cifion in chancery. "My friends are rejoicing all around me, and withing me that joy which I cannot take. It is my Mafter's will, and I fubmit. He knows what is beft both for his own glory, and his people's good; and I am certain he makes no miftakes in either of thefe points. But my head hangs down upon the occafion, through the awful appre henfions which I ever had of the cure of fouls. I am frightened to think of watching over two or three thoufand, when it is work enough, to watch over one. The plague of my own heart almost wearies me to death; what can I do with fo vaft a nume ber?"

!

Such were the methods by which he obtained the living of Blackfriars, and fuch the views with which he entered upon it... His aims were directed to the glory of God, the profit of his parishioners, and the edification of the church in general.:: They cannot be better reprefented than they have been by himself in two letters kindly communitated by a refpectable clergyman, to whom he gave a title for orders the year after his admiffion to the church of Blackfriars. As thefe letters are not to make a part of the printed collection, they are here refcued from oblivion; and fuch parts of them produced, as ex¬ prefs the writer's ideas of his own fituation, as well as of the duties incumbent upon a perfon who is offering himself a candidate for holy orders. The expreffions alluded to are the following-" In this whole affair I have defired fimply to follow what was right,

7

right, and to aim at the divine glory; and if I know my own heart, (which is not easily known) my eye is fingle in your coming to me. I defire your good, and not mine own; your being with me may be the means of much edification to your own foul, and may tend greatly to your future 'ufefulness. I would have my church a nursery, where such as you may grow, till you are fit to be planted out, and when fit, I would not keep you a day, but rather use my intereft to provide fome preferment for you. This

is

my plan, my title, and my pulpit, and what I have in confequence of the Lord's fending me to Blackfriars. I have them for the Lord, and I beg grace of him that I may employ them fo as fhall be most for his glory. I fhall receive you on this footing when you come. May the Lord the Spirit unite your heart to me as mine is to you, and may we be taught of God to love one another.

I hope you will not forget me in your addreffes to the throne of grace, and if I may give my advice, it is needful for you at prefent to be much in prayer for thefe graces.

i

Firft, for the right knowledge of yourself-your vilenefs.

Secondly, for the right knowledge of Jefus his glory.

Thirdly, for a fingle eye to his glory in your taking upon you to be his minifter and fervant in holy things. Fourthly, for a love to fouls; when you know much of his love in faving your foul, that

will

1

will make you labour much for Jefus, in trying to fet forward the falvation of others. And, laftly, you should beg of God, and be always begging as long as you live, for an entire dépendance upon the Lord to bless you in his work. We toil all night and day, and catch nothing, till the Lord bless the gofpel net. The Lord blefs it in you and by you, fo prays your real friend and fervant,

Lambeth, August 4, 1767,

WILLIAM ROMAINE."

This fame gentleman expected to have been ordained upon Trinity Sunday, but was disappointed. He gained by this lofs a fecond letter from his friend Mr. Romaine, equally expreffive with the first of his views of the chriftian ministry.

"Dear Mr.

Ir was not without good reason that the Lord I would not fuffer you to be ordained last Trinity. He had much to teach you in these months, and I hope you have been a good scholar. He wanted to teach you your abfolute unfitness for the work of the ministry, and thereby to bring you to an entire dependance upon him. You cannot love the work, nor be fuccessful in it, nor, upon fucceeding, give Him all the glory, but through his grace. He laid you by a little to make you more perfect in this leffon. It is very hard to learn, for I am still at it

every day, and get but little ground. Self, proud felf is fuch a dull scholar, and has fuch a bad memory, that though I am fatisfied to-day Chrift must do all for me, and all in me, and all by me too, yet I foon forget, and foon want to be fomething in the work myself; but I do know, and, blessed be the name of Jefus, I do experience that his grace is fufficient for me; chiefly in the pulling down of my pride, and in making me willing to be nothing, that Chrift may be ALL. May he pour out upon and me more of his Spirit, to lay felf very low, and to exalt the Saviour."

you

These letters speak for themselves, being the language of a person who had determined to know nothing among his people, but Jefus Chrift and him crucified. A determination which being generally made in the Spirit, is generally pursued with steadiness; at least it was in the inftance before us unto the end of his life.

He entered upon his living not only in the faith and patience of Jefus Chrift, but alfo with a decided preference to the church of England, in which he was called to preach his name. He therefore adhered to her discipline, and explained her doc-, trines, with a view to enforce upon his hearers conformity to both, and a regular continuance in her communion. In pursuance of this plan, he declared his intention of preaching a courfe of fermons upon the thirty-nine articles of religion, and in the process

of

of this fervice he received from his parishioners the following petition.

To the Rev. William Romaine, Rector of the united ·Parishes of St. Andrew by the Wardrobe, and St. Ann, Blackfriars.

"Reverend Sir,

As you have been pleased to intimate an intention of preaching a courfe of fermons upon the thirty-nine articles of the church of England, and have actually proceeded in a manner that has given general fatisfaction-We, the churchwardens, parifhioners, and inhabitants of the above-mentioned parishes, whofe names are hereunto fubfcribed, reflecting how many chriftians are unhappily deprived of reaping any benefit from them, owing to their being confined within the narrow limits of a fingle church, do, for the intereft of religion in general, and for our benefit in particular, join in requefting you (if agreeable to yourfelf) to print and publish the fame; and we are the more prompted to make this request, as we are informed that there is no work of the kind now extant.