fitable to my own foul for feveral years, and I doubt not but experience will make it fo to yours.

I leave all that I have faid in the Lord's hand, that he may apply it to you, as feemeth him good. Whether you join with us or not, I will not ceafe to you and pray for yours, that the work of the Lord may profper in you and by you. Only remember the time is short. The work is great. The Lord God bless you in it, that his harvest may be got in foon, and his labourers may go to reft. In this happy number may you and I be found. When our prayers are over may we continue our praises to Father, Son, and Spirit, three persons in one Godhead, to whom we shall be giving equal glory, worship, and thanks, through a long bleffed fabbath. Hallelujah. Amen."

Such an epiftle will bear, and indeed it requires, frequent reading. The bufinefs recommended in it fhould not be forgotten. A lift might be circulated every year of such as call upon the Lord in every place, and labour in his word and doctrine. To their names might be added any particular circumftances, which call for praise or prayer. And an hour, or more, might be well spent in making mention of each severally before God, without vain repetitions. An anniversary sermon might be preached, giving a short account of the progress of the gospel in the kingdom, and published, as a history of the church, for the benefit of the present and future ge

nérations. It was Mr. Romaine's custom to preach a fermon of this fort every year upon the second day of March, being the day of his election to the living of Blackfriars. "In one of thefe difcourfes he mentioned that himself and three others agreed to spend

one hour in the week, at a, ftated time, in prayer for the revival of the power of godliness in the esta blished church *.” What an increase did he live to fee! from units to hundreds! And what encouragement did he hold out to the ministers and people of God, to devote a fmall portion of their time to prayer, fupplication, interceffion, and giving of thanks, for the extenfion of the kingdom, of Jefus Chrift! for the revival of that work of the Lord which shall stand for ever in a people whom he forms for himself, and of whom it may be observed, that in proportion as they are formed for the Lord in the next world, they are formed for good in the prefent one; the increase of them therefore is a great public

concern.

We have now followed the object of thefe memoirs through fome of the changes and chances of this mortal life, as well as through fome of the trials and tribulations of the chriftian life, to his final fettlement as to this world in the rectory of St. Andrew Wardrobe, and St. Ann's, Blackfriars. Nor were the leadings of Providence lefs wonderful in this

*See Memoir of the late Rev. William Romaine, in the Evangelical Magazine for November 1795, P. 449.

circumftance

circumftance of his life, than they had been in moft of the preceding ones. The right of presentation to this living is vefted in the crown and in, the parishioners alternately. Mr. Romaine's predeceffor was Mr. Henley, a nephew of the then lord chancellor Henley. He enjoyed this preferment only about fix years and a half, and died young of a putrid fever, in confequence of vifiting one of his parishion-, ers in that disorder. He was a man of an excellent

fpirit, and of great piety, and promised to be very ufeful in the church; but, it pleafed God to remove him, and to incline the hearts, of fome in the parish, upon his decease, to propofe Mr, Romaine as his fucceffor. This was done without Mr. Romaine's knowledge or confent: the firft intimation which he received of it was from a newspaper, which he took up by accident, when upon a journey. His friends, who first started the idea of nominating him as a candidate for the living, entertained little or no. hopes of fuccefs; but, upon founding their fellowparishioners, they found that at least two thirds of them were in his favour. In order to check their progrefs, a rumour was spread that he was above foliciting their votes and intereft. But upon the day: being fixed for each candidate to preach his proba tion fermon, Mr. Romaine was apprifed of it, came immediately to London, and, made his appearance among them. The day appointed for his preaching, was the thirtieth of September 1764, upon which occafion many abfented themselves who had been

in

in the habits of hearing him, left they should crowd the church, and occupy the feats of the inhabitants; and, by giving them offence, throw obstacles in the way of his election. The fermon, which he preached upon this occafion, does him infinite honour as a chriftian preacher, and an honeft man. It contains the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, as it is in Jefus, with a very plain and 'close application of it to each particular hearer. thought fit to affign his reafons in it for not having behaved towards them in the common way of foliciting their favour. "Some have infinuated that it was

He

from pride that I would not go about the parish from houfe to houfe, canvaffing for votes; but truly it was another motive. I could not fee how this could promote the glory of God. How can it be for the honour of Jefus, that his minifters, who have renounced fame, and riches, and ease, should be most anxious and earneft in the purfuit of those very things which they have renounced? Surely this would be getting into a worldly fpirit, as much as the fpirit of parliamenteering. And as this method of canvaffing can not be for Jefus's fake, fo neither is it for our honour it is far beneath our function: nor is it for your profit. What good is it to your fouls? what compliment to your understandings? what advantage to you in any shape, to be directed and applied to by every person, with whom you have any connexion, or on whom you have any dependence? Is not this depriving you of the freedom of your

choice?

choice? Determined by thefe motives, when my friends of their own accord put me up as a candidate, to whom I have to this hour made no application, directly or indirectly, I left you to yourfelves. If you choose me, I defire to be I defire to be your fervant for Jefus's fake; and if you do not, the will of the Lord be done."

This fermon operated greatly in his favour; it was well received by the parishioners, and publifhed at their request.

There were two other candidates for the living besides himself, and a scrutiny was demanded in favour of each at the close of the firft day's poll. This fcrutiny was entered into, but produced no decifion, the proper qualifications not being fettled which entitled an inhabitant to vote at the election of a rector. A fecond election was agreed upon by the friends of the feveral candidates, which ended in favour of Mr. Romaine, who had a great majority of votes, and was declared duly elected. But this did not fatisfy the other candidates; each put in his claim, and the bufinefs was transferred into the court of chancery. It continued there for more than a year, and, in the end of January or beginning of February 1766, a decree was given by lord chancellor Henley in favour of Mr. Romaine. He was instituted and inducted accordingly, but was observed to tremble much during the whole ceremony of his admiffion. His feelings have been expreffed by himself in a letter which he wrote upon the de