THE

Evangelical Magazine,

FOR FEBRUARY, 1797.

BIOGRAPHY.

MEMOIR OF THE LATE REV. WILLIAM GRIFFIN. [Written by a Gentleman in the Country, who knew him and efteemed him before he went into the Miniftry.]

TH

HE ways of God are myfterious to man. The more public concerns of the world, and the private events which happen to individuals alike verify it. The Biography, with which our Magazine entertains its readers, exemplifies it, and an inftance we have now before us.

The late Rev. William Griffin was born at Lem Hill, in the vicinity of Lechlade, Gloucestershire, the second of twelve children, October 11, 1762. His father was a farmer, who, within a year and a half after his birth, removed to Avebury, near Marlborough, Wilts. Being reduced in circumftances, his fon William was obliged to commence labourer very young, and was altogether denied the advantages of school.

Till the fourteenth year of his age, he was very moral, and, by his exact deportment and diligence, gained upon the affection of his parents; at the turn of that period he began to be very loofe. He affociated with an idle youth, whofe example had great influence upon him, and drew him into many dangers. His parents, alarmed at his change of conduct, and apprehenfive of the confequence, used every endeavour to reduce him to a better difpofition, but in vain. It pleafed God, after feveral years had elapfed, to meet him with very ftrong convictions, which first seized him as he was returning from a country fair, when he meditated a defign to deftroy himself, and was deterred merely by the thought, that there was an existence after this life, and that, by depriving himself of life, he fhould only accelerate his eternal ruin. VOL. V. With

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With fome intervals of relief, these convictions prevailed for feveral years, and at laft produced fuch an effect upon his imagination, as to caufe him to realize the moft awful scenes. By this ftate of mind he was prepared for the Gofpel, which was occafionally preached in the village of Avebury, near to which he lived in the fervice of a farmer; and having found relief from it, he took pains to attend it regularly at the Devizes and Marlborough, but was not known to the minifters he heard for a confiderable time after he gave his attendance. The relief he obtained, when it pleafed God to chafe away his fears, and give him fatisfaction concerning falvation, had an effect as powerful as his conviction. "The Son of man is come to feek and to fave that which is loft," impreffed him with more than favourable hopes in the middle of a night, in which his reft was interrupted by his concern for his falvation. His joy was continued, with little abatement, for a confiderable time.

He now began to endeavour to learn to read and write, and to attempt to gain a little knowledge of arithmetic, and devoted the evenings of every day to this purpose; and on the fabbath he diligently read the facred Scriptures, together with several instructive books, written by pious authors. But though his progrefs was more than might be expected, it was fo very inconfiderable as to require much pains to be taken with him, when he devoted himself to a student's life.

While threshing in the barn, and indulging meditation, his mind received an impreffion, which the event proved was not the refult of deception, that he muft preach the Gofpel. He communicated it to fome of the poor people with whom he affociated, who were wonderfully ftruck with his experience, which at that time he related fo very crudely, and couched under fuch extravagant representations, that, though it was received as from an oracle by them, others treated it with disdain, and confidered it but as the raving of a mad man; but he always vouched the certainty of it, though he might alter the terms by which he reprefented it.

He met with no interruption, but rather was encouraged in the focial exercise of prayer, and countenanced in attempting to exhort the company, and was foon reported to be defperate fine. At that time the country was under impofition by one of the greatest impoftors, who had imposed upon perfons of the first character and piety by the affumed

title of Captain Ferguson. William Griffin was introduced to him, and he inftantly wanted to introduce him to Trevecca, but his mind feemed difpofed to receive fome advantages from Marlborough, if he might be admitted into the little feminary which at that time was planted there. Ferguson, alias Helmfley, for that was the real name of the impoftor, gave fuch a report of him to Mr. Winter, that, on his next vifit to Avebury, he defired to converse with him, and to hear him exercise in prayer. Mr. Winter did not receive all the fatisfaction he wished for, though he had no reason to doubt of the work of God upon his foul, and he exhorted him to wait for the opening of providence, and to observe its leadings.

William properly received the exhortation, and within twelve months after he refigned the hand-staff, the flail, and other implements of husbandry, for the pen, the grammar, and other books: Now in the twenty-fifth year of his age, and for the firft time in his life he came to fchool.

His change of life from the most laborious exertion to inaction, and change of living, for he had been used to live fparingly, as well as to labour hard, had a serious effect upon his frame; and the difficulty of intenfely applying his mind to learning was fuch as he leaft expected. Though he felt his difficulty, he did not flinch from it, yet could hardly fupport himself under it. His foul at this time underwent fore conflicts, and all tended to bear upon his conftitution: But it was evidently fanctified to him. He devoted to prayer much of the time which is ufually given to fleep; he was very ferious in his deportment, and gained the cfteem of the family.

He had very much to unlearn, as well as to learn; and as to do that which was most effential was requifite to lay the foundation of future improvement, care was taken to make him read correctly, write legibly, and orthographically to exprefs himself upon paper. To these points every fuperior object gave place, and within a year and a half they answered the end. His extravagances and vulgarifms corrected, he discovered an originality in his talents. He adopted nobody's method, but kept to that which appeared to be purely natural. A peculiar energy accompanied his prayers; there was a rich fignificance in his expreffions; and his public addreffes in the villages gained increafing approbation, and were made useful to the awakening of finners. Mr. Winter being called in providence to leave Marlbo

rough,