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to expect to hear the sound of her voice, unless a question were asked her. These things are so unusual now-a-days, that their singularity excites surprise and deserves to be mentioned.

could be found to do! Mr. Austin on this occasion wrote to the ministers who formed the Baptistboard in London, who gave him the best legal advice that they could procure, and, after a vigorous and long continued contest, by paying some few costs or a trifling fine, he escaped.

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But the great head of the church was now paving the way for his removal to London, where a sphere of more extensive usefulness awaited him; but where, at least for many years, his situation was not more enviable than it was at Sutton Coldfield. About the year 1780 he was in the practice of preaching occasionally at the large and populous town of Birmingham, to which place some of his friends from Sutton had removed. In a little time a neat and commodious chapel was built there, principally by the exertions of a Mr. Joseph Green, who was among the first fruits of Mr. Austin's ministry and one of his best friends. To assist in reducing the debt that had been incurred by the erection of the building at Birmingham, Mr. Austin took a journey to London, collecting for it on his way, and while here he received an invitation from the congregation at Fetter-lane, which terminated in his settlement among them in the year 1785, at which time he was about thirty five years of age.

Notwithstanding the opposition that was raised in Sutton Coldfield against Mr. Austin's ministry, the Lord owned and blessed it. The place in which the congregation met was found insufficient to accommodate them, and they were devising means for procuring a larger, when a person of some considerable property in the town, who had been among the foremost of their persecutors, made them an offer to erect a more spacious one for their use, which they accepted and what was more remarkable still, he afterwards frequently came to hear Mr. Austin during the time that he continued to preach there, which was about nine years. The increase of the Baptist profession in Sutton Coldfield proved exceed ingly galling to the high church party. Mr. Ryland was a man who would sometimes go out into the fields and high-ways, and invite sinners to come to Christ; but he had removed to Birmingham, and his successor was no friend to dissenters. The writer of this remembers to have heard Mr. Austin give a most affecting detail of the harrassing measures that were re. sorted to, with a view to annoy him, and render bis situation un- Mr. Austin's removal to Loncomfortable, by forcing him to don, formed a new era in the hisserve the offices of church-warden, tory of his life. He was now in overseer of the poor, &c. &c. as a the meridian of his days, and conpunishment for his nonconformity.sequently capable of as great A justice of the peace who resid- exertion as at any period of his ed in the neighbourhood, and pos-mortal career; but there are persessed of overwhelming influence, took the lead in all this; and what was singular, he openly declared that his sole reason for wishing to impose these burdensome offices upon Mr. Austin was, a conviction that he would discharge the duties of them with integrity and faithfulness, a thing which no one else

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sons now living who remember what he then was as minister of the word, and what he lived to be. They marked his progress in the knowledge of the scriptures, and they can testify that, unlike many who have entered upon the ministerial office, he did not settle upon his lees, by adopting the foolish

conceit that there was nothing to be attained beyond what he was already in the possession of. "It was my great mercy," said he to the writer of this only a few days before his death, " never to have been shackled with human systems and creeds. I formed my own system upon a diligent study of the word of God, without troubling myself about what was held by this or that great writer." Happy they who imitate him in this respect, without regarding what Dr. Crisp or Dr. Gill, or any renowned doctor has held. A mind open to conviction, and sufficiently independent to follow truth wherever that shall lead, is a high state of privilege, but it falls to the lot of few; and hence the present wretchedly degraded condition of the churches around us in regard to religious knowledge. Forming an estimate upon a comprehensive scale, it may confidently be questioned whether we are not rather going backward than forward. But this is a topic so prolific of remark that we must not pursue it. We have briefly adverted to it for the sake of accounting for the unpopularity which attended Mr. Austin for many years after his settlement in London, but which gradually subsided though it was never entirely removed. The congregation in Fetter-lane was small, and the church consisted of not more than thirty members, when Mr. Austin settled among them; and there is reason to believe that several of them at that time did not hold the proper and essential Deity of the Son of God. Mr. Ebenezer Smith, who had lately had the pastoral charge of them, had been assistant preacher to Dr. Gifford at Eagle street, but is said to have left that church in consequence of his

having embraced the Arian notion of the person of Christ." What Mr. Smith's sentiments on this point really were, we have not

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the means of ascertaining. It may be correct that he denied the proper deity of the Saviour-and it may be that he only denied the eternal generation scheme; that is, that the Son of God was begotten in pure deity! Whatever there might be in this, 'tis certain that the church in Fetter-lane were stigmatized as Arians, and lay under a load of opprobrium on that account. We do not however believe that Mr. Austin ever held Arian sentiments, though he had too much good sense to hold the doctrine of eternal generation. He nevertheless accepted the pastoral office, and was ordained over them in the month of February, 1786.

Of the circumstances attending the destruction of the chapel by fire, which took place Dec. 4th. 1788, the vicissitudes and inconveniences to which it necessarily exposed both pastor and people until the present building was erected-the difficulties that arose in consequence of the imprudent conduct of those who had taken the management of the building, and a vast variety of other circumstances connected with this subject, we have not room to speak. The reader who wishes to know them, we beg leave to refer to the Baptist Magazine for Nov. 1816. where they may find all the particulars given with commendable accuracy and sufficient minuteness of detail. Reserving for another article, a view of Mr. Austin's doctrinal sentiments after his judgment in divine things became matured, and of his character as a Christian and the pastor of a Christian church, we shall bring the present towards a close by a rapid glance at the success of his labours during the thirty years he held forth the word of life at Fetter-lane, until his removal to the mansions of eternal rest, where we confidently trust he is " ever with the Lord."

We believe it has not often

thought him very heretical about the Sonship of Christ, and some have suspected him of being tinctured with Sandemanianism, because of his simple view of faith! even to the present day we believe that these foolish notions are prevalent among the dissenters in the metropolis respecting the church in Fetter-lane. We remember within the last three years to have heard an Independent minister, who came to supply for Mr. Austin on a Sabbath evening, preach a discourse from Heb. i. 3. from which he undertook to prove the Divinity of the Saviour, and his eternal existence as a divine person, with such vociferation and laborious bodily exertion, as were really terrible to the congregation, and which could only be accounted for upon the principle that he supposed they all denied that doctrine, and that he was determined to convince them of their error; whereas the real truth is, that they believe that doctrine as firmly as himself! But such is the influence of prejudice upon the human mind even among our leading dissenting ministers.

fallen to the lot of an individual in our day to prosecute his ministry under circumstances that more imperiously called for the exercise of patience, self-denial, and confidence in God, than those under which Mr. Austin laboured. With a family that gradually encreased to thirteen children, five of whom survive to bewail the removal of a most indulgent father, his income from the church was only a scanty pittance--for several years not more than a guinea a week, and for a much longer time not exceeding a guinea and a half; though during all this period he devoted himself unreservedly to the duties of his office, preaching three times on the Lord's day, and once or more during the week. The state of the church also at the time he took the oversight of it was calculated to harrass and distress them. 'Tis probable he was not at the moment aware of the extent to which the leaven of false doctrine had spread, and how far it had corrupted the mass, for had that been the case, wisdom would have suggested the propriety of dissolving the union that subsisted among them, and of Conscious in the rectitude of forming the church anew. But his own conduct, and that what this was not done, and for several he delivered to others as the docyears it subjected him to a painful trine of Christ was the truth of conflict in rooting out the abettors God, Mr. Austin gave himself of strange doctrines. His own very little concern about these delicate frame and nervous com- calumnies, or took much pains to plaints were little calculated to refute them. When he had been arm him for the conflict, and had some years in London, and the he not been privileged with a church under his pastoral care source of support and consolation was found to prosper, his Baptist out of himself, we can scarcely brethren condescended to think conceive the possibility of his him worthy of a little notice. Mr. persevering as he did, and ulti- Booth and Mr. Martin at different mately surmounting all difficulties. periods interrogated him respectThe ministers of the Baptist deno- ing his views of truth; the former mination for many years stood was so fully satisfied, that he made aloof from him; suspecting him a very favourable report to the to be not quite sound in the faith; board, which tended much to reand he was consequently a speck- move their prejudices, and he led bird among them. Some afterwards became one of their doubted if he were orthodox number, and a stated preacher of respecting the Trinity-others the Monthly Lecture. Mr. Mar

tin questioned him closely upon | rejoicing in the day of the Lord his Arianism, and when Mr. Aus- Jesus.

tin had disclosed his whole mind, he remarked in his strong energetic manner, "Well Mr. Austin," "if that be Arianism, I am an Arian too, and I wish there were many more such Arians in London!"

The church at the time of Mr. Austin's death consisted of nearly two hundred members-of whom only four remain that belonged to it when he took the pastoral charge. We have heard him remark, too, that about two hundred had died, or were removed to other places, who had been connected with the church during the time he presided over them. His ministry therefore may fairly be considered as a successful one. But independent of his success in gathering a church, thousands of others have from his mouth heard of the way of salvation-they have been pointed to the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world-and warned to flee from the wrath to come. Let us indulge the pleasing hope that many of these will be his joy and crown of

[To be concluded in a future Number.]

Our Portrait of Mr. Austin, which accompanies this Memoir, exhibits him in the attitude of preaching, and at a moment, well remembered by those that attended his ministry, viz. when, having discussed his subject, he came to make the application of it to the hearts and consciences of his hearers. Then all his energies were collected, the fore finger pointed as in the print, and the voice and manner always indicated his solicitude to impress them with the vast importance of divine truth. If it be found to differ in some respects from the print given in the Baptist Magazine, we are persuaded that every unprejudiced mind will admit that the difference is all in our favour! The painting was executed by his highly esteemed friend and brother, Mr. W. Stephens, formerly of Prescotstreet, now of Manchester, who appears to us eminently to excell in the correctness of his likenesses.

ELEGY ON THE DEATH OF THE REV. ABRAHAM AUSTIN. [By a member of the church late under his pastoral care.]

VOL. III.

STRIKE the harp; tho' grief surrounding
Bids the tear responsive flow;

Strains harmonious softly sounding,
Soothe the mind depress'd with woe.

Fond remembrance hovers o'er thee,
AUSTIN, when thy name we hear;
And the long esteem we bore thee,
Draws the sympathetic tear.

No strain'd eulogy, to raise thee
Would the modest muse approve;
Whilst thy many virtues praise thee,
Richly fraught with acts of love.

Yet would friendship's aid, combining
With affection, raise the lay;
Hoping thus to check repining,

Whilst his worth we would pourtray.

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Peaceful, mild, discreet, and feeling,
To the poor a constant friend;
Wounds of discord gladly healing,
Where his influence could extend.

Zealously his efforts lending,
Aiding free instruction's plan;
Education's boon extending
To the needy sons of man.

Those who sat beneath his teaching,
Know he labour'd souls to win;
Ever pointing out, in preaching,
CHRIST, THE SACRIFICE FOR sin.
No sectarian zeal could bind him,
To withhold the gospel call;
His enlarged views inclin❜d him,
Freely to encourage all.

Evermore on Christ relying,

For his spirit and his grace,
Whilst the promises applying,

To the ransom'd sinner's case.

Christian excellence adorn'd him;
Oft his grateful heart he'd raise,
To the grace of God, which form'd him
So to speak his Saviour's praise.
Since he's call'd from hence for ever,
Let us hear the warning voice;
And, as taught by him, endeavour
To make wisdom's ways our choice.

Left the cross, the crown he's wearing,
Mingling with the heavenly throng;
And his part with rapture bearing,
In the everlasting song.

Clerkenwell.

J. T.

SUNDAY READING.

[It has been suggested to the Editor, by some ministers whose judgment he highly respects, that the utility of this work would be greatly encreased by devoting a certain portion of each number to the insertion of short Essays or Discourses particularly adapted to be read by such individuals or families on the Lord's day, as have it not in their power conveniently to purchase larger works. He therefore purposes, during the present year, to make the experiment, by giving in each number, one paper of a doctrinal, and another of a practical tendency, and the two that follow may be regarded as a specimen. As he cannot always spare room to quote the texts of scripture at full length, it is extremely desirable that the reader should have a Bible beside him, and that he would never pass over a text that is referred to, without turning to it.]

THE IMPORT OF THE RESUR

RECTION OF CHRIST.

"And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus; and great grace was upon them all." Acts iv. 33.

To testify of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, was one of the important

and leading objects of the Apostolic ministry. It was in reference to this part of their office, that when the hour of his dreadful and accumulated sufferings drew near, Jesus said unto them, "Ye also shall bear witness because ye have been with me from the beginning." John xv. 27. To these chosen wit

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