Mr. N. seemed sensible to his last hour, but expressed nothing remarkable after these words. He departed on the 21st, and was buried in the vault of his church the 31st of December, 1807, having left the following injunction in a letter for the direction of his executors. "I propose writing an epitaph for myself, if it may be put up, on a plain marble tablet, near the vestry door, to the following purport: JOHN NEWTON, CLERK, Once an Infidel and Libertine, Was, by the rich mercy of our Lord and Saviour Preserved, restored, pardoned, And On Feb. 1, 1750, he married MARY, Daughter of the late George Catlett, He resigned her to the Lord who gave her, On 15th December, 1790. And I earnestly desire that no other monument, and no inscription but to this purport, may be attempted for me." The following is a copy of the exordium of Mr. Newton's will, dated June 13, 1803: "In the name of God, Amen. I, JOHN NEWTON, of Coleman Street Buildings in the parish of St. Stephen Coleman Street, in the city of London, Clerk, being through mercy in good health, and of sound and disposing mind, memory, and understanding, although in the seventy-eighth year of my age, do, for the settling of my temporal concerns, and for the disposal of all the worldly estate which it hath pleased the Lord in his good providence to give me, make this my last Will and Testament as follows. I commit my soul to my gracious God and Saviour, who mercifully spared and preserved me, when I was an Apostate, a Blasphemer, and an Infidel, and delivered me from that state of misery on the coast of Africa into which my obstinate wickedness had plunged me; and who has been pleased to admit me (though most unworthy) to preach his Glorious Gospel. I rely with humble confidence upon the atonement and mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ, God and Man, which I have often proposed to others as the only Foundation whereon a sinner can build his hope: trusting that he will guard and guide me through the uncertain remainder of my life, and that he will then admit me into his presence in his Heavenly Kingdom. I would have my Body deposited in the Vault under the Parish Church of St. Mary Woolnoth, close to the coffins of my late dear Wife and my dear neice Elizabeth Cunningham; and it is my desire that my Funeral may be performed with as little expense as possible, consistent with decency." REVIEW OF MR. NEWTON'S CHARACTER. THERE seems to be little need of giving a general character of Mr. N. after the particulars which appear in the foregoing Memoirs. He unquestionably was the child of a peculiar providence, in every step of his progress; and his deep sense of the extraordinary dispensation through which he had passed, was the prominent topic in his conversation. Those, who personally knew the man, could have no doubt of the probity with which his "Narrative" (singular as it may appear) was written. They, however, who could not view the subject of these Memoirs so nearly as his particular friends did, may wish to learn something further of his character with respect to his LITERARY ATTAINMENTS-his MINISTRY-his FAMILY HABITS-his WRITINGS—and his FAMILIAR CONVER SATION. Of his LITERATURE, we learn from his "Narrative” what he attained in the learned languages; and that, by almost incredible efforts. Few men have undertaken such difficulties under such disadvantages. It, therefore, seems more extraordinary, that he should have attained so much, than that he should not have acquired more. Nor did he quit his pursuits of this kind, but in order to gain that knowledge which he deemed much more important. Whatever he conceived had a tendency to qualify him, as a scribe well " instructed in the kingdom of God, bringing out of his treasury things new and old-I say, in pursuit of this point, he might have adopted the Apostle's expression, One thing I do. By a principle so simply and firmly directed, he furnished his mind with much information: he had consulted the best old divines; had read the moderns of reputation with avidity; and was continually watching whatever might serve for analogies or illustrations in the service of religion. "A minister," he used to say, "wherever he is, should be always in his study. He should look at every man, and at every thing, as capable of affording him some instruction." His mind, therefore, was ever intent on his calling-ever extracting something, even from the basest materials, which he could turn into gold. In consequence of this incessant attention to this object, while many (whose early advantages greatly exceeded his) might excel Mr. N. in the knowledge and investigation of some curious abstract, but very unimportant points; he vastly excelled them in points of infinitely higher importance to man :-In the knowledge of God, of his word, and of the human heart in its wants and resources, Newton would have stood among mere scholars, as his name-sake the philosopher stood in science among ordinary men. might say the same of some others, who have set out late in the profession; but who, with a portion of Mr. N.'s piety and ardour, have greatly outstripped those who have had every early advantage and encouragement:-men with specious titles and high connections have received the rewards; while men, like Newton, without them, have done the work. I With respect to his MINISTRY, he appeared, perhaps, to least advantage in the pulpit; as he did not generally aim at accuracy in the composition of his sermons, nor at any address in the delivery of them. His utterance was far from clear, and his attitudes ungraceful. He possessed, however, so much affec tion for his people, and so much zeal for their best interests, that the defect of his manner was of little consideration with his constant hearers: at the same time, his capacity and habit of entering into their trials and experience, gave the highest interest to his ministry among them. Besides which, he frequently interspersed the most brilliant allusions; and brought forward such happy illustrations of his subject, and those with so much unction, on his own heart, as melted and enlarged theirs. The parent-like tenderness and affection, which accompanied his instruction, made them prefer him to preachers, who, on other accounts, were much more generally popular. It ought also to be noted, that, amidst the extravagant notions and unscriptural positions which have sometimes disgraced the religious world, Mr. N. never departed, in any instance, from soundly and seriously promulgating the faith once delivered to the saints; of which his writings will remain the best evidence. His doctrine was strictly that of the Church of England, urged on the consciences of men in the most practical and experimental manner. "I hope," said he one day to me, smiling, "I hope I am, upon the whole, a SCRIPTURAL preacher; for I find I am considered as an Arminian among the high Calvinists, and as a Calvinist among the strenuous Arminians." I never observed any thing like bigotry in his ministerial character; though he seemed, at all times, to appreciate the beauty of order, and its good effects in the ministry. He had formerly been intimately connected with some highly respectable ministers among the Dissenters, and retained a cordial regard for many to the last. He considered the strong prejudices which attach to both Churchmen and Dissenters, as arising more from education than from principle. But, being himself both a clergyman and an incumbent in the Church of England, he wished to be consistent. In public, therefore, he felt he could not act |