an assembly of finful men, than, without fuch a privilege, to enjoy the richeft poffeffions on earth. After all my fears of little fuccefs, I must own our Lord Jefus the best Master I ever served; he hath often laid matter before me, and enabled me with pleasure to deliver his mind. O the kindness of God to me! Many whofe parents have been spared with them far longer than I had mine, are now in deep poverty; or, what is far worse, abandoned to all manner of wickedness; while, by ftrange means, the Lord hath preferved and restrained me. From low circumftances, God hath, by his mere grace, exalted the orphan to the highest station in the church, and I hope hath given me fome fuccefs, not only in preaching and in writing, but also in training up many for the miniftry. He chose me to be his fteward, and took me from the sheepfold; from following the ewes with young, he brought me to feed Jacob his people, and Ifrael his inheritance. Lord, what am I, and what is my father's houfe, that thou haft brought me hitherto! Upon a reflection on God's providence, I look upon it as a mercy, that, confidering the dreadful pride of my heart, God did not make my talent to be in a quick and extensive view of things at first, but rather in a close, perfevering, and unwearied application to that in which I engaged. In the former refpect, I was always much inferior to many of my brethren. I cannot but remark it also as a kindness in Providence, that though, when I commenced a preacher, my imagination led me fometimes to use flighty expreffions in my fermons, the Lord made me afhamed of this, as a real robbery from him to facrifice to my own accurfed pride. Since that time, notwithstanding notwithstanding my eager hunting after all the lawful' learning which is known among the fons of men, God hath made me generally preach as if I had never read another book but the bible; I have effayed to preach fcriptural truth in fcriptural language. When I confider my earthly mindedness, I admire the almighty grace of God, in so disposing my heart, that it has rather been my care to manage frugally what God has provided for me, than greedily to grasp at more. I think, with respect to my congregation, I have aimed at feeking them not theirs; and 1 am convinced, their charitable belief of this hath disposed them, all along, to regard me, and afford me fufficient fubfiftence; yet it was not I, but the grace of God, which did all. I have looked on it also as a gracious over-ruling of my mind, that, though I have often grudged paying a penny or two for a trifle, the Lord hath enabled me cheerfully to give as many pounds for pious purposes; and, owing to kind Providence, my wealth, instead of being diminished by this means, is much increased. From experience I can testify, that liberality to the Lord is one of the best and effectual means of making one rich; "This is that giveth, and yet increaseth." Reflecting upon my own conduct, I lament that I have been fo deficient in effectual fervent prayer for my congregation, and for the church of God. I lament that my difcourfes and converfation in my family and with others have not been more fpiritual; a sense of finful weakness and unskilfulnefs in pushing religious difcourfe, hath made me averse from keeping much company; and when, at any time, I have been in company with others, without fome feri ous ous difcourfe hath been introduced, I have left them with grief and fhame: It is a divine command, "Let your fpeech be always with grace, feafoned with falt." I lament that I have not attended more frequently focieties for prayer and spiritual conference, and that I have not been more diligent in catechifing and exhorting children in my congregation; I am perfuaded these exercises are fome of the best means which ministers can use for promoting the welfare of fouls, and it would be happy for the church, if the zeal and care of her teachers were chiefly manifefted about things of this nature. But the mercies which I have received, and the fins which I have committed, are innumerable; God has been doing (I had almost faid) all that he can to fave, fimile on, and favour me, and I have been acting to my uttermoft in oppofing and dishonouring him; and now, after all he has performed, and after all that I have profeffed, I am good for nothing, neither to teach nor learn, neither to live nor die, but am both in heart and life evil, only evil, fuperabundantly evil to this day. SUMMARY OF HIS DYING WORDS AT DIFFERENT TIMES. The laft Sabbath he preached was Feb. 25. 1787. He preached in the morning from Luke ii. 26. "And it was revealed to him by the Holy Ghoft, that he should not fee death till he had seen the Lord's Christ.” In the clofe of his fermon he took a folemn farewell of his own people, and plainly intimated, that, in the pulpit, they would would fee his face no more. Though he was scarce able to fupport himself, yet he continued his evening difcourse, and feemed to preach with more earnestness than ever. He preached his last fermon from Acts xiii. 26. "To you is the word of this falvation fent ;" then he, in a very affecting way, bid adieu to his hearers, moftly members of the established church. Thefe all along are nearly in Mr Brown's own words. "If Chrift be magnified, faid he, in my life or death, that is the great matter. Often we read history as Atheists or Deifts, rather than as Chriftians. To read of events, without obferving the word of God in them, is to read as Atheists; to read and not observe how all events conduce to carry on the work of redemption, is to read as Deifts. A piece of history hath often amufed me when my natural fpirits were low, but now I find no pleasure except in meditating on the promises. I wish to begin with that in Genefis, "The feed of the woman shall bruise the head of the ferpent," and to delight myself with it and all the reft that follow to the end of Revelation. The doctrine of grace reigning through righteousness is good to live with, and good to die with. Oh what a happy life a Christian might have, if he were always perfuaded of the love of God, which is in Chritt Jefus our Lord! If there were fuch a thing as exchange of learning, I would willingly quit with all my acquaintance with languages, &c. to krow, experimentally, what that meanoth, "I am crncified with Chrifi: neverthief I live, yet not I, but Christ a 102, and the life I eu the flef is by the Grd whe len felf for me."-I think this evening I am no worfe, but I do not wish to have a will in that matter, only I would not defire to live and yet not be able for Chrift's work; though, perhaps, were God so ordering it, he would enable me to bear that too. No doubt I have met with trials as well as others, yet the Lord hath been always fo kind to me, that I think if he were to give me as many years as I have already lived in this world, I would not defire one fingle circumftance in my lot changed, except I wish I had lefs fin. I have often wondered at the favour which men have fhewed me, but much more at the favour of God to fuch a grievous finner. Oh to be with God, to fee him as he is, to know him even as he is known! It is worthy not merely of doing for, but of dying for, to see a smiling God. About the year God faid to my foul, "I have loved thee with an everlasting love," and O how faithful he hath been to me fince! There would not have been more grace shown in the redemption of the chief of devils than in faving me; the fame price would have ranfomed them, the fame ftrivings would have overcome them. Men may talk of the fovereignty of redeeming love as they will, but had it not been fovereign, infinitely fovereign, I had as furely been damned as I were in hell already. Were it not that God forefaw our fins and provocations from eternity, he never could have continued his love toward me, the grievous finner, the arrant rebel; yet I think he is now preparing me for being ever with himself. Oh what is this, that I have done all that was in my power to damn myself! and, though I will not fay that God hath done all that he could to fave me, I am fure he hath done |