lord Kinnoul, ambassador to Constantinople about 1730, and appears to have been remarkable for cheerful piety and good temper. Mr. Guy Medley his father, was early distinguished by his skill in classical and polite literature, which procured him the appointment of private tutor to the late duke of Montague, whom he also accompanied on the tour of Europe, and resided with him some time afterward. Through the patronage of this nobleman he was appointed attorney general of the island of St. Vincent, but not continuing long there, it pleased God to animate him with higher prospects, and he turned his back at once on the gay and fashionable world.

He now opened a boarding school at Cheshunt, and about the same time married a daughter of Mr. William Touge, who was master of a respectable academy at Enfield. This union produced three sons, of whom Samuel was the eldest. Of the father we shall only subjoin, that he was honoured with the friendship of sir Isaac Newton, and the rev. Mr. Hervey, whom he assisted in revising his celebrated Dialogues; and that he had the happiness to witness the conversion of his son Samuel, just before his departure to a better world in 1760. This son was educated by Mr. Tonge, above mentioned, and apprenticed to an oilman in London, but his temper being too lively for that situation, and ill agreeing with the family in which he was placed, in the war of 1755 he took advantage of the encouragement then given to apprentices to enter into the navy; and, notwithstanding the pious remonstrances of his parents, entered as a midshipman on board a man of war. Here he was much esteemed, and some time after, being appointed master's mate on board another seventy-four gun ship, he sailed for the Mediterranean in the squadron under admiral Boscawen. Here Mr. Medley had the opportunity to see a good deal of the world, and was not deficient in observation on men or things; though at the same time he was unacquainted with himself, and totally inattentive to religion. He found, however, neither comfort nor satisfaction in a life of vice; and, notwithstanding the caresses of his wicked companions, was miserable in the midst of all; so much so, that in one instance, casting his eyes on a favourite dog that lay by him, he wished himself that dog, that he might have no soul to be either saved or lost. The like circumstance is related of lord Rochester, and completely demon

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strates that happiness is not to be found in the ways of sin." During Mr. Medley's continuance in this station, which was about three years, he was in several actions, the last of which was fought off Cape Lagos, in 1759, and was very sanguinary. In this action he was stationed on the ship's poop to take observations; and, though surrounded on every side with death, he appeared totally insensible of danger, till he was himself wounded. This he did not immediately perceive, but being informed of it by the master, he looked down, and seeing a quantity of blood, and the muscles of his leg torn, his spirits were for the first time damped. His wound requiring immediate assistance, he went below to the surgeon in the midst of the action, which terminated in a signal victory. After this he was for some time compelled to keep his bed, his wound growing worse instead of better, till at length he was told, that if a sudden change did not take place, he must, the next morning, submit to amputation. This exceedingly alarmed him, and led to reflections on his profane course of life, which struck him with horror, particularly on comparing it with his religious education, and the pious admonitions of his father and grandfather, with the many prayers they had offered on his account. Desperate as his case seemed, he remembered having often heard his parents speak of the Lord, as "a God hearing prayer;" and recollecting some of his friends had put a Bible into his chest, for which he had hitherto found no use, he called for it, and began to read for a considerable time the book of Psalms. The agitation of his mind not suffering him to rest, he spent the succeeding night also in fervent petitions, not indeed for the salvation of his soul, but for the preservation of his life and limb. In the morning he received the visit of his surgeon with a trembling heart; but to their mutual astonishment and satisfaction, the appearance of the wound was so much improved, as to seem little less than miraculous. This led him to believe that God indeed had heard his prayers, and that there was more in religion than he had been habituated to suppose. When the fleet returned, he came on shore till his recovery; though he was not then disposed to quit the service, especially after sharing the glory of such a victory. On his arrival in town, he went to the house of his grandfather, Mr. Tonge, who had left Enfield, and was now a deacon of Dr. Gifford's church. Here he was long

confined,

confined, and had again the advantage of the religious ad-, monitions of Mr. Tonge, who used to read to him a sermon, or religious tract, generally on the Lord's day evening a service which Mr. Medley would very readily have excused. But one evening Mr. Tonge selected a manuscript sermon by Dr. Watts, upon Isaiah xlii. 6,7. He heard at first with his usual indifference, but his attention was gradually raised; and when the discourse treated of "opening blind eyes," and bringing out "prisoners from the prison," he felt his own case described, and the words pierced his conscience So that, as soon as he was left alone, he fell upon his knees in prayer, and poured out his very soul before the Lord. Being now able to go abroad, and attending, with his grandfather, the ministry of Mr, Whitefield and Dr. Gifford, it pleased God soon to pour. the balm of Gilead into his bleeding heart; and in the close of that year, 1760, he became a zealous, lively member of the Doctor's church.

During the long confinement he had suffered through his wound, Mr. Medley had employed many of his hours in recollecting and improving his knowledge of the classics; and after he became serious, particularly applied himself to the study of sacred literature, in which he was assisted by Mr. Tonge. His conversion having weaned him from the navy, though he had good assurances of promotion, he com menced a school near the Seven Dials, and happily succeeded, till in 1762 he married, and removed to King Street, Soho.

Dr. Gifford, conceiving Mr. Medley to possess promising ministerial abilities, advised him to exercise before the church, by whom he was called to the work of the ministry in public. This was in August, 1766. For some time he engaged only occasionally, but became very popular, and the year following received a call from the Baptist church at Watford, over which he was ordained in July, 1768. In this town also he opened a school, but the fatigues of that, together with, his public labours, being too much for his constitution, and his situation there, in other respects, not very comfortable, he was easily persuaded to remove to Liverpool in 1772. Here he laboured with acceptance and usefulness till his death, only that he used annually to visit London, being one of the regular supplies at Tabernacle and Tottenham Court Chapel, where his ministry was much

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esteemed and greatly owned. Thus Mr. Medley unweariedly persevered in his beloved work till October, 1798, when, while in London, he was attacked by the jaundice, which for some time disabled him from preaching, and so weakened his frame, that he with difficulty returned home, among the people of his charge. He arrived at Liverpool in January, 1799, and the next day, being the Sabbath, finding himself much revived, he exerted himself to preach wice. This proved too much for his strength, and again' laid him by till Easter, when, for the last time, he addressed his congregation from Deut. viii. 2.

Infirmity and disease now daily encreased upon him till his disorder terminated in a dropsy. For some time his mind was subject to dejection, and the thoughts of parting with his family, his friends, and his church, were very painful. It was, he said, "like tearing up an old tree by the roots: none knew how far they extended, or how firmly they grasped the earth, till they were likely to be torn up." As his disorder encreased, however, his frame of mind was more composed and comfortable; his views brightened, and his confidence in God was fixed. But little before his end, his physicians persuaded him to make an excursion into Wales, which he accomplished with difficulty; returning in about sen days. Only four days before his death, several punctures were made with a lancet in one of his feet, which procured him temporary ease, as he mentioned in a letter written on that day, though it gave him no hopes of recovery. This letter shews his mind to have been perfectly serene, as it appears to have continued to the end. July 15, 1799, symp toms of immediate dissolution appeared; then he expressed himself," calm, resigned, and happy in his soul," and with great affection took leave of many of his friends. On the 17th, he revived, and with a serene and smiling countenance, said, "Look up, my soul, and rejoice, for thy redemption draweth nigh. He then added, "I am looking. up to Jesus-but a point or two more*, and I shall be at my heavenly Father's house." About half an hour before his departure, he opened his eyes, and with a smiling countenance, said, " Dying is sweet work! sweet work! my heavenly Father! I am looking up, I am looking up to my dear Jesus, my God! my portion, my all in all :" then

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with a dying accent he continued, "Glory, glory! home, home!" till his voice failed, and between six and seven o'clock in the evening he yielded up his spirit into the hands of God, without a struggle or a groan, when he had nearly completed his sixty-first year; having been thirty three years a preacher of the Gospel, and twenty-seven years pastor of the Baptist Church at Liverpool. On July 24, he was buried in the most respectful manner, on which oecasion a sermon was preached by Mr. Smith, of Manchester; and on the following Sabbath afternoon, another funeral discourse was delivered by Mr. Hindle, of the same place.

Mr. Medley possessed a deep knowledge of men and things, and an extensive acquaintance with the Scripture. His doctrines were pure Calvinism: his sermons were always savoury and practical. He had a ready invention and a retentive memory; a great command of language, a ready elocution, a good voice, and an affectionate manner of address, especially to young people. But it should not be concealed, that this character admits of some abatements. The playfulness of his imagination sometimes betrayed him into puerilities. His texts were often quaint, sometimes consisting only of a single word, as a bim, a but, a not; his divisions and subdivisions burthensome to the memory; he would heap a number of synonymous epithets upon one another, and this made his discourses commonly prolix, though seldom tiresome.

Though Mr. Medley did not aspire to the character of a poet, he had an uncommon facility in composing verses; and very frequently made a hymn on the subject of his text.. A volume of these pieces are before the world; and one of his sons, with filial affection, has since presented the public with another volume, containing memoirs of his life, two of his sermons, and some select pieces of metrical composition, the amusement of his leisure hours.

MELANCTHON, PHILIP, one of the wisest and greatest men of his age, was born, Feb. 16, 1497, at Bretten, in the palatinate of the Rhine. His father was George Schwartserd, which signifies black earth in Ger-. man, and Melancthon in Greek; therefore, Reuchlin gave Philip the name of Melancthon, in the same manner as Hermolaus Barbarus changed the name of Reuchlin VOL. III.-No. 65.

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