TO THE REVERED MEMORY OF JOSIAH PRATT, B.D. VICAR OF ST. STEPHEN'S, COLEMAN STREET; WHO, WHILE FAITHFULLY PREACHING THE GOSPEL IN THIS CITY, LARGELY CONTRIBUTED TO ITS PUBLICATION THROUGHOUT THE WORLD;— BY SHARING IN THE COUNSELS AND LABOURS THE BEST ENERGIES OF HIS BODY AND MIND,- WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN GATHERING FROM AMONG THE HEATHEN AFRICANS, HINDOOS, NEW ZEALANDERS, 66 BOND AND FREE," INTO THE CHURCH OF THE REDEEMED. CALLED IN MATURE AGE TO THE PASTORAL SUPERINTENDENCE OF THIS PARISII, HE DEVOTED TO THE FLOCK COMMITTED TO HIS CHARGE HIS RIPER KNOWLEDGE AND ENLARGED EXPERIENCE; MAINLY LABOURING TO KNOW MORE, AND TO TESTIFY MORE, OF "THE UNSEARCHABLE RICHES OF CHRIST.' HIS ENTRANCE INTO THE PARISH WAS QUICKLY FOLLOWED BY THE ESTABLISHMENT FOR THE Relief of tHE AFFLICTED AND DEstitute, HIS SEDULOUS PROMOTION OF WHICH WILL CAUSE HIS MEMORY,— DEAR TO MANY IN DISTANT LANDS,— TO BE ESPECIALLY BLESSED AND HONOURED HERE. HE RESTED FROM HIS LABOURS, OCTOBER 10тн, 1844, THIS RECORD OF AFFECTIONATE RESPECT WAS ERECTED BY THE PARISHIONERS AND OTHER FRIENDS, MDCCCXLVII. CONCLUDING CHAPTER. It is not unusual for Biographers to complete their task, with a general view of the more prominent points in the character of the individual whose life and actions they have been recording. In the present instance, the Editors have preferred embodying every thing which they might wish to say, in the "Memoir" itself: more especially, as they are able to bring forward some very interesting testimonies to the worth of the departed, from abler and more impartial pens than their own; and with these they close their labours, humbly commending them to the heavenly benediction of the Great Head of the Church. The first of these testimonies shall be a Minute adopted by the Committee of the Church Missionary Society. "At the Meeting of the Committee on the 16th instant, the death of the Rev. Josiah Pratt was made known to them in a Letter from his son, stating that it had pleased God, early in the morning of the 10th of October, 'to release his dear and venerable father from his earthly labours and sufferings:" adding, 'He has died profoundly humble in the view of himself and his past valuable life, yet strong in the faith of Christ crucified, and giving glory to God.' The views and feelings of the Committee, on the receipt of this intelligence, are embodied in the following Minute "It is with mingled feelings of sorrow and thankfulness that the Committee record the death of the Rev. Josiah Pratt, Secretary of this Society during twenty-one of its earliest years. While the Committee cannot but sorrow at the removal from the Church below of this eminent servant of Christ, and while they deeply sympathize with his afflicted family on their irreparable loss, they would with thankfulness give glory to God for the abundant grace vouchsafed to him, and for his consequent extensive usefulness in the great cause of Protestant Missions to the heathen. "Called, in the providence of God, to the Secretaryship of this Society at the close of the year 1802-the third year of its existence and holding that office till the beginning of 1824, he devoted himself unsparingly, throughout this extended period, to the advancement of its interests and objects at home and abroad. It was especially through his instrumentality, under the Divine blessing, that the friends of evangelical truth, lay and clerical, were cordially and effectively combined in promoting the furtherance of the Gospel among the heathen, in accordance with the doctrines, constitution, and rites of the Church of which they were attached and zealous members. "At the period at which this Institution was formed, so much had the obligation of every Christian Church to send the Gospel to the heathen been lost sight of, and such was the apathy and misapprehension which, in consequence, very generally prevailed, that it demanded, in no small degree, the union of the wisdom of the serpent with the harmlessness of the dove to place the claims of the new Society on a proper footing, and to guide its early course aright. For this arduous duty the late Mr. Pratt was eminently qualified. He was endowed by nature with a comprehensive mind, solid judgment, and largeness of heart. To these were added, through grace, clear and realizing views of the Gospel of Christ, as a dispensation of free grace and mercy to a world lying in wickedness, through the atonement and righteousness of God's dear Son, and a powerful sense of the obligation to impart the blessing to those who were without Christ in the world. No less was Mr. Pratt distinguished by genuine catholicity of spirit, loving all that loved the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, and by a warm love for souls, which rendered sacrifices and labour to bring them to Christ light and easy. He was also a man of humility and peace; willing himself to be nothing that Christ might be exalted, and, for the very love of peace, following peace with all men. Yet was Mr. Pratt no temporizer, where he believed the truth of God to be at stake. His firmness and decision, where the interests of the Gospel of Christ and of the souls of men were concerned, were not less characteristic than his humility, candour, and charity, on all other occasions. To these qualifications were added habits of business peculiarly suited to his office; and in labours he was abundant and indefatigable. He enjoyed, withal, a cheerfulness of mind and buoyancy of spirits, which, while they lightened his toils, rendered his intercourse peculiarly attractive and instructive to those with whom he was associated in labour. "To the Missionaries and Students of the Society he endeared himself by his wise counsels, his quickening exhortations, and his edifying discourse. "His watchfulness of the movements of Divine Providence, and his faith in following them, were conspicuously displayed in his plans of Missionary operation; while his largeness of view and soundness of judgment enabled him convincingly to develope them in the Committee, and to recommend their adoption with almost invariable success. "Under adverse occurrences, especially with regard to the death of Missionaries and partial failure of undertakings, though he felt deeply, the firmness of his faith and the strength of his natural character sustained him in the stedfast prosecution of plans which had been carefully matured, and committed in humble prayer to the favour and blessing of the Great Head of the Church. 66 6 Having thus honoured the Lord by his consistent walk and abundant labours, he was highly honoured of Him in being permitted to witness the Church Missionary Society, under his guidance, steadily advancing in friends, in pecuniary means, and in varied usefulness. When he entered upon the office of Secretary, no Missionary had been engaged, and no Mission had been commenced. When he retired from his official connection with the Society, its Missions had become widely spread over the Heathen World-its Teachers of all classes had exceeded four hundred-its Scholars had amounted to upward of 13,000-and its income had reached nearly 40,000l. So signally had it pleased God to bless the labours of His servant in surmounting the early difficulties of the Society-in conciliating or disarming those who viewed its formation with jealousy and mistrust-in exciting a Missionary spirit in our Church-and in drawing forth the means of diffusing the glorious Gospel of the blessed God throughout the world.'" 66 The Committee, in the following March, issued an Appeal to the Members of the Church Missionary Society for a Memorial of the late REV. JOSIAH PRATT, B.D., late Secretary of the Society." This Appeal states that "The long and intimate connection of the late Rev. Josiah Pratt with the Church Missionary Society, and the very important services which, through the Divine blessing, he was instrumental in rendering to it, have excited in the minds of the Committee, and of the Members of the Society at large, a desire to express their thankfulness to God for His blessing upon the labours of His servant, and their own affectionate respect for his memory, by permanently connecting his name with some branch of the operations of the Society. After considering different methods of effecting the object, the Committee are of G G |