived to-day, and seem delighted with the little place. I believe every one likes it better than I did myself. However, I begin to warm to it. The transplanted tree takes a considerable time before it adopts as its own the new soil into which it has been plunged. But though I am slow to learn, I trust I have learnt to feel that if God quickens and upholds me, I shall be happy under any circumstances and in any place, and if not, I must droop and wither. Oh, that His Spirit may water and refresh us all ! " I long to have dear S. near me, because his love of Scripture* is so helpful and quickening. . . . My father wishes me to return with him on Thursday, but however delightful it would be, I think it would not be right, as I have a lecture at Monasterboice on that day." To the same. " November 24///. "You will have me sooner than I expected. Please God, I shall be with you early on Wednesday. The Primate is to hold a meeting for the Additional Curate's Fund on Thursday, in St. Patrick's Cathedral, and I under- stand he wishes his clergy from this end of the diocese to 1 84 LETTERS FROM MELLIFONT. [chap. viii. attend, so I shall probably be in town till Friday. . . . We are about to enter on the ecclesiastical New Year. May we be enabled to realise at this Advent season some of the bright prospects in store for the Church at ' the appearing of Jesus Christ/ — the suppression of ungodli- ness and universal diffusion of holiness, the cessation of pain and sorrow, the resurrection of the departed saints, and the glorification of all the living who are true members of Christ's body ; the restoration of Judah and Israel, the happiness of the inferior animals, the beauty of the renovated earth ! When we dwell on such pros- pects, shall we not feel our afflictions light, and our labour for the Lord sweet, that Lord who is about to reward us according to the riches of His own loving- kindness." CHAPTER IX, 1 846-1 847. Mission-Rooms and Cottage-Lectures— Early History of the Rev. R. Ryder— Failing Health— Enforced absence from Home— Work for the Irish Society— Recollections of an Irish friend— Visit to Germany— Irish Famine— Recollections of visits to Kings- court— Mission-school at Cloagh-Patrick— Visits to England- Marriage — Days spent in Westmoreland— Letters. IN the scattered parishes of Ballimacugh and Mellifont Mr. Pennefather acted on the principle (afterwards so prominent in all his parochial arrangements, whether in town or country) of forming local centres for gathering the people in small groups, where they might be reached more individually, and dealt with more closely than could be done by any number of ordinary church services. He always felt that these alone were utterly inadequate to meet the spiritual necessities of an ignorant and careless population ; and wherever in a densely-peopled or needy district a suitable room could be obtained, and a small audience collected, there a simple Bible-reading or cottage-lecture was provided for them. — To "get at the people" as he used to say, "whether in 1 86 MISSION-ROOMS AND SERVICES. [chap. ix. a barn or a cathedral," to win souls for Christ by all means and any means, was his paramount object; and many can remember the reiterated petition, "Work, Lord, by whatsoever and whomsoever Thou wilt, only work for Thine own glory." The question has been often asked why Mr. Penne- father's congregations should have been always remarkable for an unusually large proportion of communicants, when he was known so constantly and solemnly to discourage a mere formal and unhallowed attendance at the table of the Lord. It was in great measure by means of these outlying mission-rooms, lectures, and cottage-meetings scat- tered over the parish, in addition to the work steadily carried on in the church, that a people was continually prepared to worship the Father in spirit and in truth: God greatly blessed this con- stant and varied labour. Numbers, whose changed lives bore witness to a change of heart, became personally known to the pastor, and presented themselves for admission to the table of the Lord, while it was the joy of his heart to examine and welcome them, one by one, as they came forward to join the ranks of earnest and devout communi- cants.* His naturally quick eye and keen power of observation gave him peculiar advantage. When looking over the assembly (latterly so large) he * " There was something inexpressibly tender," says one of these in later years, "in his welcome to the new communicant. Look and tone and act all seemed to say, " Come thou with us, and we will do thee good,.' 1846.] MISSION-ROOMS AND SERVICES. 18-* used, as he said, " to lift up a prayer for each," as he remembered the circumstances and needs of each. Doubtless all this has been done by hun- dreds of other ministers; but the continual syste- matic building up of a church-centre (using the word both in its ecclesiastical and spiritual sense), by every variety of agency, all acting in the liberty of love, resulted in that union of vitality and order which was Mr. Pennefather's peculiar aim in every department of the work intrusted to him. In touching on this subject we may seem to be anticipating, but in the letters written during his earlier ministry, we find constant reference to the hamlets, houses, or out-lying stations, where his little mission-services were held, and from whence many were gathered into the public services of the sanctuary. While he remained in Ireland he worked generally single-handed. In after years, God gave him many faithful helpers and fellow- labourers, whose gifts he rejoiced to recognise, and who shared his prayers, his anxieties, and his joys. In taking up the correspondence for 1846, we find a letter written to his dear friends in West- moreland on hearing of their probable removal from Sizergh — ■' Mellifont, "January 23rd, 1S46. " The thought of your leaving Sizergh bewilders me. It is sad to me on your account, on account of the people around, and on my own. To me it was indeed a sacred spot! What happiness and calmness breathed around 1 88 THE REV. R. RYDER. [chap, ix me, without and within, while dwelling under its roof! But the voice of Him who never speaks but in love to His children has come, 'Arise ye, and depart.' Shall we not obey willingly ? His Presence can turn any of His dealings into light and peace." Again — " That place has been an Eden to me, and a Bethel, too ; the unceasing tenderness and acts of friendship shown there to me and mine can never be forgotten, but will constitute a theme of thanksgiving when the new heaven and the new earth shall have taken the place of our present tabernacles. May God daily lead us to think of that City which hath foundations, which His infinite love and wisdom has prepared for the eternal dwelling- place of His children." Early in this year Mr. Pennefather first be- came acquainted with one whose after history he watched with the deepest interest, and who held a place in his remembrance long after they had been widely separated in the great harvest-field. A few lines from Mr. Ryder's pen will best tell its own tale. " I remember well the visit I paid to Mellifont in 1846. Mr. Pennefather was the first friend who showed me kindness after I had renounced the errors of the Church of Rome* He came at once to see me, and invited me to Mellifont. I had many profitable discussions with him, and he prayed often for and with me. We read various portions of Holy Scripture bearing on the points in dispute between the two Churches. He took me with him as he visited some of his parishioners, and I profited much by his conversations and prayers during these visits. * Mr. Ryder had been for ten years a Roman Catholic priest, and is now Rector of Errismore, near Clifden, Galway. 1846.] THE REV. R. RYDER. 189 His family prayers, morning and evening, struck me as testifying such deep and close communion with the Saviour, whose servant he was, that they filled me with joy, and gave me wonderful strength." Mr. Ryder goes on to speak of the difficulty he had felt with regard to the expression used in the i\postles' Creed, as repeated in our Protestant Churches, " I believe in the Holy Catholic Church," and of a conversation with Mr. Pennefather, in which he had opened out the meaning of the church universal in its fullest sense, and adds — " A beam of light entered my soul, and the last link that held me was broken. I thanked him from my heart for the solution of a difficulty which had never before been satisfactorily explained." Mr. Ryder corresponded with Mr. Pennefather for some little time, and was afterwards introduced to Mr. Dallas, from whose published memoir we may be permitted to make a short extract, as it helps us to follow the course of one who has been for many years a diligent and faithful minister of the Protestant Church in Connemara. " One of those priests mentioned by Mr. Dallas, as being in communication with him, was the Rev. R. Ryder, who had been brought up at Maynooth, and had been most earnest and laborious in the village of Rooveagh, where all his friends and relations lived. He had been brought to see the errors of his Church, and his conversion had subjected him to much persecution. Mr. Dallas felt that if this man were really to be trusted, he would be the very agent that was needed to carry on the work. One who igo THE REV. R. RYDER. [chap. IX. knew by training and by experience the doctrines of Rome, would possess a power in the controversy he was engaged to carry on. He determined to give him the severest test of his sincerity, by offering him to undertake the mission in the very parish in which he had acted as priest. He put before him the great work to be done, and the example of the apostles and prophets, who loved not their lives unto death, adding that he would himself go with him to support him in the entrance of his work, that he would give him two readers to assist him, and visit the mission himself at every emergency. " Mr. Ryder took a night to consider the proposal, and after the natural struggle to which such a prospect of trial and persecution gave rise, consented to cast himself upon God, and undertake the work in the full conviction that His Almighty arm alone would raise him from death. Mr. Dallas accompanied him to Rooveagh in April ; he settled down as a reader, and six months after this, when Mr. Dallas visited him, he brought forward between forty and fifty persons who were willing to learn the Scriptures and receive his visits." * But the labours of 1846 were to be much inter- rupted. Soon after Mr. Ryder's visit to Mellifont, we find reference in Mr. Pennefather's letters to the prospect of an enforced absence from home, which greatly tried him. Increased weakness and suffering had compelled him again to seek medical advice, and Sir Henry Marsh was peremptory in requiring cessation from his parish work for several months. In allusion to this subject, he writes from Mellifont, March 18th — * See " Incidents in the Life and Ministry of the Rev. A. R. C. Dallas, A.M.," page 354. 1846.] PROPOSED ABSENCE FROM IRELAND. 191 " I have to thank you for your dear and valued letter just received. It was a sweet cheer to me on reaching my lonely home in rather a lonely spirit. I have been much harassed about my plans, though my Heavenly Father seems wonderfully to have smoothed my way. But to leave my home for several months, is a great trial ! It is now nearly arranged that the Rev. E. Hamilton and his family come here, and that he will undertake the duty (both Sunday and week-day). It is probable that he will remain five months, and that if I am spared to return, I shall re-occupy my wee dwelling early in October. What is to become of me during that interval I know not. Sir H. Marsh spoke of Germany, and then Switzerland. However, I purpose at present to leave Ireland about the 15th of May, and go direct to Sizergh, if you can receive me, and from thence in about ten days to London, and then, I know not whither. It is indeed sweet amid perplexities to think of seeing you both, my beloved friends, and seeing too that dear spot ere you leave it. I am very glad you have secured such a retreat as Eileray. I cannot say I know it exactly, though I think I do. . . , Last week I was absent examining schools, which the clergy have to do every half year, as they may be ap- pointed. It is very fatiguing, but a needful work ; and I have still three more to visit. The Irish meeting in Dublin went off well, and I had much interesting inter- course with some of the Irish teachers. ... If it please God that my health be strengthened, I do ask that I may be enabled to give myself more entirely to His service." It was just at this time that he paid a visit to Dromisken, in reference to which an Irish friend writes : ' My recollections of that beloved saint of God, the Rev. William Pennefather, go back to the March of 1846, when he came to take part in the 192 VISIT TO DROMISKEN. [chap ix, annual examination of the Irish readers, held that year in the parochial school of Dromisken, near Castlebellingham. I shall never forget the impres- sion he made on me. He was evidently in very delicate health, and his whole manner and bearing gave me the idea of a being belonging to another world, to which I felt sure he was soon going ; and I said to the clergyman's wife after he went away, ' You have indeed entertained an angel.' — His sym- pathy and quick perception of the feelings of others especially struck me. A very shy, retiring young clergyman was one of the party, and I well recollect Mr. Pennefather's kindness to him, setting him at ease, and bringing him forward in conversation, strongly impressing me with his own unselfishness, so evidently finding his enjoyment in that of others. " I sat next to him at luncheon, and can recall even now the holy tone of his conversation, and the stanzas of a hymn which he repeated with the deepest feeling, his whole manner and expression markine him as one whose communion with heaven was deep and abiding. A lady who was at that time staying in the house was very unhappy. She had imbibed what were then called Tractarian views, from reading the ' Tracts for the Times,' which had been recently published. Mr. Pennefather was asked to speak to her, but she declined conversation with him, saying that her opinions were dearer to her than life, while her friends could see in them nothing but evil. Mr. Pennefather's candid remark, 1846.] MEETINGS OF IRISH TEACHERS. 193 that he 'desired always to seek out the good in everything and only to reject the evil,' was used of God as the thin end of the wedge, which opened the way for her deliverance from opinions which were causing great distress and alienation in her family. " At the examination of the Irish readers Mr. Pennefather took the second lesson for the day, Luke xiii., and I shall never forget the feeling of that meeting, or the holy earnestness with which that brave band of men, many of them far advanced in years, drank from their young teacher's lips of the river of the water of life. The next time I saw Mr. Pennefather was at a crowded meeting in the Rotunda, Dublin. I well remember his quick observation of two ladies who came in late, and were unable to find seats. He came down from the platform with two camp-stools, which he placed for them, one little instance of the characteristic which distinguished all his after life to a remarkable decree, ' least of all, and servant of all.' '3 Very few records have been preserved of the months of absence from Mellifont. Part of the time was spent at Langen-Schwalbach, where his loneli- ness was cheered by a seemingly casual acquaintance formed with an English family, which resulted in a life-long friendship. A note written to his friend Mrs. Crewdson, bearing the date of Levens Parson- age, Sept. 1 8th, seems to tell that he returned to England with a measure of renewed strength. M 194 IRISH FAMINE. ["chap. ix. " I am well, thank God, after walkiftg here from Elleray. When the coach overtook me yesterday it was full, so I was compelled to walk to Brigstecry and got on gaily. Your old woman was out. I questioned the children at the school, and they answered nicely, but they were reading the Revelation ! ! Mrs. Hail was ill, and glad to see me. She is most anxious that ' her prayers may be answered/ and that you may see an opening for a school near you. God bless you, beloved friend. I felt much in passing through Brigsteer wood, and by the gate of old Sizergh. Yet surely we ought to thank God for mercies past, and take courage. Many a bright beam of love has strayed through the old windows, which will shine on our path for ever." When Mr. Pennefather returned to Ireland, he found the whole country groaning under the scourge of famine. The potato-blight, which was looked upon as a calamity in England, meant nothing less than starvation to the population of the sister isle. In the west and south the desola- tion was appalling ; and even in more favoured dis- tricts the daily increasing distress drew largely on the sympathy and purses of the resident gentry and clergy. Relief-committees were organised and public works set on foot for the employment of the famishing people, but the wide-spread misery seemed to baffle the most energetic effort. In the early part of the winter of 1846 Mr. Pennefather writes from Mellifont, November 18th — " The money sent has been a most timely assistance, for even here the poverty is great. It is wages the people want; food there is at present, if there were I847-] IRISH FAMINE, 195 money to purchase it. On Monday I was at the Relief Committee, and pinching hunger was too plainly written on the faces of many of the people. I am going to drain a field I have, make walks, &c, to try and find employ- ment for a few. But it is always difficult to close such works, and of course I could not long continue them. . . . We are to have two services on Tuesday. The day will, I believe, be observed throughout Ireland. Pray for us, that light may spring up among our dark peasantry, and that food for soul and body may be provided by Him who can satisfy the desire of every living thing." Amid the trials of this dreary winter, on which he used to look back with a shudder at the remem- brance of its loneliness and terrible anxieties, his spirit was refreshed by a visit to Kingscourt ; and the Rev. Hugh Gelston (the present rector of that place, then curate to Mr. Winning), when referring to those days of united labour, writes: " It was in the midst of the Irish Famine, in the February of 1847, that he and I exchanged duty — I going to Mellifont and he coming to Kingscourt. On this occasion he preached for our schools, and, as was usual with him, was eminently successful. Surely our God must have blessed his work wher- ever he went ! Among Mr. Pennefather's many visits to Kingscourt, I have a very lively remem- brance of one, when he came in company with other clergymen to examine our Irish schools, or rather teachers, with a sample of scholars necessary to be produced. They were divided into separate classes, and a clergyman set to each in di/ferent 196 VISITS TO RINGSCOURT. [chap. ix. rooms. I was with Mr. Pennefather in his room, and I remember well his delicate appearance, and, I might almost say, the heavenly look which he had then as a young man, which got for him in our own immediate circle the name of 'St. John.' The men opened their Bibles at Acts xiii. 44, each read his verse in Irish and translated it into English, and when this was done, the questioning com- menced. I never remember a more interesting meeting. The next day we had evening service in church, and Mr. Pennefather preached from 2 Cor. vi. 19, 20." Miss Winning, writing from America, and recal- ling the happy days of Kingscourt, gathers up many interesting incidents connected with one who was greatly beloved by her honoured father. A little instance recorded by her of the sacredness which he always attached to a promise may be given here — - "I remember on one occasion, when Mr. Pennefather had been with us for a few days, my father expressed an earnest desire that he should remain to preach on Sunday. He seemed to wish it himself, but still decidedly refused. At last Papa said, ' Mr. Pennefather, unless you can give some very good reason for leaving, I shall really feel hurt.' He then said he had promised to visit a dying girl on Saturday evening, and could not disappoint her. He had not mentioned it before, as he might seem to be attaching too much importance to his visits. We heard afterwards that he had been the means of bringing that young girl to the Saviour." The same friend adds — 1847.] VISITS TO KINGSCOURT. 197 " I shall never forget my dear father's grief, when he heard of Mr. Pennefather's removal to England, for of all the many clergymen that frequented our house, not one was so welcomed when he came, or so regretted when he left." Before closing our reminiscences of Kingscourt, we may insert an interesting sketch, from the pen of Miss Mason, of one of the meetings held there, eivinof a little idea of Irish work at that time. After describing her meeting with Mr. Pennefather on " a blessed occasion never to be forgotten," she says — " The following evening, I think it was, Mr. Winning took me on a car to a cabin a few miles distant. It was a dark November evening ; and when we arrived at the cabins, we left our car, and walked in the dark about a mile further, not on a road, but through fields, over hedges and ditches and among ponds, accompanied by a number of the poor Irish scholars, who literally almost carried me over all the dirty spots with the greatest tenderness, till we arrived at another cabin (in a field) where we found the room (not a small one) crowded with Irish scholars, men and women. There was a long table or board, round which as many as there was room for sat, and the rest of the space was crowded with men standing. There were two candles, one stuck in a hole in the table, the other passed from hand to hand, according as the people read their verse, for all had a copy of God's Word, and read alternately. I suppose we were there about two hours, and the meeting was intensely interesting. All could read, and all who were questioned answered admir- ably, and seemed well acquainted with Scripture. One of the texts considered was Rom, viii. 1, 2; those ques- tioned on it seemed greatly to value the blessed truth 198 VARIOUS MISSIONARY EFFORTS, [chap. ix. taught in that portion of God's Word. We came home at nearly twelve o'clock as we went, carefully guarded by a number of kind protectors." * The same beloved friend writes — "Dublin, "Januaryiyd, 1877.+ "As to the Irish work, for 60 years I have loved, and tried to help it. I can remember the starting of the Irish Society, the Achill Mission, Mr. Gayer and his work, then Mr. Dallas, and all were marvellously blessed. In Achill there are three churches in an island where not a Protestant existed, in Connemara a number well known, in Kerry five churches in one locality, where no Protestants were to be found; and what is the general state of Ireland now ? In every quarter where any missionary effort has been attempted, the Roman Catho- lics not only do not persecute, but listen in numbers quietly and reverently to the Word of God." In the spring of 1847 Mr. Dallas paid one of his missionary visits to Dublin ; and it was pro- bably then, though we have no record of the cir- cumstances, that the friendship was formed, which subsisted between him and Mr. Pennefather for so many years. But to return to Mellifont. In 1846 Mr. Penne- father opened a mission-school, in a small hamlet at the extremity of his parish, called Cloagh Patrick, in the town-land of Tullyallan. He was painfully conscious that little or no inroad had been made * It does not appear whether this meeting was conducted by Mr. Winning or Mr. Pennefather, though we find it alluded to in other letters. f Before the close of the year, this honoured servant of the Lord was called into her Master's presence, at the age of 87. 1 347-] SCHO OL AT CLOA GH PA TRICK. 1 99 upon the Roman Catholic population, and taking the largest cottage he could find he fitted it up for a school and the residence of a school-mistress, determining to make it a centre for missionary effort. The first attempt, however, was unsuccess- ful, as the mistress, after working for a short time, was incapacitated by illness, and the school was closed. But the disappointment was soon sur- mounted, and in the spring of 1847 Mr. Penne- father returned from Dublin, brinoqnor with him a zealous young teacher, whose spirit had been fired by listening to the fervent appeals of Mr. Dallas, and the school was re-opened on the 9th of April. The numbers soon rose to eighty, irrespective of the large influx of irregular scholars, who dropped in occasionally. t The mistress fully entered into the missionary character of the school, and every moment of spare time was devoted to a loving ministry among the starving people around. This school, with the important work emanating from it, was an object of great anxiety as well as deep interest to Mr. Pennefather while he remained in Ireland, and the strain put upon his own slender resources by the needs of a famine-stricken people, necessitated the additional labour of collecting funds. In the early part of this summer we find him in England, spending some time in Kent, where he met her who was to be his wife, and visiting his valued friend Mr. Dallas at Wonston. The later summer months were spent in his parish, cheered 200 MARRIAGE. [chap. ix. by the prosperity of his little missionary settlement at Cloagh Patrick. He returned to Kent in September, and was married on the 16th of that month to Catherine, eldest daughter of Admiral King of Angley. The marriage-service was performed in the fine old parish church of Cranbrook, by his dear friend Mr. Cleaver, who now became his uncle.* "William Pennefather married!" wrote an old friend, " I cannot at all realise it. I have so long thought of him as a dear saint of God, just on the wino- for heaven." One who knew and loved both husband and wife, sent her congratulations in the words of the Apostle : " What thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God." In the first hotel at which they spent a short time after their marriage, Mr. Pennefather commenced the practice, which he carried on throughout his life, of collecting the servants of the hotel, and as many of the guests as were willing to accept his invitation, for Bible-reading and prayer. On this first occasion God granted a gracious token of en- couragement in the testimony of one of the servants, given before he left the house, to the great blessing she had received. Before returning to Ireland he paid a visit to his * Rear-Admiral the Honourable James William King, youngest son of Robert, Earl of Kingston, married the daughter of Euseby Cleaver, Arch- bishop of Dublin, whose eldest son was William Cleaver, Rector of Delgany, in the county of Wicklow. 1 847.] VISIT TO WESTMORELAND. 201 "English home," anxious to introduce his wife to its beauties, as well as to the large circle of his Westmoreland friends. The autumn was singu- larly bright and propitious for the enjoyment of the country ; and the delight with which he pointed out its familiar scenes to one who had never been among them before can well be imagined. One friend, who can still recall that happy season, writes : — " I had known him as a youth at Levens Parsonage, preparing for the University, when his life was a practical commentary on the 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians, an example of faith and hope and love. As time went on, I remember how skilful he was in setting forth the sympathy of Jesus, in a time of deep anguish and bereavement. I call to mind his direct and transparent way of dealing with Scripture at Bible-readings, and the calm and restful look, with the upward glance, which seemed to say, ' Oh, send out Thy light and Thy truth, let them lead me.' And I have one very bright recol- lection of him when his tide of human happiness was at its height. It was during a stay at Elleray, shortly after his marriage. " I was privileged to drive with him and his wife to Langdale. . . . Everything in the beauti- ful scenery was at its best ; there was sunshine within and without. It was natural for him to seek expression for joy in the house of prayer, so, at his suggestion, we went into the little church on the centre knoll, and there, in sight of the mountain 202 LETTER FROM DUBLIN. [chap. ix. grandeur, within those quiet walls, he poured out prayer and praise from an overflowing heart. It seemed to me a very Presence-chamber of the Eternal, a realisation of the truth that ' The Church below and those above, But one Communion make.' " Little can be added to the records of this year from his own correspondence, as few letters have been preserved which supply anything like a con- nected narrative. Some thoughts of interest may be gathered out from such as remain, before we return to Mellifont. In a letter written from Dublin, July 17th, he speaks of his great pleasure in discovering the ap- preciation of painting in some uneducated minds — " When I showed them the picture, they could not help weeping, and I could not help rejoicing that they took in the beauty, and were able to grasp the conception. It is real enjoyment to see the humbler classes able to enter into refined gratifications such as music and painting. Perhaps the Irish do so especially, but I feel that the channels opened to us by works of art, by sweet sounds and pleasant sights have not been used as they might have been for cultivating and refining our peasantry. I would not of course depend on these things, or carry them too far, nothing can satisfy the soul of man but ' the Bread of Life, which came down from heaven, and of which if a man eat, he shall live for ever.' But man is a compound being, and God has met his nature at all points. He has given food for the body, the intellect, and the affections; He has surrounded us with forms of beauty, and man is permitted to copy and represent and delight in these works of His Father's hand." 1847.] LETTERS FROM MELLIFONT. 203 The thought here touched upon was one which held a prominent place in Mr. Pennefather's mind, and might be traced in all his arrangements for the poor. Flowers, pictures, and music always had their place in the mission-work over which he pre- sided, at a time when the power of these things was far less appreciated than is now the case. Again, writing from Mellifont in the same month, he says — " May we ever know what it is ' to walk in the light as He is in the light.' It implies — 1st, To walk in acceptance. 2nd, To walk in ever increasing knowledge. 3rd, To walk in holiness. 4th, To walk in joy. 5tn, To walk in a groiving sense of God's presence and favour. And to abide in this knowledge, holiness, joy, and blessed sense of favour, to maintain this fellowship (which is in its measure like the deep love that subsists between the Father and the Son), there must ever be the realisation that ' the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin/ That thought of fellowship is indeed marvellous, passing comprehension ! But it glori- fies the Father who ' Himself loveth you,' it glorifies the work of Jesus which has brought it about, it glorifies the divine Spirit who begets and sustains the blessed inter- course.' " The next letter alludes to the Mission-school at Cloagh Patrick — "Mellifont, " August 7 th, 1847. " On my way home from some distant visits, I called at the school, but the children were dismissed, so I could only talk to the mistress, who is full of love and anxiety 204 LETTERS FROM MELLIFONT. [chap. tSL about them. From thence I went to visit the Police- Barrack, and heard from the wife of one of the sergeants, who is a truly pious woman, a most cheering testimony to the effect of the school upon the neighbourhood. She said nothing could surpass the zeal and anxiety of the teacher, and the children's voices are heard in hymns of praise along the roads, instead of a constant sound of angry curses. Her eyes filled with tears as she spoke, and I could not help asking her and her husband, with two other men who were present, to kneel down while I thanked Him, who orders all things for His own eternal glory, that He had so far prospered us. . . . u In your allusion to Psalm cxiii. you have touched a passage which peculiarly interests me. In the first part of the psalm, the Psalmist speaks of Jehovah's majesty as the ground of praise, and then, verse by verse, as he proceeds, the subject seems to expand before his mind, till he exclaims, ' Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high ! ' as if he would fill others with the same grand conceptions. Next comes the contrast, this great- ness of God brought alongside of His condescension. 1 He humbleth Himself to behold the things that are in heaven.' It is a vast descent for Deity to look with com- placency on anything finite, yet God does delight in the angels who stand around His throne and sing His praises. But He descends further yet, earth (this little world, hang- ing like a tiny dew-drop in the vast field of space), has a place in His thoughts and is under His care. 'He be- holdeth the things that are in the earth.' Can He stoop lower? Yes! He has come down to the sinners of this sinful earth, and has stooped to lift the poor from the dust and the needy from the dung-hill, to set them among princes, even among the princes of His people.' ... I have been thinking of Mrs. R., and feel much for her. How often God rends our bowers that His own light may shine in through the opening His hand has made! Truly His iS'47.] LETTERS FROM MELLIFONT. 205 ways are past finding out, and eternity will not suffice to comprehend the wondrous love that has guided all our journeyings through this wilderness-world. When we are safe on the mount of glory, and can look back on the path- way, tracing out every turn in the light of God's counten- ance, what a burst of thankfulness will follow ! We are very near the confines of eternity. A few more gleams of sunshine, a few more clouds of trial, a little more weariness, a little tossing, and then — ' For ever with the Lord ! ' and this our portion ! and wherefore ? — Oh ! the depth of the riches of His grace! ... Is it not strange that the language of triumph and holy joy should ever be re- strained ? Strange that a little sorrow, a little pain or weakness or temptation, should obscure the glorious prospect which lies before us ! — But a.farthi?ig held close to the eye will hide out the loveliest scene in all creation, and when the eye of the mind is darkened by presetit things, either joy or sorrow, Christ and salvation, heaven and eternity, all these realities are out of sight. ... I know too often what it is to hear the voice of God walking, as it were, among the trees of the garden, while still my soul cries out, ' Let me see Thy face, for Thy countenance is comely.' — God bless you with the bright shini?ig of His face!" " September ^rd. "You ask about Col. i. 20. I have often thought that when the angels, who kept not their first estate, were driven by Jehovah from His holy sanctuary in heaven, chey left the stain of guilt there. It was necessary that all imperfection should be removed from the dwelling-place of the Most High, and it behoved the Holy One to show to the unfallen spirits His hatred of sin, and His power to cleanse His temple from any defilement which sin had left there. Therefore our blessed Redeemer entered into the 'holy place with His own blood,' manifesting His hatred of all iniquity, and showing to the elect angels that 206 LETTER FROM WESTMORELAND, [chap. ix. in His grace and power they stand, and that now there is security that transgression shall never again enter heaven. The blood sprinkled there, in the sight of all its mighty hosts, as a warrant from Jehovah, that they shall be kept, and a lesson to all created intelligences that Christ is the Life of His creatures. 'By Him all things consist! His zvork is the glory of God, and the source of all blessing to the inhabitants of earth and heaven. Thus angels and redeemed men will unite to praise Jehovah for the work of the Incarnate Son. Angels will see their safety in Him, men will acknowledge their deliverance from ruin, all, all the fruit of a Saviour's mighty love ! " Does this thought commend itself to you ? " We close with a few lines written from West- moreland— " We had a most enjoyable afternoon yesterday. The mist rolled off the fine amphitheatre of mountains round the head of Windermere, and we rowed up the lake, entering the river which flows into it, and pursued our way between its banks. The river is formed by the confluence of two bright streams, which having woke up their respective valleys with their joyous music, unite before they enter Windermere, and in one deep tranquil flow of waters, find their way into the bosom of the lake. The rugged mountains come precipitously down to the water-side, and beyond rises summit above summit, with the sun sinking behind them. . . . Oh ! to be ever rising, ever springing up in thought and affection towards Him the eternal One, from whom all beauty and blessing flow ! " On Sunday we went to Rydal Church, that pretty little church at the foot of a craggy hill, with clambering ivy and tufts of heath, nestling under the branches of native oak. I missed the Wordsworths ; their place was 1847.] DEATH OF WORDSWORTH'S DAUGHTER. 20/ empty, sorrow has entered their home.* Oh ! that they may know what it is to abide beneath the wings of Ever- lasting Love, and there hearken to the voice of One, who says to His trembling children, ' It is I, be not afraid ! ' Our sermon was on Rom. viii. 32. I have been thinking much of the passage. A blessed inference deduced from an amazing fact ! the inference and the fact both worthy of Jehovah, both equally beyond the conception of man ! All things are ours ! through Christ, with Christ, in Christ!" * The death of their only daughter, which had just taken place. 208 "> CHAPTER X. 1847-1848. Return to Mellifont — Prevalence of Famine-fever — Relief given at the Mission-school — Visit to Dublin — Illness^-Death of Admiral King — Offer of a Church at Aylesbury — Removal to England — History of the building of Trinity Church, Walton— Great need of Schools — Efforts of Romanism — Temporary School and Site purchased for a new Building — Preaching to the Bargemen — Crowded Church— Letters to Miss Mason — Prayer-meetings. r I 'HE opening of November 1847 found Mr. and Mrs. Pennefather settled at Mellifont, in the midst of a starving and fever-stricken population. The prospects of the country were improving — it was confidently hoped that the worst was over, and far-seeing friends of Ireland could discern the wonder-working providence of God, in detaching her peasantry from their exclusive dependence on the potato crop. But for the present, the scourge was still heavy on the land, and, added to the scarcity of food, the usual distressing consequence in the form of famine-fever was carrying off its thousands. Among the Protestant inhabitants, who were looked upon as Mr. Pennefather's charge, there was comparatively but little destitution, and his 1847-48.] FAMINE AND FEVER. 209 wisdom was called in question by many, for attempting to touch the ocean of misery that lay around. To any one acquainted with the suburbs of Drogheda, the most degraded of which lay in the direction of Mellifont, such a view of the case may not appear unreasonable. Nevertheless, we believe there are few who could have lived in the vicinity of such appalling wretchedness, hearing from day to day, as a minister must do, its harrowing details, without making some little effort, however hope- lessly inadequate, to alleviate the suffering. Per- haps none but those accustomed to Irish poverty can realise the indolent endurance with which hun- dreds of rao-o-ed creatures will sit, from morning till night, around any dwelling where they have the faintest hope of obtaining, as they say, " bit or sup." During the earlier months of this trying winter Mellifont Glebe was literally besieged by crowds, whose looks told but too plainly the tale of hunger and sickness. To shut doors and hearts was im- possible; but while meal was served out for some hours daily, it was with the painful conviction that little real good was accomplished, and that the people were sinking lower and lower in a degrading pauperism. The same work was going on at the little school-house at Tully-Allan, but with more satisfaction in the case of the children, who could not, under any circumstances, have earned their own living. To them, too, there was some possibility, 210 RELIEF GIVEN AT THE SCHOOL. [chap, x, utterly precluded among the adults, of ministering the Bread of Life as well as the bread that perisheth. Our only memoranda of this period are a few notes jotted down by the school-mistress. " One feature of our work was the necessity of feeding the perishing bodies of those famishing little ones. Finding that many of them had no food before coming to school, Mr. Pennefather, with the aid of the same friends, in Dublin, who had so kindly furnished us with books and school-requisites, supplied Indian-meal and rice, which was made into porridge, and served out in wooden bowls. Our difficulties were many. In the whole neighbourhood we could not purchase half a pint of milk, until some of the constabulary procured a goat, which gave us temporary aid. Many never tasted a morsel from day to day, except what was supplied to them at the school, and the cases of utter destitution coming under our notice I dare not attempt to describe. " On one occasion, a poor woman came to the door just at my dinner-time, and not having anything left in the house but the piece of bread on the table, I gave it to her. She had tasted no food for some days except a turnip pulled up in a field, and after eagerly eating the bread, she dropped down dead in the next house she entered. We were obliged to close the windows, or we could have eaten no food ourselves : often the supplies were out and the last shilling gone. But the people's hearts were won, and I had no uncivil word in all my wanderings, early and late. " Many were the excommunications from the parish priest, who used to ride about with a horse-whip, and frighten the poor little ones on their way to school. On one occasion he walked into the school-room and demanded my books, with the names and residences of the £847-48.] FAMINE AND FEVER. 211 children, but I simply said I was not authorised to give up my registers ; and though he was very angry, the Lord mercifully delivered us. Never can I forget Mr. Penne- father's restful smile and constant prayers (for prayer was the atmosphere in which he lived) when I went to him with all my histories of threats and troubles. I felt as though I could not endure the strain without them ; and I used to return calm and strengthened, as well as laden with flannel and materials for clothing — here it was literally clothing the naked. The school was a continual conflict, for each time the denunciations of the priest were uttered, numbers would be withdrawn : but the love of the children to the place where they had received kindness was so strong, that again they would find their way back to us. " I could fill pages with incidents of that year of dread- ful trial, for fever, amounting to pestilence, was making terrible ravages amongst the inhabitants of the district, and took its worst form in a hamlet lying still nearer to Drogheda. I remember on one occasion, a son entreating the priest to go to his mother, who was dying. The father lay dead in the house, and others were lying ill, but he steadily refused to go until the money was paid down. The poor fellow, not having a farthing left, promised to get it, but nothing would move the priest, and in desperation the poor son cried, ' Then I will fetch the Protestant minister," and off he went to Mellifont Glebe. Mr. Penne- father's kindness to all the poor around, without distinction of creed, was well known." These details might be multiplied ; but enough has been said to give an idea of the fierce warfare going on both with misery and superstition. We have only one letter written by Mr. Pennefather at this period. 2 12 NEED OF FUNDS. [chap. X. To R. Nugent, Esq. " Mellifont Glebe, " January 17th, 1848. " My dearest Richard, " Can you do anything for my wretched people ? Here is a population of 4500, 3000 of whom at least are paupers, and in great destitution. I have been enabled for nearly ten months to feed the children attending my school. There are 100 names on the books, and we have a daily attendance varying from 35 to 75. Fever lessens our numbers. Of the hundred, about ten are Protestants, the remaining ninety are Roman Catholics. The priests are furious, and so are many of the Roman Catholic farmers. A Roman Catholic shopkeeper told a poor woman (whose child attended our school), in the presence of a policeman, that he ' would sooner forgive her for stealing a cow than for sending her child to that school.' Unless I obtain funds I must close the school. The expense of mistress, house, fuel, and food, is about .£60 a year. My income from this parish is under ^84. My door is besieged by half- starving creatures, just out of fever, craving for food. I am oftentimes cast down, yet God does graciously vouchsafe to help me. Pray for, and, if you can, relieve " Your ever attached friend, "W. Pennefather." At the end of January Mr. Pennefather and his wife went to Dublin to meet Mr. Dallas, and con- sult with him and other friends for the extension and increased efficiency of the Irish Church Missions, so energetically worked under his auspices. Various plans were proposed, and willing help promised by 1 848.] ILLNESS IN D UBLIN. 2 r 3 Mr. Pennefather, but God had other purposes for His servant ; and the zeal and love so warmly devoted to Ireland were soon to be employed in other fields. The visit to Dublin was intended to be a very short one ; but when just about to return to his work, Mr. Pennefather was taken ill, and for some little time confined to his bed. He had been so much in contact with malignant fever that many fears were entertained, but the Lord graciously rebuked the disease, and though for a short time terribly pros- trate, he speedily rallied. He was still confined to his room when letters arrived from England, telling of the dangerous illness of his father-in-law, Admiral King, to be followed in a few short days by the tidings of his death. Though he had been loner in failing health, the blow was very unexpected, and came at a moment when his daughter could not be released from the sick-room of her husband. Mr. Dallas was still in Dublin, and seemed sent as an angel of mercy in these hours of sorrow and perplexity. He was eminently a man of prayer, and his fervent supplica- tions, and bright anticipations of the coming glory, shedding its light over all earthly shadows, brought many a message of strength and comfort. It was about this time (the middle of February), though we have no note of the exact date, that Mr. Pennefather received a letter from the Rev. Charles Bridges, writing as one of the trustees of Trinity Church, Walton, Aylesbury, to invite him to become 214 OFFER OF A CHURCH IN ENGLAND, [chap. x. a candidate for that incumbency. Mr. Bridges spoke of it as a place, " offering no worldly attrac- tion whatever, a difficult post, very small income, no house, no society (in the common acceptation of the term) ; but, on the other hand, an important sphere of labour, and a large body of devoted clergy in the surrounding neighbourhood." It was a difficult question, coming at such a moment, and it was pressed as requiring speedy decision. To think ol leaving Mellifont was nothing new to him ; he had felt for some time past that the good to be accomplished there was not commensurate with the demands made upon his strength, and the matter had been aorain and a^ain laid before the Lord. o o But to think of leaving Ireland was painful and perplexing in the extreme. He had purposed in early youth to devote his life to the welfare of that land ; his heart was bound up with the schemes opening up for missionary effort among its people, and his aged father would in all probability resent the mere mention of his removal to England. The conflict was a sharp one, but the providential leadings were very remarkable, and he could scarcely doubt the indications of the Lord's will. With that independence of thought and action, which was part of his character, he determined to mention the subject at this early stage to none but his father, praying earnestly that his opposition might be moderated if, indeed, the thing proceeded from the Lord. The distinctness of the answer 1848.] REMOVAL FROM MELLIFONT. 215 could not be mistaken. With all natural expressions of regret at the loss of his society, Baron Penne- father acknowledged the paramount importance of his duty as a minister, and left him perfectly free to act, without the fear of placing himself in undue antagonism to his parent's wishes. Among the many answers to prayer which marked his life, perhaps none was ever more striking than this. To those who knew the circumstances and persons concerned,, it would seem nothing less than the Lord's own voice speaking. It was a matter of great satisfaction to him, that the utter absence of worldly advantages, in connection with his call to England, tended to simplify the question, as his motives could scarcely be doubted. He decided not to waste time and money in going over to see the place, but to accept it as God's appointment, and trust Him for all that was to follow. The removal from Mellifont was pain- ful, but it was done very promptly. The living, as soon as resigned, was accepted by a friend who well knew both pastor and people ; arrangements for the packing of some things and sale of others were quickly made ; and he set his face like a flint to take a step which he greatly dreaded but never doubted. Among other trials, he had to leave the young school-mistress, who had so bravely shared the con- flicts of the past year, on a sick-bed, prostrated by fever and anxiety. But in the midst of much dark- ness God gave him a ray of very bright sunshine, in the visitation of a dying lady to whom he was 216 REMOVAL FROM MELLIF0N7. [chap. x. called just before leaving his country, and to whom he was permitted to be a messenger of life and peace. It was remarkable that one precious soul was given him when on the point of quitting the shores of Ireland, and a second immediately on reaching his new parish — like tender tokens of his Father's approval and blessing. The only letter we have from Mr. Pennefather s own pen at this time, is a short note to an Irish clergyman, dated— " Mellifont, " March ^rd. " My dear Mr. S , " It grieves me greatly to tell you that I am about to leave this place, and I fear I shall not have an opportunity of seeing you before my departure. A per- petual curacy of very small value (£130 and no house) has been offered to me in England — Walton, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. My chief reason for accepting it is, that it presents a field of labour more suited to my powers than this. Here I am in a parish more than six miles in length by four in breadth, containing a popula- tion of 4500 persons, of whom 3000 at least are paupers. The Protestants are only 200, scattered over this wide field, and mingled with the mass of Romanists. To visit this little flock I have to travel many miles. The curacy now offered to me is very circumscribed in extent, the population about 900, close together, the congregation about 450. It is not without earnest prayer that I have consented to remove to another sphere. I believe God is guiding me ; were it not so, I could not bring myself to leave Ireland. I greatly need your prayers, for I am very weak ; but oh ! the power of the grace that is in Christ Jesus ! an ample supply for all the necessities of the whole Church : ' Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it.' 184S.] ARRIVAL AT AYLESBURY. 217 " Surely the days look dark, and thick clouds are gathering around us, but the Son of Man is coming to be glorified in His saints, and admired in them that believe." On the 17th of March Mr. and Mrs. Pennefather set out for Aylesbury, sailing direct from Drogheda to Liverpool. They were not acquainted with any one of the trustees who had made the appointment, or with a single person in the town, or even the county, to which they were going. They were met at the station by one of the church-wardens, and conducted to a small lodging in the town, about a mile from the church, as no other rooms could be obtained. Mr. Pennefather's passionate love of the beautiful, though never extinguished, had happily been, ere this, brought into subjection, for it was sorely tested on the present occasion. He found himself in possession of a church which could cer- tainly lay no claim to architectural beauty, in a town, far from picturesque, situated in a wide plain desti- tute of trees, and to a stranger arriving in the month of March, presenting a prospect of little else than ploughed fields. But where work is to be done for the Master, external things are of little account, and this work he set himself to do. Very soon the canal basin, with its dingy coal-wharf and the rows of dirty cottages, with their duck ponds and ditches, were among his most favourite resorts. The con- gregation of Trinity Church, who seemed to be gathered from all parts of the town, received their 2x8 TOWN OF A YLESBURY. [chap. X. new minister kindly but timidly. There was a certain shyness and caution which needed to be overcome, and it was not till loving confidence had taken the place of this reserve, that the cause was explained. The religious history of Aylesbury was peculiar. For many years the town was simply asleep, as regarded the ministrations of the Church of England. There was only one church in the place, and this was held by a very aged minister, who seemed little alive to the pressing needs of its inhabitants. Some years previous to the time of which we are speaking, it pleased God by a remark- able chain of providential circumstances to rouse the town from its lethargy, by the ministry of two of His faithful servants who succeeded one another as curates in the parish church. The little band of earnest Christians, long scattered and discouraged, was rallied and united, and many sitting in darkness were brought into the light and liberty of the Gospel of' Christ. Anions the conoreo-ation thus gathered, there were some who, feeling a lively interest in the spiritual welfare of their town, were earnestly desirous to secure it against a relapse into the former state of stagnation and indifference. The plan suggested was the building of a second church, the presentation to which should be so vested, as permanently to secure if possible an earnest evan- gelical ministry. The plan was warmly seconded by many of the neighbouring clergy, who fully realised its import- 1848.] HISTORY OF TRINITY CHURCH. 219 ance. But most of its promoters were poor ; party spirit ran high ; and there was strong opposition in some influential quarters. The wife of a clergyman in an adjoining parish writes, " When I first went into the neighbourhood in September 1839, I found weekly committees on foot, for the purpose of build- ing the new church in Aylesbury, and it was hard work! No money, no friends! Nothing but per- severing- effort could have carried it through." Assuredly " the walls were built in troublous times," and more than once, when on the eve of accomplishment, the consecration had to be post- poned for various causes. At last, in 1845, all obstacles were overcome, and the little company of persevering labourers was permitted to meet for worship within the new building, to be known hence- forth by the name of Trinity Church, Walton. But troubles and disappointments were still to follow ; the stipend was very small, the circumstances of the parish (a district just separated from the mother- church) were very difficult, and the first minister appointed failed to make much way among the people. It was when the second incumbent was about to be selected that the anxious friends of the work, aware of surrounding perils, ventured to send in a humble request to the trustees that they would kindly appoint an Englishman and one above fifty years of age ! It was, therefore, certainly no marvel that when they saw their new minister arrive, a young man, direct from Ireland, they were 220 STATE OF THE PARISH. [chap, x. startled and not a little alarmed. Hence their timid reception. Mr. Pennefather knew little or nothing of the state of parties in the town, but he found himself in the midst of a people greatly needing, and some of them earnestly desiring, the Bread of Life. He naturally possessed the power of grasping a position at once. The remarkable organ of locality which, to the amusement of his friends, made him at home in the most intricate town, by simply taking the points of the compass, and ascertaining the bear- ing of the principal thoroughfares, seemed to extend to the moral and physical necessities of a parish. He knew more of his surroundings in a week than many men would learn in a year, and was prepared to grapple with them. In taking up his work at Walton, two special needs immediately presented themselves. The total absence of any provision for the education of the children of the poor could not fail to strike the most casual observer, and to one in whose parochial plans schools always held a very prominent place, the want was painfully apparent. Nothing had hitherto been attempted, except a small Sunday school held in the church, the struc- ture of which was more than usually inconvenient for the purpose. The people were mostly agricul- tural labourers, while many of the women were eno-ao-ed in rearing ducks for the London market, others in straw-plaiting and lace-making. All these occupations tended to the same result— untidy homes 1848.] PROJECTED SCHOOLS. 221 and neglected children ; while education had -done nothing to improve the habits of the people. The following letter to Mr. Nugent, written within a fortnight of his arrival in Aylesbury, is quite in character with Mr. Pennefather's usual promptitude : — " Aylesbury, "March 29th, 1848. " My dearest Richard, " You are aware, I believe, through Mr. Campbell, that I am already in charge of Trinity Church, Walton, Aylesbury. " Walton is a suburban district of this town, containing about 900 inhabitants, most of them in very humble cir- cumstances. Trinity Church was opened for divine ser- vice about three years since, but there were not funds to build either parsonage-house or schools. The income of the church is only about £130 per annum. " It is now proposed to raise a fund by subscription for the erection of a school, which is much needed. There are a great many children in the district without educa- tion, and what renders it peculiarly important to make speedy provision for their instruction, is the fact that the Romanists, ever on the alert, have purchased land near Trinity Church for the erection of a chapel and schools * * The sequel to this attempt was remarkable. We give it as told by a lady well acquainted with the history of Aylesbury— "While Mr. Pennefather was incumbent of Walton, I had gone to Stoke near Guildford. The clergyman there asked me to listen to the story of a Frenchman who had called upon him, saying he had been appointed In- spector of Monasteries, Convents, and Roman Catholic schools in England. He had come from Lyons, and this was his first visit. He said he had been spoken to by several persons since he came to England about the Bible, and his mind had become bewildered with doubts which he dared not reveal. At length he consulted Signor Gavazzi, who was then in England, and by him was urged to read the Bible and judge for himself. He was soon convinced 222 PROJECTED SCHOOLS. [chap. x. "You are aware that in this county Romanism has received a powerful impetus from the late M.P. who has joined the Church of Rome, and is doing all he can to propagate its doctrines. The district of Walton, as adjoining the county town of Buckinghamshire, is an important locality for the friends of gospel truth, to aid by their prayers and sym- pathy and contributions. " I therefore venture to write to you, and ask if you can do something for me. You readily helped me in Ireland, and your assistance was most timely and valuable. I have been received with much kindness, and greatly like what I have seen of the people. My church is a very plain building, but not un-churchlike in the interior. It holds about 450, and is usually nearly full. We are in lodgings, but hope soon to get into a house, where it will give me true gratification to see you." A little later we find a printed paper giving all statistics, forwarded to the same friend, with a note in which he says — " While men sleep the enemy is sowing tares. Pray that the Lord may bless our efforts to train up the children in His faith and fear." While occupied in collecting subscriptions and that Protestants were right and Romanists wrong ; but lie had a long struggle between conscience and interest. He was a French Count, had a large salary, and must give up name, home, friends, honour, and the means of subsistence. How could he earn his living ? At length he could struggle no longer — he opeidy professed the truth, and declared himself a Protestant at Aylesbury, in which town he had bought land, hoping to have a chapel built. Mr. Penne- father was written to, and confirmed his statements, saying that at the request of the poor Frenchman he had presided at a meeting, where he told the story and made his declaration, and he believed him to be sincere. The Count dropped his title, became a teacher of French and a lecturer on the errors of Popery." Soon afterwards the land at Aylesbury was sold, the priest retired, and there was no more effort to establish Romanism there. J848.1 CANAL BARGEMEN. 223 preparing1 plans for the new building, Mr. Penne- father felt the importance of immediate action, and therefore securing the largest room he could find for the purpose, he opened a mixed school, till further accommodation could be provided. At the same time, finding that two small houses near the church, with a considerable plot of ground, were for sale, he wrote to the Rev. Edmund Hollond, one of the trustees of the church, and a liberal friend to the work, telling him the circumstances of the case. Mr. Hollond most kindly purchased the houses, and made over the adjoining ground as a site for the new school-rooms. The second peculiar feature which forced itself on Mr. Pennefather's attention in the first survey of his parish, was the basin of the Grand Junction Canal with its many barges. Swarms of men, be- grimed with coal-dust, were to be found on the wharf, while the surrounding cottages were in- habited by their wives and children, when not living, as they too often did, in the boats. This ignorant and neglected people could not fail to touch the heart of a minister ; and while forming- in his own mind a plan for their more permanent benefit, he wrote immediately to a dear and zealous friend, much accustomed to out-door preaching, en- treating him to come and spend some weeks with him. This he consented to do, employing his time for the benefit of the bargemen, going in and out among them, and preaching on the wharf when 224 EFFORTS FOR THE BARGEMEN. [chakx. any considerable number could be gathered. God marvellously blessed the effort, and when the preacher was compelled to leave them, a number of these poor men, hitherto considered so unap- proachable, came forward to present him with a sum of money, collected among themselves, to help " some one to go and do the same for their mates further up the canal." Very little of the correspondence of this busy year has been preserved."' We insert a few pas- sages taken from a letter to Miss Mason, telling her of his position. Many friends in Ireland were both mourning and censuring his departure, and he had to bear with much misunderstanding on the subject. "Aylesbury, "June igf/i, 184S. " My very dear Friend, " It pained me greatly to hear of your many trials, and yet, why should I mourn when the trials are but tokens of your Father's love, sent to make you meet for an exceeding weight of glory, which without such pre- paration you could not bear. Yet a little while, and from the Land of Promise you will retrace, with adoring grati- tude, 'all the way the Lord has led you,' and acknowledge that not one step in that way could have been omitted. Nevertheless, for the present, sorrow is grievous. To have our precious treasures, the stars that shine upon our path, hid from our eyes, seems sometimes almost 4 more than we are able to bear;' but let us remember that the setting of the stars is the prelude to the rising * The correspondence kept up with his Westmoreland friends for almost forty years, and so carefully treasured, is at this time unaccountably missing. 1848.] PAROCHIAL LABOURS. 225 of the sun. And so, as one believer after another passes into glory, it is but hastening on the coming of Him, who cannot appear until all His people are gathered into the true Church, either here or there. " Now for your question — I came to this place because it appeared to open a much greater sphere of usefulness than that at Mellifont. Its worldly advantages are few, no house, and the income very small. ... I trust you will pray for me. I think much of your work, and trust to be able again to help you, but just at present our hands are very full, and the people here are by no means rich. " Hitherto the subscriptions even to the Church Mis- sionary Society have been wretchedly small, but we have just organised a Missionary Association. The people are putting up a gallery at the west end of the church, and are getting a small organ, so that they have already been obliged to contribute much more than they are accus- tomed to do." With the exception of a short visit to his widowed mother-in-law, and a few weeks spent with his father in Ireland, he was closely occupied with the many interests which pressed upon him from day to day, as God blessed him increasingly to this interesting people. Their fears were now turned into a new channel ; for his health, though gradually improving, was still very frail, and his unceasing labours startled those who were looking on with affectionate anxiety. To quote the words of an attached member of his congregation, referring to this time, " As we used to go home on Sunday evening, rejoicing in the glorious truths to which we had been listening, I often wept bitterly, in the 225 PAROCHIAL ENCOURAGEMENTS. [chap. X. full conviction that he would remain but a little while among us, I felt so sure he was ripening for glory." Meanwhile God was carrying on a deep work in many hearts, and giving a remarkable amount of manifest blessing, especially to the ser- vices in the church. The following letter to Mis? Mason speaks of encouragement and hopefulness : ** Aylesbury, "December 15///, 184S. " My dear Friend, " I am afraid j'ou will begin to think (and with some apparent reason) that I have forgotten you, and the Innishowan reader, but it is not so. We have had you and your work in our thoughts, and, please God, we shall be enabled to support one of your labourers in that locality. My wife wants to know when you will require the first instalment, and what are your pay-days. When does your year commence ? You will I know rejoice to learn that God is prospering our work here. I think there is a growing interest among His own people for the extension of their Master's cause throughout the world, and I trust there are some who have been led, by His grace, to flee for refuge to the Rock of our salvation. " Our little church is now crammed : it is built to accom- modate 450 comfortably, but on the Sunday evenings we have from 550 to 600 present. Some persons who were opposed to its erection are now worshipping within its walls. Surely we are called to increased earnestness in our Master's work, as well as to continued prayer and thanksgiving. "What a remarkable Advent season are we just enter- in": ! The most thoughtless seem to feel that we are on the brink of some great crisis. Is the election of Louis Napoleon to the Presidency of the French Republic an i§48.] PRAYER-MEETINGS. 227 event pregnant with mighty consequences ? Who can tell what is rolled up in the yet unfolded pages of 1849; but come what may, they are safe around whom are thrown ' the everlasting arms.' " One of Mr. Pennefather's greatest difficulties at this time, was the want of a room for prayer meetings and social gatherings with his people. As soon as he secured a house for his own residence (which, how- ever, could only be let for a limited time) he opened one of its rooms for a weekly prayer-meeting ; but the distance of more than a mile from the district made it inaccessible to the aged and infirm, which was a constant burden on his spirit. He always looked upon the prayer-meetings as " the pulse of the parish," and when these declined in numbers or earnestness of tone, nothing could persuade him that the work of the Lord was really advancing. A cold and formal prayer-meeting utterly depressed him, and a parish without such gatherings was to him in a certain sense a barren land. It would be hard to say how many have had their souls set on fire as with ua live coal from off the altar,'' while his fervent supplications led them into the Presence of the King. Just as the year 1848 was closing, a room of tolerably large dimensions was discovered in an old untenanted house, and here was held the first of those New Year's congregational meetings, which were for many after years seasons of heart-searching and refreshing to numbers. ( 228 ) CHAPTER XT. 1849-1850. Letters — Consecration of Bishops at Canterbury — Clerical Meetings — Intercourse with the Rev. S. Thornton — Letters — Death of his eldest brother — Hurried Journey to Ireland — Church enlarged and new schools completed — Visitation of cholera in England — Prayer-Meetings and Special Services — Death of Mr. Thorn- ton— Recollections of Walton by Mrs. Thornton — Sale of work — Floating Chapel — Visit to Elleray — Letters — Message from the Bishop of Tuain. "^HE first letter of any importance bearing the date of 1849 was evidently written by Mr. Pennefather, in answer to the queries of a friend ; but the exact occasion does not appear. "Aylesbury, "March 15//1, 1849. "Your long and very welcome letter should have had an earlier reply, but this season is one in which I am par- ticularly engaged. ... I have not read any of Maurice's works, but from what I have heard I fear they are not free from error, and I feel that intellectual writers on religious subjects, who are not altogether scriptural, are dangerous companions. The natural pride of our minds delights in knowledge that ' puffeth up.' Let me entreat you to beware of the sophistries so prevalent on every side. A slighting of Scripture, making its narratives unreal, and reducing them to mere mythical stories ; a setting up of human reason in contradistinction to the 1 849-] LETTERS FROM A YLESBURY. 229 revealed will of God ; these are some of the dangers into which German theologians and writers of that school are leading their disciples. ' To the law and to the testimony : if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.' The undue exalting of human intellect in the present day is doubt- less among the many signs which mark these as the last times. Dear friend, bear with me ; I do fear lest an overweening love of intellectual power may prove, in your case, very injurious to practical godliness and a life in accordance with the precious truth of the Gospel. Is it not a snare to you ? Are you not led away from the words of truth and soberness, from the simplicity that is in Christ ? and is not your mind irritated and harassed ? I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. Study the mind of Christ. Look at that Divine Saviour — His character, His thoughts, His daily example. You will surely find in Him enough to gratify the intellect, to meet the affections, to cheer the heart. Something tells me that the cause of your late unhappiness has been that the simple grandeur of divine truth has not been so attractive as formerly. "What were the Gnostics of old but philosophers, in whose steps the German theologians of the present day, with their many disciples, are treading ? The great enemy who shuts up the Bible to the Romanist, neutral- ises it to the followers of this vain philosophy. ' When the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth ? ' Oh ! beloved, let us live very close to Jesus, in humble, earnest communion with our glorious Head. Nothing but abiding in the Living Vine will save us in the overwhelming darkness and trial that is coming on the Church. " Have you seen a little book called ' All is well ' ? It is the record of a noble youth (Lieutenant St. John) who, in the twenty-third year of his age, was called to receive 23o LETTERS FROM A YLESBURY. [chap. xt. a crown of victory from his Redeemer's hand. The healthful tone of his religion and the brightness of his example are most stimulating — a glorious instance of the Divine Spirit's training for immortality ! " Now, perhaps, you will say to all this that I am sunk in this ugly old town, among dirt and red bricks, and falling into a premature dotage ! I confess that I pine sometimes for the sight of a blue mountain-summit and the rush of a pure, tumbling rivulet amid rocks and ferns and dewy flowers. Yes ! and I could enjoy, with a pleasure as intense as ever, the mysterious beauty that is just now bursting out of the death and burial of winter into life and loveliness ! My pulse could beat high to all the interests of former days ! I am not changed, dear friend, but I DO feel there is a need for the caution given 1800 years ago, ' Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit.' ... I feel my separation from Ireland, but I know God has ordered my goings. Perhaps I shall feel increasingly that I have left my native land, but I doubt not that I shall bless Him throughout eternity for my residence in this unattractive old town. Now, I am off to my parish." On March 16th, he says at the close of a letter to Mrs. Crewdson — . . . . " To-morrow will be the anniversary of my arrival here. . . . Pray for me, beloved friends ; I need much strength and much grace. The church continues crowded to overflowing. Many have to leave the doors every Sunday evening, and many have applied for sittings, but there are none to be had. I feel this state of things much. The people are poor, and expect to be heavily rated for the restoration of the parish church. It will probably take several years to accomplish this ; mean- while it appears grievous that so few can be accommo- 1849.] LETTERS FROM A YLESBURY. 23I dated in my church. I am in hopes that one of the trustees will give something handsome towards providing increased accommodation for the poor. How gladly would I do it myself, but I cannot. Some of the dis^ senters have expressed a great desire to have sittings in the- church. But indeed I am not begging, only talking of what is now very present to my mind. . . . " I have written you perhaps too long a letter, but anni- versary days (Irish Society Meeting in Dublin, 1832 !) lead me to transgress a little ! " To the same. "May \\th. " I cannot tell you what joy your visit gave us, and how thankful I am for it. Mr. Cleaver and his daughter came soon after you had left, and we passed the afternoon in Walton, then home for the prayer-meeting. Beresford * came at five o'clock on Saturday. Mr. Cleaver preached beautifully yesterday morning on the words, ' Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord' He described very forcibly the Christian's life, the Christian's death, and the Christian's future. As he dwelt upon the believer's hap- piness in death, I could not but think that he pictured, in his own mind, his precious wife's glorious exit from this world of sorrow. It was very touching, as he dwelt upon the bright but solemn close of the life of one who had Ions: made God his trust, and was realising the love and faithfulness of Him who ' never leaves nor forsakes ' His trusting children. I did wish you could have heard him. It was as if an angel swept his harp, and ' Trembling cadence lingered on the air However, you could not have stayed without ' /ij'st' and liurry afterwards, and you know how I love peace of mind. In fact there is no profit, or indeed pleasure, except 'in quietness and confidence' we possess our souls. Mr. C. and * His successor at Mellifont. 232 LETTERS FROM ANGLEY. [chap. XI. Fanny left us at seven o'clock this morning ; I have been very busy ever since, and am now going to a church-build- ing committee, &c. B. is still here; but we expect to go into Kent on Wednesday, reaching London at twelve, and going straight through to the Dover line, that we may not affront any of the friends now in town. I am thinking of the loveliness of Westmoreland on this heavenly day." To the same. "Angley, Cranbrook, "May 22nd. , . . . " The good hand of our merciful God brought us here in safety on Wednesday last. As we steamed into the station at Euston Square I thought of you just enter- ing the British Museum, and tried to follow you in your wanderings amid the mighty fragments of ancient Nineveh. At London Bridge I purchased, according to your recom- mendation, ' Stokers and Pokers.' It certainly is important to obtain some adequate idea of the vast machinery, (mental and physical) employed in connection with rail- way travelling. So rapidly has our country been trans- formed into a great gridiron, and so suddenly has every other mode of conveyance given place to the fiery dragons of Vulcan, that non-mechanical minds are in danger of being lost in an unintelligent amazement. Anything that helps stupid dolts like me to form some definite idea of the wonderful powers of fire and water, which are now claiming such pre-eminence, is very satisfactory ! Most gratefully, therefore, do I acknowledge your assistance in educating me for the spirit of the age ! . . . I have now £288 for my church, and we only want about £120 more. " Shall we ever doubt that gracious Lord, Who has so mercifully helped us hitherto ? I trust not ! and yet how weak we are. Oh ! for stronger faith ! for firmer reliance on the arm that is omnipotent, on the ' Friend that sticketh closer than a brother.' ' 1 8*9.] CONSECRA TION OF BISHOPS. 23 3 During this visit to his wife's family, he had the opportunity of being present at the consecration of the two Colonial Bishops (Dr. Smith for Victoria, and Dr. Anderson for Prince Ruperts Land) in Canterbury Cathedral. The service greatly inter- ested him, and woke up all the enthusiasm of early days. We quote only a few lines — " Angley, Cranbrook, " May 2,0 th. " We had a very interesting though fatiguing day yesterday, setting off for Canterbury at half-past five o'clock in the morning, to be present at the consecration of the two Colonial Bishops " . . . . (and after some descrip- tion of the cathedral, &c), " I cannot dwell upon the thril- ling effect of Handel's anthem, ' How beautiful upon the mountains ! ' sung by a single voice, that penetrated to the remotest corners of the spacious edifice, and then the clear intonation of Samuel Wilberforce, reading the inspired farewell of St. Paul to the elders of Ephesus ! It was almost too touching to bear." It was a source of great thankfulness and much comfort to Mr. Pennefather during his residence at Aylesbury, that he was within reach of so large a number of earnest and faithful clergymen, whose friendship and counsel he greatly valued. The clerical meetings, often held at his own house and elsewhere, were unusually large and harmonious, taking in as they did a wide range of surrounding villages. With the Rev. W. Fremantle of Clay- don/" the Rev. A. I sham of Weston- Turville, and * Now Dean of Ripon. 234 THE REV. SPENCER THORNTON. [chap. xi. many others, he had happy intercourse ; but perhaps the one who was drawn into closest companionship (partly on account of his deep interest in the erection of Trinity Church), was the Rev. Spencer Thornton Vicar of Wendover. Mr. Pennefather never forgot the kindness with which, when finding himself and his wife strangers in a lod^ino- he in- vited them to his own house.'" The following note was written during his visit to Kent, on the death of Mr. Thornton's youngest child : — " Angley, Cranbrook, "May 26///. " My dear Mr. Thornton, " I trust we shall have your presence at the annual meeting of the Church Missionary Society in Aylesbury. Will you kindly give publicity to the notice which I now enclose, and may I beg an interest in your prayers, that the meeting may be profitable to many souls. We have heard of your sorrow. Oh ! that the cloud may bear upon it the bow of mercy, and that thereby a view of God's attributes may be vouchsafed, which will sustain you, yea, send you on your way rejoic- ing. The world cannot understand this characteristic of the Christian pilgrim, ' Faint, yet pursuing,' ' Sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing.' But shall we not bless God that another little lamb has been folded within the arms of the Good Shepherd, that another bark has anchored in the harbour, without a lengthened and stormy passage ! The choirs of heaven are swelling their majestic hymns at the gradual additions to the number of earth's wearied pilgrims, who * The invitation was not accepted, as Mr. Fennefather was unwilling to be at a distance from his people, even for a short time. I849-] DEATH OF AN UNCLE. 235 are entering into the joy of their Lord. We are anxious to hear how Mrs. Thornton is. Mrs. Pennefather unites with me in kindest remembrances to her and to yourself. " Yours, most sincerely and obliged, " W. P." The existing letters which belong to this period are, for the most part, addressed to correspondents in Ireland ; and we look in vain for the interest- ing incidents which were cheering him from day to day among the people of his charge. His resi- dence in England was still a proscribed subject with many old friends, and his object in writing is evidently to throw himself into their circumstances, rather than make any reference to his own. The total absence of diary or memoranda from his own pen,, at this or any other period of his life, must render any biography unavoidably defective. The cousins at Monellan who had so warm a place in his affections, were at this time plunged into sorrow by the death of their father. The following letter is addressed to them : — "Aylesbury, " June gf/t. u My dearest J. and M., A letter from Isabella announces that another ransomed spirit has entered into rest. Blessed be God for the earnest supplications which He led you to offer, and for the abundant answer which He has given ! What is death to one whom He has pardoned and sanctified ? It is passing from a prison, with its fetters, to a Father's House, where joy and liberty abound. It is exchanging ignorance for knowledge, warfare for victory, trembling 236 DEATH OF HIS BROTHER. [chap. xt. and sorrow for perfect peace and endless glory ! And yet, though we know the Lord's chariots convey our loved ones into regions of light, we do, we must mourn. We follow them, but it is with tears, as we try to catch a glimpse of the brightness in which they shall abide for evermore. We have but to wait until we too shall hear the voice which has summoned them saying, 'The Master is come, and calleth for thee! There shall be one fold, under one Shepherd. We shall enter to 'go no more out,' and, ' Friends beneath their Saviour's eye Filled with each other's company Shall spend in bliss the eternal day.' Oh ! that we more vividly realised our position as joint- heirs with Christ of eternal glory. He Himself has set before us nothing less, 'The glory Thou gavest Me, I have given them.' My loved sisters, I carry your deep sorrow to that Heavenly Father, Who has often been with us in the dark waters, and will be with you now ; they shall be cleft asunder, and we shall pass over dry-shod. The Land of Promise is before us, and, the troublous waves once crossed, we shall remember all the way by which He led us, and praise Him for every step. But, beloved ones, I must not trespass too long. Sometimes we wound when we mean to heal, such is our ignorance ! But there is One whose sympathy is perfect. There can be no awk- wardness or rudeness there ! All tender, and loving, and withal powerful to help. To His love I commend you. " Remember that a brother's house is ready to welcome you, whenever you can come to England." A few lines, written to Mr. Thornton, tell of a sudden journey to Ireland, on hearing of the death of his eldest brother, of an illness contracted during his diligent visitation of the Poor- Houses, in the 1 849.] JOURNEY TO IRELAND. 2.37 County of Tipperary. The delay of a letter in the post had prevented his starting for Ireland in time to see him, which added to the trial — " Aylesbury, "July i6tk. u I know you will feel for me and pray for me. My eldest brother has been taken from us after a short illness. He was my father's idol. Oh! pray that this trial may be sanctified to his poor widow and children, and to my bereaved and aged parent. We start, please God, to-night for Ireland." It was arranged that Mr. Pennefather should meet his father at the house of Mr. Maxwell, Newtown-Barry, County of Wexford. The loss of his eldest son, in the very prime of life, was a terrible and unexpected blow to Baron Pennefather and to every member of his family. He was one justly loved and admired, and had won for himself golden opinions in the previous year, as High- Sheriff for the South Riding of the County of Tipperary, when popular agitation was at its height, during the trial of the well-known Smith O'Brien. The next letter takes us back to England — " Aylesbury, "July 2S//1. " Beloved Friend, " We left this place so suddenly that we felt bound to return as soon as we could possibly leave the dear ones at Newtown-Barry. Your kind letter was not, however, without its use ; though we were unable to accept the loving invitation it contained. It cheered us 238 OPENING OF SCHOOL-ROOMS. [chap. XI, and seemed to bring us en rapport with you in our home- ward journey. We left the dear party on Thursday morn- ing for Carlow, en route for Dublin, sailing the same even- ing for Holyhead, and reached home on Friday. . . . The events of the last few days feel like the incidents of a feverish dream. All has been so hurried, sorrow and joy so strangely mingled together. Eternity with its awful realities, and time with its blessings and responsibilities, have come painfully both into connection and contrast. God has been dealing with us. We can sing of mercy and judgment while love is inscribed on all. " I thought my darling sister overwrought and very nervous. My father is tolerably well." For a few days after his hurried visit, Mr. Pennefather was laid by with what he speaks of as " a sharp attack of illness," but he was soon again in the midst of his active work, The close of the summer of 1849 found a new transept added to the church in Walton, and the projected schools completed. They were large, airy rooms, so constructed as to be easily thrown into one (for evening meetings), and capable of accom- modating 600 persons.'" They were opened with a series of meetings for prayer, which were very largely attended ; and the feeling of deep solemnity which pervaded these assemblies wras, doubtless, in- creased by the fact that the cholera, which had been for some time carrying off its victims in the more northerly counties, had now reached London. On a * " A blessed bit of building ! " was the exclamation of a poor woman, as she stood gazing at the place. She was one of the first who there learnt to know Christ as her Saviour. I $49-] VISITATION OF CHOLERA. 239 former occasion it had been peculiarly fatal in the town of Aylesbury, and there was considerable panic among the people at the prospect of another visita- tion. Mr. Pennefather, while taking his full share in all sanitary precautions, and earnestly pressing the need of cleanliness and ventilation, was most urgent in calling upon the people to humble themselves before the Lord, and seek His protection and deliverance in their hour of danger. Prayer-meetings were not at that time frequent in connection with the Church of England, and great opposition was aroused. Strange stories were circulated, and so much scoffing followed in the local papers, that the Bishop sent a letter of inquiry as to the character of the meetings. Meanwhile the real work went on, very solemnly and calmly, but with much power, for the Spirit of God was moving among the people. At the end of the month of September, a clay of humiliation was appointed for the diocese, to which Mr. Pennefather alludes in a letter dated October 1 st — " On Wednesday last, by desire of the Bishop, we met our respective flocks, to humble ourselves before Almighty God on account of our national sins which have provoked His holy indignation. The shops were all closed, and a Sabbath-like stillness reigned throughout the town. This was the more remarkable, as Wednesday is always a market-day in Aylesbury, and the preceding day had been the great Michaelmas Fair. Nevertheless, in the morning the church was even fuller than is usual on 240 CROWDED SERVICES. [chap. xi. Sundays, and in the afternoon our large school-room was thronged to excess, many going away, not able to gain admittance. The service there was chiefly extempore prayer, and a short address. In the evening we had a very full church ; many thought they had never seen such a crowded congregation. When I remember that we have nearly 300 additional sittings, and still see numbers seated on hassocks and round the communion-table, I may well say, * What hath God wrought ? ' "Our school-master has just come, and I like him much." It was a remarkable fact, and must be recorded here to God's glory, that though the dreaded disease visited many of the surrounding villages, and in some cases with great seventy, not a single case of cholera was reported as occurring in the town. Just at this time Mr. Pennefather had succeeded in obtaining a house in his own district, being compelled to quit the one which he had temporarily occupied. There had been great difficulties and disappointments connected with the search for a suitable dwelling, and we find him saying, " Certainly the ' crook in my lot ' just now is the want of a residence." But in October he writes to Mrs. Crewdson — " We are settling into our funny little house, and I send you a ground-plan of it. Though it is dignified with the name of Walton House, it has only one bedroom, and attics in the roof. It stands in a garden and, strange to say, has gates and a lodge, which we are fitting up for classes. . . These glorious autumn days make me think 1 84 9.] LE TTERS FROM A YLESB UR V. 24 1 of October 1847. I shall never forget the beauty of Ulls- water, the day we were there. It seemed a faint type of the * sea of glass mingled with fire/ Oh ! what scenes will open upon us when we behold His face in righteousness ! " In November, he says to the same friend — "Since I last wrote, I have been appointed chaplain to the Union Workhouse. The salary is only ^40, but that sum will help me to keep a curate, and as yet I have only had a reader \ who can give no assistance in the parochial work." . . . Then, after speaking of invitations received from friends, " We are very much tied, and this chaplaincy will add to my engage - ments, but I did not think it right to decline it, it gives such opportunity of preaching the glad news of salvation to those poor lonely creatures. I am anxious about my school-build- ings, which are not yet fully paid for, and I fear the expendi- ture will greatly exceed the receipts. We like our schoolmaster, and I have a scripture reader hard at work among the wharfmen and bargemen on the canal. He is, I trust, very useful." Another note is dated December 26th — " I cannot allow the hours of 1849 to be numbered for ever with departed years, without a few words of tender interest in my precious friends and in dear Westmoreland. Although the accompanying address * is written with an exclusive view to my people here, yet I know you will value it for my poor sake, and therefore I send it. We hope to have a prayer-meeting on the morning of January 1st, and Church-service in the evening. We shall remember many loved ones then, and seek for them what we desire for ourselves." (After speaking of the proposed marriage of one very dear to him) — " It makes me nervous and anxious to think of those whose hearts are not set on heaven being bound so closely together. . . . My dear father has been confined to his bed with a bad feverish cold. I am rather uneasy about him, and if I do not soon hear better accounts, I think I must go over, if it be only for a few days. * An annual address to his parishioners. 212 DEATH OF MR. THORNTON. [chap. XI. I have not yet heard of a curate, and have to preach three sermons every Sunday, which is rather too much. " May the blessing of Jehovah rest upon you both, beloved friends. May the new year be one fraught with new hopes, new joys, and new devotedness." The first month of that new year brought with it a great sorrow to him as well as to many others. On January 12th, 1850, the beloved and honoured Spencer Thornton, vicar of Wendover, was suddenly called to his heavenly home. Mr. Pennefather had met with him and others after the opening of the year, to consult about plans for promoting zeal and efficiency in the cause of foreign missions among their congregations. Mr. Thornton, long known and loved in the neigh- bourhood, was the one to whom all looked for counsel and encouragement, little aware that he was even then standing on the threshold of eternity. The sad news reached Mr. Pennefather immediately after morning service, on Sunday, January 13th. He was not well at the time, and increased illness prevented his atten- dance at the funeral service on the 19th. His inter- course with this dear servant of God had been short, but very cheering to both. Mrs. Thornton, in look- ing back upon those happy days, writes — "The coming of dear Mr. Pennefather to Walton in the spring of 1848 was indeed a source of rejoicing to us. How well I remember the day when we drove over to Aylesbury to pay him our first visit ! He and his wife were in a little lodging, taken for a time, as they were unable to procure a house. The sweet, holy calm of his spirit, his happy way of looking forward to his ministry at Walton, and the beauty of his earnest prayer, particularly struck us. We returned home overflowing with gratitude to God that we had been permitted to welcome such a minister for that church. Ever since the plan was first made for its erection it had been i85o.] LETTER FROM MRS. THORNTON. 243 to the managing committee a source of great difficulty and anxiety, and the prospect of Mr. Pennefather being the permanent incumbent seemed too good to be true. We felt that God was now answering the many prayers of His people by giving them a faithful pastor and friend. From that day the closest intimacy existed between my husband and Mr. Pennefather. They often met, and as time passed on, everything we heard and saw at Walton impressed us more with wonder at the great power of his ministry, in softening prejudice, and bringing souls to the knowledge of the preciousness of the Saviour; so many, hitherto hard and careless, were melted under the p-enial warmth of his loving persuasiveness. My husband would often say on returning home, ' It is marvellous what a work is going on at Walton ; it is not only the crowds of hearers that dear Mr. Penne- father brings round him, but the many conversions, and the drawing together of God's children from every part of the town.' With regard to ourselves, we ever felt that our inter- course with him had opened out to us a great spiritual en- joyment. When in his society, the unconscious influence of a holy life, united to wonderful sweetness, was most reviving to our spirits. The last time the two friends met was at the baptism of our child, the Sunday previous to my husband's death. They met no more on earth, but together they are now present with the Lord, waiting for His glorious coming." The expenses of the past year called for much effort during 1850 to meet the outstanding liabilities, espe- cially those connected with the school-buildings. This led to the consideration of sales of work as a means of raising money for charitable purposes. Two sales were held very successfully, while Mr. Pennefather remained at Walton, and as he frequently encour- aged similar efforts in after years, we insert a letter written at this time, expressing his views on the subject. After speaking of the renewed illness of his sister, which was causing him much anxiety, he says — "I believe I have not yet touched upon the subject of our 244 SALES OF WORK. [chaf. xl proposed sale. While I quite agree with Mr. in thinking that bazaars, as generally carried on, are not desirable, yet I must think it lawful for Christians to contribute to the Lord's work in kind as well as in money. Many cannot give much money, who yet feel they can employ their talents in procuring money. We find that when the Tabernacle was to be set up, some gave the gold and silver, some gave the labour of their hands, while others contributed materials, and surely now for such purposes as school-building, &c, the many may contribute what they have, to procure the means which they have not, at their own disposal. I trust our arrange- ments will be such that no wrong means shall be resorted to for obtaining money, and we are praying earnestly for God's ordering and blessing. In reading Mrs. Fry's Life, I find she speaks of bazaars very much as I have now done, and she did encourage them under proper control. ... I have borrowed ^350, for which I am responsible, and must of course pay the interest. I am so thankful to have obtained it without difficulty that I do not regret any personal inconvenience, but I cannot rest until the whole is paid off. Our schools are flourishing. Day schools 120 in attendance, Sunday school about 150, night school for men and women no. We have a prayer-meeting in the rooms on Friday evening, gene- erally attended by about 80 people. We have also Sunday classes for men and women, and a Young Men's Association for religious and mental improvement. So you see the build- ings which have cost me so much anxiety were not erected for ornament, but are, I trust, already a rich blessing to the neigh- bourhood." We gather from this letter that a considerable parochial organisation was now fairly at work. A diligent band of district visitors were going from house to house, under constant supervision, while Bible readings were held for the more educated, and cottage meetings in different localities for the poor. The work among the bargemen and those employed at the wharf was most encouraging. Mr. Pennefather had succeeded in obtaining an old boat, which was con- 1850.] FLOATING CHAPEL. 245 verted into a sort of floating chapel, fitted up with a desk and benches, and capable of holding about 100 persons. It was opened in April of this year, and here a simple service was held on Sunday evening and also during the week. It was a touching sight to see the men who had just turned in from their rough work among the rubbish heaps and coal-dust, so melted under the power of God's truth that prayers were often responded to by sobs, and big tears left white furrows on blackened faces. Many of these men had seldom, if ever, entered a place of worship, but what was begun in the boat was carried on in the church, and many bargemen might have been seen among that earnest congregation, who had found their way from the little floating " Bethel," as they often called it, to the service of the sanctuary.* Every week the numbers attending all the various meetings o o were registered, and we And it noted that on one Sunday evening seventeen boatmen walked with Mr. Pennefather to attend Trinity Church for the first time. Those who know the habits of this peculiar class of people can best appreciate how much this implied. An earnest Scripture reader, who was a faithful helper in the work, went in and out continually among the boats and the surrounding cottages, and a young man who had been long employed as toll-clerk entered with heart and soul into all that concerned the spiritual welfare of the men. Mr. Pennefather was still without a curate, and all his happy work was making great demands upon his strength. A short absence became * The manifest change in the lives of many of the people may be gathered from the fact that a jesting article in one of the local papers closed with the remark, 11 In Walton, at any rate, the Millennium must have begun." 246 VISIT TO ELLERA V. [chap. XI. imperative, and we find him writing to Mrs. Crewdson on May 4th, 1850— " I trust it is of God, and that He will greatly bless our proposed journey. Can you receive us on Thursday next without inconvenience. If so, with what delight shall I find myself in my ' English home/ after an absence of two years and six months. ... I long for rest, having been much over- tasked, but still more for the peace which God only can im- part. My dear C. has brought me to the point about this visit to Westmoreland, for burdened and anxious as I was I could hardly see my way. Pray, dear friends, that we may be blessed and be a blessing, pray that our reunion may be a very foretaste of heaven, bright and calm and holy I think I shall not send this letter till Monday. Except in cases of extreme necessity, I do not like letters to arrive at a friend's house on the Lord's day. ... I cannot dwell upon our many subjects of thrilling interest. Darling D. not better, alas ! " We rive a few letters written during this visit to Elleray. The first is to a friend in Dublin, who had just lost a beloved sister — " My DEAR Friend, — It is our privilege, amidst abound- ing sorrows, to give thanks that another redeemed and sancti- fied spirit walks in paradise with Jesus ! Her warfare is accom- plished, the ardent longings of the soul are satisfied, and she is ' present with the Lord.' I think of her bright countenance and joyous faith, and sweet power of gladdening others, and then I ask what must her removal be to long-loved, cherished relatives ? But yet a ' little while/ and the parted members of the heavenly family shall sit down together ' at the mar- riage supper of the Lamb/ Soon shall the number of the elect be accomplished, and then the Redeemer's kingdom shall have come! And oh! while we weep, what blessed- ness to know she is safe — no temptation can now harass, no warfare can now mar the deep communion of her soul with God, and no sorrow can now cloud her vision of the un- veiled glory of Him in whose 'presence there is fulness of joy.' And we, too, shall be partakers of those pleasures for 1850.] LETTERS FROM ELLER AY. 247 evermore; we too shall swell that anthem, now deepened by her voice, ' Worthy the Lamb; ' we too are members of the same blessed body, of which the Christ of God, the King of kings, is the Head ! Oh, my dear friend, well may we say, ' He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him freely give us all things ! ' But I know that your weak suffering body and tender spirit must be weighed down by present sorrow, and yet I am persuaded that while we are looking, like Mary of old into the tomb, ' ministering spirits ' will whisper, ' She is not here, she is risen ! ' Angels will surround you, saints will comfort you, the Saviour will call you by name, adding, 1 I ascend unto your Father and My Father, unto your God and My God ;' and the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, will ' abide with you.' "My dear friend, I will pray for you, and many will sup- plicate for ' abounding consolation,' in this hour of your need ; Jesus Himself will plead for you, and by His gracious power you will be enabled to go on your way, if sorrowful, yet ahvay rejoicing.' — Ever in much true sympathy, "W. Pennefather." The following note, to one whom he feared he had unintentionally pained, is very characteristic : — " Elleray, June \st. " I was grieved at your sorrowful look when we parted. ... It makes me very sad to think of giving you one moment's uneasiness. . . . But, dear friend, your spirit is too tender for this uneven world, where darkness and light are for ever alternating. Do you say, ' Oh ! that I once past changing were .... Fast in that paradise where no flower can wither; then, let vie say until that blessed day dawns, ' Cast thy bur- den upon the Lord,' and strive to be ' careful for nothing." I know it is hard, for, alas ! ' my fickle soul, like shadows on the meadow-side, is varying ever ; ' but I would seek to chide my restless heart and tell it to ' Be still, and know that He is God ! ' Oh, dear friend, I will pray for you, and though the week is closing on a disquieted mind, yet surely peace and joy and trust shall be your portion with the opening morrow. It is ' the Lord's day,' it is ' the rest of the holy Sabbath.' It 248 LOVE FOR THE LORDS DAY. [chap. XI. is the resurrection morning. It is the type of the heavenly inheritance. It is the pledge of a restored earth, and a perfected holiness. Would that I valued as I ought to do this gift of countless price ! How I long to love it more ! Farewell! I wish I could convey to you the deep, full, perfect abiding peace for which I pray on your behalf." These words, from his own pen, will remind those who knew Mr. Pennefather of the reverent love with which he cherished Sabbath hours. The joy with which he hailed the near approach of Sunday, and the regret with which at its close he would express, in the words of an old writer, the wish that it were possible "to leap from Sabbath to Sabbath" till journeying days were done, can never be forgotten. It was a rule with him, strictly adhered to even when most pressed with the business matters inseparable from his various under- takings, that no secularity should be permitted to intrude on the Lord's day, and no money matters ever referred to. It was his delight to have "an Easter- day through all the year," and this sacred jealousy for the Lord's honour in the sanctity of His own day doubtless contributed to maintain the atmosphere of holy calmness which he felt to be so essential to the child of God. It was emphatically true of him, that from the very depth of his soul he "called the Sabbath a delight." One of his Sunday-school teachers in later years writes — 11 1 well remember speaking to him at one of our children's services on a Sunday afternoon. He was walking up and down among the children before the service commenced. He said he would like to see me some day in the course of the week, and I in my business way at once began to detail my various engagements, entering into the plans of the week. He stopped me with a look, — I seem to see it even now. i85o.] LETTER FROM ELLERAY. 249 There was no reproof, only a kind word about arranging at another time, but I felt at once how really sacred the day and time and place were in his estimation. There was no Sab- batarianism about him, but a true rest of spirit, a recognition of the day as ' holy unto the Lord,' which I have never forgotten." The following extract is from a letter to Mrs. Thorn- ton, written at Elleray : — "We have just celebrated the Ascension of our Blessed Lord ! How sweet are those words, ' I ascend unto My Father and your Father, unto My God and your God.' Blessed truth! we are one with a living, ascended Saviour! We look not only at the cross and the empty sepulchre, but at the ascended Redeemer. ' With Him,' says the Apostle, 'we sit in heavenly places.' And one with Him we are therefore one with those bright spirits who are immediately within the glory of His throne. Are we not too forgetful of our wonder- ful privilege ? Our treasure is in heaven, and those beloved ones, whom God has taken to Himself, only enrich our portion there. Earth was the scene of our blessed Redeemer's agony and shame, heaven is now the scene of His triumph and glory. 'Lift up your heads, O ye gates, yea, lift them up, ye ever- lasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in.' He has entered the heavenly places, and entered as the Representative of His people. . . . And yet how little can we fathom the deep waters through which you are passing, but there is One who can. ' Thou dost remember amid all The glory of Thy throne, The sorrows of mortality, For they were once Thine OWN : Yes ! and as if Thou would'st be God, Even in misery, Thou hast left no sorrow but Thine own Unreached by sympathy ! ' "May the Comforter, in all His divine power, abide in you ; may His blessed consolations be felt by you ! " . . . After a refreshing month in Westmoreland, the busv life in Walton was resumed. 250 HiS LOVE FOR THE POOR. [chap. Xt. A circumstance which occurred about this time drew forth such a manifestation of the love of his people as greatly cheered their pastors heart. A parish was offered to him in one of the Eastern counties, and the fact becoming more widely known in the parish than he had intended, it was followed by memorials and petitions in various forms, testifying to an amount of spiritual blessing which could not fail to call forth much grateful praise. That which touched him more than all was a paper headed, " From the poor ones of the flock." Many of these had refused to put their names to the more general memorial of the seat-holders, saying, " They would write a letter for themselves ; " and its beautiful simplicity and grateful love was deeply appreciated by one who always loved and sought out the poor wherever he went. It was this deep personal affection for the poorer members of his flock that drew forth his chief interest in sales of work, as affording an opportunity of linking them with the activities of the parish. He always longed that even the poorest Christians should know the meaning of those words, " It is more blessed to give than to receive." In writing to a friend at this time, just after a sale had taken place, he says, "One very poor, infirm woman, confined to the house by suffering, sent her little contribution of work, saying it had " cheered her lonely painful hours to work for the Lord ; " another hoped her work might perhaps produce enough " to buy pins to fit up the stalls." This ingenuity of love, which was always devising means for leading others into service, and giving them a share in "the joy of doing kindnesses," was one of the striking features of his ministry. 1850.] MEMOIR OF MR. THORNTON. 2$l A little note to Mrs. Thornton, written at a house in London, where he had called, but failed to find her, alludes to the memoir of her beloved husband, just then published, which was a subject of much interest to him. " 16 Portland Place, June 25 th. (Phil. iv. 19.) " MY VERY DEAR FRIEND, — I am sorry, very sorry, not to see you. I wanted to ask you, if you feel equal to it, to call upon a dear suffering invalid confined to her sofa. She is a cousin of mine (Miss Delap) residing at 42 Harley St. She is one of Christ's dear followers, and reading and prayerwithherwould be a sweet solace. I named you to her, and she loves you already for our sakes. It has been a sweet and holy gratification to feel still more closely drawn to you by that precious book just come out. It will be a blessing, and the desire of his heart will yet be accomplished by it. Honour will arise to the Redeemer, and souls will call Him blessed. Dear friend, the time is short; we pray for you, and we shall soon praise Him together in perfect song, whose ways are mercy, and all whose paths are love. Don't mind my request if you feel unequal to it. I only ask it because my cousin has been long under the teaching of the Spirit of Truth. May everlasting consolation be yours ! — Ever yours in bonds which cannot be broken, W. P." Frequent visits from Mr. Dallas during his residence at Aylesbury, kept Mr. Pennefather fully acquainted with the progress of the Irish Church Missions, and the great blessing given in Connemara was to him a subject of continual thanksgiving. In October of this year, his old and valued friend, Miss Daniell * thus writes from Baron Pennefather's house — "Your father desires me to tell you. that he met the Bishop of Tuam the other day at dinner. He asked very kindly for you, and the Baron told him where you were, and how actively employed. The Bishop said he did not doubt it, adding * Since these pages were written this honoured friend, so often alluded to, has been called to her heavenly home. 2 C2 BLESSING IN CONNEMARA. [chap. XL that he traced the whole work that is now going on in the West of Ireland to your instrumentality. The Baron was greatly gratified, and asked if he might tell his son : • Indeed you may,' was the Bishop's answer, ' for it is my sincere con- viction.' " In speaking of this to a friend, Mr. Pennefather says — " What a prayer-hearing God we have ! But what was I to be used by Him ? Do you remember it was a lad with five barley-loaves and two fishes that was made the instru- ment of feeding five thousand men ? While reading M. A.'s letter I could not but call to mind our little prayer-meeting at Roundstone, and my own earnest solitary crying to Almighty God to pour His grace on Connemara, as I knelt upon the heather at the summit of one of the mountains near Ballynahinch. He may seem to forget, but the God who indites prayer never fails to answer the yearnings of His own Spirit." He speaks in the same letter of reading the Life of Dr. Chalmers, with the remark — " I always delighted in him, but love him now more than ever." A letter to Miss Mason, of which the exact date is missincr seems to have been written about this time. Inviting her to pay him a visit in England, he adds — "A cloud of sadness sometimes crosses my mind when I think of Ireland, but yet I feel sure that God has ordered my way. Abundant blessings have been showered upon us here. It is marvellous what God has wrought, and if you knew my weakness of body and still greater weakness in spirit, you must see that all the glory is His. I should like you to share the dews of heaven, for they lie thick around our camp. And yet what are all our mercies here compared with the full river of blessing which flows around the throne on high, and of which we shall drink for evermore. It is but a little while that we shall stoop to sip the streams. The Fountain, the Eternal Source, will ere long be our portion. And who are we, that such a provision should be awaiting us ? " ( 253 ) CHAPTER XII. 1851-1852. Study of prophecy — Parochial work — Encouragement in schools — Visit to Ireland — Letters — Death of Rev. W. Krause — Recollections of an Irish friend — Proposed removal to Barnet — Long waiting and prayer — Farewell letter to the congregation of Trinity Church — Remarkable instances both of blessing and opposition — Recollec- tions of friends. HP HE subject of unfulfilled prophecy, especially in ■*■ connection with the second coming of the Lord, had been one of deep interest to Mr. Pennefather almost from his childhood. When scarcely more than a boy he had the privilege of intercourse with many deeply- taught students of Scripture, some of whom were in the habit of meeting at the invitation of Theodosia, Lady Powerscourt, for the mutual study of prophetic truth. Those meetings, though marred to a certain extent by great difference of opinion, and eventually broken up, left behind them an abiding- influence in thoughtful minds, and the interest so early kindled remained with Mr. Pennefather in all his after years. "The blessed hope " became an integral part of his spiritual life, and permeated his whole ministry. He was for many years a member of the Prophetical Society, which met at Bloomsbury in April and November of each year, and always rejoiced to meet with those who were intelli- gently and practically looking for the coming King. It was a great source of satisfaction to him to find, among 254 LETTERS ON PROPHECY. [chap. xii. his flock at Aylesbury, a little band who delighted to meet for the purpose of investigating the Prophetic Scriptures. Among these he discovered one who, from long and patient study of the subject, was capable of giving profitable instruction, and drew him out as the leader of a series of meetings, which are remembered even now as times of great profit and enjoyment. "/r Often has this friend remarked in after years, "I never should have had courage to come forward, but for the loving determination brought to bear upon me." The two following letters, from Mr. Pennefather to a member of his congregation, appear to be the only ones preserved of the many he wrote on this and correlative subjects. To Miss A. IV. "Great Missenden, June i^th, 1851. "MY DEAR YOUNG FRIEND, — It always gives me plea- sure to hear from any member of my flock, and especially when I learn by the letter that the Word of God is prized and studied by the writer. May you be daily taught to esteem the words 'of His mouth more than your necessary food,' yea, ' as the very joy and rejoicing of your heart.' You have touched upon a very difficult subject. I have thought upon it many times, but I dare not dogmatically pronounce an opinion, although I may state what may, perhaps7hz the case. Your question, as I understand it, is 1st, Whether the Jewish sacrifices will be restored in the Millennial state ? and 2nd, If so, how are they to be regarded ? " In order the more clearly to understand the questions before us, it is necessary to premise that we believe all who are accepted in Christ, and who shall be found living on the earth at the second advent, ' will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air,' and be united to all who sleep in Jesus, and whose happy spirits are now in blessedness. " The Jewish people will be on the earth, as also the unbeliev- * Mr. Robert Dell, who afterwards lectured nnd wrote on the subject, i8si.] LETTERS ON PROPHECY. 255 ing Gentiles. A Jewish remnant will be savingly converted, and will inherit ' the holy mountain ; ' Jerusalem will become 1 the joy of the whole earth;' the Lord Jesus and His saints will rule over the house of Israel ; and their glory will be a heavenly glory, while the Jewish saved remnant will possess an earthly glory. " You may call to mind that when the children of Israel were encamped in the wilderness, the pillar of the cloud, which usually went before them when journeying, now stood over the camp, and the Lord was in that pillar of glory (see Ex. xiv. 19-24). This pillar, then, was the visible presence of Jehovah resting over His chosen people. There seems to be an allusion to the antitype of this pillar in Isa. iv. 5. " We read of the glorified saints above, sitting down at the marriage supper of the Lamb, and we cannot but call to mind the saying of our Lord, ' I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's Kingdom.' There may therefore be some symbols of the Saviour's love even in our glorified state, and thus we can imagine it possible that the Jewish believers on earth may be permitted to have their sacrifices restored, in order to lead their minds back to a suffering Messiah, while they triumph in a glorified Messiah. "As to the Jewish people 'keeping the Feast of Taber- nacles/ there is less difficulty in understanding this expres- sion than in explaining the allusion to the sacrifices in Ezekiel, because, ist, the Feast of Tabernacles was a feast of abound- ing joy, instituted on their arrival in the promised land to com- memorate their wilderness condition; 2ndly, it was always celebrated when the fresh vintage and harvest were com- pleted, and it was a season of such universal gladness, that it became a proverb among the Jews, ' he has never seen joy who has not witnessed the Feast of Tabernacles.' " There has been no antitype of the Feast of Tabernacles While we say, ' Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us,' while we know that on the day of Pentecost the Comforter descended, we look in vain for the fulfilment as yet of the Feast of Tabernacles. Why ? Because we are not as yet come to the rest and the inheritance of which the Lord has spoken ; we are still in our pilgrimage condition, the whole harvest 256 LETTERS ON PROPHECY. [chap, xil of the Church is not gathered in, the 'number of the elect' is not yet accomplished, and the universal burst of triumphant gladness cannot yet be heard rolling through the heavens from the lips of the unnumbered hosts of God's glorified children. " I am obliged to write very hastily, and therefore very unsatisfactorily, on the important questions which you have thrown out. If I have not cleared up your difficulties, let me hear again, and with kind remembrances to your cousin, &c> Believe me to remain, most sincerely yours, "W. Pennefather." Again, to the same — " July 2nd. " As far as I can gather from Scripture, I believe with you that the Jewish nation will be restored to Palestine previous to the advent of Christ, but that their national conversion will not take place until they ' look on Him whom they have pierced.' After the appearing of Jesus Christ with all His saints, the converted Jewish remnant will still remain on the earth, the glorified saints, with their great Head, reigning over or above the twelve tribes of Israel. " I fear, without further investigation and communication {viva voce) on this interesting subject, you will not understand me, so we must mutually look forward to having, please God, a long talk upon it, when we meet." An imperfect letter, of which only part has been preserved, seems to belong to this spring — " I have been feasting on Bickersteth's Life. It is a most profitable memoir. There is so much self-control and self- denial in his character, and yet such glowing love and beam- ing hope. Have you read the book ? if not, do read it. The second volume is particularly interesting. " My curate is away, and this has been a busy week. We are having a course of scientific lectures for our Young Men's Improvement Society, and on Tuesday Dr. Lankester, from London, delivered one on 'The Natural History of Plants Yielding Food.' It was very effective, and gave great satisfac- tion. On Tuesdav afternoon I have a Bible-class, and on i8si.] REV. E. G. ARNOLD. 257 Wednesday evening service in the church, a Bible-class for ladies on Thursday morning", and in the afternoon my service at the union. " On Friday we hold our weekly prayer-meeting, and on Saturday (to-day) a communicants' meeting ; so you see I have not many spare days. I wish you could send me some earnest Christian people who would be willing to labour in this town." In the course of this year the congregation of Trinity Church succeeded in obtaining for their pastor a more commodious house, and he was thus enabled to receive under his roof the curate (the Rev. E. G. Arnold) who was now assisting him. Looking back to those days Mr. Arnold says — " I do indeed remember well the time of blessing I spent with dear Mr. Pennefather, and shall always look upon it as one of the greatest privileges of my life, if not the greatest, to have been permitted to spend a year and a half under his roof. My great feeling was that the light of his Heavenly Father's countenance seemed ever to rest upon him." The house to which he removed was an old one, and contained a very large entrance-hall, affording oppor- tunities, which he greatly valued, of gathering his people still more closely around him. Every morning this hall was thrown open at the time of family prayer to as many parishioners as had no such opportunity at home, and liked to avail themselves of the privilege, and there was reason to believe that abiding fruit resulted from those happy meetings. The eagerness of the people to receive instruction brought many to Walton from great distances. One old man, who with his wife had sought and found Christ within the walls of the church, was observed to be very constant in his attendance though living 258 PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS. [chap. xii. far away from the district. " Where does your husband get his dinner on Sunday ? " said Mrs. Pennefather to the wife, seeing him at every sei vice, and knowing he could not walk the distance more than once. " Sure, ma'am/' was the astonished answer, " he wants no dinner on Stmday: the blessed gospel feeds him." — " Take a room in the town," said a poor dying woman in a neiehbourinQf village to her husband, " I must hear something to save my soul." After much persuasion the husband hired a little back-room in the place where God's dew was falling, and after long suffering the poor woman died, leaving it as her parting testimony, " He is able to save to the uttermost." The following letter tells of encouragement in the working of the parochial schools. The pecuniary burdens of a very poor parish pressed heavily on Mr. Pennefather's slender resources, and at times he and his wife trembled for the future of these flourishing schools. On July 31st he says — " You know what anxieties we have had, and how difficult we find it to support a master and mistress for our schools. Sometimes we have almost feared that we must give it up. But now the Lord by His dealings seems telling us to go forward. On Friday evening, at my usual prayer-meeting, I found upon my table a paper signed by the schoolmaster, requesting special remembrance of the schools, as several of the boys had been asking with tears what they should do to be saved. The next day, when the master came to me (as he always does on Saturday, to hand in the books, &c), he told me that there seemed to be a great softening throughout the school, and mentioned three by name who appear to be under strong religious impression. One of these has been perhaps the worst boy in the school. His father is, I believe, a Socialist, and the boy seemed to take a pride in laughing at the Bible, the church, and the ministers of religion. The master now says of him, ' F. is my greatest comfort. He 1851.] VISIT TO IRELAND. 259 delights in school, is present at our prayer-meetings and services, and says his happiest hours are those spent in church and school. He is braving a great deal of opposition and ridicule from some of the other boys.' " My heart is full of gratitude. That boy's contempt for ministers seemed indicative of the spirit of the latter days, — now, his countenance brightens when he sees me ; and instead of the sneer, there is the gracious and respectful recognition. Next Monday I am going to send some of the elder boys with their master to the Great Exhibition. I want to encourage him, and give them the pleasure of seeing the wonder of 1 851." In the autumn of 1851, while on a visit to his father in the South of Ireland, Mr. Pennefather made a short stay at Dingle, following out with deep interest the traces of Mr. Gayer's devoted labours, and visiting some of the families in the little Protestant colony. Going from thence to the neighbouring mission-districts, he cheered the hearts of some lonely labourers, and became personally acquainted with the progress of the missions. It was a long-cherished hope that he might one day revisit Connemara, but the right time never came, and the wish remained unfulfilled. Before returning to England, he had the opportunity of attending a most interesting confirmation service held by his dear friend, the Bishop of Cashel, in the neighbourhood of Doon, where a remarkable work of reformation and conversion had been going on. The Bishop was alone, and invited Mr. Pennefather to act as his chaplain on the occasion, which gave him the advantage of observing individually the earnest countenances and devout manner of the converts. In a letter from the Bishop to the Archdeacon of Waterford * he describes this memorable scene : — * See Memoir of Robert Daly, Bishop of Cashel, p. 290. 26o CONFIRM A TION A T DOON. [chap, xii. " We had in every sense of the word a most glorious day at Dromheen, in which church I held a confirmation for the parishes of Doon, Tuagh, and Pallas Green. It was one of the most beautiful sunny days that ever came, and that fair country looked lovely. The church would not hold con- veniently more than 200, so that I had arranged to have two services, morning and afternoon. At the first service we had 164 converts for confirmation, and nearly 100 persons in the congregation. It was a dense crowd and a most interesting sight. At the afternoon service we had in persons, 3 Protestants. We had been told by the priests from the altars that they would raise the country and bring thousands from Limerick and Tipperary to prevent our holding the confirmation. We took the precaution of having a magistrate and police force, but they had nothing to do. We never saw an angry look from the people as either I or the converts passed through the country. When three 5'ears ago I held confirmations in this part of the diocese there were not ten persons from the three parishes, which now sent 375. I do trust it was a confirmation indeed, both of the people and the hard-working ministers." The Bishop's faithful and heart-searching address on that day to the converts was not easily forgotten by those who heard it. A few letters and extracts may be added as belong- ing to the close of 185 1 and the opening of the year following. The first is to a friend with whom he had often enjoyed much spiritual communion — To Miss C. '•'Walton, December $t/i, 1 851. (< MY VERY DEAR FRIEND, — It is long since I have either heard from or written to you, yet I know we are closely and tenderly united ; a covenant God has bound us together in the great Head of His Church, and many precious associa- tions, commencing in time but running on into eternity, con- tinually remind us of common joys. We are anxious to hear how your dear sister is, and how you are yourself ; above all, 1851.] LETTERS FROM AYLESBURY. 261 how the Lord is dealing with your soul. Do His consolations abound towards you, and is your path ' shining more and more unto the perfect day?' — It has lately been very much impressed upon my mind that the Church of Christ does not sufficiently realise the present dispensation as the dispensation of the Holy Spirit. ' It is expedient for you that I go away/ said the Saviour, ' for if I go not away the Comforter will not come to you ; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you.' ' He will guide you into all truth. He will show you things to come. He shall glorify Me. He shall bring all things to your re- membrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.' Are we not then to look for the power of the Holy Ghost ? " 1st, To bring all things to our remembrance which Christ has spoken. 2ndly, To show us things to come. 3rdly, To lead us into all truth. 4th.lv, To glorify the Saviour. " How much is implied in these four heads ! and how little direct supplication for the power of the Holy Ghost in these four things do we find in the Church. Did we lean more constantly on this Divine Instructor, the glory of the Saviour's work and person would increasingly open before us. His say- ings would recur to our memories, His miracles would be ever present to our minds, His sufferings and His joys would draw forth our admiration and love, and Christ formed in us would be the ' hope of glory' We should be glancing back at Calvary and there adoring a suffering Saviour, — we should be looking upward, piercing the veil, and beholding the great High Priest of our profession, ever living to make intercession. We should be on our watch-tower with outstretched necks, gazing into the far-distant horizon to catch the first dawn of rising glory, for the Holy Spirit delights ' to show us things to come.' " Do, dear friend, think upon these points, and let me know your opinion. I send you some advertisements respecting Mr. Dell's prophetical lectures. They will, I think, be deeply in- teresting. You have heard that we are in another and far more comfortable house ; the Lord is good to us, and I think we can speak of His blessed cause advancing among our people. How much I should like to see you ! it seems long since we met. When shall we again talk together of all those things which have happened ? The time is short, yet a little while, and upon a holier, happier shore we shall recount the loving-kindness of 262 LETTERS FROM A YLESBUR Y. [chap. xn. the Lord. What burning words will then break forth from the holy lips of those in whose hearts the Comforter now abides ! What songs of praise shall dwell upon our tongues, when Christ is seen in all His loveliness, and the glory of God is our ever- lasting light. — But I must conclude. Ever your affectionate friend, William Pennefather." Writing at the Advent season upon some matters of trial and difficulty, he adds — " But rather let me turn to the subject which this season brings before us, our Lord's first advent in humility, His second advent in glory. It is interesting to observe the con- stant linking of the two advents in Scripture. If Isaiah speaks of the ' Child born/ the infant Jesus in Bethlehem, he adds, 'of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end/ If Zechariah refers to the lowly entrance of our blessed Master into Jerusalem 'on the foal of an ass,' he goes on to say, ' His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.' You will find the two advents thus brought together again and again And the Church of England in her services, endeavouring to follow this order, brings them thus before the mind. We are led to look into the deep anguish of our suffering Master, and onward to the brightness of His reign." Ao-ain to his dear Westmoreland friends at the close of the year — . ..." It seems as if we had but caught the first faint beams of the glory in which we shall walk evermore. Although for many years we have been learning of Jesus, we are so slow to receive his Divine instruction, that we have only lasted of the infinite treasures of His mind, only grasped a little — oh, how little !— of that fulness of grace which dwells in the Living One for His confiding children. " Truly we have need to cry with St. Paul, ' That I may know Him' Truly we can echo the prayer of Moses, ' I beseech Thee, show me Thy glory.' . . . 1852 sounds ominous ! The world is growing old, the Church's full redemption draweth nigh. There are the signs of dissolution around us. The tottering of kingdoms, the crash of empires. All but as the dust before His chariot-wheels, announcing the coming of the 1852.] LETTERS FROM AYLESBURY. 263 rightful King How I should like to look in upon your Christmas circle ! But I must be content to pray for you. My Christmas text will be Gal. iv. 4, 5 — Christ coming, first, in the / 'ulncss of time, secondly, sent by the Father; thirdly, in His perfect humanity, ' born of a woman ; ' fourthly, as the sinner s substitute, ' made under the law.' " The next is to Miss Delap, who had become a con- firmed invalid. "January ()t/i, 1852. " My PRECIOUS J., — I grieve to hear of your weakness, and that you are often treading the lowly valley rather than dwell- ing on the mountain-top. And yet, dearest, it has been said that some of the sweetest flowers are to be found in shady hollows, and the dew lies often thickest down in the deep ravines. God is leading you by the ' right way ; ' sometimes rugged, but always right. It may be dark, but it is dewy, wis- dom and love are directing every step. We cannot now be always on Mount Tabor, but yet a little while and we shall stand on Mount Sion, ' having the harps of God,' and our anthems of praise will be all the louder, because we have trodden rough paths and known the wanderings of a tedious pilgrimage. Sometimes mind and body are so prostrated that we are brought to feel, ' I can do nothing.' Well then, we are learning that Christ must do everything. He must not only cleanse but sustain ; not only save but sanctify. Christ must be not only my Advocate, but the Leader of my thanks- givings. * Christ all in all' What is our wondrous position ? We stand in the holy place in Christ Jesus; His ministry within the veil is for us. The Father beholds us in Him ; the Father loves us as He loves Him ; and when we are unable to think, almost perhaps to feel, we may rest in the conscious- ness of this blessed fact, that we are one with Christ Jesus. " My darling D.'s letters have lately given me great com- fort, I see such manifest improvement in them. You don't know how I cling to you all ! " Oh ! the blessedness of that day, when the scattered sheep shall feed together under the eye of the Good Shepherd, who by the blood of the everlasting covenant has purchased the flock and made them His for ever." 264 LETTERS FROM A YLESBUR V. [chap. xii. To the Same. " January i -$th. . . . . " We cannot tell what 1852 may bring with it of dark- ness or trial, but we can assert that God will keep the feet of His trusting saints, and guide His Church safely through every tempest to the desired haven. We can rest in the conviction that not one of His promises shall fail ; ' the Lord will preserve you from every evil work, and bring you to His heavenly kingdom.' " Owing to the death of a dear little child of eight years old, who is to be buried on Thursday, I must postpone my visit till the evening of that day, when, God willing, C. and I will go to see you and remain in town till Saturday morning. Perhaps we could get a bed somewhere near you for two nights. ... I must tell you of the sweet child to whose death I have alluded. She was the only daughter of a widowed mother, but God had early prepared her for His heavenly kingdom. The heart of that bereaved parent does not harbour one rebellious thought. It is most touching to see her beautiful submission in the midst of such deep sorrow. The day before the little one died, her mother went quietly into the room and heard her singing in a low voice, ' Hallelujah, Hallelujah to the Lamb who died on Mount Calvary ! ' Her favourite hymn was the one beginning ' Alas ! and did my Saviour bleed/ the last verse of which she often repeated, ' But flowing tears can ne'er repay the debt of love I owe/ &c. " The mother has, I believe, been wonderfully taught of God during the last few years, and this little one seemed a saint early matured. Her love for Christ and knowledge of the Bible were very remarkable. "We have another deeply interesting case just now, of a woman dying in consumption. She is the mother of a family, and had appeared before her illness to be quite ignorant. I have never seen so striking an instance of the Spirit's teaching. Her knowledge of the Bible and its blessed truths is marvellous, for she is unable to read, and her expressions are like those of an experienced and deeply-taught disciple in the school of Christ, — such a deep sense of sin, and yet so filled with the peace of God ! " The following note to Miss Mason alludes to the 1852.] RECOLLECTIONS OF A FRIEND. 265 death of Mr. Krause of Dublin, which took place very unexpectedly in the spring of this year :— " April yd. " 1 have much pleasure in sending you a cheque for £ 10. I wish it were a hundred, but the Lord knows all our need, and can supply it out of His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. I trust you are really better, and your peace as a river, ever flowing and deepening, as it winds its wayto the mighty ocean. Is the need at Bethesda yet supplied ? How sudden was the summons, and vet how blessed to dear Mr. Krause ! May we work while it is day ; the night cometh, when no man can work ! When will you be in England? How delighted we shouldbe to nurse you ! Do come to us, and may the Lord bless all our intercourse."* The recollections of an Irish friend, who visited Aylesbury early in this year, and who refers to the same solemn event, may be inserted here :— 'In February 1852, I accepted an invitation from Mr. Pennefather to pay him a visit, and become acquainted with his wife. In passing through Dublin I had the opportunity of hearing Mr. Krause preach beautifully on Ash-Wednesday, on Leviticus i., the beginning as he said of a series of lectures which he intended to preach during Lent on the offerings. How little did I think, when I was telling Mr. Pennefather of that sermon on the Friday evening, that the preacher was even then passing in to see the King in His beauty!— My visit to Aylesbury, intended to be for three weeks, but extending to three months, seemed to be all one blessed time of prayer and praise ; in fact, a foretaste of heaven upon earth. Mr. Penne- father'was a father among a loving people, many of whom seemed to have learnt from him the blessedness of a life of prayer. On going into a cottage one day I observed a sack standing outside. On entering, the woman said to me she had just had a happy time of prayer and praise; adding, 'I have never had monev enough to buy a whole sack of flour till to-day, and I could not' let it pass inside the door until I had gone up- * Miss Mason did pay a visit to her old friend, and was so deeply interested in all she saw and heard that she fully acknowledged God's hand in bringing him to England. 266 LETTER TO MRS. CREWDSON. [chap. xii. stairs to thank God for it, as our minister tells us.' Mr. Penne- father held family morning prayer in a large old entrance-hall in his house, where seats were placed all round for any of the. people who liked to come. I well remember one lame young man who was scarcely ever absent, and to whom the little service had been greatly blessed. At the prayer-meetings and Bible- classes the old men in their grey linen blouses were a striking feature — dear old men, who adorned the doctrine of their God and Saviour in daily life, and had their last days brightened by the visits of him who had led them to Jesus. But it was in the church that the spiritual life of the flock was especially felt. The heartiness and warmth in all the prayers and praises seemed to say, ' This is none other than the gate of heaven.'" The date of the next letter is not apparent, but it was probably written in the spring of this year, and contains the first allusion to a proposed change in his sphere of labour, which cost him very much anxious prayer and thought for many months : — To Mrs. Crewdson. " I have been most anxious to write to you, but am with- out a curate, and the work is very heavy. Sometimes I feel almost spent, but am mercifully helped on day by day. Now your letter has come, I am determined to send you a few lines. I grieve to hear you are suffering, and yet are not seasons of trial often times of refreshing? Does not the Lord set the bow in the cloud? Does He not allure us into the wilderness that He may speak comfortably to us? How often I think of those words, 'Darkness shows us worlds of light we never saw by day.' It is so true! Who has not watched the stars coming out, one by one, as the daylight faded away, until the blue vault of heaven seemed spangled with unnumbered orbs of light? And as the night deepened, another and another gleaming as it were from the outskirts of creation ! And so it is, that when darkness comes over a Christian's path, it pleases God to reveal to him promises unseen and unfelt before. The truths of His Holy Word come out one by one, till the soul is lost in amazement at the exceeding riches of a Father's grace and love. May it be so with you, my beloved friend ! 1 85 2.] IN VITA TION TO BA RNE T 267 " And now I must tell you what is weighing heavily on my heart. Captain Trotter has been here, and has invited me to take up work at Barnet. He has built a church there and has gathered round it many of the Lord's people. The present incumbent is expected to leave before next winter, and he wants me to go there. We spent two nights last week at Dyrham (Captain T.'s place). He and his wife are serving the Lord fully, and are very separate from the world. It would be a great comfort to me to have the help of such a layman : but I cannot yet see the way made plain to leave this place ; perhaps before the winter it may be clearly marked out. The emolument would not be greater than this, as, though there is a house, my congregation here have provided me with one for the last two years. We simply desire to do the Lord's will in the matter." * As soon as his own mind was made up on this im- portant question, Mr. Pennefather wrote a short letter to his people, informing them of the fact that he was called to leave them. He was anxious to allow no time for reports, and to leave no door open for remon strances or memorials. "Walton, July 17th, 1852. "MY BELOVED FRIENDS, — It is in deep sorrow I now write to you. My heart is very full, and I cannot doubt your feelings on the subject of my letter. A church has been offered to me, with no pecuniary advantage, but presenting a wide sphere of usefulness. The circumstances of the case are so unlooked for and remarkable, that we feel constrained to say ' the thing proceedeth from the Lord.' It is His voice which calls us, and we dare not hesitate to obey. But I can- not leave this place without a painful struggle. The flesh * This was the only occasion, in the course of his ministry, on which he had to considtr the question of leaving his present sphere, after the call came which summoned him elsewhere. The only indications of a closed door at Walton were certain ecclesiastical complications, which might at any time become more intricate and crippling ; but it was long before he could see his way so clearly marked as to feel justified in giving a decisive answer to the proposal made to him. He left Aylesbury, eventually, assured of God's Fatherly guidance, but with deep sorrow of heart. 268 FAREWELL LETTER. [chap. xii. must shrink at the severing of a bond which has united us for more than four years, even though it be severed by Him 'who doeth all things well.' 'God is my record how greatly I long after you all;' yet you know who it is that holds the seven stars in His right hand, and fixes them where He pleases. It is the same Saviour who * walks among the golden candlesticks/ Notwithstanding much weakness of body and many shortcomings on my part, I can say that my residence among you has been most refreshing. While I mourn over my own sinfulness, I may, I do rejoice at God's unnumbered mercies to us as a congregation during the past few years. Your unwearied kindness has often gladdened our hearts, and nothing but the clearest intimation that God is removing us could bear us up under the trial now before us. But the Lord can and will sustain ; we can only have light and peace in the path which He appoints. ' When He giveth quietness, who then can make trouble ?' Though having nothing, yet in Him we possess all things. Let me add that it has merci- fully pleased our Heavenly Father to cast my lot in an ad- joining county, so that we may look for frequent opportunities of intercourse." The trial both to pastor and flock of the weeks that followed can be more easily imagined than described. The deep silent grief of the people, as the time of separation drew near, was even more touching than loud demonstrations of sorrow, and the bowed heads and stifled sobs made the services almost oppressive. In recalling the incidents of his last years ministry at Walton, Mr. Pennefather often spoke of the fact, that during1 that time he had been called to attend the dying beds of thirty of the most attached members of his flock, all in blessed hope of a joyful resurrection, many of them leaving such a testimony to an all- sufficient and present Saviour as greatly strengthened the faith of the survivors. " Do you call it a dark valley?" said one aged believer; "it is a very sweet 1852.] DEATH-BED SCENES. 269 valley to me ! All praise ! all praise ! " " It is one thing to speak of Jesus," said a dying woman, "it is another thing to have Him in full view." It ought to be mentioned that while on the one hand these blessed scenes were going on, the most awful demonstrations of Satan's enmity were manifest on the other. On one dying bed was a lad gnashing his teeth at every mention of the name of Jesus, on another, a woman (with no symptoms of delirium) screaming for some one to stand between her and the evil spirits who were waiting for her ! It is not often, perhaps, that heaven and hell both seem so near as in the sights and sounds continually witnessed at that time by Christ's ministering servant. We close the chapter with a few recollections which seem to belong to this period. One who spent many happy hours in Trinity Church says — " Mr. Pennefather's preaching was not marked by any strong argumentative power ; it was rather the loving pleading of one who lived very near the Master, and, like St. John, lay on His bosom. The holiness and love written on his counten- ance reminded us of the shining of Moses' face.* To this must be added his very musical voice and a poetical style of expression, which made him in his addresses and sermons like * one who playeth skilfully on an instrument/ even to those who did not receive His message to their soul's salvation." Another, looking back after many years' residence abroad, writes — " Those looks of love and holiness, that gazing as it were into heaven itself, must ever be remembered by those who had the privilege of hearing him. I never can forget his look, when I heard him repeat in the pulpit — And truly it might be said," adds another, " he wist not that his face shone." 2?o • RECOLLECTIONS OF FRIENDS. chap, xlt. 1 'Tis heaven on earth to hear Him say, While now I journey day by day, Poor sinner, cast thy fears away, Thy sins are all forgiven.' " The beauty of the Lord his God was indeed upon him. How often, when out in India, I used to read that hymn, and try to bring his beaming face before me." We may add a short record of two of the many cases in which God made him at this time an instrument of spiritual blessing. It was remarkable that after the earlier stages of Christian experience, they were both brought by very unlikely circumstances under the teach- ing of the same minister, to be lifted by his means to a higher platform of spiritual life. A lady living near Walton, whose family were not disposed to have much to do with Mr. Pennefather's congregation, writes — " It was in the summer of 1848 that my younger sister and I, taking a walk one Wednesday evening, passed the door of Trinity Church, Walton. The bell was ringing for the usual weekly service, and knowing that a new minister had lately come to the church, we went in from mere curiosity to hear him. I have not now any distinct remembrance of the ser- vice, except that I was deeply impressed 'with the solemn sense that God was there. I obtained permission, with some diffi- culty, to go again (there was a great spirit of opposition exist- ing at that time to the church and congregation), and now I began to get a view of sin as in the sight of a holy God. For many months I mourned under a dark cloud of despondency (too timid to open my mind even to my dear pastor), and found no rest to my burdened soul, till one Sunday evening when dear Mr. Pennefather preached on the text, ' His voice as the sound of many waters ' (Rev. 1. 15). That voice spoke to my soul, and I could rejoice in sin forgiven. From that time I gave up the pleasures of the world, in which I had greatly delighted ; but perhaps it was more from a sense of duty than real love. I had many hindrances, and though I knew I was i§52.n RECOLLECTIONS OF FRIENDS. ill saved by the blood of Jesus, I groped on in a sort of semi-dark- ness. . . . But I must tell of a second step in my Christian life. By the goodness of God we were brought to Stoke Newington in 1865, and then again I found myself under the same dear pastor's ministry ; now I was permitted to go a step further, and learn more fully from his lips the necessity of entire con- secration to Christ. I had taken my sins to Him and found pardon, I had given up the world (though with difficulty), but now I learnt to put myself into His loving arms day by day, and found the blessedness of 'casting all my care upon Him who careth for me.' I am no longer my own, but His who died for me, and only desiring that all the remainder of my life may be spent to the praise of the glory of His grace." The next extract, though not strictly connected with Aylesbury, dates in the first instance from the same period of his ministry. The writer is now a clergy- man's wife, labouring earnestly and usefully in the Lord's vineyard — "In 1849, between September and November, dear Mr. Pennefather paid a short visit to my aunt's house. I had never seen, to my knowledge, a saint of the Lord before (except per- haps in one instance), I mean ^consecrated servant oi the Master! I can't tell you the effect of that visit. I was in anxiety of soul at the time, groping after light, longing for peace. An aunt of mine had a few weeks before put a tract into my hand, entitled, ' Living or Dead ! ' and its title-page God had used to show me my lost condition. I had no hope at all, but deeper conviction of sin day by day, until one day, during his visit dear Mr. Pennefather came into the schoolroom where we were all assembled. He sang with us, accompanying himself on the piano, the hymn, ' Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer's praise ! ' and he then spoke to us from 2 Kings v., ' Naaman/ and the simple command ' Wash,' with its blessed results to those who, like him, obey. " The first gleam of light came to me while he opened up the finished work of Jesus, and our part simply to accept and trust Him. The Lord did all the rest. But that precious, simple word was the first blessing and the only instrumentality he used to give me hope- The joy came some weeks after, when I gave 272 RECOLLECTIONS OF FRIEXDS. [chap. XII. up all, and trusted Jesus with my soul. I cannot be perfectly sure of the time when I saw Mr. Pennefather again ; but it was about the third series of sermons at Guildford in connection with the Home Mission, when his name was announced as the preacher. I had amidst great trial and persecution been serving the Lord. I only knew Him then as my Saviour for pardon and peace and heaven, and my Deliverer in times of trouble. There was much prayer for blessing among God's children before Mr. Pennefather came, and in the morning at Stoke Church the text was Ps. xxiii. It was a precious sermon ! I remember sitting and weeping with joy at the side of my dear old aunts, who were also listening with tears. In the evening, O CD J at St. Nicholas Church, the subject was the Risen, Glorified Christ on the Throne, building the Heavenly Temple, from Zech. vi. 12, 13. Up there, and yet down here. The crucified One filled with all the fulness of God for us, who need Him. So near, so mighty, so real ! The Divine Jesus, able and will- ing to do all that His weak children trust Him for ; their Life ! their Strength ! Not to be looked at once, but lived upon day by day amid the trials of the wilderness. I shall never forget when he looked up, as he was wont to do, and said, ' He is just yonder. Oh! that I had a tongue to tell you what He is to His tried ones in their weakness and perplexity,' &c. "I felt a new power unknown before, as though from that moment /, a worm of earth, was linked for ever with the Mighty One of Israel, so that I could not look up to Him in simple faith without constantly receiving supplies of grace for every need from Him. The ' resurrection life ' of which he spoke that Sabbath evening in the power of the Holy Ghost, became for months after (and I trust it is not yet less so) the absorbing joy of my soul. " My dear aunt's Bible-class at Guildford, amongst a dozen Christian women or more, the only one of the kind I believe in that town, wascommencedby dear Mr. Pennefatherwith marked blessing, and became a hallowed gathering for Bible-study and Christian fellowship and counsel for many years, at a time when Bible classes were very rare. One other thing has always been marked upon my memory of Barnet days, — his tender sym- pathy with the tried and sorrowing children of God. I re- member seeing him weep with different Christians, in visiting 1852.] RECOLLECTIONS OF FRIENDS. 273 their cottages, as he listened to their story of sorrow. It seemed such a living commentary on that line, 'A heart at leisure from itself, to soothe and sympathise.' I sat and wondered whether I should ever know such heart-sym- pathy, so like the beloved Master.' Another friend, who was acquainted with Mr. Pen- nefather for many years, remarks — "One very striking characteristic of his ministry was, that he was equally successful in raising believers to the rest of faith, and in his evangelistic work among the uncon- verted." ( =74 ) CHAPTER XIII. 1852-1855. Delay in entering on his ministry at Barnet — Italian Christians — Lettei from Rosa Madiai — Commences work at Christ Church, Barnet — Release of the Madiai — Enlarged schoolroom — Visit to Aylesbury— Rev. C. Skrine — Advice to young ministers — Visit to Ireland and Dover — Parochial work — The Crimean War — Death of his brother — Visits to Rev. D. F. Jarman — Care of orphans — Ministry among children — Enlarged church — Visit to Edinburgh. 1WTR. PENNEFATHER did not commence his -*-*-*■ ministry at Christ Church, Barnet, until the close of 1852. Unexpected complications had arisen, and by a remarkable chain of circumstances he was led to minister for many weeks in a neighbouring church. During this interval he was the guest of his beloved friend Captain Trotter, and though the season was one of trial and suspense, he always realised two special mercies as connected with it. The intimate intercourse thus permitted with that valued friend and his beloved family, which was a source of life-long thankfulness, and the opportunity which was afforded of entering warmly into the interests of that noble band of Italian Christians who were at this time confessing their allegi- ance to God's Word in the face of great peril and per- secution. Captain Trotter was a member of the depu- tation sent from England to plead for the release of Francesco and Rosa Madiai, and though the effort appeared to be at first unsuccessful, who can doubt 1852.] LETTER FROM ROSA MADIAI. 27$ that the prayers thus elicited (and none surely more fervent than those offered at Dyrham Park) were answered in the freedom ultimately granted to those faithful prisoners. We must not here detail a history known to many ; but the following translation of a letter written by Rosa Madiai during her imprisonment will interest those who can recall the tale of suffering which touched the hearts of English Christians. It is ad- dressed to Mrs. Maxwell, whose husband had accom- panied Lord Roden, one of the deputation, to Italy. " DEAREST LADY, — Being informed of your desire to re- ceive some lines written with my own hand, although my hand be weak and trembling, I discharge a duty in complying with your wishes. Though unknown to me, I know you in Christ. God is love, which love is shed abroad in the hearts of those whom He loves. Seeing then that this love dwells in you, in this holy love I salute and love y on ! Ypu have already heard of our calamities, and the sufferings which we have endured and still endure, and my husband much more than myself. My poor mortal flesh, how much dost thou grieve for so small a matter ! Oh ! that we were both like Paul, imitators of Christ ; instead of which we are unstable children. Pray for us, dear lady, that God may give us grace to serve Him faith- fully ; if it be not enough by this imprisonment, then even unto blood and death, should it be for the advancement of His kingdom. I have been told that my husband is better, and I trust in the grace of the Lord that it is so, for his illness greatly increases my affliction, but in all things the will of God be done ! May the Holy Spirit give us ever to say, ' Glory to God, and to the Lamb.' The fever has left me, but my spine causes me much suffering. My neck, head, and even my eyes are affected by it, and on some days I am much troubled by nervousness. Wherefore pray for us. In our tribulations God has not forgotten our infirmities, and more- over as a good Father He hath pitied, aided, and sustained us, and I feel assured will sustain us even unto the end, since fie never leaves His work unfinished, We have }ieard of the 276 ARRIVAL AT CHRIST CHURCH. [chap. xiii. good persons who have deeply interested themselves on our be- half. Although superior in rank to me and my husband., they have shown themselves truly benevolent. May God recom- pense them a thousandfold, both in this world and in heaven. "We are now in the seventeenth month of our imprison- ment, and God knows when it will terminate. We are re- duced to skin and bone. But, my Jesus ! what didst Thou become for us, bound, accused as a blasphemer, as a stirrer up of the people, scourged, humiliated with mockings and a crown of thorns, buffeted and nailed to a cross, the people crying : ' If Thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross, and we will believe Thee.' Ah ! my Jesus, the nails did not hold Thee there, no, it was Love! Impart this love to Thy prisoners, that they may enjoy so great an honour as to be made a scorn for Thee. " Dear lady, I conclude, fearing to abuse too much your goodness. I hope that this letter may find you in perfect health, and if there be any who inquire about us, I beg you to render them thanks both for me and my husband, and ask that all should pray for us. " Full of respect I subscribe myself your very humble and most devoted servant, ROSA MADIAI." These dear Christian confessors never came to Eno-- land, but they and the little band of Italian sufferers had from that time a constant place in the sympathies of the praying friends at Barnet. In the month of December 1852 Mr. Pennefather settled at Christ Church parsonage, and on January 6th, 1853, he writes to Miss Mason — " It is very kind of you to bear us on your heart, and wish to know something of our present home, and to think, too, of dear Aylesbury. [Miss Mason had inquired 'How could you leave your flock, your beautiful flock?'] We have a very nice congregation here, and many earnest, praying Christians around us. But we do miss our dear poor people, the loving old men and women, who used to cheer our hearts. The working-classes in this suburban town are very unlike those we have left behind, but there are some among them who are j8$2.] RELEASE OF THE MAD I AT. 217 on the Lord's side. Our house is close to both church and school, and we are only ten miles from London, which is convenient, enabling me to attend committees, &c. ... I believe the Lord brought us here, and this is my chief comfort, but the trial of leaving my late post was very great. Never- theless, the Lord upholds us, and is already giving tokens of blessing in this new sphere. How much I should like to show it all to you, and have you at our Bible-readings, and renew the sweet intercourse we had at Walton. But this is not our rest ; the Church is in the wilderness, and her mem- bers may still be described as 'strangers scattered.' Captain Trotter lives about two miles from us. He spends the winter months in London, but his residence among us in summer will, if we are spared, be a great privilege. " I trust you are better, beloved friend, and able to return to your work, or rather the Lord's work. You can at least bear it on your heart as you go in with Jesus into the secret of your Father's presence, and you shall not fail to receive a blessing. . . . What think you of the coming future ? will it be fraught with unwonted trial ? shall the Church be caught up before the vials are poured out, or must she feel at least the first drops of the impending tempest ? Oh ! it is awful to think of the poor world ! for the Lord's saints we have no fear. Whatever betide them, everlasting glory shall soon be upon their heads, and sorrow and sighing flee away for ever. I want you to send Irish Society papers to our secretary at Aylesbury, who will still carry on the work there." Again, a little later — "We like our little home here, but as yet we have no garden, only a bare plot of ground, as though the house had been finished yesterday (it has been built some years). Perhaps it will be pretty some day, but who can tell what a day may bring forth ! . . . Flowers are tender tokens of a Father's love just to refresh His children by the way. What will the flowers of a renewed earth be, when in a blighted world like ours they are so fair and fragrant ! " So the Madiai are delivered ! — Is anything too hard for the Lord? Surely man's extremity means God's opportunity ! I have not heard any particulars, but the 'Times' states that 27% CHRIST CHURCH SCHOOLROOMS. [chap. xm. Lord John Russell announced the fact of their liberation to the House. ... I have been deeply touched by a book called 'Hope Deferred not Lost/ a history of the Patagonian Mis- sion. It contains the journal of Captain Gardiner and Mr. Williams. There is another book I would like you to see, called, ' A Stranger Here,' by Dr. Bonar. Mr. Hargrove is delighted with it." The first necessity which forced itself on Mr. Penne- father's attention in his new parish was that of increased school-accommodation. The only space allotted to the girls was a small and insufficient portion of the boys' room ; but by the kindness of friends this want was soon supplied, a convenient and cheerful room being added to the original building. The united rooms are still remembered by many as the hallowed spot where the first conferences were held, and where God's presence was often so solemnly manifested to His worshipping people. Another object of interest was the effort to secure a house hitherto used as a Roman Catholic chapel. Bya singularcoincidence this was accomplished, and it became a centre for lectures, prayer-meetings, &c, during the whole of Mr. Pennefather s residence at Barnet. We shall not occupy the time of our readers with a recapitulation of parochial plans and activities already followed out at Walton, but rather pass on to the more distinctive features of Mr. Pennefather's ministry at Christ Church. The proximity of the me- tropolis gave to the place a character of restlessness and hurry, which was a trial to him, while the business habits which connected all the interests of his people with London, and the constant locomotion of many of them, afforded little time for that close pastoral dealing and fellowship which he so dearly loved. But to counterbalance some ministerial difficulties, God gave I853-] VISIT TO AYLESBURY. 279 him Christian friendship and extended interests far beyond his most sanguine hopes; and as years went on, he was often overwhelmed with a sense of the exceed- ing mercy which had bound him up with such a large and ever- enlarging circle of God's dear children. His house was sometimes laughingly called the " Missing Link," where noblemen and farmers, bishops and non- conformist ministers could meet most naturally and pleasantly : where nationalities and denominations were easily merged in the broad sunshine of Christian, love. The accommodation of the parsonage had been in- creased, and "the bare plot of ground" did become pretty, its flowers and breezes cheering and refreshing many a suffering invalid, who came to enjoy both the natural and spiritual sunlight.'"" In the month of June 1853 Mr. and Mrs. Penneiather paid a short visit to Aylesbury, of which he writes— "We had a sad but deeply interesting visit. I feel that God has done a great work there, and He is testing it by a fiery trial, which, blessed be His name, it is enduring. Many were the tears shed, many the greetings uttered amid stifled sobs. We had a large congregation on Wednesday, and I preached from Isaiah xl. 27, 28. On Thursday we had a meet- ing for prayer, which was numerously attended. On Sunday I preached on John xiv. 3. What a promise ! Receive you to MYSELF. Our Blessed Redeemer holds out to His people not only peace, joy, glory, honour, and immortality, but His own blessed self! .... We have had a delightful visit from Mr. Reichardt. He has not long returned from Jerusalem, and gave us a minute account of the Holy Land, where he seems to think the fertility is returning, as though the Lord were preparing the land for the people ; while throughout the world * A friend remarks in after years—" That strange power he had of making everything he touched beautiful was all brought into the ministry he exercised among his people and his fellow-labcurers, and brightened with its genial glow the simplest, commonest things." 280 THE REV. C. SKRINE. [chap. xnr. He seems to be preparing the people for the land. It is said that the Matter rain/ long withheld, has fallen, and that the well of Enrogel has overflowed. It may be that the land will soon rejoice in the sound of the ' streams that run among the hills.' On Monday evening we had a meeting in our school- room, for the purpose of giving Caesar Malan an opportunity of addressing the people. He spoke with much animation and power on the 5th chapter of Romans. His patriarchal appear- ance is most interesting. I had never seen him before." It was about this time that Mr. Pennefather first became acquainted with the Rev. Clarmont Skrine, at that time an officer in the army, but afterwards a beloved brother in the ministry. Mr. Skrine gives his own recollections of that first visit, and carries us on to other circumstances of later date — " I remember my first interview with dear Mr. Pennefather. I was contemplating entering the Church ; a mutual friend had brought me to his notice, and I received an invitation to spend a day or two at Barnet. There was an evening service going on when I arrived, and I heard him preach, the first and I think the only time I had that privilege. My impres- sion was that there was in his manner, and in his countenance when preaching, that which gave double value to whatever he said. I remember, in proof of this, the fact of a young lady owing her first religious convictions, and even I trust her con- version, under God, to the reality expressed in the brightness of his countenance when speaking of the coming of our Lord. " On the evening of my arrival, we were sitting under the verandah and talking of my prospects, when he quoted and spoke on the text, ' God is able to make all grace abound,' &c, dwelling on the fulness of the expression, 'all sufficiency in all things.' I have never lost the impression made upon my mind at that time. Through his interest I was after- wards engaged in the ministry in his neighbourhood, and was able to take counsel with him in any difficulty that met me. He was the means, unconsciously, of modifying my views as to the doctrine of election. I found he was as strongly 1853-1 THE REV- C' SKRINE' 28r attached as I was to the doctrines of grace, but was not led to make them, as I believe I had done, a barrier to the free proclamation of Christ's gospel to the poor sinner. " I never met with one who so habitually led others to God in prayer. I never remember seeing him on any business, 01 in any engagement to which we went together, without being invited to join him in prayer. A memorable occasion occurs to me. When we were on our way to a large meeting of the London clergy at Fulham Palace, at his suggestion we turned aside in the avenue, and between the trees we bent in earnest prayer for grace. This habit told much on my own poor ministry, and seems continually brought to my mind, to show me where my strength is, and what the Lord would have His servants do 'in everything! " I imagine a great many will be ready to say, ' No one knew William Pennefather better than myself;' and for this reason, that he had a marvellous power of gaining possession of the hearts of others, and then leading them into loving fellowship with his Master. I can bear witness to the influ- ence which his acquaintance had on me, in leading me to honour the Holy Ghost as the teacher of God's people. ^ It was delightful to be present at the opening of his Bible readings, or in his vestry before a service, and hear him cast himself on the Lord and wait for the power of the Divine Spirit, as the great agent of salvation, and grace^ and life. I cannot help referring to one incident in his life, which showed me, more than any other, how largely he possessed the love of Christ, and how influential this made him^ in drawing Christians together. A man of colour, a Christian, had been invited to the conference at Barnet ; and dear Pennefather's table was open to all the people of God alike. It so chanced that a Christian gentleman from America was present also, and afterwards confided to me that when he found himself sitting at the same table with one whom he had learned from his youth to regard as of another race, a feeling of great discomfort came over him, but he was able, before the close of the Conference, to overcome the pre- judice, and had learned to love all who love the Lord Jesus.* ♦ It was a cause of much thankfulness to those who had been made aware of the strong conflict of feeling in the mind of this Christian friend from America, 282 COUNSEL TO MINISTERS. [chap. XIII. " I know no one who has done, or ever could have done, so much as dear Pennefather did to assert the unity of the body of Christ, at the same time that he was singularly faithful to the principles and practices of the Church of England. "I remember the confession of one who was at length influenced to join her friends in separation from our Com- munion, but who continued for years strongly attached to his ministry. 'Mr. Pennefather,' she said to me, 'was such a pastor] alluding to the tender, loving care, with which he watched over each member of his flock, and his ability in guiding and helping them." Mr. Pennefather was often consulted by young men preparing for the ministry,* and delighted to have them in his house. Many came to him with difficulties upon secondary questions, which had been all examined and set at rest in his own mind loiiQf before. Though he loved the Church of England, he knew her weak points, but often said he was satisfied with his position as long as the sixth Article remained in her Prayer-book.t Be- lieving his place had been providentially assigned to him, he deemed it his truest wisdom therein " to abide with God." With a mind remarkably at leisure from minor perplexities and controversial strife, he could afford to hold out the right hand of fellowship to weak and wavering ones, and to comfort many a troubled spirit by the felt influence of his own restfulness. Those who knew William Pennefather intimately can- that he should have been enabled to go forward and publicly offer his hand to his African brother. * One of his frequent counsels to them (borrowed as he said from Richard Cecil) was to beware of such a formal repetition of truth as might make a minister like a man "crying his wares." He also greatly deprecated an official rather than personal dealing with men and things, and the adoption of what he called " a clerical manner." + " Holy Scripture containeth all things'necessary to salvation, so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man that it should be believed as an article of the Faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation." 1853.] VISIT TO IRELAND. 283 not fail to be reminded of him in reading the well- known lines — " I stand upon the mount of God With sunlight in my soul ; I hear the storms in vales beneath, I hear the thunders roll — But I am calm with Thee, my God, Beneath these glorious skies ; And to the height on which I stand Nor storms nor clouds can rise." A visit to Ireland in the summer of this year was unexpectedly cut short by a summons to Dover, as he writes to Mrs. Crewdson — 1 Knockeevan, Clonmel, August 29th. " We have been here for three weeks, and were on the eve of starting, via Limerick and the Shannon, for Lord Lorton's place, Rockingham, Boyle ; and from thence to Arley Cottage and Dublin, when I received a pressing and most unexpected letter from Dover, asking me to take charge of Mr. Bates's church for a few weeks. You may have heard of him as a faithful standard-bearer of the Cross at Dover. He is deeply tried in health, and has lately lost a devoted wife. I felt this letter as a call from God to give up our con- templated visits and return to England, so to-morrow we start, please God, for Dublin, and hope to arrive at Dover on Saturday. It would have been a great pleasure to see Rockingham, and to show Arley to my wife, but the minister of Christ should ever be ready to answer to the voice of his Master, ' Here am I, send me/ I deeply feel leaving this place and my aged father. He completed his eightieth year on the 25th. Shall I ever see him again ? Shall I see him basking at eventide in the radiance of the Sun of Right- eousness ? I have been permitted to preach every Sunday since I have been here, which I feel to be a special mercy, once at Fethard, and twice at Clonmel. Oh ! that God may bless His own Word I" The friend'" who so urgently requested Mr. Penne- * The Rev. C. J. Goodhart. 284 MINIS TR V AT DO VER. Tchap. xiil. father's assistance at Dover, gave him to understand that the circumstances of the church were peculiar. The long illness of the minister had greatly tried both himself and the people, while many difficulties and disappointments in supplying his place had made the congregation somewhat critical and captious. Mr. Pennefather was personally a stranger among them, and during his residence in the town was one day amused at receiving a visit at his lodging from an old gentleman, who, after introducing himself as a member of the congregation, put the abrupt question, " Pray> sir, how old are you ? " adding, " We were very glad when we heard you were coming, but quite shocked when we saw such a young man*" get up in the pulpit. And now, I want to know when and where you have learnt all the blessed truth you have been teaching us." Much happy communion followed this quaint introduc- tion, and other interesting links, some found after many days, were formed during this short ministry at Dover. Among desires and possibilities suggested during this time of comparative leisure, was the first thought of attempting some practical recognition of union among the churches. Might not this be done on a platform of spiritual fellowship which, while firm in its basis of truth, should be high enough to rise above the separating hedgerows of denomination, and where the atmosphere of love would be such that the Shepherd's voice could be heard apart from the jarring of earthly Shibboleths?! Three years passed by before the thought assumed * Mr. Pennefather's appearance at this time often misled strangers as to his age. t The Evangelical Alliance had Mr. Pennefather's warmest sympathy, but he always felt that it left room for much that might be done practically in the same direction. ,854-] PAROCHIAL LABOURS. 285 a definite form, but it was never lost sight of. and He by whom it was suggested in due time opened the way for its accomplishment. Meanwhile much hard work had to be done by Mr. Pennefather in the locality where God had placed him, and we find many plans set on foot both for the temporal and spiritual improve- ment of the people. In posting days, Barnet had been the first stage out of London on the Great North Road, and innumerable stage-coaches and private carriages had every day changed horses there. The town was consequently crowded with inns, and a large proportion of its inhabi- tants were accustomed to depend upon the casual profits of this incessant traffic. But railway travelling, which so rapidly changed the habits of the country, had left this, and many other towns on our principal highroads, suddenly impoverished, and bearing sad traces of the evils inseparable from such antecedents. Mr. Pennefather and his helpers laboured diligently, and with much outward success. Bible-readings and classes were well attended, and the church became so crowded that, before the end of 1854, it was deemed necessary to make plans for its enlargement. But amid abounding encouragement in the aspect of things around him, he sighed for the showers of converting grace which had fallen so copiously at Aylesbury, and while others were almost envying his great prosperity, he was often repeating the words of the prophet, " Oh ! that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the sins of my people." He could never be persuaded to rejoice in any work which he did not look upon as real and abiding, or to be satisfied without a deep consciousness of the 286 PAROCHIAL ANXIETIES. [chap. xiii. mighty presence of God's Spirit. The immediate neigh- bourhood of London involved both advantages and trials, and we often find him mourning over interrup- tions, and " the pressure of life in a place where time seems to make to itself wings, and fly with double speed." We give a short letter to his Westmoreland friends — - ' ' November 2$th, 185 4. " Your dear letter received this morning has proved so great a cheer to me, that although it is Saturday, I cannot help sending you a few lines. It is indeed refreshing to realise that the bond which unites us is not only tender but inde- structible— eternal. We are linked to Christ, and in Him to each other. And what a multiplicity of delicate cords are woven into the chain of love. This network of friendship and intercourse, all branching out from that centre of cove- nant redemption which has made us one with Jesus, will be unravelled and retraced in the light of His glory, when we are gathered into the paradise of our God. 11 1 was in town this week from Monday until yester- day, attending the meetings of the Prophetical Society. I preached at St. George's, Bloomsbury, on Thursday evening, and at 11 o'clock that night dear J. and M. Delap arrived at Euston Square Station, having left Monellan at noon, the day before. It was a tremendous journey for one in Jane's state of health, but I saw her alive, and that is saying something. Thank God they are safe." In the later months of 1854 the heart of the nation was stirred to its depths, by the events of the Crimean War. The names of Alma, Balaclava, and Inkermann were written in blood on England's annals, and a pall of sadness was flung over the closing year. To one so keenly alive to world-wide interests as William Penne- father, and so responsive to every tale of suffering, it could not fail to be a time of intense feeling. Inter- woven in his correspondence with family and parochial 1854.] THE CRIMEAN WAR. 287 details, we find touching allusions to the noble men who were bravely battling with all the horrors of a winter campaign upon a foreign soil. The following extract refers to one case in which he was especially interested : — " I must tell you something of Major T. He was in the artillery, and shortly before the battle of Inkermann, he wrote nearly as follows : — " ' Although my hardships and privations have been great, and although I have no leisure sometimes to read my Bible, or to keep up stated seasons of prayer, yet never, since I knew my Saviour, have I felt the same intense happiness in fellow- ship with Him as I now enjoy. The light of His presence is around me, the still, small voice of His Spirit communes with me, my joy is unspeakable and full of glory. I have been thinking over the twenty-third Psalm, and I can say, ' The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.' " In this spirit he went into the bloody scene of the 5th of November, and in a moment, by the rush of a cannon ball, his soul was wafted, as it were in a fiery chariot, to glory. I wish I had his beautiful letters by me, but I am only writing from memory. They are most touchingly instructive. One which he wrote to his wife as he was going up the Bosphorus, and directed, 'To be given to my wife, in case I die in action/ is a wonderful illustration of the power of God's grace. .... "Do you know the life of Richard Williams, the Patagonian Catechist, by Dr. Hamilton ? It opens out a spiritual and soul-satisfying portion in 'the Beloved,' which is most strengthening to faith. I was reminded of it by Major T.'s letter. Meanwhile, beloved friends, the ' time is short,' and storms are thickening. It is as though lightning flashes were more bright and frequent, and thunder rolling more heavily along a dark horizon ! Watchman, what of the night ? " After some touching details in another letter, he adds— " Did I tell you this before ? I have so many to speak to, and so often recount the Lord's dealings with His tried ones, 288 DEA TH OF HIS BROTHER. [chap. XIII, for the consolation of others, that I sometimes fear I may repeat the same histories." In the beginning of April 1855 Mr. Pennefather was suddenly called to Ireland by the death of his only remaining brother. He was carried off by fever in the prime of life, leaving his aged father, with whom he had resided, sorely bereft and now totally blind. Let- ters from Barnet, written during this spring, tell of a complication of difficulties and perplexities both private and ministerial. Perhaps the most painful trial to his sensitive nature was the frequent charge of having de- serted his aged parent from a mistaken notion of Chris- tian duty. *The death of his brother had re-opened many of the questions connected with his leaving Ire- land, and some, who could not understand all the cir- cumstances of the case, judged him hardly. To one friend he says at this time — " We have been so hedged up, that we could only stand still and cry to the Lord, and His gracious faithfulness has shone out in the darkness Seldom have I realised such blessed communion as the Holy Spirit has enabled me to maintain during the last few weeks. And in the parish there are bright spots. The church is crammed, souls are awak- ened, and believers are making progress, but Satan rages." To another — «How strengthening are the words in Ps. cxviii. 7, 'The I ord taketh my part with them that help me.' The Psalmist with his fellow-saints and the Lord Himself thus bound up in a holy sympathy." During the spring and summer of this year Mr. Pennefather was in constant attendance (sometimes by night as well as day) at the sick-bed of a young clergy- man in whom he was deeply interested, the Rev. D. F. Jarman, minister of Bedford Episcopal Chapel, Blooms- 1855.] THE REV. D. F. JARMAN. 289 bury. He had come to the house of his uncle at Bar- net in a state of great suffering from white swelling of the knee, and after many weeks of hope deferred, it was decided that the limb must be amputated. The operation was successfully performed, but the constitu- tion failed to rally, and the patient passed away after two months of extreme exhaustion. Mr. Pennefather noted down some of the precious words that fell from his lips. We quote a few lines for the comfort of God's suffering people. " Shortly before the operation, he said, ' All is well, all shall be well. Yes, and I can praise God for all. Last night I was reading with the servants the 103rd Psalm, and after it was finished, we joined in praising the Lord for His mercies. I was led to recount the special mercies of God to each per- son then immediately in His presence, and when I came to my own case I paused, waiting for grace and strength to give thanks. At length the Holy Spirit seemed to impel me to cry out, " O Lord! I bless Thee for every dispensation of Thy providence; I bless Thee for every trial which Thou hast in mercy sent to me ; I bless Thee for my present circumstances ! " When I had done this, peace seemed to flow as a fresh stream into my soul, and I then experienced such intense happi- ness as I had never known before/ At one time when he thought he was dying, he said, ' Tell my people that I find all the promises to be Yea and Amen in Christ Jesus. Not one good thing hath failed me. Soon we shall meet where sin cannot mutilate the body or defile the soul. I shall see you there, and I shall know you.1 " The year 1855 brought to Mr. and Mrs. Pennefather increased openings in a field of service to which they had both been peculiarly drawn. The care of orphans 290 ORPHAN CHILDREN. [chap, xm. had been laid upon their hearts as from the Lord, and He who kindles a desire never fails to eive the corre- sponding opportunity. Three little orphan girls had been for some time under their roof, and though they had now left it, many friendless or lonely ones were, from time to time, gladly welcomed to heart and home. In the month of May Mr. John Pennefather's three orphan children were re- ceived as a sacred legacy into their uncle's house, and about the same time a very wide door was opened for loving service to the widow and the fatherless. Public subscriptions had flowed in freely to form a general fund for assisting, as might be judged expedient, the wives and children of the soldiers who had either fallen in the Crimean War, or become incapacitated by wounds and sickness. In many instances it was found best to re- move the children from their former homes, and place them under careful supervision and instruction. Places within reach of London were selected, where clergymen or others mi^ht be willing to take an oversight of the children, and be in every way responsible for their train- ing and education. The charge was an onerous one, but it presented a large sphere of usefulness, and when, at the suggestion of a friend, Mr. Pennefather was asked by the Hon. Secretary of the Patriotic Fund to receive a certain number of the fatherless ones into his parish, he at once consented. Beginning with six, the number gradually increased to 400, and for nine years the orphan homes and schools scattered through the town became an object of much interest in Barnet. The first allusion we find in Mr. Pennefather's correspondence to the work, which became very dear to him, is in a letter to Mrs. Crewdson. I$55-] PATRIOTIC FUND. 291 "Did I tell you that the Hon. Secretary of the Patriotic Fund (Captain Fishbourne) has selected this place as one amongst others in which to locate soldiers' orphans? We have now twenty-five, and are likely to have forty more placed under our superintendence. The Fund is to allow a given sum to cover all expenses. We are about to furnish a house to receive forty girls, and the stated sum must meet all demands for food and clothing. The proposition came to us in a way we could not refuse, though we did not know Captain Fishbourne." The gentleman who is thus spoken of as a stranger when the work was undertaken, became a valued friend and constant counsellor, whose unvarying sympathy and kindness ever helped to lighten a burden of responsi- bility which sometimes pressed heavily. It would be impossible to describe the affectionate interest with which Mr. Pennefather threw himself into this branch of the work committed to him. With a warm love for children in general, and a remarkable power over them, he received these fatherless little ones as a special trust from his God and from his country, and bestowed upon them sympathy and labour without stint or measure. The fruit he was permitted tc see was sufficient to com- pensate for every anxiety. Much more, we doubt not, remains to be reaped in a glorious future. To quote the words of one who was closely con- nected with the work — ^ " While we rejoiced over some who came out on the Lord's side, there were others who never made a public profession, but who are now living changed lives, and some who are actively engaged in the Lord's service. The inexpressible influence brought to bear upon them by their loved friend and pastor seems to affect the whole tenor of their lives, and it will only be in eternity that we shall be permitted to see the amount of good accomplished." In after years, whenever Mr. Pennefather was ad- 292 MINISTRY AMONG CHILDREN. [chap. xnr. vertised to preach in London, whether in church or hall or theatre, he was sure to be met at the door by a number of " his boys," who had come from their differ- ent situations to see and hear him. It seemed a special ordering of God's providence that he should have this wide field for the exercise of a power over children, which was so peculiar that it was a source of amusement as well as interest to those who knew him best. The exuberance of life which he possessed, both naturally and spiritually, was continually giving itself out in a wealth of love which seemed inexhaustible ; a love equally ready to cherish a ragged child or to greet an assembled congregation, to comfort a hungry beggar or to throw sunbeams into a family circle. It was a thing to ho. felt even when unspoken, and young hearts at once re- sponded. A little boy going home one day exulting in the fact that he had met Mr. Pennefather, was asked by his mother, " What did he say to you ? " " He said no- thing," was the child's reply, "but he beamed upon me." He was himself much amused when once walking in the town of Homburg, a little German child, who was toddling by the side of a lady at some little distance, fixing her eyes on him, deliberately crossed the street and slipped her hand into his. In another Continental town he was standing under an archway, when a French peasant passed with a very young child in her arms. Turning back, with many apologies she explained that " the little one would give her no rest till it had asked for a kiss from the kind gentleman." * Such recollections might be largely multiplied ; but * This attractive power was not confined to children. An importunate beggar, who was one day telling his tale of want to a party of travellers, suddenly caught sight of Mr. Pennefather, and prefaced his appeal with the exclamation, " You, sir, with heaven in your face I " 1855.] MINISTRY AMONG CHILDREN. 293 we will only give two touching incidents, which, though occurring at a later period of his ministry, may not be out of place here. A family who had quitted his parish in London for one at some distance, and had conse- quently removed their children from the school, were brought into a state of much distress by poverty and sickness. One fine little boy was lying hopelessly ill, and the mothers heart was sorely stricken. The little fellow had evidently cherished the lessons he had for- merly learnt, and was calling out to hear " more about Jesus." " Oh, mother, send for Mr. Pennefather," was his constant cry, the mother as constantly replying that Mr. Pennefather was too far away, and that they could not expect him to visit them in another parish. Still the child fretted and entreated, but the same difficulties were urged, till at last the boy with increased energy exclaimed, " Mother, he's very like an angel, and the angels go everywhere /" This plea was irresistible, and the child's request was granted. The other story tells of a seed springing up after the one who sowed it had been taken to his rest. It is told by a lady who was a helper in his London work. " I was at the Conference Hall one Sunday evening, and after the Gospel address, those who were anxious were invited to stay for the prayer-meeting. I spoke to one poor woman sitting near me, and asked if she had come to Jesus. " Yes," she said, and then added, "Shall I tell you how it was I found Him ? I had a little boy of four years old, and I brought him to the children's service here one Sunday afternoon. Dear Mr, Pennefather was speaking to the children, and my little boy sat just in front, beneath the platform. He was very fidgety, and would get up and down. At last 294 CHURCH ENLARGED. [chap. xiii. Mr. Pennefather looked down at him, and said, in his firm and loving way, ' Dear little boy, sit down, there's plenty of room.' The child sat down at once, quite good, something in the tone and manner had so struck him that he never forgot it, and was constantly re- minding me, ' Mr. Pennefather said, Dear little boy, sit down, there's plenty of room.' A few weeks later he was taken ill, and when he was dying said, ' There's plenty of room ; Jesus is making room for me, mother, and you must come too.' That was enough, my little boy's dying words brought me to Jesus." But we must forbear to dwell longer on this ministry among the children, which has left its mark on many a heart and life, and return to the summer of 1855. The enlargement of the church had been going steadily forward, but the work was so carefully arranged that the building had not been closed for a single Sun- day. On the 3rd of August the new aisle was thrown open, to the great satisfaction of the crowded congre- gation. In a letter to his Westmoreland friends at the close of July, Mr. Pennefather says — " Is there any hope of your being in London on the 3rd of August ? The dear Bishop of Meath has promised (God will- ing) to preach for me on that day, at the opening of our enlarged church. How I should rejoice to have you with us!" Again, on the evening of August 3rd — "We have had a deeply interesting service to-day, but the Bishop of Meath did not come. He was unwell, and Mr. Marsden of Birmingham took his place. He gave us an able and profitable sermon. We expect to have a quiet sale for our Church Enlargement Fund on the 29th, 30th, and 31st of this month. Perhaps you may be passing through town, on your way to the Pyrenees, just at that time," 1855.] CHURCH ENLARGED. 295 A gallery was afterwards added in the new part of the church, especially for the accommodation of the orphan children, and Captain Trotter had already ex- tended the vestry very considerably, in order to give increased space for the prayer-meetings before the services. It was always Mr. Pennefather's custom to invite a few of the earnest and prayerful members of the congregation to unite in seeking a blessing on both ministers and people at the opening of each service. At Barnet, the response to this invitation was peculiarly cordial, and many have spoken of the vestry prayer- meetings as seasons of no common privilege, when the presence of the Lord was very specially realised. The records of the autumn are but few. On Sep- tember 19th we find him writing from Stoke Park, Guildford, whither he had gone to meet his cousins — "We found dear J. and M. safely returned from their Con- tinental journey. I am perfectly astonished at what J. has been able to accomplish. They crossed the Wengern Alp and the great Scheideck, and wandered through the Bernese Oberland. They ascended the Righi, and, in fact, have seen many of the glories of Swiss scenery. Their descriptions have re-awakened that intense longing to see the Alps which I have had from my childhood. Will it ever be granted to me ? If it be for my good I know it will, but it may be well that my will, in this as well as in other things, should be crucified. ' Not as I will, but as Thou wilt.' My dear father is in Edin- burgh, whither he went for advice about his eyes. He thought he was deriving some benefit from the treatment, when an attack of illness confined him to his bed, and threw him back. I have been very uneasy about him, and was about to start for Scotland, when a better account arrived. I think S. and D. will be with him soon, and I shall probably go some Mon- day until Saturday. Having been absent in the spring, I cannot leave my people long, and they always seem to get into some perplexity when I leave the Sunday work in other 296 VISIT TO EDINBURGH. [chap. xiii. hands. If I go, it will probably be by the Great Northern, so I shall not go near H." A letter, dated Veitch's Hotel, Edinburgh, October 25th, tells of the accomplishment of this plan — " By the tender mercy of our Heavenly Father we per- formed our rapid journey from Barnet to this beautiful city on Monday last. . . . The weather has been most unfavourable for seeing this place, which I wanted my wife to admire. Violent squalls of wind, rain, and even a sprinkling of snow; but it has been a great cheer to us both to see my aged father and the M.'s .... We have been interested in attending some of the services preparatory to the Communion Sabbath. This day (Thursday) is observed throughout the whole city with the strictest solemnity. Shops are shut, the banks are closed, and there is no performance in the theatre. The whole place wears the aspect of a great national humiliation. We went in the morning to hear Dr. Bonar, and in the afternoon Mr. Purvis of Jedburgh" In his short visit to Edinburgh Mr. Pennefather became acquainted with several kind friends, who helped to deepen his interest in the religious activities, as well as the natural beauties, of the Scottish capital. He would have much enjoyed a longer sojourn in a place which had peculiar attractions for him, but home claims were imperative, and he returned to Barnet on October 27th, ( 2Q7 ) CHAPTER XIV, 1856-1858. Conference proposed — Letters on various subjects — First Barnet Confer- ence— Letters — Illness of his wife — Stay in Wiltshire and visit to Wonston — Services for the Militia — Coffee-house for working-men — Extra services — Second Conference — Recollections of the Confer- ence of 1858 from several friends. HP HE year 1856 was always regarded by Mr. Penne- ■*■ father as an era in his life's history. The greater part of it was occupied with the same unceasing acti- vities, and the same round of ministerial duties as had filled up the record of other years, but the yearning desire, which had been long deepening and strengthen- ing in his inmost soul, was this year to receive its first practical accomplishment. The meetings held at Christ Church, Barnet, in the month of August, might seem small and unimportant, but they were very solemn in his eyes. He regarded them as an ac- knowledgment (however feeble) of the great principle, often slighted, sometimes positively disowned by the Christian Church, that her union in Christ, the living, glorified Head of all His members, is a spiri- tual union so real, and close, and eternal, that it should not only be allowed as an article of our creed, but real- ised, recognised, and manifested by every possible means and on every possible occasion. He used often to speak of the object of these meetings as foitrfold— manifested unity, social communion, increased per- 298 PROPOSED CONFERENCES. [char xiv. sonal holiness, and enlarged interest in the pro- motion of Christ's kingdom throughout the world. The second coming of the Lord, which was so bright a hope to his own soul, always held a prominent place in the subjects selected for consideration. It seemed as though the important influence these Conferences were to exercise in the Church of God "cast its shadow before," for, without any defined expectation of their rapid extension, there seemed to be a solemn awe upon his spirit in making the first attempt, and a remarkable reticence with regard to his purpose. For a long time he spoke of it to none but his wife, and then, as time passed on, he consulted two experienced Christian men, selected, as he often said, because he " thought their hearts were large enough, and their position sufficiently unshackled," to enable them to appreciate his object. From both of these, independently, he received the same counsel. While fully entering into the great truth of the spiritual unity of the Church, and the great importance of its recognition when possible, they both thought the state of parties so unpromising, and the existing differ- ences among Christians so pronounced, that the idea, " though very beautiful," must be abandoned, at least for a time, lest the attempt to manifest unity should result, not only in failure, but in an actual exhibition of disunion and confusion. Such advice from those whom he esteemed " very highly in love " led to deep " search- ings of heart," but it did not change his purpose. Per- suaded that " the thing was of the Lord," he determined to say nothing which might provoke opposition or con- troversy, but to goTorward alone, " assuredly gathering" that God intended him to be the advocate of a truth which, from early youth, had been forcing itself upon his 1856.] FORTY YEARS' JOURNEYING. 299 mind. The history of the Barnet and Mildmay Confer- ences need scarcely now be told ; it is a matter of world- wide recognition. They have held a place very strongly resembling the life of their founder. With no prestige of ecclesiastical position, no patronage from man, receiving no honour, but often much contumely from the various sections of the visible Church, they have exercised an influence which eternity alone will reveal, and broken down the barriers both of caste and denomination to an extent known only by Him who guided the steps of His trusting servant, and " covered his head in the day of battle." It is in accordance with the sacred reserve to which we have alluded, that in the correspondence of 1856, so far as it has been preserved, there is not a single refer- ence to the Conference meetings. Meanwhile the aspect of the parish seemed more en- couraging, and Christian friendship, gathering round him on every side, was cheering his spirit with much deep and loving fellowship. But while he thanked God for human affection as His gift, every fresh token of love always laid him in the dust under a sense of his own un- worthiness. A letter to Mrs. Crewdson, written on his birthday, expresses his habitual feelings of humiliation — " Christ Church Parsonage, February $th, 1856. " Thoughts of you mingled with some of my first impressions this morning, on realising that I was actually forty ! Amidst my forty years' wandering in the wilderness, your love has, for the last twenty-two of those years, lighted up many a dark and rough passage of the way. I cannot tell you what your letter with its present was to me this morning. I feel your continued kindness as a fresh brook from the fountain, reminding me of the unchangeableness of our Covenant Jehovah ! Forty years old sounds strangely in my ears I Forty years of sin and short- 3oo ORPHANS OF SOLDIERS. [chap. xiv. coming and ingratitude, too much like Israel of old, on my part; and forty years, too, of wondrous mercy and truth and loving-kindness from my God. Oh ! how black these years seem, and yet how full of light and blessing. But I cannot look back. I know not why the past oppresses me so painfully, but when the flood-gates of memory are opened, the sorrow will flow. And yet those precious ones gone before are safe with Jesus ! " Again, to another friend, in the same month, after speaking of preaching at Weybridge, he says — " I am very seldom able to leave home, for we are linked with such numerous duties that it seems almost impossible to get loosed even for a short time. . . . You know that I have my dear brother's three orphan children living with me, and we have charge of many of the children of our brave soldiers who have fallen during the present war. The Patriotic Fund gives a certain sum for their maintenance, but everything additional must be provided, and all the arrangements de- volve upon my dear wife. They are to be clothed, educated, and cared for in every respect. Will you sometimes lift up your heart in prayer for these little ones ? Some of them are the children of Roman Catholic parents, and many of them have been rescued from a life of the lowest degradation. I have been reading the Memoir of Adelaide Newton with intense interest, and almost envy you the pleasure of having known her. How I wish we could have you once more as our guest, to talk of her and other bright ones who have passed into glory. " I was preaching yesterday on Deut. xxxiii. 12 : — " 1. 'The beloved of the Lord.' ' I have loved thee with an everlasting love.' ' We love Him because He first loved us.' " 2. Dwelling in safety by Him, the privilege of every be- liever. It implies perfect security and constant abiding in Jesus. Divelling signifies that we are in a place of residence. " 3. ' Cover him all the day long/ Here is the unceasing care of the Lord for His people. ' Under His wings they trust.' The bird gathers her brood under her wing, not only to protect but to cherish. During our whole pilgrimage, and for each day of it, there is the loving care of the loving 1856.] VISIT IN KENT. 301 Saviour extended over His weak ones. And then comes the mighty strength of God, the Power that bears us up, * He shall dwell between His shoulders.' " But I must end with much love." To another Friend. " February iZth. .... "Surely the deep, constant love that dwells in Christian hearts can never wither. Earth's parching winds cannot dry it up, the world's vicissitudes cannot affect it, for love is of God. It partakes of His nature, and abides when all else changes and passes away. ... I am thankful to say my dear father is well. The attack lately made upon him on ac- count of the loss of his sight was very despicable, and seems to have recoiled upon its author. My father never relied upon notes, but upon that singular memory which God had given him. It was most remarkable. Dates, Acts of Parliament, former judgments, &c, could be all cited with as much accu- racy as if they lay before his eyes, and old age has not in the least impaired this marvellous faculty. He has just set out on circuit. Whether he will retire from the Bench or not, I cannot say." In a letter dated from a village in Kent he says — "March iZtJu 41 We are here for a few days, visiting dear Mrs. in this very peaceful place, which is a striking contrast to Barnet. The country is cheerful and pretty, and the extreme retirement is delightful to us. Whether it would be always pleasant to live where the same things are done at the same hours, by the same people, on the same days, all the year round, is another question ; but /or a time the calm, constant, uninterrupted regularity of a useful life is very soothing, and such steady work in the Lord's vineyard is a profitable study. . . . Do read Mrs. Winslow's Life written by her son. The closing scene reminds me of Hopeful crossing the river." An extract may be inserted here from a letter, which is one of many that touch upon the goodness of God in providing for the daily temporal needs of His "chil- 302 LETTERS FROM BARNET. [chap. xiv. dren." A very small income and a large-hearted liberality did not always fit into one another, and this fact sometimes brought him into trial, though never into debt. The expression of grateful love to dear friends who from time to time entered into his diffi- culties is very characteristic — " Christ Church Parsonage, April 2$th. " On our return late last night, from London, we found your precious letter — -precious not only for its enclosures but for its warm and fragrant love. I believe that our Heavenly Father's dealings with us, in keeping us daily very dependent on Himself ever since our marriage, have been sanctified to us. We receive your loving gift as from His hand, and does not this fact add infinitely to its value ? Now that you have been led to show me this kindness, I cannot refrain from telling you that I am often hampered, and as we do not think it right to spend a pound upon ourselves unless absolutely necessary, I have been obliged to crucify my desire to visit Westmoreland, which is now, however, placed within our power, perhaps in May, if the Lord will. . . . May He who has graciously taken away one difficulty speed our way, and take me once more to that dear spot, where, twenty-one years ago, He vouchsafed me such foretastes of Heaven." The journey projected for May did not take place, as we read in another letter — " A confirmation is just announced for June 9th, which will allow me only five weeks to prepare my candidates, and I cannot think of leaving home at present/' On the 3rd of July he writes to Miss Mason — "I was delighted to receive your wee note of June 26th. Since then a rumour has reached me that dear Fanny D'Arcy* is no longer a pilgrim. I have heard no particulars and long for tidings. Though I have not seen her for years, my heart clings to the friends of bygone days, and I remember her * Formerly Miss Bellingham, well known in the work of the Irish Church Missions. 1856.] LETTERS FROM BARNET. 303 with the deepest interest. I will with pleasure go to Hampton Court for you, but I must brush up my knowledge of your society, for I feel hardly competent to speak for it now, though I love it dearly, and its secretary too. I must tell you that I have seen clearly why I was brought here, though the dear people at Aylesbury, whom you knew and loved, are con- stantly on my heart, and I scarcely expect to 'look upon their like again.' There are many true Christians here among the upper classes, and the Church is very separate from the world. I do not think I ever lived in a place where the line of demarcation was more clearly recognised, and for this we feel very thankful. Indeed, we have daily cause to praise the Lord for His wonderful mercies. I wish you could come and pay us a visit. We are hoping that dear Mr. Cleaver will take a house near us for a short time. He purposes remaining in England for the summer, though he and his daughter must return to Madeira in October." After speaking of much physical weakness and suffer- ing which had tried him during the spring, he adds — " Is it not a proof of our immortality that the decay of our bodily powers in no degree lessens the sensibilities and yearn- ings of the 'inner man.' Even though we may grow old and feeble, we are only preparing to be ushered into that kingdom where — ' God hath built a city of light, and joy, and song ; Where the eye at length beholdeth what the heart hath loved so long.' " His ministerial labours were so abundant and so ex- hausting, that kind friends were often disposed to advise a reasonable moderation and more frequent relaxation. The following letter, addressed to his beloved friends at Dyrham Park, appears to have been written in answer to some such remonstrance — " Christ Church" Parsonage, July 1 Jth. "As to Silesia House,* I want you to understand that, instead of being a burden, it will be a relief. ... I have long * A house outside the town, taken about this time for an orphanage* 304 LETTER FROM BARNET. [chap. xiv. felt uneasy at having the boys uncontrolled in the houses of the poor, and told Captain F. that the plan could not be satisfactory, because a home influence was not kept up. When once the children are brought into a home, instead of my superintending six or seven houses, I shall have but one. We fully purpose, please God, going from home about the 1st of September, and as my aged father does not at present seem to need my services, we think of going to the North of England and to Scotland. But I feel that, while I am here, it is very important to keep up all the different means of grace which have been established, and, thank God, I have hitherto been enabled to do so. . . . The Lord has given His blessing, though I feel that if I had sought more, and lived more for Christ, more might have been vouchsafed. ... I send you a letter from Mr. M., which I received a day or two since. Miss M. was a constant attendant, while here, at the Tuesday Bible-readings. The trades-people also have been reached, and this is a class which Miss R. spoke of as untouched when we first came to Barnet. Don't think, beloved friends, that I want to magnify myself — God forbid I But I do want you to see that while His presence sustains us, we do feel the deep importance of 'patient continuance' in well-doing. I am humbled to the dust by the measure of blessing wherewith the Lord hath blessed us, but I say again, what has it been in comparison of what it might have been, had God been more honoured ! Pray for us. We bless the Lord continually for your love and friendship, and feel (amidst some trials peculiar to the place) that intercourse with you is a peculiar privilege. May the Lord increasingly sanctify our friendship and make it redound to His glory ! We have been brought together in accordance with that everlasting purpose of grace whereby we have been saved in Christ Jesus. The same Love which has redeemed us has provided the refreshment of your sym- pathy in the wilderness." In the month of June the invitation had been issued for the first Barnet Conference. Recurring to the sub- ject in after years Mr. Pennefather says — " A deep consciousness of the essential unity of all who iSs6.] FIRST CONFERENCE. 305 'name the Name of Christ and depart from iniquity,' led me in 1853, earnestly to desire to bring into closer social com- munion the members of various Churches, as children of the one Father, animated by the same life, and heirs together of the same glory. . . ." After waiting upon God in earnest prayer, it was decided in the summer of 1856 to invite such persons to meet together for the purpose of mutual fellowship and united prayer, and the following paper was put into circulation — " Christ Church Parsonage, Barnet, Ju?ie 1856. " It is in contemplation to hold (God willing) a Conference of the Lord's people in this town on Tuesday, Wednes- day, Thursday, and Friday, the 26th, 27th, 28th, and 29th of August next. The object of the proposed Conference is to promote personal holiness, brotherly love, and increased interest in the work of the Lord. The persons attending the Conference will meet (God willing) every morning, from 11 to 1 o'clock, for prayer and intercession and the reading of God's Word. " There will be evening meetings from 7 to 9 o'clock, when addresses will be given on ' Foreign Missions,' 4 Home Missions,' ' Personal Holiness,' and the ' Lord's Coming, the hope of the Church.' Afterwards the subject for the evening will form the topic of conversation (Mai. iii. 16 ; Acts xiv. 27)." In these early days of the movement, Christian hospitality was one of the prominent features of the Conferences, and Mr. Pennefather's favourite motto, " Freely ye have received, freely give," was pressed, in more than one aspect of its meaning, upon all who shared with him in the work. It was a real grief to him when increasing and overwhelming numbers, com- pelled the unwilling admission that lodgings must be taken for some of the guests, and a small charge made for refreshments. Those bright August days seemed a foretaste of u 3©6 FIRST CONFERENCE. [CKAP. XIV. heaven upon earth. The felt presence of the Lord, and the warmth of brotherly love were so remarkable, that many were led to exclaim, " This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes." There was one, at least* (probably others), present on that occasion, who never missed a single Conference until 1876, when her own faithful service on earth was exchanged for the unclouded presence of the Master. It was on the last day of the Conference that Mr. Pennefather came forward to meet what he felt would be his greatest difficulty. He had resolved that the meeting should not close without " showing forth the Lord's death" at His table; and in announcing his purpose to an assembly, comprising the representatives of twelve different sections of the Christian Church, he invited them emphatically " to the table of the Lord!' Claim- ing for himself the privilege of administering the ordi nance, it would, of course, be according to the form oi the Church of England, but he expressed his earnest hope that, forgetting minor considerations, the thoughts of those present would be directed to Him whom all acknowledged as their crucified, risen, ascended, and coming Lord. It was felt to be a bold venture by many, but the Lord gave testimony to the principle of His own Word. One hundred and twenty persons, bearing different names but rejoicing in the " unity of the Spirit," took bread and wine in remembrance of their one Saviour ; and some who had conquered much feeling and over- come many scruples, loved to tell of the exceeding blessing vouchsafed to them on that occasion. The words of one man of God might probably have been * Miss Mary Stacey of Tottenham. 1856.] PEACE OF MIND. 307 adopted by others, — "August 1856 was an epoch in my spiritual history." * After a short visit to the North, we find the usual varied labours and interests filling up every hour. We must only give a few fragments from the remaining letters of this year. On October 3rd, he writes on a subject always very prominent in his teaching, the calmness becoming a Christian — o " Let me beseech dearest S. to cast little trials, as well as great ones, off her own mind on her sympathising, loving Saviour, and to seek daily grace that she may find her fresh springs more and more in Him, and her interests in His work and His cause. Oh ! how soon our earthly cisterns, however carefully hewn out, must fail us ! It is only in the Lord Jesus we can find the well of water that springeth up into everlasting life. I know you believe this, but I want you to have the unspeakable rest and blessedness of sitting down beside the unfailing Fountain, even as Mary sat at the Master's feet. Martha was beloved by Him and is now with Him, but she had not Mary's peace, because she was troubled about many things, when only one thing was really worth her care. I know what it is to be ' Jiysty! I do not believe there ever was any man who had naturally a more anxious spirit than mine, and it is only as the Holy Ghost enables me to feel the comparative importance of events, and persons, and things, just in proportion as they are linked with God and eternity, that my flurried heart gets rest. It is only when I betake myself, like Noah's dove, to the Ark, that my weaned spirit finds repose. ... I know you will take from your brother a word of loving ministerial counsel. ... I have been smelling your beautiful flowers, and thinking- of the sweetness of your friendship. I have been thinking, too, of . May his ardent mind find that deep repose in Jesus, which alone can satisfy its yearnings." In the same month, to a friend travelling in Ireland — * "I have long professed my belief," said a gentleman, who looked on with much interest, "4 in the Holy Catholic Church, and the Communion of Saints;" now I have seen it." $o8 A SUBJECT WILL. [chap. xiv. " How closely I followed you to Glengariff and Killarney ! Did you really see it all well ? Were the mountain summits clear as you descended upon Killarney ? If so, you had a grand view. The varied beauty of those lakes reminds me of the entrancing power of melody, sometimes overwhelming you with a voice of mighty thunderings, and then melting away in gentle cadences. Those scenes seem to carry you up into the Majesty and Power of God, and then down into mossy dells, with their tiny flowers blossoming unnoticed and unknown. The Omnipotent Hand which has built the moun- tains, garnishes the lowly valleys with ten thousand beauties/' In a letter dated December ist, he says — " I want to tell you that your farthing hymn-book is de- lightful. I had not seen it before, and as I am a patriarch, with 200 children of my own ! and many more under my care, it is no slight boon to hear of four beautiful hymn-books for one penny ! Do pray for our children. Oh ! for that blessed Spirit, which of old baptized the Church, and came down with mighty power upon old and young. . . . The dear little boy I spoke of died of a throat attack after measles. He was five years old, one, I believe, of Christ's precious lambs. He knew he was a sinner, but, ' I am not afraid, Jesus died upon the cross,' and ' I love Him better than my mother,' were some of his last words. Dear is in London. I do think her present state is a most striking instance of answered prayer. Her peace, her broken will, her joy in believing ! It is very touching to see how the different things that once held undue dominion over her only affect her now in con- nection with God's glory. ... I believe, if we are the Lord's, He will, yea He must, break our will. We must be brought to lie in the dust at His feet, and say, ' Put me where Thou wilt, do with me what seemeth good in Thy sight. Thy will be done ! ' 'If any man serve Me let him follow Me,' was the laneuaee of Him who came not to do His own will, but that of His Father in heaven. And did He not lose His life, that He might give it to His people, and ' find it ' in them for ever ? " Again, in another letter — "The self-renunciation of our Lord's whole earthly course I857-] VARIED TRIALS. 3°9 is deeply instructive ; every human feeling yielded up to the one object, the Father's glory ; the daily expression of His every thought, ' Not as I will, but as Thou wilt/ And that He had a human will is evident, for He was 'in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.' What a spectacle to men and angels was that calm, consistent walk, amid the tide of ungodliness around and the stupidity of His own fol- lowers. Let us make John xii. 23-29 a constant study and a frequent subject for prayer." The year 1857* was one of much varied anxiety. Writing on his birthday, he says — " But we are growing young as we are growing old ! When Richard Baxter was dying, a friend bent over him to catch the last words that might fall from his lips. He asked the de- parting saint how he was, and the feeble voice replied ' nearly well!' How near we may be to the Eternal Home! What a thin partition stands between us and the light and glory of heaven ! " At the end of the same month we read — "Our dear little Somerset has had a decided, though favourable attack of scarlet-fever. Thank God, the precious child is now well, and went to-day to Brighton, under the care of an old, faithful servant. . . . We are much tried by the dangerous state of dear E. M.* How forcibly have I been taught the passing nature of earthly joy. She was always to me like the fondest of sisters, and when she married a few years since, the world dressed itself for her in its fairest colours. She is leaving a husband and three charming children, at the age of thirty-two, but, thank God, I feel assured she is safe ! I have had a few lines from her lately, which are very precious to me. She was always reserved on the subject of religion, but now she has spoken, and that so plainly as to leave me without a doubt. . . . Oh ! the rest of leaving allm a Father's hands, who numbers the hairs of our head. I cannot express the calmness and confidence which has filled our hearts at this time of many trials. To God be all the glory ! " * Lady Robert Montagu, the only child of his eldest sister, who was now dying. 3io VISIT TO W0NST0N. [chak xiv. In a letter dated May ;th, he tells of successive cases of scarlet-fever in the house, followed by the serious illness of his wife, adding — " What my anguish and anxiety has been, you can con- ceive better than I can describe, but I never can forget the unwavering confidence my Heavenly Father gave me in Himself. ... I had been told by Dr. a short time before that my dearest C. might be carried off in one of these attacks. I thought perhaps the hour was come, and yet I felt able to trust that Blessed One, who never left me in seasons of sorrow, and never will. . . . We have since been to Ayles- bury, to consult a medical man there, in whom I have great confidence. He recommends foreign air. However, I feel we must just go on step by step. Our way is peculiarly hedged in, but our difficulties are no difficulties with our God. . . . But enough of my sorrows, let me sing of the Lord's grace, and magnify His holy name ! " The remainder of the letter is occupied with details of the histories of friends, his interest as warm and un- selfish as ever. The habitual self-discipline of his life gave him a remarkable power of entering into the cir- cumstances of others with ' a heart at leisure from itself, to soothe and sympathise.' During the summer months, Mrs. Pennefather's health gradually improved, and a short stay in Wiltshire at the house of a kind friend was their only absence from home at this time. Find- ing- himself within reach of Wonston, he determined to visit a place with which he had very tender associa- tions, though disappointed at hearing that his beloved friend, Mr. Dallas, was absent; and Mrs. Dallas was a strano-er. But he longed to stand once more within the walls of that church, and to kneel in prayer with Mr. Shayler, the printer, in the little room from whence had issued the thousands of anonymous letters which had inaugurated the work of the Irish Church Missions I8S7-] VISIT TO WONSTON. 311 Part of a letter written by Mrs. Dallas to her husband in Spain came into the hands of a mutual friend, and gives an account of this visit — " Yesterday, while we were at dinner, Mr. and Mrs. Penne- father came to call. I was greatly surprised at their visit. He introduced himself as an old friend of yours, and said he knew you were out, but as they were staying eighteen miles off, he wanted to see your house, hear about you, and had come over to pay this visit. He could only stay half an hour, having to take a funeral for a friend at Fosbery, near Hungerford. They had not been with me many minutes before he proposed to unite in prayer, and I sent for Mr. Eade to join us. " Now I had an intense headache, but he could not know my state, so that his prayer was the more remarkable. I thought he would only think of you, but he began by such simple, earnest prayer for my restoration, that it seemed as if he expected I should rise up that minute in full power. You never prayed more earnestly for me. The remembrance of it really astonishes me ; and that good man coming eighteen miles, knowing you were out. He afterwards prayed very earnestly for you, on your journey ; and as soon as the prayer was ended I got Mr. Eade to show them the church, press, &c, and he called on Shayler and had prayer with him. The visit was so out of the common routine that I cannot forget it. There was no time for anything but prayer and a few words about your work." This is only one instance of that spiritual intuition Concerning: the needs of others which seemed oiven to him, and made his prayers so remarkable. The autumn was evidently as busy as ever. A militia regiment was in the town for training, and the Barracks being situated in the district assigned to Christ Church, the additional Sunday services and other means of grace for these poor men devolved on Mr. Pennefather. This training, which afterwards became annual, was a time of great interest to him, and in addition to the 3i2 COFFEE-HOUSE. [chap. xiv. public services and a large distribution of Bibles,* he had many opportunities of getting at the men privately. He had succeeded, after many difficulties, in securing a house for the accommodation of working-men, which facilitated these efforts. As a former posting-town, Barnet had more than an ordinary share of public- houses, while no provision whatever was made for those who might be willing to avoid their temptations. The importance of providing "public-houses without the drink " had not then attracted the attention which it has received during the last ten or fifteen years, and Mr. Pennefather's plan met with little encouragement. But confident that his purpose was according to the will of God, he went forward, and after much conflict and many disappointments, the house was opened. A circumstance occurring in connection with this work may be mentioned, as one of many instances in which God's hand was manifestly seen in supplying His ser- vant's need of money. Again and again did he prove it true that " man's extremity is God's opportunity." After much wrestling prayer that a shelter might be provided for the working-men, the house of which we have spoken offered, in a most desirable situation. Mr. Pennefather immediately made all necessary in- quiries, found that the lease could be secured, and wrote to those he thought most likely to assist. Many re- fusals followed, with much prudential advice, and many reasons why the work should not be attempted. Among the many letters was one from a kind friend promising ^10 if the thing should be really started. Meanwhile the owners of the property became impatient, and re- * The name of each man was written in the Bible by Mr. Pennefather with some word of remembrance. 1857.] CARE FOR WORKING-MEN. 313 fused to wait for him unless a deposit of ^50 were paid down at once. To pay it himself was utterly impos- sible. He could only spread the matter before the Lord, after appointing the time at which his answer should be given. When the person who transacted the business for him arrived, he said, " Mr. B., I have not the ^50, but sit down for a few minutes ; the morn- ing post is not in, it may yet be that the Lord will send it." Humanly speaking there was nothing to be ex- pected by that post, but it brought a letter from the gentleman who had promised the ^10, saying that the subject had been brought back to his mind, and instead of ten he enclosed a cheque far ^50. We need not say how cheerfully the work proceeded after such "a token for good." This house not only afforded oppor- tunity for entertaining the working-men who thronged the town at certain seasons of the year, but gave Mr. Pennefather an additional means of becoming ac- quainted with his poorer parishioners, an object always very near his heart. In a letter dated January 27th, 1858, after speaking of much distress among the people, he adds — " Just now I am giving week by week a supper to all the heads of families in my district. I invite them twenty-five at a time to our coffee-house, and to-night I expect my second set of guests. I had a most happy evening with them last week. We talk together in a quiet, social way, and then I speak of Him whose name sheds fragrance around our gatherings." Some time later to the same friend, " I know you will rejoice to hear that I have very happy seasons with the men every Wednesday evening at our suppei parties." And he then goes on to detail very interest- insr cases of blessing. Other letters tell of a series oi 3f4 SECOND CONFERENCE. [chap. Xiv. sermons in the church, addressed to working-men, besides the usual weekly services. After alluding to these and many other labours, and speaking of much bodily suffering, he concludes, " I often preach amid pain and exhaustion, but God is my strength, and is it not an honour to be allowed to proclaim His blessed Gospel, though with such a weak body and such a poor erring heart ? " It would be impossible to follow all the different undertakings and ministerial activities we find touched upon in this year's correspondence. Among them the second Conference, called together in July, stands out with peculiar interest. No intimation had been given in 1856 that these meetings would be annual, as Mr. Pennefather desired to await further direction for the future. In the course of the follow- ing year he received so many letters entreating him to 0-0 forward, and so much encouragement from some who had in the first instance trembled and doubted, that he no longer questioned the expediency of an- nouncine the Conferences as annual, and the invita- tions were sent out more widely than before. A letter of his own tells some particulars of the meetings — "July 2jth, 1858. "Your letter arrived in the midst of preparation for the Conference, which took place last week. ... I was suffering much on the 19th, and feeling very unequal to the duties of the four following days, but the Lord was very gracious to me, and now all is over, I am much better than when I began. We had a very blessed season. Mr. Turner of Mal- vern spoke with peculiar unction and power. Mr. Dallas was very earnest and effective, Mr. Skrine, Mr. Thorold, Mr. Cox, Mr. Wiggins, and Dr. Hamilton, all contributed to the deep interest of our meetings. On the last day, 153 persons met around the table of the Lord. Among them were members 1858.] RECOLLECTIONS OF FRIENDS. 315 of the Church of England, Baptists, Independents, Wesleyans, Moravians, Plymouth Brethren, Church of Scotland (Estab- lished and Free), Dutch Reformed Church, and Lutherans. " A delightful American gave a full and graphic account of the late Revival in that country. ... I had more happy inter- course with the dear D.'s than I have enjoyed for many a long day. For a time ' Brethrenism ' shut them up ; now I believe they are open to the genial influences of Christian fellowship, let it come as it may. I have had some thoughts of going to Ireland, but am bound at home, having no curate." It is not easy to select from the overwhelming mass of testimony which may be gathered concerning these Conferences, as they then were, and as they afterwards became. But we close the chapter with a few recollec- tions from two friends who might perhaps take their view from somewhat different standpoints. The first is from a member of the Society of Friends, and belongs peculiarly to this year — " In the summer of 1858 my way was first guided to Barnet. There was nothing more in prospect than the enjoyment of social and Christian intercourse with dear friends residing there; yet the impulse to go seemed clear, and the way plainly opened. Part of the time occupied by the journey was spent in reading accounts of the great work of Revival in progress in the United States of America. As I read, my heart burned with desire to share in such seasons as were therein described, and the prayer was breathed that if there were such in Eng- land, I might be guided to them, little thinking that at that very time I was being borne along to the fulfilment of the desire, yet so it proved. 'The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound there of; but canst not tell whence it cometh nor whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit/ seemed verified in my experience, for soon after my arrival at Barnet a printed circular was put into my hand, dated, 'Christ Church Parsonage, Barnet, June 21, 1858/ and signed, ' William Pennefather.' I had never before heard the name of this honoured servant of the Lord Jesus, but there 316 RECOLLECTIONS OF FRIENDS. [chap, xiv, was a deep response to the invitation it contained to the second of those remarkable gatherings of Christians of all denominations which have become so widely known as the Barnet or Mildmay Conferences, and have been so greatly blessed to the Church of Christ in almost every land. "Before the holding of the Conference, a Sabbath intervened. There was no Friends' Meeting at Barnet; and in the morning we drove to the meeting at Winchmore Hill. For the evening there was no engagement, but, Friend as I was, and wholly unaccustomed to attend the public worship of any other section of the Church, I was irresistibly drawn to the evening service at Christ Church. On arriving we were conducted to a seat near the pulpit. During the reading of the service, the novelty of the position had gradually lessened, and when William Pennefather entered the pulpit, I was prepared to bow with him in worship, and to listen to the Lord's message through his lips. Of the words used I remember only the text, 'Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them,' but the savour and unction of that sermon remain to this day. Baptized by one Spirit into one body, I felt one in Christ with the preacher. The accessories of worship differed from what I had been accustomed to, but the spirit of true worship was the same, and was manifestly realised there. Former prejudices relaxed, I had felt the Lord's presence with His worshipping people, and the coming meetings were looked to with deepening interest and desire. A new era of my life had commenced, and I sat down in those hallowed gatherings realising in a wider sense than ever before that, ' One is your Master, even Christ, and all ye are brethren.' W7e gathered together in His name, and He was in the midst, baptizing with the Holy Ghost. Especially was this realised on one occasion. When Philip Turner, of Malvern, was speaking on the subject for the day, 'The importance of studying the Scriptures,' a remarkable unction accompanied his words, which left a deep impression on many minds : and this was but an earnest of many more such seasons during future Conferences, when the same power was recognised in the addresses of this devoted, aged servant of the Lord. " During one of the evening meetings an address was given by an American gentleman, fresh from the scenes of the Revival 1858.3 RECOLLECTIONS OF FRIENDS. 317 in New York. Thus in many ways the Lord confirmed the sense of His guidance. Such was my introduction to William Pennefather. At the close of the meetings I felt constrained to tell him how thankful I was to have been permitted to attend them, when he tendered a most cordial welcome, and gave the right hand of loving fellowship and enduring friendship in the Lord. "Year by year as the annual Conference approached, he never omitted to send a circular of invitation, and the privi- lege of attending them was enjoyed as often as circumstances would permit. " And what do I not owe to this fellowship and to these Conferences ? As I recall some of the blessings that have flowed from them, a fresh song of thanksgiving and praise arises, and I would say with the Psalmist, ' Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits!' Especi- ally do I praise Him for the grace given to His dear dedicated servant, and for the blessings that He caused to flow through him to His Church universal. In these early days dear Mrs. Pennefather was, as regarded many of us, behind the scenes, but none the less a fellow-worker with her beloved husband. They were truly one in the Lord, and in His service ; and in due time it became more and more manifest that she was bearing with him the burden of this special work to which He had so manifestly called them. "There was about those early Barnet gatherings a charm and a freshness which could not be transmitted to the more extended companies assembling in the vicinity of London. That compact and picturesque enclosure, which included the church, the parsonage, and the schoolroom, with surrounding lawn and garden, afforded just the accommodation that was needed to give the aspect of a large social gathering, allowing freedom of intercourse one with another. This was cordially encouraged and promoted by the honoured host : all around him were his bidden guests, among whom he went in and out in free and kindly intercourse, while, with his peculiar gift of spiritual instinct and sympathy, he introduced to each other those who were likely specially to assimilate and fraternise in fellowship or in work. 318 RECOLLECTIONS OF FRIENDS. [chap. xiv. " How many hallowed friendships were thus commenced, and how many inquirers, • Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do ? ' were guided to the service that was open for them, can- not be recorded down here ; but will they not be recounted with fresh songs of praise among the saints in light, as they gather in groups to trace the wondrous way in which their Lord and King led them, and permitted them to serve Him while on earth ! " An incident or two may be given — "' Have you heard of a lady's work in some villages in Leicestershire ? ' was the question put to the writer. ' No, I have not.' 'Then I will introduce you to the lady engaged in it.' And at once a chair was placed on the lawn beside Mrs. Daniell, and an introduction given. A most interesting inter- view followed. Dear Mrs. Daniell related the way in which she had been led into the work, and the blessing that had been given, throwing fresh light by the recital on the work before me and offering both encouragement and help. In those early days refreshment was provided for those from a distance, and a free invitation extended by our generous, large-hearted host. Presenting myself one day at the door of the room where the tables were spread, I received a cordial welcome, and was conducted to a seat beside Henry Bewley of Dublin with a kindly introduction, and henceforth he was numbered among my choice Conference friends. And so on and on the circle widened and the interest deepened, while as the years passed, familiar faces were missing, and one and another was announced as having ' gone in to see the King ' and we were reminded that, 1 One life pervades Thy ransomed Within the golden gate ; And those who still are pilgrims, And for their glory wait. The shouts of triumph yonder, The plaintive songs of earth, Flow from the Spirit's presence, Both own a heavenly birth. ' * n It is good to linger amid these hallowed memories, to call up one and another of those beloved and honoured men, Conference Hymns by W. P. 1858.J RECOLLECTIONS OF FRIENDS. 319 through whose lips we received many words of deep instruc- tion, or were led in fervent, heartfelt prayer or praise as into the very presence of the King-, the Lord of Hosts : together with the multitude of Christian men and women, of various sections of the Church, gathered around the beloved President from year to year, faithfully upholding his hands, and witness- ing to the verity of the great Christian fact, which it was specially given him to present in visible manifestation, the oneness of true Christian believers. How eminently fitted William Pennefather was for this service, must have been recognised by all who could appreciate spiritual gifts. His whole attitude and bearing, with the benignity of his counten- ance, seemed a personification of Christian love, enveloped in the graces of that charity which is the bond of perfectness. His deep humility was very marked, for he had learnt of Him who was meek and lowly in heart, and as he took his place in the centre of the Conference platform, or moved about in friendly intercourse, it was evident that he came fresh from hallowed communion with his Lord, and was filled with His Spirit for the service given. There was an irresistible attrac- tiveness and purity about him that drew you towards him with reverent love ; he became a personal much-loved friend as well as an honoured and revered servant of the Lord Jesus : and when the tidings of his sudden departure came, there was a sense of irreparable loss, amid the triumphant notes of praise that he too had ' gone in to see the King.' ■.=>■ The next is from a dear labourer now far away in the missionary field — "The first mention I ever heard of the name of that honoured servant of the Lord, William Pennefather, was that he was a man who never entered a house without prayer; in those days this was a rare distinction. My first personal re- collection of him is that of hearing him preach on ' Enoch, a type of the Church, in his ivalk, his testimony, and his rapture' * He walked with God.' These words, and St. John xvii. 21, are most often in my mind when thinking of him, for surely no one was ever honoured as he was, in his endeavour for that object so dear to the Lord's heart. It is a great privilege to 32o RECOLLECTIONS OF FRIENDS. I chap. xiv. have lived in these times of refreshing from the Lord's pre- sence, but I feel it a privilege also to have lived before these times, and to have been permitted to see how He, 'whose understanding is infinite,' He who f built all things,' prepared the chosen vessels, the vessels unto honour, of gold and silver, for every work He needed. It is difficult to imagine any other who would have fulfilled the work given to Mr. Pennefather. How many servants of the Lord, ' men of understanding of the times/ 'expert in war,' and 'not of double heart' yet would have failed to ' keep rank,' had not Mr. Pennefather been gifted to draw them together with the ' cords of love ! ' Surely one blessed secret of this union was the object he so delighted to keep constantly in view of all, ' watching for the coming of the Lord.' It is almost overwhelming to look back to the second Barnet Conference, and think of the world- wide blessing that has followed that testing time of faith, and the multiplied agencies for preaching the Gospel to every creature that have sprung from that and following efforts. "One little remembrance I must mention. Years after, when the Mildmay Conferences drew many honoured labou- rers from distant lands, I well remember a singular proof of his tender thought for others, when he made it possible amid the throng of friends and the interests of multiplied meetings, to tear himself away from all, to carry with his own hands a warm travelling cloak and other gifts to a servant of the Lord about to undertake a stormy voyage. It was truly said, « No 07ie but Mr. Pennefather would have done this.' How can we bless God aright for having raised him up, and for the gifts with which He enriched him, and which have been made blessings to the far ends of the earth." One more word from another honoured labourer — " The Barnet days," says Mrs. Ranyard, " are always days of days in memory to me. And the baptism of private prayer he gave to the new works then arising ! When thinking of the heavenly fellowship yet to be, I have always involuntarily identified it with his dear, loving smile of sympathy and welcome." ( 321 ) CHAPTER XV. 1859-1861. Prophetical Alliance— The Church of England Home Mission— Letters in connection with the Mission— Visits to Ireland— Death of Baron Pennefather— Third Conference— Trying visit to Ireland— Parochial trials— Letters to orphan children— Illness— Conference of i860— Letter from Mrs. Bayly— Missionary Training Home— Sickness in his parish— Building of an iron room— Death of Rev. W. Cleaver- Invitation from Loodiana— Week of prayer— Work of RevivalinBarnet and its neighbourhood— Death of a Swedish Lady— Conference of ! 861— Great power of the enemy— Mission circuit— Death of his sister— Death of the Prince Consort. TWO objects of interest which lay near Mr. Pennefather's heart and claimed many of his thoughts ought hardly to be omitted in the records of these years of Barnet ministry. The first was a " Pn> phetical Alliance," formed under his auspices, and car ried on for some years with much profit and interest, until the death of its indefatigable secretary, and the subsequent removal of its President from Barnet, brought the meetings to a close. Mr. Pennefather was convinced that those who differed as to the details ot prophetic interpretation might meet together in loving harmony, if only the Spirit of truth and love were recognised as their one Almighty Guide. Acting upon this conviction, and in conjunction with some of those whose counsel and experience he judged most valuable, he arranged that a series of meetings for the study of prophecy should be held each year at Barnet. These 322 PROPHETICAL ALLIANCE. [chap. XV. meetings were attended by all who enrolled themselves as members of the Prophetical Alliance, and by guests specially invited. A few simple Scriptural principles in which all could agree were laid down as a basis of membership, and friends in various parts of the country who "loved the appearing " of the Lord Jesus Christ, and desired to study the sure word of prophecy, were invited to send in their names. Members joined from Ireland and various counties of England ; and invi- tations were sent out as at the general Conferences, offering hospitality at the houses of friends during the three days of brotherly intercourse. The meetings, held twice in the day, were not open to the public in general, and assumed rather the character of Bible- readings ; Mr. Pennefather occupying the chair, and one or two experienced students of Scripture opening with short addresses. There are some who cannot fail to remember the profitable teaching of the Rev. C. Hargrove and others on these occasions. Among the rules of the Alliance was one which seemed to promise that the interest in prophetic truth thus manifested and deepened would diffuse itself to more distant places. It ran thus — "That members in each several locality be requested to form themselves into sections for the study of the subject emanating from the aggregate meeting at Barnet." Some of the various documents and subject-papers have been preserved, many of them such as are gene- rally considered at similar meetings. As years went on, they naturally became more varied, branching out into the wider field of Scripture investigation. We give an extract from one of the letters of invitation, which may serve as a sample of the rest. It is dated October 1 859. I859-] HOME MISSION CIRCUITS. 323 "We invite you, dear friend, to be present at our meetings, and to aid in strengthening the brethren in the faith of Jesus, as well as in the hope of His speedy and glorious appearing. God has already richly blessed our gathering together, and we doubt not He will manifest Himself yet more fully while we wait on Him in humble prayer and united praise. Kindly give notice to the Rev. William Pennefather of your intention to be present, a week previous to the 1st of November. " Subjects for Consideration. u 1. The world without a Temple. " 2. The Tabernacle in the Wilderness. " 3. Solomon's Temple. " 4. The second Temple. " 5. The Spiritual Temple. " 6. Ezekiel's Temple. " 7. The City which hath no need of a Temple.*' The other subject to which we have alluded may be introduced in a letter written by Mr. Pennefather to his friends in Westmoreland, bearing the date — " April 2%th, 1859. "As to the hope of seeing you, I cannot say anything satisfactory, except that my old heart is as fresh in its love to you and Westmoreland, as the old thorn trees that are just now putting forth their delicate young leaves. What a glorious thing is life, and how marvellous the power that brings life out of death ! Surely this is grace, when into souls blighted and blasted by sin the living God breathes the Eternal Spirit, and unites them to a risen, living Lord ! Then is the grace of our Covenant God made manifest. . . . But I must not run on thus. I want to tell you of a very interesting work. A committee of Christian men have lately formed a society called, 'The Church of England Home Mission,' its object being to get up special services in different parishes and counties, and, with the consent of the local clergy, to send earnest, Christ-loving men to preach the Gospel in these parishes periodically. Some time ago I was asked to take a week of services occasionally. I consented to do so, and have 324 HOME MISSION CIRCUITS. [chap. xv. just returned from my first circuit."* [He goes on to tell of his preaching at East Moulsey, then at Norbiton, New Hamp- ton, Battersea and Guildford ; from thence going to Shere and Farncombe, and afterwards to Tooting and St. John's, South- ward he returned for the Sunday to Guildford, having engaged to preach in the morning at Stoke Church and in the evening at St. Nicholas.] "I was graciously upheld in body and soul ; and I felt it a delightful opportunity of making known the unsearchable riches of Christ. I remember thinking, long, long ago, how much I should like to be employed as an itine- rant preacher, with a mind free from the harass of parochial machinery and the temporal matters that are so constantly brought before a pastor : though, doubtless, each service has its own peculiar trials, and the Lord giveth to every man his appointed work. . . . My dear wife is pretty well now, though she has had one of those sudden heart attacks which so alarm me; but again the Lord graciously appeared for us." Various cheering incidents are mentioned as con- nected with this busy week. In one place, " I met a lady and her daughter who had both been brought to the knowledge of the Lord at Barnet, and received me with much warmth." Again, "A gentleman showed me no little kindness, who some time ago had prevented his family from having any intercourse with me, ' lest they should become Methodists.' Now he did all in his power to facilitate my movements, and insisted on defraying my travelling expenses. How true is it, when ' the Lord opens, no man shuts/ ' It may not be out of place to insert here another letter descriptive of one of these preaching tours, which are often alluded to in his correspondence. The arrangements were generally for two sermons each day, but the distances to be travelled between the churches often made this impracticable, and the present plan * These circuits generally extended over a week, not including the Sunday ; this one was evidently longer. J859-] HOME MISSION CIRCUITS. 325 of a mission in one place for a week or ten days is probably less fatiguing and far more effective. Mr. Pennefather continued to preach for the Society till he removed to London, and his temporary residence in the houses of the country clergy seems to have left traces of blessing in more than one instance — " Eye, Suffolk, April 6th, 1859. " Here I am in a pretty little town interspersed with large trees, and having at one end of it a magnificent old church. ... I am out on a preaching tour, beginning on Monday at Needham-Market, which is a poor-looking village of one long street ; but I was delighted and astonished to see 500 real country-folk gathered into church to hear of ' Jesus and the Resurrection' (Acts iv. 33). The dear old men and women and the strong, blooming lads, all in their country dress, made my heart leap for joy. I thought of Him who came to preach the Gospel to the poor. Yesterday I preached at Bury St. Edmunds, but was not very happy, though I had a glorious subject and a grand congregation. When walking in the town in the afternoon, a clergyman crossed the street to meet me, and hailed me as an old school-fellow, saying : * If I know anything of Christ, or have done anything for His glory, I owe it all to you.' I remembered him as a boy at Westbury, where I was at school, about the year 1830, when we used to read the Bible together, but had never met since. I think the Lord must have sent him to cheer me when my heart was sad. 'Who am I, and what is Thy servant, that Thou hast brought me hitherto ? ' In the even- ing I had a very happy service here. The Baptist minister gave notice of it in his chapel, and came to it himself. . . . Now I am on my way to Mildenhall. Will you pray for these 1 Special Services ? ' Already we have tokens of the Lord's favour. . . If time had allowed, I should like to have taken a look at Norwich, for the sake of its Cathedral and its Friends (you know my love for Friends !). Gurneys and Frys are always associated in my mind with Norwich. A curious combination, is it not ? Cathedrals and Friends ! " At the close of 1858 Mr. Pennefather had received 326 DEATH OF HIS FATHER. [chap. XV. tidings from Ireland which made him anxious to visit his aged father, now eighty-five years of age, as soon as possible. Though his general health was still good, a fatal complaint had set in, and his son paid a hurried visit to Dublin in January, promising to arrange for another meeting in the early summer. This was merci- fully accomplished, and Mr. and Mrs. Pennefather spent a short time at Merrion Square in July, returning to England to make preparations for the Annual Con- ference, which had been announced to commence on the 8th of August. That Conference was to be a time of unexpected trial. On Sunday, August 6th, imme- diately after the conclusion of the evening service, Mr. Pennefather received a telegram conveying the tidings that Baron Pennefather had died suddenly at Knockeevan the day after his arrival at that place. It was a moment of sore perplexity. Letters followed urgently requesting his presence at Knockeevan with- out delay. To be wanting in the last token of respect to a parent would be looked upon in Ireland, where funeral rites are regarded with a superstitious reverence, as an unpardonable dereliction of duty and a total absence of affection. He took in at a glance all the painful difficulties of his situation ; but decided, after seeking in vain to find a president for the Conference, that private claims, even the nearest and the dearest, must give place to the paramount claim of Him who had taught His ministering servant (in words he often quoted), " to say of his father and his mother, I have not seen him ; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children." An extract from a letter tells a little of the conflict of those anxious days — 1859.] CONFERENCE MEETINGS. 327 " Monday, August yt/i. " A sudden telegraphic message tells me that my precious father is no longer here. On Saturday he went to Knoc- keevan, the next day (yesterday) he died. I know nothing of the particulars, and I cannot go to see once more that calm and loving face ! The Conference meetings have been, since June, fixed for this week, and to put off those who are even now on their journey from different parts of the country is impossible. To let them come and find the doors shut could not be. ... I see nothing for it but to cnicify feel- ing, and, having obtained strength from God, to go through the Conference meetings. Pray for me. ... I feel the Lord's tender love in permitting us to see that beloved father so lately. Only on Saturday week we returned from Dublin, and now ' he is not, for God has taken him.' It is a tremen- dous crash. I cannot look forward, only upward, and then I can sing of His faithfulness and love, who turneth the shadow of death into the morning." The meetings went forward, and Mr. Pennefather took his accustomed place. He was carried through all with perfect calmness and presence of mind ; but few knew the strain that was put upon him, as post after post brought letters from various quarters — some entreating and others censuring; in no mild terms the strange position he had taken. A friend who mingled with those thronged assemblies notes, " I remember well the third Barnet Conference, when Mr. Penne- father was called to make a sacrifice of personal feel- ing, which, to one of his extreme tenderness, must have been inexpressibly painful." The unusual circumstances increased the solemnity of the meetings, and the sea- sons of silent prayer, at that time, almost if not quite peculiar to the Barnet Conferences, seemed hushed by God Himself. The visit to Ireland, which immediately followed, was 328 VISIT TO IRELAND, [chap. xv. the severest part of the trial. Added to the natural sorrow of his own heart in visiting the scenes of tender associations broken up for ever, was the universal disapprobation of his friends, both in the Church and the world. None could understand the course he had thought it right to pursue, and it was years before one very dear to him could quite forgive the " great mis- take " he had made. Speaking of this visit to Dublin he says, " It was a season of deep trial." But shortly after, writing from Arley Cottage, " There is to me something exquisitely tender in the maimer of God's chastenines, for while He does afflict and cause rivers of water to run down our eyes, He seems to wipe away those tears, even now, as with His own hand, letting us feel His nearness, as perhaps we could not have done without the sorrow." On his return to Barnet the personal trials attendant upon his visit to Ireland were followed by parochial anxieties. Scenes of sickness and death without hope always told upon him painfully. Of one of these he writes — " A woman has just died who seemed deeply convinced of sin and knew intellectually the blessed promises of pardon through the blood of Jesus, but never seemed to grasp them, or accept Him as her Saviour. It was a very distressing case ; and as I looked at the lifeless body, that word lost rushed through my soul. Judas was convinced (' I have sinned, in that I have betrayed the innocent blood'), but he was not converted. Four years ago the aged father of this woman died in the full light of the Gospel. ... I have been at Hampstead to attend a Conference convened by Mr. Bicker- steth. It was interesting, but my heart was sad." The number of soldiers' orphans in the different Homes had now increased to above 300, and the staff ,86a] LETTER TO ORPHANS. 329 of officers and teachers was necessarily large. Mr. Pennefather continually thanked God for the many helpers in this work, who entered into his earnest long- ings for the spiritual welfare of the children. He was both amused and pleased at a note appended by the Government Inspector to his official Report : " Mr. and Mrs. Pennefather seem to have communicated their own great love for the children to all those who work with them." His individual knowledge of the boys was remarkable, and he kept up a frequent intercourse with them by letter when not able to spend much time amono- them. When absent from home he always wrote to the school collectively ; and we may be per- mitted to give one of these letters as a sample of many which have been faithfully treasured. It was written in the hurry and pressure of a Mission week — " East Moulsey, April 20///. " MY DEAR CHILDREN,— Although I am absent from you, I think of you and pray for you. Do you think of me ? Will you pray for me ? Do you know what I am doing ? I am going about from place to place preaching glad tidings to poor sinners. I like to tell you of Jesus, who came to seek and to save the lost, and I like to tell the same blessed story to others. Do you know that one of your dear little com- panions, who was living at the Infirmary* under Miss I.'s care, is dead ? Before I left home I laid her in her narrow grave, ' in sure and certain hope of a blessed resurrection,' but I had not an opportunity of telling you about her. ^ Little Janie was scarcely five years old, and had been failing in health for nearly a year. Have you ever watched a flower after you have gathered it ? At first it holds up its head upon the stalk, because it is alive, but by and by it begins to droop ; the stalk gets soft, and the weight of the blossom bears it down ; the leaves shrivel up, the colour fades, and * There were three large orphan houses and one infirmary, which received all cases of serious illness. 33Q LETTER TO ORPHANS. |"chap. xv. we throw the flower away because it is dead. It was thus with little Janie ; she faded away day by day, until at last the breath left her ; her little hands and feet grew cold ; she could not see, or hear, or speak, or eat — she was dead. But Janie had a soul, and when we buried her body we did not bury her soul. Now I will tell you about her soul. Jesus loved her, she loved Jesus, and He has taken her happy spirit to live with Him on high. One day, not long ago, I went in to see Miss I. and ask her some questions. Janie was lying rolled up in a blanket on the sofa looking very ill, so ill that I thought, ' I will not disturb her by talking to her.' I took up my hat and was just going out of the room when I heard a very gentle voice calling, 'Mr. Pennefather, Mr. Penne- father, will you not pray to God before you go, and ask Him to take little Janie soon to heaven, to live with Jesus' I knelt down and prayed to God, and little Janie prayed too. It was very sweet to see how her little pale, thin face bright- ened at the name of Jesus. Now we may say of Janie, ' She walked with God, and she is not, for God has taken her.' She was very patient, and full of love, not fretful, though she suffered much. God's Holy Spirit kept her peaceful and happy, and I like to think of her now as a lamb in the fold of the heavenly Shepherd. God took care of her here: He was a Father to that fatherless one, and He takes care of her now in heaven. Now, dear children, nothing can make you really happy but knowing Jesus as your Saviour, your Friend, and your God. Do you love Him ? Has the Holy Ghost taught you that Jesus Christ shed His blood for sinners ; that you are a sinner, and that He shed His blood for you ? Then if you do love Him, you will try in everything to please Him ; you will keep His commandments. I want you, dear chil- dren, to think not only of yourselves but of others. There are many other fatherless children in the world. Yes ! and there are deaf and dumb children, and there are poor, little, blind children ; oh ! pray to God for them, and don't be selfish children. God ever bless you ! Ask Him to give you a new heart and a new spirit. — Your loving friend and pastor." In the course of this year he was called to watch by the dying bed of a little boy who had a very peculiar i860.] DEATH OF A LITTLE BOY. 331 place in his affection. He was the youngest child of Sir Arthur Cotton, who, when about to return to India, had left his family under the pastoral care of Mr. Pennefather. " During the years I spent at Barnet," says Lady Cotton, "the Indian Mutiny broke out, and all through those terrible weeks the dear pastor's visits and prayers were a support for which I can never thank God enough. ... I had not before enjoyed a ministry like his, and the Word was truly both food and medicine to me." [Then, after speaking more particularly of services, Bible-readings, &c], " My youngest boy was much attached to him, and even at six years old would listen intelligently to the sermons, and bring home thoughts which would have seemed to me quite above him. It was wonderful how the little one would enter into his pastor's plans, and when Mr. Pennefather was going on a preaching tour to different parishes, he quite understood it. When counting up his little savings on his last birthday, that he might apportion his money for various presents, I shall never forget the solemn look with which he began by laying aside two shillings, saying, 'That is for the mission,' and it was carefully given to Mr. Pennefather." The short life of this dear child seemed a rare instance of the early bud and the ripened fruit, both found together and quickly transplanted to the paradise above. One characteristic extract from a letter written to a member of his congregation, who was apparently per- plexed about questions of doctrine, may be added to this year's records — " It is only as the Lord Jesus seeks us that we find the fold, only as He keeps us that we feed in the green pastures, only as He carries us over tne rugged mountains upon His 332 LE TTER- WRITING. [chap. xv. shoulder, that we are enabled to reach our heavenly inheri- tance. Jesus is our ' all in all/ It is by knowing Him that we gain a well-proportioned view of truth. The Church is chosen in Him. In Him she sees her adoption and her pre- sent privileged position. In Him she finds her rule of life, and in Him, too, she looks forward to her crown, her sceptre, and her kingdom. The Lord Jesus is the Fountain from whence the believer draws his life day by day. I have been thinking much of those words, ' As ye have therefore received . . . walk . . . rooted . . . built-up . . . stablished* &c. (Col. ii. 6, 7y The number of letters Mr. Pennefather contrived to write was marvellous.'" With a laborious parochial machinery, a house generally filled with guests, repre- senting varied interests and nationalities,! and the claims of London close at hand, his sympathies were always at command for individual needs. Notes of comfort to sick ones, sketches of sermons sent to those unable to attend church, counsels for perplexed friends abounded ; and often after a wearying day of pastoral visitation, he would go to his desk and write off a hymn, to be sent to the boys' printing-press, that they might have " something quite new to please and occupy them." On the i st of May i860, the notice was issued for another Conference, to be held in the month of July. In those days, when Conferences had to be fitted in with parochial arrangements, no one week could be fixed upon as annually allotted to them, and the dates were of necessity somewhat varied. The meetings of this year were preceded by a season of considerable anxiety, owing to a sharp attack of illness which * It was only in the latter years of his life that he sometimes employed an amanuensis. t Besides representatives from most European countries, natives of India, China, and Africa were at various times among his guests. i860.] ATTACK OF ILLNESS. 333 threatened to make it impossible that Mr. Pennefather should fill his usual place. He had struggled too bravely against severe influenza, and having preached twice on Sunday, June 24th, "not able," as he said in the evening, " to see the texts in his Bible," he went from the pulpit to his bed. Violent pain in the head with fever followed, and gout (a family complaint, which now attacked him for the first time) supervening, completely crippled him. "Meanwhile," as he says in writing to a friend, "the Con- ference was looming in the distance. . . . But I may tell you of the Lord's tender loving-kindness. Scarcely had I begun to ask what must be done, when I seemed to see the Lord Jesus standing beside me, and to hear His voice say, ' Be careful for nothing ; leave all in My hands.' The most blessed peace filled my soul, and even when suffering in- tensely, I felt Him close to me, and could truly say, 'Even this agony is sweet, because it brings Him nearer.' During this time numbers of people were coming to my wife saying, * You must put off the Conference/ she giving the same answer to them all, ' I will decide nothing until the 2nd of July ; there will be time enough then to put advertisements in the papers.' " The sequel was remarkable. On Sunday, July 1st, so sudden an improvement took place in his health, that a servant who had carried something into his room came out saying, " A wonderful change has come over master." On Sunday the 8th he was able to preach once, and in the following week to take his place at all the meetings. In the same letter from which we have already quoted he adds — "And now, what shall I say of the Conference itself? The Lord most graciously did order everything. The weather was beautiful. Those who prayed and expounded 334 LETTER FROM MRS. BAYLY. [chap. XV. Scripture seemed filled with the Spirit. Joy reigned among us, love abounded, and we seemed to stand on the threshold of the heavenly sanctuary. . . . Now I have arrears of work, and must not think of leaving home before the end of August." It is to this period that a letter written by his dear friend Mrs. Bayly * seems to belong. She and her family were for many years closely bound up with Con- ference times, and many other interests — " The first distinct recollection I have of seeing Mr. Penne- father is when he came with Mrs. Pennefather one evening to our Mothers' Meeting at Notting Hill. I do not remem- ber the date, but it must have been soon after the publica- tion of ' Ragged Homes.' The suggestions contained in that book were accepted as supplying a want which had been long felt, and just then we had many visitors from among those who were anxious to establish Mothers' Meetings in their own localities. During the time of the meeting, the mothers themselves entirely occupied my mind, and I was scarcely conscious of the presence of visitors. On this occa- sion, however, my eye and my mind often wandered to the back seat occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Pennefather, and in a way I cannot describe in words, we felt the presence in our midst of one who had power with God and prevailed. I dis- tinctly remember that, under the influence of that wonderful bond of sympathy which at once unites the children of God as members of one family, the passage selected for our even- ing lesson seemed to unfold itself with unusual power, and I was happy in the belief that every one there would be the better for that meeting. Although, as far as I can recollect, Mr. Pennefather took no part in what was passing, yet the calmness and holiness which rested on every feature of his face, indicating the work within of God's Spirit, made us at once realise that a presence was among us, making us stronger for service, and deepening in us the patient trust * Author of " Ragged Homes and How to Mend Them," "Workmen and their Difficulties," &c. i860.] LETTER FROM MRS. BAYLY. 33$ which ceases from its own works, and accepts the ' perfect will of God ' in the place of wearying for results. " Soon after this, Captain Bayly and myself were kindly invited to be present at the yearly Conference at Barnet. The happiness enjoyed at these early gatherings is so deeply im- pressed on many minds, and they are still so frequently referred to, that no attempt at description is needed. It was a delight- ful arrangement for meeting with fellow-workers, and there is no doubt the opportunity thus afforded of speaking together of various plans of usefulness was a means of extending what was good and helpful more quickly and effectually than could have been done in any other way. Some one remarked at the time, ' What is said and done here will be working its way out day by day until we meet again.' "The aspect in which the character of our dear friend pre- sented itself most strongly to me, especially during the time of the Conferences, is best expressed in the few words, ' I am among you as one that serveth.' When engaged earnestly and eagerly in any one department of work, the temptation will sometimes present itself to magnify that work, and de- mand for it some disproportionate homage. Among the great number of earnest workers who gathered round him, the thought as to which should be the greatest was not per- haps always absent from every mind, but in the presence of one who in some way was always serving, it would have been impossible to have given it much expression; the humblest worker in the company was treated with as much honour as the most distinguished. Little frailties and weaknesses were not made an excuse for neglect, but rather a reason for the manifestation of some tender consideration. " I do not remember his ever falling into the snare, which sadly afflicts some clever people, of relating things which re- dound to their own glory, whilst they show up others to a dis- advantage ; he was never the hero of his own tales. I learnt from him in a way I never understood before why our Lord must first get from Peter the answer to the question, ' Lovest thou Me ? ' before He could intrust him to feed His sheep and His lambs ; the perfect love is as necessary in all ministration as the food. Our dear friend could as truly as Peter answer, 1 Lord, Thou knowest all things ; Thou knowest that I love 336 TRAINING HOME. [chap. XV. Thee.' And oh ! how many sheep and lambs were given him to feed ! The Good Shepherd could and did trust him with the ' flock of His pasture.' " It was in the month of August i860 that the little Home was opened which inaugurated the work since developed into the Deaconess House at Mildmay Park, with all its varied activities. Mr. and Mrs. Pennefather had long desired that something might be attempted to call out the energies of educated Christian women not fully occupied in home duties, and teach them how to pursue a definite and systematic course of active ministry in a needy world. While putting out their own talents to increase, they might thus become temporally and spiritually the " succourers of many." Why should such a life of holy usefulness be associated only with nuns and sisterhoods of Romish reputation ? The question was asked over and over again, and at last it seemed as though the answer ought to be given in a practical form. We must not here follow the development of an institu- tion which has by this time an interesting history of its own. It has had to do battle with all the defined and undefined objections that could be raised against the most simple attempt to organise a band of women workers ; it has encountered an alarming host of whis- pered suspicions and open antagonism ; but " having obtained help of God, it continues unto this day ; " and its founder, though feeling very keenly the misrepresen- tations which were circulated both by friends and foes, never swerved from the position he had taken when first starting the work in i860. The Conference gatherings of this year were painfully crowded, and Mr. Pennefather had been greatly dis- tressed at the impossibility of admitting many of " the i860.] CASES OF SICKNESS. 337 poor of the flock," who had made great efforts to attend the meetings. Some of these had walked from the neighbouring villages, but only to find the doors hope- lessly closed. From this time the question of increased accommodation was much on his mind, and constantly brought to the Lord in prayer. At the end of July we find him responding to an invitation to hold one day's Conference in a Northern town. "It would be very delightful to have a day's Conference. I am not strong, but most gladly would I spend a little of my small stock of strength in such a gathering as you propose/' A little later— " We are now deeply anxious about my precious sister. . . . She may come to London immediately for medical advice, and her state makes our plans for leaving home early in the autumn, as we had expected, peculiarly uncertain." Again, on August 20th, to Mrs. Crewdson — *' We had hoped to be with you on Saturday, but it cannot be. . . . There are four persons close to my gate who are fast hastening to eternity, and a fifth in a more distant part of the parish. I have never known so much serious illness in the place, and it so happens that all our most valuable helpers are away or about to leave home immediately. There is no one to whom I can depute the care of these sick ones." On September 21st, we find him surrounded by sick- ness, and still unable to leave home for rest — " It is very remarkable how completely our way is shut up. I never remember in my experience as a minister having so many dying beds to visit without any prevailing epidemic. Several are young men. One young woman is a bright saint just hastening home. Most of them are cases of consumption My heart clings to them, and though I am not well, I am certainly not ill enough to justify my leaving them for my own pleasure. One young married man, very ignorant, and v 338 LONGINGS FOR REVIVAL. [chap. xv. unable to speak from the state of his throat, as I told him of the love of Jesus, drew my hand to his blue lips and kissed it repeatedly." The importunity of kind friends and relatives that he should relax his unceasing labours, and the con- sciousness that they thought him negligent or ungrate- ful to those he most deeply loved, often wrung his heart with anguish, and was an abiding trial of his life. Speaking of one such instance he says— " Little do they know that a minister has no power to act as his own master. ' No man, having put his hand to the plough,' can either ' look back ' or withdraw that hand. It is delightful to undertake work for God, but it involves a cross!" The proposed visits were not paid, and God gave His servant strength to continue unremittingly at his work. Meanwhile, new interests were crowding in on all sides, while the animating tidings from America and the North of Ireland had stimulated the longings of English Christians for some such revival work in their own land. Mr. Pennefather had constant means of communication with both countries, and was deeply interested in all the details of the blessing there ofiven. During the spring and summer of this year, he had brought the subject before his people again and again; and many little prayer-meetings were added to those already established.* Notwithstanding the peculiar difficulties of the place, he felt confident that an answer would be given more special and distinct than any yet received. Many souls had been converted to God, but a large proportion of these had been among tem- porary residents or casual visitors. His soul longed * One of these, carried on with great warmth and earnestness by a band of Christian policemen, was a bright spot in his parish, i860.] HOPEFUL INDICATIONS. 339 for the careless ones around him ; each class of the people, each several street and locality, with its many individual inhabitants, was prayed for definitely and continually ; for he was well aware that the crowded congregation in church did not altogether represent the special district assigned to his charge. The Rev. F. A. Baines, who was his fellow-helper during a great part of his ministry at Barnet, recalls this earnest desire after each and all of those committed to his care. After speaking of his own affectionate remembrance, he says — " It was my privilege to be his curate for nearly six years, and I can bear abundant testimony to the warm kindness and tender consideration he showed me under all circumstances. I can never forget the kind and eager welcome he always gave me when I went to see him in his study, or his great anxiety concerning the people amongst whom we had been called to minister. Hozv often did he tell me of his earnest desire that every soul under his care should be spoken to on the great subject of salvation. He seemed to me to live out in his daily life (if I may so say) the teaching of Phil. iv. 6, and this must have been the secret of his deep spirituality and holiness of life, and the good success given to him in his diligent working for the Lord. I never expect in this life to see any one more desirous than he was to act out the words I have so often heard him refer to in the pulpit, ' always bearing about in our body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body/ " At length a manifest softening of heart among many who had been previously hard and indifferent gave promise of better things, and quickened the desire already cherished in secret for increased accommoda- tion. Could not a large room be erected, which would serve both for the summer Conferences and for more aggressive WOrk among; the lowest classes during the winter months ? 340 PROPOSED IRON ROOM. [chap. xv. The thought was thrown out and ventilated amonof friends. He had been accustomed all his life to en- counter objections at the first mention of his plans, and he expected them now, but something must be done. A permanent building was hardly desirable, and in this case impossible. No freehold ground could be had ; moreover, the need ought to be met without delay. Iron rooms were not then in general use, but they had been tried for some purposes and proved satisfactory. Mr. Pennefather determined to go to London and make the necessary inquiries. Meeting Captain Trotter in the train, he asked him to accompany him, and many a time did he thank God for that apparently accidental meeting. The interest of his kind friend was thoroughly enlisted, and though still amused at " such a gigantic scheme," he called at the Parsonage not long after and wrote a cheque for ^ioo to commence the undertaking. Only those who have prayed long and earnestly, " against hope believing in hope," can tell what it is to receive the first undoubted token from an answering God. In this case such tokens followed one another in quick succession. The ground was given, though, as entailed property, it could not be sold ; the needed money flowed in ; the building was begun in Novem- ber, and though roads had to be made, as the room stood in a field, and there were many difficulties as to lighting, heating, &c., it was ready to be opened before Christmas. It stood there a witness for God, and eternity alone will disclose the marvellous triumphs of grace achieved beneath that roof.* The dimensions * The first united prayer offered within its walls, while still unfinished, received a striking answer. A father came to ask prayer for a sick child, " given over" by the doctor, and followed Mr. Pennefather to the building, where he was giving 1 86a] DEATH OF MR. CLEAVER. 341 (100 feet by 60) were fixed upon with a view to the laree demands of Conference times, but God had other purposes for it before those summer days came round. Writing to his old friends in Westmoreland, Mr. Pennefather says — "November 21st. " Your last kind letter filled me with many thankful and happy thoughts. I have donors to the iron room from 2s. 66. upwards, and shall be delighted to have my old friends, my first helpers in building a house for the Lord, associated in this work. (Do you remember Roundstone ?) So much prayer has been put up about this room, that I have a happy confidence much glory will be brought to God by its means. It is rising amidst earnest supplications and fervent praise. . . . The dear are with us. I rather fear there is danger of their tone being lowered by association with relatives who are not living for one thing. 'To me to live is Christ,' was the Apostle's motto. Shall it not be ours ? ' This one thing I do,' 'one thing have I desired/ said David. One glorious thought filled his soul — to live for the honour of his God and King." It was durino; the closing- hours of i860 that the beloved William Cleaver, for so many years Rector of Delgany, was called to his rest. He had been long waiting at the gates of his heavenly home, and his niece went down to St. Leonard's with her husband to receive his parting blessing. He had taken a deep interest in the erection of the iron room, and as they took leave of him he said with tears, " Still workers for God, — surely it is no little privilege. I can't ex- press what I feel it to be." Writing to his cousin, Mr. Pennefather eives some details of his last hours, and some orders. They knelt then and there in earnest supplication, and the father, on returning home, was told by his child that she did not want any more medicine, God had cured her. And so it proved. 342 OPENING OF IRON ROOM. [chap. xv. adds, " On Friday morning he fell asleep in Jesus. Some of his last words were, ' Happy, happy ! ' It seemed as though some vision of glory lighted up his latest moments." Again, in another letter, " I deeply feel Mr. Cleaver's removal. He was a bright link with the past, and many sweet memories clustered round him. It is a great sorrow to my dearest C , not only on her own account, but for her mother's sake." The iron room was opened just before Christmas with a special meeting for prayer, and in the evening of the same day about i ioo poor people assembled for an exhibition of dissolving views (the subjects all from Holy Scripture), under the management of Mr. Isaac Whitwell of Kendal, known to so many Christian friends as a messenger of the glorious Gospel through this instrumentality. Speaking of these Scripture pictures, Mr. Pennefather says, " Another instrumentality em- ployed by God to gather in the outcasts, that His house may be filled." The invitation from the missionary brethren at Loodiana to spend the first week of the year in united prayer was hailed by Mr. Pennefather with the warmest interest, and he was one of the first to respond to it by calling his people together in the opening of i860. From that time to the close of his ministry, he never failed to hold two meetings each day during the ap- pointed week. Every succeeding year he loved to stir up his flock in his Sabbath ministrations to a deep sense both of privilege and responsibility in connection with this world-wide agreement in prayer and supplication. It was with peculiar pleasure he afterwards welcomed to his house the American brother who first dropped the seed which had developed so extensively. From 1 86 1. 3 WEEK OF PRAYER. 343 him he learned that twenty years before, when the thought had been suggested to him, he had taken every means to make it known, but there was then no response to his appeal. God, however, led him to continue instant in prayer, — and when His own time was come, the Church of Christ throughout the world responded to a second invitation, though he who had been the human instrument in the work was laid on a bed of sickness, and could only join the praying multitudes in the silence of his own chamber. When the month of January 1861 called to this united season of prayer for the second time, there were many hearts at Barnet prepared by God Himself for special blessing. Mr. Pennefather speaks in many of his letters of unusual distress among the poor, which he was seeking to alleviate, scarcity both of food and fuel at the opening of a singularly inclement winter, and at the same time such a softening of heart as he had never known in that place before. Writing on January 22nd, he says — " Many, many thanks for your constant and unfailing remembrance of our poor people and their unworthy pastor. Oh ! for wisdom and grace to meet the exigencies and the privileges of the wondrous days in which our lot is cast. ' Dis- tress of nations with perplexity* abounding, and at the same time the joy of the Holy Ghost lighting up many hearts with the sunshine of an eternal day. The week of prayer was a blessed time here as elsewhere. On the Tuesday evening Mr. Venn of Hereford gave an account of the revival work that has been going on in Wales, which was deeply interesting." A widow lady just arrived from the Cape of Good Hope was present with her five children, and looks back to that evening as the beginning of untold blessing to her eldest boy, who is now serving God as a devoted 344 SPECIAL SERVICES. [chap. xv. Christian officer, standing alone in his regiment in a distant part of India. In a sketch given by Mr. Pennefather's pen of his intercourse with this dear lad, he quotes many of his own words — " I shall always praise God that He brought me to Barnet. I did not know it was so simple ; I thought I must do many things and wait a long time. I did not know it was so happy to have Jesus Christ as my Saviour." He then tells of the joy with which he received him when (not having been baptized in infancy) " he came forward to make a public profession of his faith in baptism." The many tokens of blessing already given had led to a proposal for a series of special services to follow upon the week of prayer, but the extreme severity ot the weather necessitated their postponement to the following month. Mr. Reginald Radcliffe and other earnest lay preachers were engaged to give their assis- tance, and the iron room opened early in February for a week of evening services. The announcement was in the simplest form ; no names were given,* nor any- thing unusual promised, but God's time was come. People of every class flocked to the room ; men and women who had never been seen by minister or district visitor appeared from the lowest lodging-houses, as well as unexpected throngs of respectable church-goers. Hundreds were melted to tears under the simple mes- sage of the Gospel, brought home by the Divine Spirit, and remained for prayer and conversation. To close * It was very rarely that Mr. Pennefather consented to print the names of preachers on a notice of services, and he had a strong objection to sensational placards or handbills. i86i.] SPECIAL SERVICES. 345 the services at the end of the week was impossible. " It would be," as a poor woman expressed it, " like shutting the doors of heaven ; " and from week to week their continuance was promised till lengthened days made it clear that working people could no longer attend. For ten weeks the meetings went on without intermission, Mr. Pennefather always presiding, except when other ministerial engagements compelled him to be absent for a part of the evening. It was a season never to be forgotten. A feeling of awe seemed for a time to pervade the town, and the public-houses were, comparatively speaking, empty. Scenes of touching interest took place within the walls of the iron room, which must have caused many rejoicings in heaven, and which, if recorded, might have filled a volume. " O sir ! " said one poor woman to Mr. Pennefather, " I want to ask your pardon. When the iron room was building, I said, ' I wonder why they are putting up that great place ; I don't see the use of it.' I see it now. . . . How many have gone there to get a bless- ing ! It was there I first learnt to rejoice in Christ my Saviour, and now I am so happy, I have to get up in the night and kneel down to praise and pray." Some families in the neighbourhood who had stood aloof, fearing undue excitement, were surprised by finding such deep spiritual interest and such changed lives among their servants and labourers, that they were compelled to own "the fmger of God." Captain Trotter, the long-tried friend of the place and people, as he stood up one evening to address the dense crowd of listeners, paused for a moment and exclaimed, " For twenty-five years I have been praying to God for this neighbourhood, but I never dared to expect such a 346 SPECIAL SERVICES. [chap. XV. sight as this." " The wind of grace," as it was called by Bishop M'llvaine, extended to the Orphan Houses, the parochial schools, and to the "Rescue Home" belonging to the Society in London, which was under Mr. Pennefather's pastoral care. It would be difficult to exaggerate the extraordinary visitation of super- natural power, which brought the most hardened to their knees, pouring forth a torrent of supplication which astonished experienced Christians. Perhaps one of the most striking features of this work, and one which made a great impression upon strangers attending the church, was the introduction, Sunday after Sunday, into the General Thanksgiving, of numerous clauses, some of them most touchingly worded, from those who desired to praise God for the great spiritual " mercies vouchsafed to them." Mean- while crowds flocked in from the surrounding villages to share in the blessing, and to some of these places (especially South Mimms, where Captain Trotter held meetings) the shower of blessing seemed to extend. As the work became widely known, visitors from London frequently came to offer their assistance, and Mr. Pennefather was deeply anxious "* lest the solemn quietness which had prevailed should be in any measure lost. No one more earnestly deprecated anything like feverish excitement, or undue pressure brought to bear upon the people ; and when once the movement had attracted public attention, it became more difficult to * A petition sent by him to the Kendal prayer- meeting has been preserved, and indicates this feeling of anxiety. " The prayers of God's people at Kendal are earnestly requested on behalf of Barnet. God is graciously pouring out His Spirit on that place, but special grace and wisdom are needed by those who are working in the Lord's vineyard there. Ask that they may be filled with the Holy Ghost, and that many, very many, may be added to the Church of Christ. " 1 86 1.] SPECIAL SERVICES. 347 control it. With all its intense and thrilling- interest, it was to him a time of mingled joy and anxiety. Along with the deep reality of God's own work, there will ever be much that is merely emotional and sympathetic ; the abundant blossom does not all set for fruit. Never- theless, when the crowds who met night after night in the iron room had been widely scattered, and years of testing had passed by, it was cheering to hear from one and another, in railway carriages or London mission- rooms, " I first learnt to know my Saviour in the iron room at Barnet." Many other rooms are now to be found in distant parishes and neglected places, whose owners received their first impulse, and drew their first plan for such work, when visiting " the iron room," as it was for some time emphatically called. Towards the end of March we find Mr. Pennefather again declining the importunate invitations of friends. His promised visit to Westmoreland had been post- poned from the autumn, in the hope that spring-time might give more leisure, but absence from home had now become impossible. "I cannot see my way to make the arrangements I had wished. The people are still coming every night to our meetings, and we have reason to believe that each time sinners are awakened. How can I close the doors while hundreds are willing to attend ?" Then, at the close of April — ■ " We expect 800 or 900 militiamen to be here for a week's drill ; and, as far as their religious instruction goes, they will be to a great extent under my influence. And I ought soon to be thinking of our Annual Conference,though I almostdread the thought of fixing those meetings long beforehand, the last Conferences have been times of such great perplexity, though likewise seasons of very special blessing. Oh ! how we need •54S CONFERENCE MEETINGS. [chap. XV. wisdom and grace moment by moment! But He giveth more grace." On the afternoon of Good Friday, a deeply interest- ing meeting was held for praise and thanksgiving. Mr. Pennefather had received more than two hundred letters testifying to individual blessing experienced, and he invited all who had to tell of special mercies to unite in this thanksgiving service. About five hundred assembled, and tales were told and praises offered never to be forgotten. The letter of invitation to the Conference of this year bears the date of May 20th, and the days fixed for the meetings are July 24th, 25th, 26th. The morn- ing meetings were devotional as before, and short addresses were given in the evenings on " The Church working for her Lord," and " The Church waiting for her Lord." Those days were rich in blessing, but were preceded, as on other occasions, by peculiar trial. A dear young Swedish lady, who had been introduced to Mr. and Mrs. Pennefather, and had been spending some time in Barnet, was invited to their house, and remained several months with them, endearing herself to all who became acquainted with her. It was arranged that she should return to her own country in June, but before the day was fixed for her departure she was taken ill, and in about three weeks was called to her Heavenly Home, without a single relative in England who could be summoned to her dying bed. Surely the joy of these Conference days must have needed the counter- balancing chastening which so often attended them. Mr. Pennefather writes — " August 2nd. 11 1 have been quite knocked up, but, thank God, I am about iS6i.] MINISTERIAL TRIALS. 349 again. God brings strength out of weakness. ' I am as a wonder unto many, but Thou art my strong refuge.' His grace and love have been marvellously exhibited during this late Conference. I quite dreaded the fatigue for my wife, who has been very unwell ; but though about 450 persons were fed for three days, there was no lack,* and her strength held out to the last. We were prepared for special blessing by very special sorrow. Our sweet young friend, Louise Bjorckman, was taken from us after a short illness, and her death was a very keen trial to my darling wife. . . . But never was the Lord nearer to us, and I think I may say, never were we more truly 'in the Spirit/ than at the late meetings. Since their close I have received many letters from those who were pre- sent, all testifying that the season was one of unusual blessing. Dr. Bonar (who spoke beautifully at one of the meetings) has been here to-day, and his soul seemed full of joy as he talked over the privileges of the past week. We had Mr. Moon here. I am deeply interested in him and his work among the blind." These bright days of blessing were followed by much sorrow and perplexity. Writing in the month of August he speaks of " deep waters of trial " and " many anxious cares, both private and ministerial. " His sister, Mrs. Maxwell, was evidently drawing near to the close of her pilgrimage, and he keenly felt the distance which separated them. But he dared not desert his post. The remarkable revival season had been succeeded by a burst of opposition and persecu- tion such as is not often seen in a quiet English parish. Hymns were parodied in the street, prayer-meetings travestied, and such open mockery and scoffing exhi- bited, that a gentleman arriving at the Parsonage from Ireland remarked, " I have seen much opposition to God's truth, but I never met with such bitter enmity * The entertainment was still on the footing of private hospitality, and the numbers were becoming formidable in a place where nothing of the kind could be done by contract. 3