John Elias
Life, Letters and Essays
| Weight | 0.69 kg |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 22.3 × 14.3 × 2.5 cm |
| ISBN | 9780851511740 |
| Binding | Cloth-bound |
| format | Book |
| page-count | 310 |
| Original Pub Date | 1844 |
| Banner Pub Date | Mar 1, 1973 |
Endorsement
In John Elias: Life, Letters and Essays we are confronted with a spiritual giant – a reminder to us that our great God can raise great men for His church from the humblest of circumstances. Letters, essays and biography combine to give a rounded picture of one who was ‘a burning and shining light’. A most important book. Buy it. Read it. You will be spiritually much richer.’ — HYWEL R. JONES
Book Description
North Wales in the early part of the nineteenth century provides a striking instance of the way in which a spiritual revolution can change the whole direction of a people and a society. Equally striking was the agency which brought the prevailing religious indifference and lawlessness to an end: it was the preaching of the gospel by men without position or influence like John Elias (1774-1841), Under the preaching of Elias, the outlook of thousands was permanently changed. They not only heard of the crucifixion of Christ, but felt that they had seen it. ‘I felt’, said one hearer, ‘as if the earth shook for miles around me.’
This account by Edward Morgan traces the life and ministry of Elias from his first religious impressions until the day when 10, 000 attended his funeral in Anglessey, the scene of most of his labours.
Here, in days of revival, forty-four chapels were built in forty years. To Elias’ life and the lessons to be drawn from it are added his letters and other papers originally published as a separate volume. Previously published by the Trust in this form in 1973, the Life, Letters, and Essays of John Elias is now reckoned among Christian classics.
Table of Contents Expand ↓
| Introduction | ix | |
| LIFE | ||
| 1 | Elias’s origin, education and early serious impressions | 3 |
| 2 | Elias becomes more decided – enters the Welsh Methodist Connexion – his public ministry | 16 |
| 3 | Elias at the commencement of his ministry – his desire for learning and knowledge | 30 |
| 4 | Elias’s removal to Anglesey – the state of religion there and the great alteration therein at his departure | 42 |
| 5 | Elias’s marriage – his family – education of his children | 56 |
| 6 | Elias’s difficulties, afflictions and oppositions | 75 |
| 7 | Elias’s ministerial character – his intellectual and delineating powers in preaching | 95 |
| 8 | Illustrations of Elias’s great powers – testimonies to his success | 111 |
| 9 | Of Elias’s zeal in the cause of religion | 132 |
| 10 | Elias’s exertions for the Bible and the London Missionary Societies – Sunday schools – the temperance cause | 147 |
| 11 | Elias’s second marriage – his private character – catholic spirit | 162 |
| 12 | Elias’s declining years and happy end | 175 |
| LETTERS | ||
| To Mrs Elizabeth Elias, his first wife | 187 | |
| To his daughter, Phoebe Elias | 189 | |
| To his children after the death of his first wife | 195 | |
| To his daughter after her marriage | 197 | |
| To his son, John Elias | 204 | |
| To Lady Bulkeley | 216 | |
| To the Rev W. Roberts | 219 | |
| To a sister-in-law | 221 | |
| To Mr Thomas Owen, prisoner in France | 223 | |
| To the Church of God in London | 226 | |
| To Mrs Jones and Mrs Davies, London | 242 | |
| To the Church of God in Liverpool- Mr John Roberts | 245 | |
| To Mr John Jones, a preacher at Liverpool | 253 | |
| To the Rev Henry Rees | 258 | |
| To the Rev Robert Jones, Ty Bwlcyn | 260 | |
| To Mr Daniel Jones, a preacher at Liverpool | 261 | |
| To the Church of God in America | 262 | |
| To the Association at Denbigh | 275 | |
| To the Church in America in 1840 | 278 | |
| To Mrs Jones of Wrexham | 282 | |
| To Miss Rogers, afterwards Mrs Davies, of Carnachen-wen | 296 | |
| To Mrs Foulkes of Machynlleth | 304 | |
| To Mrs Lloyd of Beaumaris | 310 | |
| To Mrs Roberts of Caernarvon | 311 | |
| To W. R. Roberts, Esq, Surgeon of Caernarvon | 313 | |
| To a clergyman | 316 | |
| ESSAYS | ||
| 1 | Thoughts on the Bible | 337 |
| 2 | On the use of reason | 343 |
| 3 | On preaching the gospel | 349 |
| 4 | On the important subject of the ministry | 353 |
| 5 | On hearing the Gospel | 356 |
| 6 | On the moral inability of man | 362 |
| 7 | On the obligations of man | 368 |
| 8 | On government and the sin of despising it | 372 |
| OTHER PAPERS | ||
| 1 | Documents on the better observance of the Sabbath | 381 |
| 2 | Papers showing the loyalty of Elias | 385 |
| 3 | Short account of the death of Mr John Lloyd | 388 |
| 4 | On singing | 392 |
| OBSERVATIONS ON ELIAS’S WRITINGS | ||
| 1 | On the Sabbath | 397 |
| 2 | Justification | 399 |
| 3 | On hardening under religious privileges | 401 |
| 4 | Advantages of the yoke to young people | 404 |
| 5 | A sermon on the death of faithful ministers | 406 |
| 6 | A sermon on the death of King George III | 409 |
| 7 | A sermon on the death of the Duke of York | 411 |
| Index | 413 | |
| Illustrations appear between pages 210 and 211 |
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Matthew Sullivan –
This is a precious book that deserves much more attention than it seems to get. I knew little about the history of Welsh Calvinistic Methodism, only what I read from Lloyd-Jones’ bio, and so it was a delight to learn about John Elias, who seems to be one of the greatest and godliest preachers the UK has ever had. It’s amazing that he is hardly known today. Edward Morgan’s biographical material is very good and gripping, just as edifying, I thought, as Elias’ own content. Morgan not only lays out the facts of Elias’ life, but seems to understand very well the heart of the man and the gospel that shook his hearers. Someone said of Elias’ preaching that they not only heard of the cross, but they even felt it’s power, and for myself anyway, that’s kind of how I felt as I read this book. My heart was genuinely stirred as I read about this man, his piety, his love for Jesus, his zeal for the gospel, his vision of the kingdom, his heart for the church, and his usefulness during times of revival. Few biographies have been as entertaining for myself as this one.
Some “must reads” have been Dallimore on Whitefield, Murray on Lloyd-Jones, Spurgeon’s autobiography, and so on. I would venture to say that The Life, Letters, and Essays of Joh Elias should be on this list as well, especially for those men called to gospel-ministry. There is much encouragement and wisdom to be found here. This man needs to be discovered by our leaders today. Do check it out!
D.W.Miller –
There are always lives of certain men in church history that stand out in a special way. Some are great preachers, some are gifted evangelists, some are scholars in the scriptures. But when all three are combined you have a rare and holy jewel that shines in and for the Kingdom of our Great God and Saviour Jesus Christ in a remarkable way, such was John Elias.
If there is also any man who had the marks of the Holy Spirit upon him even from a young age, years before he was even converted, it was John Elias. It was so refreshing to read of a young boy so brought up in the fear of the Lord one story from the book stayed with me very powerfully of which I will share. I was in my study on a Lords day afternoon reading Elias and I heard the children in the street swearing and cursing, (even at their own parents) and sadly this is normal in our society today. But as I was reading Elias I read that when he was a boy he said; ‘Once I heard a lad swearing (I was not allowed to keep company with such boys). I thought it was splendid of the boy to say such words’. Then Elias went on to say; ‘I went far from all people to the middle of a field to attempt uttering the swear-word. Alas, I said it! Upon which such fear and terror seized me that I thought the earth would open and swallow me to Hell on the spot’. (Pg 6)
How much we need the fear of God such as this in our children in society today! Hearing what we hear in our streets today compared to what we read of Elias is vastly different, Oh how we need the tide to change! If Gods Word teaches us anything it is that we should ‘train up a child in the way that he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it’ (Prov 22:6). The life of John Elias is what I can only describe as a Thrilling Spiritual Journey from his beginnings to his end, every Christian must read it. He went from a God fearing young boy to a fine man of God or as the bible puts it; ‘a burning and shining light’ (John 5:35) describing a man full of the Holy Spirit and preaching the Gospel with power. For the enrichment of your own soul I would recommend the life of Elias over any other in Welsh history and that is quite a statement when we think of the calibur of preachers the country has produced through the centuries, after Elias would be Daniel Rowlands. But that’s another story all together.
God Bless
Joseph Balding –
This is a book that is encouraging, convicting, and will lead you to greater prayer and worship to our Great God who brings revival and changes human hearts.
There were four things I was reminded of when reading the biographical section. First, the observance of the Lord’s Day has a profound impact in one’s growth in holiness as well as the spiritual state of society. Second, early piety leads to great blessing in life and you see this so wonderfully in John’s life. Third, the power of faithful preaching is used by God to bring about revival and transformation in people’s lives. I see this every week in my own particular congregation and pray that God would continue to change people’s lives under the preaching of the word just as it did when Elias preached so long ago. Fourth and finally, the power of a humble and gracious life given in serving one’s family and fellow man. Once you have read this fine work you will see that John Elias was faithful not just in the public ministry but in his own family and to everyone he came in contact with. May God raise up more men like John Elias and may God bring revival at this time just as He did in the UK. I greatly encourage you to read this fine work and be edified.