A MEMORIAL OF THE LOVING-KINDNESSES, TENDER MERCIES, OF THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL, MANIFESTED, BOTH IN PROVIDENCE AND GRACE, TOWARDS ARTHUR TRIGGS, MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL, TRINITY CHAPEL, PLYMOUTH. "But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound Rom. "For the children being not yet born, neither having evil. "The election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded."-Rom. xi. 7. LONDON: R. GROOMBRIDGE, PANYER ALLEY, PATERNOSTER ROW. SOLD ALSO AT 16, MORLEY-STREET, PLYMOUTH; AND BY 1838. 531. PREFACE. COURTEOUS READER. "By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, in whom all have sinned," Rom. v. 12. The Lord hath said, "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God," Rom. iii. 23. “All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field," Isa.xl.6. "Verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity," Ps. xxxix. 5. All that can be said of man, is clearly set forth by the Lord in his most holy word, wherein it is written, that men, in their fallen state, "walk in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: who being past feeling, have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness," Eph. iv. 17-19. As this is true of man as a sinner, I write not to fill the following pages with the acts or deeds of a creature which all end in death; but to state in truth a few of the dealings of my covenant God towards me, a rebellious sinner. I trust it is with an eye to the honour and glory of my gracious God, that I am thus induced to write of the good will of the dwellers in the bush (Deut. xxxiii. 16); for there is no subject so sweet and blessed to write of and to meditate upon, as the exceeding riches of Jehovah's grace, in his kindness towards us, known and experienced in the heart, through Christ Jesus (Eph. ii. 7). It gives me pleasure to relate the mercies, rich and free, which were manifested from the Lord unto me, when I was ignorant of God and truth; because I do now rejoice in the belief, that they flowed to me from the free, unmerited love of the Lord, as I then stood in the blessedness of election, and secret grace union to and with my most glorious Christ, who saith, "All that the Father hath given me shall come to me; and him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out," John vi. 37. There will not be found in this my simple narrative any enticing words of man's wisdom, or excellency of speech, which please the learned, and gratify the natural mind; but being a plain man, I use great plainness of speech, and though my language be rude yet I trust such of my readers will understand it, who are, like myself, fools for Christ's sake, that in oneness of heart we may rejoice in the Lord, and bless his name that he hath promised concerning us, "The wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err," Isa. xxxv..8. Again, "I will instruct thee, and teach thee in the way thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye," Ps. xxxii. 8. I shall, first, relate the Lord's goodness and mercy towards me, from my birth, through all the days of my unregeneracy, when I was dead in trespasses and sins. Eph. ii. 1. Secondly, the effectual calling of the Lord, who called me out of darkness into his marvellous light. 1 Peter ii. 9. Thirdly, the Lord's calling me to preach his holy gospel, with an account of the opposition I met with, the success the Lord gave me, and also of the Lord's tender mercies mani fested towards me and my family, in feeding me all my life long, preserving me from all evil, teaching me to trust in him for all things B |