BAPTIST MAGAZINE. FEBRUARY, 1832. A BRIEF MEMOIR OF THE LATE THE Rev. Isaac Mann was born at Hunmanby, a village in the East Riding of Yorkshire, at nearly an equal distance between Scarborough and Bridlington, on the 23rd of January, 1785. To the latter of those places his father removed not long after his birth, and followed the occupation of a gardener. Of his father, Mr. Mann wrote a memoir some years ago. Of the precise time when Mr. Mann's religious impressions commenced, we have no certain account but it must have been early, as he was baptized and received a member into the church at Bridlington, then and still under the pastoral care of the Rev. Robert Harness,—in the year 1802, when he was only seventeen years of age. In the year 1805 he was called to the work of the ministry, and recommended to the newly-formed Academy at Bradford, where he arrived in the beginning of February, 1806. He useful books, and acquired a considerable share of general knowledge; and, during a residence of nearly four years, he applied himself with exemplary diligence to the acquisition of the learned languages, and other branches of science; also to the lectures on theology, the greater part of which he copied as they were delivered. Though cheerful, his temper was habitually devotional; and the general strain of his conversation such as made those about him wiser and better. His preaching was acceptable, not only in neighbouring congregations, which he occasionally supplied, but in places at a greater distance, which he visited during the vacation, such as Chester and Burslem. Indeed, every thing about him conspired to raise his character and to encourage the expectations of his friends, that he would prove an able minister of Jesus Christ, wherever his lot might be cast. In the early part of his studies, the church at Steeplane, a place about three miles from Halifax, turned their attention to him. There the prospect was far from inviting. The church had been greatly reduced, and was in a divided state. The place in which they met was situate on the side of a bleak mountain, and was in so ruinous a condition as to resemble a hovel rather was the first pupil taken upon the foundation of that Institution, though the Rev. James Viney, now at Beckington, who was supported by a generous individual, had been there a few weeks before himn. At that Seminary he conducted himself than a place of worship. But Mr. in such a way as secured the esteem, Mann did not despise their overnot only of his tutor and fellow-tures. Being sensible that the students, but of all who were ac- prospect of doing good to the souls quainted with him. Prior to his of men, not personal comfort, must coming, he had read a number of be his principal object, he accepted VOL. VII. 3d Series. H their invitation, and was ordained | and consulting his friends, he comas their pastor in the month of plied with the invitation, and reAugust, 1809. Here his labours moved, with his family, to London, in the following autumn. This was by far his most important station; and he filled it with distinguished honour to himself, and greatly to the advantage of the people of his charge, till the Great Head of the church in his wise, though mysterious providence, saw fit to terminate his valuable labours. were great, not only in the stated place of worship, but in several surrounding places, where, on account of the large, though scattered, population, he had frequent opportunities of preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ. Nor were his labours unsuccessful; sinners were converted, and the church was increased. But in the course of two The repeated removals of Mr. or three years, his situation became Mann may be thought, by some, to uncomfortable,—some discord still operate to his disadvantage. This remained in the church; the bleak- unfavourable impression will subside ness of his residence ill agreed with when it is recollected that they were the health of his wife; and the not the result of instability or caprospect of rebuilding the place of price, but of his decided conviction worship utterly failed. He there- that they were such as would confore conceived it to be his duty to tribute to the more effectually proremove; and, in the spring of the moting the interests of Christ. Hence, year 1812, accepted an invitation though in every removal the church from the church at Burslem, in which he left greatly regretted their Staffordshire, to become co-pastor loss, yet they ceased not to esteem him with Mr. Thomas Thompson, who, as a faithful minister of the Gospel. but a few years before, had been The late judicious Mr. Sutcliff, in a the chief instrument of raising the conversation with the writer of this church, but was then so much en-article, observed that he did not gaged in business as to need a col- indiscriminately censure the removal league in the work of the ministry. of ministers, "On the contrary Here he laboured with diligence for about two years, and then removed to Shipley, a village three miles from Bradford, in Yorkshire. In this place his sphere of action was considerably enlarged, and his usefulness greatly increased. He was much beloved by his people, and respected by the ministers and churches in the surrounding neighbourhood; nor had he, we have reason to think, any other idea than that of spending there the remainder of his days, till the summer of the year 1826, when the church at Maze Pond, being in a destitute state, requested him to pay them a visit. With this request he complied; and having spent some sabbaths amongst them, received a pressing invitation to become their pastor. After due consideration, (says he), I wish we had more removals among us, provided they were judiciously adjusted. Then the place left will prove to have been a training for the next. Without such removals, our most important stations must be filled with young and inexperienced men : and, on the other hand, men of superior talents and improved ex perience, will be retained in situations of less importance, to which ministers of inferior abilities would be fully adequate." These observations were fully exemplified in the removals of Mr. Mann. Each place prepared him for that which followed, and all for Maze Pond, incomparably the most important he was called to fill. Fully aware of this, he addressed himself to his work with redoubled activity. He was occupied not only in | the stated services of his own church, but availed himself of every other opportunity of preaching the Gospel. In the morning and evening of Lord's days he engaged at various lectures in the city, so that not unfrequently he preached four times on the sabbath, besides several evenings in the week. Nor were his pulpit exercises confined to the city and its immediate vicinity, but extended to a considerable distance, when ordinations of ministers, missionary meetings, annual sermons, or other public occasions called for them. In support of the Baptist Mission, he took several journeys to the very extremities of the kingdom. As he had an extensive acquaintance with the ministers and churches of his own denomination the nation through, he laboured with assiduity to promote their interests. To the application from ministers in needy circumstances, he paid prompt and cheerful attention, and never failed to use his influence with his wealthier friends on their behalf. Nor was he less ready to assist young ministers and students, by presenting them with books. Newly-raised churches experienced the benefit of his fostering care; and those which were under the necessity of erecting places of worship, the expence of which they were unable to defray, never failed to receive his assistance. Few men were more qualified for such extensive exertions ; and for the latter years of his life, more favourably situated for carrying them into effect; and few men have risen up, whose death will be so sensibly felt. Nor were Mr. Mann's exertions confined to his own denomination. Though a Baptist from conviction, he was a warm friend to all who loved our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. He cheerfully rendered them all the assistance in his power, and on public occasions was not unfrequently employed by them. But Mr. Mann's efforts extended beyond the pulpit; though preaching was his principal, it was not his only employ. He encouraged all schemes of christian benevolence which had for their object either the temporal or the spirifual advantage of mankind. He assisted at their meetings, in obtaining pecuniary resources, and in every way within his reach aided in carrying their designs into effect. One of the projects which lay near his heart, but which he lived to see but partially accomplished, was the establishment of a school for the education of the children of the poorer ministers of his own denomination. In friendly and pastoral visits he was no way deficient, and in the joys and sorrows of his christian friends he deeply sympathized. For the social circle he was eminently fitted, his entrance was hailed by his friends, and his departure was matter of regret. He was much interested in the prosperity of the seminaries for the education of ministers among protestant dissenters, particularly in that of Bradford Academy, where he had received his own education: its interests he never lost sight of; and from the day he left it, until the day of his death, when resident in the country, and after his removal to the metropolis, never ceased to exert himself on its behalf. The tutors, the committee, the students, indeed all the friends of that Institution, have long been sensible of their obligations to him, for the very efficient services he has rendered it, and are greatly affected with the loss it has sustained by his death. He kept up an extensive epistolary correspondence; nor are the publications he has sent into the world to be passed by unnoticed; for though they may not entitle him to any great degree of literary fame, they cannot be read by the pious mind without imparting instruction and advantage. Amongst these, his Charges to minis- | years in which we enjoyed his labours. ters, at their ordinations, and the Nor is it needful to tell you with what Sermon addressed to the students of vigour, affection, fidelity, and discretion, the Bradford Academy, in the month he exercised his ministry among us. of August, 1829, are some of the most useful, and are earnestly recommended to the repeated perusal of those for whose benefit they were especially designed. 1 cannot communicate much to you about the last days of our beloved pastor, because the prohibition of his doctor, and my own indisposition, prevented me or any other person from seeing much of him. During his illness he had much interesting conversation with his medical at fessionally and personally, a great regard, Mr. Mann's labours at Maze Pond were attended with much success. The church was increased; its mem-tendant, for whom he entertained, probers were united; their usefulness in public exertions augmented, and the congregation greatly enlarged,-so much so, that the friends of the interest had, for some time previous to his death, serious thoughts of enlarging their place of worship. But, alas! how soon and how unexpectedly were their prospects blighted! On Thursday, December 22, he complained to his friends of slight indisposition, and on the morrow became seriously ill. Medical assistance was called in, and for a time promised to be successful. On the following Monday, his disorder became more severe, on the next day he revived and exhibited symptoms of convalescence; but on the Friday evening his disorder returned with increased violence, baffled the efforts of his medical attendants, and precluded all hope of his recovery. Through his illness Mr. Mann's mind was composed and tranquil. The truths he had preached afforded him adequate support, and his desire of recovery arose from his concern for his family, and his hope of being further serviceable to the church of God. But as a paper put into the hands of the writer, by one of his friends, will afford the fullest exhibition of the state of his mind, it is here inserted. the tenour of which evinced the warm interest that he took in the church of Christ at large, and the general knowledge that he possessed on all points connected with the ministers and churches of his own denomination. At the commencement of his illness, his first concern was, to provide for the fulfilment of all the benevolent pledges he had given to further the in terests of some of his ministerial brethren in the country: indeed, this was one of the ruling passions strong upon him within a few hours of his death; for he exact ed a promise from a friend with him, to use every exertion in favour of a brother minister from whom he had heard during his illness. He never was remarkable for evincing that fervour of assurance avowed by some professors, which seems to leave little for the morning of the resurrection to unfold to the spirit of the Christian; but that vigorous faith in the all-sufficiency of the work of Christ to redeem the penitent sinner, and which can hold the soul in perfect calmness, never forsook him, but retained its full force during his struggle with pain and disease. The nature of his disorder, when in its most acute stages, prevented him from speaking much; and the pain he suffered was violent and unremitting: but his patience, as under the hand of God, was most exemplary, while his desire for prolonged usefulness seemed to induce a tenacity to life. About the middle of the week in which he died, his disease yielded in a very encouraging degree, to the course of treatment adopted, when he said to a friend, "Oh! how comfortable I am! Christ and the truths I have preached to others are member of which he begged that his love might be expressed, entreating that they would live up to their profession; and that, using well all their religious privileges, they might increase in numbers and spiritual prosperity; enjoining on them continued confidence in the deacons of the church, and trusting that they would give the supplies who might be provided, a fair hearing, and that they would cultivate an affectionate regard for other churches. He then expressed a warm interest for the prosperity of that denomination in the Christian church with which he had been connected, and spoke in affectionate terms of many of his brethren by name. After lying still for about half an hour, he requested to be lifted up, and moved in his Mr. Mann died on Saturday, December, 31, 1831, in the 47th year of his age, leaving a widow and four children to deplore his loss. On Monday, January 9, his remains were deposited in a vault beneath the Meeting-house, and nearly now my support and consolation." Though perfectly aware of the critical state he was in, he seemed to think, even till within two hours of his death, that his strength would overcome the disease, and talked of the hope he entertained that, "God had more work for him to do yet at Maze Pond! The faculties of his mind, and even the strength of his voice (though the labour of breathing prevented his talking much,) continued unimpaired till within a few minutes of his death. When asked, whether he found the basis of his hope sufficient to sustain his mind in the prospect of death, he exclaimed, "Oh! yes, I cannot doubt the efficacy of the Saviour's atonement, though it seems to me a miracle that such a sinner as I am should have found mercy." It was sug-bed, and as he sat up, and took some regested to him that he had not spent his freshment, "Maze Pond," were the last strength in vain, but having found Christ words on his lips, after which he reclined himself, had earnestly laboured, and not gently upon his pillow, and, in a few miwithout success, to bring others to the nutes, slept in Jesus! Saviour; he said, "God granted me an humble order of talent, and if he has blessed it for usefulness it has been because I exercised it honestly, declaring the whole counsel of God!" Whenever the friend by his bed-side touched those chords of consolation with which the Scriptures and our Sacred Songs abound, they seem-under the pulpit from which he had, ed to vibrate through his soul, and he finished every sentence and verse that was begun. "When thou passest through the waters 1 will be with thee, and the rivers shall not overflow thee," &c. "To him that overcometh, will I give to eat of the tree of life," &c. When a female member of the church, who had arrived to sit up through the night, was introduced to him, he said he was glad to see her, but she must not speak to him. About two hours before his death, when left alone with one of the friends who sat up with him, who had the painful task of telling him that he feared his hour was approaching, and was anxious to know if he had any wishes to express, he very calmly gave some directions about his family affairs, and then added, “that if he should not be raised up for further usefulness in the church of Christ, his last feelings were those of affection and interest for the welfare of his flock, to every with much pleasure to himself, and profit to others, dispensed the truths of the glorious Gospel of the blessed God. The place of worship was crowded to excess, and numbers were unable to gain admission. Ministers of every denomination were present. The Rev. John Dyer engaged in vered an address, which made a deep prayer; the Rev. Isaiah Birt deliimpression on the crowded auditory*, and the Rev. George Collison, of Hackney, concluded the mournful solemnities in prayer. On the following sabbath the writer attempted to improve the solemn providence from Rev. i. part of the 17th and the 18th verses; when from the vacated pulpit he addressed a crowded and deeplyinterested audience. * See the following paper. |