admit, defcanted with much pleafure on Miffions to the Heathen world. Of this he was peculiarly fond, a few years before his death. Meetings for prayer and religious converfation, he laboured to encourage, not merely by recommending them from the pulpit, but by frequently attending them himself. Thofe in the town, he vifited, if poffible, once a-week; thofe in the country, as often as he had opportunity. Perfons weak in knowledge, who at tended them, he kindly encouraged, by fhewing respect to fuch remarks as they made on divine truths.

Early religion he warmly preffed. Sometimes he preached a fermon, or a courfe of fermons, to the young; and, in the application of his other difcourfes, he frequently introduced an exhortation to them. He often catechifed them, either in the fchools, or in the meeting houfe; and feldom met with young perfons but he introduced fome obfervations refpecting the mifery of their natural state, and the method of recovery by the Redeemer. hints' feem to have had a good effect. For fome years, a Several of thefe meeting of feven or eight children was held in his manfe*, for prayer, praife, and fpiritual conference; and though it was commonly on Saturday evenings, he frequently left his ftudies for half an hour, went into the little religious fociety, converfed familiarly with them, and, after giving them good counfels, recommended them to God in prayer, while the dear young ones were kneeling around.

He met with trials from the irregular behaviour of fome few members of his church; but when and heinous tranfgreffions, it grieved his fpirit fo much, as any fell into open not unfrequently to deprive him of his night's reft. When he understood that differences existed between members of the church, he made it his bufinefs to have them speedily removed; and was particularly active this way, especially in view of the difpenfation of the Lord's Supper.

His fuccefs in the miniftry was very confiderable. In his own congregation, it is hoped, that a number claimed him for their fpiritual father; and that others acknowledged him to be the helper of their faith and joy. Nor was it at home only that he was inftrumental in doing good to fouls; in various parts of the country where he had accefs to preach, there were feals of his miniftry. It is true, the fuccefs was frequently hid from himfelf; and while his Mafter fecured the honour of making the word efficacious, he left the fervant to cry, "I have laboured in vain; I

The Parsonage-house.

have spent my ftrength for nought, and in vain." His natural modefty prevented him from cultivating acquaintance with many who valued his writings. He was honoured, however, with the correfpondence of the late Rev. Mefirs. John Mafon, of New York; Annan, of Bofton; Archibald Hall, of Well-Street, London; with that alfo of the Rev. Mr. Phillips, late of Sarum; the Rev. Mr. Simeon, of Cambridge; the late Countefs of Huntingdon, and others. He received a kind and earnest invitation from the Dutch church in the province of New York, to be their tutor in divinity. This invitation, as well as his correfpondence with the excellent perfonage laft mentioned, he modeftly studied to conceal from the knowledge of all.

As a member of fociety, he endeavoured to know the mind of God in regard to every particular part of his duty; and having found the truth, he avowed and acted upon it without difguife. When truths of importance were oppofed, zeal for his Mafter and regard to mankind, brought him forward in their defence. This gave rife to fuch of his writings as were controverfial. His peculiar principles, as a Seceder, never appear in his practical treatife. From conviction of duty, he firft joined the Seceffion, and continued its fteady friend as long as he lived; while, at the fame time, he difcovered the ftrongest affection to Gofpel-minifters and private Chriftians of the eftablifhed church, and other denominations. His prayers were always liberal and catholic. He feemed peculiarly concerned for the Anti-Burger congregation in the neighbourhood, and for the parish-church, especially at the time of their facramental folemnities. In regard to what is called Church-communion, he was ftrict; but as to the communion of faints, as diftinguifhed from it, he was truly liberal. For years, a praying fociety met in his houfe; fome of the members of which belonged to the Established Church, and fome to the Seceffion.

He manifefted fingular readiness to forgive his enemies. Notwithstanding the abufe which he received while he was a ftudent, it was remarked that he was never heard to open his mouth against the authors of it, or fo much as mention the affair.

To certain writers who reviled him from the prefs he meekly replied, "Whatever they with me, my heart's defire is that they may obtain redemption, through the blood of Chrift, even the forgiveness of fins, according to the riches of his grace. Whatever they call me, may Jehovah call them the Redeemed of the Lord, Sought out, and Not

forfaken." To a minifter of another denomination, who had treated him with much incivility, he was enabled, by the grace of God, to afford fupply in the day of his brother's poverty, by fecret remittances of money; and after his deceafe, he offered to take one of his deftitute orphans and bring him up with his own children.

On the fettlement of any of his ftudents, as fixed paftor to a congregation, he ufually fent him a paper of excellent counfels in regard to the exercife of his ministry. There are many valuable letters in the poffeffion of the children of deceafed minifters and private Chriftians, full of fcriptural and fuitable comfort and advice, which he fent on the death of their parents. Many a time did he wipe off the tear from the widow's face, by leading her faith to the promises of the covenant, and miniftering to the fupply of her neceflities. He was fingularly backward to believe ill reports of any, but efpecially of those who fill public ftations; being convinced that fuch reports have very often no foundation, and produce the very worst effects. Therefore, as he would not fuffer others to attack characters in his prefence, he himself moft confcientioufly avoided the defiling practice.

As tutor to candidates for the holy miniftry, his care was to give them a connected view of Gofpel-truth, both doctrinal and practical: and that they might be able to fupport and illuftrate the feveral articles of our holy religion, he endeavoured to render them mighty in the Scriptures. In his Syftem of Divinity and Cafes of Confcience, the public have a view of the particular topics which he used to explain to his pupils at large. It was his concern alfo to make them acquainted with the hiftory of the church; and what he published on this fubject he had compiled chiefly for them. He urged with great earnestness on their minds, to make themselves well acquainted with the oracles of God in the original tongues. Next to thefe, he recommended, the Compendium of Turrentine; Owen's Works; Fisher's Work on the Affembly's Catechifm; the Writings of Bofton, and the Erikines; the Marrow of Modern Divinity, with Bofton's Notes; Marshal on Sanctification; Cole on God's Sovereignty; Hervey's Theron and Afpafio, with his Defence againft Wefley; Beart's Vindication of the Law and Gofpel; Halyburton's Defence of Revealed Religion; his Memoirs, together with thofe of Alexander Archibald, publifhed at Edinburgh in 1768. He earnestly warned his ftudents against a merely philofophical way of fudying divinity, and ftrenuously preffed on their minds the abfolute neceffity of heart-religion, that they might

make proficiency in their ftudies. His addrefs to them prefixed to his fyftem, clearly evinces that he regarded this as a matter of the very laft importance. No man could bear more patiently with the imprudence and weakness of fome of them; and yet when there was occafion, he most faithfully admonished them. His admonitions indeed deeply impreffed the confciences, and were long and gratefully remembered. He was, in truth, among them as a father among his children: he loved them, and ftudied their good; and they loved him, and regarded his counfel. Not feafon of the year was fo pleasant, either to the profeffor, or to the ftudents, as the time of attending the Divinity-Hall. The serious and folemn addreffes, which on particular occafions, he made to them, and especially when they parted, were affecting indeed, and calculated to leave the best impreffions. Many of his fayings at thofe times, it is believed, will never be forgotten by thofe who heard them. The many able, ufeful, and acceptable minifters, both in Great Britain and Ireland, whom he trained up for the facred of fice, evince the ample fuccefs with which the Lord crowned his labours.

He fell asleep in Jefus, June 19, 1787.

Mr. Brown's remarkable Expressions during his late illness.

IF Chrift be magnified in my life, that is the great matter I wish for. Often we read hiftory as Atheifts or Deifts, rather than as Chriftians. To read of events without obferva ing the hand of God in them, is to read as Atheists; and, to read and not obferve how all events conduce to carry on the work of redemption, is to read as Deifts. A piece of history hath often amufed me when my natural spirits were low; but now I find no pleasure, except in meditating on the promises of God.

The doctrine of grace reigning through righteousness, is good to live with, and good to die with. O! what a happy life a chriftian might have, if he were always perfuaded of the love of God which is in Chrift Jefus our Lord! If there were any fuch thing as exchange of learning, I would willingly quit with all my knowledge of languages and other things, were it a thousand times more extenlive, experimentally to know what that meaneth-"I am crucified with Chrift, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Chrift liveth in me and VOL. II. C

the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." I think that, this evening, I am no worfe; but do not wish to have a will in the matter: only I would not defire to live, and not be able for Chrift's work; though perhaps, were God fo ordering it, he would enable me to bear that too. No doubt I have met with trials as well as others; yet the Lord hath always been fo kind to me, that I think if he were to give me as many years as I have lived in this world, I would not defire one fingle circumftance in my lot to be changed, but that I had lefs fin. I have often wondered at the favour which men have fhewn to me; but much more at the favour of God to fuch a great tranfgreffor. O! to be with God! to fee him as he is! to know him even as we are known! It is worth not merely doing for, but dying for, to fee a gracious God.

About the year, God faid to my foul, "I have loved "thee with an everlasting love ;" and O! how faithful he hath been to me fince. There would not have been more grace fhewn in the redemption of the chief of devils, than in faving me. The fame price would have ranfomed them; the fame ftrivings would have overcome them. Men may talk against the fovereignty of redeeming love as they will; but had it not been fovereign, infinitely fovereign, I fhould as certainly have been damned as if I were in hell already. Were it not that God forefaw our provocations from eternity, he never could have continued his love toward me, the great tranfgreffor, the arrant rebel. Yet, I hope, he is now preparing me for being ever with himfelf.

O! how thefe words-" He loved me, and gave himself "for me," once penetrated my heart, and made me cry, "Blefs the Lord, O my foul, and all that is within me, blefs "his holy name." Notwithstanding all my wickedness, God hath put a bridle in my mouth; and though I have been a moft perverfe finner, yet he hath ftrangely reftrained me. This he hath done chiefly by his loving kindness and tender

mercy.

I defire to depart, and be with Christ, which is far better than life. Though I have lived fixty years very comfortably, yet I would gladly turn my back on you all, to be with Chrift. O how pleafant to enjoy fellowship with Chrift! Any little acquaintance I have had with him, deeply convin ceth me of this. And, Oh! how much more pleafure might I have had, but for my own folly and wickednefs! I now think that I could willingly die to fee him, who is "white and ruddy, the chiefeft among ten thoufand."