Cylchgronau Cymru

Chwiliwch trwy dros 450 o deitlau a 1.2 miliwn o dudalennau

®fe (Sftptkn ^totdaiji Vol. ii. No. 17. DECEMBER 1892. Price One Penny. REV. WILLIAM POWELL, PEMBROKE. NE of the golden rules of the New Testament is, " Remember them which have the rule 1 over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God." The Welsh rendering of this precept is, " Think of your leaders," with the marginal reading of "rulers." Such an exhortation amply =jjfe7 justifies our devoting a little space to record our impressions and recollections of one who on account of his age and character and services, has attained to the place of a "leader" in our ..,._......_____ midst as a denomina¬ tion of Christians. As to his age, Mr. Powell is now in his seventy- sixth year, and there¬ fore, is one of the fathers of our church. He was only sixteen years old when he went from Breconshire, his native county, to Pembroke, and where he has re¬ mained ever since, with the exception of a few months prior to his marriage, which took place in 1837, those months being spent by him at Cardiff. So that Mr. Powell has lived nearly sixty years at Pembroke. When he went to Pem¬ broke, he carried with him a certificate of membership, and like his Divine Master, "straightway" entered into the synagogue on the Sabbath day; and without loss of time made himself at home and useful in little " Bethel." And from that time to the present hour venerable steadily and there our friend has advanced, is no one who is more highly respected in the town and the whole of the surrounding district. Of necessity his activity is not what it formerly was, and he has once more sought to be released from the responsibilites of the pastorate of the Westgate Church. His resigna¬ tion has been accepted with much reluctance and regret. We trust that there yet remain for him many vear<5 of usefulness. He is certainly entitled to rest from actual pastoral duties; but he will have many opportunities of helping in the good v/ork in the vicinity of his home and his ministerial brethren around him, who can truly say they abide in his love, will continue to look to Mr. Powell for the benefit of his counsel and assistance. It is his desire to die in harness, therefore we may feel assured he will be faithful unto death. It was once said by the brilliant Edward Morgan, of Dyffryn, that if it were said of anyone that he was a " good man," it covered some defect of mind or ability. That would not apply in the present instance. Mr. Powell has been abundantly blessed with the gift of common sense, and ........ every position he has filled in the connexion, he has discharged its functions with sound intelligence and per¬ fect propriety ; at the same time, it is quite true that all are im¬ pressed byhisChristian character. We could say more; but we will refrain from putting it affirmatively, but will add negatively : No one would say as a Doctor of Divinity said to another Doctor of Divinity, about a third Doctor of Divi¬ nity: 'He is a very able man, but not a saintly man.' There are very good men; but saintly men are scarce—such as Mr. Henry Rees of Liverpool, and Mr. David Howell, of Swansea. When Mr. Powell went to Pembroke, in 1833, the English churches in the district were few and small and to quote a word used by the late Mr. Lum- ley, " unpromising." That remarkable pre¬ acher was at Laugh- arne, from 1833 to ™ " -. - 1839, and frequently visited South Pem¬ brokeshire. Soon after his arrival in Pembroke and while still in his teens, Mr. Powell took an active part in the effort to procure a Home Missionary to settle in the locality, which was successfully brought about in 1835, by the appointment of Mr. John Davies ; after that of Kenchester, Durham, and Newport. After his marriage in 1837, Mr. Powell also became a recognised preacher, and threw himself heartily into