amply justifies the recommendation: there could not have been found a more suitable biographer. The "Sketches" extend to a hundred and forty pages; extracts from Mr. Brown's private papers and correspondence, which appear to be judiciously selected, are given as an Appendix of two hundred pages, and twelve Sermons occupy the remainder of the volume.

We shall now lay before our readers, a very brief sketch of the history and character of these two excellent men, together with a few extracts, which may serve as recommendatory specimens of the contents of the Memoirs.

The Rev. David Brown was a native of Yorkshire, where his venerable parents are still living. He was early distinguished by the indications he gave of intelligence and piety, and he was indebted to his promising appearance, when only between ten and eleven years of age, for the result of a casual interview with a stranger, which appears to have decided his future fortunes. It is no unusual thing, to find the secular advancement of individuals distinguished in the annals of their country, turning upon what is termed a fortunate accident, a happy conjunction of talent and opportunity. But it is with peculiar feelings, that in perusing the life of a Christian and a Christian minister, from whose character and infinitely important exertions it is impossible to dissociate the idea of the plastic influence and the superintending providence of God, we trace in some such fortuitous disposition of events, the first intimations of the Divine purpose, which communicated to that insignificant casualty, the power of giving birth to a life-long chain of consequences the most beneficial to society. The stranger, struck with young Brown's intelligent inquiries, expressed his conviction that he was destined to a higher and more important profession than that for which his unambitious parents had designed him, and with their consent, liberally undertook to prepare him for a grammar school, with the further view of his being fitted for college. After enjoying the private tuition of this friend, he was accordingly removed to Hull, to attend the grammar school under the care of the Rev. Joseph Milner, between whom and the scholar a lasting attachment was formed; and he subsequently entered upon his University studies at Magdalen College, Cambridge. From these he was unexpectedly called off by a remarkable and unforeseen offer made him of going to India.'

The particulars of this offer are given in the Appendix, and the circumstance affords the most decisive proof of Mr. Brown's elevated views and simplicity of purpose.

A Major in the East India Company's service, to whose very name he was an entire stranger, in consequence of being informed by a mutual friend, of Mr. Brown's benevolent ex

6

ertions while at College, applied to him to undertake the superintendence of an institution recently formed at Bengal, for the protection and instruction of the orphans of indigent officers. The inducement held out, was, the opportunity of instilling into the minds of these young persons, many of whom would probably spend their lives among the heathen nations of India, the knowledge of salvation by Jesus Christ. Ten days were allowed Mr. Brown to give his definitive answer, and in two months he was to be ready, in case he accepted the offer, to sail for India. Mr. Brown had just recovered from a long indisposition, and he was strongly inclined to sit still and enjoy the tranquillity of college life, and the dear delights of pious and literary friendship there. He resolved to leave the matter to the decision of three tried friends in the church, hut not to accept it at any rate, unless he could first obtain ordination. The salary proved to be less than was at first stated: this had no influence upon his determination, and awaked no regret; but on his meeting with some obstacles to his ordination, he caught at them, as setting him at liberty to return to college and pursue his former plans. Those obstacles were however removed; the late bishop of Landaff consented to ordain him, and shewed him, Mr. Brown states, a truly pastoral regard.

He knew my principles, my purposes, and my views; he conducted a long examination of me himself, and gave me much valuable advice, which has been a great comfort and support to me. His last words were, "Go in peace, and may the blessings of God go with you. Do all the good you can, and if it is no better for you in this world, it will be in the world to come."

The following characteristic letter was written by the Rev. Mr. Romaine, to Mr. Brown's parents, on this occasion.

Your son is going to the East Indies, I trust by the direction of Providence, and with a good prospect of usefulness. If I had been of his age, I should have most gladly embraced such a call, as being, as far as we can judge, of God; and in his hand a likely means of spreading the knowledge of Jesus Christ, where He is not known at all by most of the natives, and very little by those who are not unacquainted with his name. You must therefore look upon your son as lent unto the Lord; and whatever may be the result, settle it in your hearts that all will be well. I commend you and your family, and your son especially, into the care and keeping of my good Lord, that he may be your guide unto death. I am, your's, &c.

WM. ROMAINE."

Mr. Brown's Journal, during his unexpected detention for some months in England, was well worth preservation. It presents a most interesting transcript of his feelings in the

prospect of his important adventure; feelings partaking in some degree of the fluctuation of the spirits, yet characterized by an unusual steadiness of purpose and fortitude of mind. We transcribe a few sentences.

My heart is broken off from relatives, friends, and country; but His understanding is infinite: be still my heart, suffer his great understanding to guide thee, and follow without reluctance or repining.

I

Life will soon be over: it signifies little where I am, or whither go; what dangers, perils, or comforts I meet with on my way to a better country-to heaven my home. Much less than a hundred years will put an end to sin, the cause of every pain: provided it shall be found I have served the Lord Jesus, it will not matter where; at London, or Calcutta.'

'Lord, make me thankful, patient, and faithful. I had better stay here, than go without the orders of thy Providence; I had better go, than resist them.'

There is an aptness in us to misinterpret providential discouragements in our duty, as if they amounted to a discharge from our duty, when they are only intended for the exercise of our courage and faith.'

The following are too characteristic to be passed over.

:

"Behold the fowls of the air; consider the lilies of the field." I wish to walk before the Lord with simplicity of intention and simplicity of dependence at present I have but little in possession, and know not whence the next necessary supply must come. I am comforted with, "Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of these things."

In the evening, after Mr. Brown had vented his feelings in this pious expression of his faith, a friend, who had borrowed of him a small sum, which Mr. Brown had entirely forgotten, returned it to him most unexpectedly and anost seasonably. I am now to reside in Chelsea,' he remarks soon after, and have very little money and food to provide for my wife and self: "The Lord will provide." For some time he appears to have continued under pecuniary difficulties, and we find him noticing with gratitude the receipt of a ten pound note, soon after he had parted with his last two shillings to a poor soldier whose wife lay in with twins, which he had just baptized. A spirit of calm and heavenly confidence pervades the brief notices in his Journal. At length his pecuniary anxieties were terminated by the Court of Directors advancing bim three hundred guineas; and on the 19th of Nov. 1785, he sailed for India.

It is delightful to contemplate, in connexion with all this cheerfulness of dependence in poverty, that singular disinterestedness and liberality, by which Mr. Brown was SO honourably distinguished through life. His could indeed be

no ordinary character, of which it formed one trait of excellence, that he more dreaded riches than most do poverty.'

He

had known,' remarks Mrs. Brown, in his own person, what it was to be under pecuniary difficulties, and he had repeatedly experienced the salutary benefit of timely succour.' This prompted him generously to sympathize with all whom he could relieve. He used to relate the anecdote of a person, who, when she had but little, gave cheerfully of that little; but when rich, said," she had now something to take care of, and could afford to bestow no longer." And

Under reduced circumstances, he still pleasantly quoted, in support of his taste for the pleasures of benevolence, an anecdote of the Rev. Mr. Adams, of Winteringham; who, when he had lost a cow, remarked, "Ah! if I do not give more-God will take more.” ' p. 109.

6 It seemed,' remarks the individual who must best have known his character, as if riches was the only burden he knew not how to sustain. Hence, though he deemed it proper to lay up a moderate provision for old age, or a surviving family, yet he appeared for himself, to dread too much the fascinating power of accumulation, ever to enter steadily on the experiment.'

Possibly some of our readers may be almost incredulous of so remarkable a moral phenomenon, and may be curious to learn from Mr. Brown's own expressions, the secret reason of this singular apprehension. The following passage is extracted from a letter to a friend in 1802.

6 66

My prayer is now principally directed against the root of all evil, the love of money. It has cast off from me on the right hand and on the left, many of whom I hoped better things. Oh, when shall the Lord's people turn not again unto folly! There are few who do it not in one way or other; I have compassion, having myself also been tempted: but from what I have seen, I dread, particularly, the consequences of growing rich; not that I am in any danger of being so, but a very little money does the business. One thousand or ten thousand a year, is the same in operation. 'Give me neither poverty nor riches,' is a safe prayer; it is a prayer against riches, and as such I use it, though in no likelihood of becoming rich: if more come than occasion require, I trust I shall cast my bread upon the waters; the Lord help me so to do!" '

pp. 297, 298.

We return to Mr. Brown's Journal, which he continued at sea. During the voyage, we find him adverting, in the act of writing, to an alarm of fire in the fore-part of the ship, and composedly reflecting that neither the fire nor the water C can touch us till our Lord commission them.'

On the 13th of Feb. occurs a devout reference in the Journal, to the revolution in his circumstances, to which the preceding

year had given birth, which had taken him away from his Cambridge friends, whom he terms the idols of his heart,' but conferred on him the blessings of a beloved wife and a

son.

The following remark strikes us as deserving of transcription; it occurs on the occasion of some objections against the Christian scheme, which he had to combat.

God's sovereignty puts aside human merit, as in the case of Jacob and the Israelites. And God's mercy renders man inexcusable, by proclaiming, "Ask, and ye shall receive."

On the 8th of June 1786, he writes,' At six o'clock landed with my dear family at the Orphan House.' Mr. Brown had particularly wished to sail in the Halsewell, and actually applied to obtain a passage in her. This was another instance of that Divine superintendence, on which his faith habitually reposed, and by which his life was so remarkably, because so obviously attended. The Halse well, we need not remind our readers, was lost.

• Immediately on his arrival at Calcutta in 1786, writes his biographer, he found himself in a most responsible situation, at the head of an extensive Orphan establishment, which demanded and received all his zeal, perseverance, and affection. Within a few days of his arrival, he was nominated chaplain to a brigade in Fort William. The following year, he superadded to these duties, the charge, which he voluntarily undertook, with the approbation of his brother chaplains, of the Mission Church. Thus did he work in the full tide of his strength, officiating at each of these distant points in succession every Sunday.

On separating from the Orphan Institution he received private pupils into his own house, the education of youth being, next to the public ministry of the word of God, that line of usefulness to which he was most attached. His domestic school was much in request; and besides his own, he paid great attention, as inspecting visitor, to one then supported by the old charity fund, but now combined with the free school of Calcutta. He likewise statedly attended the hospital and gaol, to impart religious instruction. At the latter place particularly, he was, as he had been in England, remarkably blessed to the awakening and unfeigned repentance of hardened convicts, of whom he was accustomed to give touching and instructive narratives.

On his appointment in 1794 to the Chaplaincy of the Presidency, his work became still more increased. He continued in charge of the garrison; and was always unwilling to think that new accessions of duty exonerated him from any former engagements. Accordingly, he continued to officiate on Sundays twice to the Mission congregation, once at the Garrison, and once at the Presidency church; beside establishing a weekly lecture, and catechetical instruction of children; which last he deemed an object of the greatest importance.'

pp. 8-10.