There above I rest, untroubled,
All my service, to adore;
Cross and shame, and death and sorrow,
Left behind for evermore.
Therefore am I never weary,
Journeying onward through the waste,
And the bitter Marah waters
Have but sweetness to my taste.
Can there be but joy and glory,
In His cross and shame below?
Sweet each mark of His rejection,
Where His steps are, I must go.
One the path, and one the sorrow-
Path the angels cannot tread;
Sorrow giving sweet assurance,
We are members, He the Head.
Bevan.
ON Thursday afternoon, January 11th, 1906, I met Mr. Kelly at Queen Street Station, Exeter. He had come to pay what proved to be his last visit to our house. As I greeted him I thought he looked worn and thin. He had been laboring for months without pause, answering the "Higher Critics," and doing other work as well.
Owing to insomnia, his London doctor had ordered him to rest, and so he came to us.
For some days after his arrival he rested nearly all the day. He did no work, and as he was again attacked by diabetes, he had to be most careful in his diet. But slowly he began to get better. The insomnia was in a great measure conquered, and the diabetes was steadily decreasing.
In a week or two he came downstairs to breakfast, and again took family prayers. Feeling the necessity of out-door exercise, he went every day for a walk before lunch, and some times in the afternoon, after resting, as well.
With returning strength came the desire to be doing some work for Christ. As it was not wise for him to go out to the meetings, he suggested having Bible Readings in our house on the Book of Daniel.
These were commenced on Tuesday, February 13th, and ended March 5th. A good number attended these Readings, and all were struck with his clear rendering of Scripture. His mind seemed full of vigor. He very much wished to give these lectures in our Meeting Room, but that could not be allowed in his then state of health.
Most anxious was he to speak one afternoon in the Victoria Hall. This he did on Sunday, February 25th. His subject was, "The Doctrine of Christ," John 1:1-141In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2The same was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. 6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. 10He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:1‑14). How sorry I am now that the address was not preserved, for it proved to be his last.
In the morning at the Breaking of Bread he spoke most beautifully on the last clause of the 11th verse of 3rd Colossians, "Christ is all and in all." When he came home from the Hall in the afternoon he seemed so fresh and bright that I said, "I think we shall have to drive you to the prayer meeting to-morrow evening." He was always so happy in working for Christ.
During this time he passed days in solemn examination of all his life. He told me he was reviewing the past. I feel sure he knew that his time was short. He never spoke to me of future work. He was much in prayer. Out of doors, he always took my arm, and as he did so I could feel his increasing weakness; he complained too, that he was sooner tired, and could not walk as he did. His feet seemed to drag and he lost that springy, active step that was so natural to him all his life.
Saturday, March 10
This morning he was so well that he came down to breakfast. After the meal he wrote a post card and a letter and went for a short walk. At lunch he was very bright, spoke of his correspondence, etc., and was more inclined to chat than usual.
The writing on the Post Card:
THE FIRS, DENMARK ROAD, EXETER,
10TH March, 1906.
MY DEAR J.,
How strangely like the attack 20 years ago, not only insomnia but internal drain! Dr. C. would not be incredulous now; and Dr. K. warned me of its probable repetition. All is in the best hands. The report much diminution of sugar, and increase of sleep. Good pulse, but little strength. Only they insist on as little writing as possible.
Self-judgment, how due to grace! which blots out our wretched past, and declares that, as He is, so are we in this world: an impossibility, but for His advocacy. This we need, no less than His propitiation.
W. K.
Love to all.
We reproduce, on the opposite page, the last post card Mr. Kelly ever wrote, it was written to a very old friend in Guernsey, Mr. C., who has very kindly allowed us to have it inserted here.
In the afternoon, as was his custom, he went upstairs to lie down. At four o'clock I paid him my usual afternoon visit, and found him sitting over the fire. Although the room was very warm, he murmured something about feeling cold. He was quite unconscious of all that was done for him, and did not recognize any of us. As his condition was so serious, I telephoned to Dr. G., asking him to come and see Mr. Kelly with me. He kindly did so. We put him to bed and there he remained over Sunday.
On Monday morning, the effects of the seizure having passed off a little, he asked my wife to write a letter for him, and I also wrote some at his request. On Tuesday he wished to dress, but only remained up a few hours—he then returned to bed, and never left his room again alive. He was glad, indeed, to see his daughters, who came to be with him, and Mr. W. P. M. who also came to visit him. He said to me on Tuesday: "I am peacefully resting, quietly resting through God's mercy.”
At another time of the day, he said,
“The Lord may come, or I may go.”
He spoke also of people seeking to add to Christ's work. He said, "Saving value is denied for all except through God's redemption in Christ upon the Cross. Some talk of adding something to Christ's work. There can be no addition... no other atonement can avail but Christ's.”
To the servant, S. W., who waited upon him he said, "Jesus mine forever be.”
His daughter heard him say -
“His Father and our Father. His God and our God.”
At night when he was being fed, he said, "I have all I want. The Father's mercy, overwhelming mercy. The Son's redemption, perfect redemption.”
Friday, March 16
Mr. W. P. M. left us to-day—in parting with him Mr. Kelly said, "When first we met we little thought of meeting again when I was 85.
“Jesus has done all, all that is good, and blotted out all that is bad.”
Mr. M-said, "My wife sends her love to you.”
His answer was, "I send to her the strong love of Him who died for us, and may that be her testimony forever." He continued, "How poor our love, but His who can doubt except those who doubt everything? What infinite grace that He has given us a new nature that we might know Him.
“We have an old nature, and Satan has succeeded in producing from it every evil, pride, vanity and self-will, and we have told Him our badness, and although so feeble, we can tell Him like Peter did, that He knoweth all things, He knoweth that we love Him.
“We might regret that more had not been done to proclaim His word. Matthew, Mark and Luke, but these are in form that they may be published.”
These words show clearly how his thoughts were occupied to the very end with the spread of God's truth. Although he felt he had done his work for Christ, and wanted to go, yet still he would have wished, had it been God's will, to have completed the volumes he had in hand.
He never tired in his Master's service, but lived only to proclaim the "unsearchable riches of His grace," as shown so fully in His word.
Mr. Kelly was converted in the latter part of 1841 in the Island of Sark. In writing of his conversion to a friend, in 1889, he says:" The gospel received by faith delivered me in no long time; but no preaching reached me, though I was indebted to a lady for directing me to 1 John 5, which brought me into liberty.
Nor did I see any brother's face before I left the camp to go forth to Christ outside bearing His reproach, and was glad to find two or three Christian women breaking bread, with whom I esteemed it the highest privilege to break bread.
“A few months later I went to Guernsey, where was a little meeting; and the Lord made my path plain to devote myself to His service, as through grace I have done ever since.”
About 1841 Mr. Kelly issued his first publication. It was a pamphlet printed in Guernsey explanatory of his new ecclesiastical position.
His last publication was in 1905, a few months before he died, and he was editing the Bible Treasury to within a month of his decease. We thus find that his written testimony for Christ covers a period of sixty-five years.
My happiness, O Lord, with Thee
Is long laid up in store,
For that bless'd day, when Thee I'd see,
And conflict all be o'er.
O Rest! ineffable, divine,
The Rest of God above:
Where Thou forever shalt be mine,
My joy, eternal love!
J. N. Darby.
NOTE.—Mr. Kelly's letter containing the story of his conversion might perhaps have been better among the reminiscences, but it came into my hands too late to be inserted there.