pel of peace to about two hundred persons, the poor Roman Catholics, I meet with all in the language they best understood; many things of a very encouraging nature. some from the age of six to ninety years; I find many of them to be sincerely inquirall desirous to drink out of the wells of sal- ing after truth, and searching the Scriptures vation. There may be seen young people for themselves; and it is evident that prejuabout to enter on the busy scenes of life, dice is gradually declining. I could mention acquiring the knowledge of their Creator, many things which lead me to make these who has condescended to reveal himself as remarks. Let one or two suffice. the object of their confidence, and has graciously promised to be the Guide of their youth and there the way-worn traveller, with his staff in his hand for very age, is seeking in the Saviour of sinners that consolation which the world has often promised him, but never afforded. Having hitherto spent his money for that which is not bread, and his labour for that which satisfieth not, he is now inclining his ear to the voice of Christ; the seals of that book in which are contained all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are gradually broken; and on the brink of the grave he begins successfully to explore the field in which is hid the pearl of great price. God is the supreme object of a believer's desires, while others pant for honours, wealth, and pleasures, he earnestly seeks the sense of the divine favour, which, to his renewed heart, is far better than life itself. On the 19th instant, I read for a re spectable person named Deing, about a mile distant from this place. He seemed desisirous of bringing the popish doctrines to trial, and brought forward such passages of Scripture as are commonly adduced by Roman Catholics, in proof of purgatory, the infallibility of the church, the power given to the clergy, &c. In discussing these se veral points, he manifested a mild, teachable spirit, and was still on the inquiry, touching the one true church, as he called it. He at first seemed to believe, that there is no safety out of the Roman Catholic church; but I endeavoured to point out to him, that the safety of believers does not consist in being joined to any particular denomination of men on earth, but in being united to the Saviour, and made partakers of his righ teousness. In proof of this, I referred to several passages of Scripture; and that in Rom. iv. 24 seemed to him very convinc. ing. At length he acknowledged that he believed that I had told the truth. I was happy to learn that several of this man's family, instead of being at mass, appeared in your congregation on Lord's day last. writes to Mr. Bates : Rev. Sir, On the fifteenth instant, I read in the house of John Kelly, of whom I made men. tion, in a former letter, as having abandoned popery, through the instrumentality of reading the Scriptures for him. After we read several chapters, which I thought best suited to his condition, and conversing on the goodness of God, and the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ. He told me, a few nights ago Under date of Sept. 30th, GEORGE MOORE there came a neighbour to him, and entered into a conversation, saying, if he would not go and submit himself to the priest, all the neighbours would forsake him. "The Lord Jesus has promised his people," said Kelly, "that he will not leave them, nor forsake them; so when the neighbours are far from me, God will be with me." I advised this poor man to search the Scriptures; for this is the only rule of life we have to go by; and with his reading, to pray for the influence and graces of God's holy Spirit, for all the promises are sure to persevering prayer, "Seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all other things shall be added," for those that follow this plan will never miss the way, but their peace will flow as a river, and their righteousness as the waves of the sea. We who labour in sowing the seed of eternal life through this country might do well to observe the diligent and longing husbandmen around us; who seem to be waiting patiently in this humid and adverse season for the in-gathering of the harvest. For a great deal of the seed which we have sown this time past, seems to be but shoot. ing forth like tender plants, which still require the watering of the Holy Spirit, and the warm shinings of the Sun of Righteousness to advance and mature their growth. The young man whom I mentioned in my last letter to you, has been, I trust, converted by grace; for, in an interview which I have had with him, he appeared to be a recipient of mercy. I hope he is a brand plucked from the burning. Another instance may suffice to show how To Mr. Sharman, ROBERT BEATY writes, far God has been pleased to bless my feeble under date of October 31st: Rev. Sir, I feel pleasure in stating to you, that in my having intercourse among the people in reading the Scriptures, and not least among exertions in his own good cause. A poor illiterate Roman Catholic named L., to whom I have repeatedly read and expounded the Scriptures, has this time past absented himself from the Romish mass-house, and the confessional meetings, and he now attends our meetings when held in his neigh. bourhood, for the last time you preached in Leffany, he was one of your most attentive auditors, and he has since been inviting and urging his Roman Catholic neighbours to accompany him to hear the true gospel preached, &c. Another Roman Catholic, whose eyes are I hope half opened, expressed his thankfulness the other day for the instruction which he received by hearing me expounding the Scriptures; he said he would feel delighted with my company, however numerous my visits; and if I could not go more frequently to the village, he and another neighbour, whose desires for spiritual food are equally intense, would visit me, though they live at the distance of about four miles. On the 19th instant, in the afternoon, I spent nearly three hours with an intelligent Roman Catholic, discussing very amicably the principal features or tenets of the Romish church, and contrasting them with the sacred Scriptures. Nothing could be more beneficial than this private exposure of er. ror and falsehood, together with a temperate display of truth. He seemed well satisfied ere we parted; he is daily perusing the Bible for more knowledge; he invited me to visit him as soon as possible again. Are not these pleasing and heart-cheering indica. tions? I might mention many similar; but at present I must forbear. May we all be enabled to hold on our course to the end, sowing the seed both morning and evening, still hoping that God will, in his own good time, crown our labours with a very abundant harvest. Under date Oct. 2nd, Mr. BATES writes: My dear brother, In this parcel I send you the journals of the readers for the past month, in reading which you will find that they are actively engaged in making known the gospel of Christ. Indeed, I think that this class of agency is the most effectual that is in operation in Ireland. At the present period every thing is very quiet and still; our readers can go almost into any village with. out fear of molestation, and visit almost any family without finding any resistance. I should rejoice to see this dead calm broken by inquiring sinners, and something similar to that state of spiritual anxiety which was manifested on the day of Pentecost, when sinners cried out, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" I have been through the greater part of the district this last month, and the Lord has enabled me to preach on several occa. sions. Besides my stated seasons for divine worship in this town, I have visited Mullifarry, Mountain River, Easky, &c., where the gospel was proclaimed to perishing sinners. At Curragh I preached late one evening, and though it was a rainy night, there were persons nearly three miles distant, who attended on that occasion. Indeed, amidst all the unconcernedness of sinners around us, there are a few that seem anxious to hear the word of life. Some are leaving popery, others are asking the way to Zion, and a few are savingly converted to God. These things encourage us in this dark and desolate wilderness, and cheer the heart as we are finishing our course. In the mean. time, we are expecting a period to arrive when many shall be converted to God, so that the little one may become a thousand, and the small one a strong nation. The schools this last quarter have been pretty well attended, and some of the chil. dren have made satisfactory progress. In travelling through the district to inspect them, I had the opportunity of examining &c.; and though some of the schools might the children in reading, writing, arithmetic, perhaps be improved, yet I am persuaded that they are very great blessings to the various localities where they are established. Next month I will, if spared, send you the rolls, and then you will see how they have been attended. - William Greenfield, M.QA S Myreenfield ΠΟΛΛΑΙ μεν θνητούς ΓΛΩΤΤΑΙ, μια δ' Αθανάτοισιν. LONDON 1839 THE BAPTIST MAGAZINE. DECEMBER, 1839. MEMOIR OF THE LATE MR. WILLIAM GREENFIELD, M.R.A.S., SUPERINTENDENT OF THE TRANSLATING AND EDITING DEPARTMENT OF THE BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. OUR present number is embellished with a portrait of an eminent linguist whose talents were devoted to the promotion of biblical literature, and who, in a short but energetic career, perform ed labours which will be permanently useful to society, and earned a title to lasting and grateful remembrance. When we mention the editor of "The Comprehensive Bible," it will be perceived that we refer to one to whom many of our readers are indebted for a work of great utility, the compilation of which required extensive knowledge and sound judgment; but when we add that, in the service of the British and Foreign Bible Society, his varied talents were brought into exercise in no fewer than twelve European, five Asiatic, one African, and three American languages, and that the committee of that institution believed themselves justified in ascribing to him in all the works in which he had been engaged as editor, "sound learning and critical judgment"-" a constant perception of the duty of faithful adherence to the very letter of the sacred original" and "minute and unwearied diligence," it will be seen at once that he was a philological prodigy, and that the history of his intellectual rise and progress deserves attention. For our knowledge of Mr. Greenfield's early life we are indebted exclusively to a memoir which was written soon after his decease by Mr. Samuel Bagster, to whose friendship he was under great obligation, a part of whose narrative we take the liberty to adopt. "William Greenfield was born in London on the 1st of April, 1799. His VOL. II.-NEW SERIES. His parents were of Scotch extraction. father, at the recommendation of the Rev. Dr. Waugh, (of whose church he was a communicant,) was employed as a foremast-man on board the Duff, in her second missionary voyage, from which he returned in safety; but he was unhappily drowned on a subsequent voyage in another vessel. William thus became an orphan when he had scarcely reached his third year. His mother, who was a pious woman, having relations in the north, removed from London, in 1802, to Roxburghshire, where she obtained her livelihood in service; placing her orphan boy under the care of a relative, in the vicinity of her employer's residence, by whom William was treated as one of the family, sharing in the education of his young relatives. When he had reached his tenth year, his mother, finding him averse to agricultural employments, determined on quitting her situation, and bringing him up to London, where she entered the service of another family; and, through the kind patronage of the venerable Dr. Waugh, her son was, in 1812, bound apprentice to Mr. Rennie, a respectable bookbinder, in whose family strict religious discipline was maintained. "In the interval which elapsed between his removal to London, in 1810, and the date of this engagement, William was confided to the care of his two maternal uncles. These young men, being of a studious and devout turn of mind, had formed a strong desire to read the holy scriptures in the original languages; and their nephew, finding them employed in these studies, ex 4 E |