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highest earthly privilege. With it, it were sinful to doubt the fulfilment of the promise. "Ask, and ye shall have; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.'

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Soon after the receipt of this letter, the teachers presented Mr. W. Jones with a valuable edition of Scott's Commentary on the Holy Scripture.' 'as a mark of their affectionate regard, and a small but sincere token of the high sense they entertained of his services.' This work he greatly valued. Shortly after the admission of his youngest son to holy orders, in the year 1852, he presented the work to him, 'believing that it would be a safe guide to him in the study of the Divine word.'

Thus ended Mr. Jones' official connexion with Surrey Chapel school. The twelve years spent in its service were among the happy ones of life. Certainly they were amongst the most eventful; and very often, in maturer years, would he look back with much gratitude at this period, as that in which, more particularly, he could discern the hand of Providence, leading him by a way that he knew not, and fitting him for that important position in the religious world which he was afterwards to fill. Through the remainder of his life Sunday schools were ever his delight. Some of my most happy Sundays whilst travelling for the

Tract Society,' he writes, 'were spent in visiting some of the large Sunday schools in the north of England. At Leeds, Preston, and Blackburn, I have several times had the privilege of addressing large numbers of children. May the "seed cast into the ground" be "found after many days!"'

CHAPTER V.

THE PREACHER.

'O how my soule desires to haue a seate

in that sweete quire that shee may sing thy praise;
and magnifie Thee for thy mercies great,

that mee from death to life vouchsaf'st to raise.

Lord, since to mee such fauor hath ben showne,
by mee let thy sweete mercy bee made knowne.'

A REFERENCE has been made in the preceding chapter to Mr. W. Jones' first efforts to do good by taking part in public services at different places of worship. When, at the solicitation of friends, he first undertook such engagements, he had but little idea to what extent his efforts would, in after years, be continued. The reminiscences connected with these labours as a preacher of God's word, which were far more frequent than is generally imagined by his friends, were very pleasing to him. It has been thought well to group

together into one chapter facts connected with. them, that have come to the knowledge of the compiler of this memoir. Though by so doing we may anticipate the course of the narrative, it will be interesting to contemplate, as a whole, one phase in Mr. W. Jones' useful and varied life.

His services, as has been already noticed, were at the first confined to the smaller places of worship in the villages in the suburbs of London. Afterwards he was invited to fill the pulpits of some more important places during the temporary absence of the respective ministers. At Battersea, Putney, Union-street Southwark, Wandsworth, Ponder's End, and the Adelphi Chapel in the Strand, he was frequently called upon for such help. Indeed, among his earliest efforts were the sermons preached for his valued friend, the Rev. Joseph Hughes, the highly esteemed Secretary of the Bible Society, During his frequent tours his pulpit was supplied by Mr. W. Jones. With reference to these engagements, he writes: These were happy seasons for me. Battersea was, indeed, an interesting spot for me. The chapel was close to the place of my birth, and within five minutes walk of the scene where my father met with his serious accident, an event in God's mercy greatly overruled to me for good. How little could it be imagined at one time that

I should ever become one of the officers of the Tract Society, with the good pastor of the Baptist Chapel. When the Lord has a work to be performed, he soon raises up the needful instruments.' Mr. Hughes, in 1821, presented him with some elegantly bound volumes, Burnside, on the Religion of Mankind,' as an acknowledgment of kind services, which were much appreeiated by those who had listened to his teaching.

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The town of Hitchin was also the scene of some of his early labours at the chapel of his esteemed friend, the Rev. Charles Sloper. He says, with reference to this place of worship:'I can recall many hallowed seasons; I hope they were useful. It was in connexion with this place that I was present at the first service in a barn in the village of Shillington, near Hitchin. It was a singular scene. Mr. Sloper hired the barn, and had an interview with the rector of the parish, who was also a magistrate. He told him he intended to open the barn for preaching, and claimed his protection against the violent conduct he expected from some of the labouring men. The rector kindly assured him. that he might depend on his enforcing the law against all who violated the rights of toleration On the Sabbath evening we reached the spot. All was commotion in the village. No sooner

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