The Life And Legacy Of Arthur Triggs
John Warburton, “The Mercies Of A Covenant God”:
This honoured servant of God was born in the village of Kingston in Devon on April 23, 1787 of poor parents and in a cottage made mostly of mud. So desperately ill was he as an infant that the doctor gave him up and said he must die; his tongue was black and hanging out and his poor mother placed upon it a slice of broiled pork and to everyone’s amazement his tongue began to move and he sucked the nourishment till he began to mend. This is but one of the extraordinary providences which he passed through. But the amazing deliverances wrought by God did not touch his soul with gratitude and he lived in vile company with hatred to God. He “wanted to have his fill of pleasures and in full vigour pursued them notwithstanding pricks of conscience.” Yet at times the things of God became real to him, in flashes so to speak. When 19 years of age the word Eternity struck him with awful force and he rushed to the fields of furze bushes to fall on his knees and cry for mercy. He soon fell in love with a very nice girl of good family, and the efforts of everyone to keep him from her were unavailing and God brought the two together in a wonderful way and blessed the union. He was brought into Gospel liberty and led to preach, doors being opened for him, till at length he became pastor of Trinity Chapel, Plymouth (and for a time Gower Street Chapel, London).
It was to Triggs that Warburton wrote asking him to see and talk to his boy when he ran away from home. Triggs “with the utmost kindness and consideration wrought for the welfare of the lad.” Warburton wrote, “O the kindness, the love and feeling, that my dear brother Triggs manifested to one so unworthy! It knit my soul to him in a moment, and we were of one spirit.” “Here were two good men (often labelled hard and narrow) deeply stirred by concern for this poor wanderer.”
In the year 1859 at the age of 72 dear Triggs came to the end of his life here below and as he lay dying he said “If any friends ask about me, tell them it is sweet to die in Jesus. Oh, I am longing to be with Him. He is my Redeemer.” His last utterance was “Come, Lord Jesus!”
Arthur Triggs (1787-1859) was a High-Calvinist preacher. He served as pastor for the churches meeting at Trinity Chapel, Plymouth and Zion Chapel, Waterloo Road, London.
