of Llandowror, an eminent clergyman, and spent some time under his tuition; but how long cannot be ascertained. After he left Mr. Jones, he spent from two to three years in teaching a school in the neighbourhood of Llandowror, during which time he had frequent opportunities of visiting him, and was farther assisted by him in the prosecution of his studies. Mr. Tibbott has been heard to say, that he thought Mr. G. Jones the most pious man he had ever known.

Soon after he began to preach, which was before he completed his twentieth year, his mind was exceedingly exercised with doubts respecting the truth. of Christianity.. He read all the books he could procure on both sides the question; and the writer of this article has heard him say, that he never met with any thing urged in books, as an objection or argument against the Christian religion, which had not previously offered itself to his own mind. The more he read and meditated on the subject, the more he was convinced of the necessity of divine illumination, in order to know the truth. Therefore, it was almost the only thing he desired of the Lord, for a considerable time, that he would not suffer him to remain in an error. When the Lord's time came for his deliverance out of this fiery trial, which continued with more or less violence for the space of twenty years, he enlightened his mind, and discovered to him the great and essential doctrines of Christianity in a very satisfactory manner. They appeared to him so well adapted to display the transcendent glory of God, and, at the same time, to humble the pride of man, that he could no longer doubt their divine origin: and, at the same time, his mind was so sweetly and powerfully inclined to rely on the glorious atonement of Christ, and to commit the concerns of his soul into his almighty hands, that he never after, as far as can be collected, entertained the least doubt of his own interest in him.

The first twenty-five years of his ministry he laboured chiefly among the Welsh Calvinistic Methodists; and was by them appointed to superintend all the societies belonging to their connection in the counties of Montgomery, Mer on th, Carnarvon, and Denbigh. He visited each of them once in three months; and all weighty concerns were brought before him to be decided. During this time, he suffered much persecution in various places. Once, when preaching in Carnarvonshire, a gentleman's servant came up to him with a great cudgel, and struck him

so violently on his forehead, that he fainted, and was very ill for some time. At another time, in the same county, he was apprehended, brought before a magistrate, dealt with as a vagabond, and sent home from constable to constable. On his way, he lodged one night in the prison at Dolgelle: but under all such unkind and cruel usage, he neither reviled nor resented, but manifested an eminent share of a truly apostolic spirit.

He was very intimate with Mr. Howell Harris and Mr. Daniel Rowlands, whose memory is still very dear to many in the principality of Wales. When a separation took place among them, not unlike the rupture between Mr. Whitfield and Mr. Westley, though more on account of discipline than doctrine, it gave Mr. Tibbott, who de lighted so much in peace, inexpressible grief. He continued some time without joining either party; but, at length, he was satisfied in his own mind respecting his own duty. He then wrote to Mr. Harris, and with meek-. ness gave him his reasons for separating from him and his party; and he immediately joined with Mr. Rowlands, and he was in that connection till he was ordained at Llanbrynmair. He was also on intimate terms with Mr. Whitfield; and when he was applied to, in order that he might superintend the societies in North Wales, about the year 1745, Mr. Whitfield was present, and said many things, which greatly encouraged him to engage in the work; particularly these words had great weight on his mind, viz. That he should consider the unanimous call of his brethren as the call of God.

In November, 1762, he succeeded the Rev. Lewis Rees, the father of Dr. Rees, the learned editor of Chambers's Cyclopædia enlarged, and was ordained pastor of the Independent church at Llanbrynmair, where he statedly laboured the remaining years of his life. He discharged the duties of his station with eminent zeal and faithfulness: though during thirty-five years the church was, as may be supposed, in a more flourishing state at some seasons than at others; yet, upon the whole, it may be truly said, that the pleasure of the Lord prospered in his hand. The Lord gave him the wages, which every faithful minister of Christ chiefly desires, even many souls converted to faith and holiness. From the church-register, it appears that, during his ministry there, four hundred and ninety-six were received into church-communion, in the several branches of his congregation: but his labours and usefulness were not Y 2 entirely

entirely confined to his own flock. Every year he made two tours one through the counties of South Wales; and the other through those of North Wales, preaching in all the meeting-houses in his way belonging to dissenters of his own denomination, Methodists and Baptists. When he was young, he always travelled on foot; for he was a most extraordinary walker: he often walked from thirty to forty miles in a day, and preached three times in his progress; and, at the close of his excursion, he has frequently come from Tanybwlch, in Merionethshire, to Llanbrynmair, which is full forty miles, without stopping to take food till he came home.

The last Sabbath he laboured in the Lord's vineyard, which was January 21, 1798, and the eightieth year of his age, he preached twice, and also administered the Lord's supper in two different places. At both he seemed to possess more strength of body and heavenliness of mind than usual. One of his friends observed, that while speaking of Jesus and his sufferings, he seemed almost in Heaven; little thinking that he was indeed so very near it, that he was to drink no more of the fruit of the vine till the day he should drink it new with his dear Lord in the Father's kingdom. On his way home, on Tuesday evening, he preached, for the last time, at a friend's house. He there spoke much of the blessedness of the heavenly state, with uncommon sweetness and enlargement. On Wednesday he came home; and when asked how he was, he replied, "Not very well, though I scarcely feel any pain." On Thursday and Friday he expressed a great desire of being able to preach the following Sabbath; but God had determined otherwise; for on Saturday night he was taken with a violent and excruciating pain in the small of his back, arising as was supposed from the gravel, which continued with very little intermission for seven weeks, when it pleased the Lord to release his dear servant from pain and anguish, and to take him home to himself. During his illness he said little; but seemed now, as at all times, perfectly resigned to the will of his heavenly Father, He intimated sometimes, if that were the divine pleasure, he should like to be spared a little longer, if he might be of some use in the church; and for the greatest part of the time, he had some expectation that he should be restored for a little while; yet he apprehended no danger in death, nor did he entertain the least doubt of an interest in his Redeemer.-About a fortnight before his death, he

desired

desired that all his children might be called to him. When they came, he addressed them all by name, and gave them all a look expressive of a thousand good wishes, and attempted to speak to them; but he was so weak, that nothing could be heard very distinctly; only that he said something of the preciousness of Christ, and the happiness of the heavenly state. He seemed to be in a most comfortable frame of mind, The Saturday night before his death, he spent in extreme pain. About ten o'clock on Lord's Day morning, March 18, 1798, he became quite easy, and desired that some of his friends might be sent for to sing and pray with him. Accordingly three of the elders came and sang two hymns, and two of them prayed. He continued quite easy till one o'clock, when he exchanged the vale of tears for the regions of glory. He was buried on the following Thursday; and the Lord's Day after, a funeral-sermon was preached, by Mr. Roberts, his successor, to a numerous and much affected congregation, from 2 Sam. iii. 38. "And the king said unto his servants, Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?"

From the above narrative of Mr. Tibbott's life, it appears, that though he was received a church member at first among dissenters, yet, during the sixty years of his ministry, he stood connected with two parties: the Calvinistic Methodists and the Independents. Among the former he spent twenty-five years; and among the latter thirty-five. To his honour it is observed, and will be admitted by all who knew him, that in both connections he was eminently laborious, faithful, and useful; and that he had as little of a party-spirit, in the obnoxious acceptation of the term, as any man whatever. In fact, there was in him a wonderful union of genuine candour and the meekness of wisdom, on the one hand; and an impregnable stability and ardent zeal for the importance of the grand truths of the Gospel, on the other. The writer of this article does not recollect ever to have met with a man whose zeal appeared more intense for the essentials of religion, both as to doctrine and experience, or discovered more moderation with respect to smaller matters.

When in the pulpit, especially, he appeared a burning and a shining light. Here he reigned, with uncommon sway, in the affection of his hearers. Seldom, very seldom is there seen in a pulpit such profound reverence of God, such tender, affection to men, and such intrepid opposition to sin. He insisted much on the fundamental doctrines of Christianity:

Christianity such as man's absolute dependence on God; the present depravity of his nature; the glory of the person of Christ; the efficacy of his atonement; and the riches of his grace. His beloved theme was the dignity and glory of Christ as God-man Mediator; and often his views of the subject were uncommonly elevated and grand. His own convictions of the truth were deep and consistent, and, therefore, his reasoning was forcible; while his lively imagination and contemplative turn of mind ransacked the universe for illustrations. He did not deliver the great doctrines of the Gospel in a dry or common-place way, but with much originality, energy, and convincing evidence; using many illustrations and apt similitudes, sometimes plain and familiar, at other times so truly sublime, and often in so alarming and pathetic a manner, as constrained the audience to infer that God was with him. O how have I heard him plead with sinners, describing the worth of time, the certainty of death, the awfulness of judgment and eternity; the evil, the folly, the madness of sin; the necessity of conversion and salvation; the glory of Christ and his work, &c. by such force of reason and power of language, and by such warmth of zeal, that each auditor, who had the smallest grain of sensibility, must conclude that the love of Christ constrained him! He often overlooked the punctilios of formal method; but never lost sight of sound and sanctified reasoning amidst the thunder and lightning of his holy zeal. His preaching, in general, was very close and applicatory. Some of his hearers would say, that he stripped them of all their religion. It was a very rare thing indeed for a Christian to hear him preach and conclude a discourse, without being more confirmed in some fundamental-truth; having more exalted views of Christ's person and work, or feeling a glow of revived affection. At least, this has been always the experience of the writer of these lines, who has frequently heard him at meetings of ministers, and on other occasions.

There were two seasons in which it was the Lord's good pleasure more abundantly to bless Mr. Tibbott's labours at Llanbrynmair. The first was in the year 1778. At that time the heaters increased so abundantly, that it became necessary to enlarge the meeting-house, and many were added to the church; some of whom continue unto this day, ornaments to their Christian profession; and others have died in faith, and now inherit the promises. The other