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| This the portrait held by the National Library in Aberystwyth |
Thomas Lewis Memoir Part 1e (last)
Tuesday 22nd, towards evening, he was attacked with a bilious fever. Until the afternoon, he was as usual. He had been in town in the morning on business and, around noon, I spent an hour or two in his company as usual. I found him as free and cheerful as ever. But as night came on, he took sick and his pain became gradually worse through to the end. He suffered tranquilly and submissively, albeit realising that he would never again come down. And when alone he was heard praying "O Lord, thou hast supported me in affliction many times, support me now". On one of these days, he said to his beloved partner, the one he was about to leave to the care of a kind providence, that he wished that there should be nothing written on his gravestone but his name, his age, his time of death, together with that short passage relating to his always favourite theme, the resurrection, And I will raise him up at the last day. It can be said of Mr Thomas, as has been said of the learned Dr Knapp, of Halle, that he requested, with that genuine modesty for which he was always distinguished, that there should be nothing said in the public notices of his death to his honour and that it shouold only be witnessed of him that he lived by faith in the words I know that my Redeemer lives.
Monday 28th, between four and five O'Clock in the afternoon, his happy soul departed in peace and entered into the eternal presence where there is fullness of joy and pleasure forevermore. The following Monday, that is the fifth of December, was a solemn day. A large number of friends, besides those who had been invited, met before the house to testify their love and attachment to the departed. The procession was formed two and two, and foremosr was the "old vicar", who, though a clergyman, entered the Baptist Chapel, attended the service, and was seen, an old man of 85, at the grave of his departed friend. They were real friends and had spent nearly half a century together in the same town. I have never before attended a funeral where there was to be witnessed so much real grief. Everything seemed to testify to the high esteem that Micah Thomas knew. By his death a loss was sustained that could not easily be repaired. He died in the 75th year og his age, the 56th year of his ministry and the 47th of his pastorate in the town of Abergavenny. His memory is fragrant.
Three verses follow to end the article.
Thomas Lewis Memoir Part 1d
After several years of much labour and perseverance, attended with their certain - though often apparently dilatory - reward, Mr Thomas was called to suffer most acutely both in body and in mind. In 1827, a painful division took place in his church which resulted in the formation of a second Baptist church in the town, one that continues to this day. And in the following year he had to undergo another kind of suffering which was not less tolerable. Mr Thomas wrote of it like this "From the 18th of Feby till the 22nd of March I was from home in London undergoing a great & severe operation, viz, the removal of a Tumour weighing Six Pounds & one ounce from my left knee". When Mr Thomas returned to his much loved work and people, he did so with a deeper sense of the mortality of man than ever, as well as with a heart full of thankfulness - as appears from the texts he preached from at the time. See 1 Corinthians 15:31 and Psalm 92:1, 2.
In 1836, Mr Thomas's connection with the college came to a close, mainly because of his health which had become so precarious as to prove a serious inconvenience.
In 1845, under June 1, after preaching from 1 Peter 2:24, Mr Thomas writes "This was the last sermon preached for fifteen weeks, the longest time without preaching in 43 years. The most dire attack and scene of personal affliction prevented my engaging in my long accustomed work for so many weeks. My recovery was the wonder of all around me. Bless the Lord, O my soul! Psalm 103:1-5." And at the end of the same year he notes "Thus ends another in the summer of which the writer was wonderfully restored to health." It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not Lam 3:22.
Mr Thomas' final years were spent in comparative privacy. In 1843, however, he preached the annual sermon in connection with the college where he had been president; and in 1846 he did the same on behalf of the college where he had been a student. He spent the evening of his life in the serving of his own flock; and in the very midst of his work, and with unimpaired mental abilities he was taken to his reward. Only one Sabbath intervened between his occupancy of the pulpit and his departure, and on the Monday evening preceding hsifatal attack he led the devotions of his people in their socil meeting for prayer.
What an unusually solemn day it would have been on the 20th of November, 1853, for the worshippers in Frogmore Street, had they known that that Sunday was the last for them to see their beloved pastor, who had ministered to them in holy thinhs for nearly 47 years in their pulpit! Had some friendly angel gently whispered this much to them that morning - would not they have looked downcast! Solemn! Yea woukd they not have been all attention while the servant of God was addressing them for the lat time, as his feet stood on the edge of that river which he was about to cross?
Few, perhaps if any, thought, when he read his text that evening, that that was the las, and indeed there was something solemn and appropriate in the verse taken, Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Rev 3:11. Mr Thomas preached that evening with unusual energy and effect. The vigour of youth and the mellow piety of old age had met so that his soul was most happy in his work. That service being over, his work on earth was done!
Thomas Lewis Memoir Part 1c
In the year 1812 we meet with the following remark from Mr Thomas in his notebook - "For six weeks after the 10th of May I did not preach at all being much indisposed in my body. During this period the excellt. Mr. Fuller paid us a visit. He preached in our place May 31st at 11 o'clock, forenoon. His text was Ps. 86.17 Shew me a token for good."
June 1st, he preached in Trosnant at 2.30 pm from Acts 12.24; June 3rd, he preached at the Association at Hengoed from Isaiah 9.7 the last clause; June 4th, he preached at Zion Chapel Merthyr at 6 o'clock in the evening from John 3.35; June 7th, he preached in the Back-lane meeting house at Swansea at 3 o'clock from John 17.20, 21; June 8th, he preached at Carmarthen in the Tabernacle at 7 o'clock from Phil. 3.8; June 10th, he preached at the Association at Cwm Felin Monach (Cwmfelin Mynach) in Carmarthenshire from John 17.(20), 21. Afterwards he returned to Bristol. June 21st, returned to my work and preached in Abergavenny."
For many years Mr Thomas and the church met in the old building in Heol Tydur, which belongs to the Welsh Brthren of Llanwenarth, but with the increase of the church and the hearers growing, they had to look for a more spacious and convenient place. As a consequence they built a bigger place of worship; this one had a gallery and there was also a vestry and a burial ground at the back. The building stands at the bottom of Frogmore Street. The foundation stone was laid by Mr Thomas himself on July 6th, 1815. The building, an oblong square, measures 60 feet in length and in 36 feet in width and is big enough to take comfortably 500 or 600 people. A Sunday School was established at the same time and it still co-exists and co-operates with the church.
March 17, 1815, Mr Thomas preached his last sermon in the old building from Isaiah 53:10 and at the end of the service excitedly said this "I hope it is the prosperity of God's good pleasure in the hand of Christ that has rendered it needful for us to erect a larger place than this in which now for the last time we meet. The prophet says in the next chapter viz Isa 54.1-4 Enlarge your tent, etc. Permit me to run over just some of the circumstances with regard to the cause amongst us since the 8th of January, 1807, when I preached for the first time in this pulpit, down to the present time, that is 17th of March, 1816; and is it arrogant for me to say surely the pleasure of the Lord has prospered in the hand of Christ here? May it be made to prosper among our brethren that will continue to worship here from Sabbath to Sabbath. And may it increasingly prosper among us in the laceto which we go." March 24th, Mr Thomas preached his first sermon in the new building from 1 Kings 9:3; this was an appropriate text. And the Lord said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.
Thomas Lewis Memoir Part 1b
We are now come down so far in our journey of Mr Thomas's life to the point where we find him as a young man, 17 years old, under the yoke of Christ, which yoke he never threw off but faithfully and steadily bore, till his master called him to his reward. Soon after his baptism, the brotherhood in Penygarn began to think and talk of their young brother as one of a very promising character and they called him without delay to exercise his gifts in preaching the gospel of salvation. So when he was eighteen and a half years old Mr Thomas began to evangelise, first in the church where he was a member, and after this in other places, where he was requested to go. Having thus been employed for about three and a half years he "went to the Bristol Academy (under the suoerintendence of Rev John Ryland DD) on the 19th of the month of February, 1801." being that very day 23 years old. During the year and a half Mr Thomas was in Bristol, he was supported by the London Fund; and as every young man should he improved to his best advantagethe precious months allotted to him at that eminent seminary. Dr Ryland and Mr Thomas were of congenial dispositons and though his stay there was brief, the friendly union formed between there ripened into a friendship terminated only by death of the former and which doubtless has been renewed by the removal of the latter to the society of the blessed.
When he was in Bristol Mr Thomas used often to preach in Ryeford, as well as other churches and preaching places around. It can be seen from his own notebook that he first preached there on Christmas Day 1801 and his text was Luke 18:10 For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which is lost; and at 6 O'Clock he preached on Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect; for all his ways are judgement, a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he. The church at Ryeford, being very urgent in their solicitations, that Mr Thomas should settle among them as their pastor prevailed - undoubtedly to his disadvantage; he, therefore, after due deliberation, accepted the invitation in June, 1802. Mr Thomas was ordained, as we find it in his own papers, "was ordained as minister of the Baptist C|hurch in Ryeford, near Ross, in the county of Hereford, September 29, 1802". The ordination involved the following - Mr J Watkins, Capel Y Ffin, began by reading 1 Timothy 3 then prayed; Mr H Williams of Cheltenham introduced the service (or gave the introductoy address) and received the confession of faith; Dr Ryland offered the ordination prayer and preached the charge from John 12:26; Mr J Rowland of Pershore preached to the church from Deuteronomy 1:38 Encourage him. Mr J Bradley of Coleford closed in prayer and the hymns were announced by Mr J Horlick of Ruardean.
January 21st "Mr Thomas was married to Sophia Wall of Ross" in whom he found an excellent partner over many years. Respecting here we have the following record in his own hand "Mrs Thomas was born August 9th, 1755; baptised at Ryeford August 27th, 1786 by the Rev. James Williams minister of the place and most tranquily died at five o'clock in the afternoon of April 21st 1829 aged 73 years, eight months, 12 days. She and I were married 24 years and three months to this day, Abergavenny, April 2nd, 1829."
He ministred with honou, diligence and success in Ryeford for about five years. January 4th, 1807, Mr Thomas preached his last sermon there from 2 Chronicles 15:2 and moved to the town of Abergavenny. There he commenced an English language church in the old meeting house in Heol Tydur and established the academy which has been productive of so much good in Wales. When Mr Thomas was in Ryeford, it seems, he was in the habit of visiting Abergavenny from time to time and made a most intimate acquaintance with the family of Mr John Harris of Govilon. Mr Harris, though not yet a member at this time was every ready and cheerful whenever he had opportunity, to do something for the cause of Jesus Christ. Mrs Harris, however, was a Baptist, an intelligent and superior woman. And it appears to me that this family under the hand of the great providence of heaven were the chief influence that drew Mr Thomas to Abergavenny. I also heard that Dr Ryland had some hand in the work; he had commended him to the attention of certain Baptists and Baptist ministers as a young man who possessed the ability and fitness to make a big impact on the country of his birth by training young preachers for the Baptist churches in the Principality. Whatever the case, Mr Thomas settled in Abergavenny in January, 1807, as a minister and a teacher.
Thomas Lewis Memoir Part 1a
In 1855 a five part memoir of Micah Thomas appeared in the Welsh language periodical Seren Gomer by Thomas Lewis Llaneddewi. It begins with an English epigram and then is in Welsh. I translated the Welsh to english then checked it with Lewis's own original English version. It begins
"'Biography is a feeble struggle with death.' Such was the remark of the late Dr. Hamilton, of Leeds. It is full of beauty and pathos, It pictures to the mind's eye a bereaved one, sensible of the loss he has sustained, bending over the grave of a valued friend, as if he would do battle with the last enemy and pluck from the ruthless aggressor's grasp all that can possibly be rescued .of the precious prize that he has been permitted to sieze."
Micah Thomas, son of Joshua and Mary Thomas, was born on the 19th of February in the year 1778 in the parish of Whits[t]on in the county of Monmouth. His parents were farmers and also were religious. His father, most likely his mother too, belonged to the Independents in New Inn and was considered to be a very superior man. When the subject of this memoir was still a child his parents moved from Whitson and established themselves for some time in a place by the name of Pentopyn, in the parish of Llandegveth and thence they moved to a farm called Tŷ-yn-y caeau (House in the fields) in Llangibi on the edge of Llanbadoc, and about a mile and a half from the place where the Baptist Chapel of the Glascoed meeting now stands. While he was still young, Mr Thomas was sent to the school which was kept by Rev Mr Morgan, inbcumbent of Tredunnock. He continued with him for many years. About this time we have something of the future man coming into view for is it said by one who was an acquaintance of his at this time that he was a very pious young man. "He had a great desire to read and study and to that purpose he sought and loved retirement." He was not afraid, sometimes, to reprimand his fellow-school pupils for their sins, speaking to them about the dreadful end of the ungodly and in after years Mr Thomas might have exclaimed
When I was yet a child, no childish play
To me was pleasing; all my mind was set
Serious to learn and know, and thence to do
What might be public good. Myself, I thought,
Born to that end, born to promote all truth,
All righteous things! MILTON
His retired habits, in the time under review, so interfered with his secular avocations, after his return from school, that it was determined upon, to prolong his period of education. In the opinion of his parents and friends they would probably never make a farmer of him and so they resolved to encourage him in his favourite pursuits. They sent him, therfore, to another school that was kept in Trosnant, near Pontypool, by Rev Evan Davies, curate in Trevethin. About this time Mr Thomas made a public confession of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Glasgoed was a branch of Penuel, Llangwm at this time but some of the members of Penygarn were in the area. These brothers would meet to praise God in a private home, near the spot where the Baptist Chapel is now. In this house there lived one Joseph Wroth with his wife and three daughters, and they were all Baptists. This family was, please note, descended (and the last to bear the name in this area) from the celebrated Mr Wroth, vicar of Llanfaches, who can be called the father of Nonconformity in Wales.
Mr Thomas (for what reason I have not been able to ascertain, nor is it of much importance) turned his face to Penygarn and not to Penuel. He gratefully records that he "was baptised on profession of repentance and faith in Glascoed on Whit Monday 1795 and at the age of 17 on the 19th of February; joined the Penygarn church, which was, at this time, under the pastoral care of the Rev. John Evans who shortly after went to America." ....
Memoir by John Jenkyn Brown Part 3
The life of a tutor and pastor in a secluded town furnishes few incidents for the biographer to record. Over the college which he was the means of founding he presided for nearly thirty years. It experienced many vicissitudes and discouragements but he faltered not in his course until in 1836 declining health led him to resign other hands that office which he had so long and worthily filled. In the course of his presidency upwards of eighty young men were under his instruction for the Christian ministry and not a few remain to attest their esteem and regard for the tutor and their affection for the man and the Christian.
The church which was formed on the removal of Mr Thomas to Abergavenny was truly a little one. It originally consisted only of four persons besides the pastor and his wife and for years they had no place of worship which they could call their own. The present chapel was erected in 1816 and subsequently enlarged and only a years prior to the pastor s death was improved. To this people the whole of his valuable life may be said had to been devoted. The early zeal and fire of manhood, the mature wisdom and culture of his developed powers and the mellow light and tenderness of age, all were consecrated to them. Every temptation to induce him to change station was steadfastly resisted. Many were those who were his glory and even on earth and it is not too much to hope that many who were of Jesus but secretly will be his of "crown of rejoicing in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming."
The latter years of Mr Thomas's life were spent in comparative privacy. In 1843 he preached the annual sermon for the college of which he had been president and in 1846 he rendered the same service to the college of which he had been a student. In the service of his own flock the evening of his life was especially spent. In the midst of them as in the bosom of his family he loved to dwell. For no pulpit did he prepare with greater carefulness than for his own and among no people did he love to minister as to his own endeared flock. In the very midst of his work and with unimpaired mental powers he was taken to his reward. Only one sabbath intervened between his occupancy of his pulpit and his departure, and the evening preceding his fatal attack he led the devotions of his people in their social meeting for prayer. After a week's severe suffering he yielded his spirit into his Saviour's hands on the 28th of November 1853 in the seventy fifth year of his age, the fifty sixth of his ministry and the forty seventh of his pastorate in Abergavenny.
On the 5th of December his remains were committed to the grave in the burial ground adjoining the place of worship in which he had so ministered and on that occasion signs of sorrow were not confined to ministerial brethren or to the church of which he had been pastor but extended to the whole town. The Rev H Clarke AM of Monmouth read the scriptures and prayed; the Rev T Thomas of Pontypool delivered the address in the chapel and the Rev Thomas Jones of Chepstow spoke at the grave. On the following Sunday the Rev J J Brown of Reading preached to a deeply affected congregation, and many were unable to get admission into the chapel.
It is not the writer's intention to delineate at any length the character of the deceased. To those who had the pleasure of knowing him this is unnecessary and to others it perhaps may be of little advantage. There was one quality which pervaded the whole of his life and character - the strictest conscientiousness and integrity. It extended from the minutest to the greatest acts in which he was engaged. It gave importance to the simplest duty and animated him in the discharge of the most weighty This quality especially marked his ministry. It was eminently distinguished by faithfulness and simplicity. He did not serve God with that which had cost him nothing. He did not come into the sanctuary with crude undigested rambling thoughts. Ample evidence remains to show with what care and thoughtfulness he prepared for the discharge of ministerial duties. The word of God in which he himself so much delighted and of the meaning of which he was so anxious to attain just views he no less carefully expounded to his hearers. Wide in the range of the subjects on which he discoursed; clear in the perception of the truths he meant to enunciate; precise and fervent in the utterance of his thoughts; out of the inexhaustible treasury he brought forth things new and old/ His views of divine truth neither cramped his appeals to the consciences of the unconverted nor his application of the promises and privileges of the gospel to the believer. In his pastoral relations wisdom and prudence were conspicuous. In patience, tenderness and candour, he ruled over the flock of God committed to his care.
As a man, he practised the truths which he taught. The qualities which marked his style of writing and speaking pre-eminently characterised his own mind as a Christian transparency and simplicity. He was an Israelite indeed in whom was no guile. Whatever differences of opinion might exist between him and any of his brethren, no one doubted the sincerity, integrity and unswerving honourableness of his character. It was one of the felicities of his long life that he survived prejudices which had been excited and was gathered to his fathers amid the love and esteem of all who knew him. He would be foremost in acknowledging and deploring his personal and official deficiencies but the writer would be unfaithful to his convictions if he did not record that there was a completeness of character about the deceased in the minor graces which adorn the Christian life that were blended with the principles which impart to it dignity and glory.
Mr Thomas sent but few of his productions to the press. He has embalmed with affectionate tenderness the memories of many of his Christian friends in the pages of the Baptist Magazine. For the Association with he was connected when at Ryeford he wrote the Circular Letter on Religious Education as a duty of Parents and for the South and Monmouthshire Associations wrote several of their annual epistles. In the heat of the Calvinistic controversy he delivered his sentiments in a sermon on Salvation of Sovereign Grace which was published at the request of the church. In 1841 and 1842 he published his discourses on the baptismal controversy and in 1843 he published the sermon addressed to students of the college of which he had been president.
"THEY THAT BE WISE SHALL SHINE AS THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE FIRMAMENT AND THEY THAT TURN MANY TO RIGHTEOUSNESS AS THE STARS FOR EVER AND EVER."
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