incessant and unremitting; and most happy we are to find that, in this department of service, our labours have been most kindly appreciated. Our Intelligence, too, especially in the Missionary Chronicle, has been un. usually interesting; and we have made arrangements, for 1855, for a series of papers, from an able pen, that shall present to our readers an enlarged and correet view of the state of Evangelical religion throughout the world. We ask then for two things of our Christian readers. 1st. That we may not be overlooked in their Prayers. We have heard fewer prayers offered up to God on behalf of the Editors of our Christian Journals, than for any other class of public men. And yet we know of no servants of the church who more need to be upheld by the importunate prayers of their brethren in Christ. The times are, in many respects, perplexing; the press teems with bad books,-scepticism rears its head in a variety of forms,-Anglicanism plants itself in our cities, towns, and rural districts,-Popery acquires strength and courage from the suicidal tolerance of its doctrines and usages within the Establishment,-and there is a certain restlessness about the public mind which may be potent for good or evil. A conscientious Christian Editor has to deal with all this in the spirit of fidelity and meekness. He needs great wisdom, consummate prudence, wakeful observation of men and things, unceasing self-control,—and, above all, a double portion of the Spirit of Christ. "Brethren, pray for us," that we may be enabled to acquit ourselves honestly and honourably and in a Christian temper, to our generation and to posterity. Our own prayers will be greatly stimulated and encouraged by the conviction, that thousands of devoted spirits are remembering us in their best and happiest moments at a throne of grace. 2nd. We ask affectionately that the cause of the Pastor's Widow may lie very near the hearts of Religious men. The claim of a cheap Periodical, of the decidedly Evangelical class, which distributes nearly £1,200 annually, among 150 widows of Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Calvinistic Methodist, and Congregational Clergymen, is certainly very strong. We require a continuous large circulation, in order to meet our payments. Widows are now waiting to be admitted, but cannot be received, because the present revenue of the Magazine will not admit of more than 150 annuitants. If our friends, in town and country, would put forth a vigorous effort on behalf of the Magazine, we might soon increase the list of Widows to 200. To our Congregational Brethren in the ministry we look with confidence. £1,100 of the whole sum expended by the Trustees are devoted to the Widows of Congregational Pastors. We shall not, therefore, ask in vain for a STRONG PULPIT RECOMMENDATION of the Magazine ON SOME SABBATH IN DECEMBER, say the SECOND, that there may be time for ordering copies of the work for January 1855. THE EVANGELICAL MAGAZINE, AND MISSIONARY CHRONICLE. FOR JANUARY, 1854. MEMOIR OF THE LATE REV. RICHARD KEYNES, [THE following interesting Sketch of the Life and Ministry of the Rev. R. Keynes appears in the Funeral Discourse preached on occasion of his Death, by the Rev. John Angell James. It is so excellent that we cannot withhold it from our readers.-EDITOR.] My dear brother and your late pastor was born at Salisbury. His parents belonged to the Church of England, in the doctrines and rites of which he was of course educated. His conversion to God took place while he was engaged as a clerk in an attorney's office, and, in some measure, through the influence of a brother. Soon after this great change, he left the Established Church, and joined in communion with a Church of Independents, under the pastoral care of the Rev. Mr. Adams. Soon after his religious character became settled he was encouraged by his pastor to exhort and preach in the surrounding villages. This led to an carnest desire to separate himself from worldly business, and to give himself wholly to the work of the Christian ministry. As he gave proof of strong mental powers, he was sanctioned in his determination by Mr. Adams, and entered as a student at VOL. XXXII. Hoxton College, London, then under the presidency of the Rev. R. Simpson. There he remained about three years, and acquired considerable distinction as a popular and impressive preacher. Having completed his studies, his first ministerial labours were carried on at Tisbury, in Wiltshire, (the birthplace of the venerable William Jay,) where his services were much valued by the congregation, who would gladly have retained him among them. He then supplied for about three months the pulpit at Poole, which had become vacant by the death of the late Mr. Ashburner, and which was subsequently occupied by that excellent and lovely minister, Mr. Durant. His labours there were so acceptable, so popular, and so impressive, that if the congregation had not already entered into something like an engagement with Mr. Durant, (though they had not then heard him,) they would certainly have chosen Mr. Keynes for their pastor. At that time I was myself a youth, living at Poole, and had but very recently come under the influence of religion; and his sermons deepened considerably the impressions which, by other means, had been already pro B duced upon my mind. I have, at this distance of more than half a century, a very vivid recollection, not only of his manner and tones, but even of some of his expressions. I owe something, therefore, to his memory and service, for he helped me much at that crisis of our religious history, when we are most powerfully susceptible of good or bad influences. The vicinity of Poole to this town made the congregation here intimately acquainted with Mr. Keynes's popularity; and, after preaching to them for a short time, he received and accepted an invitation to become co-pastor with the venerable Henry Field. I cannot of course refer to that holy and blameless man, and dwell upon the events which I am now relating, without deep emotion, associated as they are with all my own early history. Here in this town I was born-here were the scenes of my childhood and youth. To this place of worship I was brought as a child by my parents, who worshipped God on this spot, and whose ashes now repose in the adjoining cemetery. I can recollect scenes and emotions associated with this place between sixty and seventy years ago. I have reminiscences of all the assistant ministers that were associated with Mr. Field-of Morrell, and Frost, and Gurteen, and Golding, and of all the circumstances connected with their settlement and removal. Before my imagination rise up at this moment the shades of those respectable and excellent men, whose names are still precious, and whose memory is still fragrant, who formed at that time one of the most respectable country congregations I ever knew; and in reference to whom I now pensively say, "Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?" To these, in connexion with his aged colleague, Mr. Keynes ministered with great and growing acceptance. His ordination took place on September 9th, 1802. I was present on the occasion, and remember well the services of that solemn day. Of all the ministers who took part in those solemnities, one only survives, I mean the Rev. Dr. Bennett, then of Romsey, now of London. Soon after this, Mr. Keynes entered into a matrimonial connexion with my family, by marrying my eldest sister: an union which was a source of happiness to themselves, and of satisfaction to the congregation. He now commenced, what must in all cases be regretted in reference to Christian pastors, and which, though once so common, is now happily so rare, the profession of a schoolmaster, in connexion with his ministry. If a pastor finds it absolutely necessary for the support of his family to engage in any secular calling, nothing is so nearly related to his own duties as that of educating youth. It is in one sense homogeneous; yet it is, after all, something else, and an impediment to the work of the ministry. It is in opposition to the precept, "Give thyself wholly to these things." Yet, if there be no other means of obtaining adequate support, because a church is too small to furnish a competent salary, far better this, than for a minister to bring disgrace by incurring debts which he cannot discharge. For the more effectual fulfilment of the functions of this office, I well remember the extraordinary diligence and labour Mr. Keynes manifested. He was most conscientiously anxious to be eminently fitted for the very important duty of training the minds of the young: a duty which he would not discharge in an imperfect manner, as many do, without proper qualifications, and merely for a livelihood. The office of a schoolmaster is next in importance and influence to that of a minister, and it is injustice to the rising generation, to their parents, and to the public, for any one to undertake it, without competent abilities and acquirements. As an instructor of youth he was very successful, and many are now filling highly respectable stations in life who were educated by him. One of the first mathematicians of the age, anda professor in the London University, was among his pupils, and cherishes |