Obrazy na stronie
PDF
ePub
[merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small]

IF thou haft read the wonders of divine providence and grace, as difplayed in the prefervation and conversion of the Rev. James Barry, as recorded in his treatise, called "A Cordial for Sin-defpairing Souls," lately revised by me, I have no doubt but thou haft heard that fome graceless profeffors, being ftrangers to the experience of a spiritual birth, and confequently unacquainted with that tender care and kind providence which our heavenly Father manifefts towards his own elected family, in preferving them in Chrift Jefus, calling them, and keeping them by his mighty power through faith to falvation, have gone fo far, in imitation of their father the devil, as to give the whole teftimony' the lie.

...

No fooner had this report of Satan gone forth from the mouth of his children, but I received information by Mr. Lee, hair-dreffer, at Homerton, that the Rev. James Barry, author of the above narrative, has a daughter now living at Hackney in Middlesex; and having heard of my revising her father's work, (which fhe had long wifhed to fee), defired to fee me.

On Thursday, January 22d, 1789, in company with Sir John Brayne, of Lambeth, Mr. Terry, Mr. Davidson, Mr. Beft, of Covent Garden, Captain Duckett, of Wells Street, and Mr. Lee, of Homerton, I visited the old lady. Her husband's name is Wilfon; he is a comb-maker: they keep a toy and earthen-ware fhop, opposite Hackney church.

The venerable old gentlewoman informed me that he wanted but two months of 88 years of age, yet in tolerable health; and, were it not for a paralytic stroke that she had fuftained, she is remarkably active and fprightly; and her intellects and memory are wonderful. She is comfortably fituated; is married to a God-fearing man, who is a kind, indulgent husband, in whose praise fhe fpake very highly, which is not very common, especially while the husband liveth. She informed me that she was allowed, by fome judges of family likeneffes, to be the very picture of her deceased father, more fo than any other child he had. Which I have no doubt of, as I think there is not

a little

1

a little of the father's quickness, sharpness, and humour, apparent in the daughter.

[ocr errors]

She told me that her father was born in Ireland in the year 1641, the fame year in which the Irish maffacre began. In that dreadful time it was that his nurse threw him out in the fnow, fearing the should lose her life for nurfing a heretic's child; as is recorded in his narrative. He was called to the public miniftry in Dublin, where he laboured with great fuccefs, which made him the butt of popish rage; on which account, his friends advised him to leave the country, but he refused, saying, God had called him to the work, and would defend him in it. After fuffering great perfecutions, which grew fo hot, that Lord Tyrc-n-l, a papist, offered one hundred pounds for his head, to any of his foldiers, who fhould take him alive or dead. By the preffing advice of many friends he was prevailed upon, much against his own inclination, to be put into a coach, in what was then called a woman's riding-hood, and was taken to the water fide, but on the road was stopped by fome of the foldiers that were after him; who looking into the coach, and hearing him groan as if fick, fwore there was nothing but an old fick woman, and fo left him.

He was got on board a veffel which his friends. had provided for him, and brought over to England. His family foon after following him.

She

She informed me, that leaving his flock in Ire land, was matter of great grief to him. He was fo fond of them, that he kept a lift of his members in his family bible to his death.

He was chofen paftor of a church in Panter's Rents, near Stepney. Soon after which, a Mr. Barry, a hop-merchant, a firft-coufin, and a member of his church in Ireland, came to England after him, and lived at Clapham for many years.

At Stepney he continued for many years, and in great esteem with his people: but owing to indifpofition of body, he begged his difmiffion of them, in order to take charge of a church at Croydon in Surrey, for the benefit of his health: on which account it was granted him.

During his ftay at Croydon, he married a Mifs Glover, of fome finall fortune, who was a member of his church, and it is thought one of his daughters in the faith; a young woman, about half the age of himself, by whom he had many children: the daughter, now living is one of them.

[ocr errors]

The eftate he was heir to was 800l. per annum. But as he had turned his back on the church of England, and gone over to the church of God, his father thought proper to cut him off: for he was obliged to be difobedient to the bishop of Dublin, in order to obey the Chief Shepherd and Bishop of Souls. His eftate was left by his father to a half-brother, who once came over to fee our author

I

« PoprzedniaDalej »