This

could obtain. "Come," he would say, "there is preaching; the time is short. Come, and hear; it will do you good; eternity is near." These, with several others of a like nature, were his words, which came with peculiar power and persuasiveness from him, who could utter them with the sweetest and most manly kindness. There was one place which seemed to engage his particular sympathy and labour. was Flamborough, a large village inhabited principally by fishermen, with some respectable farmers. The moral and religious state of this town for many years had been greatly neglected, and the fishermen generally spent their Sundays, or at least a great part of them, in work connected with their occupation. For perhaps twenty years, or more, Mr. William Robinson scarcely ever let an opportunity slip, of getting the Preachers to go once on the Sunday to address the people at this place, and he accompanied them in all weathers. His business was to invite, as already described, while the Preacher prepared himself for the congregation. On these occasions various replies were made to the kind language used by Mr. Robinson, such as, "God bless you, Captain;""We are all in good time, Captain;" and others, in terms less civil, refused or evaded his exhortations. Perhaps any man of less benevolence and patience would have given up this work and the village in disgust. For nearly the whole period mentioned, little or no impression was made, and the Preacher had frequently not more than six or eight persons, sometimes a smaller number, to hear him. This disconcerted and discouraged the Preachers; and some serious people thought Mr. R. was using needless and unavailing efforts; but he persevered, and was rewarded by witnessing one of the most extraordinary and extensive moral changes perhaps ever witnessed within the same space of time and country. The inhabitants of this village had often met with great calamities, in the loss of many lives from storms, when fishing in the adjacent seas, but those awful catastrophes seemed to be without effect. However, it pleased God at length to visit this town by the mighty influence of his Holy Spirit; and such were the power and grace of God, that the greatest part of the inhabitants were awakened to a religious concern. They amended their lives, became a new race of men, and united themselves to the Methodists. At that place there is now a large Society of excellent Christians, and a large chapel, built principally by their own exertions.

The immediate and first instrument of this extraordinary revival, was, it is believed, the Rev. Dr. Ford, who visited Bridlington Quay with his family, for the benefit of the sea. This Clergyman, Mr. W. Robinson prevailed upon to go to preach in the church at Flamborough, the pulpit of which the incumbent was generally willing to lend to Clergymen who visited the Quay, and were desirous of preaching in it. Dr. Ford, who

preached extempore, or from a few notes, being made acquainted with the general character of the people, addressed them with great fervency and plainness, but with strong affection. He commiserated their condition, and in his sermon frequently applied to them the term, "Poor fishermen." Some of them were not well pleased with this term, and said, "Poor! we are not poor; for we have laid out considerable sums of money this week in nets." This being reported to the Doctor, he preached to them the next Sunday, but changed his language, and denounced woes against the rich, and those who neglected God. The effect of these sermons was considerable, and the people became more inclined to hear. The Methodist Preachers exerted themselves with renewed activity, and we may especially mention the labours of the Rev. George Holder, who was soon after this period appointed to this Circuit. No persons, from their piety, diligence, and godly simplicity and sincerity, were better adapted to meet Mr. W. Robinson's views than that excellent Minister and his valuable wife. Nor should we omit to mention some sermons of the Rev. Mr. Dikes, the pious Minister of St. John's Church at Hull, who generally preached at Flamborough when he visited Bridlington-Quay. On the occasion of the loss of several fishermen in a storm, amongst whom was a pious young man of the name of Brown, Mr. Dikes's ministry had a very powerful effect upon a numerous congregation in the church, consisting of almost all the inhabitants of that large village. Although these were the visible and active instruments, by which this great work was begun and carried on, all who knew Mr. W. Robinson's patient perseverance in seeking to promote the spiritual happiness, and also the temporal comfort of the inhabitants of Flamborough, whose poor had a large share of his sympathy and affection, will see how much his exertions, and no doubt his continual prayers, contributed to the blessed result we have mentioned. At the same time, he was among the readiest to ascribe the glory to God, "who teacheth by sending the light of his Holy Spirit, and who by the same Spirit alone can give a right judgment in all things, and enable us to rejoice in his holy comfort, through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour."

Flamborough, however, did not claim his exclusive attention; other villages also were the objects of his Christian zeal, and to them he was greatly useful, although the same extensive effects were not visible. But leaving these particular scenes, and adverting to his general conduct, we shall see that in almost every way he exemplified the Christian character. The sick and the afflicted were his constant care. He visited them, he prayed with them, and instructed them; and as far as his ability went, nay, perhaps beyond what some would have considered it his duty to do, he relieved them. The families of the absent seamen frequently want advice, under the dangers and apprehensions occasioned

by a sea-faring life; and the widow has frequent occasion for some kind friend to aid her in obtaining those pensions of charity which our country affords, and to which she may have a claim. To such he was a counsellor and a friend, and he gave them his aid by representing their wants and their claims. If a benevolent subscription was to be set on foot, he was always among the first to promote it by his example and hi personal influence; and there are among his papers letters of correspondence with several of the great philanthropic characters of the age, which record the assistance he afforded to various subscriptions for the great and useful objects they have advocated. The late Mr. John Thornton seemed to have had the highest opinion of his character; and in a letter to Mr. Wilberforce, he recommends him as a man in whom he might place "entire confidence in whatever he should assert," and as a man "of uncommon integrity." Mr. Wilberforce also seems to have corresponded with him up to a late period of his life, and to have assisted him by pecuniary means in his "benevolent exertions for the temporal, and, above all, for the eternal happiness of his fellow-creatures," as he expresses himself in a letter now before us.

The expressions used in Mr. Thornton's letter, concerning Mr. Wm. Robinson, were strictly true. He was, indeed, a man of uncommon integrity and truth. These qualities marked all his conduct, and were there read and seen of all men.

Notwithstanding all the prejudice with which the character of a Methodist used to be viewed, it is reasonable to suppose, that a man of Mr. Wm. Robinson's mild and amiable manners, of his uprightness, integrity, and fidelity; his humble piéty, and general charity and benevolence, would do great credit to his Christian profession; but there was another trait in his character which softened the prejudices of many, who looked at the Methodists with a suspicious eye. We mean his attachment to the Established Church, of which his parents were members, and for which he had a sincere regard. During the greatest part of his life, the service in the Methodist chapels at Bridlington and the Quay, did not in the forenoon of the Sunday interfere with the hours of church service. Mr. W. Robinson therefore attended the church at every opportunity; frequently on the Wednesday morning, at which time there is a weekly sermon preached in Bridlington church. This constant attendance at his parish-church, where he was also a frequent communicant at the table of the Lord, failed not to call forth the observations of his respectable neighbours, and to command their approbation and respect. In fact, this part of Mr. W. Robinson's conduct had a considerable effect (without such an intention on his part) in removing prejudices, and inducing many respectable people occasionally to attend the chapel. Perhaps we cannot have a greater proof of the simplicity of his mind,

and the purity of his intention, than the fact, that in all the means of grace, where prayer was offered, or the Gospel preached, he participated with pleasure. Whether he united in the excellent Liturgy of our Established Church, where our petitions, as well as our praises and thanksgivings, are expressed in such appropriate and fervent language, or joined in the social and sincere prayers of his brethren in the Methodist chapel, he found that God blessed his soul, and made those ordinances delightful to him. His enlarged heart, as it joined in all those exercises with sincerity and affection, was blessed in the use of all.

Mr. Thomas Robinson had very good talents for preaching, which he cultivated with considerable effect. On inspecting his useful library, it was evident from the marks visible in the pages of the books, that he had not been an inattentive reader; and the two or three volumes of manuscript sketches of sermons, closely written, which he has left, show that he neither wanted industry nor ability: and if this memoir could with propriety admit them, a selection might be made which would be useful to many young Preachers. If it were usual to give a layman such a designation, we might say that Mr. Thomas Robinson was an excellent Divine. He had an extensive and consistent view of the doctrines and obligations of the Christian religion, and knew well how to defend them. He was conversant with the Scriptures, and the marks in some of his Bibles, by which the peculiar doctrines, precepts, promises, and sanctions of the Gospel are distinguished, show with what attention he had studied the inspired records. As he took the Scriptures to be the foundation of his faith and hope, so he was careful to classify and select all those passages which either directly assert, in fair connexion with the context, important points of divinity, or illustrate and explain other passages of Scripture. Perhaps there is no better method than this of becoming acquainted with the legitimate meaning of the Scriptures, nor any so effectual in making the Christian intelligent in divine things, strong in faith, patient and resigned under adversity, and in the prospect of death to fill him with joyful hope. For without saying or thinking that the Bible is the only book which a Christian ought to read, it must be conceded, that a divine revelation is the foundation of our religion, and that, religiously speaking, no other book is of value but as it is founded upon the Bible; nor can the Bible have so good an interpreter as itself supplies. We cannot therefore but think, that if greater diligence were used in studying the Scriptures, by comparing their various parts, and classifying and arranging their rich and life-giving materials, the harmony of the divine attributes, the wisdom and love of God in the government of the world and the redemption of mankind, and his mercy and justice in the resurrection and future retribution of mankind, would be more apparent, and indeed would be received with a conviction and certainty of

which we have perhaps but an imperfect conception. The doctrines of religion would be received by us with a more lively and active faith, its precepts would be received with the increased sanction which a clear perception of their import and authority would bring, and the promises of God would instil more confidence, and excite to greater exertion, and inspire us with a more joyful anticipation of enjoying "an inheritance, incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away;" while we should be able to give a better account of the hope that is in us, and to answer all unholy suggestions by the decisive words, " Thus it is written."

As Mr. Thomas Robinson was thoroughly furnished for the good work of instructing his neighbours, so (especially for many years, when his services were particularly needed) he was not reluctant to use his exertions as a Local Preacher. For a long time Bridlington and Bridlington-Quay were but partially supplied by Mr. Wesley's Itinerant Preachers, and this necessary lack of service was supplied by the labours of the Local Brethren. These towns, therefore, with the adjacent villages, had the benefit of his labours, which were attended with no slight personal and family inconvenience. Such was his zeal and disinterestedness in this good work, that he not only laboured himself, but supplied the means of labour to others. Not only were his pecuniary means afforded to the Preachers generally, but many of his horses were frequently, and perhaps (considering the rest from labour which the Sabbath is destined to bring to the beasts of the earth as well as to man) too often, employed after the labours of the previous week, in long journeys, by other Local Preachers, who had no other means of carrying the Gospel to distant villages. In this diligent" attention to exhortation," which the necessities of those times, and his love for the souls of men, called into action, it is not surprising that he met with opposition. His conflicts with some Clergymen, (of whom I trust we have few specimens in this day,) and with other persons, were not unfrequent; but they were insufficient to deter him from that steady and decided course which he felt it his duty to pursue. His superior intelligence enabled him to cope with his opposers; and his spirit and vigour of mind would not allow him to submit to the infraction of the law by which the Methodists were protected. Indeed we have known him in some instances, where there have been flagrant breaches of those wholesome laws, made for the suppression of vice and immorality, put himself to considerable inconvenience and expense in attempting to put them in force. In truth, Mr. Robinson's heart was in this great work, and he spared neither personal labour nor property to advance the interests of morality and religion. And God blessed him in his work; for he was made an instrument of awakening many souls, and of bringing them to the knowledge of God. From the warmth of which he was possessed, one would have supposed that his