John Elias — Life and Letters by Edward Morgan. Banner of Truth Trust.
Price £2.10. 412pp.
The first 184 pages of this attractively produced volume contain the life of John Elias, a noted Welsh preacher. John Elias was born in 1774 and died in 1841 in the 47th year of his ministry and the 68th year of his life. In a land noted for eminent preachers such as Daniel Rowland and Howell Harris, Elias was himself in the first rank. He belonged to the Welsh Calvinistic Methodists and laboured first in Caernarvonshire, his home county. When 22 years of age he removed to Anglesey and was instrumental in the Lord’s hand through his preaching in transforming Anglesey from its spiritually desolate condition to a prosperous and flourishing state.
Elias’ preaching was powerful and weighty as the following incidents show. In one place he was preaching in such a descriptive and terrific manner on hell torments that the people were panic-struck, and thought that they were on the point of going there; one man cried out in his distress, ‘O that I could hear Richardson of Caernarvon (a very evangelical preacher) but for five minutes’. Another time preaching on the text “That at that time ye were without Christ,” there was a feeling of tremendous awe in the hearer’s hearts as he described man’s wretched condition without Christ. Many were terrified and pale with fear. Elias himself was under the most intense feelings, and could not forbear from tears. “Oh! Oh!” he cried, “the wretchedness of those without Christ! They are naked without clothing! sick without a physician! famishing without the bread of life! guilty without righteousness! unclean without a fountain! lost without a Saviour! damned without atonement!”
The remaining 228 pages of the book are taken up with letters, essays and other papers, and also observations on Elias’ writings — all material of a spiritually edifying nature.
Elias took a deep interest in the British and Foreign Bible Society which was founded in 1804 and assisted Mr Thomas Charles of Bala in establishing Auxiliaries and Branches of the Society in Wales. After the death of Mr Charles he took the lead in North Wales in the affairs of the society. In 1831 when the Trinitarian Bible Society separated from the main body, Elias did not see his way to join the new Society but continued to support the larger body. Consequently support in Wales continued at that time with the British and Foreign Bible Society.
We gladly recommend this book to readers of the Magazine and trust that the reminder it gives of better days may prove an encouragement in such a dark day as ours.
D.B.M.