Mr. Lacey, Baptist - minister of Portsea; Mr. Francis, of Horsley; Mr. Meadows, of London; and Mr. Brown, of Mitchell-Dean, engaged in the various services of the day.

In March, 1771, Mr. Tuppen entered into the marriage state. The object of his affection was Miss Elizabeth Felltham, of Portsea the fruit of this connection was three children, Thomas, Sarah, and John; the two latter died in their infancy; Thomas, the eldest, survived his father, but died (we believe) in Bath when about twenty-three years of age.

When Mr. Tuppen had been settled at Portsea about three years, his church was greatly alarmed with the apprehension of losing their beloved pastor. Having accidentally broken his shin, the wound, which had been neglected, assumed a threatening appearance; and a mortification having commenced, the surgeon informed him and his friends, that unless a speedy turn in his favour should take place; his life would be in the nost imminent danger. His own mind, under these circumstances was calm and resigned; but the people of his charge being full of anxiety, a meeting for prayer was immediately convened, when the number who attended, and the fervour of their supplications for his recovery, attested the interest they felt in his valuable life. At the very hour of prayer, some favourable symptoms were observed by the surgeon; which being communicated to the people, turned their petitions into thanksgivings. For several years after, and indeed to this day, many of the friends recollect this pleasing circumstance; and consider it as an obvious answer to their prayers.

By the blessing of the Lord on Mr. Tuppen's labours, the congregation gradually increased; so that in the year 1773, the Tabernacle was insufficient for their accommodation:— it was therefore taken down, and a new place, sixty feet by forty, with three galleries, erected in its stead; and which also was soon filled.

About three years after this, Mr. Tuppen's health declined; and he found himself unable any longer to sustain the fatigue of preaching thrice on the Lord's Day. It was therefore determined by the church, that they should have but two sermons, namely, in the morning and in the evening, during

the summer season.

In addition to his declining health, the Lord was pleased to excrcise him by another heavy affliction, in the loss of his pious partner in life; which happened in June 1779, after an union of eight years. This heavy trial, together with some painful occurrences in his temporal affairs, greatly depressed his spirits, and brought him very low; and in the year 1782, when walking into the country with his son, by a sudden exertion, he broke a blood-vessel. This alarming event

threatened his life, and laid him aside for several months, being totally incapable of preaching.

In full expectation of a dismission from the body, he now settled his affairs; which, previous to a loss he sustained in consequence of a connexion in business with some of Mrs. Tuppen's relations, were moderately comfortable. During his illness, he said to a friend, "I think I shall die soon. I have the sentence of Death in myself; but I am very easy about it, and sometimes think I feel too indifferent about it. I have, at times, some difficulty concerning my state. The character of a bypocrite is hard to be understood; but the Lord knows the heart, and he knows the way that I take. I did not make a profession of Religion for any bad purpose: I did it for the interest of my soul, and for the honour of my God; but I feel that I need more sensible manifestations of the love of God. If I look to myself, I see imperfections enough in my best services to condemn me; but I do not wish to enjoy Heaven merely to avoid Hell, but that 1 may, with delight, liberty, and everlasting joy, serve the Lord; for in the present state I cannot serve him as I desire. I have done with the church; and have resigned it and my child into the hand of God.”

From this illness, however, after some months absence from home in the country, it pleased God to restore him; and he preached twice on the Sabbath, as before. But the people being dissatisfied with the omission of the afternoon-service, or with the difficulty of procuring a supply for that part of the day, expressed their wish for a regular assistant. Accordingly a minister was chosen; but as the election was determined by. the casting vote of Mr. Tuppen, there being forty members for him and an equal number against him, the union did not promise to be permanent or happy. In fact, the assistant soon left the people and (not long afterwards) the ministry. In consequence of this, Mr. Tuppen, in November, 1784, informed the church that ke saw it was for their interest to have three sermons on the Sabbath; but as he was not equal to that service, he thought it his duty to recommend it to them to look out for another pastor. Early in the succeeding year, Mr. Tuppen preached his last sermon to them. He left the place with regret; and far the greater part of the people were affected in the same manner, though some indulged a hope of his resuming his labours among them again. Few ministers enjoyed a larger share of the affections of their people; but the Lord, it seems, intended him to become the instrument of laying the foundation of a greater work at Bath.

It was in the year 1780 that some serious persons in that city formed themselves into a body for public worship, according to the Dissenting mode; but, in consequence of the fewness of their number, and the opposition they encountered,

they, with difficulty, maintained the cause for four years; when Thomas Welch, Esq. of London, and some other Independents, exerted themselves in their favour, and engaged to look out for a suitable pastor for them. Mr. Tuppen was the person to whom they applied, as they understood he was then moveable. In the year 1785 he arrived in Bath, when the interest rapidly increased. From about twenty-five persons, whɔ at first attended him, the number rose, in a few years, to 7 or 800. The place in which they worshipped being now too small for the congregation, a new chapel was begun in 1789; and opened October 4, 1790. But his health was then so much reduced, that he was never able to preach a single sermon there; he could only attend the services of the day, which were performed by the Rev. William Jay, who has been the minister of the place ever since.

Mr. Tuppen, after a lingering illness, which he supported with great resignation and patience, entered into his rest on the 22d of February, 1791, aged forty-eight.

During the few years in which he exercised his ministry at Bath, his manner of preaching was very striking: he was often heard to say, "If the attention be gained, half the business is done." It was never his wish to empty other places where the gospel was preached, in order to fill his own; for, after observing the largeness of his own audience, he would often enquire, whether the other places were full: and when he was answered in the affirmative, he seemed to be much pleased; and would say, " Well, we may now hope something is doing!"

Mr. Tuppen was naturally of a studious turn of mind, and had a good acquaintance with Theology. By close application, he had also acquired no inconsiderable share of literature: indeed, his strict attention to study was supposed to have injured his constitution. Among his papers was found a manuscript, containing Rules for his Walking with God as a Minister; one of which was, to pray for all the members of his church, individually and separately, in his closet. His temper, it must be confessed, was remarkably reserved; and this occasioned his keeping himself at too great a distance from his people; but this defect was in some degree balanced by the excellence of his sermons, which were well studied, filled with so much Scripture matter, and enforced by such energy of address, that he secured the respect and affections of his hearers; who found themselves much instructed and edified by his able and faithful labours. In the knowledge of the human heart Mr. Tuppen was deeply skilled, and very successful in detecting its latent evils; and though his conversation with his friends was seldom cheerful, yet it was always instrue-tive and useful,

REMARKS

ON DIFFERENT KINDS OF HEARERS.

Or all the blessings with which we can be possibly favoured, that of the glorious gospel is undoubtedly the greatest. A nation that is without the gospel, however wise her laws, vast her commerce, and extensive her power, is yet in darkRess and misery. Thanks to the Father of Mercies, England is not in this condition. Here the gospel is preached; and here it is heard by thousands, who both understand its nature and feel its power. But while this is the case, it is to be la mented that there are also too many who hear in a wrong spirit. Of these there are various classes, a few of which we shall here enumerate.

There is the critical hearer. He goes for the purpose of hearing sounds, weighing sentences, measuring periods, examining gestures, and catching words. A lapsus linguæ affords him infinite sport, a wrong accent is unpardonable, a word out of place is considered as a deficiency of arrangement, a small mistake in quotation is want of memory, an action that does not exactly correspond with the rules of oratory is clownish, and a plain simple style is grovelling. There is the frequent hearer. Four sermons on a Sabbath,and one every day in the week, are very common with him. He hears every thing, but digests nothing. Perhaps his servants, or his children, are kept at home to mind the house, and thus prevented from hearing at all, while he must hearcontinually; and yet, if you ask him to explain a doctrine, or give the meaning of a text, he is totally incapable of doing either. Too often, his religion is placed in hearing only, while family and closet duties are neglected, or but occasionally performed.

There is the rambling hearer*. He belongs to. no church. One minister, however excellent, he thinks cannot be sufficient. "A variety, a variety, you know," says he, "is always best." He wanders from place to place, and may justly be called The Strolling Professor, "O!" says he, " I have found out such an excellent man; - I never heard his equal! If you would but hear him, you would be charmed !" But he cannot be fixed long, "Mr. is come to town; they say he is a very fine preacher." Away he goes, his favourite preacher is deserted for a while; but he returns, and his once admired minister begins, in his opinion, to be rather flat.. He thinks he should do better if he were to go and hear Mr.

who is just come out. But he is soon tired; and "now,

• The rambling hearer is more particularly to be found in London."

perhaps, the town being divested of popular preachers, he can hardly tell what to do: but after turning over in his mind the different preachers of the metropolis, " Ŏ," says he, “There is. Mr. I never heard him in my life." Away he trudges, perhaps to a distant part of the town, after calling in at several places of worship by the way. In fine, this man is everywhere. There is no preacher but he knows, no public service but he is there: the church, the chapel, the meeting, are all sure to receive him at one time or another.

There is the captious hearer. Few, if any, will please him. He sets up for a judge, though, alas! he is guided more by a fastidious taste and a bad temper, than by sound knowledge and a correct judgment. "The minister," says he, " did not enter into the meaning of his text. If I had been at his elbow I could have whispered an improvement." He can argue for an hour about a point that is of no importance; and is almost ready to quarrel with you if you do not fall in with his opinion. He seldom hears a sermon but there is something in it that he objects to: he thinks himself very wise, and wonders at the ignorance both of ministers and people.

There is the bigotted hearer. "Sir," says he, "there is no minister in England preaches like Mr. -—.”. He is the only man that ever he heard, who can enter deeply into subjects. All others he thinks are flimsy, legal, useless preachers; or, if he allow them any excellency, it is quite in an inferior way. His minister is so ingenious, has so good a memory, states things so clearly, and gives such beautiful explanations of Scripture, that he can hear no other. This is the hearer who is ready to exclude all but his own party from going to the kingdom of Heaven.

There is the impatient hearer. He cannot sit easy at any place. The preacher is always too tedious, the service is always too long. He gets up and down perpetually; his eyes round the g༠ congregation; he lolls on the pew as restless as if he were in a fever, and as inattentive as if he were insane: but if the service happens to be more than usually long, then he is quite overcome; and the only remedy he can think of is, to steal out as if he were a thief; or, if he cannot accomplish that, to fall asleep, and so to remain till the happy moment which terminates the service announces his deliverance.

There is the niggardly hearer. He is often to be found in those much-to-be-commended places, where a great deal of room is allotted for the poor. But as he does not wish to be ranked among them, he goes about, in order to find a place where he can be cheapest accommodated; but even here, perhaps, he will attend for months together before he takes a seat: he is so alarmed at collections, that he seldom attends