accidents which tend to obscure it, and your objection is answered." But if Bacon rose superior to these in cheerfulness and liberality, were not his sentiments rather cynical and monkish respecting the Arts?"- Not at all.-Had he been more independent and unencumbered, I cannot doubt but that both his taste and his conscience would have agreed in placing an organ, a painted window, or a monument, in his church; in adding a few select pieces to his collection: in increasing the portraits of his friends; in turning his garden walk; or in directing the style of his alcove.— "Wherein then did he differ from the generality of those, whom he saw come to him as an artist?" I reply, he differed, toto cœlo: he would have treated these momentary trifles, to use his own expression, but as his "toys," while his treasure, and consequently his heart, would have been in heaven.

I have to apologize to the Reader for having carried these reflections to a far greater length than I intended. But if they illustrate and recommend the piety of the character presented-if they in any degree atone for the great waste of my own life in the pursuit of sounds and shadows -if they warn some youth against the charms preparing on the continent,

VOL. I.

Baited with reasons not unplausible,
To wind into the easy-hearted man,
And hug him into snares;

A a

-if, finally, while the light is obscured by the smoke of that incense which ascends on all sides to the idol of the day, my feeble efforts may be accepted with his, who cried, If Baal be God, serve him; but if Jehovah be God, serve him; I shall rejoice in having made them, however they may be misunderstood, or misrepresented.

MEMOIRS

OF THE

REV. JOHN NEWTON,

LATE RECTOR OF THE UNITED PARISHES OF ST. MARY, WOOLNOTH, AND ST. MARY WOOLCHURCH HAW, LOMBARD STREET;

WITH

GENERAL REMARKS

ON HIS

LIFE, CONNECTIONS, AND CHARACTER.

PREFACE.

THE Memoirs of the Hon. and Rev. William Bromley Cadogan, and those of John Bacon, Esq. were written at the particular request of their re-· lations: but in publishing these of the late Rev. John Newton, I profess myself a volunteer: and my motives were the following:-When I perceived my venerable friend bending under a weight of years, and considered how soon, from the very course of nature, the world must lose so valuable an instructor and example-when I reflected how common it is for hasty and inaccurate accounts of extraordinary characters to be obtruded on the public by venal writers, whenever more authentic documents are wanting--above all, when I considered how striking a display such a life affords of the nature of true religion-of the power of divine