Page images
PDF
EPUB

THE

NEW EVANGELICAL MAGAZINE,

AND

Theological Review.

JANUARY, 1817.

MEMOIR OF THE LATE MR. ABRAHAM AUSTIN.

BIOGRAPHY, which is a species of writing that rarely fails to interest us, when it is properly executed; is perhaps never so usefully employed as when it has for its object to rescue modest merit from oblivion; to bring forwards to public view, those characters in retired life which have eminently exemplified the christian pattern; and to enrol in the page of history the names of men, whom the world overlooked, because their | lives were devoted to promote the interest of the best of causes-the cause of truth and righteousness. Such a man was the late Mr. | Austin, on the delineation of whose personal history, we are now about to enter. The qualities that marked his character, and by which it was distinguished from the multitude, whether in or out of the church, were not calculated to make him popular. He was not remarkable for profound learning, nor for splendid gifts; nor indeed for

mer

was born at Sutton Coldfield, a small but pleasant town in Warwickshire, upon the road from Litchfield to Birmingham, at the distance of about ten miles from the latter place, on the 25th of December, 1749. His father and grand-father were timber chants and farmers, in respectable circumstances; and the town being chartered, they had both of them discharged the office of Magistrate in it. Abraham was the oldest of three brothers: at the age of six, it was his affecting lot to lose his father who died of a consumption, and about a year afterwards he lost his mother also! Reduced by these bereaving cir cumstances to the condition of orphans, the three brothers were left to the care of their grandfather, who with parental solicitude watched over them as long as he lived. The amiable disposition of the subject of this memoir so won upon the affections any of those attainments that of his grandfather, that he conexcite the marvellous-the virtues ferred upon him all the advantages that adorned him, and that con- | of education which were calcuferred true nobility upon him, lated to qualify him for the miniswere of a very different descrip- terial office in the national estation. They were meekness, gen- | blishment, and for which he intleness, goodness, fidelity-a heart | tended him. The Rev. John overflowing with universal bene- Ryland was at this time the curate volence to man, and fervent piety of Sutton Coldfield— -a person of Evangelical sentiments, who afterwards removed to Birmingham,

to God.
This excellent minister of Christ

[blocks in formation]

and became a very popular minis-and secluded situation kept him ter in that town. Mr. Austin's ignorant of it. Cudworth, who grandfather, consulted him upon was the pastor of an independent the subject of devoting young church, in Margaret street, CavenAbraham to the clerical profes- dish square, had greatly assisted sion: but finding him of an ex- Mr. Hervey in revising his " Thetremely delicate constitution and ron and Aspasio," and when Mr. nervous habits, he advised his Sandeman made his tremendous being rather brought up to some attack upon this latter work, and trade, in consequence of which he almost overwhelmed its amiable, was articled as apprentice to Mr. and gentle author with dismay at Lutwyche, a respectable grocer in the weight of his Scotch artillery, Birmingham. he found a most able advocate in Mr. Cudworth, who published defence of Theron and Aspasio," against the Northern heretic. It is somewhat foreign to the subject of this Memoir to go into a detail of this controversy, but we shall trespass so far upon the reader's

a

Mr. Austin remembered to have been the subject of considerable religious impressions when he was eight years old; though he continued from that time to the age of twenty, without any just and scriptural views of the way of salvation, harrassed by the accusa-indulgence as to remark, that Cudtions of a guilty conscience, but destitute of any saving knowledge of the truth. His inflexible integrity, and correct deportment, procured him the respect of his master and of the family in which his lot was then cast, but as they possessed no serious piety, they treated his religious scruples and attention to the concerns of his soul, as an enthusiastic frenzy, which rendered his situation at Birmingham far from enviable.

worth was a writer of no ordinary talents, and had his life been prolonged, he would have given the world ample proof of it. He appears to have been the only writer of his day, who was capable of wielding the pen with Sandeman. The great point in dispute between them was, whether appropriation be essential to the nature of justi fying faith-the affirmative of which Mr. Hervey had strenuously contended for, in his sixteenthQuitting Birmingham in the Dialogue-but which his opponent twentieth year of his age, he re- had bent all his efforts to refute. turned to Sutton-Coldfield, where Here Cudworth came in opporthe death of an Uncle, who had tunely to his aid; and though we occupied his father's farm from are not disposed to award him the period of his decease, rendered the palm of victory, it is but jushis presence necessary to settle tice to his memory to say, that his affairs. He was at this time Sandeman never had an opponent the subject of considerable mental who gravelled him so sensiblydistress, but without any religious Pike was a dwarf to him. What associates to whom he could un- we now affirm is not founded so bosom his difficulties, or from much on his published pieces, whom he could ask advice. He which nevertheless discover unhowever recollected a pious woman common shrewdness and dexterity whom he had formerly known in in the management of an argu. the town, and to her he now had ment, as upon a manuscript correcourse. The controversy be- respondence which is still in existween Mr. Sandeman and Mr. tence, and in the possession of Mr. Hervey was at this instant the Cudworth's son, who obligingly popular topic with the religious favoured the writer of this with a public, but Mr. Austin's youth sight of it some years ago. It

on all

gloomy shades retire
hands. And so indeed many
others have found it by happy ex-
perience, that while sitting in dark-
ness and under the shadow of
death, perhaps labouring and
heavy laden, anxiously enquiring
"what shall I do to be saved;"
or how shall I make my peace
with God, the Sun of righteousness
has risen upon their benighted
souls with healing in his wings-a
ray of celestial light has darted
into their minds, to the obtaining
of which all their laborious exer-
cises contributed nothing; but it
has led them to behold the light
of the knowledge of the glory of
God in the face of Jesus Christ,"
and communicated peace and sal-

consists of about a dozen Letters in all, some of them of consider able length; and drawn up with extraordinary care and circum spection. We cannot go into particulars in this place, further than to add, that in some things Cudworth had a manifest advantage, and has successfully shewn that Mr. Sandeman, to avoid one extreme, had ran into its opposite. The good woman, to whom Mr. Austin had recourse for religious instruction, lent him Cudworth's defence of Theron and Aspasio: but as his mind was not at that time prepared to enter into the controversy, he wisely had recourse to Mr. Hervey's Volumes themselves, where he found food much better suited to his hungry appe-vation to their souls-thus verifytite than what was to be met with in the thorny road of controversy. He learnt from them, in some happy measure, the way of a sinner's acceptance with God, through faith in the blood of Christ; and, having tasted that the Lord is gracious, his appetite was whetted for the sincere milk of the word. He now read and studied the scriptures for himself, receiving with meekness the engrafted word which he found to be to the salvation of his soul; and though his views were at this time neither so distinct and clear, nor his doctrinal sentiments so accurately digested as at a future period of his life, he nevertheless had the answer of a good conscience towards God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and rejoiced in hope of the glory of God.

ing the ancient saying, "I am found of them that sought me not: I am made manifest unto those that asked not after me."

Mr. Austin, soon after this, be gan to exercise his talent in preaching; but the account given in the Baptist Magazine of his being intended by an aunt (and he had but one) to become a minister in the church of England, and of means being taken by her to send him to Cambridge, must be wholly unfounded, for she had been dead some years before Mr. Austin returned from Birmingham. It follows therefore that other particulars mentioned in that account relative to his decided adoption of the principles of dissent are at least very questionable. He attended the ministry of Mr. Ryland; there do not appear to have been any dissenters at Sutton Coldfield at this Adverting to the painful exer- time. Mr. R. was in the habit of cises of his mind at this period, preaching at stated times in a priand to the relief which he ob-vate house at Mare Pool, a village tained by a discovery of God as in the vicinity of Sutton, and Mr. reconciled unto sinners through the Austin commonly made one of his atonement, we have heard him hearers. Upon one of these occacompare his state to the rays of sions, the preacher being preventlight breaking through a darked from meeting them, Mr. Austin cloud, and diffusing serenity and was requested to supply his lack chearfulness around while the of service by engaging in prayer

and reading a Sermon which was him rejoicing in hope of the glory put into his hands. He complied; | of God. These seals to his but not finding the doctrinal ministry must have been highly strain of the Sermon consonant to encouraging to him, and he often his own views, he ventured to sub-mentioned the subject in this point stitute his own remarks in place of of view among his friends, but the former which he continued to never without evincing his prohold in his hand; nor were his found gratitude to God who had hearers apprised of the cheat he thus made him the honoured inhad dexterously put upon them, strument of communicating to them till he himself some time after- the knowledge of salvation. wards explained it. Such was the state of things about the year 1770, when, at the urgent solicitation of a few individuals who *had been benefited by his conversation, he consented to give them a discourse, and a house was accordingly taken, in which he commenced and statedly conducted public worship.

The propriety of baptizing infants had probably never been a question with him during this period. He had lived in an insulated state, as it regards all religious parties, mingling with none of them; but an aged minister who resided at Melbourne, in Derbyshire, of the denomination of General Baptists, having occasion Mr. Austin now succeeded to about this time, to pass through the management of the farm which Sutton Coldfield in his way to from the period of his father's Birmingham, and stopping a night death, had been occupied by his there, enquired at a Hair-dresser's uncle, but which now became shop, if there were any dissenters vacant by the decease of the lat- in the place. The answer was ter. He had to settle his affairs, "Yes, there is a Society of this and to provide for himself and his kind, who meet in such a place, two brothers, with a view to which and the preacher's name is Austin." he determined to prosecute the "Well," said the minister, "but malting business. His ministerial what sort of a man is he, and what labours proved very acceptable-character does he bear?" "Oh!” the congregation encreased-the house in which they assembled was insufficient to contain them-but his love to the souls of men prevailed over all personal considerations, and that they might enjoy the advantages of hearing the word of God, he fitted up a place of worship at his own individual expence, where he continued to labour for five years amidst storms of opposition, and frequently at the risk of his life, without fee or reward, except the testimony of his own conscience, and the smiles of approving heaven.

Among the fruits of his ministry at this time, Mr. Austin had the inexpressible satisfaction of numbering his two brothers, who, like himself, lived ornaments of the glorious gospel, and died before

returned the barber, "he is as good a man as ever lived, but he is a kind of methodist." The result was an interview between Mr. Austin and the Baptist minister, who put the former upon looking into the scriptures respecting this branch of duty, and it ended in his being baptized soon afterwards at Longford, in Warwickshire, by Mr. Hickling, a minister of the denomination of General Baptists, on a profession of his repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. In a little time, many of the congregation among whom he laboured, adopted similar views of the ordinance of baptism, and Mr. Austin had the pleasure of seeing fifteen of them baptized at one time by Mr. Francis Smith, pastor of the General Baptist

church in Melbourne, who was | ordained to that office by the late "venerable Abraham Booth." See the Memoir of Mr. Booth, prefixed to his Works, p. 21.

prudence, fidelity and perseverance in the discharge of their pastoral duties; but we desist.

When Mr. Austin was about twenty-six years of age, he, in October 1775, married Miss Jane Spencer, daughter of Mr. Francis Spencer, a farmer at Measham in Derbyshire; and it is worthy of remark that she had been one of the pupils of the late Mr. Abraham Booth, while he kept a school at Sutton Ashfield, previous to his removal to the metropolis. His connexion with this amiable female was a circumstance which Mr. Austin never could speak of without indicating that he numbered it among the greatest privileges of his life, and those who know her and who knew him also, will readily account for this. Had he searched the creation round, he would have found it no easy matter to select a second person, in every respect so adapted to be

Mr. Austin and his friends now became associated with the General Baptists of the new connexion, in distinction from a class of them which had verged into Socinianism. And here we cannot help remarking a singular coincidence, namely, that both Abraham Austin and Abraham Booth should have commenced their career among the General Baptists, almost in the same neighbourhood; should have quitted that connection; settled in London; and ultimately adopted views of divine truth more consonant to each other than can be affirmed of almost any other two deceased ministers that we can recollect. As writers, indeed, the parallel will not hold; Mr. Austin's nervous system utterly precluded him from the frequent use of the an help-meet" for him. Often pen, and the world has much to has he said among his friends— regret on that account; there was "What a poor creature I should nevertheless a similarity of cir- have been without her!" But the cumstances between them in other time is not come to speak of this particulars, which must be mani- amiable woman as she deserves to fest to all who will take the trouble be spoken of, and therefore we of examining the subject. Each content ourselves with merely reof them was brought up in the cording the remark which we reprinciples of Pædobaptism-unit- member to have once heard made ed themselves with the General by one whose age and long acBaptists afterwards removed to quaintance with the family and the London and joined the particular church well qualified him for making Baptist denomination-and adopt- with propriety. "Mrs. Austin is ed, with very few exceptions, every thing that a minister's wife similar views of divine truth. On ought to be." Of her domestic virall the leading doctrines of the tues we say nothing, but we will say gospel, their sentiments were the that her deportment in the church same; on the subject of faith, and has often struck us with admirathe immediate duty of all who tion. Unlike the forward and hear the gospel to believe it, there ostentatious conduct of the genewas a shade of difference, in our rality of ministers' wives, if you opinion, greatly in favour of Mr. would see Mrs. A. at public worAustin. It were easy to pursue ship, 'twère needless to look for the parallel to a much greater ex- her except in the most retired tent-in their personal and domes- corner of the chapel: and though tic habits, the sanctity of their it were not impossible to find her lives, their humble and unassuming at the private meetings of the deportment, and the exemplary church, it would be utterly in vain

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
« PreviousContinue »