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Published Feb 1825. for the Congregational Mag by BJ.Holdsworth, S.Pauls Church Yard. London

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MEMOIR OF WALTER VENNING, ESQ. THE PHILANTHROPIST, LATE OF ST. PETERSBURG. Compiled from his Private and Family Papers.

MAN has been described as an imitative animal, and certainly the examples which he has most copied, afford melancholy evidence of the degradation of his nature, and the general corruption of his powers. The Nimrods and Alexanders of the world, ambitious, lewd, and sanguinary as they were, have become models, which are celebrated with poetic enthusiasm, studied with intense interest, and imitated with heroic ardour, while those benevolent individuals, who, like their divine Master, have consecrated their days to the alleviation of human misery, are gazed upon as strange unearthly beings, whose self-denial rather affords a theme for high wrought eulogium than an example for personal imitation.

The history of the benevolent HOWARD will illustrate these remarks. His ministry of mercy could not be concealed-painters and poets, sculptors and senators invited the sister arts to celebrate throughout Europe and the world, the achievements of his philanthropy. But who imbibed his spirit, or copied his splendid example?-five and twenty winters rolled over his solitary grave before a man appeared to assume the mantle of the ascended saint, and by his generous ardour in the service of the miserable, to entitle himself to the honourable appellation of the second Howard-and that man was- -WALTER VENNINGanimated like his predecessor by NEW SERIES, No. 2.

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operative principles of evangelical piety, and like him attached to the simple discipline of congregational nonconformity.

Walter Venning was born at Totness, Devon, on the 15th of November, 1781, of a family, which in several successive generations had maintained, amidst much and varied opposition, a steady adherence to the cause of the Redeemer. His father was a man eminently devoted to God, and gave a decided proof of his attachment to the truth by uniting with a few other friends in the erec tion of the Independent chapel in Totness, "when the Socinian'leprosy appeared within the walls of the old Presbyterian Meeting House there. In his parental relation he was peculiarly exemplary: a respectable minister, himself a pattern of domestic consistency, has often remarked, that he never knew an instance in which filial reverence and love were more happily secured by wise discipline, than in the numerous family of Mr. Venning. The subject of this memoir was so deeply sensible of its advantages, that he would frequently say, "I can never praise God sufficiently for a religious education-it restrained me from vice, and kept me from ruin."

Engaged himself in commercial relations, his father devoted Wal

* Of this place the Rev. William Chaplin, now of Bishop Stortford, was the first minister.

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ter to similar pursuits, and before he had attained his sixteenth year, he removed from under his paternal roof for London, where he remained with his elder brother, Mr. Wm. Venning, for two years, and was then called to leave his native country for St. Petersburg, to join his brother, Mr. John Venning, who has a mercantile establishment in that city.

On his departure, a minister already referred to, presented him with a copy of Doddridge's Rise and Progress, &c. and united his admonitions and prayers with those of Mr. V.'s family for his entire preservation. On his arrival at St. Petersburg he felt that disgust, which most persons religiously educated, experience on their first visit to the metropolitan cities of the European continent; but alas! he soon became familiar with the scene-a scene which his associates justified and applauded, and to the unhallowed fascinations of which he at length yielded.

His own account justifies this statement. "At first I regarded with abhorrence the public profanation of the Sabbath, which I had been taught to keep holy, but the bewitching pleasures of dissipation -the shafts of ridicule-and the depravity of my own heart-all united to remove me from the paths of virtue, and rob me of that comfort and serenity of mind, which religion alone can affordcloset devotion, in course, became irksome, and was then neglected, and that invaluable book, the Bible, although in my possession, remained closed for a series of years." In October 1802, he proposed to visit his native country, and left St. Petersburg for Oraniomboon, to cross from thence to Cronstadt, but found on his arrival, that the gulf was half frozen, and that the post boat had not crossed for several days. After going back to St. Petersburg, with the hope of obtaining a boat to pass down

the Neva to Cronstadt, the centre of the river not being completely frozen, but without success, he with his natural ardour, quickened by the desire of reaching England that winter, returned to Oraniomboon, and there hired two persons to accompany him in an attempt to cross the gulf on the ice, though it was ten versts, or near seven English miles direct to Cronstadt. In commencing this enterprize, they had first to traverse a pathless wood, for about two miles before they reached the sea shore. On their arrival, they found the ice was scarcely strong enough to bear their weight. Hoping, however, that it would increase in thickness, as they advanced from the shore, they proceeded, trying every step with poles, which often penetrated through the slightly formed ice, and betrayed how near they were to a frozen tomb. As they approached the current of the Neva, they found the water scarcely congealed-to advance in that line was impossible-to return was perilous, and therefore they resolved to prosecute their course by a circuit higher up the gulf. Here they found their path more firm, yet so slippery that they were thrown down every few yards of their progress, which rendered their situation more hazardous, as every fall, by increasing their weight, endangered the breakage of the ice, which would at once have plunged them into irretrievable destruction.

But the God of his fathers, whom alas, he had forgotten, still watched over him, and though cold, bruised and exhausted, yet he arrived at Cronstadt before night fall, in perfect safety to the astonishment of his friends who heard of his adventure. From thence he obtained a passage in a small and crazy vessel down the Baltic, amidst all the terrors of a northern winter, and at length arrived in safety at his native shores.

It is much to be regretted, that amongst his papers there is no fragment relating to this visit made so interesting to him, as the last he ever paid to his venerable father, who soon after his return to St. Petersburg, was gathered to his reward.

The intelligence of this mournful event was communicated to him by his sisters and brother in letters, which minutely described all the circumstances connected with the peaceful departure of this venerable saint. They told him of the blessed testimony he gave to the worth of the Saviour, and how the moment before he closed his eyes in death, he exclaimed, "There is light"-the radiance of immortality breaking in upon his soul.

These particulars deeply affected the susceptible heart of Mr. V., and under the impressions they produced, he wrote in the following strain to his sisters-" You can only judge of my sorrow and grief by your own. But as Christians, we should rather rejoice than mourn at the departure of our dear parent from this world to a

better.

"Everlasting thanks are due to that most merciful Being, whose kindness was so distinguished in the last moments of our dear father, who, as I learn, comforted those who came to comfort him. May our lives be like his, that our exit from this transitory state may be attended with as much honour to our God as his. To a good man to die, is to be happy therefore let us console ourselves, and endeavour to imitate his example, which will be the best testimony of our attachment to him. Let us for his sake, unite our hearts together in family love and affection, and as he loved us, let us love one another; and if it be true, which I am very willing to believe, that the disembodied spirits of just men made perfect, are permitted to look

down from that world of bliss upon their friends on earth, to witness all their actions, then what exquisite pleasure must it give our affectionate father, now in the very bosom of happiness, to view his children living in unity and loveto see them treading in his steps towards that home to which they are all hastening."

The peace of Tilsit in 1807, which united the Emperors of France and Russia, in a common alliance against Great Britain, necessarily produced an embargo on all British vessels in the ports of Russia, with an order for the confiscation of all British property. Commercial relations with England being thus suspended, Mr. Venning was anxious to return home, and applied for his passport, which, after several months he obtained, through the powerful influence of some of his Russian friends.

His fond expectation of leaving the country was considerably abated by an unfounded rumour, that the vessel which Lord Royston had purchased to convey himself and friends, among whom he hoped to be included, had sailed from Liebau to Sweden. This, in course, prevented his attempt to join the vessel, which in fact he might still have done, and though it produced in his mind much regret, yet the disappointment was wisely permitted by that gracious Providence which watched over him for good. That vessel sailed, but after encountering tempestuous weather for five days, it was wrecked on the bar of Memel, when Lord Royston and twelve other passengers perished.

His Excellency Baron Stedingk, the Swedish Ambassador, was about to leave St. Petersburg for Revel, there to await the arrival of the frigate which was to convey him home. By extraordinary influence, Mr. V. prevailed with his Excellency to include him in his suite, a privilege which the

most opulent Englishmen at St. Petersburg had solicited in vain. He left that city on the 20th March, O. S. 1808, with two friends in a telega, a carriage without springs, and open on all sides to the inclemency of the season. Amongst Mr. V.'s papers is an amusing fragment of a diary of the incidents of his journey, which, though it betrays the fact, that at this time, he was not under the complete influence of religion, yet it also discovers, that his heart was alive to human wretchedness, and his understanding convinced of the truth of the Christian system.

Many were the dangers to which he was exposed-the intensity of the cold-the broken state of the roads the overthrow of the telega -the ignorance of the driver-the threatening appearance of wolves -the moroseness of the soldiery, all united to render this journey perilous; but "an

arm unseen

conveyed him safe," and he arrived in England in the spring of 1808, though his journal does not record the date or circumstances of his voyage hither. The autumn and winter of this year he spent in the society of his sisters at Totness, with whom he delighted to converse on the peaceful death of his father, and often with manly tears glistening in his eyes, would he advert to the value of religion, as discovered in that solemn hour.

In 1809, he returned to London, where, though he did not enjoy the advantages which arise from the society of religious friends, yet the impression produced on his mind by the circumstances alluded to continued: he attended the ministry of Dr. Winter, at New Court, and read in his closet those devotional works most adapted to his present state of feeling.

One Lord's-day evening, in December 1810, he was engaged in reading the 3d sermon of Dr. Doddridge on Regeneration, and the third particular" on the new Re

solutions" of the regenerate, excited in his mind peculiar satisfaction, as descriptive of his own experience, but when he repeated the following passage

He feels his own weakness, and is so

thoroughly aware of the treachery of his own heart, that he is almost afraid to express in words the purpose which his very turn that purpose into a vow before God, soul is forming: He is almost afraid to

lest the breach of that vow should increase

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his guilt: But this he can say, with repenting Ephraim, Lord, Turn thou me, and I shall be turned; and with David, Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my foot-steps may not slip. I am exceeding frail; but, Lord, Be thou surety for thy servant for good, and then I shall be safe! Do thou rescue me from temptations, and I shall be delivered! Do thou fill my heart with holy sentiments, and I will breathe them

out before thee! Do thou excite and maintain a zeal for thy service, and then I will exert myself in it!' And when once a man is come to such a distrust of him

self; when like a little child, he stretches out his hand to be led by his heavenly Father, and trusts in his guardian care alone for his security and comfort—then,

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"At these words, I felt," to use his own language, my mind overpowered with delight, that tears of joy ran down my cheeks. I immediately fell on my knees, and never prayed more earnestly, than in repeating, 'Lord take me by the hand!' I never experienced any thing equal to the exquisite delight which I then felt

I never, to my recollection, was less dependent upon myself. I prayed God to strengthen my weak resolutions. My mind was almost overpowered with holy joy."

Mr. Venning's tranquillity was soon disturbed by doubts which were suggested to his mind concerning the divinity of the Saviour. He was, therefore, led to a careful perusal of the Scriptures, for information upon that vital subject, and among his papers are several fragments, which prove, that he diligently collated many texts, to ascertain the amount of evidence in favour of the impugned doctrine. Having arrived at a satisfactory conclusion respecting

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