Alderman Lea regularly sent his carriage to convey him to church, and Mr. Bates sent his servant to attend him in the pulpit ; which friendly assistance was continued till Mr. N. could appear no longer in public.

His ministerial visits were ex. emplary. I do not recollect one, though favored with many, in which his general information and lively genius did not communicate instruction, and his affectionate and condescending sympathy did not leave comfort.

Truth demands it should be said, that he did not always administer consolation, nor give an account of characters with sufficient discrimination. His talent did not lie in discerning of spirits.... His credulity seemed to arise from the consciousness he had of his own integrity, and from that sort of parental fond. ness, which he bore to all his friends, real or pretended.

We have mentioned the excellent Mr. Thornton's liberality, both to Mr. Newton and to the poor, through him. Mr. Cecil enables us to subjoin, that on a visit to Olney, soon after their acquaintance commenced, Mr. Thornton left a sum of money to his disposal, adding, 'Be hospitable, and keep an open house for such as are worthy of entertainment: help the poor and needy: I will statedly allow you 2001. a year, and readily send whenever you have occasion to draw for more.' Mr. Thornton kept his word; and Mr. Newton received from him not less than 30007. while he remained at Olney.

During Mr. Newton's residence at Olney, he was not only made useful to the admirable poet Cowper, but also to the Rev,

Mr.Scott, then curate of Ravensdale, and now rector of Aston Sandford; the particulars of which are to be found in a very interesting narrative, published by the latter, under the title of The Force of Truth. Mr. Scott it seems was then far gone in Socinianism; but by means of Mr. Newton's very judicious correspondence, brought to the knowledge and experience of the truth.

When he published his first volume of Letters, under the signature of Omicron, he consider. ed the gradations of christian experience under the characters A, B, and C. A vain young minister on reading these papers, wrote to him, that he had found his own character pourtrayed under that of C. the Confirmed Christian. Mr. Newton replied, that he had forgotten one feature in C.'s character, viz. that he never knew his own face.'

In 1799, the college of New. Jersey complimented Mr. Newton with a diploma; and a certain author dedicated to him two vol. umes of sermons under that title; but he humorously said, he could never think of accepting that honor, till he received it from a college at Sierra Leone, where he had received his education.

When Mr. Occum, the Indian preacher, was in England, he of course, visited Mr. Newton, and they compared experiences. "Mr. Occum," says he, "in describing to me the state of his heart when he was a blind idola. ter, gave me, in general, a striking picture of what my own was in the early part of my life; and his subsequent views corresponded with mine, as face answers to face in a glass, though I dare say

when he received them, he had never heard of Calvin's name."

a

As his faculties visibly and rap. idly declined in his last years, friend urged him to desist from speaking in public before he was absolutely compelled. He repli. ed with unusual energy, I cannot stop. What! shall the old African blasphemer stop while be can speak ?"

Mr. Newton was a very candid and friendly critic, and was of ten applied to by young authors for his opinion and remarks; which he would give very can. didly, and sometimes under the name of Nibblings. On one of these occasions, a practical essay was put into his hand, which he approved; but a letter was appended, addressed to an obscure and contemptible writer, who had

said

very unwarrantable and absurd things on the subject, and whom therefore the writer attacked with little ceremony. The following is a specimen of some of Mr. Newton's Nibblings: "Were the affair mine, I would take no notice of Mr. : but, if I did, it should be with the hope, at least with the desire, of doing good, even to him. This would make me avoid every harsh epithet. He is not likely to be benefitted by calling him a fool. The evangelists simply relate what is said and done, and use no bitterness nor severity, even when speaking of Herod, Pilate, or Judas. I wish their manner was more adopted in controversy." Speaking of the Fall, and of Adam being a federal head, he remarks, "I think agency should be taken into the account. I suppose, Adam was created without spot or blemish, but still man ; that he was the temple of the liv

ing God. When sin provoked the Lord to leave his temple, it became the habitation of devils. I apprehend we are always under influence, either good or bad; perhaps both.”

The epithet great is often given to the apostle Paul; but I question the propriety of it. He was not behind the chief, but Peter and John were great in the same sense, and were equally penmen of the holy scriptures.'

In his family, Mr. N. might be admired, more safely than imi. tated. His excessive attachment to Mrs. N. is so fully displayed in his Narrative, and confirmed in the two volumes he thought it proper to publish, entitled, "Letters to a Wife," that the reader will need no information on this subject. Some of his friends wished this violent attachment had been cast more into the shade, as tending to furnish a spur where human nature generally needs a curb. He used, indeed to speak of such attachments in the abstract, as idolatry; though his own was providen. tially ordered to be the main hinge on which his preservation and deliverance turned, while in his worst state. Good men, however, cannot be too cautious how they give sanction by their expressions or example, to a passion which, when not under sober regulation, has overwhelmed not only families, but states, with disgrace and ruin.

With this unusual degree of benevolence and affection, it was not extraordinary that the spir. itual interests of his servants were brought forward, and examined severally every Sunday afternoon; and that being treated like children, they should grow

old in his service. In short, Mr. N. could live no longer than he could love it is no wonder, therefore, if his nieces had more of his heart than is generally af. forded to their own children by the fondest parents. It has already been mentioned that his house was an asylum for the perplexed and afflicted. Young ministers were peculiarly the objects of his attention: he instructed them, he encouraged them, he warned them; and might truly be said to be a father in Christ, spending and being spent for the interest of his church. In order thus to execute the various avoeations of the day, he used to rise early; he seldom was found abroad in the evening, and was exact in his appointments.

Of his writings, I think little need be said here. They are wide in circulation and best speak for themselves.... The Sermons Mr. N. published at Liverpool, after being refused on his first application for orders, were intended to shew what he would have preached, had he been admitted. They are highly credit. able to his understanding and to his heart. The facility with which he attained so much of the learned languages seems part. ly accounted for, from his being able to acquire so early, a neat and natural style in his own language, and that under such evident disadvantages. The Review of Ecclesiastical History, so far as it proceeded, has been much esteemed; and, if it had done no more than excite the Rev. J. Mil. ner (as that most valuable and instructive author informs us it did) to pursue Mr. N.'s idea more largely, it was sufficient

success.

It must be evident to any one who observes the spirit of all his sermons, hymns, tracts, &c. that nothing is aimed at, which should be met by critical investigation. In the preface to his hymns, he remarks, "Though I would not offend readers of taste by a wilful coarseness and negli. gence, I do not write professed. ly for them. I have simply declared my own views and feelings as I might have done, if I had composed hymns in some of the newly discovered islands in the South Sea, where no person had any knowledge of the name of Jesus but myself."

To dwell, therefore, with a critical eye, on this part of his public character, would be ab. surd and impertinent, and to erect a tribunal to which he seems not amenable. He appears to have paid no regard to a nice ear, or an accurate reviewer; but preferring a style at once neat and perspicuous, to have laid out himself entirely for the service of the church of God, and more especially for the tried and ex perienced part of its members.

His chief excellence seemed to lie in the easy and natural style of his epistolary correspond. ence. His letters will be read while real religion exists; and they are the best draught of his own mind.

He had so largely communicat. ed with his friends in this way, that I have heard him say, "He thought, if his letters were col lected, they would make several folios." He selected many of these for publication, and expressed a hope that no other person would take that liberty with the rest, which were so widely spread abroad. In this,

1

however, he was disappointed and grieved, as he once remarked to me, and for which reason, I do not annex any letters that I received from him. He esteemed that collection published under the title of Cardiphonia as the most useful of his writings, and mentioned various instances of the benefits which he heard they had conveyed to many.

His Apologia, or defence of conformity, was written on occasion of some reflections (perhaps only jocular) cast on him at that time. His Letters to a Wife, written during his three voyages to Africa, and published 1793, have been received with less satisfaction than most of his other writings. But his Messiah, his Letters to the Rev. Mr. Vantier, chaplain at the Cape, his Memoirs of the Rev. John Cowper (brother to the poet) and those of the Rev. Mr. Grimshaw of Yorkshire, together with his single sermons and tracts have been well received, and will remain a public benefit.

To speak of his writings in the mass, they certainly possess what many have aimed at, but very few attained, namely, originality. They are the language of the heart; they shew a deep experience of its religious feel ings, a continual anxiety to sym. pathize with man in his wants, and to direct him to his only

took down, at different times, both in company and in private, from his lips.

A small portion only, of these familiar remarks are here an nexed.

Mr. Newton was a great observer of Providence, even in little things. "It may seem of small consequence," said he, one day to a friend, "whether, in returning from hence, you go up Cateaton street, or down the Old Jewry; yet in going one way or the other, you may meet a person capable of serving you; and this cir. cumstance may have an effect on all your future life."

He lamented the evils he saw around him; but he did not like to meddle where he saw he could do no good. "I," said he once, lifting up his fist, "I have tried to make crooked things straight, till I have made these knuckles sore; and now I must leave it to the Lord."

Speaking of the importance of motives, he would say, "if I wanted a man to fly, I must contrive to find him wings; and thus, if I would successfully enforce moral duties, I must advance evangelical motives."

I should have thought mowers very idle people; but they work while they whet their scythes. Now devotedness to God, whether it mows, or whets the scythe, still goes on with the work.

My course of study, like that of a surgeon, has princi. pally consisted in walking the hospital.

My principal method of defeating heresy, is by establishing truth. One proposes to fill a bushel with tares now if I can fill it first with wheat, I shall defy his attempts.

A Christian in the world, is like a man who has a long intimacy with one who at length he finds out was the murderer of a kind father the intimacy, after this, will surely be broken.

Candor will always allow much for inexperience. I have been thirty years forming my own views; and in the course of this time, some of my bills have been sinking, and some of my vallies have risen: but how unreasonable would it be to expect all this should take place in an. other person, and that in the course of a year or two.

We are surprised at the fall of a famous professor; but in the sight of God, the man was gone before; it is only we that have now discovered it. He that despiseth small things, shall fall by little and little.

The devil told a lie when he said, All these things are mine, and to whomsoever I will, I give them; for if he had the disposal of preferments, since he knows the effect of them, you and I, brother C, should soon be dignitaries.

If an angel were sent to find the most perfect man, he would probably not find him composing a body of divinity; but perhaps a cripple in a poor-house, whom the parish wish dead; but hum. bled before God, with far lower thoughts of himself than others think of him.

If two angels came down from heaven to execute a divine command, and one was appointed to conduct an empire, and the other to sweep a street in it, they would feel no inclination to choose employments.

In divinity, as well as in the other professions, there are the

little artists. Aman may be ableto execute the buttons of a statue very neatly; but I could not call him an able artist. There is an air, there is a taste, to which his narrow capacity cannot reach. Now, in the church, there are your dexterous button makers.

I would not give a straw for that assurance which sin will not damp.

If David had come from his adultery, and had talked of his assurance at that time, I should have despised his speech.

There is the analogy of faith: it is a master-key, which not only opens particular doors, but carries you through the whole house; but an attachment to a rigid system is dangerous. Lu. ther once turned out the Epistle of St. James, because it disturbed his system. Dr. Owen will be ashamed of his wisdom and clear. ness five minutes after he has been in heaven. I shall preach, perhaps, very usefully upon two opposite texts, while kept apart; but if I attempt nicely to reconcile them, it is ten to one if I don't begin to bungle.

Contrivers of systems on the earth, are like contrivers of systems in the heavens; where the sun and moon keep the same course in spite of the philosophers.

When a man says he received a blessing under a sermon, I be gin to inquire who this man is who speaks of the help he has received. The Roman people pro. ved the effect they received under a sermon of Antony, when they flew to avenge the death of Cæsar.

The Lord has reasons, far beyond our ken, for opening a wide door, while he stops the mouth of a useful preacher. John Bun. yan would not have done half the