edified by his doctrine, it is plain that he took the handfomeft leave of them. He feems to have departed from them as the apoftles did from the prefence of the council, which commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jefus, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to fuffer fbame for his name. Acts v. 41, 42.

That Mr. Romaine neither committed mistakes, nor betrayed infirmities, is what no writer of his life will affirm; nor would any reader of it believe: this would be to affirm and believe that he was not. ą man. But of his fteady and uniform attachment to the doctrines and difcipline of the church of England, no doubt can be entertained. It was an attachment which yielded to no. difcouragements, on the one hand, to no allurements on the other; for though preferment was withheld from him in England, it was held out to him in America, from whence the moft preffing invitations were fent to him to accept of St. Paul's church in Philadelphia, with a falary of fix hundred pounds a year; and these were feconded by the most urgent and repeated intreaties of his friend Mr. Whitfield, who confidered him as perfecuted in one city, and therefore clearly called to go unto another. maine loved his church and his king;

But Mr. Ro

and though he felt and profeffed that affection for Mr. Whitfield which every lover of Jefus Chrift muft feel for fa able and faithful a preacher of his name, so useful an inftrument in the hands of God of reviving the doctrines of the reformation in this country, yet he

never could agree with him in any mode of propagating the truth itfelf, which he thought inconfiftent with the line of conduct prescribed to a clergyman. As to America, where epifcopacy was never likely to be established, nor monarchy to be long endured, it was a foil by no means genial to him; he expected therefore little from being transplanted into it; and he lived to fee many, who had fled to it, as an Utopia of religion and liberty, return with no small delight to old England again.

Asa proof of his unalterable regard for this church and nation, he first printed in 1757, the year of his difmiffion from the university pulpit, An Earnest Invitation to the Friends of the Established Church, to join with several of their Brethren, Clergy and Laity, in London, in Jetting apart one Hour of every Week for Prayer and Supplication during these troublesome Times. After having mentioned the motives and calls to prayer, he proceeds to the matter of it, and invites us to "pray for the peace of our established church, and for all orders and degrees of its minifters, befeeching God to give them his grace and heavenly benediction, that both by their life and doctrine they may fet forth his glory, and fet forward the falvation of all men. And to the end there may never be wanting fuch perfons in the church, let us pray for all feminaries of christian education, efpecially for the two univerfities, &c." As a proof of his good wishes towards all christian people, he adds, "May the God of love difpofe us alfo to pray fervently for all the proteftant diffenting

diffenting congregations which love the Lord Jefus in fincerity. May he fhed that love abroad in all our fouls, which alone can effectually free us from party spirit, &c." This fame tract he reprinted in the year 1779, and again in 1795, a few months before his death. And it is to be hoped that being dead, he will yet speak in it to many, and excite them to the practice of what he there recommends. If If any additional arguments are wanting to enforce this good work upon chriftians, befides thofe in this ufeful little tract, they are to be found in a fermon published at the fame time with the first edition of it, entitled, "The Duty of Praying for Others." It was printed indeed without a name, but bore fuch indubitable marks of Mr. Romaine's ftyle and fpirit, as to leave no doubt respecting its author, and indeed it may be ranked among the best of his writings.

That which he recommended to others, he prac→ tifed himself, and found fo much encouragement to pray always and not to faint, as to be induced a few years afterwards to fend a circular letter to every serious clergyman, whom he knew, and whom he remembered at the throne of grace, inviting them to fet apart one hour in the week for calling upon God; imploring his mercy upon the established church, that he would revive his work in it, and fend forth more labourers into this part of his harveft. This letter will appear in the printed collection; but as it will bear a second and a third reading, as

the

the subject is important in itself, and handled by Mr. Romaine in his choiceft manner, as it is a true fpecimen of his zealous affection in a good thing, as well as of his particular love to this church and nation, as it fhews his knowledge of himself, and contains much godly experience, which may be useful to others; it is here inferted, as forming no inconfiderable part of his hiftory; and may all the benefits, that he wished, be the fruits of its publi cation.

"My dear brother in our precious Jefus,

In the year 1756, a weekly hour of prayer was agreed upon by feveral religious clergy and laity, in order to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, till he should be pleased to put a stop to the calamities of that time. He did hear us, glory be to a prayer-hearing God, and he turned our fupplications into praises. About that period it began to be laid very near my heart to pray earneftly and often for the profperity of our Sion, for which I never fail to make interceffion in all my addreffes to the throne of grace. But once a week, on Friday, I have what I call the clergy's litany. In which, after general petitions for the out-pouring of the Spirit upon all the minifters of our church, I make mention by name of thofe my fellow-labourers, whom God has highly honoured in making them

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faithful

faithful and ufeful in the miniftry. As I go over their names, recommending them to the care, and their people to the bleffing of our Glorious Head, it is my cuftom to afk particularly for them, fuch things as I know or hear they want. Your name has been long in my lift, and you owe me many, many prayers, a lawful debt, which now upon demand I hope you will repay me. I afk it in justice due to myself. I intreat it for the glory of our common Lord, and for the advancement of his own cause and kingdom, and for your own foul's profperity. O that I may write any thing to ftir you up to pray, till you as far outftrip me herein, as to make it a point of gratitude for me to pray more and more fervently for you. I will mention fome of the motives which moved me to this practice, and fome of the advantages which I have found in it, and I beg of the Lord to make them the means of inducing you to join with me in this delightful exercise of brotherly love.

1. One of the first things which put me upon it was the frequent ufe of the hour of prayer, mentioned above. We are called upon in fcripture to make fupplications, prayers, interceffions, and giving of thanks for all men; and we are very often exhorted to pray for the household of faith, and more particularly for the minifters of it, agreed together in this land to worship the fame Lord in the fame outward eftablishment, to which you and I are very clofely connected both in profeffion and

principle.