thought and feeling was one in list, which is presumed to be toler

which ages unborn will have to rejoice the establishment of the London Missionary Society in September 1795.

ably correct, will be found at the close of this article; but besides these, he was a frequent contributor, for nearly half a century, to The new connexions, among successive periodical publications whom Dr.Ryland was now brought, intended to promote the cause of welcomed him with a cordial re-evangelical religion; and manuspect, which soon ripened into scripts, to a considerable extent, genuine affection; and though all on a variety of theological subjects, his ministering brethren in the West are dispersed among his numerous were not prepared at once fully to friends and correspondents. His subscribe to his views of divine productions, though not charactruth, they rejoiced to listen to terized by elevation of style or one, who combined with so many elegance of composition, uniformly claims to their deference, such breathe a devotional and benevomeekness and gentleness as proved him to be unconscious of them all. He preached at the first Western Association held after his settlement at Bristol, and on several other public occasions in the same year. The ascendancy at first obtained without design, was ever afterwards preserved without ef fort; and probably there never has been an individual, exercising so long such extensive influence, who more completely escaped the imputation of an imperious and dogmatical spirit.

When Dr. Ryland succeeded to the president's chair, the academy at Bristol was the only institution of the kind in the denomination to which he belonged; and the incessant occupation and correspondence connected with this office, together with his pastoral duties to the church at Broadmead, required a closeness and intensity of application to which few men would have been equal. But he was favoured, till nearly the close of life, with almost uninterrupted health; and his habitual temper ance and early rising, combined with unusual facility in the use of the pen, enabled him, in addition to the avocations already named, to prepare much for the press. Of his acknowledged publications, a

lent spirit; and are marked by a certain earnestness of manner strongly indicating that their author deeply felt the importance of the sentiments he advocates, and, without the least anxiety to secure the admiration of his readers, aimed only to promote their spiritual welfare. Towards opponents his candour was remarkable; and in his work on baptism, he has furnished an example of the mode of treating that much contested subject which all future controversialists would do well to follow. Good men of all denominations he cordially loved; and maintained, for many years, an extensive correspondence with eminent divines of different communions both in Great Britain and America. Among these we may specify the names of Toplady, Scott and Newton - Dr. Erskine of Edinburgh- and Drs. Jonathan Edwards, Hopkins, West, and Dwight, in the United States. All these excellent men had entered the heavenly rest before him. How delightful is the thought that they are now together enjoying the fullness of that love and perfection of that knowledge, which, while on earth, they could only begin to taste and comprehend!

Dr. Ryland was assisted, in the labours of the academy, succes

sively by the Rev. Joseph Hughes, in the following October, and disM. A.; Rev. Henry Page, M. A. charged its duties with equal zeal now of Worcester; and the Rev. and ability for the two succeeding T. S. Crisp, who, since the decease years, at the close of which he of his venerable colleague, has was compelled, by the pressure of been unanimously elected president other engagements and declining in his room. The number of stu- health, to resign his office. From dents who enjoyed the benefit of that period, to the day of his death, the Doctor's instruction and exam- the Dr. continued to hold the seple we have not been able to ascer-cretaryship in conjunction with the tain; but about 120 are now living individual who is now called upon dispersed through our churches at to pay a willing tribute to his home, and occupying Missionary memory, and to own how much he stations abroad, who were educated feels himself indebted to his paunder his care. As one proof of ternal kindness and instructive the filial veneration in which he example." was held by his students, it may be stated that he was called to preach ordination sermons frequently than, perhaps, any other dissenting minister of his time. The number of charges he had delivered on these occasions amounted to seventy-seven; and they would doubtless have been many more had it been possible for him to comply with every request of that

nature.

more

For an accurate delineation of the character of Dr. Ryland, we are

The sentiments entertained by the Committee of the Society towards the venerable subject of this memoir, may be gathered from the following record, entered on their minutes when his decease was officially an

nounced:

RESOLVED, That the Committee, while recording their unfeigned sorrow for the loss which they have sustained, by the re

moval of their late beloved and revered

friend and coadjutor, desire also to bless God for the part he was so long permitted which, in a great degree, may be said to have originated in his faith and zeal. They gratefully remember that he intimately

to take in the affairs of this Institution,

The active part taken by our deceased friend in forming and conducting the Baptist Missionary Society has already been noticed; but in 1815, on the death of Mr. shared in all the difficulties and anxieties of Fuller, who had most ably susthe undertaking from its very commencetained the office of secretary to that ment-proved its consistent, affectionate, Institution from its commencement, and successful advocate to his dying day he was called to take a still and since the decease of the venerable Fulmore prominent share in its ma-ler, has materially promoted its interests in the arduous and responsible post of Secrenagement. At a meeting of the tary to the Society. They reflect with Society held at Luton soon after, pleasing interest, on the Missionaries who, the Dr. was unanimously solicited under his paternal instructions, have been to assume the office recently be-trained for honourable service abroad; and come vacant; but as he was then upwards of sixty years of age, and had so much other public business on his hands, it was evident that some coadjutor must be found to share the burden with him. Accordingly, the late Rev. James Hinton, M. A. of Oxford, was called to fill this post, at the annual meeting held at Northampton

on the greater number of ministering brethren, who, taught by his holy example to feel for the general interests of the Saviour's kingdom, have become the zealous and efficient supporters of the cause at home; but while, by all these considerations, they are reminded of the greatness of their loss, they desire to exercise unshaken faith in Him who raised up their departed friend and his first associates in the work, for the continued supply of those gifts and graces which are necessary to carry forward those operations

so happily begun.

compelled, by our limits, to refer | 9, 10. Through the month he conto the funeral sermon already men- tinued to decline, and on the 30th tioned; and do so with the greater (the day after he had completed readiness from the persuasion that it will meet, among our readers, the extensive circulation it deserves. We can add merely a brief account of the closing scenes of a life so long, and so eminently devoted to the service of God.

his 72d year), he closed those public services, in which, for about 55 years, he had been aiming to honour his Lord and Master, by a discourse from Psalm lxxxvi. 5. He did indeed prepare a funeral sermon for a female friend in the fol With the exception of a weak lowing week, hoping to deliver it ness or tenderness of the feet on the next Sabbath, but his friends which rendered the exercise of perceived that he was wholly inwalking difficult and wearisome, adequate to the exertion, and preour lamented friend advanced vailed upon him to give up the nearly to his threescore years design. That sermon, written and and ten' with little diminution of prepared with his own peculiar his natural vigour and capacity for neatness, was found by the writer labour. In the autumn of 1821, of this sketch, in the bible of his however, his strength began visi- dying friend, when he had the pribly to decline, but was partially vilege of visiting his sick bed, only restored by a temporary visit to two days previous to his decease. the retired village of Watchet. A It was founded on Ps. lxxiii. 26, a similar expedient became neces- subject exceedingly appropriate sary, in the following year, but not only to the experience of the was not attended with equal ad- pious woman on whose account it vantage; and though he continued was selected, but to the circumhis avocations as usual, his anxious stances of her venerable pastor too, family and friends could not avoid who was about so soon to follow noticing that the infirmities of age her. were rapidly advancing upon him. In the early part of his illness, Among other indications, his hand- the Doctor was greatly affected writing lost its bold and regular by a difficulty of breathing, apcharacter, and exhibited to the eye proaching sometimes to a sense of of his distant friends affecting evi-suffocation. This was succeeded dence of tremulous debility. To by a violent cough, and total loss this circumstance he alluded, when of appetite, by which, of course, writing to an old correspondent, his strength was impaired more remarking at the same time, that he viewed it as a delightful intimation of his approaching dissolution.

A severe cold taken by Dr. Ryland in December 1824, marked the commencement of his last ill

and more. Still, some faint hopes were indulged that a change of scene might be beneficial, and he was accordingly removed to Weston-super-Mare, on Wednesday, 11th May; but it was soon evident that such expedients had lost all This did not, however, pre- their efficacy, and he was conveyed vent his preaching a sermon to back to his own house on Thursyoung people on the evening of the day in the following week, being first Lord's day in January, when he then reduced so low that it seemed addressed them, with his usual exceedingly doubtful whether, with earnestness and affection, from all the precautions that tender and that striking passage in Eccles. xi. sympathising friendship could de

ness.

vise, he would be able to sustain holy reverence with which he wait

ed the coming of his Lord, proving, before he mingled in their society, how much in spirit he resembled those exalted beings who veil their faces while standing around the throne of God.

the fatigue of the removal, No particular alteration took place till the morning of Wednesday, May 25, when respiration became gradually more hurried and irregular, and about 10 A. M. the petition he had often uttered, during his sick- The mortal remains of this veness- "that the Lord would grant nerable man were interred on him an easy and gentle dismission Thursday, June 2, in a spot which into his heavenly kingdom"-was had been chosen by himself near mercifully answered, and he fell the pulpit in Broadmead Meeting asleep in Jesus with a serenity that House. The funeral was attended no language can adequately de- by the bereaved family, the stuscribe! dents in the academy, with a great The frame of Dr. Ryland's mind, number of the members of the throughout his last illness, was church, and other friends. The eminently that of lowly and peni- Rev. Joseph Hughes of Battersea, tent devotion. The expressions and the Rev. Thomas Roberts of that fell from his lips, in reference Bristol, engaged in prayer on the to his own character and prospects, mournful occasion, and an affectstrongly exhibited his habitual ing address was delivered by the modesty and self-diffidence: but Rev. Isaiah Birt of Birmingham. he was employed far more fre- All present were in deep mourning, quently in offering brief and em- and each seemed to feel that he phatic petitions to the throne of the had lost a beloved friend. The heavenly majesty. The verse al- funeral sermon, by the Rev. Robert ready alluded to," My flesh and Hall, was preached at Broadmead my heart faileth: but God is the on the following Sabbath. strength of my heart and my por- Dr. Ryland was twice married, tion for ever," was often on his and has left a widow, with two ips when alone, and repeated, as sons and three daughters, to lament was customary with him, generally his loss. A more extended account in the Hebrew original. Soon of his life and writings may be exafter his return from Weston, one pected shortly to appear, prefixed of his affectionate daughters re-to a selection from his sermons, to marked, "You have no doubts or be published by subscription, under fears, papa?" to which he replied, the title of "Pastoral Memorials." "I cannot say I have, but great He had long been engaged in comcause for self-abasement." The piling a Hebrew Lexicon, on the Scriptures, which had long dwelt plan of Robertson's Thesaurus richly in him, furnished him with Linguæ Sanctæ, which is left in an the materials for devotion as well unfinished state. The following as ground of support-" Holy Spi- list of his publications has been rit, take of the things of Christ, furnished us: and shew them to my soul." "Lord direct my heart into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ." "Lord, pity me, and lay 2.*-Christ Manifested, and Satan Frustrated. At Northampton, Dec. 25, 1781.

me low in the dust at thy feet for Jesus sake," these, and similar

1.*-God's Experimental Probation of Intelligent Agents. A Sermon, preached at Kettering, 1780.

- expressions, attested the humble, N. B. The articles marked * are out of print.

10.-The Certain Increase of the Glory | 26.*—A Candid Statement of the Reasons

32.
16.*-The First Lie Refuted: or, The
Grand Delusion Exposed. At Car-
ter Lane, Southwark, 1800.
17.-The Partiality and Unscriptural Di-
rection of Socinian Zeal. A Reply

to a Letter by the Rev. John
Rowe, of Bristol, occasioned by