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as

that he was called of God to labour in the word and doctrine,) he took all opportunites that offered to do good to souls. As he sometimes went to Whitwell church to hear Mr. Harrison, one Lord's day when he was there, Mr. Harrison not coming, the people desired Mr. Newnham to officiate; who, that they might not be wholly disappointed, preached to them from the seat in which he was sitting. For this however, Mr. Harrison put him to a great deal of trouble and expence. He preached the word in season and out of season. In troublesome times, when many were sleeping in their beds, he was engaged in his Master's business. God had given him a strong constitution of body, and he possessed great natural and acquired abilities for ministerial work. And such a gracious presence of the Spirit was with him while he was ministering in holy things, that he was never more in his element than when thus employed. He sometimes preached at Roslin, and Yard, and other places; but more constantly to the church committed to his care at Road, Bridge Court, and Stroud Green. His chief and most earnest desire was, to pluck sinners brands out of the burning." To this end did he "reprove and rebuke with all authority," endeavouring" by the ter rors of the Lord to persuade men." He was in his sermons a Boanerges. With what emphasis would he often close with those words, Psalm 1. 22. "Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest he tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver you," He was blessed with a quick apprehension, a solid judgement, a tenacious memory, warm affection, and a ready utterance. Once at a meeting of the ministers at Stroud Green, the person expected to preach not coming, several of the ministers present pleaded their unpreparedness for supplying his place. At length Mr. Newnham was prevailed on to undertake it; and though he had no notes, as he commonly had, nor any expectation of preaching when he came thither, his performance was such, that he had the applause of those that heard him; and, it was said, he did not use notes in preaching afterwards. At another time, being to preach at his usual place on the Lord's day, the prince of Orange's fleet appeared that very day near the island, when he was coming to save the nation from Popery and slavery in 1688. Upon this occasion he left the subject which he intended to have preached upon, and took another, suited to such an event of Pro

vidence,

vidence, on which his extemporaneous discourse greatly affected his people. Mr. Newnham met with much trouble on account of his nonconformity, being prosecuted, fined, &c. but he bore all with invincible patience, courage, and constancy of mind. Being threatened by a justice of the peace, that his books should be taken from him, he replied to this effect: "That he blessed God, if he had no book but the Bible, he questioned not but he should be able to preach the Gospel." When the Conventicle Act passed, he for some time preached in a house by the road side, where the auditory, without fear of incurring the penalty of that act, came boldly to hear him, standing in the highway, during the time of the service. As his preaching was acceptable and useful, so his conversation was a living epistle, known and read of all men." He was a man of great seriousness and exemplary piety, and his words did continually minister grace unto the hearers." He died of the small pox, at Whitwell, and was interred in the parish church there, in 1689, about the fifty-eighth year of his age. On his death-bed his faith was lively and strong, and he manifested a remarkable degree of resignation to the will of his heavenly Father.

NEWTON, EDWARD, was born at Maidstone about 1628, and ordained by the presbytery of Salisbury, in St. Thomas's Church in that city, 1652. He was educated at Baliol College, Oxford, of which he afterwards became fellow. He began his ministry at Kingston by the sea, and there continued four or five years. His parish had only three houses in it, but so many people came from neighbouring parishes that he had a good auditory. He afterwards succeeded his father-in-law, Mr. Benjamin Pickering, in Lewes and Southover in Sussex, preaching one part of the day at each place, with general acceptance, till after the restoration, being attended even by the Royalsits. In 1662, he took a sorrowful leave of his people, in a sermon on 2 Tim. ii. 7. He preached to them afterwards privately, and a great number adhered to him, among whoin his chief endeavour was to promote practical religion. The congre gation at Maidstone would willingly have received him, but he chose to continue where he had been nseful. He many ways shared in the hardships of Protestant Dissenters. After the Five Mile Act he was forced to be a stranger to

his own house and family. Warrants were frequently out against him; but Providence so far hid him that he was never taken, though his own house, and the houses of his friends, were often searched for him. Once he was cited to the Spiritual Court for not coming to church, when not appearing, he was excommunicated; and the excommunication was ordered to be published against him in the church, at the very same time that two infamous women received the like sentence. A writ was afterwards out against him, "de excommunicato capiendo;" but he kept out of the way till means were found to supersede it. He had a licence for a private house in 1672; and upon king James's Indulgence, he publicly exercised his ministry in a house fitted up for that purpose, and continued to officiate alone till 1696, when Mr. T. Bernard was chosen joint pastor with him. A difference afterwards unhappily arising about a new place of worship, they parted in 1707, and had two distinct congregations. He continued his ministerial service till 1709, when age and infirmities obliged him to resign. He died January, 1712, aged eighty-four or eightyfive.

NEWTON, GEORGE, was the son of a minister, who was a native of Devonshire. He was born in 1602, and was educated at Exeter College, Oxford, of which college he was entered in 1617, and took his degree of M. A. in 1624. He began his ministry at Hill Bishops, near Taunton, and in 1631, he was presented to the living of Taunton in Somersetshire by sir W. Portman and Mr. Robert Hill. In the time of the civil war, when this town underwent a siege, he spent a year or two at St. Alban's, and preached in the abbey; but when Taunton, was reduced, he returned to his place and his employment, with two or three other ministers who had accompanied him in his absence. His preaching was plain, profitable, and successful. He was eminent for his meekness and prudence. He kept out of the town those divisions that did so much mischief in other places. After he was silenced, being convinced it was his duty to continue his ministry, he took care to preach at those times when he might be least exposed. He died June 12, 1681, aged seventy-nine. He was a good scholar, much of a gentleman, and a very useful preacher. In 1694, he was appointed assistant to the commissioners

for

of his religious fits (if we may so term them) continued two years. He read, fasted, prayed, and became a strict Pharisee. In this state of mind he met with a Deistical book, lord Shaftesbury's "Characteristics;" this was exactly suited to his romantic turn of mind, and he read it with avidity; but was not aware of its baneful tendency. No immediate effect, indeed, followed; but it operated like a slow poison, and prepared the way for the mischiefs that followed.

In 1742, his father, not intending to go to sea again, was desirous of settling him in business; but he was of a dif ferent inclination. At length, a merchant in Liverpool proposed to send him for some years to Jamaica. He consented; every thing was prepared, and he was to sail the following week. In the mean time, his father sent him on some business into Kent, a few miles from Maidstone, where he was to have staid but a few days; but this little journey gave rise to a series of unexpected and uncommon events, which affected his future life.

In this journey he paid a visit to a family with which his mother had been intimately acquainted, and where he met with the kindest reception. His friends had two daughters, the eldest of whom had (as he afterwards understood) been considered by both her mother and his own, as a future wife for him. Almost at the first sight of this young lady (who was then under fourteen) he was impressed with a strong affection for her, which never abated or lost its influence; and, though he afterwards became very wicked, and deaf to all the remonstrances of conscience and prudence, yet his regard for her was always the same, and was almost the only principle that restrained him from the most horrid desigus against himself and others. Apprehending that he could not bear to live at such a distance from her as Ja maica, and that for four or five years, he immediately determined, at all events, not to go thither; and, by impru dently staying in Kent three weeks instead of three days, the ship sailed without him, and the opportunity was lost. Shortly after this, he sailed with a friend of his father to Venice. He mingled with the common sailors, and relaxed from that sobriety of conduct which he maintained for the two preceding years. He did not at once become proffigate; but he was making large strides towards a total apòstacy from God. At this period, he had a very remarka

ble

ble dream. The scene presented to his imagination was the harbour of Venice: it was night, and he was at watch on the deck. As he was walking to and fro, he thought a person brought him a ring, charging him to keep it carefully; assuring him, that while he did so, he should be happy and successful; but that if he lost or parted with it, he must expect nothing but trouble and misery. He gladly accepted the present, on the terms proposed, not doubting his own care. While engaged in thinking of it, a second person caine; and observing the ring, took occasion to ask some questions about it. Being told its virtues, he expressed surprize at the weakness of expecting such effects from a ring. He reasoned much on the impossibility of the mat ter; and at length urged him to throw it away. At first, he was shocked at the proposal; but his artful insinuations prevailed: he reasoned, doubted, and then slipped off the ring from his finger, and dropped it over the ship's side into the sea. No sooner had it touched the water, than a terri ble fire burst out from the mountains which appeared behind the city. He immediately perceived his folly; when the tempter insultingly said, That all the mercy which God had for him was comprized in that ring, which he had wil fully thrown away. "He was then informed, that he must now go with him to the burning mountains-the flames of which were kindled for his punishment. He trembled, and felt self-condemned, without hope, and without a plea; when, suddenly, another person appeared, and demanded the cause of his grief. He related his case. He blamed his rashness; and asked, if he should be wiser, provided he had the ring again? Before he could answer, this unexpected friend suddenly dived into the sea, and brought it up in his hand. In a moment, the flames of the mountains were extinguished, and his seducer vanished. His fears. were gone-joy succeeded; and he approached his deliverer to receive the ring again: but this he refused; saying, “If you were once more entrusted with it, you would soon bring yourself into the same distress. You are not able to keep it. I will keep it for you; and whenever it is needful, I will produce it in your behalf." On this he awoke, in a state of mind not to be described. He could hardly eat, sleep, or transact any business for two or three days; but the impression, strong as it was, wore off: he speedily forgot it; and it scarcely occurred to his mind for several 3. K 2

years.