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To preserve from oblivion the names of the wise and good, whom death has removed from our midst; to record the pious deeds they have performed, and the useful services they have rendered to mankind; to exhibit the power and beneficial influence of religion, as illustrated in their character and deportment; to point out what in them is deserving the imitation of others, is a duty alike due to the living and the dead: to the latter, that their character and worth may be known and appreciated by posterity; to the former, that, by making their acquaintance with the excellent of the earth,' who have lived in the past, they may be stimulated, by their excellence, to become 'followers of them who through faith and patience are inheriting the promises.' The greatest authority for this, as well as the best mode in which it can be discharged, is furnished in those inimitably beautiful sketches of character which so frequently appear in the word of God; while every reader of those deeply interesting biograraphies, in connection with the lives VOL. 7.-N. S.

of eminent saints who have adorned the church of God in subsequent times, can bear ample testimony to the no small moral and religious advantages which are thus secured. Desirous of furthering the interests of the church of Christ, and the piety and usefulness of the individual members of which it is composed, as well as perpetuating the memory of one whose character and example ought not to be forgotten now, and should be known by generations to come, the writer would add to the list a brief record of the life and death of another of those whose names enrich the page of religious biography.

Conscious of his incompetency for the adequate fulfilment of an office so important and difficult as that of the biographer of one so great and so good, the writer begs to apologize for assuming it; and would do so on the following ground. It seemed greatly desirable that some account of Mr. Jarrom should be compiled; a considerable time had already elapsed since his lamented decease, without this being done; and, as the writer is B

about to leave the country, he, in connection with many others, was anxious that it should no longer be delayed. But he has been encouraged to undertake this work himself, on the ground of a promise which he has received, of important assistance, from a valued and very competent friend. The memoir, by some, may be considered deficient in that which gives to biography an interest and a charm; but this is mainly attributable to the station which Mr. Jarrom occupied, and the duties which he sustained. His life was necessarily monotonous; and, if incidents of interest and importance occurred, they were few, or are not now known. Imperfections will be perceived, for which the writer is sorry; had he possessed more time, and that much less interrupted than it is, he hopes there would have been fewer. As it is, he feels he is performing a duty to one whom he holds, and ever shall hold, in the highest estimation; and conferring a gratification upon many with whom he stands connected.

The Rev. Joseph Jarrom was born Oct. 7th, 1774, at the small, secluded village, of Diseworth, in the county of Leicester. His ancestors, for several generations, resided here, engaged, for the most part, in the pursuits of agriculture; and, though they never attained to the possession of riches, yet they secured a sufficiency for the comfortable maintenance of their families. If not religious, they were strictly moral and upright in their general conduct, and regularly attended the service of the established church, to which they belonged. The father and mother, however, of the subject of this memoir, were dissenters, though it is not now known what induced this change in their religious profession: very probably it was a desire to hear preaching that was more evangelical in its character and tendency. Of Mr. Jarrom's piety there is not all the evidence

which was furnished of that of Mrs.

Jarrom. She is represented as a very pious woman, whose name was endeared to all that knew her. She died in the enjoyment of a 'good hope through grace,' in the year 1794. Mr. Jarrom died four years subsequently. They had ten children. Two died in infancy; the others lived. In the occupation of a small farm, they were enabled, through industry and the blessing of heaven, to make provision for their numerous family. To secure this, however, the combined efforts of all the family seem to have been requisite; and Joseph, a brief view of whose life we are attempting to exhibit, was, at a very early age, taught the truth of that ancient declaration, In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground.' From his sixth year his employments in the field appear to have been constant and arduous; so much so, that, had he not possessed a peculiarly strong constitution, he could not have performed them. In this manner was the whole period of his boyhood spent ; and, except during the winter season, no opportunity was afforded of receiving the limited advantages of the only source of instruction that was open to him, the parish school. But, small and interrupted as his opportunities of improvement were, owing to an intellect, the superior strength of which began, at that time, to display itself, combined with an ardent thirst for knowledge, and a retentive memory, his attainments in general knowledge were far higher than in his circumstances could ordinarily be made. When he was seventeen years of age, he left home, and entered into service, where the few opportunities he had before enjoyed were rendered still fewer; but, so strong was his desire for knowledge, and so determined was he to gratify it, that his plan was always to have about him one book, or more, so that, in his various situations and employments, whenever a

few moments of leisure could be secured, they might be improved. This habit he seems to have practised during the three years which were passed in service; and the consesequence was that with which such a course of action will be always accompanied, he excelled, and became eminent among his associates: and very probably it was the attainments which he had now made, together with a desire to have his time more at his own disposal, that he might the more indulge his studious propensities, which led him to retire from service, and enter upon the new employment of stocking-weaving.

Up to the present time, 1794, he does not appear to have given any indication of piety; indeed, so far from being religiously inclined was he, that, to say the least, he was utterly careless of all true godliness. The books which he read, while they were not immoral in their tendency, were not adapted of themselves to lead him to God. His companions were irreligious; and, as persons in all circumstances must, whether they will or not, yield to the superiority of those with whom they associate, the influence which his greater mind and more extensive knowledge afforded, was greater over them than was theirs over him. Had it been of a moral and religious kind, it might have been the instrument of extensive and lasting good to them; but it was used unhappily for the purposes of evil; and of such importance was he regarded, that his presence and aid were considered essential to

success, in the mischievous schemes which they contrived. However, in the habit of attending, more or less regularly, the General Baptist chapel, the place of worship frequented by his parents, solicitously watched over by a pious mother, feeling some respect for religion and truly religious characters, endued with a tender and sensitive spirit,-a restraint was imposed upon him, that others, differently circumstanced, would not feel, which preserved him from those lengths of wickedness to which it is too common for young men to proceed. But the time had now arrived for an end to be put to these gaities. The death of his mother, which took place in his twentieth year, and to which brief reference has already been made, impressed his mind with the importance of religion. Coincident with, or immediately subsequent to, his mother's decease, was that of one of his principal companions, and this deepened the serious impressions that had been produced, made him feel the solemnity of death, and the necessity there was of immediate and constant preparation for an upper and better world. To this state of mind, his former irreligious pursuits were wholly uncongenial; he abandoned his evil ways, and turned his feet unto God's testimonies. The language of his heart, as well as of his lips, was, My father, thou art the guide of my youth,' 'Other lords beside thee have had dominion over me, but by thee only will I make mention of thy name.'

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(To be Continued.)

INFIDELITY

CONTRASTED

WITH

CHRISTIANITY :*

Being the substance of a discourse on 2 Cor. vi. 14. What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?'

THIS passage stands connected with a very important admonition,- Be ye not unequally yoked together with

unbelievers;' shun all needless associations and intimacy with the ungodly;

In compliance with the request of the

beware of the formation of dangerous friendships, and especially of unions for life, with the unbelieving votaries of this world. The importance of this command is evident from the fact, that no satanic art, for blighting and destroying hopeful piety, has been more successful than the temptation to enter into unhallowed connection with those that know not God. When other attempts to draw the soul from the Saviour and religion, have failed, this snare has frequently succeeded; and the solemn importance of the divine admonition, Be ye not unequally yoked with unbelievers,' has been too fatally proved, by shipwrecked faith and blasted hopes; by the undoing of the soul, and by the loss of heaven. In the text, and in the passage that immediately follows it, the wide difference that exists, in character and state, between a believer and an unbeliever, is assigned as a reason for the admonition. Their principles are directly opposite: the believer receives divine truth; the unbeliever rejects the truth, and is the slave of falsehood or of superstition. Between them there can be no oneness of feeling, of holy affections, of hopes and prospects. The former feels the influence of heavenly truth; the latter is an entire stranger to all its holy impressions. That loves God and the Lamb, and possesses the sweet hope and prospect of eternal life; this is without God, without Christ, and without hope; an alien from the household of God, and from the covenant of promise. Persons thus circumstanced are in states as wide asunder as possible on this side the wide gulph, which will for ever separate the righteous from the unrighteous. This being the case, a christian, if tempted to form an unhallowed union, should deeply feel

Conference at Hugglescote on May 28, 1844, the following discourse would have been sent to the Editor of the Repository much sooner but for the pressure of other calls and duties. In substance it is what was then delivered,

the prophet's expostulation with Judah's king, 'Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord?" Shouldest thou, professedly a child of God, choose, for thy bosom friend, one whose lord is satan, and whose only prospect for eternity is hell?

In adducing the principles on which rests the admonition, to shun unequal alliances with the ungodly, the sacred writer contrasts christianity and infidelity. Christianity is righteousness; infidelity, unrighteousness. Christianity is light; infidelity, darkness. The christian belongs to Christ; the infidel is associated with Satan. It is true, the sacred writer refers not to modern infidelity, but to the unbelief of ancient pagans; yet this occasions no material difference, and affects not the reasoning employed. In the pagan and the modern unbeliever, infidelity is substantially the same; its essence is but one. In both cases, divine truth is rejected: its rejection is infidelity. is infidelity. Having rejected the truths of God, different unbelievers may afterwards vary as to the systems of falsehood they embrace. Here the ancient pagan and the modern unbeliever differ; but, as the rejection of divine truth constitutes infidelity, the pagans of that age and the unbelievers of this are alike infidels. We proceed, therefore, to notice the contrast described by the inspired writer, between christianity and infidelity,—that is righteousness and light; this, unrighteousness and darkness.

Taking, in the first place, the latter view,

I. Consider the contrast between christianity and infidelity, as the one is light-the other, darkness.

Christianity is light. The nature of natural light is inexplicable. Various theories have been advanced on

though probably with some enlargement; in language it cannot be the same exactly, as, excepting the quotations, it was then an unwritten discourse.

Derby, Nov. 27, 1844.

the nature of light, which, after all, as to any thing like certainty, have left the matter where they found it: but, though the nature of light is unknown, its use is apparent. It is the medium by which objects are presented to the sense of sight, and by which, in many cases, certain knowledge is obtained respecting them. Such being the use and design of light, the word, figuratively employed, means knowledge and wisdom; and, as true wisdom leads to holiness and happiness, both holiness and happiness are occasionally intended by the word light. Especially is the term applied to express divine knowledge. Often, in the sacred volume, that heavenly wisdom, which comes from God, and leads to him, is described as light.Esther viii. 16; Psa. iv. 6, xxvii. 1, xcvii. 11, cxix. 105, 130; Matt. v. 14; Luke xvi. 8; John i. 4, xii. 35; Rom. xiii. 12; 1 John i. 5; Rev. xxii. 5; and often elsewhere.

Christianity is correctly described as light, in consequence of the discoveries which it makes, and the knowledge it imparts, on all those subjects which are, to man, most interesting and most momentous. No knowledge can be so important as that which concerns the great God, in whom we live, and move, and have our being. Christianity represents him as adorable and lovely in the highest degree. He is the Most High, the Lord of heaven and earth. He is the King eternal, immortal, invisible; the only wise God; who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see; to whom belong power and honour everlasting. He is the one Jehovah, and the only true God. He is the Father of mercies, the God of all comfort, and of all grace. He is the Father of the righteous; their Father in heaven. In him ten thousand excellencies and glories are united: and, to sum up, in a few words, all that

should engage man's best affections, 'God is love.' Yet these are but a very few of the many passages in which the sacred christian volume reveals the adorable perfections and infinite grace of the great and blessed God.-Luke vi. 35; Matt. xi. 25; 1 Tim. i. 17, vi. 16; Mark xii. 29; John xvii. 3; 2 Cor. i. 3; 1 Pet. v. 10; Matt. vi. 9; 1 John iv. 16.

With equal plainness christianity reveals to man those truths of which he himself is the subject. That holy system declares, that the whole human race has sunk into a state of sin, condemnation, and ruin; that men are by nature the children of wrath; that, as transgressors of a holy law, they are already condemned; that their whole frame is polluted and defiled by sin; that they are so depraved, that, without a change, wrought by divine power, and great as a second birth, they cannot possibly enter heaven, or ever with comfort see God. At the same time, christianity proclaims, that man possesses an immortal spirit; that the death which awaits every one, is not the extinction of being, but the departure of the deathless spirit from the mortal body, that it may enter on the solemn scenes of an eternal world.

And christianity

lifts up the veil which hides that world, so far as to discover a heavenly rest, prepared for all the children of God; and a prison of dark despair, and everlasting burnings, as the eternal abode of the unrighteous and impenitent.-Rom. iii. 19, v. 12, 18; Eph. ii. 1-3; Gal. iii. 10; Luke xix. 10; Rom. iii. 10-18; 2 Cor. v. John iii. 5-7; Matt. xvi. 26; Luke xii. 4, 5, xvi. 19, &c.; Matt. xxv. 46; Mark ix. 43-48.

14;

To man, thus undone, yet destined to live for ever; a ruined sinner, to whom immortality must appear the most direful curse,-christianity reveals a Saviour, and discovers a way of mercy and salvation. The Saviour, thus displayed, possesses divine per

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