2S- S" Sc-s jkillrf // s/r (luv^i Kj.o***» •^ LETTERS SANCTIFICATION, BY THE LATE REV. JOHN BROWN, WHITBURN : WITH A MEMOIR OF HIS LIFE AND CHARACTER, BY THE REV. DAVID SMITH, BIGGAR. EDINBURGH : WILLIAM OLIPHANT AND SON, 7. SOUTH BRIDGE STREET ; WILLIAM COLLINS, G. GALLIE, AND D. ROBERTSON, GLASGOW; W. CURRY JUN. & CO., DUBLIN; W. MACOMB, BELFAST; AND HAMILTON, ADAMS, & CO., LONDON. MDCCCXXXIV. PRINTED BY NEILL & CO. OLD FISHMARKEL TO THE UNITED ASSOCIATE CONGREGATION OF WHITBURN, THIS MEMORIAL OF THEIR LATE VENERABLE AND BELOVED PASTOR IS RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED. PREFACE. The following pages are dedicated to the me- mory of a good man, a faithful and zealous minis- ter, and an affectionate relative. The biographical memoir was intended — with what success the design has been accomplished others must judge — to exhibit a full length portrait, though in miniature, of what Mr Brown actually was when alive, in his life, ministry, and character. The high reputation which Mr Brown sustained, and the public place which he occupied in the Christian world, seemed to require such an at- tempt ; at least, it is conceived, they will justify it. The writer has only to regret that the task was not committed to abler and more experienced hands. It was always his own judgment and wish that it should have been undertaken by his highly es- teemed relative, the Reverend Dr John Brown, VI PREFACE. Edinburgh, whose superior knowledge and talents fitted him for doing ample justice to the character and memory of his venerable father. But as he imperatively devolved the work upon the writer of these pages, he has endeavoured, with his li- mited capacity, and comparatively scanty means of information, to do what he could. The affectionate and impressive Address deli- vered at Mr Brown's funeral by his much esteemed friend and brother, the Reverend Mr Fleming, will be found an interesting and appropriate appendage to the Memoir. It was at one time intended to have added the Sermon preached to his congrega- tion on the Sabbath after the funeral ; but as this could not be done without swelling the volume to an inconvenient size, the design was relinquished. The Letters on Sanctification were published some years ago, by Mr Brown himself, in the Chris- tian Repository and Christian Monitor, from which they are now printed. The subject of them was always a very favourite one with him, and had oc- cupied his attention for many years. He meant, had Providence spared his life a little longer, to have republished these Letters himself, and in a PREFACE. Vll more complete form. They need not the recom- mendation of such an obscure person as the writer. They form a portion of the works which will praise their author in the gate.* A considerable and unexpected delay has taken place in the publication of these pages. But as the reasons are such as would be in no way inte- * The plan and object of these letters will be best understood from the following note to the Editor of the Christian Repository, which preceded the first letter on its original publication • " Sir, It is generally known that it was Mr Hervey's intention to have added another volume to his u Theron and Aspasio," on the influence of his pe- culiar views of gospel doctrine on sanctification. His ill health and premature death prevented the execution of this design. Strongly persuaded that the gospel, as under- stood by Mr Hervey, is ' the doctrine according to godli- ness,' I have devoted some of my leisure hours to the com- position of the inclosed letters, which, if they suit your journal, you are welcome to give to the public. How far they supply the desideratum others must determine. I have, at least, this consoling reflection, — I have meant well — I have done what I could. J. B. W." To account for the difference of style in these letters, from the extremely in- artificial and simple garb in which Mr Brown usually clothed his thoughts, it is right to remark, that the letters were, with the exception of the sixth, at the author's request, re- written by one of his sons, — but were subjected to a revision and correction by himself previously to their publication. Vlll PREFACE. resting to the public, it is sufficient simply to ad- vert to the fact. As the writer had not an opportunity of correct- ing the press, there are a very few typographical errors, which the reader will be at no loss to dis- cover and correct. There is one, however, which he seriously regrets, as it has had the effect of con- verting the statement of an indifferent fact into an imputation upon a respectable body of fellow-chris- tians. In page 14, line 14, the word " seduce " is printed for the word " swell," which had been writ- ten. DAVID SMITH. Biggar, March 183-1. CONTENTS. .Memoir of the Rev. John Brown, . . • Page 1 Biographical Narrative, *b* His Public Life, .65 General Character and Habits, . . . .111 Last Illness and Death, I 55 List of Publications, 166 Address at the Interment, by the Rev. William Fleming, A. M 169 Letters on Sanctification, 177 1. Preliminary Remarks, 179 2. On the Connexion between Evangelical Holi- ness and Christ, 215 3. On the Nature of Holiness, .... 229 4. On the Exercise of Holiness, .... 253 5. On the Pleasures of Evangelical Holiness, . 277 6. The Law of Holiness, 301 7. The Dying Saint, 321 MEMOIR. BIOGRAPHICAL NARRATIVE. The Reverend John Brown, the subject of this memoir, was the eldest son of the late Reverend John Brown, Haddington. He was born there July 24. 1754. His mother was Janet, daughter of Mr John Thomson, merchant in Musselburgh. By both his parents he enjoyed the privilege of an eminently Christian descent. His father's cha- racter and attainments are too well known and universally appreciated to require any particular reference to them here. Nor was he less happy in his mother, who appears to have been distin- guished equally for the native kindliness of her dis- positions, and the unaffected fervour of her piety. It is unnecessary to say how much he was indebt- ed to the prayers, instructions, and example, of two such eminent saints. He was accustomed himself often to refer to them with the warmest expressions A 2 MEMOIR OF of gratitude ; and there is little doubt, that, under God, they gave that particular cast to his charac- ter, and that direction to his pursuits, which they ever after retained. To the very end of his life, he never spoke of his mother but with great affec- tion, nor of his father but with the highest vene- ration. Of his early life little is remembered, save that, like Obadiah, " he feared the Lord from his youth." His venerable brother, the Reverend Ebenezer Brown, Inverkeithing, says, " I recollect that, at an early period of life, he shewed a regard for the society of the aged and the pious. Often while I was sporting with boys in the street, he was enga- ged in religious conversation and in prayer with them. He manifested, too, a tender regard for truth. Both my father and I would have some- times smiled when, on mentioning a fact, he would have said, " Such was the case, at least I think so." A similar testimony to his juvenile piety is given by an intimate friend, who says, " He began very early to associate with the religious characters of his father's congregation, particularly with those who were advanced in life. By the amiableness of his natural temper, and the simplicity of his man- ners, he was much esteemed by them, and his com- pany not a little courted. It would appear, that, from the early turn of his mind to things of a reli- gious nature, he never had much predilection for the innocent sports of youth, and, of course, was never known to excel in any of them." In a let- THE REV. JOHN BROWN. :j ter to a young friend, he himself mentions inciden- tally, that, when about fourteen years of age, he and the late Reverend Mr Sheriff of Tranent, whom he often in his letters refers to as " the friend of his youth," were in the habit of meeting together for prayer, a practice which he was ever forward to encourage among the young, from the recollec- tion, there is little doubt, of the benefit he derived from it himself. He was accustomed also, at this early period, to attend at Dalkeith, Stow, and other places, at the administration of the Lord's Supper, and with sensible pleasure and profit to his soul. He used often, in after life, to speak with much in- terest of these occasions, and of Mr Hutton and the other old ministers who officiated. He refers to hi? religious experience in these days of his youth (a very unusual thing with him, for he was naturally very reserved upon this topic) in the following terms, when writing to a friend : — " It is long since when a boy, that word i Jehovah-jireh, the Lord will provide,' was made very sweet to me, and I have often seen it performed." From the manner in which he frequently spoke of Boston, his family were led to conclude, that the writings of that dis- tinguished divine, and especially his View of the Covenant of Grace, were among the first books which engaged his youthful attention, and deter- mined and fixed his religious views. He intimates himself indeed as much as this in the following ex- tract from a letter written in the latter part of his life : " I was early," he says, " initiated into Bos- a 2 4 MEMOIR OF ton's writings, and have still the highest esteem of them ; as a divine he was one of the glories of Scot- land." He was early sent to the University, probably when he was little more than fourteen years of age ; but his father prudently provided against the dan- gers to which one at his tender and unsuspect- ing age is in such a situation exposed, by placing him under the care of a person of judgment, expe- rience, and piety. He lodged, when at College, with Mr John Murray, a brother-in-law of the Rev. Mr Pattison's, and father of the distinguished che- mist of the same name. Though originally em- ployed in the humble occupation of a shepherd, this good man was greatly distinguished by his exten- sive and accurate knowledge of theology, as well as by his eminent piety. His affectionate mother lived to see her promising son advanced thus far, but died before he had finished his course of academi- cal study. In a note to him, dated in 1771? the vear in which she died, she says, " Dear Johnny, — Youth is a precious time, let it not slip without being concerned that Christ be yours, and you his." This, which pro\ ed her dying counsel, was, there is every reason to believe, strictly complied with. Amid his literary avocations, and he was too con- scientious to be inattentive to these, religion was still the chief concern. In referring to that period, it was observed, that he had always more to say about Mr Pattison's sermons than the Professor's lectures. Of some of the former there are still pre- THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 5 served pretty large notes. He entered the Divi- nity Hall about the year 1772, but, respecting his appearance there, any more than at the College, there is nothing preserved. In some of his own letters, however, he mentions his reading and stu- dying at this period, with great pleasure and in- struction, Matthew Henry's Commentary, and Ebe- nezer Erskine's Sermons upon Faith, books upon which, along with Boston, his views as a theologian, and his manner as an expositor, were manifestly formed. His taste, especially in making Henry's Commentary his " Student's Manual? will hardly be called in question by any who recollect the high eulogium pronounced upon that extraordinary, and it may be added matchless, work, by the late Ro- bert Hall of Bristol. He received his license to preach the gospel from the Associate Presbytery of Edinburgh on May 21. 1776. While a probationer he preached with much acceptance in those parts of the Church which he was appointed to supply. The congregation of Wooler, in Northumberland, were disposed to call him, and did not do so, only, it is probable, in con- sequence of a call coming out for him from the newly formed, but larger, congregation of Whit- burn. It may not be uninteresting to remark, in connexion with this last event, that his father de- cidedly and perseveringly opposed in the Presby- tery the formation of that congregation, under the apprehension that it would seriously injure the neighbouring one of Bathgate, from which it was b MEMOIR OF a disjunction. He little thought that it was des- tined to be the sphere of his own son's labours for such a lengthened period. He afterwards, how- ever, saw and acknowledged his error in the oppo- sition he had given. In the interval between the coming out of the call and his settlement at Whitburn, Mr Brown was appointed by the Associate Presbytery of Edin- burgh to supply for six months the pulpit of the Reverend Archibald Hall, Well Street, London, who was then in a declining state of health, and labouring under the disease of which he died. This appointment he fulfilled, not only to the satisfaction of the congregation, but very much to his own com- fort and advantage. While " watering others" by his preaching, he was, by means of Mr Hall's Chris- tian society, and highly instructive conversation, •• watered himself." He ever afterwards spoke of this period, as the most interesting and important season of his life. Mr Hall, as a divine, had few superiors in his day, and his stores of scriptural knowledge, and habits of original and accurate thinking, he judiciously made subservient to the edi- fication of his young assistant and guest. It seems to have been his manner to render the social inter- course that passed between them the vehicle of communicating, in a natural and easy manner, di- rections as to the performance of pastoral duties, and instructions on the great subjects of doctrinal and practical theology. Often did Mr Brown re- fer to the high privileges he enjoyed when under THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 7 this estimable minister's roof. He could never, in deed, sufficiently express the obligation he was un- der to Mr Hall's kindness and conversation ; and, next to his own father, always spoke of Mr Hall as the person to whom he was most indebted for his religious knowledge. Aged and experienced ministers have it in their power to be exceedingly useful, by their conversation and advice, to those who are entering into the sacred office of the mi- nistry. It was probably the recollection of the benefit which he had himself derived from this source, which made the subject of this memoir so attentive, as he always was, to preachers who hap- pened to be lodging in his house. He invariably studied to promote their edification in the way at once of instructive conversation with them, and the recommending suitable books to them. On his return from London, he was set apart. May 22. 1777? to the pastoral oversight of the Congregation of Whitburn, by the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery. The solemn work of the day was introduced by a sermon from tlie Reverend James Scott, Musselburgh, from 2 Cor. viii. 5, " And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God." The Ordination Sermon was preached by the Reverend Mr Pattison, Edin- burgh, from Acts xx. 24, " That I might finish the ministry which I have received of the Lord, to tes- tify the gospel of the grace of God." After a so- lemn charge had been tendered both to minister K 8 MEMOIR OF and people by Mr Pattison, the Reverend Mr Brown of Haddington, the venerable father of the young minister, concluded the sacred and interest- ing service by a sermon from Psalms cxxxii. 1-5, " I will not come within my house — till I find a place for the Lord." The extreme delicacy of his appearance at the time he was settled, occasioned many forebodings of his early removal. But it pleased God, " in whose hands our life is, and whose are all our ways," to disappoint these fears, and so to confirm and establish his health, as that, for nearly half a century, he was never laid aside from preaching by bodily indisposition. At the period of his ordination he was only twenty-two years of age, and was even more juve- nile in appearance than in reality ; but with the years and appearance of youth, he united all the se- riousness and a great deal of the rich religious ex- perience of age. His preaching then, as well as af- terwards, was peculiarly relished by the pious, who flocked to hear him at his own and other sacramental occasions. From notes taken by some of his hearers at this earliest period of his ministry, which are now before the writer of these pages, his discourses appear to have been then characterized by the very same qualities, in respect of doctrine, form, and style, — by the same richness in evangelical sentiment, to apply scriptural illustration, and sa- cred unction, — which distinguished them to the last ; and as they were then aided by a voice which was always naturally sweet, and at that time pos- THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 9 sessed of considerable power and compass, in com- parison of what it was afterwards, it is easy to con- ceive how generally acceptable his preaching must have been. The old people, accordingly, still men- tion with delight the texts from which they heard him preach in these early days, and speak with much emotion of the profit and enjoyment they ex- perienced. Such numbers attended the neigh- bouring communions at w T hich he assisted, that sometimes he had to preach to them in the open air, even in winter, amid the snow, the ordinary place of worship not being sufficient to contain them. The word of the Lord, though not rare, was certainly " precious in those days." About two years after his ordination, he was* united in marriage with Miss Isabella Cranstoun, the daughter of respectable and religious parents in Kelso, with whom he lived happily for the space of sixteen years. The following short sketch of her character, extracted from " Memoirs of Emi- nently Pious Women," is, I have the best reason to believe, only a just one. " In the new situa- tion to which her marriage had introduced her, the God who had placed her in it enabled her to ac- quit herself in a manner highly respectable. Her behaviour indeed was singularly wise, and no doubt contributed to the acceptance and usefulness of her husband's labours. Her time was spent in a most inoffensive, quiet, prudent, and pious man- ner. She paid particular attention to the religious instruction both of her children and servants. In 10 MEMOIR OF religious conversation she took much pleasure. Having early acquired a taste for reading, the leisure she possessed was partly filled up with the perusal of good books, and like every saint she loved the habitation of God's house." Her death was in unison with her life — Christian — peaceful — happy. Of this marriage there were six children, the eldest and the youngest of whom, however, died in their infancy. The loss of his beloved partner in life, and the heavy and respon- sible charge of four motherless children, that in consequence devolved entirely upon him, affected Mr Brown very deeply. His nervous system re- ceived on this occasion a shock which those who remember what he was in his younger days, say it never completely recovered. But though he felt his loss thus keenly, as he had reason to do, and the more especially as his own peculiar habits sin- gularly unfitted him for filling up to his children a mother's place, he bore it in a christian manner, converting the excellencies of his deceased part- ner into hallowed motives for the excitement of himself and his children to the practice of christian duty. Writing to one of his daughters some time after, he says, " Be as meek and patient in*all cases as you can. This will greatly help both your health and comfort. Your mother now in glory was remarkable for these good qualities ; and they made her weak and afflicted life pass very happily. It is an honour to us all to imitate her, as she imi- tated Christ." THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 1 1 After continuing in a state of widowhood for two years, he entered again into the marriage re- lation. The person whom he selected as his se- cond partner in life was Miss Agnes Fletcher, eldest daughter of the Reverend William Fletcher, Bridge of Teath, who, after living with him for thirty-four years and a half, now survives him as his afflicted widow. Respect for her feelings, and his own relation to her, forbid the writer saying what, in other circumstances, it would be highly proper to say respecting her unwearied devoted- ness to his comfort during the lengthened period of their union. He may be permitted, however, to state, that, in his second marriage, as well as in his first, Mr Brown was singularly happy. Of this second marriage he has left behind him a son and three daughters. It deserves to be mentioned here, that in both his marriages Mr Brown entire- ly overlooked those secular considerations which have such influence with men generally, and at- tended solely to the christian principle of " mar- rying only in the Lord." After this event of his second marriage, his life and ministry proceeded in a very even tenor, no otherwise diversified than that of an active and laborious country minister's usually is, till the breaking out in the Secession Church of what is commonly called " the old light" controversy. This controversy turned not so much upon a point of theological doctrine, as upon the great princi- ples of religious liberty. It took its rise in pre- 12 MEMOIR OF fixing a preamble to the Formula of Questions for Ordination, bearing, that, as some parts of the standard books of the Synod had been interpreted as favouring compulsory measures in religion, the Synod did not require from any candidate for license or ordination the approbation of any such principle ; and that, while the Synod held the ob- ligations of the covenants upon posterity, they did not interfere with the controversy respecting the nature and kind of it. It was substantially, there- fore, a controversy, whether or not the consciences of men were to be left free in religious matters, untrammelled by the fetters of human impositions, whether forged by civil or ecclesiastical power, and responsible for what they believed to God on- ly. What is now considered as almost of the na- ture of an axiom in respect of its clearness, cer- tainly was in those days the subject of a very keen controversy in most of the churches of the Seces- sion, and, like most theological controversies, was envenomed by a pretty plentiful infusion of acri- mony on both sides. Mr Brown's congregation was, in common with most other congregations, violently agitated by this keen dispute. The agi- tation indeed, in consequence of the local position which the congregation occupied, being in the im- mediate vicinity of two congregations who, with their ministers, left the Synod, was such as to threaten almost its dissolution. Mr Brown, how- ever, though disqualified above most men for tak- ing a part in subtle disputation or stormy debate, THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 13 was enabled, in very trying circumstances, to hold fast his integrity, and " possess his soul in pa- tience." His sentiments at this period of his life on the controverted points were what was termed " old light f but he did not reckon the questions in dispute of such importance as to justify a sepa- ration from the Synod. It was his aim, while he maintained what he considered truth and a good conscience, "to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Thus, in a letter upon this sub- ject to some elders of his acquaintance, he says, " The Scriptures bid us i contend for the faith,' and ? strive for the faith of the Gospel ;' but they also bid us in ' meekness instruct those that op- pose themselves :' they order us to i let our mode- ration be known unto all men ;' and they bid us 6 follow the gentleness of Christ/ Follow peace with all men and holiness, is the injunction of the Prince of Peace. O if we could pray more about these things, and say less, it would be far better." And what he recommended he practised. His people testify that he displayed singular temper, not returning railing for railing, nor ever dese- crating the pulpit by the introduction of topics calculated " to gender strife rather than godly edi- fying." His single object was to do all things, as far as possible, " without murmurings or disput- ings, holding forth the word of life ;" and his Chris- tian conduct met with its reward. His congrega- tion appreciated the integrity and good temper he had invariably manifested, and, with comparatively 14 MEMOIR OF few exceptions, adhered to his ministry. An in- cident is mentioned illustrative of the disposition of the people at this period, which was creditable at once to them and to their minister. The first Sabbath on which worship was observed by the separating party within the bounds of his congre- gation was reckoned by both sides a very trying day, and one, likely, which might be decisive of the fate of the congregation. It was the hope of the one, and the fear of the other, that the regular place of worship would on that day be compara- tively deserted. If, however, the friends of the separating party were not backward in using means to seduce the crowd which flocked to the old light tent, the friends of the minister and con- gregation were not less zealous in mustering their strength to encourage their pastor aud one ano- ther. They not only made a point of being all present themselves in their places, but yoked their carts and brought out the infirm and the young, so that the church, instead of being emptier, was even fuller than usual. This proved decisive in favour of the congregation. The other party, in- deed, continued to persevere, erected a place of worship, and at last, after some disappointments, succeeded in obtaining a very worthy young man to be their minister. Comparatively little impres- sion, however, was made by this new erection upon Mr Brown's congregation, and the bitterness which the dispute engendered between the parties gra- dually subsided. THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 1 5 In the beginning of the year 1 806, Mr Brown had the gratification of seeing his eldest son (now the Reverend John Brown, D. D., Broughton Place, Edinburgh) ordained to the office of the holy mi- nistry, over the Associate Congregation, Biggar ; and, in the year after, his second son, the Reverend George Brown, over the Associate Congregation, North Berwick. But though, like the venerable apostle, " he had no greater joy than to see his children walking in the truth," and following, as ministers, and in the same church, in the footsteps of their father and grandfather, his solicitude that they should be found faithful and successful in the work of the Lord, was the predominant feeling on these occasions. The following extract from a let- ter he addressed to the first, immediately after his ordination, will show the holy concern he felt : " Dear Son, " As I had no occasion of offering my advice to you at your ordination, with respect to many things, I take this opportunity to advise. When God has set you among a respectable and loving people, I hope you will do your utmost as to their souls. Be deeply concerned about your own soul. This will fill you with concern for others. Read the Word of God much, and be re- gular and frequent in secret prayer. Be more ac- quainted with evangelical and practical divinity, such as Ebenezer Erskine's, Dr Owen's, Trail's, &c. You cannot preach long without laying-in from 16 MEMOIR OF these stores. Also consult, and be acquainted with, your grandfather's works. Besides what you have, or can get from some of your people, I shall send you divinity books. Dress as neatly as you please in sermons, but let the matter be always solid and savoury. Be kind and affable to all. Be diligent among the young. You have a fair opportunity of doing good to all, and of enlarging a congrega- tion already respectable. Always speak of Mr Low with esteem and reverence. He was a very worthy minister of Christ. In your lodgings, evi- dence true seriousness, and be agreeable to all in the family. 'When the meeting-house is repaired, let the Sabbath-evening school meet in it again, and en- courage it. These advices I hope you will keep, and view them as the words of your father, near whose heart your best interest lies. Wishing you all grace and good things, I am/' &c. " John Brown." It may be properly mentioned, as an event in his life, for such he regarded it, that he paid a vi- sit to London in the spring of 1814, at the period of the Annual Religious Meetings. He had long cherished a desire to witness these holy convoca- tions, which are yearly held in the metropolis, in order that his soul might be refreshed and excited by the spectacles of zeal and piety which they ex- hibited. He had for many years held communion in spirit with the zealous and devoted Christians who resorted to these solemn Missionary and Bi- THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 17 ble Festivals, His name appears among the Di- rectors of the London Missionary Society in their first reports. But he wished for once, before he left the world, to hold personal and actual com- munion with them, or, as he himself expresses it, " to enjoy the spiritual festival of the annual meet- ing of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and of the Missionary Society." The concurrence of some favourable circumstances enabled him, in the year mentioned, to gratify this laudable wish, and he enjoyed the visit exceedingly. The letters which he wrote to his family from the scene, ex- press the rich gratification which these meetings, and above all, which the meeting of the Bible So- ciety, afforded him. " I am well," he says, " and much entertained here. This is a wonderful place and a wonderful time, but of all I have seen there is nothing like the Bible Society." But his visit to London was not a season of mere religious in- dulgence. He preached often. It was on that occasion the writer first enjoyed the pleasure of seeing and hearing him. Mr Brown embraced, too, the opportunity of bringing the destitute state of the Highlanders, with respect to religious read- ing, before the christian public of London, by means of a printed statement which he circulated ; and though, as he states, his limited time prevent- ed him from making many, or any personal, appli- cations, he was as successful as he could possibly have expected. Under the influence of similar hallowed feelings, 18 MEMOIR OF he made an excursion, in the summer of 1818, to the Highlands of Perthshire. Some years before, he had itinerated, by the appointment of Synod, on two several occasions in the Eastern Highlands, for the purpose of preaching the Gospel in the most destitute districts of Aberdeenshire and Banffshire. On this occasion, however, his more immediate object was the gratification of his chris- tian feelings, by witnessing a recent revival of re- ligion which had taken place in the small seques- tered valley of Glenlyon in Perthshire. Every thing connected with the Highlands was interest- ing to him. He had long felt deeply the spiritual destitution of their inhabitants. He had prayed frequently and fervently, and exerted himself la- boriously, for their religious improvement. When, therefore, he heard that the Lord had visited his people in this desolate part of the country, and had granted " a time of refreshing from his pre- sence," he could not resist the desire of going, and seeing with his own eyes, what God had wrought. " And when he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad." In the brief account of his tour upon this occasion, which he published, first in one of the periodical works of the day, and then sepa- rately, he thus explains the motives which influ- enced him : u A most interesting account of a re- markable religious movement in the Highlands of Perthshire, transmitted to me by a most valued friend, who has since given the communication to the public in two of the religious journals, excited THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 19 in me an earnest wish to visit that part of the country, and though my advancing years and mul- tiplied avocations seemed to dissuade me, I ven- tured to follow the impulse." In his journey, as well as on the scene of the revival, he embraced every opportunity of preaching the gospel. The account which he gives of the state of religious feeling in the district through which his journey lay, as well as in Glenlyon, is most interesting. Every where an intense thirst for the Word of Life was manifested, and deep seriousness always, and strong emotion often, were displayed under the dispensation of it. His visit was most agree- able to himself, and profitable, it is hoped, to others. " With much satisfaction," he says, " have I spent ten or twelve days in the Perthshire Highlands. Considering my advanced years, and the labours of a numerous congregation, I need scarcely think of ever seeing again my good friends the High- landers, in their houses and glens ; but were I in the vigour of youth, I would count it a duty and a pleasure to pay them a visit for a month every year, and preach among these Gentiles the unsearch- able riches of Christ. May the wilderness and the solitary places soon be made glad, and the desert rejoice and blossom as the rose." After having laboured in the work of the minis- try for forty -seven years, his congregation, who had ever shown the most marked kindness to him, deemed it proper to testify, in a public maimer, how " highly they valued him in love for his work 20 MEMOIR OF sake." In May 1824 they presented, by a depu- tation of their number, a piece of plate, with the following written address, equally honourable to Mr Brown and to themselves : " We have called upon you for the purpose of discharging a trust reposed in us by your congregation. You have laboured long among us, and we wish to let you know that we appreciate your labours. The zeal and the affection with which you have published the doctrine of the Cross — the unwearied diligence with which you have laboured to disseminate reli- gious knowledge — the vigilance with which you have watched over our spiritual welfare — and. above all, sir, the holy and blameless example that you have exhibited to all around you for more than two score years, loudly calls, we have felt, for a suitable return on our part. Impressed with such feelings as these, it has been resolved to present you this gift ; of which, in the name, and by the appointment, of the subscribers, we request your acceptance. We are conscious that it is by no means equal to your merits, but we well know that you will not consider it a reward of your ser- vices — for that is what we can never pay — but only as a small token of that esteem which we wish you to understand we bear towards your person and character. A great number of those who called you to labour in word and doctrine in this place have already slept with their fathers ; but if by this you are convinced, that, although a race entirely- new has arisen in their room, the affection with THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 21 which you have been hitherto regarded has under- gone no change, and will believe that, although you are now surrounded by numerous and deser- ving fellow-labourers in the gospel, our partiality toward you has suffered no abatement, — we will never need to regret that we have this day com- mitted to your keeping this attestation of the warm- est respects of the United Associate Congregation assembling at Longridge." With this honourable testimony of the continued good will of his con- gregation for him, Mr Brown was much affected, and expressed himself accordingly. He always valued highly the esteem and good opinion of his people, and assiduously endeavoured to win it, be- cause, without this, he knew he could do them no good. But not upon this, but the promised pre- sence of his Master, was his dependence for suc- cess. " Lo I am with you alway," he was some- times accustomed to say, " is a pleasant word for us all." About four years after this, Mr Brown's minis- try met with a serious interruption. A fall from his horse so severely injured him, as to interrupt him for a considerable time for public service. For the first time in the course of his long and active life was he laid aside from preaching by indisposition. But he fainted not. In speaking of his fall he al- ways appeared filled with admiration at the mer- ciful combination of circumstances which preserved his life, rather than with impatience and regret at the confinement and pain he endured. He had 22 MEMOIR OF scarcely, however, so far recovered from the effects of his accident, as to be able to resume any of the functions of his ministry, when he experienced a severe attack of Bronchitis, which, acting upon an enfeebled constitution, brought him to the very borders of the grave, and in the opinion of all but himself, his medical attendants not excepted, ren- dered his recovery hopeless. But it pleased his Divine Master, who had some more work still for him in the vineyard, mercifully to restore him to some measure of his former health and strength, and also to his favourite employment of preaching ; a mercy which he most gratefully acknowledged, and religiously improved. Writing to his valued friend the Rev. Donald Fraser, he says, " Under the favour of Providence I am much better. I was brought low, but the Lord helped me. O that I could act more than ever for his glory. I hope you and other friends will praise him for his goodness to me. The congregation have been very kind to me in my distress." And, according to his wish, he did endeavour to do more than ever for the Divine glory. Though his illness left behind it a con- siderable portion of bodily debility, it affected not his passion for doing good. It was just with him as it is with the bent bow, which, as soon as it is unstrung, flies back into its accustomed position. As soon as the pressure of the disease was re- moved, he began as before to plan and to carry forward some work of usefulness or other. In the pulpit and out of it, there breathed the same un- THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 23 quenchable spirit of Christian benevolence which there ever did. It soon became manifest, however, that his con- stitution had received too severe a shock to allow of his preaching every Sabbath day, and especially, along with this, of his going through regularly his other ministerial work. The conviction of this, and the entire absence of all probability that it could ever be otherwise, suggested to his family, himself, and the session, the propriety of endeavouring to obtain a colleague to take part of the work along with him. The measure, when presented to his mind, he most cordially acquiesced in; and in all the subsequent steps taken by the session and congregation, he also most cheerfully concurred. He frequently said that, with respect to the im- portant matter of a colleague, he trusted entirely to Providence. He had frequently at this time in his mouth the words of the Psalmist, " I will cry unto God most high, unto God who performeth all things for me." He prayed himself respecting this matter, and he solicited the prayers of others. Writing to a friend at this juncture, he says, " Be sure to pray for me and my family, and the honest folk here, that God may provide one to help me, and do them good." True, accordingly, to his principle, he never interfered in the smallest de- gree to influence, much less to guide, the choice of the people. He was determined from the very first that their choice should be his, and in both the cases in which they called it was so. In both 24 MEMOIR OF the cases, indeed, his opinions were in unison with theirs, and it was so far well that it was so ; but even though it had been otherwise, he was pre- pared to sacrifice his own, and to receive as his fellow-labourer in the Gospel whomsoever the con- gregation might please to choose. In their first attempt to obtain a colleague the congregation were unsuccessful, in a call which they gave to Mr Thomas Gird wood (now of Penicuik), to be joint pastor along with their aged minister. They afterwards, however, gave a call to Mr William Millar, in which they were happily successful. The ordination took place November 15. 1831, under the happiest auspices. The interest which Mr Brown shewed all along in the settlement of the young minister, was very visible and even striking. Instead of that melancholy feeling which the sight of a successor is not unnaturally fitted to inspire, and which might easily have been forgiven, and instead of that feeling of jealousy, which, though a great deal less pardonable, could easily also in the circumstances have been understood, he shewed always the most unaffected cordiality and cheerfulness. While some, on the day of or- dination, could not help thinking of Aaron laying aside his pontifical garments, and clothing Eleazar with them, preparatory to his ascending Mount Hor to die, he himself appeared in the highest spirits. Both in delivering the ordination charge, which was distinguished equally by judgment, feel- ing, and piety, and in the private intercourse sub- THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 25 sequent, there was a liveliness and elevation which surprised every one. Nor was this the effect of any momentary excitement. During the few months that intervened between the settlement and the attack of his last fatal illness, he shewed a cheerfulness so visible and marked, that his family and friends could not help observing it. He felt himself so happy in his colleague, that he could not restrain his feelings upon the subject, either in his conversation or letters. He loved him, and treated him as his son ; and his kindness was repaid, for "asa son with the father," Mr Millar " served with him in the Gospel." His family, and friends, and flock, fondly anticipated, as the state of his health indeed seemed to warrant them to do, a few years of this happy union. Mr Millar promised to be a comfort to him in his declining days, and he would have been a help and guide to the youth; and, of course, comparative inexperience, of Mr Millar. But God's thoughts are not as man's thoughts. After the ordination he preached only eight Sab- baths. He ended his ministry with what had been the great subject of it through life, the message of reconciliation, " peace on earth." Had he preach- ed another Sabbath, he intended to have preached from the preceding clause of the verse, " Glory to God in the highest." But it was the will of God that he should sing this part of the angelic anthem, and on an angel's harp, instead of preaching from it with a mortal tongue to mortal men. In looking forward to the closing period of life, 26 MEMOIR OF he felt, in common with his father, whom he great- ly resembled in activity, a dread at the thought of being long laid aside from active labour. He more than once referred to the subject, in conver- sation with his colleague and family, and, on one occasion, just immediately before he took ill, spoke in a very feeling and affecting manner, concerning the case of a brother minister of his acquaintance, who had been rendered incapable, by a lethargic disease, of the least exertion. But though he ex- pressed himself feelingly upon this subject, it was al- ways with the most Christian submission to the will of his heavenly Father. Had he written what he thought and felt, he would probably have express- ed himself in similar terms as his father did, in an unpublished letter to him, during the decline of his health. " I can hardly bear/' said the venerable Christian and minister, " the thought of being con- signed to lie a useless weight on God's earth. But I must not quarrel his disposal. He cannot but do right, nor would I attempt making straight that which he hath made crooked. ' Redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins, ac- cording to the riches of his grace,' is the port I want to be in at, and I wish to leave the circum- stances of it to his sovereign disposal. If grace reign through righteousness to eternal life, to me and mine, I ask no more." It pleased God, how- ever, not to put Mr Brown to this painful trial ; he was confined to his bed only ten days, and spent only three silent Sabbaths. THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 27 MINISTERIAL LABOURS. The whole period of Mr Brown's life, of which the foregoing narrative is a mere general sketch, and which extended to the length of nearly seventy- six years, was entirely, and most usefully, filled up in serving God, and " his generation by the will of God." From the day especially of his ordination, when he entered upon an active course of duty in the church, to the very day that he preached his last sermon, he was incessantly occupied in doing good to the bodies and the souls of men. His ministerial labours, which naturally claim atten- tion in the first place, were numerous, varied, ac- tive, and indefatigable. He lived and laboured for the people of his charge, giving himself wholly to the work of the ministry, " which he had re- ceived of the Lord, to testify the Gospel of the grace of God." It was the happiness of Mr Brown, and greatly for the profit of his people, that he was a Christian, before he became a Christian minister. The offi- cial character was in his case, as it ought always to be, engrafted upon the root of personal piety. He seems, accordingly, always to have felt that the improvement of his own soul in knowledge and holiness, was an essential part of ministerial pre- paration and labour. He read and studied for himself first, and afterwards for his people, rightly judging that the best way to make the tree flourish, 28 MEMOIR OF is to begin with watering the root. Among his loose papers, I find a list of a number of the best books in Doctrinal and Practical Divinity, headed thus, " Books I read orderly for my own improve- ment." But he was the student as well as the Christian. In his study, he gave himself, according to the Apostle's direction, to reading and meditation. Few perhaps read more of practical and doctrinal Theology than he did. Indeed, reading was with him a passion. But all his reading was of the kind which tended to make " the man of God perfect," which tended to enrich his mind, and thoroughly furnish him for every good work. Next to his Bible, the writings of Boston, the Erskines, and the English Non- Conformists, were his constant study. By this means he was enabled to bring out of his treasure to his people " things new and old." In- deed, in his spirit, and in the cast of his mind, as well as in the richness and unction of what he de- livered, he bore a very striking resemblance to these worthy and distinguished men. It has been said, I think, by Lord Bacon, that reading makes a full man, and certainly never have I met with a person in whom " the word of Christ dwelt more richly," whose mind was more replenished with sound evangelical truth. There was a store, a perfect plenitude of the purest scriptural know- ledge about him. His well furnished library of old Divinity, amounting to nearly 1500 volumes, he had to a very great extent, by the aid of habits of THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 29 great attention, and a singularly tenacious memory, made his own. He could, in most cases at once, and without ever referring to an index which he kept, tell whether he had among his books a ser- mon upon any particular text that was mentioned. He was any thing, however, rather than a mere reader. While he read, he most conscientiously studied. He was not one of those who served God with what cost him nothing. His numerous note-books shew him to have been both diligent and faithful in his study. Even to the very last, or nearly so, his discourses appear written out al- most as fully as he delivered them. Nor did he trust even the prefatory remarks upon the psalm, with which the services of the Sabbath were al- ways introduced, to the suggestions of the moment. Though not written, at least not latterly, they were, I know, most carefully studied. Indeed, they bore very visible marks of this. There was a richness, and variety, and point, and pertinency, about them, which could not fail to delight the in- telligent, as well as edify the pious. It was but seldom, of course, that the writer was privileged to hear these prefaces, but he never did enjoy this privilege without being both gratified and improv- ed. Could they have been preserved, they would have formed perhaps a better devotional comment- ary on the Psalms than any which exists. To these brief remarks respecting the prosecu- tion of Mr Brown's private studies, it deserves to be added, that prayer always formed an important 2 30 MEMOIR OF part of his preparations for the public duties of the sanctuary. Prayer was the leaven with which he mixed up every thing he did. " The longer I live," he says in a letter to a friend, " I think the more that every thing should be seasoned by pray- er and supplication." But he appears to have es- pecially leavened and seasoned his private studies for the pulpit with prayer. He went from com- muning with God in his closet to the sanctuary, and this it was that made his face to shine there : And it was observed, that, as he entered the house of God through the closet, so he retired from it through the closet also, invariably withdrawing for a little in secret before meeting with his family, to pour out his heart before God. Excellent, and ne- cessary as reading and study are, as preparations for public ministerial duty, they will be very inef- ficient without prayer. Were ministers but to pray more, as well as read and study more, there can be no doubt that they would preach better and more successfully. In the pulpit, Mr Brown shewed himself " a workman that needed not to be ashamed." He had not, indeed, those qualities of mind which fit for critical discussion, profound argumentation, or elegant illustration, nor had he those high and commanding powers of voice and manner which are indispensable to the eloquent orator. He never made any pretensions to these qualifications ; less, indeed, than he might justly have done. But he possessed and displayed qualifications, which, if 3 THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 31 not so imposing and splendid, are at least as useful as any of these qualifications, which, if they did not render him exactly what is vulgarly called a popular preacher, gave him a very high accepta- bility with the saints, and enabled him to exem- plify, in a very perfect form, the Apostle's exhor- tation to Timothy, " Preach the word, be instant in season, and out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine." " In doctrine he shewed uncorruptness." Origi- nal and novel views of truth he affected not. Hav- ing drunk " the old wine" of gospel doctrine, as exhibited in the writings of Boston, the Erskines, and indeed of all the Reformers, and especially as taught in the Evangelical and Apostolical writings, he was far from desiring new, for he said " The old is better," as he himself expresses it in his preface to " Gospel Truth." The general system which he espoused, was that inculcated by the Marrow Di- vines, and substantially the same as was taught in all the churches of the Reformation. While he declared to his people " the whole counsel of God," keeping back nothing that was profitable to them ; there were certain points of doctrine to which, following in the hallowed footsteps of those distinguished fathers and churches, he gave pecu- liar prominence, and on which he laid special stress in his public ministrations. The principal of these were, the gift and grant of Christ by his Father to mankind sinners, as such, without exception, — the freeness and universality of the gospel offer, the ap- 32 MEMOIR OF propriating nature of faith, — the deliverance of be- lievers from the law as a covenant of works, — and the necessity of good works, as evidences, but not grounds of justification. These he regarded, and constantly spoke of, as the substance and essence of the gospel system. He calls them, in a letter to a friend, " the life-blood of gospel truth." The Gospel, according to his view of it, was a system of grace throughout, free, unconditional grace, neither requiring nor even admitting any qualification, moral or evangelical, to entitle to the reception of its blessings. The faith of the Gospel he consi- dered not as a condition, on the performance of which the enjoyment of its blessings was suspend- ed, but the very act of receiving and appropriating these freely offered blessings ; and the repentance and holiness which the gospel requires, he taught did not precede and form a warrant for the exer- cise of faith in Christ, but were the fruits and evi- dences of that faith. In short, his idea was, that Christ, and all good things in him, were contained in the general gospel promise, and that they be- came the sinner's, by his believing this promise with particular self application, which was what he meant by the appropriating nature of faith ; and that, as the necessary and natural consequence of this appropriation of Christ, there resulted an en- tire submission of the heart and will to his com- mands. His views upon these all-important points may be seen at large in his " Gospel Truth." In a letter to a friend, he gives the following concise THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 33 statement of his sentiments upon some of these. " The judgment of some good people, about evi- dences being first, and then the claiming of Christ as ours following this, appears to me improper, and puts all wrong. My mind is expressed in the words of an eminent divine, Mr Bell of Glasgow. ' In the first act of believing, sinners have no evi- dence of grace in themselves. They feel nothing but sin within them. They see a word without them as the sole foundation of faith, and on that they build for eternity.' This is a point of no small importance to saints and sinners. Many of the modern builders are at no small pains to keep their hearers from all confidence and comfort, till they just discern evidences of grace in their hearts, and having got evidence, then and not till then, can they have any just or well grounded confi- dence. This doctrine seems to me to cast a stum- bling block in the sinner's way. Instead of draw- ing him to Christ, which cannot but be the ten- dency of all gospel doctrine, it staves him off, and keeps him afar. I confess I have not so learned Christ. The sinner's right turns not at all upon any inward gracious qualification, but purely upon the divine word exhibited." I do not know how I can better describe his ge- neral style of preaching, in respect of its doctrinal character, than in his own words, in describing the strain of Hervey's preaching. " He clearly stated and illustrated the difference of the law, which re- quires all obedience of man, and of the gospel strict- c 34 MEMOIR OF ly taken, which freely offers, and gives all privi- leges to us, and of their blessed harmony, and mu- tual subserviency in Christ. He aimed to coun- teract with equal care self-righteous legality on the one hand, and Antinomian licentiousness on the other." The preaching of the Gospel was with him, both in the spirit and tenor of it, what the term lite- rally signifies, — the preaching of good tidings to per- ishing sinners. It was the message of peace and reconciliation. He indeed faithfully warned the secure, exposed the hypocritical, endeavoured to awaken and alarm the presumptuous, and denoun- ced the judgments of God upon impenitent trans- gressors ; but these were not the points on which he dwelt, the favourite topics on which he loved to enlarge. They were extorted from him by a feeling of awful necessity, and were visibly de- livered as " the burden of the Lord." But when he exhibited, and offered Christ to perishing sin- ners as a great and all-sufficient Saviour, there was a sweetness and tenderness in his whole manner, in the very expression of his countenance, and the tones of his voice, which shewed how much this part of the message was in harmony with his feel- ings. It was then in a particular manner, that, in the eyes of his hearers, his " feet appeared beauti- ful upon the mountains," for then " he published peace, brought good tidings of good, and publish- ed salvation." To beseech and to plead with sin- ners was always more his manner than to command THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 35 or to threaten. The writer of these pages well re- members hearing him, upon a sacramental occasion, when, after earnestly entreating sinners not to rush upon destruction, he closed his expostulations with reminding them, as the last and most powerful con- sideration he could employ with them, and this in a tone and manner which told how strongly he felt the force of it himself, that if, after all he could say, they would not be persuaded, but would run head- long into ruin, it would be through a deep and broad river of Jesus's blood, grace, and love. But, indeed, whatever was the subject of his preaching, the love and grace of the Saviour was the great theme. He was the centre in which all its lines met. To borrow again his own language, in speak- ing of Hervey, " whatever mystery, whatever pri- vilege, whatever duty, he chose to explain, still Christ was all and in all. If he insisted on a di- vine attribute, he declared how it shone forth in Christ, with the brightest evidence ; if on a pro- mise, he shewed how in Christ it was yea, and amen; if on a command, he inculcated the pro- priety of obedience, and showed how impossible it is to obey, without being united to Him as the head of vital influence. His precious Redeemer was the beginning, the middle, and the end of every ser- mon with him." The clear and evangelical strain of his preaching, equally remote on the one hand from Arminian le- gality, and, on the other, from Antinomian licen- tiousness, was eminently calculated at once to com- 36 MEMOIR OF fort the disconsolate, and to awaken the careless and the secure. And it was, in many instances, signally blessed for these important ends. Many have acknowledged how much they were indebted for their knowledge of the Gospel system, and their other Christian attainments, to his plain and faithful preaching. One of his hearers, in a letter thus writes : " For at least a year previously to my coming to Whitburn, I was in as gloomy a state as I can well conceive, short of absolute despair. It seemed to me that all the promises and invita- tions of the Gospel, had some restrictions laid upon their freeness. — But his preaching, the very first summer I sat under his ministry, opened up to me views of the freeness and grace of the Gospel, which I very vaguely perceived before." Mr Brown's manner and style of preaching were somewhat peculiar, more after the fashion of a for- mer age than the present. His discourses, which were short, sometimes not exceeding half an hour, were broken down into numerous divisions and subdivisions. He either had not the power of am- plification, or he never employed it. His object always seemed to be, to say what he had to say in the fewest possible words. By this means he had it in his power to bring forward, in one discourse, a great number and variety of ideas, which had the effect at once of imparting a large mass of tan- gible information, and of preventing his audience from wearying in the delivery of it. I have heard, accordingly, the people remark, that there was THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 37 more divinity in his short sermons than in several lengthier ordinary ones. They were accustomed too, to say, that they were never afraid of seeing him enter the pulpit, for they were sure he would not weary them by his tediousness. It must not, however, be supposed, that his discourses, because they were short and replete with divisions, were dry and formal. They were the very reverse. They were rich in sentiment, full of pointed remarks, and apt quotations of Scripture, and especially dis- tinguished by that well-known but indescribable something, which is commonly known by the name of unction. He possessed the happy art of illustrat- ing, by a single passage of Scripture, or an ap- posite observation, an idea, which, in other hands, would have swelled out into a long paragraph, without thereby becoming either clearer or more impressive. And his quotations of Scripture were not always mere naked quotations. He would oftentimes add an illustration, remark, or reflec- tion, which, while always simple and natural, was frequently very felicitous. Thus, when, upon one occasion, quoting Peter's deprecatory words, " De- part from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord," he added, " the very worst prayer a sinful man could offer." He sometimes, too, very happily, availed himself of historical incidents and striking anec- dotes, which he accommodated, by the spiritual turn he gave them, to the subject or the occasion. At a sacramental solemnity, when preaching at Douglas, after alluding to the commission which 38 MEMOIR OF the Black Douglas received from King Robert Bruce, to carry his heart, after he was dead, to Ihe Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem, and bury it there, he exhorted sinners to carry their hearts, not to the empty sepulchre, where once only a dead Sa- viour lay, but to the living Redeemer, now exalted to the right hand of the throne of God, to give repentance and the forgiveness of sins. But while his manner and style of preaching were peculiar, they were perfectly natural. He preached the Gospel with simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom — not in the words, or with the airs, which man's wisdom teach- eth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, compar- ing spiritual things with spiritual ; yet, though there was as little as possible of show in his mode of preaching, while there was even what might be stated an old-fashioned familiarity of address, there was always real effect. It told frequently in a sur- prising manner upon his auditors. " There was occasionally," says one who was a constant hearer of his for some years, " eloquence of the truest kind (for it was the energetic utterance of the deep emotions of the heart) in his manner of stating the simplest truths of the Gospel. On one occasion, after speaking with indignation of those ministers (so called), who preach from one year to another without mentioning the Redeemer in any other way than as the Author of our religion, he suddenly became more impassioned than usual, and extend- ing his arms, exclaimed, " A Saviour, a Saviour THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 39 is he, O sinful men, whom we preach unto you." It deserves mention here, that he was never guilty of that too common fault of preachers, the making an effort to be great. I have heard him, not only on ordinary and sacramental occasions, but on se- veral public occasions ; never, however, did I ob- serve him deviate from his wonted plainness and simplicity ; while impressive always, he was never affected. There was no greater effort discovered in the sermons he preached before a polished au- dience in London, than in those he addressed every Sabbath to his plain congregation at Longridge. It has been objected to some evangelical preach- ers, that they preach too exclusively to saints. This fault Mr Brown was careful to avoid, endeavour- ing to give to each description of persons " their portion of meat in due season." It was a special point with him, in the prosecution of his ministry, to preach the Gospel to sinners, remarking that " the children were often fed with the dogs." His preaching was entirely free of that loose generality, which makes the preaching of many a minister a mere " beating of the air." It was particular and pointed. As one of his hearers expressed it, " he spoke to cases," endeavouring to bring the truth home to the circumstances and bosoms of his peo- ple. The sacramental occasions at Longridge were seasons of great spiritual enjoyment to serious Christians. The numbers from the neighbouring congregations that repaired to that mount of ordi- 40 MEMOIR OF nances at these times, rendered it somewhat like Mount Zion of old, at the seasons of her solemn festivals, " whither the tribes went up, the tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel" On these occasions, Mr Brown's sermons and addresses were observed to be peculiarly rich in evangeli- cal sentiment, and fragrant even with sacred unc- tion. To those whose senses were spiritually exer- cised, it was abundantly evident that they had been brought direct from " those ivory palaces," of which the Psalmist speaks, so strongly did " they smell of myrrh and aloes, and cassia." The writer has heard aged Christians speaking with peculiar emo- tion, of the pleasure and the profit they derived from the closing exhortations he was accustomed to deliver on the different days of the solemnity. While he would sometimes exhort them on the Saturday evenings to appear in their best on the morrow, by having on, not their best body gar- ments, but " the best robe" of the Redeemer's righteousness, which was not only prepared for them, but the wardrobe- door wide open, and Jesus himself ready to put it on ; he never failed to re- mind them, at the close of the whole services on the Monday, that there would be a resurrection at a future day of all that they had heard, and seen, and done on the occasion. In his exhortation at the conclusion of the sacramental work on the Sabbath evening, he was peculiarly warm and af- fectionate. The words of encouragement, and cau- tion, and direction, which he addressed on these THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 41 occasions to saints, and the pleadings he employed with sinners, so earnest, so tender, so sweet, will long be remembered by those who were privileged to hear them. For the encouragement of saints, he would sometimes remark, that though now Jesus called them to go hence — some of them it might be to suffering, and others to death, Jesus himself would go hence with them. His call to the disciples, he ob- served, was not, " Arise and go hence," but, " Arise and let us go hence." But while, on these occa- sions, he had encouragements for saints, he had also words of scriptural encouragement for sinners. The latter class especially he never overlooked in any of the services of the season. He thought sacramental occasions furnished excellent opportu- nities of doing good to sinners, and he valued and improved them accordingly. He was sometimes accustomed to remark at such times, that hardened sinners were like large stones upon the sea-beach, which, though not reached by the ordinary tides, would be struck, and overflowed by the high spring- tides — that sinners who resisted the ordinary dis- pensations of the Gospel might yet be arrested, and impressed by the more unusual solemnities of a sacramental service. Often he referred, in con- nexion with the same subject, to the happy effects which were produced upon his own father, when a boy, in witnessing a communion service at Aber- nethy. Mr Brown was not a minister merely in the pulpit. Out of it also, both in his private inter- 42 MEMOIR OF course with his people, and his Christian labours among them, he, in an especial manner, did " the work of an evangelist, and made full proof of his ministry." Indeed it was in this department of ministerial work that he appeared to the greatest advantage. As a mere preacher, many equalled and excelled him ; but as a working pastor, — one who devoted himself " in season and out of season 5 ' to the spiritual good of those committed to his charge, — there were very few to be compared with him. All that knew him can bear witness, that in " labours he was more abundant." It was a com- mon expression among his people respecting him, that " he was always doing." Although he had a congregation considerable in point of size, and still more considerable in point of the extent of country over which it was spread, being, at one period, twelve or fourteen miles square, he most regularly and conscientiously performed the ordinary mi- nisterial duties of annually visiting and annually examining his whole congregation ; and these du- ties were performed by him in any thing but a formal and superficial manner. It was his aim on these occasions to make his addresses as personal and particular as he could, and to accommodate them as far as possible to the circumstances and characters of the individuals. He would at such times, accordingly, address the people by their names, and seizing hold of some peculiarity in their state and circumstances, would make it the basis of serious and pointed admonitions. Thus, at one THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 43 time in the course of his visitations, calling upon a family who had just entered a new house, he was told by the mistress of the family, at the door, that they were in such a state of disorder that they had hardly a place to put him in. He replied, quoting the saying of an old divine, in his own familiar manner, " O, if you have room for the Master, you will surely have room for the servant ; and, entering the house, he, in his exhortation, insisted and enlarged upon the necessity of having all old things put away, and all things made new; and spoke of the new furniture that was required for the spiritual house, and how the trash and lum- ber of corruption must be cleared away, in order to its being a befitting i habitation of God through the Spirit.' " On these occasions, when at any dis- tance from the place of worship, he usually also preached, and often to considerable audiences. He was also most exemplary in visiting the sick, both in respect of the attention he shewed, and the tenderness he displayed. He would even, espe- cially in his younger days, sometimes go between five and six miles after sermon, to visit those who had been recommended to the prayers and sym- pathy of the congregation. But Mr Brown was not satisfied with merely treading in the beaten track of common ministerial duty. He was even ingenious in devising schemes of usefulness, and most patient and persevering in the execution of them. The young ever occupied a large share of his attention. " The importance 44 MEMOIR OF of the rising generation/' he observes, in the pre- face to his collection of Letters for the Young, " can scarcely be overrated. They are possessed of immortal souls, which are in imminent danger of being lost for ever. They are preparing to en- ter upon the active business of life, in which they may be very useful or very hurtful to multitudes around them, and their character and behaviour will deeply influence the most important interests of the coming generation of mankind." And in correspondence with these ideas and impressions, was the attention he bestowed during his whole ministry upon their instruction and welfare. He, indeed, invariably shewed a parental interest in them. One who knew him well, says of him, " I have often thought our friend quite eminent as a minister of the Lord Jesus Christ, for his interest in, and care for, the young. He might truly be said to have imitated his Divine Master, and car- ried them in his bosom. With these he knew the greatest hope of usefulness lay ; besides the joy it afforded the good man's heart, whenever he found ' a boy (a favourite expression of his) in whose heart there appeared to be some good thing toward the Lord God of Israel.'" In his endeavours to do good to the young, he usually began with their parents, and laboured to impress them with what he himself felt. It was ordinarily, I have been told, one of the last things he would say on quitting a house where there were children, especially to the mother, " Now, mind THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 45 these children, — mind their eternal interests." Often he urged those who were descended from pious ancestors not to allow religion to go out of the family, but endeavour to transmit it in entail to those who should come after them. " God has long dwelt," he says, writing to a friend, " in the family from which you are descended. This you will find a strong obligation on you to do as much as possible for His cause " He was particularly desirous, and dealt earnestly with parents both in public and private, to have the children of his con- gregation brought early under the means of grace. It was his wish that they should be brought to the place of worship as soon as they were at all capa- ble. He was accustomed to say that children, upon such occasions, often got what remained with them to the end of life. Frequently has he been heard to refer, with very visible pleasure, and in the way of encouragement to parents, to some eminent Christians, who owed their first religious impressions to accompanying, when they were children, a pious father, or a pious mother, to the ordinances of God's house. In his more regular or occasional visitations of his congregation, the young were always particular objects of his attention. He ever took the most marked and affectionate notice of them, and had always something kind and serious to say to them. In a manner that was entirely his own, he uniform- ly contrived to engage their attention wherever he met with them, and to drop some pious advice, or 46 MEMOIR OF caution, or remark, suitable to their age or circum- stances. He was never almost indeed known to pass, even on the public road, a young person with- out speaking. If he found them piously inclined, he would commend and encourage them. If he per- ceived them ignorant and thoughtless, he would give them a serious advice, and accompany it with a tract, of which he carried always in his walks a sup- ply along with him ; and if, as was sometimes the case, he found they could not read, he would in- quire into their circumstances, and adopt means, sometimes even before he went home, to get them sent to school. " A word spoken in season," says the wise man, " how good is it !" And often, ac- cordingly, did the incidental hints which Mr Brown threw out upon these occasions, and which he was frequently very happy both in the timing and ex- pressing of, prove " nails fastened in a sure place by the Master of Assemblies." The writer of these pages has met with more than one instance of per- sons advanced in life, who have referred to these as the first seeds of their spiritual being. At a time when classes for the young were not so common as they are at present, he held meetings monthly with the young men and the young females of his congregation for religious in- struction, which were continued from an early pe- riod of his ministry, I believe, to the very end of it. And so bent was he upon gaining his benevolent end, that, when he found he could not command the regular attendance of the young men upon a THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 47 week day, he, with no small inconvenience to him- self, met with them on Sabbath morning, before the commencement of public worship. He was ac- customed too, at one period, that he might accom- modate himself as far as possible to the circum- stances of all, to convene at stated intervals the cowherds, who lived in the immediate neighbour- hood of the manse, at the mid-day hour, when they were unoccupied, and instruct them in the princi- ples of religion. His object in these catechetical meetings was at once to inform the judgment and impress the heart, and in this way train up the young people of his congregation for admission into the communion of the church, which he knew they could only be by being made intelligent and lively Christians. But Mr Brown's care of the young did not cease with their admission to the Lord's table. Know- ing how prone they were on reaching this point to relax their exertions in the pursuit of religious knowledge, and become stationary, he was in the regular habit of holding meetings with them sub- sequently, in order to ascertain their progress, and direct and encourage them in the righteous ways of the Lord. He encouraged also among the young of his congregation the institution of social meetings for prayer. He was anxious for the dif- fusion of a devotional spirit among them, and this he reckoned, both from what he had seen and his own experience, a most likely means of promoting it. I find him accordingly hailing with delight 48 MEMOIR OF the spread of these meetings, both in his own con- gregation and elsewhere. " I understand," he says, in a communication to one of the religious Maga- zines, " that, among other good effects of Sabbath schools, they have occasioned in several instances the association of several of the children together in prayer meetings by themselves. This seems an eminent token for good." In the same spirit he mentions, in a letter to a young friend, as a most gratifying occurrence, the formation of a second juvenile prayer meeting in his congregation, con- sisting of eight or nine promising boys. One of their fellowship meetings, which was held on the Sabbath morning, he usually opened himself with singing and prayer. He did not, however, reckon it sufficient to use direct means for the religious improvement of the young of his congregation. While he sowed by his instructions " the good seed of the kingdom," he endeavoured, by his fatherly care and seasonable advices, to keep the soil as clear as possible of whatever might interfere with its growth. He was especially concerned that young persons, when they left their father's house, should be placed in families and situations where they might enjoy re- ligious advantages and opportunities. Often did he enlarge, both from the pulpit and in private conversation, but not oftener than its importance merited, on the great advantages of being cast when young into religious families, and forming religious connexions ; and often also did he take occasion THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 49 to expose the high criminality, and imminent pe- ril, of hazarding, for any worldly consideration whatever, their religious interests and prospects. Particularly on the eve of the usual hiring terms, he was invariably accustomed to caution them from the pulpit, in the most earnest and affectionate manner, against engaging themselves to persons who had not the fear of God before their eyes, and observed not the worship of God in their families, remarking, that the obtaining somewhat higher wages might be at the expense of their immortal souls. Indeed, wherever and whenever he per- ceived any threatenings of danger to their spiritual interests, and he was most quicksighted in descry- ing these, he always, like a faithful watchman, gave instant warning. The approach of the harvest season, for example, or the occurrence of a fair, being in his apprehension times of especial peril, always drew from him some prudent admonitions and pious counsels. He begged them to remem- ber that they ought to be Christians on the harvest field and in the market place, as well as in the sanctuary. Nor did these Christian attentions to the young persons who had been brought up under him ter- minate with the termination of their connexion with the congregation. When, as was often the case, from the peculiar local circumstances of the particular part of the country in which the con- gregation was situated, they had to leave his mi- nistry, to enter upon distant service, or to prose- D 50 MEMOIR OF cute business in the large towns, he followed them with similar attentions to their new scenes of la- bour. It was his manner, previous to their de- parture, to take them up to his study, administer suitable advices to them, give them a religious book accommodated to their character and cir- cumstances, and then pray with them, commend- ing them to the care and protection of their Father in Heaven ; and after they had gone to their new situations and places of abode, he still endeavoured to be serviceable to them, not only by his prayers, but by various active efforts in their behalf. In many cases, when circumstances allowed him, he sought them out himself, kindly inquired after their welfare, and dropt out some suitable hints for their consideration and guidance. In other cases he would recommend them to the notice of some of his pious friends. " Please be so kind," he writes to one of these when in Edinburgh, " as look after a boy, James , in Ramsay's print- ing-office. I hope there may be some good thing in him. Give him good advices, and a tract at a time." In other cases he wrote them short admo- nitory letters, equally distinguished for their af- fection and their piety. One of the last things lie did (the very Sabbath on which he was struck with palsy) was to direct his colleague to read to the young people of the congregation, as his mes- sage to them, and it proved his last one, the fol- lowing letter, dictated some time before, and ad- THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 51 dressed to those young persons who had left the congregation, and gone to reside in Glasgow. " My Dear Young Friends, " The following hints I hope you will always remember. The soul is precious, being immortal, and purchased by the obedience and blood of the Son of God. This being the case, it is far more valuable than a world. The sins we often look on as mere trifles in youth, are fearful- ly criminal before God, as committed against all the peculiar kindnesses of God to you, and against all the peculiar calls and promises of Him to them. O what eminent advantages you have for pro- moting the eternal salvation of your souls in your early days ! No perplexing cares of middle age, or infirmities of declining years. Clear discoveries of our infinitely gracious and amiable Redeemer, and remarkably powerful and particular declara- tions of his redeeming love, meeting with your tender hearts, will make a very heaven on earth. I hope, my dear young friends, you will listen to His precious calls and invitations to the young. ' Re- member thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not/ < My son, give me thy heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.' ' Josiah, while he was yet young, sought the Lord God of his father.' O take care of bad company. Read daily the word of God. ' Whereby shall a young man cleanse his way ! By taking heed thereto according to thy word.' Never neglect 52 MEMOIR OF secret prayer. Attend the public ordinances. Read Boston and Hervey's books. Obey your mas- ters. My dear young friends, yours affectionately. " John Brown." To the other classes of his congregation Mr Brown was attentive, as well as to the young. All equally shared his pastoral care, and received from him their portion of meat in due season. The aged and the infirm he always tenderly sympathized with, and accommodated himself to. Besides his more ordinary attentions in the way of visiting and conversing with them, which were neither rare nor formal, it was his frequent practice, when they could not attend on his stated ministrations, to go and preach to them in their private dwell- ings. This system of house preaching he carried on to a very considerable extent, especially in the earlier years of his ministry ; and thus brought the Gospel to many who either could not or would not come to it. The last time he was engaged in this humble but agreeable part of his work, the writer had the happiness of accompanying him, and heard him with much pleasure address an au- dience of about twenty people, consisting in a great measure of persons who, through age and other infirmities, were prevented from enjoying the common means of grace. Those also who had met with bereaving dis- pensations of Providence, he paid special attention to, pouring the balm of consolation into their THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 53 wounded bosoms, and directing them to suitable views, and to a right improvement of the trial. His manner was to collect all the relatives into his house on the Sabbath immediately succeeding the funeral, and, after addressing suitable exhortations to them, pray with them. He wisely judged that on these occasions persons are more than ordinari- ly impressible ; and that truths which, in common circumstances, would glance aside, and produce no effect, will then strike deep, and leave a perma- nent impression behind. " I have never forgot- ten," said one to his widow after Mr Brown's death, ;< what he said to me and others of my friends, when waiting upon him after the death of a rela- tive. ' Mind, sirs,' he said, < what is lost in the stream is to be found in the fountain/" He was observed at all times to take particular notice of widows, and had always something consolatory and edifying to say to them. He was seldom known, when out, even in his common walks and rides, to pass the door of such a person, without at least stopping and inquiring for their welfare. On one such occasion, when some of his family, who hap- pened to be with him, objected to his calling, as he proposed, on the ground that he had not time, he mildly insisted on doing so, adding, " Mind she's a widow." When there were any students in the bounds of his congregation, and there were frequently such, he used every means in his power to be useful al- so to them. He suggested hints for their guid- 54 MEMOIR OF ance, recommended and lent to them suitable books, held a quarterly meeting with them for prayer and religious conversation, and employed them, when it was agreeable to them, in reading to the people in the church during the interval of public worship, and in catechising the young peo- ple publicly at the same time. One who himself enjoyed the privilege of being a student in his con- gregation, thus describes this part of his ministe- rial attentions : d " It was his manner to invite the students residing within the bounds of his congre- gation to come to him together, three or four times every year, that he might converse and pray with them. He used to appoint beforehand a topic in Theology, on which he expected them to consult some systematic work. He recommended espe- cially the Synod's Catechism. He always, how- ever, proposed on the spot a question of a more practical kind, such as, < What are the marks of a true Christian ?' and then asked each of the young men to do the same. On both sorts of questions he first heard them one by one, and then, with a meekness and suavity I shall never forget, deliver- ed his own opinion, generally prefacing his re- marks with some kind expression of his satisfac- tion with what had been already said. On one occasion he exhorted us to cultivate what he term- ed an arguing method of prayer, — the filling of our mouths with arguments, and pleading the ac- complishment of our requests by those most co- gent of all reasons, derived from our own necessi- THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 55 ties, and God's exceeding i great and precious promises/ He modestly added, that though he had very much coveted this most excellent gift, he could not say that he had ever attained it. He was also accustomed to urge, upon these occasions, the propriety of the students visiting the sick in their own neighbourhood. ' My brother and I,' he would say, ' used to do so at Haddington, by our father's directions, and we never rued it.' He exhorted us also, as teachers, to do every thing in our power for the young immortals committed to our care. He reminded us of the usefulness of a hint, of a word spoken in season, and advised us to be now and then dropping such hints in the hearing of our pupils. He would exhort us at the same time to give them a more serious lengthened address on the Saturday ; and should any seem more deeply affected than the rest, to detain them for a few minutes, that we might have an opportu- nity of deepening the salutary impression already made. He was also very anxious that the students should attend the fellowship-meetings in their dis- tricts." He was in the habit also of writing occa- sionally to the students notes and short letters, which he made the vehicles of suitable instruction and advice. To one under his inspection he thus writes : " Being very busy in assorting books for the Highlanders, it is not in my power to offer many advices at present. I trust that you will al- ways read the oracles of God with much care, as the infallible text-book of Divinity ; that you will 56 MEMOIR OF study Divinity as a means of communion with God, and conformity to him, not as a dry philoso- phical science. Do all you can to promote se- riousness among your fellow students. I am glad of the prayer-meetings for missionary exertions. I hope also you will keep up the other meetings. Never be fond of new phrases in Divinity. In usual cases, keep the good old way. Read the Erskines and Boston much. What stores of divi- nity are in these ! Much prayer will fit you for preaching the Gospel. Receiving grace thereby from a redeeming God, my son, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might." In these commendable endeavours to benefit a most inte- resting and important part of his charge, he seems to have had his father's wishes and endeavours ever before his eyes. " I am glad," he says, writing to his eldest son, " that the students are doing so well, and obliged to you for giving them your grandfather's letter. O what ardour he shewed in being useful in a dry and withered corner, as he used to call it, and in a dead time of the church. I would wish while I live to fulfil his wishes of usefulness." There are occasionally in every congregation individuals who, through natural or accidental de- fects, lie beyond the reach of the ordinary means of instruction. There were such in Mr Brown's congregation ; and he did not neglect them any more than the rest. He always contrived in some way or other to be useful to them. To one of his THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 57 people, a young man, for example, who, through excessive deafness, could derive no profit either from his discourses or conversation, he was in the habit of writing letters. The following letter to this person is not undeserving of a place here, on its own account, as well as in illustration of the re- mark now made. " Dear Johnny, " I would have seen you in your dis- tress long e'er now, but knowing your deafness, I thought it would serve you very little. I now write you the following lines. As God lays his rod upon you in your youthful days, may the ex- perience of Jeremiah be yours, that it is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth. It will be so if the rod of God convince of sin as the cause, and set it in a better and clear point of view ; — if it mortify you to the vanities of life, which our young minds are very ready to be taken with ;— if it drive you to extract all satisfaction from the fountain of it, in the Godhead, as revealed in Jesus ; — if it humble and spiritualize your mind, and prepare you for a better world. May all the distresses which Pro- vidence lays on you or me have this happy effect, and then we will have reason to say, It hath been very good that I have been afflicted. I hope you will always mind that troubles in themselves are not good, nor can do us good. Only as viewed in promises are they sanctifying and upstirring : Such promises are these : — ' When thou passest 58 MEMOIR OF through the waters,' &c. ' As many as I love I re- buke.' ' Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth.' Let us credit these. Let us cordially embrace them, and hereby all troubles will work for our good. Your situation, especially in youth, is very dull ; but if you improve the comforts of Christ in the word, though you cannot rise up at the voice of music, you may have songs in the house of your pilgrimage. While deaf to earthly voices, O to hear the voice of God's beloved Son. While shut out from the company of men, you can have fel- lowship with the blessed Father, Son, and Spirit, in love, grace, and consolation. While debarred from public ordinances, may God be a little sanc- tuary to you. May Jesus, who has the tongue of the learned, speak a word in season to you, He and a good conscience are the best preachers. Your trouble also calls for preparation for death. That is the end of all men, and the living should lay it to heart. By acquaintance with Him who has the keys of hell and of death, by committing our spirits into his hand, by leaning on the rod of his word in the valley of the shadow of death, we get safely and comfortably through. May our latter end be like this. I may withal add, your trials have been singular and peculiar in your time of life ; but I hope an infinitely wise and kind Fa- ther has the guiding of all, and resignation to Him is a very practicable exercise. I commend you to the care of the Father of mercies, and wish all may end well with you, which is a matter of infi- THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 59 nite importance to the immortal soul. You may get a volume of Erskine's Sermons to read, in or- der to recreate you. I am yours affectionately, " John Brown" Besides these special means of usefulness which Mr Brown employed with particular classes of his congregation, and which were, of course, accom- modated to their particular characters, ages, and circumstances, he employed a variety of means, of a more general kind, intended and fitted for the good of all. He was particularly careful to im- prove, with this view, every occurrence of public or local interest, and thus, in a way peculiar to himself, converted the passing dispensations of Pro- vidence into channels through which the truths of the gospel were made to flow. It rarely happened that he had not, before pronouncing the blessing, some warning exhortation to give, some pious counsel and direction to offer, some consolatory observation to make, suggested by the season of the year, the state of the congregation, or the events of Divine Providence. So desirous was he of benefiting his people, that he was accustomed, if any thing had particularly struck him in the course of his reading during the week, or if he had met with any interesting piece of religious intelli- gence, to communicate it, with an improving re- mark of his own, to the congregation next Sab- bath. It was his practice, also, during the whole, or the greater part, of his ministry, to observe stat- 60 MEMOIR OF ed diets of public prayer on the Sabbath, in behalf of the interests of religion ; a practice which he re- commended, in his " Means of Doing Good,* to ministers, as a very important means of usefulness. In a letter to Mrs Brown, written by him when on a mission to Aberdeenshire, and during the agita- tion of the Old-Light Controversy, he thus refers to these devotional observances : " I wish you to tell Ebenezer (his brother) to observe a public diet of prayer with our congregation, as I do ordinarily once a month in summer, and to have a particular reference to the Synod. O pray much about us, that the Lord may not break us in pieces in his anger." It has been already mentioned how he employed the students in reading to the people, and catechising the young in their presence, during the intervals of public worship. His object in this was, principally, to secure as much as possible the religious observance of a portion of the Sabbath- day, which is but too frequently spent in idle and unsuitable conversation ; and, when he had no stu- dent that he could employ in this exercise, he caus- ed useful and interesting religious books to be dis- tributed in different parts of the place of worship, for the perusal of those who might choose to avail themselves of them. He exerted himself, also, in erecting and keeping up fellowship-meetings among his people, and he had also several in active ope- ration in the different quarters of his congregation. One met regularly, for a long period, in his own house ; and, as an example and encouragement to THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 61 the attendance of other persons, he both punctual- ly attended this one, and visited, occasionally, also others. No stranger could have guessed from his manner on such occasions, that he occupied a sta- tion superior in dignity to that of any one present. " There could hardly," says one who was present frequently with him at these meetings, " have been a more beautiful specimen of that humility which makes its possessor esteem others better than him- self." It was his opinion that these meetings were admirably calculated to promote the life of piety. He thus speaks of them in his " Means of Doing Good :" — " Ministers may do much good by set- ting up and encouraging fellowship-meetings. These are warranted, and abundantly exemplified, in scripture. The advantages of such religious fellowship are great and many. They are the best preservatives against those infections which arise from communication with persons of vicious prin- ciples and ungodly practices. They secure all the advantages which we can propose to ourselves by any kind of intimacies, such as friendly sympathy, counsel, warning, assistance, or comfort. In such societies men are profited themselves, as well as edify others. And such religious fellowship tends to recommend religion to others around, and to set forth Christianity in an honourable and edi- fying light ; and, withal, it remarkably tends to an- ticipate and prepare men for the holy and harmo- nious fellowship of the heavenly state." Mr Brown also distributed great numbers of tracts and small 62 MEMOIR OF books, with the happiest effects, among his people. He always kept a stock of these by him, and was equally diligent and judicious in selecting the op- portunities and the objects of his christian charity. If a person had done him a service, if any of his people were removing out of the congregation, if any one in his neighbourhood was visited with af- fliction, he had always some little book to offer to their acceptance, as an expression of his kindness or sympathy. He seldom or never went abroad, not even to take a common walk, without having some tracts in his pocket ; and in giving these away, he usually contrived, by some introductory observation, or kind expression, to take off from the action the appearance of intrusiveness, and se- cure to the silent messenger a favourable recep- tion. The writer remembers how, on one occa- sion, when riding along with him, they passed some young men at work on the road side, stran- gers however to Mr Brown. After exchanging sa- lutations with them, he entered into a short con- versation, and, on leaving them, gave them some tracts, which were well and gratefully received. By none of the means, however, which he em- ployed among his people, was he more useful than by his private intercourse. This, instead of counter- acting, as is but too frequently the case, the influ- ence and effect of his sermon on the Sabbath, tend- ed to deepen and rivet the impression which they produced. He went about a good deal among his people, but not for the purpose of idle gossipping, THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 63 or ceremonious visiting, but, like his Divine Mas- ter, in doing good. His visits were usually short, but he had always something to say in commenda- tion of Christ and religion. In a most natural and unaffected way he would throw out some useful hint, or drop some seasonable advice. He never called at any house, or went into any company, without leaving an odour of kindness and piety behind him. It seemed to be always a point with him, in these brief visits, to take occasion, from something that had presented itself in the course of the conversation, to bear at least a, parting tes- timony in behalf of godliness. " Now, remember always," he once said, when taking leave of one on whom he had been calling, who was a tailor ; " re- member always the ' best robe,' and, while you are clothing others, do not forget to be clothed your- self with the spotless garment of Christ's imputed righteousness." What was said of Dr Watts might have been truly said of him, — " In visiting the fa- milies of his congregation, he was always careful to leave a savour of divine truth upon their minds; and as his own piety was cheerful, he endeavoured to diffuse its benign influence wherever he went. Walking or riding, in company or retirement, he was either improving himself or others." Nor was it merely in knowledge and contem- plative piety that Mr Brown laboured by these and such like means to train his people. He went before, and excited them to follow in the exercise of active Christian zeal. The cause of piety, and 64 MEMOIR OF benevolence, and righteousness, and temperance, had in him and his people warm friends and advo- cates. Besides the aid which they afforded to the general County Bible Association, and a regular annual collection (and usually a very liberal one) to the Scottish Missionary Society, there were se- veral congregational societies for different religious objects, which were very respectably supported. It deserves, also, to be mentioned here, that when the Temperance movement commenced in this country, he was so far from being wedded to esta- blished habits and customs, as is frequently the case with the aged, that he lent to the cause his ready countenance, became himself a member, and got a society erected in the congregation. What the precise amount of good was which he was the means of accomplishing among his people by his active and abundant labours, will, of course, remain undiscovered till the Judgment-day. It is certain, however, that, in the highest and best sense of the word, he was an eminently successful minis- ter. While, as might have been expected, there were some over whom he had to lament that he had laboured in vain, and spent his strength for nought and in vain, — he had the highest satisfac- tion of seeing many, of whom he entertained the best hopes, grow up under his ministry, ;; adorn- ing the doctrine of God their Saviour, in all things." Many, also, he had seen precede him in- to the other world, who had ripened under his mi- nistration for glory, and who are now his joy and THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 65 crown in the Church triumphant above. And though he has rested from his labours, the influence of his ministry and example has not ceased. His works still follow him, and will praise him in the gate. HIS PUBLIC LIFE. To one who had observed the diligence and as- siduity with which Mr Brown discharged the mi- nisterial duties of his congregation, it would hard- ly at first sight have appeared credible that he could find time for doing much besides. Cer- tain, at least, it is, that many would have found, in the multiplicity and weight of these, an apolo- gy, and a very plausible one too, for confining themselves to them. But he had the disposition, and he found the time, for doing much more. While he cultivated, with a care and activity which those only who were upon the spot can have any conception of, his own particular vineyard, he extended his attention and labours far beyond it. Indeed the field in which he felt himself called up- on to labour was " the world." Comparisons have been oftentimes made between different spheres of labour, and some have found what they reckoned a satisfactory excuse for doing comparatively little, in the circumstance that their sphere was a small one. Had they been placed in a conspicuous station, in a metropolitan charge, or in one of the pulpits of a great town congregation, they E 66 MEMOIR OF would then, they flatter themselves, have been able to be extensively useful. But they wanted scope, they thought, in their retired and private situation, for the display of their activities. Their gifts had not " room and verge enough " to develope and exercise themselves. In short, they considered themselves, by the nature of their situation, as u candlesticks hid under a bushel.'' In Mr Brown, however, we have a striking proof and illustration that a man's usefulness depends more upon himself than upon the sphere in which his lot has been cast ; in fact, that it is not so much the sphere that makes the man, as the man that makes the sphere. When a person lays out himself to do good, it is abso- lutely incalculable what opportunities he will find of doing it. Like the prophet's oil, they will mul- tiply in the very improving of them. Indeed, such a man creates opportunities to himself. Mr Brown's situation, in a comparatively barren and thinly peopled district of country, was every thing but a favourable one for bringing him into contact with the world around him. But it is almost certain that he could hardly have been more useful than he was, or even better known, though he had oc- cupied the most public station in the religious bo- dy with which he was connected. Perhaps few ministers of any denomination have been honoured to do more real good in the world than he did. The public good which Mr Brown was enabled to accomplish during the course of his long life, was of a very varied kind. He confined not his THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 67 attention to one kind of good, nor to one set of means of doing it. " Whatever his hand found to do, he did," without any regard to its being great or small, splendid or common-place ; and he did it by whatever means he could at the moment com- mand. The instruction of the ignorant, the re- claiming of the vicious, the relief of the distressed, the comforting of the sorrowful, the dissemination of sound views of evangelical truth, and the pro- motion in general of the cause of piety, and right- eousness ; these, and such as these, were the bene- volent christian objects which he kept in view, and laboured to accomplish. In the enumeration of the means by which Mr Brown laboured to promote these important objects in the church, and world at large, the first place is perhaps due to his correspondence. He was not, indeed, a professed letter-writer. He never made any pretensions to the enviable gift which Cowper and Newton so richly possessed. All his letters, as far at least as I have had access to see them, are plain and simple expressions of his ideas; and most of them very brief, in many cases, indeed, rather notes than letters. As one of his most intimate friends expresses it, he spoke as he thought, and wrote as he spoke. His letters were generally short, but contain a true index of his heart. He never wrote but when he had something to say, and it seemed a matter of no consequence to him, whether it would occupy a sheet or could be comprised in three lines. He said what he intended to say in 68 MEMOIR OF the words which most readily presented themselves y and stopt when he had done. Few, however, car- ried on a more extensive correspondence than he did, or accomplished more good by it. Besides a very great number of individuals in Scotland, he corres- ponded with a number of ministers and others, both in England and America. I notice letters to him from Drs Romeyn, Proudfit, and Macleod, in America ; and from Mr Newton, Dr Ryland, Mr Ambrose Serle, and many others, in England. The views under which he carried on his corres- pondence, and the ends he proposed to himself in it, he thus states, in recommending the practice to others. " Much good," he says, " may be done by religious correspondence. An active, intelligent, benevolent Christian, may thus stir up others, in a persuasive and effectual way, to love and good works. While the hints of conversation, however good, are apt to be forgotten, we may often review, and thus fix upon our memory, what our friend has written. If, in our speech, we are to minister grace to the hearers, we have opportunity to pro- mote the same great end in a much wider circle by religious letters. What comfort have multitudes received from the judicious and affectionate letters of their friends in Christ? The house of mourning, the sick-bed and the death-bed, bear ample testi- mony to this. And let not believers forget their ungodly relations and friends in this labour of love. An undisguised communication of sentiment and Christian feeling may be the happy means of soften- THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 69 ing, and leading to serious reflection, those who may have hitherto remained hardened and thoughtless/' A considerable portion of his sermons were de- dicated to the consolation and direction of the af- flicted and bereaved. Large as the circle of his acquaintanceship was, he scarcely ever omitted to express his sympathy with any one within its ample limits, who laboured under suffering, and to avail himself of the opportunity of presenting to them the instructions and consolations of religion In many instances, when the circumstances of the case were so singular as to justify it, he extended his attentions beyond that circle, and shewed the considerate kindness of a friend to comparative strangers. It was agreeable to him as a man, to have it in his power to alleviate, to any extent, the sufferings of humanity, and especially delightful to him as a Christian and a minister, to be the instru- ment of promoting the spiritual interests of his af- flicted fellow creatures. By means of the nume- rous letters he wrote on these occasions, he was successful in pouring the balm of consolation into many a sorrowing bosom, and obtained, in not a few instances, a way to hearts, which would have been otherwise shut against him. Others of his letters were dedicated to the less pleasant, but not the less necessary, purpose, of awakening the care- less, and convincing the thoughtless. When he saw any one whom he thought he could have the smallest influence with, running headlong down the broad road to ruin, he never failed to write 70 MEMOIR OF him faithfully, but very affectionately, warning him of his danger, and directing him along the right way. Thus, in a letter to a friend, he says, " I am remembering the poor dying man, according to your request, but have one to recommend to your sympathy also, a Mr , who was at the English school with me, an infidel, I fear for the most of his time, and now dying at ease. In the view of God as merciful, I sent him a letter, and a good book, but I hear of no effect : O mind him in your supplications." He thought that no means ought to be left untried to turn sinners from the error of their ways to the Saviour. " Let us," he writes at another time, " pluck brands out of the burning, and get them quenched in the love and blood of the Redeemer." A considerable number of his letters were di- rected to the important end of confirming and en- couraging persons in a course of religion and use- fulness. It was his manner, whenever he heard of any individual in whom he had the smallest inte- rest, giving indications of unwonted seriousness, or shewing a visible attention to the things of reli- gion, to write a few prudent hints for his encour- agement and direction, and invite his correspond- ence. If, too, he heard of a minister distinguish- ing himself for his attachment to gospel doctrine, or for his Christian activity, he immediately, and without any regard to the religious denomination to which he belonged, wrote him as a brother, ex- pressing his interest in him and his exertions, and THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 7 I wishing him God speed. Or, if a book issued from the press, the sentiments of which he approved, and thought calculated to be useful, he was almost sure to write an encouraging letter to the author, as well as recommend it to circulation, reckoning, as he himself expresses it, in reference to Mr Swan- ston's sermons, " both his honour and his duty to be an instrument of spreading savoury evangelical truth." Many of his letters were letters simply of com- mon counsel and advice, and he was well fitted to advise, where natural good sense and Christian prudence would avail. There was a caution and delicacy about his manner, accompanied with no small portion of the meekness and gentleness of Christ, which eminently fitted him for the office of a Christian counsellor. Thus, to one of his corres- pondents, situated within the bounds of a newly erected congregation, who had complained of the legal strain, as he thought, of the minister who had been recently settled, he writes, " I am not ac- quainted with the young man sent to , but hope, by carefully reading and studying the Di- vine word, and the best divines, which he will have an opportunity of doing, in a retired situation such as , he will improve in savoury suitable gospel preaching. Perhaps some hearers in the new con- gregation may need to be roused, and the Lord may see this needful, particularly at the first. Much prayer for ministers does them much good. I hope in your case it will not be wanting." 72 MEMOIR OF With several persons, also, it is known, that he carried on a regular correspondence upon doctri- nal and experimental religion. His name and Christian reputation, both as a minister and author, caused him to be consulted by persons whom he had never seen or known, who were in doubt and darkness, either respecting their state, or respect- ing some of the doctrines of the Gospel ; and he endeavoured to meet their case wisely and tender- ly. " Though I am a stranger to you," he says, writing to one of these correspondents, " yet from your letter I cannot but feel for you, and feel most tenderly, and wish the Lord may direct me to say any thing for your relief." The largest proportion, however, of his letters, are dedicated to the great object which was always uppermost in his own mind, that of doing good. He had always some good design, suited to the character and circumstances of the person, to sug- gest or recommend, some useful hint to give by way of direction, excitement, or encouragement. Thus, writing to one, he says, " The present time seems peculiarly promising with respect to the spread of the Gospel and the coming of Christ's kingdom. I I j ope you, my dear friend, will embark in it, and do all you can for Christ, and for every relative you have." To another he says, " Some time ago I hinted to your worthy brother, that when he travelled in the south, he might take a few tracts, and scatter them among the young he occasionally met with. I have sent for this purpose a few copies THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 73 of a small address of my late father's." What he could do alone, he did to the full extent of his abi- lity. He spared neither time, nor money, nor exer- tion, but these of course had limits. He could not do every thing himself, nor so much as he could wish ; what, however, he could not do him- self, he endeavoured to engage others to do. In this way, the amount of benevolent machinery he set in motion is altogether incalculable. Nothing was too great to be above his notice ; nothing too small to be beneath it. Upon the same principle, and from the same spirit, in which he would write to the managers of a village library, to secure the introduction of some favourite Nonconformist wri- ter, he wrote to Governor Don of Gibraltar, upon the mere footing of schoolboy acquaintanceship, to solicit his countenance and aid to the circulation of Bibles in Spain. Wherever, in fact, he saw a person possessed of the means and the wish to do good, he endeavoured, by his notes and letters, to direct them into proper channels of usefulness, and he had the satisfaction of seeing, in many cases, his hints and suggestions acted upon. The relief of some destitute widow or other distressed per- son, the education of poor children, the circulation of some good book, the establishment and support of some religious institution, the publication of some useful but forgotten tract or treatise, these, and such as these, were the subjects of a very large portion of his letters. But, whatever was the more immediate object of his letters, they were > 74 MEMOIR OF without exception, distinguished by an unequivo- cal fervent desire to promote at once the indivi- dual's interests, and the interests of religion. It was not without reason that one of his correspon- dents thus expresses himself : " In all of them," he says, " I perceive so much of Christian spirit, and such an uncommon concern for my interest, com- fort, and usefulness, as cannot fail to excite feel- ings of gratitude." He scarcely indeed ever wrote the shortest note upon the most ordinary business, without having in it some serious hint or advice. To this brief account of Mr Brown's correspon- dence, it may not be out of place to add the few following letters, written to different individuals, on occasions of domestic or personal trial. The first is addressed to a very intimate friend on the occasion of his meeting with severe pecuniary losses. " Whitburn, Jan. 20. 1817. " Very Dear and much Respected Friend, " It gives my wife and me much con- cern to hear of your present heavy affliction ; most tenderly we sympathize with you and Mrs S . We believe you have an interest in the kind effi- cacious sympathy of the High Priest of our pro- fession. This is a severe stroke on your outward substance. But, as Christians, your outward sub- stance is but your moveables. You still, we be- lieve, have a kingdom that cannot be moved, a portion not changeable, or liable to be taken from THE REV. JOHN BROWN 75 you by the sudden shocks of time. Cleave closer to Jesus, who is in himself, and fulness, unsearchable riches. Trade more with the heavenly country, and you will live and die boasting that you have become exceeding rich, and with riches which will not take wings and fly away. It is comfortable God enabled you and Mrs S to make a Chris- tian use of what you had, in much liberality to the interests of Christ and his poor ones, and, after all, you both will see that this is among the ' all things which will work for your eternal good.' In dis- tress, you know, there is no book like the book of God. < I had perished/ says the Psalmist, ' in my affliction, but thy word comforted me.' Boston's Crook in the Lot is a most useful book. In his last days, our friend Mr Gilfillan was reading it. Mr Ogle of your town sent me a small book, called ' Letters to Christians under affliction.' There is one, I think, particularly suitable, page 56. All grace and comfort be with you both. I am, most cordially and regardfully yours, " John Brown." The two following letters were written to a per- son who had laboured for some time under dis- tress of mind, but who began to obtain, in the faith of the gospel, the relief which he sought. « Whitburn, Jan. 21, 1821. u My Dear Sir and Kind Friend, " I received yours some weeks ago. It gives 76 MEMOIR OF me much pleasure that the Lord is directing you to solid comfort in himself. Oh ! what pleasure is there in that word, ' Delight thyself in the Lord, and he will give thee the desire of thy heart. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet unto my taste.' My good friend, remember always a Redeeming God is the orphan's stay, the Father of the fatherless, and that, as one whom his mother comforteth, so will God comfort his people. As a sinful creature, try to accept Christ, the gift of God in the promise. Likely I have commended them to you before, but Boston's Fourfold State, Boston on the Covenants, and R. Erskine's works, especially a compend of them in his own words, called the Beauties of R. Erskine, are most useful ; also Marshall on Sancti- fication. Mr W.'s ministry, I hope, will be useful to you. He is, I have always thought, a solid Christian, and a clear gospel preacher. I hear there is a congregation setting up in M . This will be convenient for you to attend, and, I hope, eminently useful for the communication of knowledge and grace all around. It is only by the true gospel of Christ men are saved and edi- fied. I hope the prayers and wrestlings of the serious persecuted people in the country around long ago, will come up before God, and be answer- ed in sending the gospel now, and making it suc- cessful. Among others, those of my namesake, John Brown of Priestfield, usually called the Chris- tian carrier, who was shot at the end of his own THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 77 house by Claverhouse. The present time seems peculiarly promising with respect to the spread of the gospel, and the coming of Christ's kingdom ; and I hope you, my dear friend, will embark in the cause, and do all you can in your station, with every relation you have. The cause of our Lord Jesus Christ among the Highlanders seems to do well. A great and general desire of the gospel is among them, and there is a great desire among God's ser- vants and people of all denominations, to send it to them. All grace and good things attend you. I wish to acknowledge to the Lord with thankful- ness, his kindness in making any hint of mine use- ful to you. — I am most affectionately yours, "John Brown." "Whitburn, Sept. 23, 1825. " My Dear Sir, " I am glad your mind is now composed, and in peace. The atonement of the Redeemer, made over to guilty creatures, and received by faith, is the great means of peace. ' Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on him, be- cause he trusted in him. We that believe do enter into rest.' Few things are so valuable as our souls dwelling at ease on good grounds, and hav- ing a regular flow of natural spirits. With respect to your views of the ministry, I fully believe it is your earnest desire to build the house of the Lord. Your resolution to seek counsel from the Lord himself is the best plan, and he will guide you to 78 MEMOIR OF what is best. What a precious promise is that, ' The Lord will guide you continually.' Oh ! let us say in every case, ' Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel while here, and afterwards receive me to glory.' You can also consult ministers and Christians as you have access. I lately got a se- vere hurt by a fall from my horse, and have been unable to go to the Synod or do my work as usual, but, in great mercy and wisdom, I was spared, and am better. I am much obliged to you for your opinion of me as your almoner. Should you think proper to send me any thing, I hope it will be laid out for the best purposes. I cordially wish you, your brother, and all relatives, all grace and good things. — I am, with much regard, yours, "John Brown." The following letter is addressed to a gentleman who had recently sustained the loss of a very pro- mising son. " Whitburn, Jan. 6. 1831. " Respected Sir, " It gives my family and me much concern to hear of your son's death at Edinburgh. A young man taken away when just entering into the world, with fair prospects, must, to parental tenderness, be a sore affliction ; we sympathize with you, but the sympathy of our Redeemer is infinitely more valuable and tender, and to him we would recom- mend Mrs B. and yourself. ' Cast thy burden up- THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 79 on the Lord, and he will sustain you,' is the call from the throne. Oh ! what pleasure lies in being resigned to the will of our redeeming God. The Lord gave you this pleasant and amiable enjoy- ment, and the Lord takes him away, and blessed be the name of the Lord. Dr Erskine, late of Edinburgh, has a small book, wherein he has se- veral letters relative to the death of sons and daughters, very useful and pleasing. — I am yours respectfully, "John Brown." But, extensive as the circle of Mr Brown's cor- respondence was, the sphere of his active public labours in behalf of religion was not less so. Where- ever a field of usefulness presented itself, whether at home or abroad, he immediately thither directed his attention, and endeavoured to do something in the cultivation of it, labouring himself, and stirring up others to labour. When the Missionary spirit burst forth at the close of the last century, by the institution of the London Missionary Society, he was one of the honoured band who, in this country, first responded to the appeal that was made to them from the south, by uniting in prayer for the propagation of the gospel, and contributing his money and services, as a subscriber and director, for that purpose. In concert with the late Rev. Mr Duncanson of Airdrie, and some others of his brethren, a public Missionary Prayer Meeting was early instituted, embracing the ministers of the neighbourhood, and which circulated periodically 80 MEMOIR OF through the different congregations. He was also a constant and active friend of, and contributor to, the Bible Society, the Scottish Missionary Society, and various other Religious and Benevolent Insti- tutions. He likewise took a very warm interest in the operations of the London Tract Society, with the committee of which he kept up a constant cor- respondence towards the end of his life. The sphere, however, which occupied his prin- cipal attention and most active efforts, his earliest and his latest labours, was the Highlands. In the education and evangelization of the inhabitants of that neglected portion of our own country, he took a most lively-interest. He was truly what he calls himself, " The ardent friend of his Celtic country- men." He was almost incessantly thinking of them, writing about them, labouring for them. Thus, speaking upon this subject, he says very beautifully, " The Grampian Mountains are daily in my view, and the situation of the hardy and interesting race which dwell beyond them, is sel- dom for a day absent from my mind. Within that stony inclosure, I often say to myself, reside thousands who never read a page of the book of life, who are perishing for lack of knowledge ; and who, if something is not done for their instruction, must live and die as ignorant as the inhabitants of Japan or China. They are not only my fellow- men, but my countrymen, to whose unexampled courage Britain has been so often indebted in the day of danger, and by whose hands have been won THE REV. JOHN BROWN". 81 seme of the greenest laurels which compose her wreath of victory. We have not done, we cannot do too much, for the heathen abroad ; but, oh, have we not done too little for the heathen at home !" His first efforts in this field seem to have been directed to the diffusion of evangelical knowledge, in those parts of the Highlands where the English language is spoken. Among his papers, I find the draft of an overture of the date of 1798, which he, in concert with several others of his brethren, pre- sented to the Associate Synod, in reference to a plan of Itineracies for the more destitute parts of the country. The plan proposed was to some ex- tent acted upon. Occasional deputations were ap- pointed by the Synod to itinerate, and fulfilled their missions. He himself was appointed twice, and itinerated in the Eastern Highlands, first with his brother the Rev. Ebenezer Brown, Inverkeith- ing, and the second time with the Rev. Mr King, Montrose. The result of his visits was the con- viction, that something decisive and permanent ought to be done, to supply those parts of the country with a pure dispensation of the Gospel. A printed circular was accordingly issued in 1801, signed by him and his brother, addressed to the pious and charitable, proposing the organization of a constant systematic itineracy, as more efficient than mere occasional missions, and soliciting as- sistance for that purpose. The proposal, though a highly rational one, does not seem to have met with sufficient encouragement, for it was never F 82 MEMOIR OF carried into effect. He ceased not, however, to take an interest in, and to encourage, missionary operations in these destitute districts, upon what- ever scale conducted. So impressed was he with the necessity of active exertion, and the use- fulness even of the most private efforts, that he says, in the account of his Tour to the Highlands of Perthshire in 1818: " Were I in the vigour of youth, I would count it a duty and a pleasure to pay my good friends the Highlanders a visit for a month every year, and preach among these Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ." The Gaelic population of the Highlands engaged subsequently his special notice, and, during the whole future course of his life, he laboured most incessantly and assiduously for their benefit. In all the varied exertions that have been made of ate years in their behalf, he took a most active part ; in some instances originating them, and al- ways countenancing and promoting them. As one of his correspondents expresses it, " he was among the first that took the field, and he continued the unwearied champion of the good cause." His own plain statement of the interest he took in the evan- gelization of the Highlands, as given in his " Brief Account of a Tour in the Highlands," is as follows: " You are sufficiently aware," he says, writing to a friend to whom the account is addressed, " that, for a long course of years, the religious and moral state of our Highland countrymen has been with me a subject of deep and painful interest. Living THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 83 as I do in the vicinity of the principal road by which the live stock produced in the north of Scot- land is conveyed to the English markets, I had many opportunities of conversing with the High- landers employed in driving the cattle; and, from my peculiar habits, my inquiries were chiefly di- rected to the discovery of the degree in which they possessed the means of religious improvement. The melancholy result of this kind of investiga- tion, was a persuasion that ignorance and immo- rality were prevalent in a very great degree in many of the Highland districts, and an anxiety to ascertain, if possible, more exactly the dimensions of an evil, obviously great, and to inquire into the most probable means of removing it. The more I inquired, the more strongly was I impressed with the powerful claims our countrymen in the High- lands and Islands had on the Christian sympathy and assistance of their more highly favoured neigh- bours, though I could do little more than < sigh in se- cret' over their privations and miseries, and to com- mit their cause to Him who is the confidence of the ends of the earth. I read with much pleasure the account of the revival of religion in part of the Highlands by Mr Stewart, then minister of Moulin. I surveyed with pleasure the labours of the pious missionaries and catechists of the Society in Scot- land for propagating Christian Knowledge, as well as those of the zealous and conscientious clergy ; but I could not help saying, The harvest is great, but the labourers are few ; and I prayed the Lord 84 MEMOIR OF of the harvest to thrust out labourers into his har- vest. It was, therefore, with no ordinary feelings of delight, that I witnessed the formation and triumphant progress of the Society for the Support of Gaelic Schools, and the wide and liberal dis- persion of the Word of God by means of the Scot- tish Bible Society, and the Auxiliaries of that truly august institution the British and Foreign Bible Society. The establishment of a society in Paisley for the support of Gaelic Missions, was to me a new source of most pleasant feeling ; and I rejoiced that God was allowing me to see so much of that good in reference to the Highlanders, which, how- ever eagerly I had desired, I had scarcely dared to hope for." In this plain account which Mr Brown gives of the deep interest he felt in the religious state of the Highlanders, he very modestly omits all men- tion of the active part which he himself took in the benevolent exertions to which he refers ; and yet this was very considerable and important. As his friend and correspondent, the late W. M' Gavin, Esq., in the postscript to his Introductory Essay to the Memorials of the Nonconformist Ministers, truly says, " He was ever devising plans for get- ting the Gospel sent to the Highlands ; he was constantly stirring up evangelical ministers, in dif- ferent parts of the north and west, to increased ac- tivity in preaching the Gospel, and instructing the people." In short, as Mr M'Gavin expresses his belief, there is perhaps no one individual to whom THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 85 our Highland population are so much indebted for the means of grace they are now favoured with as to Mr Brown. " It gives me pleasure," says another of his correspondents, who had access to know the facts of the case, in a letter to him, " that you are still vigorous, and as zealous as ever in the im- portant concern of evangelizing the Highlands. You must receive high delight from the interest which it has now excited among all classes of Christians, from the recollection that you were the instrument mainly of exciting it." As early as the year 1799, he engaged single handed almost in the work of getting translated, and printed in Gaelic, his father's excellent and well known Catechisms. The expense attending this important undertaking, he was enabled to de- fray by some collections which he made, and the liberality of a number of religious and benevolent friends, who either gave donations for that purpose, or made considerable purchases of the Catechisms. He was directly and responsibly engaged in the publication of at least two editions of 3000 each. The importance of such a work cannot be estimated at a low rate, especially when it is considered, that, at the period when the publication took place, there were exceedingly few religious books, elementary, or of any kind, in the Gaelic language. It was the turning of a stream, small indeed, but rich and refreshing, which had flowed with the most bene- ficial effects through the whole of the lowland country, and " sending it into the valleys, and 86 MEMOIR OF making it run among the hills," of the dry and parched Highlands. He had a very active hand also, though not alone, in promoting the transla- tion and publication of Boston's Fourfold State in Gaelic, which was printed in 1811. In concert with some ministers of the Established Church and among the Dissenters, anxiously concerned, as he himself expresses it, for the everlasting welfare of the inhabitants of the North and West High- lands, he exerted himself in raising the requisite funds for translating, and carrying the work through the press. He collected, it appears, for this pur- pose, among his friends and acquaintances, £50. The copy presented by the translator to Mr Brown bears, that he gave much countenance and support to the translating of the work. This work has now- passed through some editions, and bids fair, as ap- pears from Mr Brown's correspondence with per- sons in the Highlands, to be as useful in its Gaelic as in its English form. About the year 1807 or 1808, his attention was directed to the state of those Highlanders who passed by his house to the south, either to harvest or with cattle. He purchased tracts, and procured from the agents of the British and Foreign Bible Society donations of Scriptures, which, along with the Catechisms he had printed, he distributed among them, and he had the satisfaction of seeing them well received. " From experience I can say," he says, in his " Means of Doing Good," " such presents are generally received with a gra- THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 87 titude which shews that they are highly valued and intimates that they will be carefully improved." After it became known among those Highland drovers and shearers who passed along that road, that he had Catechisms and Tracts in their own language to dispose of, they came, especially on their return homewards, in crowds sometimes to receive them. It was an interesting spectacle, I have often heard the members of his family say, to see the kitchen crowded with earnest applicants from a far country for the bread of life, and he af- fectionately distributing it among them. It was at an early period of this benevolent intercourse with the Highlanders, that he made that discovery of the gross ignorance of our Highland population to which he refers in a preceding extract, a con- siderable portion of them being unable to read. In reviewing the dispensations of Providence, one has often occasion to admire the wonderful connections and dependencies which subsist among events, to observe how, from a very minute occur- rence, leading on to, and connecting itself with, others which might seem at first sight remote, very important results sometimes arise. This was re- markably the case in the present instance. These private, and comparatively obscure, efforts on the part of Mr Brown, to supply the means of religious instruction to his Highland countrymen, tended not indirectly, in union with some other kindred efforts, to awaken that deep interest in the state of the Highlands which subsequently became so ge- 08 MEMOIR OF neral, and led to the establishment of the Gaelic School Society, and other similar institutions. I observe, in looking over a correspondence carried on between Mr Brown's brother, the Rev. Ebenezer Brown, Inverkeithing, and the Rev. Mr Charles of Bala, that the first germ of the idea of teaching the Highlanders to read the Scriptures in their own language, was in a letter from Mr Charles, dated August 26. 1809? in answer to a joint letter from the two brothers, proffering their father's Cate- chism for his use, and communicating information respecting the state of the Highlands, and their efforts in behalf of them. The idea, when sug- gested by Mr Charles, from his own successful ex- perience in Wales, was not allowed to sleep. Mr Ebenezer Brown carried on an extensive corres- pondence upon the subject with the late Rev. Dr M'Intosh of Tain, and with other friends of the Highlands. His brother, whose impressions of the necessitous state of the Highland population appear to have been at this time deepened, by a publication of Mr M'Gavin of Glasgow, warmly aided the hallowed design by notices in the Ma- gazines, and other means. Mr Charles also pressed the subject upon the attention of Mr Robert Steven of London. For a while, however, it seemed as if the good design would never be realized. But Mr Brown was not of a temper of mind to be easily disheartened by the want of immediate success. He would often cheer on his brother to persever- ing exertion, notwithstanding the discouragements THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 89 which obstructed their progress, by reminding him of a remark of Mr Charles's, that when they had made sure of the goodness of the end, they ought never to desist from using the means. He always felt persuaded that, in due time, they would reap if they fainted not. At length, accordingly, the little leaven which had been hid in the meal began to produce its natural effects. A fermentation be- came visible. The friends of religion and of the Highlands, under the influence of the impulse which had been given, began to move, and at first independently of each other, in their behalf. Ul- timately a meeting was held in Edinburgh, through means of the late Dr Charles Stuart, Dr Peddie, the late Dr Hall, Mr Christopher Anderson, which also Mr Brown attended, when the foundation of the Gaelic Society was laid. The Society was formal- ly instituted in the beginning of the year 1811, the declared object of it being " to teach the inha- bitants of the Highlands and Islands to read the Scriptures in their native language." Such was the important issue of those small beginnings to which reference has been made. Mr Charles him- self, though he had seen so much under his own eye in Wales, was pleasingly surprised at the suc- cessful turn which things had taken with respect to the Highlands. Writing to his correspondent Mr Brown of Inverkeithing, immediately after the for- mation of the Gaelic Society, he says : " Little did I conceive, when I wrote to you respecting the state of the Highlanders, what the issue of our cor- 90 MEMOIR OF respondence would be. I am extremely happy that the work is begun, not doubting but, by the blessing of the Lord on the day of small things, we may confidently expect great things in the Lord's good time." In the operations of the new Society, the subject of this Memoir, as might be expected, from the part he had taken in bringing the subject of Gaelic education before the public, felt and shewed at all times a deep interest, and enjoyed the Satisfaction of seeing them crowned with sensible success. In a letter to his friend the Rev. Donald Fraser, dated in October 1821, he thus writes : " The Gaelic Committee met on Monday evening after the Synod. I hope we will interest as many prayers as possible among our congregations and friends in favour of the poor Highlanders. I have occasion to see many of them at this time of the year coming home from England, where they had driven their cattle. We observe a great difference to the better since the Gaelic schools and missions took place." After seeing the Gaelic Society instituted, and in successful operation, and thus one of the objects which lay near his heart in behalf of his Highland countrymen accomplished, he immediately turned his attention to another, hardly less important, and intimately connected with that one, namely, the supplying the reading population of the Highlands with more extensive means of reading than they enjoyed. It occurred to him that the establish- ment of English and Gaelic village or district li- THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 91 braries would be most important auxiliaries to the schools and missions in operation. With this new object in view, he plyed with equal assiduity the same means which he, in concert with his fellow- labourers in the work, had so successfully employ- ed in reference to the subject of Gaelic education. It occupies a prominent place in his correspond- ence, especially from the year 1813, and was brought into public view by him in various forms, in the different religious periodicals of the day* Where he had the slightest prospect of succeed- ing, either with individuals or societies, he made direct application for pecuniary assistance, and, where nothing else could be asked or expected, he made application for prayer. Thus, writing ^to a minister respecting the Highlanders, he says;. — " Please scatter the inclosed papers among some praying people of your congregation, that they may lift up their voice to the throne of heavenly grace for our long neglected countrymen." It has been already mentioned, that he brought the sub- ject, to a limited extent, before the religious pub- lic in London, by means of a printed circular, in the year 1813. In that paper he states, that the object of the application was to " enable the com- mittee in Edinburgh, consisting of the Reverend Dr Johnstone, Dr Colquhoun, James Peddie, and Thomas Aitchison, to circulate the religious works that had been translated into Gaelic, at reduced prices, or gratuitously," as the necessity of the case might require. He obtained eventually from this 92 MEMOIR OF quarter, for this favourite object, about L. 80. From many of the religious friends to whom he applied, for the more general purpose of providing English as well as Gaelic reading, he received li- beral donations of money and books, with cheering expressions of their hearty good-will to the cause. A religious London bookseller (Mr Nisbet), on transmitting to him ten guineas worth of books for this purpose, says : " It was in my heart to do something in the way you mention when I received your application, and have therefore much pleasure in sending as per annexed list, and trust the Lord will bless the reading of these books, to the edifi- cation of many, and the awakening of some of our poor countrymen in the Highlands. I rejoice in what you and others are doing for them." But he was not satisfied with private individual applica- tions. He twice appealed to the religious public from the press in behalf of the destitute Highland- ers ; first by his " Account of a Tour to the High- lands of Perthshire in 1818," and afterwards by his " Loud Cry from the Highlands," a tract which shews, as Mr M' Gavin expresses it, " how much his heart was occupied in devising means for the evangelizing of his countrymen." By these means, along with the efforts of other pious and benevo- lent individuals embarked in the same cause, the public attention was so drawn to the important subject, that a considerable number of books, and some sums of money, were sent in from different quarters to Edinburgh, where the committee met, THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 93 on the 28th December 1819? and set up five libra- ries for the Highlands of Perthshire. Mr Brown was, however, indebted principally for the ability to carry his benevolent design into effect, to the munificence of that liberal minded and highly gift- ed individual James Douglas, Esq. of Cavers, who put into his hands L. 70, to be applied by him to this purpose in the manner he should see best. By means of these various aids, he was enabled to found a very considerable number of parish and district libraries, which have been, there is reason to think, the source of much good already, and may prove in the time to come centres from which the light of Divine truth shall emanate to the sur- rounding parts of that dark region of our country. By the letters received, these assortments of reli- gious books were received with great gratitude, ac- knowledged, in some instances, as " seasonable and invaluable gifts to the poor people," and blessings heaped upon the heads of the liberal donor, and the worthy distributor, while earnest applications were made for additional ones. Along with these, Mr Brown exerted himself to procure supplies of Gaelic Bibles and Testaments, and sent also dona- tions of Catechisms. While engaged in providing books for the High- lands, his attention was not unnaturally attracted to the wants of the Orkney Islands. Having learned, in the course of the year 1828, from one of the preachers belonging to the United Associate Synod, who had been appointed there, the desti- 94 MEMOIR OF tute state of several of the Islands in regard to re- ligious reading, he took an immediate opportunity, as his manner was. of writing a letter to a religious person there, of whom he had received a favour- able report, and accompanied his letter with a number of books for circulation, suggesting, at the same time, the propriety of making the religious wants of Orkney known through means of the re- ligious magazines. His correspondent, after ac- knowledging his receipt of the letter and the books, adds : " I am at a loss how I shall express my gratitude for such a great favour and attention. We are at a great loss, in many places in Orkney, for religious books, but particularly in the district of country in which I live." Afterwards, and only a short time before his death, he procured, by means of some religious friends in Glasgow, a li- brary for the Island of Westray, which was placed under the care of the Reverend George Reid, a faithful and zealous minister on the island. But extensive as the Highlands and his own country were, as a field of labour, his attention and Christian activity were not confined to these. Having a large portion of that Christian chari- ty " which glows with social tenderness and feels for all mankind," he availed himself of every opening for doing good, wherever it might be, which presented itself. He manifested an active interest in the spread of religion in England. The activity of Dr Stewart of Liverpool, and the North of England Association, in the erec- THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 95 tion of stations and congregations in the desti- tute parts of the country, gave him great pleasure, which he expressed in his accustomed style, by writing to Dr Stewart, and sending two parcels of books to aid in the formation of missionary libra- ries at the preaching stations. Dr Stewart thus acknowledges the receipt of these : " I duly receiv- ed," he says (October 15. 1830), " your two let- ters, and two parcels of books, and have complied with your request regarding the distribution of the latter. I have felt highly honoured and encourag- ed by your condescending and encouraging com- munication^ and feel deeply convinced of the vast importance of your recommendation. Nothing appears to me so promising, in the present state of this kingdom, as itinerating libraries of the kind you mention, visiting from house to house, prayer meetings for mutual intercourse, lending useful tracts, and replacing them by others at regular periods, connected with the preaching of the gos- pel." In the same spirit, and upon the same principle, he extended his benevolent attentions to Nova Scotia. Through a friend and correspondent there, the late Reverend Hugh Graham, he sent repeatedly donations of books and catechisms to the settlers. In the letters of that truly excellent christian and minister to Mr Brown, now lying be- fore the writer of these pages, there are frequent and very grateful references to various donations of this kind which had been received from him. 96 MEMOIR OF In one of these, Mr Graham says : " My people, as well as myself, are under great obligations to you and other friends for the bountiful supply." His manner, when he could not meet the applica- tions that were made to him from his own re- sources, was to recommend them to the attention of some of his benevolent Christian friends. Thus, in reference to some hints that Mr Graham had thrown out respecting their want of catechisms and a printing press, he says, in a letter to one of his friends : " I got a letter from Nova Scotia for ca- techisms and a printing press. Providence has brought to my hand a large parcel of catechisms, and a Mrs Weir in this neighbourhood, a good lady, speaks of buying a printing press." The lady carried her benevolent intention and his sug- gestion into effect ; and thus, through her means, Mr Brown was enabled to confer a most important benefit upon that colony. Mr Graham, in his let- ter of acknowledgment, calls it " an invaluable do- nation." In the same way, when the Reverend Mr Bell, now of Perth, Upper Canada, embarked for America, Mr Brown procured, and sent along with him, a supply of tracts and catechisms, He had it not in his power to do magnificent acts of charity, but he did what he could. The following extract from a letter he addressed to the Reverend Cesar Malan, when he was in this country, but which never reached him, will shew how much he was ever upon the alert to do good, lying in wait, as it were, for opportunities of use- THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 97 fulness, and improving them, when they were pre- sented, with the utmost alacrity and vigour : " A proposal was sent me from Mr William Brown, bookseller, Aberdeen, who had been on the Con- tinent, and conversed with some religious people in Geneva, that you should translate Boston's Four- fold State into French. This I encouraged, and also others in Edinburgh. I should much wish this good design set about soon. No book known among us is more fit to instruct in the principles of religion, and be a means of bringing men to a Saviour. I have often thought the printing, in modern French, some sermons or addresses of Calvin, Beza, and other famous men in Geneva, might have a good effect to bring back the people to the scriptural faith of their fathers, and comfort and direct those who know the truth. ^1 saw late- ly some sermons of Francis Turretine, in French, preached in Geneva. Were these, in single ser- mons, or parts of them, published in small books and tracts, under the blessing of God, they might be the power of God unto the salvation of many. Also, were the confessions and catechisms of Ge- neva spread, they might have the same good influ- ence. T believe your Redeemer will be your friend, and I hope you will meet with many kind friends in Edinburgh." In his " Means of Doing Good," Mr Brown re- commends christians and ministers to direct their attention to particular classes of their fellow crea- tures, such as sailors and soldiers. His own situa- G 98 MEMOIR OF tion, in an inland part of the country, did not bring him into immediate contact with either of these classes. In the course, however, of his oc- casional visits to Leith, for the purpose of sea- bathing, his attention was drawn to the destitute state of the former of these interesting classes, and, with him, to have his attention drawn to a scene of exertion, and to labour in it, was almost the same thing. The association that was formed among the ministers in his neighbourhood for prayer, about the year 1795, and of which he was not one of the least active members, published, among other tracts which they issued, " An Ad- dress to Sailors." Whether he had any hand in the formation of the Leith Seaman's Friend So- ciety, the writer does not know ; but, when form- ed, he took a deep and peculiar interest in its wel- fare, and gave to it all the countenance and support in his power. He was hardly ever in Edinburgh or Leith without preaching to the sailors, and ap- pears even to have made journeys on purpose for this end. He thus writes to a friend in Leith : " In a letter to Messrs H. and A., I hinted that I was much concerned for the Seaman's Friend So- ciety, and though I have plenty of work here, week-day and Sabbath-day, yet, if it was thought needful, I would not grudge to give a Sabbath to it." His labours among the sailors were very ac- ceptable, and there is reason to believe also suc- cessful. The writer has heard of a sermon of his, upon the text " Ye are a peculiar people," accom^ THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 99 modated to the circumstances of the sailors, which produced a very deep impression. He spoke of them as a people inhabiting peculiar houses, having peculiar manners, speaking a peculiar language ; from which he took occasion to express his fears that the peculiarity of their language and manners was not always a good peculiarity, but often the contrary. To these instances of Mr Brown's active en- deavours to promote the diffusion of religion in the world at large, there ought to be added the equally active, and at least not less disinterested, efforts which he made to promote it in his own immediate neighbourhood. There is perhaps no- thing which a minister feels more than what goes to the diminution of his congregation. Many who would not hesitate to make sacrifices of time, and labour, and money, to promote the cause of the gospel, will shrink back when the sacrifice re- quired is a part of their congregation. Mr Brown, however, though he felt as much as any minister could in reference to the flourishing circumstances of his people, was above this unworthy feeling. Wherever the preaching of the gospel seemed ne- cessary, there he was active in using means to procure it, and this without any regard to the man- ner in which it was to affect himself. Besides ac- tively aiding in the formation of two congregations within the bounds of his own, and which of course detached a considerable number of hearers and members from his ministry, he himself, with the 100 MEMOIR OF sanction of his presbytery, erected a preaching station in another corner of it, which he watched over with a fatherly care, procuring supply, and even pecuniary assistance for it. In forming an estimate of Mr Brown's public la- bours in the cause of religion, the lowest place is not to be assigned to the numerous and varied ef- forts which he made to diffuse correct and evan- gelical views of christian truth. He was one who laid great stress upon the soundness of a man's faith. Clear and accurate views of the doctrines of the gospel, he justly reckoned the only solid foundation on which the superstructure of a christian charac- ter, and a christian life, could be built. It was his opinion, too, that the writings of the modern di- vines were not in general the best fitted to impart such views. While he was by no means insensible to their superiority, in point of taste and logical ar- rangement, over the productions of the Old School of Divinity, he thought, and he had too good rea- son for thinking, that they were in many instances dry and superficial. Under these impressions, it became one of the grand favourite objects of his life and ministry, to bring into notice, and propa- gate, the religious views of the Nonconformists of England, and " the Marrow" divines of Scotland, as being, in his judgment, those of the New Tes- tament. He enthusiastically admired them him- self, and he spared no pains, neglected no means, to communicate the same enthusiastic admiration of them to others. On all occasions, in the course THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 101 of his private intercourse, as well as in his public ministration, he took every proper opportunity of recommending the writings of these distinguished men. To ministers, to private Christians, to con- gregational and other libraries, he suggested such books of this description as seemed suitable to them. He also inserted commendatory notices to the same effect in the different religious magazines. And this not once or occasionally but often. It is, indeed, almost amusing to observe the ingenuity and the perseverance with which he pressed this subject into notice, and in what varied forms. I believe there is hardly a religious publication of any kind in the country in which notices of this kind, from him, may not be found. Sometimes he inserts a recommendation of his own, sometimes an extracted recommendation from some author of name. At one time, he pursues his end by giving biographical sketches of these eminent ministers and writers ; at another, by inserting descriptive lists of their principal works. Nothing seemed to give him higher pleasure than to talk about these worthy men and hear them praised, and scarcely any thing occasioned him more uneasiness or pain than to witness any thing like obloquy cast upon their characters or writings. The writer remembers, in particular, how exceedingly hurt and grieved he was at the reflections which were cast upon "the Marrow of Modern Divinity" in the debates in the General Assembly on Mr Campbell's case, and especially at the sanction that was given by that Court to the Act 102 MEMOIR OF of 1720, condemning the doctrines of the Marrow, by making it the ground of their condemnation, of what was called the How Heresy. — " You will have read," he says, in a letter to a neighbour mi- nister, " the history of the condemnation of what is called the Row Heresy, by the General Assem- bly. I by no means adopt any part of it, but won- der at the haste the Assembly was in, — their mis- understanding the assurance of faith, and denying assurance to be in the nature of faith, — and their connecting that part of the heresy with the Mar- roic, which they represent as an Antinomian piece. I have no fear but the Redeemer will take care of his truth, and make it shine full bright, yet the present assertions will have effect on some." In his latter years especially he exerted himself to a great extent to procure the republication of those precious treasures of practical divinity, which lay concealed in the scarce or inaccessible volumes of the Puritan and Nonconformist writers. This was an object upon which his heart was very much set. He always thought that these old writers only needed to be known in order to have the truly ster- ling qualities of their works appreciated. While he well knew that their style and manner were such as a squeamish refinement of literary taste would revolt at, it was his opinion, that the rich vein of evangelical doctrine which runs through them, the pointed, beautiful, and striking thoughts which sparkle in almost every page, and the highly prac- tical character which distinguish the whole, would, THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 103 in the estimation of Christians in general, be held amply to redeem whatever otherwise might be felt defective or amiss. And having once formed his opinion, and taken up his ground, he did not allow himself to be driven from his point by discourage- ments. " I have in my recollection," says one who was on the most intimate terms of friendship with him, " at this moment, certain instances in which his attempts to bring forward the Old Nonconfor- mist and Puritan writers were treated with a cold- ness and neglect which would have dispirited less ardent and less persevering minds, but did not (though they vexed and disappointed him) suggest the most distant idea of slackening or abandoning his exertions." He brought the subject repeatedly before the view of the public, especially directed the attention of religious booksellers to the subject, and if, at any time, he heard of a publisher enga- ged in the work, he would immediately write an encouraging letter to him, and even take several copies at the risk, or even certainty, of losing by them. And there is little doubt, that, by these per- severing, and I may almost say pertinacious, efforts, he has contributed not a little to bring into notice the names and writings of these, in many cases, almost forgotten worthies. He enjoyed the satisfaction of seeing the great object of his desires gradually ad- vancing towards its accomplishment. He would often remark, with visible animation and a kind of triumph, that there was now a resurrection of the witnesses. At the time of his death he was enga- 104 MEMOIR OF ged in preparing for the press some of the most striking and characteristic extracts from their writ- ings, under the title of " Memorials of the Non- conformists," which has been since published, with a prefatory essay by his friend the author of " the Protestant," who soon after followed him into the eternal world. To the same great object of diffusing what he reck- oned correct views of gospel truth he dedicated the labours of his pen. Every one of his publications is made the vehicle, more or less directly, of convey- ing to the world his own peculiar views of evangeli- cal doctrine. He wrote and published not for gain, nor to gratify the ruling appetite of the day. The publication of Nonconformist and Marrow Divini- ty was not the way to do either. He had simply in view to spread more extensively those truths which he found to be the life of his own soul, and which he dispensed every Sabbath with like effect to his people. His publications were of two classes. The first consisted of those in which he acted mere- ly as an Editor ; the second, of those of which the Authorship belonged to him. As an editor, he published, in three volumes, The Evangelical Preacher, an excellent selection of doctrinal and practical discourses, from the works of eminent evangelical divines of the last century. He, along with some others, actively superintend- ed the publication of five volumes of original ser. mons from Boston's manuscripts. He edited also two volumes of Religious Letters, one of them ad- THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 105 dressed to the young, besides several other minor pieces. In addition to what he did in this way himself, he was most assiduous in exciting and en- couraging the publication of similar, or original, works of a like description by others ; and when published, of recommending and aiding their sale. He was always forward to communicate whatever information he possessed which could be useful in such cases, and, where he approved of the work, to lend his name and influence to promote its cir- culation. Those who laboured in the same field, and were engaged in the same work with himself, — of bringing into public notice the writings, and the memories, of those men whom he most vene- rated,^-!^ regarded not as rivals but as co-adju- tors, and felt himself honoured in receiving from them, and giving to them the right hand of fellow- ship. In their labours and works he felt an inte- rest hardly less deep, and took a hand in promo- ting them hardly less active, than if they had been his own. " I have read over," he says, in a letter to the author of the Life of Ebenezer Erskine on its publication, "Ebenezer Erskine's Life with great pleasure, and with pain that I am so far behind. He had been a most eminent christian, as well as divine. O that Seceder ministers, and others, may follow in his footsteps. I fear / longed too much to see it, but have not been disappointed. I hope Mr MoncreifFs descendants will give an account of him, and of his son. They were excellent men," 106 MEMOIR OF But if he served the cause of evangelical truth as an editor, he served it still more as an author. He made no pretensions, indeed, to the name of an original writer. He assumed no higher title to himself than that of a compiler ; but if the value of writings is to be judged of by their usefulness, his Compilations, as he always modestly called his writings, will rank higher than many which are characterised by a greater shew of originality. He had the satisfaction of knowing that his publica- tions not only sold, although he derived little or no pecuniary advantage from them, but that they had proved in many cases decidedly useful. His first and most successful work was his Memoirs of Hervey. It was first published in the year 1 806. He had contracted an early liking to this distinguished minister and writer from read- ing his Theron and Aspasio. The decidedly evan- gelical cast of the sentiments, which exactly ac- corded with Mr Brown's own, and not the mere beauty of the style, although to this he was by no means insensible, rendered Hervey one of his fa- vourite Authors. The plan upon which he con- structed the Memoir was, to make Mr Hervey as much as possible speak for himself, by selecting, as he expresses it in the preface, " the most inter- esting and characteristic passages from his letters, and arranging them under proper heads, and thus presenting, in one view, a picture of the life and character of this excellent divine and eminent christian, undesignedly drawn by himself." The THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 107 numerous letters, either published or accessible, which Mr Hervey had written, illustrative of his christian views and experience, and the occasional personal references of the same description in his works, which seems first to have suggested the idea of the work, furnished him with ample mate- rials for carrying the design into effect. With what success he executed his design may be infer- red from the favourable reception the work has met with from the christian public. It had, pre- viously to Mr Brown's death, passed through three editions, and been, besides, published, in an abridg- ed form, by the Tract Society of London, in their Biographical Series, — a measure of success which he devoutly ascribed to God, and valued chiefly as subserving the cause of truth and piety. " I am much indebted," he says, in a letter, " to Di- vine favour, for making any attempt at public ser- vice acceptable. Another edition of Hervey's Memoir is desired. O that it may be useful to spread gospel doctrine in its power." The work unquestionably contains, as the reviewer in the Evangelical Magazine expresses it, " a rich collec- tion of evangelical truth, enhanced by a great va- riety of interesting incident and anecdote." Mr Brown enjoyed the satisfaction of knowing that this Memoir had been extensively useful. About a twelvemonth only before his death, he learned, from the individual himself, of its having been blessed for the conversion of an officer in India, a piece of intelligence which, as may be readily sup- posed, refreshed his heart and revived his spirits. 108 MEMOIR OF The second work which Mr Brown published was, " Gospel Truth Stated and Illustrated." The first edition of this was published in 1817. Mr Brown's object in this publication was threefold : to give a historical account of what is commonly denominated the Marrow Controversy ; biographi- cal sketches of the Twelve Brethren who embarked in defence of the doctrines of the Marrow ; and a statement and illustration of the doctrines which formed the subject of the controversy, and for which these brethren contended, in the words of the Marrow men themselves. The controversy, it is well known, originated in the republication in Scot- land of " The Marrow of Modern Divinity," and its condemnation, in 1720, by the General Assem- bly of the Church of Scotland. The doctrines of The Marrow, and which were impugned by the Assembly's act of condemnation, involved points of such vital importance as the following : — That all who hear the Gospel are warranted to believe it, — that appropriation is included in the nature of saving faith, — that holiness, while necessary, is in no sense the price or meritorious condition of sal- vation, — that acceptable obedience to the divine law originates in love, — that believers are not un- der the law as a covenant of works, in respect ei- ther of its promise, precept, or penalty, — and that the law, as a covenant of works, is quite distinct from the law as a rule of life. In Mr Brown's ap- prehension, the cause of The Marrow was the cause of Gospel truth, and the Marrow doctrine, as one THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 100 of his friends truly expresses, was the wafm and living solace of his heart. With such views and impressions, therefore, upon the subject, he was naturally desirous of preserving the memory of those who had distinguished themselves in the cause, and especially of exhibiting and preserving the truths for which they had so honourably and successfully contended. And this he has been en- abled to do in his u Gospel Truth/' He has there brought together and presented, in an orderly and luminous point of view, every thing of essential importance to the understanding of the subject. Indeed, the work forms a very complete system of Gospel doctrine, upon the principles of The Mar- row, and the Marrow men. Mr Brown had the satisfaction, not only of receiving valuable testi- monies to the importance and excellence of his publication, but of knowing that in some instances it had been the means of leading individuals whose views were erroneous or confused, into a more cor- rect mode of thinking upon the great subject of the Gospel. A second edition of this work having been published the year before died, he thus writes respecting it to his friend, the Reverend Donald Frazer : " I hope," he says, " you will help me in praying that the new edition of Gospel Truth may not only be acceptable, but remarkably useful to many. I think now is the time to spread true gospel doctrine. I think the coincidence of Mr Ebenezer's life being published along with Gospel Truth, wherein that great and good man appears 110 MEMOIR OF so prominently as a peculiar providence, for I wished it done some years ago." The next work which deserves particular men- tion, was his " Means of Doing Good," which was published in 1820. The subject of this publica- tion was one which was as much in unison with his feelings and habits, as that of the two others was with his theological views. Indeed, the book is very much a transcript and picture of his own be- nevolently active life. The directions which he gives to others are, for the most part, the results of his own experience. He recommends what he had himself exemplified. The design and nature of the work he thus himself describes. " It has often," he says, " been a subject of regret with the author that, in a world where there is so much good to be done, and, comparatively speaking, so little inclination to do it, the disposition to do good, which does exist among all the saints, should be turned but to little account, from ignorance or mistake respecting the best methods of displaying it. In the following letters he has collected toge- ther such information as, in the course of his read- ing, appeared to him fitted for the direction and encouragement of christians in the great work of doing good, adding such hints as his own expe- rience and observation suggested, and adapting all to the peculiar characters of that interesting period in which Providence has ordered our lot. By the plan and design of the publication, all claims to originality are superseded. Usefulness THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 1 1 1 is the sole object in view, and if this is in any de- gree gained, the author will consider the hours de- voted to this compilation as well employed, and the labour bestowed on it as abundantly reward- ed/' These are the only works of Mr Brown of which it seems necessary to give a particular account. An accurate list of all his publications, in the order in which they appeared, will be found at the end of this Memoir. GENERAL CHARACTER AND HABITS. When we see a piece of mechanism, the powers and working of which are in any way remarkable, we naturally feel desirous to examine the internal structure, and observe how the effect has been pro- duced. The same feeling exists, and operates in reference to persons of more than ordinary attain- ments and usefulness. What, we naturally ask, were the foundations on which the superstructure of such a varied and efficient life was raised ? Now, in the case of Mr Brown, it will be found that these foundations did not lie very deep, that the mechanism which produced the results was neither gigantic in its size nor complex in its con- struction. His character, if distinguished for any one thing more than another, was distinguished for its great simplicity. He thought, and felt, and spake, and acted, just as nature prompted, and in 112 MEMOIR OF no respect affected any thing extraordinary, or out of the common way. The characteristic qualities of his mind natu- rally claim our attention, in the first place, here. These, in the case of every individual, form the basis of the character, and give to it, its peculiar cast and shape. In Mr Brown's case there were three natural qualities of mind, which visibly stood out from the rest, and the influence of which may be distinctly traced in all that he accomplished. These were benevolence, activity, and persever- ance. No one could be acquainted with him with- out often having his attention drawn to what were obviously and unequivocally the workings of a be- nevolent mind. He was naturally and constitution- ally a man of feeling. He could not witness misery in any individual without being instinctively moved with compassion, and making an effort to relieve it. Under any circumstances, and even though destitute of religion, he would have been a philan- thropist; benevolence would have formed the main- spring, the actuating and animating principle of his life : but as it was, he became a christian philan- thropist. The original benevolence of his nature, purified and heightened by " the love of Christ shed abroad in his heart/' expressed itself in pity for tho souls as well as the bodies of men, and in ear- nest endeavours to do good to both, and became the grand impelling governing motive in all that he did. The operation of this original principle of his nature appeared in the character of his THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 113 preaching, the direction of his public efforts, and even in the very tone and style of his conversa- tion. The object in all was to do good.. But he was not merely benevolent, he was ac- tively benevolent. He possessed ^naturally an ac- tivity which, without any exaggeration, might be said never to have tired or flagged. Idle he could not be. Action was his very element and life. Had he ceased to labour, he would have ceased to live. He rose always early in the morning, and, with the industrious labourer, " he went forth to his work, and to his labour until the evening." There were no vacuities in his time, all was filled up in some way or other — was occupied, as he himself often expressed it, either " in doing good or in get- ting good." He possessed beyond most the happy and invaluable art of " redeeming the time." Ne- ver could you see him but engaged on some ob- ject ; and even the smaller shreds and odd ends of time were turned by him to some profitable ac- count or other. His head was always full of schemes of usefulness, and his hands always full of work. To use an expression of his own, or perhaps rather of Boston's, he had always " his nets set." It is ab- solutely inconceivable what a number of plans and hints for doing good, his memorandums abounded with. He had always upon his desk small slips of paper, on which he noted down whatever occurred to him as necessary or proper to be done ; and these jottings, as far as they can be made out, have, for the most part, a reference to some scheme or H 114 MEMOIR OF other of active religious benevolence. Nor did his activity, like that of some people, evaporate in forming a multiplicity of schemes of usefulness. To plan and to execute was with him almost one and the same thing. Whatever his hands found to do he did ; and did with all his might. He could not rest when an object was presented to him wor- thy of his attention, till he had used every means in his power to gain it. Trouble he counted no- thing upon. The writing of letters, the making of journeys, the laying out of expense, and the sub- mitting to personal inconvenience and fatigue, in order to accomplish the objects he had in view, were matters of such frequent occurrence, that they scarcely ever cost him a thought. It deserves, however, mention here, that there was nothing like bustle or parade about his activity. While, like his Divine Master, he went commonly about " do- ing good ;" like Him, too, " he did not strive, nor cry. nor cause his voice to be heard in the street." Though he was ever in motion, doing something, his step was so light and soft, as to create no noise, nor draw towards it any marked attention. His activity was conspicuous only by the progress he made in doing good. Mr Brown was not less distinguished naturally for perseverance than for activity. In the union of these two qualities, which are seldom found to- gether in the same person, the great secret of his usefulness lay. Many persons possessing more abundantly the means of doing good than he did, THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 115 had more splendid gifts, greater wealth, more com- manding influence ; but the possession by him of an activity which scarcely ever rested, and a perse- verance which hardly any failures or opposition could weary out or overcome, more than compen- sated for the want of these. Difficulties, which would have deterred persons in ordinary circum- stances, had little or no effect upon him. Any scheme or enterprise which appeared to him to be a good and a proper one, he unweariedly laboured to carry into effect. If he failed in one quarter, he tried another. If the present time proved unpro- pitious, he attempted it at a future one. His motto was " Never despair." Writing to a friend, he says, " I need not say, do all the good you can, and never be discouraged by any want of success, or any aw- ful scandalous behaviour of any. Satan will do his utmost against Christ, but his crown will flou- rish. Be of good courage." To the same effect, in writing to his brother, who had expressed his fears in reference to some scheme that he had in view for the benefit of the Highlanders, he says, " Never, never give up with a good scheme because it meets with opposition. Persevere, and good will be done ere long." And in very similar terms, he writes thus to one of his sons. " I would not have you to give way to despondency, about the good plan of schools in seceding congregations. Never give up with a good design if at all prac- ticable ; and this surely is so." And in these in- stances he was only exhorting to what he did him- 116 MEMOIR OF self. Whatever indifference, or even opposition, he might have to encounter, he never allowed it to paralyze or stop his exertions. M I do not recol- lect," says one who intimately knew him, in a letter to the writer, (" and I feel persuaded you do not), a single instance, in which obloquy or opposition deterred him from executing any of his designs." Indeed, instead of being discouraged with opposi- tion, he was accustomed to draw a good omen from it. He often remarked, that his plans seldom suc- ceeded till they excited opposition, but that then he usually noticed they began to prosper. This feature in his character is the more remarkable, as there was a natural timidity about him, amounting to almost a positive infirmity, which clung to him to a certain degree to the last. Often indeed he was baffled and disappointed in the accomplish- ment of his projects ; but, instead of giving up the contest, he, like a good soldier of Jesus Christ, always returned with renewed vigour to the charge. From some memorandums which happen to be pre- served, it appears that some of his favourite objects of pursuit he prosecuted with very uncertain pro- spects of success for as long as ten, fifteen, or even twenty years. During all that length of time, they were constantly before his mind, forming at inter- vals the subject of conversation, corespondence, printed notices in the magazines, and continued exertions. As " the water will even wear away the stones," so the unceasing flow of his efforts in the direction of any particular object he had in THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 117 view, usually smoothed the way sooner or later to its accomplishment, thus furnishing a new illustra- tion of the assurance which the Apostle gives, that the Christian will in " due time reap if he faint not." Next to the original characteristic qualities of Mr Brown's mind, the character and properties of his religion claim attention. If the former constituted the basis of his character, the latter certainly form- ed the principal modifying elements of it. Reli- gion in him was not, as it is in the case of very many, the mere outward dress of the mind. It was so inwrought, as it were, into the very frame and texture of it, so mixed up with all his habits of thinking, and feeling, and acting, that it might be described with truth, as a part of his nature. Re- ligion considered in itself, and with respect to its essential elements, is in all genuine Christians one and the same. It is one and the same river of the water of life, " which flows through the hearts of the countless myriads of the Redeemed. But as in a natural river the body of water, which com- poses it, though the same unchanged liquid mass du* ring the whole length of its course, exhibits a dif- ferent appearance in different localities, becoming broad, or narrow, shallow, or deep, slow or rapid, according to the declivity and shape of the chan- nel, so is it with vital religion. It accommodates it- self, so to speak, to, and takes its external form from, the mental characters and outward circumstances of the persons in whom it operates, so that the re- ligion of almost every individual has something 118 MEMOIR OF peculiar and characteristic about it. Now such characteristic peculiarities Mr Brown's religion possessed and exhibited. It was an operative religion. It was not a re- ligion of mere thought and feeling. He thought indeed, and felt deeply upon the all-important sub- ject. Its truths and realities appeared to occupy and engross his thoughts, and wholly engage his feelings. But his religion terminated not there. It flowed out in manifold active exertions, while the stream of some people's religion is mostly dis- tinguished by its glassy placidity, — is abundantly smooth, but hardly in motion ; Mr Brown's was chiefly distinguished by its clear, but quick run. It was operative rather than contemplative. It has ap- peared sometimes to me not a little singular, that though religion was the element in which he breath- ed, and the subject in one form or other of his con- stant thoughts and conversation, he has left nothing whatever in the shape of a diary behind him, no occasional record even of his private views and experience. Abundance of memorandums indeed there are of a private kind, but they have all a re- ference to something to be done. They are regis- ters not of his feelings, but of his plans. But the truth seems to be, that his activity allowed him little leisure for the keeping of a Diary, and his humility prevented him from having the inclina- tion. But, while his religion was active, it was alto- gether unostentatious. There was as entire an ab- sence almost as possible of every thing like pride THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 119 and vanity. There is in the world a great deal of what may be styled theatrical religion, —the doing of every thing that is done for shew and effect. I have no hesitation in saying that Mr Brown's religion was, in every respect, the reverse. It was very much characterized by the simplicity and modesty of nature. Nothing like art or act- ing could be detected in it. He did, but he did " not to be seen of men ;" religious modesty cha- racterized his experience, devotions, and exertions. It was exceedingly seldom that he spoke of his Christian experience, perhaps seldomer than, con- sidering his age and attainments, it was desirable he should ; but, when he did speak, it was with the lowliness and the humility of one who thought him- self " less than the least." " As for a sense of sin," he said upon one occasion to a friend, " I really cannot say that I feel it so overwhelmingly as some good men appear to have done, and I regret my not feeling it more pungently ; but, nevertheless, I think, unless that I am greatly mistaken, that I love the blessed Redeemer, and his work, and his cause, and every thing about him." The former part of the sentence, remarks the friend to whom he thus addressed himself, was spoken in an unaf- fected tone of deep humility and self-abasement ; while the latter part was delivered in a manner which shewed how necessary, and how natural, holy love had become to him. In the same spirit of deep humility, he thus writes of himself to an- other friend, " Your letters are always agreeable to me ; but, oh ! W., do not think too highly of me, 120 MEMOIR OF who, I am sure, am a poor unworthy sinner, and if I can but get in behind the backs of the ran- somed in the upper house, I will think it an un- speakable favour." And the same modesty which characterized his Christian experience, character- ized also his devotions. There was less of what may be called the parade of devotion about his prayers, than about those of most. I have been oftentimes struck with the extreme brevity of his family worship, as compared with the length of time he appeared to occupy in his closet. He was, perhaps, more than ordinarily short in the former. He was certainly more than ordinarily long in the latter. One who had access to know him very in- timately, thus refers to this peculiarity, in a letter to the writer. " You probably know that, though generally so brief when engaged in religious exer- cises with others, his private devotions were more than ordinarily deliberate ; at least, I am sure of this with regard to his perusal of the Scriptures. Once, when I happened to be with him, at a very early hour in the morning, he requested me to read to him several chapters in various places, obviously according to a settled method of perusing the sa- cred volume." And, in the religious exertions which he made, humility and modesty were as conspicu- ous as in his devotions or experience. Although he was so actively engaged in so many good works, there was never any thing like a pushing of him- self forward in the scene of action, nor when he had accomplished any good, of eagerly claiming to him- self the credit of it. His object always was rather THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 121 to do good than to get the praise of it ; and, if the good was done, he rejoiced, whether he had been honoured to do it or not. Though in labours he was more abundant, and though consequently his many and various efforts could not be hid, he was always more disposed to cast himself and them in- to the shade, than to boast of them. Instead of sounding a trumpet before him as the hypocrites did, or Jehu like, saying, " Come see my zeal for the Lord of Hosts," he spoke seldom of what he himself did, but was always forward to commend the labours of others. In some instances he unaf- fectedly gave to others the credit of originating, and carrying into effect, important benevolent de- signs which many persons thought as justly be- longed to himself. He was always willing too, when engaged in any particular work of usefulness, to give the place of honour to others, who might, in his opinion, execute it more successfully, and would even volunteer to serve as an auxiliary instead of acting as a principal. He had long projected a Biographical account of the early Ministers of the Secession, upon the plan of Palmer's Non- Confor- mist's Memorial, (a work which, from his intimate acquaintance with the characters and histories of the older ministers, he was well qualified for), and had actually prepared materials for its execution. On hearing, however, in 1814, from his brother, that his friend Mr Donald Frazer had a design of the same kind in view, he thus writes to him, " I am sensible of my great defect as to composition, 122 MEMOIR OF and, at my time of life, cannot now improve in this respect ; but, having many sources of information from books and manuscripts, I have, in my happy retirement in the winter nights, gathered materials for something of the above sort, especially for Messrs E. and R. Erskine, MoncriefF, Wilson, &c. with some short notices of Scott of Musselburgh, &c. They might be introduced by an account of the rise and progress of the Secession, as softly, and as usefully, and as practically as possible. Now, my dear sir, what I earnestly wish is, that, upon my furnishing you with all the materials I can, and your gathering together others which I have not, you would, as a recreation, cast them in- to good English, so as to form a book of the size of Mr Swanston's Sermons. I suppose, in almost every instance, our views would be very similar. We might consult with several of our worthy brethren, and, when my scribbles were committed to you, I would have perfect confidence as to the use you would make of them, and give you no trouble." Mr Brown's religion was also a very cheerful re- ligion. Christians are compared in the New Tes- tament to temples, but, like natural buildings, they are of very different orders of architecture. While some have all the gloom and massiness of the Go- thic style about them, others are characterized by the lightness and elegance of the Grecian. Mr Brown's religious character was cast much more in the style of the latter than of the former. There THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 123 was nothing like Monkish austerity about it. He was naturally cheerful, and disposed always to look upon the bright side of things, and there was a large infusion of the same temper in his religion. The cheering views of the divine character and administration were those on which his own mind dwelt most frequently, and which he also most fre- quently brought forward to others. Thus, to one suffering under severe affliction, he writes, " Under a weight of distress, the only relief is, Cast thy bur- den upon the Lord." To another, who had lost his father, he says, " You have now a new relation in a redeeming God. God is the God of the fatherless, and the orphan's help." " It will affect you much," he says, writing to a third, " to hear that both J. and D. W. are away home to their Father's house. We had need to say, Help Lord, for the godly man ceaseth." Few, perhaps, en- joyed more than he did the comforts of religion* Where others could see nothing but the dire pro- gnostications of coming evil, he would detect some propitious omen, something to excite hope, or, at least, to lighten the gloomy forebodings of fear. He had trials of various kinds in the course of his lengthened life ; but it was observed that, so far from losing his hope in God, he appeared, during them, to rise above his ordinary equanimity, and occasionally to shew even a sublime calmness of demeanour. A remark which he once made res- pecting the captive Jews, that " they only hung their harps upon the willows and did not break 124 MEMOIR OF them," expresses what he himself did. His sing- ing might be interrupted by adversity, but it was never stopt. No depth of distress, he thought, was a reason for restraining the delightful exercises of prayer and praise. " We can never," he would sometimes say, " cry to God from such a deep and dark closet as Jonah did." Upon an occasion of very complicated domestic trial, he simply remarks in writing, when from home, to his wife, " God's waves and billows seem of late to have been going over us, but, if God command his loving-kindness in the day time, all will be well." In the same spirit of cheerful resignation, he thus expresses himself respecting the death of an infant son, or grandson, " The death of the dear boy is a loud warning to us, to think of, and prepare for the eter- nal world. In his case we take infeftment of the house appointed for all living." He had, indeed, a strong idea of the necessity of trials, in order to progress in the Christian life, and this would have its influence, there is no doubt, in reconciling his mind to them. " We are just," he once remarked, " like boy^s tops. We require to be constantly whipt in order to be kept going." The uniform cheerfulness with which he clothed his religion, conciliated, in a remarkable manner, the attention and affection of the young. It made them love both him and the religion he professed. He conciliated, by this means, even enemies. There have not been many, perhaps, who have had fewer personal enemies than he had. But who is there who has THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 125 not some who bear him a hatred ? One who had, on some account, taken up an inveterate prejudice against him, once remarked that he " did not know how it was, but it was not possible for a person, however angry he might be with Mr Brown, to continue in an ill humour with him after seeing and conversing with him." Fervent charity was another characteristic of Mr Brown's religion. He neither saw nor felt the inconsistency of holding his own religious views firmly, and of extending the right hand of fellow- ship to those whom he thought to be christians, though they did not in every thing just follow with him. The right of judging which he claimed for himself, he willingly allowed to others. Bigotry and sectarianism he thoroughly detested and hated. There were two sets of principles to which he felt a most devoted attachment, — the principles of the Secession in matters of church polity, and the principles of the Marrow in matters of Gospel doc- trine. He was most deliberately and conscien- tiously a Seceder and a Marrowman. His views were even high rather than otherwise upon the controverted points. But notwithstanding this, he spoke and acted with the utmost charity and li- berality, in reference to those who differed with him as to both of these. Some of his most intimate friends were members of the Established Church, and Independent body ; and not only did he ad- mit such into the circle of his friends, but into the fellowship of his church. His was not the chris- 126 MEMOIR OF tian charity which will recognise persons as saints in the parlour or at the family altar, but treat them as heathen men and publicans at the table of the Lord. It was his opinion, and he acted upon it, that the little differences which exist among true christians, ought not to be allowed to inter- rupt christian intercourse, or operate as a bar to christian communion. He thought that those who were one in Christ, ought to be united to one another. He was in the habit too of speaking very favourably of the general doctrinal views, and espe- cially of the personal piety, of some of the keenest anti-marrowmem He was accustomed to impute the virulent attack which Principal Haddow, whom he always spoke of as a good man, made upon " the Marrow? to an ungrounded alarm, which he had sincerely taken up, that its doctrines were unfa- vourable to evangelical holiness. His strong pre- possession in favour of that system of doctrine, did not blind him to the excellencies of those who were its bitterest opponents. That he felt or ma- nifested none of the " odium theologicum," would be claiming for him an exemption which even the most charitable of men are not entitled to ; but there was certainly in his conversation and writ- ings, as great and unaffected a freedom from it, as can be expected in any ordinary circumstances. " While," says he, in a note to Gospel Truth, " purity of doctrine must be always maintained, whoever should deviate from it, we with pleasure do justice to the characters of several violent anti- THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 127 marrowmen ;" and then he mentions with general approbation several of them, adding, " Principal Haddow left in his closet papers discovering the exercise of a truly pious mind ; among others, a so- lemn personal covenant." And the same christian charity breathed through every part of his deportment, leading him to speak kindly of, and deal kindly to, all with whom he had any connexion. " It was an amiable trait in his character," says one of his immediate neigh- bours and brethren in the ministry, of another de- nomination, " which must have forcibly struck every one who had the opportunity of enjoying his conversation, to shew, as he always did, a disposi- tion to speak well of every person whose name happened to be mentioned ; and even when he felt it necessary to condemn the public conduct of in- dividuals, he was always ready to do justice to whatever excellencies appeared in their character." His charity, like the Apostle's, " thought no evil, but believed all things, hoped all things." He was ever disposed to take the most favourable view of characters as well as things. He was impatient of everything like detraction, and would not allow it in his presence, checking it by saying, in his own cha- racteristic manner, " Speak evil of no man." Upon one occasion, when a preacher, rather censoriously as he thought, was descanting upon the unfitness of a brother preacher for a certain responsible sta- tion, characterizing him as soft and simple, Mr Brown said, " Remember Mr God preserveth 128 MEMOIR OF the simple." Nor did he think and act charitably only towards his friends ; he behaved in the very same manner towards those who reproached and injured him. When one for whom he entertained an unfeigned regard had, under the influence of some misapprehension, written him a very scurri- lous letter, he pertinaciously refused, as soon as ever he learned its import, to read it, lest his opinion of his friend should be lowered by it. Referring to the unpleasant incident out of which this arose, he says, in a letter to his son, " I have met with far more honour in the church than I ever deserved, and now I must learn by his severe views of my conduct to be abased. I thought I tried in some instances to do him good. The obligation on me now lies stronger, when he seems to think despitefully of me. O to walk softly all our years. I think I have found, for some time past, a more than ordinary desire to do good in the church ! I am resolved, however, not to be discouraged by a fiery dart from Satan, through means of a very good man." It deserves to be mentioned, as illustrative of this particular branch of his christian temper, that this individual, though he became eventually altogether estranged from him, was the last person unconnected with his own family whose welfare he inquired after on his death- bed, and when he could only speak in broken ac- cents. Mr Brown's religion possessed a highly devo- tional character. He might well be styled, as THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 129 Cornelius was, " a devout man." He was often on the mount with God. He was not satisfied with the stated regular periods of morning and evening devotion ; he frequently set apart special seasons for wrestling with God in behalf of his friends and the church. Thus, in a letter to a young friend in Leith, he says : " I usually set apart some time, at seven o'clock every Sabbath morning, for praying for my friends in Leith, and all the churches ; and I hope you and Messrs W. and O. will join with me." In another to the same, he says : " I have much pleasure in the Sabbath morning concert with you and Mr O. I should be glad to have it continued, and the design particu- larly attended to, namely, praying for the world at large, and the missionaries in it, and their labours, that the Bible may be spread and eminently bless- ed, — that a race of young ministers may be raised up and eminently blessed,— that all the present good designs may be furthered and eminently blessed, — and that the congregations and families to which we belong may be also blessed." But prayer was not with him so much a frequent exer- cise as a religious habit, mingling with, and giving a character to all that he did. " The longer I live," he once remarked, " the more I think every thing should be accompanied with prayer and supplica- tion." Every thing of moment, accordingly, appears to have been carried by him to the throne of grace. His intercourse with his friends, his sympathizing attentions to the distressed, his religious and bene* i 130 MEMOIR OF volent exertions, all were sanctified by the Word of God and prayer. " I hope," he says, in a letter to a friend, " that our intercession for each other will be as mutual as our correspondence." Writ- ing to another on the loss of his father, he says : " It was my earnest desire to sympathise most tenderly with you under the loss of your much re- vered and worthy father, and I tried to express this in prayer to the God of all grace." He writes thus in another letter : " During the winter I wish to write out the Letters on Sanctification. As you are my very kind and affectionate friend, I hope you will remember me in these letters. Cry for the Spirit's direction and assistance to me, and en- gage some of your praying friends." And to another friend, he thus writes in a similar strain : " We have a committee here on Tuesday, to devise a scheme to spread the Gospel more fully among the Highlanders. Look up to God to direct us. Let Mr G. our friend, and also Mrs C. mind us." In short, it may be observed, that Mr Brown's religion was a religion of principle. It sprung na- tively and necessarily from his views of Divine truth. It was not of the nature of a garment, which is put on the body, but does not form a part of it ; it was rather like the branches and foliage of a tree, which grow out of the root and adhere to it. In religion, some persons act from the mere im- pulse of feeling, others from mere custom and ha- bit. These persons are either altogether destitute of religious knowledge, or their knowledge has no THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 131 influence upon their practice. Mr Brown felt and acted in matters of religion under the influence of the truths he believed. These were not with him mere subjects of speculation. They were the things by which he lived, and in which was the life of his soul, — at once the sources of his comfort and the means of his sanctification. " The sub- ject," he says, in his introductory letter on Sanc- tification, " is peculiarly engaging, nor is it wonder- ful that I am partial to it. It is the foundation of all my present comfort, and all my hopes for eter- nity; and earnestly desiring as I do the happiness of my friend, I know no better method of promot- ing it, than by endeavouring to build him up in the most holy faith." Upon this foundation of original qualities of mind, which were decidedly useful if not showy, coupled with and modified, as these were, by a re- ligious cast in the very mould of the New Testa- ment, there was erected a comely superstructure of personal, friendly, and domestic habits. In ad- verting to his personal habits, the first place, per- haps, is due to the strict economy which he used in the disposal of his time. It was by means of this, in a great measure, that he was enabled to do so much. Although he was one who very much enjoyed society, and whose intercourse with so- ciety, as might be supposed from the number of his connexions, was very extensive, he was exceed- ingly sparing in the time that he gave to it. His calls and visits, which were seldom matters of form 132 MEMOIR OF and ceremony, but had usually something useful for their object, were very much like his letters, numerous but short. When he had said or done what he intended, he took his leave. Even in his own house, after shewing to his visitors the atten- tion which courtesy required, and kindness dic- tated, he left them not unfrequently in the com- pany of his family, and retired to his study. There were with him no blank portions of time ; all was filled up and occupied. Closely connected with the economical disposal and improvement of his time, were his habits of order. He could not bear to see any thing put out of its proper place, or done out of its proper time. He proceeded always according to plan and method with his work. Having made his arrange- ments, and allotted to every day and hour their respective tasks, he adhered to them. Hence it was that, though always doing something, he never appeared in a hurry or bustle. I have often ob- served that he was always rather before than after the hour of an engagement. In his management of secular affairs he was pe- culiarly unskilful. He not only did not under- stand them, but manifested a simplicity which, had his situation exposed him, would have made him the dupe of any designing unprincipled individual The things of the world occupied as little room as possible in his heart, and engaged no portion of his attention but what they forced. When at any time called to attend to them, it was evident to all THE REV. JOHN BROWN. J33 that he was out of his proper sphere and element. He seemed not to have the capacity, and certainly not the inclination, for managing worldly business of any kind. It was well that his situation in life, and the prudence of those about him, exempted him, to a very great extent, from the necessity of this, and allowed him to devote all his attention and energies to what both his duty and his dis- position led him to. More than once, however, his extreme simplicity in reference to secular matters, exposed him to pecuniary loss, and placed him in embarrassing difficulties. But his history furnishes a proof and illustration of the truth which, as has been already remarked, he quoted in reference to another, " that the Lord preserveth the simple." Mr Brown also was a man of decidedly peace- ful and prudent habits. The principle on which he appeared to act was never, if possible, to take offence, and, where he could do it consistently with the performance of duty, never to give offence. He was very much what the Apostle exhorted the Philippians to be, " blameless, and harmless with- out rebuke, doing all things as much as lay in him without murmurings and disputings." That he in no instance carried the desire for peace, and the wish to avoid giving offence, to an undue length, — that he never yielded when he ought to have remained firm, and never took a circuitous path when he ought to have taken a direct straightfor- ward one, — it would be too much to assert. I 134 MEMOIR OF have thought, indeed, that his desire of pleasing every body was the principal defect of his charac- ter, and led occasionally to something like incon- sistency and vacillation of conduct. But, notwith- standing, it may be affirmed with the utmost truth, that, in general, his peaceableness was the peace- ableness of principle as well as of natural tem- per, and his prudence the practical expression of " the wisdom that is from above." There was, in fact, as one who intimately knew him expresses it, " a natural sensitiveness about his mind, which might sometimes have expressed itself in the shape of resentment, but for the dominant power of chris- tian charity and humility. The advice which he sometimes gave to others, not rashly to reply to provoking language, but either to be silent, or give that < soft answer that turneth away wrath,' was evidently but the utterance of the strong principle which ruled in his own conduct " Mr Brown was distinguished also in his station for liberality in the cause of religion and general benevolence. His means indeed, as may be easily supposed, were not very ample ; but, possessing a liberal soul, he devised liberal things. " To his power," I may say, in the words of the Apostle, " I bear record, yea and beyond his power, he was willing to communicate, ready to distribute, ad- dicting himself to the ministry of the saints, and given to hospitality." There were few who had less desire to make money than he had, and few who were readier to part with what was gotten for THE REV JOHN BROWN. 135 useful purposes. Though his income was at no time more than adequate to the support of a fami- ly in his rank of life, he always had something to bestow in the cause of the poor and the cause of the gospel ; and when, some years before he died, he thought that, owing to the pressure of the times, the congregation might feel the amount of his sti- pend burdensome, he freely, and without solicita- tion, remitted £10 annually of what was due, and this he did to the end of his life. He was characterized also by great spirituality of mind. Scarcely an event could occur, or any striking object present itself to his view, which did not act as a conductor of his thoughts and feelings to something serious ; and in this there was no- thing affected or artificial, — it was the natural working of his mind. Thus, when on his tour in the Highlands, he often, when contemplating the rugged hills and lofty mountains of that alpine re- gion, towering one above another in awful gran- deur, observed that " the mountain of the Lord's house would yet be established on the top of the mountains, and exalted above the hills/' When, too, in the course of the same journey, he passed along by Loch Lubnaig, he would frequently stand still, and admire the wonderful works of God, re- peating, as he looked up to the magnificent masses of mountain and hill overhead, and then to the dark waters of the lake beneath, " Thy righteous- ness is like the great mountains, thy judgments are a great deep." Thus also, upon another occa- 136 MEMOIR OF sion, when passing by a person whom he knew on the road-side breaking stones, he said to him, after exchanging salutations, " Now mind the hard and stony heart." Intimately connected with this last feature in his character, and indeed arising out of it, was the happy art he possessed of leading the mind of others to a spiritual improvement of passing events. His invariable method was to make use of the common objects and occurrences of life, as steps by which he might naturally lead his hearers or correspondents up to religion and to God. Writ- ing to a person connected with the sea, he says : " You will no doubt often see God's wonders in the deep, O that, while we are sailing down the current of time, we may all land on the happy shores of Immanuel's land." When, upon one oc- casion, the elder of a neighbouring newly erected congregation was lamenting to him the death of two of his brother elders, Mr Brown replied, " God has given and accepted the first ripe fruits, and this is a sign that he will give the future harvest." Up- on another occasion, when conversing about seve- ral godly persons who had died some time pre- viously, Mr Brown remarked, " that it was an omen of a storm coming when these birds of para- dise were flocking home." These habits of giving to every thing a spiritual turn and direction — of making nature and religion, the Bible and Providence, bear upon and illustrate one another — imparted, as was natural, a peculiar THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 137 tone and character to his conversation. His con- versational powers were naturally considerable, and he shewed frequently no small address in ex- ercising them in such a manner as to engage all who were present in the conversation. Possessing a large portion of what is termed natural polite- ness, though none of that affectation which some- times passes for it, he usually contrived to make the conversation turn into that channel with which the company were most familiar. But whatever the channel was, the conversation was always on his part strongly impregnated with what was pro- fitable to the use of edifying, and tended to minis- ter grace to the hearers. " The waters of the sanctuary" were always introduced by him, and made to run through every opening which the con- versation allowed. It seldom or never happened that he entered into any company, without pro- ducing an impression upon it favourable to reli- gion, and without, when he left it, leaving a savour and relish of piety behind him ; and this he did without in any respect rendering the conversation dull and stiff and formal. On the contrary, he shewed much liveliness, and even occasionally playfulness. An uninterrupted cheerfulness of manner, an inexhaustible fund of religious anec- dote, and a rich variety of pointed remark, rendered his conversation not only profitable to the serious, but agreeable to persons of all descriptions. The best proof of this is, that even his common con- 138 MEMOIR OF versation possessed great attractions for the young, with whom he was always a peculiar favourite. There was, it may be further remarked, in his general deportment, a happy union of familiarity and dignity. He was easily accessible to the youngest and the poorest ; none were afraid to speak to him, but seldom did any presume to take undue liberties with him. While there was a soft- ness and sweetness in his manner which invited confidence and affection, there was an indescribable something which commanded reverence, and pre- vented or repressed every approach to improper freedoms. The people of Whitburn were accus- tomed to observe, that whenever Mr Brown made his appearance in the town on the Sabbath even- ing (which was often the case, as he was in the fre- quent habit of visiting a Sabbath school there), both old and young, who happened at the time to be in the street, immediately, from an instinctive feel- ing of veneration for his character, retired into their houses. When, going up to London by sea in 1814, some fellow passengers of the baser sort, knowing or guessing his profession, were resolved to play off their profane wit upon him ; with this design they wrote him a note, saying, that, as they pre- sumed he was one that was acquainted with, and could apply the " balm of Gilead," they were anxi- ous he would prescribe for a young woman who was under great distress of mind. Having read the note, and perceiving at once the spirit of it, he went down to the cabin from which it had been THE REV. JOHN BROWN'. 139 brought to him, and holding it open in his hand said, " Gentlemen, it is of little importance what insults you offer me personally, but I cannot and will not bear to see Him whose I am, and whom I serve, insulted. Mock not lest your bands be made strong." The effect of bis appearance and address were such, that during the rest of the pas- sage he was treated with the utmost respect. He observed afterwards, that he never felt before so distinctly the force of the Psalmist's prayer, " Ga- ther not my soul with sinners." In his conduct Mr Brown also beautifully exemplified the apos- tolical precept, " In lowliness of mind let each es- teem others better than themselves." Those who were much his inferiors in preaching he honoured as almost his masters in the sacred art. I notice among his papers a number of skeletons of ser- mons, which, after having heard, he had solicited from the preachers of them, for his private edifica- tion, although, in some of the instances at least, he was capable of producing much better himself. Under the influence of the same disposition, he was at all times desirous, when any thing appear- ed to him necessary to be written, either in a se- parate form, or the religious magazines of the day, to command, if possible, the pens of his brethren, rather than employ his own. There were few who, in his estimation, did not preach better and write better than himself. Indeed, this amiable disposi- tion was, in some instances, carried the length of even a culpable want of self-confidence. In con- 140 MEMOIR OF sequence of this, he was sometimes induced to surrender his own better judgment to that of others, — an infirmity which was the more to be regret- ted, as his own judgment was naturally a good and a sound one. Mr Brown was one who was always " content with such things as he had." He sought not great things either for himself or his family. When his eldest son, the present Dr John Brown of Edin- burgh, was called to the two congregations of Stir- ling and Biggar, while he used no undue influence to bias his choice, he gave his decided preference to, and spoke in the Synod in favour of, the small congregation and the small stipend. Writing to one of his sons-in-law respecting a situation which he had obtained, he says, " I think it the best place you have ever been in, and I would have you seek no other, but wait on God in his providence, who has in the present instance done wondrously for you, and fill up your present situation to the best advantage. Trust in the Lord, and do good, so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily be fed." Where others would have been " troubled and careful about many things," " his mind was stayed, trust- ing in the Lord." When a near relative complain- ed of the unmindfulness of a brother, he said, " Re- member there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." When, upon another occasion, Mrs Brown said, What would become of her and her children if he was taken away, he simply replied, " My God shall supply all your need." THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 141 Another peculiarity in the character of Mi- Brown was, the marked anxiety he ever displayed to perpetuate the memory of good men. He thought that the righteous ought to be held in everlasting remembrance. He often repeated the promise, " Them that honour me I will honour f and he reckoned it his privilege to contribute to the fulfilment of this promise. Accordingly, be- sides what he actually did in the way of rescuing from oblivion the works, and bringing into notice the characters, of eminent men, both in separate publications and in magazines, he projected, as has been already stated, a Seceders' Memorial, and also another biographical work, to be called " The Modern Triumphs of Faith," as well as some other memoirs. He might probably in part be led into this track by his antiquarian predilections, which were considerable ; but there is no doubt that, first and principally, he was influenced by his love of the truth, and his desire to honour whomsoever God clelighteth to honour ; and it was permitted to him to be instrumental above most in bringing into publicity and honour those who are, and who shall yet more openly and universally be, acknow- ledged to be the " excellent of the earth." Mr Brown was always very much affected with the sins, and even indiscretions, of professors. He felt on these occasions as if he himself had been injured. Any irregularities, especially in the members of his own congregation, hardly ever failed to produce a visible impression upon his 142 MEMOIR OF health and spirits. The first attack of his last ill- ness was occasioned by his hearing of the impru- dence of a young minister of his acquaintance. It may deserve also to be mentioned, as another of Mr Brown's characteristic habits, that he che- rished and manifested a most sacred reverence for the Sabbath. He made conscience above most that I have been acquainted with of keeping the Sabbath day " holy to the Lord." He was ob- served, naturally and unobtrusively, to lead the conversation to subjects which, while they inte- rested, were in keeping with the hallowed charac- ter of the day. Every tendency to what was light, frivolous, or carnal, he delicately checked, by di- recting the conversation into another channel ; and when he could not succeed in doing this, he, according as the circumstances seemed to dictate, either boldly reproved the offence, or held his peace. It may be said with truth, that he spent the whole day literally either in the public or pri- vate exercises of God's worship ; and yet so far, on the Sabbath day, was his house from being overshadowed with gloom, that it looked and felt like " a little heaven below." The last thing which the writer deems it neces- sary to notice here, is what may be called Mr Brown's habit of scripture meditation. It was his practice, when travelling — in his leisure moments, — and even during the watches* of the night, to hold communion with heaven, through the medium of some passages of the word of God. On these THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 143 occasions God's word was found of him, and he did eat it, and it was the joy and rejoicing of his heart. " When, like Isaac," says one of his family, " he went forth to meditate at eventide, or when, on Sabbath morning, he took his accustomed turn before the house, we remember to have heard him repeating texts, or portions of texts, of Scripture, evidently so engrossed with his sacred contempla- tion, as to be unconscious of their escaping his lips. We have often too overheard him so en- gaged, when seated in his easy chair, after the la- bours of the day." He had frequently, in the morning, to tell his partner in life, how " his reins had instructed him in the night season," and that the consolations of God had delighted his soul. And though constitutionally reserved, especially in re- ference to his own religious experience, he was ac- customed sometimes to mention to his friends, that once when returning home from college, imme- diately before his mother died, and again when travelling in the neighbourhood of Stirling, on the morning of the day on which his intimate friend, the Reverend Mr Gilfillan of Dunblane died, he enjoyed a holy and inexpressible transport of soul in meditating upon the words " He hath done all things well." It will be proper now to glance, for a very little, at the character of Mr Brown as a friend and a member of general society. He was naturally sus- ceptible of friendship, and the pleasures of social intercourse. He enjoyed few things more than 144 MEMOIR OF the company, and the converse of the intelligent and the pious. The peculiar ease with which he formed acquaintanceships, and even friendships, was a very visible and marked feature in his cha- racter, and was the more observable, as it was in striking contrast with his natural timidity and dif- fidence. Wherever he met with a person in whom he perceived " any thing good towards the Lord God of Israel," or whom he thought he could bene- fit or render useful, he never failed, if possible, to introduce himself to that person, and it seldom happened that he did not gain his confidence. While there was the reverse of any thing like ob- trusive forwardness about him (no man had less of this than he had), there was a native frankness and simplicity of manner, which attracted and opened the heart to him. He could not even travel in a stage-coach without unconsciously almost insinuat- ing himself into the notice, and gaining the respect and good will, of those who travelled along with him. The persons with whom he contracted his most intimate friendships were invariably persons of a decidedly pious character, and, in many instances, they were young persons. He asked not, and cared not, to what religious party or denomination they belonged. He had intimate friends among all parties. But he neither understood nor prac- tised the policy of those, who, though they profess to be travelling to " Zion with their faces thither- ward," select even their bosom friends from the THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 145 men of this world. He even shewed impatience in the company of such, and could not bear that any of his family should cultivate their society, however high they might be in a worldly point of view. There were few places which he was in the habit of even occasionally visiting, where he had not a select circle of acquaintances and friends, whom he called upon, and corresponded with; but they were always persons of the choicest religious character. He sought out, wherever he went, and courted the society, not of the most opulent and distinguished, but the most humble and experi- mental Christians. These were, in his estimation, " the excellent of the earth, and in them was his delight." His friendship was sweetened by a large infu- sion of fatherly affection, and sanctified by fervent piety. One, who enjoyed no small measure of his friendly regard, says, in a letter to the writer, " His friendship was of such a kind as to be a real treasure to those who were favoured with it. It was marked, and that strongly, by all the naivete of a little child, and yet it had the dignity and pu- rity becoming a venerable saint, and servant of the Most High. He seldom dismissed a particular friend, especially a young person, without having retired with him for the purpose of prayer. One instance of his kind and fatherly manner very much affected me at the time. I had consulted him some time before in reference to a personal concern of importance. Taking me aside one K 146 MEMOIR OF evening, he addressed me in the following manner : ' Now, I am much obliged to you for telling me about yon ; and I wish you aye to tell me about any thing that troubles you, or any uneasiness you have. And you'll not forget me at home. Good night. Farewell, my dear boy.' It astonished me not a little to hear Mm expressing gratitude for any confidence / had put in him. I was at the time only seventeen years of age." To his brethren in the ministry he always " shewed himself friendly." He never used slight- ing or disparaging language in reference to them ; but, on the contrary, esteemed them, and spoke of very highly in love, for their work's sake. By his advice, by his letters, and by his personal la- bours, he was always forward to do good to them as he had opportunity. In a letter to him, a ve- nerable predecessor of the writer's, now many years deceased, says, " Your letters have been very agreeable to me, and the Lord Jesus lead your mind into the same train of thinking concerning his dispensations towards you." The native friend- liness of his disposition shewed itself conspicuous- ly in the very affectionate manner in which he conducted himself towards his colleague. It is not always that ministers manifest or feel a cordial friendship for those who, as colleagues and succes- sors, divide with them the affection and respect of their people, and whom they see " increasing," while they must " decrease." But Mr Brown felt towards las colleague no such jealousy. He uni- THE REVt JOHN BROWN. 147 ibrmly treated him as a son, and his affection was justified and returned. " When I came here," says Mr Millar, M he received me with open arms, and an open heart. And in all his subsequent conduct he manifested the strongest desire to pro- mote, not only my personal comfort, but also my usefulness among the people of our mutual charge. In every perplexity, he showed the utmost rea- diness to direct me by his counsels ; and in every difficulty it was his delight to soothe my mind, by suggesting those consolations wherewith he him- self had formerly been comforted. Indeed, he could not have acted towards me with greater kind- ness although I had been his own son. And, from the first to the very last moment of our connexion with each other, I am confident that a single jar- ring feeling never existed between us. It could not, indeed, have been otherwise without great blame on my part, for, possessing so many amiable and lovely qualities as he did, who would not have rejoiced in his sight ? Always cheerful himself, he generally communicated the same pleasing feel- ing to others ; while his piety was exhibited inva- riably in such a winning form, that few who wit- nessed it could help wishing to go and do like- wise." In the exercise of his friendship Mr Brown did not " love in word only, but in deed and in truth." His desires and active endeavours to serve his friends, and neighbours, and acquaintances in ge- neral, were always equal to, and sometimes above 148 MEMOIR OF and beyond his ability. Indeed, in his attempts to do this, the kindness and easiness of his nature not unfrequently involved him in difficulties. He felt such a strong reluctance to say to any of his friends who asked him a favour nay, that he some- times engaged to do, what he afterwards found it necessary to decline doing. Had he had even less of the desire of serving and accommodating his friends, he would have saved himself frequently much uneasiness. It has been mentioned as a peculiarity in his character, that some of his most intimate friends, and the persons with whom he most regularly and frequently corresponded, were young persons. There was, indeed, about his feelings, to the very last, a kind of juvenility, which led him not only to tolerate, but to sympathize with, and find a plea- sure in, the liveliness and buoyancy of youth. But though this was the case, it did not lead him to cast off, or be indifferent to, his old friends. The friends of his youth he never forgot, even to old age. I observe in several of his letters the warm affection with which he speaks of the Reverend Mr Sheriff of Tranent, who, from the years of boyhood, had been his chief companion and friend. After Mr Sheriff's death he thus writes : " I have to tell you of the death of Mr Sheriff of Tranent, the friend of my youth, since we were fourteen. I have heard him, when he knew nothing of it, wrest- ling with God in his father's loft. He was only a few days ill before he thought himself dying, but THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 149 quite calm — no way afraid, but joyful in the view of glory. The thought of the companions of my youth getting home in this way affects me. Grace can carry you and me through also. And if we die trusting, it is as safe to us, and as honourable to God, as to die triumphing, as this saint did." With respect to him, he remarks in another letter : " His religion made him dear to me in the day of my youth, and our attachment kept to the end." The late Reverend Dr Hall of Edinburgh was another of his early friends, with whom he maintained an un- broken and fervent friendship to the end. The fol- lowing extract from a letter of the Doctor's to him is equally creditable to the hearts of both : " Old friends we are, and old friends should take a death? s grip of one another ; and if we are in Christ, the hold which he has taken of us will render the hold we have of each other indissoluble. It doth not therefore now appear what we shall be hereafter in ourselves, and to one another ; but this we know, that when He who is our life and the centre of our union shall appear, we shall appear with Him and with one another in glory, and shall be for ever like, and for ever with him. Thine own friend, and thy father's, and thy Saviour's friend, forsake not." In domestic life, as well as in society, Mr Brown appeared in a very favourable point of view. It does not always happen that a person distinguished in a public capacity, or in his study, shines equally in the more retired and quiet walks 150 MEMOIR OF of the family circle. The tempers and dispositions which fit for the one, are not in every case those which qualify for the duties of the other. Mr Brown, however, was as exemplary in his domestic relations as in the church and in the world. When young, and in his father's house, he uniformly proved himself a most dutiful son and affectionate brother, and his filial and fraternal piety continued a prominent element in his character to the end. The members of his father's second family testify to the uniform kindness and affection he displayed towards them and their excellent mother, as long as she lived. And the same qualities and disposi- tions of mind which rendered him in his father's family a good son and brother, rendered him, when he came to have a family of his own, a good hus- band and a good father. All that lived under his roof loved and revered him ; — loved him for his warm and unaffected kindness, — revered him for his consistent and fervent piety. One of the younger members of his family thus speaks of him in this relation. " I cannot speak of our dear Father in the vigour of life. I remem- ber him only as the old man. But old age in his case w T as far from being ' dark and unlovely.' His uncommon equability of temper and habitual cheer- fulness, united with the happy light in which he was disposed to view every thing, and the simpli- city and blandness of his manners diffused happi- ness and peace around him. He was, at least in our partial eyes, one of those beautiful examples of THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 151 age, so aptly described as ' not more venerable for its past virtues, than amiable with a lasting and still increasing gentleness, which softens the vene- ration indeed, but augments even while it softens it.' No one could be long under his roof without perceiving that he habitually * walked with God.' It has been justly remarked of him, that he wore his Master's uniform upon all occasions. On re- turning into the bosom of his family, after the dis- charge of his public duties, instead of laying it aside, it seemed the garment wherewith he was al- ways girded. When, in the course of his reading, he met with any passage that peculiarly pleased him, he was in the habit, either when he came down to meals, or in the evening, of reading it over again to us, playfully introducing it by say- ing, ' Now, my dear,' or ' Now, bairns, I am going to read a most < bonnie note/ (alluding to an old friend who was in the habit of using that expres- sion) and following the reading by some commen- datory or illustrative remark of his own. It was on such occasions too, that, in easy and unreserved conversation, making companions of his children, he would talk with much affection of the friends of his youth, remark the changes that had taken place in the opinion and habits of christians ; and while he loved to dwell on the heart-exercised and deep-toned personal piety of those with whom he associated in his early days, he fully appreciated the comparatively greater activity in the spread of Christianity and knowledge which distinguished 152 MEMOIR OF the present times. At these evening seasons also, we remember how he would listen to the recital of the little incidents which had taken place among us during the day, with an interest which shewed that, although he had passed the limits usually al- lotted to human life, he had not outlived the feel- ings and sympathies that enhance every enjoyment, and bind so closely the endearing relationships of life. We cannot fail to dwell with delight on the kind interest he took in all our little affairs, when we recollect to how good an account he was wont to turn them. On my mother's expressing one evening, as he thought, an undue degree of anxiety with respect to our temporal concerns, he, in a chiding, yet tender tone, said, " My dear, do we not profess to say Thy icill be done ?" He had always some word of comfort, commonly from Scripture, ready to cheer and encourage when any difficulty was apprehended. When discussing, in the family circle, the possibility of the removal of a near relative to a distant part of the country, an event in which he evinced an unusually anxious interest, he said, with a look of placid satisfaction, " However it may turn out, we know who hath said, c I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.' " On one new year's-day morning, when we were wishing one another a good new year, he remark- ed, respecting the foolish and vain anxiety to know the future, that the best way was to commit our way to the Lord, trust in him, and be doing good. " Id his treatment of his children, there was a THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 153 union of gentleness and dignity ; for, while they knew not what it was to be frightened for their fa- ther, they never dared to use any undue freedoms with him. One of his daughters retains a vivid recollection of a little incident which shews that, while he could exert the authority of a parent, it was authority directed by justice, and tempered by love. After correcting her, he discovered that she had not been in fault. No sooner was he aware of this, than he came down and apologized to the child for not having made himself better ac- quainted with the circumstances ; — an acknow- ledgment which, from the way in which it was made, was so far from impairing the feeling of venera- tion due to a parent, that it rather heightened it. His natural kindliness of disposition led him to shew a peculiar fondness for little ones, as he was in the habit of calling young children. Of this we had a most touching proof during his last ill- ness. Although incapable of speaking, and also suffering under the effects of his disease, an infant grandchild, who happened to be with its mother in the house, could never be brought into his pre- sence without his attention being excited, and his countenance assuming a visible unwonted anima- tion. It was affecting to see the old, palsied, dying man, fondling and kissing the infant, and looking, though hardly able to utter expressions of endear- ment. His affection for the members of his own family was not expressed in endearing epithets, nor, since childhood, by fond caresses. It was 154 MEMOIR OF when any of us were in sickness, or when some particular circumstance called it forth, that we could best estimate the depth and tenderness of his affection. On such occasions he shewed himself pre-eminently " a son of consolation," never fail- ing to speak to us in the most kind and sympa- thizing manner, and to make particular mention of us, and our circumstances, in his family prayers. He was fond of having his children about him, but it was not that foolish fondness which would gra- tify itself at the expense of both duty and interest. In a letter to one of us at a distance he says, " It is pleasant to me to have you and the rest about me, but it is best for us all to be in the way of our duty." " The Lord," he says in another, " is the best manager of our lot, and can choose best for us." " The young people educated under his roof, he regarded, to use an expression of his own, as his providential children. He manifested much in- terest in their religious instruction, and a kind concern for their comfort and happiness. Their impressible young minds could not witness his daily walk and conversation, without being con- vinced that religion is not that gloomy thing which many people represent it. In this respect, as in others, he was himself a living example of what he recommended, for he frequently warned persons to beware of bringing reproach upon religion by an austerity of temper or gloominess of manner. His habitual kindness to the young people, secured THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 155 attention on their part to his good advices ; and we have repeatedly had pleasing evidences, that his weighty and pointed, almost individual, ad- dresses in private on Sabbath evening, when he took advantage of every passing incident to gain their attention and impress their heart, were not lost upon them. He frequently said to us, ' Mind try to do them all the good you can. O try to impress them with what's good.' He insisted much on the importance of storing the memory in youth with sacred truth, for though for a time it should make no impression, it may in after life, by the blessing of God, spring up and bring forth fruit to everlasting life. The last week but one of his life, he had the young ladies who were with us at the time in the house brought into his room, when, among other serious counsels, he affectionately en- treated them to obey their parents, read their Bibles, and love their God." LAST ILLNESS AND DEATH. It has been often and well remarked, that the manner in which a person lives is of vastly more importance than the manner in which he dies. It is by the former that the character is marked and determined ; the latter only imparts to it some temporary and unessential shadings, resembling the accidental glow or gloom which invests the summer sun at its setting. It is very natural, 156 MEMOIR OF however, and perfectly lawful, to wish to know the circumstances in which a person left the world, as well as those in which he went through it. In the foregoing pages, it has been attempted to exhibit a just portraiture of Mr Brown's life, in public and in private, in the church and in the family ; it will now be the object of the writer to give a brief ac- count of the few circumstances connected with his departure from the world. During the two or three last years of Mr Brown's life, his strength was visibly failing. It was not difficult to perceive, even amid the general good health and the agreeable flow of spirits he enjoyed, that the springs of life were gradually relaxing, and his originally sound constitution giving way. But there was no relaxation or falling off in his anxiety to do good. The infirmities of age, though they rendered him incapable of his former exertions, in no respect chilled the ardour of his zeal, — if possible, the flame of his piety and devo- tion seemed to burn more fervently. Writing at this period to an affectionate friend, who had urged him to spare himself a little, he says, " I shall lessen my labours, and do less in the way of active exertion as I advance in age. I see it is needful. But we can never do sufficiently for Him who died ten thousand deaths in one for us." Writing also somewhat about the same time to an aged Chris- tian like himself, he thus expresses himself : " Many of our dear and valuable acquaintances have left us, and are gone home to their Father's THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 157 house. O that we could follow them in their faith and holiness. I think in our old age to pTay much for our Redeemer's interest, one of the best things we can do for ourselves, or our relatives and fel- low-men." It was observed too by his family, that latterly he appeared more engaged than even usual with the sacred volume, making it in a man- ner literally " his study all the day." Thus, it may be said, that the evening of his life was very much of the same character and colour as the noon- day of it. There was no intermission of his zeal, and no declension in his piety. Through life Mr Brown was naturally appre- hensive of death. He had frequently a nervous fear of dying, which, though it did not make " him subject to bondage," occasioned him at times a portion of disquietude. Though few perhaps had less reason to fear, and more reason to triumph, there were few who spoke with greater diffidence or self-abasement than he did in the view of death. In a letter to a very dear friend, he thus expresses himself: " O, W -, pray for me. As I advance in years I find a failure of natural spirits, and though, after some trials, I think I habitually love Christ's interests, and Christ's people, yet my ex- perience is so small under many advantages, that I have no few fears with respect to death and eternity. Therefore, as a friend, give God no rest about this, that he may give me sound conversion, and the evidence of it, in a lively appropriating faith." From hints which he occasionally dropt 158 MEMOIR OF in conversation, it was evident that the subject of death occupied a very considerable share of his attention. I recollect now, the frequency with which he used, towards the end of his life, to refer to, and speak of, Boston's Sermon on " Rational Evidences for Heaven illustrated." He was ob- served, too, to be frequently reading a little book, called " Remedies against the Fears of Death." I notice in his copy of Traill on the Throne of Grace, which he had been reading over again not long before his death, a number of passages marked, all having a reference to death as a time of need, and to the grace which may be obtained in it. One of the passages particularly marked seems to have been completely the expression of his own feelings. " To shut the eyes," says Mr Traill, " and give the hand to Christ, and, to quiet the mind, by trusting our guide in this last step, is a mighty blessing." In connexion with this, it may be men- tioned, that, up to the period of his last illness, he often shewed a marked love of life. " I would like," he would frequently say, " if it was the will of Providence, to be spared to do a little more in my Master's work." Even during the severe ill- ness he laboured under in the year 1829, he would never anticipate death. Contrary to the opinion of all his friends, and even his medical attendants, he always cherished the confident expectation of being restored to health, and to his beloved work of preaching. Under that illness, too, he appeared in an uncomfortable, and even irritable state of THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 159 mind, arising, it was evident, from the peculiar nature of the disease under which he laboured. But, during the short period of his last illness, al- most every thing was reversed. From the very first (a fortnight before the paralytic attack) he ap- peared to look forward to death. He expressed no expectation, he even shewed no desire of living, and there was, moreover, something so resigned and softened in his manner, as forcibly reminded those about him of " a weaned child." It was evident that now the fruit was fully ripe, and ready to drop as soon as the tree was shaken. At the commencement of his illness, and for the space of a day or two, he was distressingly ha- rassed by doubts and alarms. He even once ex- pressed his fear to Mrs Brown, that it was all a de- lusion. But happily " this horror of great dark- ness" that fell upon him, was of short continuance. The day quickly broke, and the shadows fled away. He was overheard, when he appeared to be asleep, saying to himself, u I'll flee to the blood of Jesus, the precious blood of Jesus. I have always done so, and all the devils in hell shall not prevent me from doing it now." He was also heard saying, " He is my God — He is my Creator — He is my Redeemer." The same evening he told an anec- dote, which was clearly indicative of the exer- cise of his own mind at the time, of an elder of a neighbouring congregation, who being sadly ha- rassed by Satan's temptations, and having only one promise that he could take hold of, exclaimed to 160 MEMOIR OF this effect, " Vile devil ! one promise has been suf- ficient to cause thee torment for nearly six thou- sand years, and shall not I trust to one promise for safety and comfort!" After this short and des- perate struggle, Mr Brown shewed the greatest composure of mind, nor was Satan permitted to disturb his peace more. His natural dread of dying even seemed to be taken away, so that, like his Divine Redeemer, he was heard in the very thing which he feared. The truth which he had preached so long to his people proved now the support and solace of his own soul. His colleague, at one time, after remarking to him, that he had, during his life, strenuously contended for the doc- trines of grace, asked, if he found them sufficient to support his mind in his present trying circum- stances ? His answer was, " Quite sufficient, no- thing but the doctrine of grace will do." Mr Brown once remarked upon the passage, " Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me," that the promise was fulfilled when we were made to glorify God, though we were not delivered. In this sense he had the fulfilment of the promise in his last ill- ness. He called upon God in the day of his trouble, and he was made to glorify him. From the nature of his disease, which was palsy, and which nearly deprived him of speech, he was not able to edify those around him by his conversation, as he would no doubt otherwise have done, and as he seemed frequently to wish to do. He said, however, and THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 161 looked enough to shew that his mind was in per- fect peace, staid upon God. From the time that he was first seized, nothing seemed to give him so much delight as repeating to him the promises of the Gospel. It was frequently observed, that, when at any time he became uneasy and restless, the administering one of these spiritual cordials would immediately produce a visibly soothing ef- fect upon him. He repeatedly said, in answer to questions respecting the state of his mind, " All's right, all's well." On one of his daughters asking him if he had no doubts, he distinctly articulated, " None." To his son Dr Brown, he said very audibly and intelligibly, " There's rest in Christ" On one of his daughters repeating to him the words, " God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble," he looked up, and with a smile of ineffable sweetness, and with great em- phasis, said, " O yes, a very present help in trou- ble." One of his elders, after praying with him, repeated some suitable portions of Scripture, and among others, " I shall be satisfied when I awake . with thy likeness ;" he said, " perfectly satisfied.' He several times manifested a strong desire to speak to his colleague Mr Millar, and repeatedly made the attempt ; but his palsied tongue would not obey the impulse of his mind. On one of these occasions, however, drawing him near to him, and kissing him, he said, " Glad, glad." Mrs Brown said, " Are you glad that you have got a colleague who will feed your people with the finest 162 MEMOIR OF of the wheat ?* He replied, " O aye? Mrs Brown then said, " I am sure you will wish Mr Millar to bring as many to see you in glory as he can." At the mention of this, says Mr Millar, he turned his face towards me, and his whole soul, as it were, beaming through his eye, he said with an energy of which I did not think him Capable, u Aye, do that, lad? To ascertain the state of his mind in the immediate prospect of dying, his son Dr Brown read the following extract from " Se- cret Thoughts of a Christian lately Departed, by his friend Ambrose Serle, Esq., " a little book which was a great favourite of Mr Brown's: " Mine age and my disorder put me continually in mind that I have no long continuance here. How shall I face death, usually styled the king of terrors ! How shall I appear in the presence of God ! I have surely no foundation of hope, but in the ato- ning blood and perfect obedience of Jesus Christ iny Lord and Saviour. I have no help but in the Spirit of Truth, by whom I have access to this grace wherein I stand. I have no plea but this one, which the Lord will not reject, ' God be merciful to me a sinner.'" To this Mr Brown distinctly signified his assent, as expressing the sentiments of his heart. During life it had been Mr Brown's chief de- light to preach the glorious gospel of the blessed God, and this passion seemed to remain strong in death. When asleep he appeared to be often thus engaged. His usual peculiar chaunt was heard THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 163 quite distinctly ; but it was only once or twice that those who attended him could certainly re- cognise what he said. At one time he was heard very distinctly, in his common singing tone, to say, " O the hope of Israel, and the Saviour thereof in the time of trouble ;" and at another, with like dis- tinctness, " Thy God thy glory." After an in- creased laborious breathing of about two hours, and just after his brother the Reverend Ebenezer Brown had been praying in his behalf for a safe and speedy dismission, he fell asleep. He often- times, when alive, referred to a saying of Boston's, that if he was not allowed to glorify God by his speech in dying, he might be allowed to do it by his countenance. This, which seemed to be the desire of his own soul, he obtained. During the last night of his life, his countenance assumed a more than ordinarily serene aspect, and even the comparatively juvenile appearance that it had when he was about forty years of age. Thus he was enabled to leave the earth in the manner in which his sainted father, in a letter to him, expressed his wish to leave it, " like a wax candle going out, with a rank odour of Him whose garments smellof myrrh and aloes, and cassia." " Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace." He died on the 10th February 1 832, in the seventy-eighth year of his age, and the fifty-fifth of his ministry. On the Sabbath after he died, and while he was lying a corpse in the manse, his venerable brother the Reverend Ebe- 164 MEMOIR OF nezer Brown preached highly suitable sermons to the bereaved people. On the Monday evening also, which was the evening of the Monthly Mis- sionary Prayer Meeting, he delivered a most inte- resting and impressive discourse, from the words, " There is joy in heaven over one sinner that re- penteth ;" from which he took occasion, in an equally ingenious and impressive manner, to remind the mourning family and congregation, that, though the deceased parent and pastor was now beyond the reach of their personal attentions, they had it still in their power i:o add to his bliss even in hea- ven, because they had it in their power to bring sinners to repentance. On the Thursday following, all that remained of Mr Brown was committed to the dust, in the church-yard of Whitburn, in the presence of a very large assemblage of his brethren, people, and neighbours of all denominations. Before proceed- ing to the place of interment, the body was taken into the church, where a funeral address, honour- able to the memory of the dead, and especially calculated to be useful to the living, was delivered by his intimate friend and neighbour, and the oldest member of his presbytery, the Reverend William Fleming, West Calder. On the Sabbath succeed- ing, the funeral sermon was preached to a very crowded and deeply affected congregation, by the Reverend John Brown, D.D. Edinburgh, from John xi. 11, " Our friend Lazarus sleepeth, but I go that I may awake him out of sleep." THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 165 As a last testimony of their respect and affec- tion, his Congregation have erected a plain Monu- ment over his grave, on which the following in- scription is engraved. IN HOPE OF THE RESURRECTION OF LIFE, HERE REST THE MORTAL REMAINS OF The Rev. JOHN BROWN, MINISTER OF THE UNITED ASSOCIATE CONGREGATION, WHITBURN J WHO, DURING A MINISTRY OF NEARLY FIFTY-FIVE YEARS, FULLY PREACHED THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST, FAITHFULLY PERFORMED THE DUTIES OF THE PASTORAL CARE, AND, BY HIS HOLY USEFUL LIFE, ILLUSTRATED AND RECOMMENDED THE DOCTRINES HE TAUGHT AND THE DUTIES HE ENJOINED. IFis cheerful piety and active benevolence endeared him to aii who knew him while he lived, drew forth strong and gene- ral regrets at his death, and secured for him the blessing which rests on " the memory of the just." His congregation, as a token of their affectionate veneration of his worth, and grateful remembrance of his labours, have placed this Monument over his grave. He was born at Haddington, July 24. 1754, — ordained at Whitburn, May 22. 1777, — and died there February 1832, in the 78th year of his age, and in the 55th year of hi3 ministry. His first wife, Mrs Isabella Cranston, an amiable Chris- tian, who died June 8. 1795, in the 36th year of her age, lies buried by his side, — and their two infant children, Janet and Ebenezer, are also interred in this Church-yard. 166 MEMOIR OF LIST OF THE PUBLICATIONS OF THE REVEREND JOHN BROWN, WHITBURN. 1. Select Remains of the Rev- John Brown, late Minis- ter of the Gospel at Haddington, containing, I. Memoirs of his Life ; II. Letters to his Friends; III. Religious Essays ; IV. Advices to his Children; V. An account of some of his Dying Sayings; and VI. Dying Advices to his Congrega- tion. 12mo. London, 1789, pp. xii.-360 This interesting memorial of their venerable Parent was introduced to the public by a Preface, signed by his two Sons then in the ministry, John and Ebenezer. It has passed through six large editions, undergoing considerable enlargements, and is highly prized by the admirers of experimental religion. 2. The Evangelical Preacher, a select Collection of Doc- trinal and Practical Sermons, chiefly by English Divines of the Eighteenth Century. In 3 volumes 12mo. — The two first volumes were published at Edinburgh in 1802, and the third in 1806. The Sermons are forty-seven in number, and are judicious evangelical discourses. Mr Brown's name ap- pears at the close of the Preface as the Selector and Edi- tor, and the work is recommended by the Rev. Drs Er- skine and Peddie of Edinburgh, and the Editor's neighbour and friend the Rev. Archibald Bruce of Whitburn. 3. Memoirs of the Life and Character of the late Rev. James Hervey, A. M. Compiled by the Rev. John Brown, Whitburn. 12mo. Edin. 1806. — A second edition, with such large additions as more than to double the size of the book, appeared in 1809. And a third edition, also enlarged, was published in 8vo, in 1821; This is not only an excellent Memoir of Hervey's Life and Character, but a condensed abstract of all that is most peculiar and valuable in his writ- ings. 4. A Collection of Religious Letters from Books and Manuscripts, suited to almost every situation in the Chris- tian Life, selected by the Rev: John Brown, Minister of the Gospel, Whitburn. 12mo. Edin. 1813 A second edi- tion, enlarged, appeared in 1816. 5. A Collection of Letters from printed Books and Ma- nuscripts, suited to Children and Youth. Selected by John THE REV. JOHN BROWN. 167 Brown, Minister of the Gospel, Whitburn. 18mo. Glas- gow, 1815: 6. Gospel Truth accurately stated and illustrated, by the Rev. Messrs James Hog, Thomas Boston, Ebenezer and Ralph Erskines, and others, occasioned by the republica- tion of the Marrow of Modern Divinity. Collected by John Brown, Minister of the Gospel, Whitburn. Edin. 1817 This contains a general account of the controversy con- cerning the Doctrine of Grace in the Church of Scotland, in the beginning of the eighteenth century — Sketches of the Lives of those Ministers who defended the Doctrine of Grace, viz. Rev: Ebenezer Erskine, Ralph Erskine, Gabriel Wilson, Henry Davidson, Thomas Boston, James Hog, John Williamson, John Kid, John Bonar, James Bath- gate, Hunter and Wardlaw — The Act of the General As- sembly anent the Marrow of Modern Divinity — Queries addressed by the Assembly to the defenders of the Mar- row — Answers to these Queries — Extracts from the works of the Marrow men, &c. A new and greatly enlarged edi- tion of this work was published at Glasgow in 1831. 1, A brief account of a Tour in the Highlands of Perth- shire, July 1818, in a Letter to a Friend, by John Brown, Minister of the Gospel, Whitburn; to which is added, a paper entitled, A Loud Cry from the Highlands. 12mo. Edin. 1818: 8. Means of Doing Good, proposed and exemplified in several Letters to a Friend, by John Brown, Minister of the Gospel, Whitburn. 12mo. Edin. 1820.— This is wor- thy of a place on the same shelf with Cotton Mather's Essays to do good. 9. Memoirs of Private Christians, selected by John Brown, Minister of the Gospel, Whitburn. 8vo. Glasgow — This work has no date, but it is believed that it was published about 1821. It w r as intended as a kind of continuation of his Father's " Practical Piety exemplified." It contains eighteen Memoirs of Persons in private life, distinguished for their Christian attainments. 10. Christian Experience, or the Spiritual Exercise of Eminent Christians in different ages and places, stated in their own words. Collected by John Brown, Minister of the Gospel, Whitburn. 18mo. Edin. 1825. 168 MEMOIR, &C. 11. Descriptive List of Religious Books in the English Language, suited for general use ; by John Brown, Minister of the Gospel, Whitburn. Edin. 1827. 12. Evangelical Beauties of the late Rev. Hugh Binning, M. A. with an Account of his Life, by the Rev. John Brown, Whitburn. 32mo. Edin. 1828. 13. Evangelical Beauties of Archbishop Leighton. Col- lected by the Rev. John Brown of Whitburn. 18mo. Ber- wick, 1828. 14. Notes, Devotional and Explanatory, on the Trans- lations and Paraphrases in verse of several passages of Scripture, collected and prepared by a Committee of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, in order to be sung in Churches. — These were published with an edi- tion of the Psalms in metre, with his father's Notes, in Glasgow; and again in Edinburgh, 1831. 15. Memoir of the Rev. Thomas Bradbury, author of the Mystery of Godliness; by the Rev. John Brown, Whit- burn. 18mo. Berwick, 1831. 16- Memorials of the Nonconformist Ministers of the Seventeenth Century'' Collected by the Rev- John Brown, Whitburn ; with an Introductory Essay by William M'Ga- vin, Esq. Glasgow, 1832. — It is a singular circumstance that this was the last literary work of both the excellent men whose names appear on its title-page. Mr Brown died just before it went to press, and Mr M'Gavin just as it was leaving it. Through his instrumentality chiefly, the following works were given to the public : — Boston's Primitise et Ulti- ma, or the Early Labours and Last Remains of the Rev. Thomas Boston, in 3 vols. 12mo, Edin. ; and Two Vo- lumes of Sermons by the same author, in 8vo, Glasgow. A Treatise on the Nature and Influence of Faith, by the Rev. Archibald Hall of London : Edin. Sermons on va- rious important topics, by the Rev. David Wilson of Lon- don : Glasgow, 1818- A selection of valuable Religious Letters, partly original, and a collection of the Sermons of the Rev- James Hervey, 8vo, published at Glasgow 1816, has a Preface by him, and there is reason to believe he was himself " the minister long and fully acquainted with Mr Kervey's works," who made the selection. 169 AN ADDRESS DELIVERED AT THE INTERMENT OF THE REV* JOHN BROWS", WHITBURN, ON THE 16TH FEBRUARY 1832, BY THE REV. WILLIAM FLEMING, A- M. WEST CALDER. My Christian Brethren, — To attend the fune- ral of a friend is no uncommon circumstance in this land of the dying; but to attend the funeral of a mi- nister of Christ, who has laboured in the service of his Master for upwards of fifty-four years, is, what it is highly probable, few, if any, of us ever did before, and what, it is equally probable, few, if any, of us will ever be called to do again. As I am requested by the friends of our deceas- ed father to address you on this solemn occasion, I shall endeavour to lead you to a suitable im- provement of an event, in which all of you, and many others not present, feel deeply interested. And, methinks, there are few opportunities of com- municating and receiving religious impressions more favourable than that which is afforded by the death of a faithful minister of Christ. It is far from my intention to pronounce an eulogium on the character of our departed friend. But if, during the few minutes I address you, I shall make allusion to his character, I trust you will hold me excused : It would be strange indeed 170 FUNERAL ADDRESS. if I, who lived in intimate habits of friendship and ministerial communion with him, for the long period of nearly thirty-five years, and, during all that time, sympathized in his joys and sorrows, and witnessed at last his deathbed scene ; it would be strange, I say, if I could address you on the pre- sent occasion, and yet be entirely silent about him. My object, however, shall not be to speak so much to his praise, as to induce you to be followers of him as he was of Christ. Our dear friend is gone, and this event reminds us that we ought to be " followers of them, who, through faith and patience, are now inheriting the promises." " Remember them who have the rule over you, who have spoken to you the word of God, whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation." I have no doubt but that all of us, and particularly the people of his charge, esteemed him, while alive, " very highly in love for his work's sake ;" and I have as little doubt but that we and they will affectionately cherish the remembrance of him, now that he is gone. All of us believed him to be a decided Christian ; and, if you will allow the expression, which I apply to him without fear of contradiction, he was out and out the Christian minister. We have reason to believe that the grace of God took early posses- sion of his soul, and it afterwards animated him in his ministry, and adorned his conversation. I need not tell you, how that, in his ministrations, he dwelt on the peculiar truths of the Gospel as a FUNERAL ADDRESS. 171 man whose soul lived by the faith of them. Many of you recollect how earnestly he insisted on the sinner's need of a Saviour, — on the sovereignty, riches and freedom of divine grace, — on the all- sufficiency of the Saviour, — and on the free war- rant of the sinner to believe in him ; how fre- quently he stated in your hearing, that even by Christ there was no salvation in a state of sin, but salvation from sin ; and how he embraced every opportunity of warning against sins common to the age, and tendered the most urgent exhortations to prayer, and to the suitable improvement of the ordinances of grace, and of the dispensations of Providence. We cannot but remember how dili- gent he was in advancing religious knowledge, par- ticularly among the young, whose welfare he en- deavoured to promote in every respect ; and, by so doing, he, during his lengthened ministry, form- ed the religious sentiments and taste of the sur- rounding population. This he was enabled to do in consequence of a habit, which he cultivated with care during the whole course of his ministry, namely, that of knowing well the state of his flock, with the individual and family history of which he was minutely acquainted. Others as well as we can bear witness to the active zeal which he main- tained in reference to all public institutions, which had for their object the propagation of the Gospel, whether Tract, Missionary, or Bible Societies, with all their extended ramifications. It is well known that, in order to promote divine truth, he was a 172 FUNERAL ADDRESS. frequent contributor to the religious periodicals of the day, and abridged and edited some excellent volumes. As evangelical truth and religious bio- graphy imparted to himself much delight, so he frequently brought before the public the senti- ments and examples of pious divines of former times, to bear upon the sentiments and conduct of Christians in the present day. Concern for the advancement of true religion seemed in him a master principle, influencing all his ministrations and conduct. He was a workman in his Master's service, and, as some of yourselves used to express it, while others were thinking, he was doing ; in- deed, he was always doing in the service of Christ. His ministerial labours, his correspondence, his conduct in his family, his intercourse with society, and the whole tenor of his conversation, exhibited him as the minister of Christ. He was a soldier of Jesus Christ, who, in his character and conduct, always wore the uniform of his Master, and was found at the post of duty. Let those of us who are in the ministry remember him, and do like- wise. In order to stir ourselves up to duty, let us remember how holily, inoffensively, and usefully he lived among us. Let us " follow his faith, con- sidering the end of his conversation." Let the departure of our valued friend excite us to pray earnestly for the Church of Christ. When the servants of Christ, who have received grace to be faithful, and have risen to high respect and great usefulness, die, we may be apt to say, What FUNERAL ADDRESS. 173 will become of the interests of religion ? Perhaps, deeply impressed with this thought, the primitive church would feel alarm and distrust when John, the last apostle, was removed from them, and per- haps a sensation of a similar kind would be pro- duced by the death of Luther and Calvin, and other distinguished instruments of the good of the church. I remember of a similar sentiment being felt and expressed in my own time, when the late Dr Lawson of Selkirk, a man eminent for origi- nality of thought, extensive learning, Christian simplicity of character, and eminent usefulness, w r as removed from the church below T ; and I doubt not, but that many, particularly in this neighbour- hood and congregation, may, on account of the death we deplore, entertain a similar sentiment of fear for the ark of God. Such a sentiment natu- rally arises in the mind when the more eminent servants of Christ die. The church loses the be- nefit of their labours, prayers, and example. But we ought to recollect, that the best of these men were only instruments in the hands of Christ. The glorious Head of the Church, who is ascended to bestow gifts on men, still lives, blessed be our Rock. The stability and advancement of the king- dom of Christ depends not on the instrumentality of any individual, but on the power and grace of Him who can raise up and qualify instruments for His purpose, and who lives for ever more. " All flesh is grass, and all the glory of man is as the flower of the field ; the grass withereth, and the flower there- 174 FUNERAL ADDRESS. of falleth away ; but the word of the Lord endu- reth for ever, which word is by the Gospel preach- ed unto you." Those who preach the word die, and those who hear it die, but the dispensation of it shall continue, and shall be more or less success- ful, " till we all come to the fulness of the stature of perfect men in Christ Jesus." Let this thought excite and encourage us to prayer, saying, " Help, Lord, for the godly man ceaseth." Let us plead that the Head of the Church may raise up faithful labourers into his vineyard, and that he may be- stow a double portion of his Spirit on those who are or shall be raised up to serve him. " He shall have a seed to serve him in all generations." We shall see the face of our deceased friend no more. Ought we not to be deeply impressed with the truth, that, like him, we also shall go hence, and give in our account to God? The most of you will remember, that our deceased friend, on the Monday after the dispensation of the Supper in his own congregation, used, among other admo- nitions, to remind them, that one day there would be a resurrection of the truths they had heard. Methinks, this admonition comes now with re- doubled force. Yes, brethren, one day there will be, in the sense of responsibility, a resurrection of our valued friend's ministry. Many of you will say to-day, with sorrow of heart, We have interred our worthy minister. But, brethren, I beseech you to inquire what improvement you have made under his ministrations. Let none of us who are in the 3 FUNERAL ADDRESS. 175 ministry presume that our period of ministration will last as long as his. Ours may be but of short continuance. " Whatsoever, then, our hands find to do, let us do it with all our might, since there is neither knowledge, nor wisdom, nor device in the grave, whither we are hastening." Our valued friend has finished his course. Let it be our con- cern that " we finish our course with joy, and the ministry which we have received of the Lord Jesus/' We shall this day bury the mortal re- mains of our friend out of our sight. But, let us all remember, that the period will soon arrive when we also shall be laid in the cold and silent grave. — " It is appointed unto men once to die." The law is thus laid down, the statute is clear, the pre- cedent is before us. Let each one of us say, in ap- plication to himself, and as in the presence of God, " I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for ail living." As the father of our deceased friend, whose praise is in the churches, somewhere remarks, " However men may live, they will find nothing but genuine Christianity fit to die with." O, then, let us, in this day of God's long-suf- fering patience, be savingly acquainted with that Redeemer who has been so long preached to us ; let us become subject to the power of His grace, that in heart and in life we may be preparing for that world into which the soul of our deceased friend has entered. Then shall our death-bed scene, like his, be serene, and then shall the day of our death 176 FUNERAL ADDRESS. be to our souls the day-break of eternal bright- ness. I conclude, by preaching the Gospel to you in words, in which you have often heard our valued friend preach ; methinks, I hear him repeat them still, but they are the words of an infinitely greater than he. " God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him might not perish, but have everlasting life. Come unto me all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest ; him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out. Surely, shall one say, in the Lord we have righteousness and strength ." " Now, brethren, may the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting Covenant, make you perfect to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glorv now and for ever, Amen." LETTERS ON SANCTIFICATION. ( 179 ) LETTERS ON SANCTIFICATION. LETTER I. PRELIMINARY REMARKS. It is with real satisfaction, my dear Theron, that I sit down to pursue, by epistolary communication, those sub- jects which have formed the principal theme of so many delightful, and I trust not altogether useless, conversations. From the library window I perceive those fields over which we saw the sower scattering the precious seed, co- vered with a rich verdure, and giving the promise of an abundant harvest. May I not indulge the hope, that the still more precious seed of the word sown in your heart, by the great Husbandman, through my humble endea- vours, is already springing up in holiness and consolation, and will one day ripen into perfection of purity and fe- licity ? The subject before me is peculiarly engaging nor is it wonderful that I am partial to it. It is the foundation of all my present comfort, and all my hopes for eternity ; and earnestly desiring, as I do, the happi- ness of my friend, I know no better method of promoting it than by endeavouring to build him up on the " most holy faith." Aware of the danger of the divine cause suffering through the weakness of its advocate, I lift up my heart 180 LETTERS OX SANCTIFICATION. to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ as the Father of lights, that he may instruct me in the great mystery of Christ, in us, the hope of glory, and the spring of holiness ; and enable me, out of the good treasure of the sacred word, to bring forth things new and old for your edification and direction in the ways of God. I see pecu- liar need of divine illumination on this subject ; for in the doctrine and duty of Gospel sanctification are great mysteries, and no where do multitudes of preachers more miserably err and mislead than here. Of this I am cer- tain, that it is my earnest wish that my friend and myself may on this subject accurately and experimentally know the truth as it is in Jesus. " As my aim" (to borrow the words of a profound theologian and experienced saint of the last age *) u is to know Christ and him crucified, to exalt him, and to ascribe to him the pre-eminence in all things, to discover the whole of our salvation and glory of God thereby centred in his person and mediation, with its emanation from thence through the efficacy of the Eternal Spirit, and all our obedience to receive life, power, and vigour from thence only, knowing that it is the obedience of faith, and hath its foundation in blood and water ; so I equally abhor all doctrines that would by any means intercept the efficacy of the death and cross of Christ from its work of perpetual and constant morti- rication in the heart of believers, or cut off any obliga- tion unto obedience or holiness, that, by the discovery of the will of God, either in the law or the Gospel, is put upon the redeemed ones of the Lord." I have, in the course of our conversations, discovered a zeal for the peculiarities of Gospel doctrine, which at one rime you perhaps thought excessive : they have indeed long been high in my esteem, and dear to my heart : — yet were a writer or preacher to give an illustration, however lumi- nous, and a proof, however satisfactory, of my favourite jirinciple, — that the shiner is justified on the ground of the * Dr Owen. LETTERS ON SANCTIFICATION. 181 imputed righteousness of the Redeemer, freely offered in the Gospel, and received by faith — which in the slightest degree trenched on the interests of holiness, I would consider him as acting a part most inconceivably criminal. The dead- liness of the poison would correspond to the healing vir- tues of the perverted cordial. "While I consider Christ as the only, the all-sufficient, Saviour from the guilt of sin, I would never forget that he, and he alone, can cleanse us from its pollution, or deliver us from its power, — that he is a Redeemer from all iniquity, who turns away un- godliness from Jacob. Detested be the doctrine, which, in addition to the truth that grace reigns through right- eousness, does not represent sin as our greatest misery as well as our greatest crime, and holiness as the very quin- tessence of true and endless felicity. In the succeeding part of our correspondence, the word holiness will very frequently occur, and it will be of use that you are aware of the precise sense in which I use the term. Holiness, then, evangelical holiness, I consider as consisting in the love of God and of man — that un- forced, unfeigned, and most rational love of God which arises from a discovery of his infinite excellence, and espe- cially his unspeakable mercy and kindness to us ; that cordial, disinterested, and universal love of man, which tlows from the possession of a satisfactory and delightful portion in the Lord Jehovah. These duties to our Crea- tor and to our fellow-creatures, are regarded as the sum and substance of obedience to the moral law. Holiness, considered in this aspect, is not merely nor chiefly the means of our salvation, but is a part, a distinguished part of it — the very central point in which all the means of grace, and all the ordinances of religion, terminate. But, to prevent mistakes, it will be necessary that I should be somewhat more particular. Holiness may be considered either as habitual or actual. Habitual holiness consists in a holy frame and disposition of soul, in conse- quence of which the sanctified individual is reconciled t ) 182 LETTERS ON SANCTIFICATION. that^holy law against which his carnal mind was enmity — his inclinations habitually fixing on objects required by the law, and his aversions on objects forbidden by it. From this circumstance, it is represented under the figure of the law written on the heart. Actual holiness is the expression of this inward temper, in holy thoughts, words, and actions. If we would wish to form accurate views on this im- portant subject, we must always consider evangelical ho- liness as a great privilege, purchased by Christ's blood, of- fered in the word of grace and promise, secured by the imputation of Christ's righteousness, and conferred on us by means of the efficacious influences of the Divine Spi- rit. We must also steadily contemplate it as a most im- portant duty commanded in the law of God — to which we are constrained by his love, and in which we are directed by his pattern, and assisted by his grace. It must far- ther be viewed as our most useful business, by which we honour God, profit our neighbours, and obtain for our- selves a great and a sure reward. How prodigiously im- portant, then, is sanctification ! — the end of all the Re- deemer's offices — of his humbled life — his ignominious death — his celestial glories — the end of all the operations of the Divine Spirit on Christ and his people — the end of all divine promises and precepts, ordinances of religion, and dispensations of Providence — the end of electing love, redeeming power, regenerating grace, and spiritual con- solation ! Many of the most dangerous mistakes respecting sancti- fication, have originated in ignorance, or inattention to its difference from, and its connection with, justification. An accurate knowledge of these is necessary to prevent us from turning the grace of God into licentiousness on the one hand, and on the other from substituting our own qualities and works in the place of the Redeemer's right- eousness. The want of this has, it is to be feared, made many stumble and fall to their own destruction, and an LETTERS ON SANCTIFICATION. 183 imperfect degree of it has in many cases prevented the Christian's progress both in holiness and comfort, and subjected him to the spirit of bondage and fear. These two cardinal blessings of the Christian salvation differ in a variety of respects. They differ in their matter ; — the matter of justification is the righteousness of Christ im- puted; that of sanctification is the fulness of Christ com- municated, John i. 16. They differ as to the nature of the change which they effect ; justification makes a relative, sanctification a real, change ; the first changes a man's state — the second his heart and life. They differ in the manner of their conveyance. 3 ustification is made ours by the imputation of Christ's righteousness, sanctification by the implantation of Christ's grace. They differ in their properties. Justification is at first complete and perfect — sanctification, imperfect in its beginnings, gradually increases till it be perfected in glory. The righteousness of justification is strictly meritorious, being the righteous- ness of God — by which the law is not only fulfilled but magnified ; but the righteousness of sanctification is not me- ritorious, being only the imperfect righteousness of a sin- ful creature. Justification is equally possessed by all be- lievers, but all saints are not equally sanctified. They differ in their subjects. Christ himself, and not the be- liever, is the subject of our justifying righteousness ; it is inherently in him who wrought it out perfectly for us, but the believer himself is the subject of the righteous- ness of sanctification. The justifying righteousness is on the believer as a robe. The sanctifying righteousness is in him as a nature. They differ as to their order. They are indeed conferred in the same moment of time ; but, in the order of nature, justification precedes sanctifica- tion, as the cause precedes the effect — as fire precedes light and heat. They differ in tfceir ingredients. The main ingredient in justification is the grace and love of God to us manifested in pardoning and accepting us through Christ ; the chief ingredient in sanctification is 184 LETTERS ON SANCTIFICATION. our gratitude and love to God, flowing from his love to ns, and appearing in our obedience to his holy law. They differ as to their evidence and discernibleness. Justification is a most secret act of the divine mind ; sanctification is a visible change, proving at once itself and justification. They differ in their relation to the law of God. Justifica- tion has a reference to the law as a covenant, and frees the soul from its power ; Rom. vii. 4. Sanctification re- spects the law as a rule, and makes the soul earnestly to desire conformity to it, and to delight in it after the in- ward man ; Rom. vii. 22. The one is a judicial sentence, absolving us from all liableness to punishment ; the other is a spiritual change, fitting us for the discharge of our duty. They differ in their relation to the offices of our Redeemer. Justification is immediately founded on the sacrificial part of his priesthood ; sanctification results from his prophetical instructions, and his kingly powers of conquest, government, and defence. In fine, they dif- fer in their usefulness to us. Justification frees us from obnoxiousness to the punishments of hell, and entitles us to the joys of heaven. Sanctification frees us from the slavery and pollution of sin, and prepares us for the ce- lestial enjoyments. Say not, my Theron, these are the systematic distinc- tions of speculative men, and useless for the purposes of practical holiness. I have, in order to keep the subject from swelling beyond the limits of a letter, been obliged to make use of more systematic terms than I could have wished ; but I am persuaded, that the more thoroughly you examine the word of God, you will be the more deeply convinced that these doctrines are strictly scrip- tural. The danger of confounding two things so distinct, and the importance of distinguishing them, are well pointed out by the judicious and savoury Trail *. " I am per- * " I find/* says Mr Hervey, speaking of the works of this author, " I find them to be savoury meat, the true manna food for the soul. Mr LETTERS ON SANCTIFICATION. 185 suaded that one of the main causes of the disorder that is in the spirits and conversation of the most of Christians, lies in confounding these two great blessings. They do not give them their proper place, they are not rightly exercised about them in their due sphere ; therefore I shall offer a word or two of advice for preventing this con- founding of them. When you are seeking justification, let there be no* mind of sanctification, I mean as to any merit ; but when you are seeking sanctification, have a good mind to justification. To make this matter plain to you, — when you are seeking justification, you should have no thought of sanctification ; — the reason is, because jus- tification is an act of pure grace, that we must betake ouselves to God as poor criminals and condemned sin- ners. Let men varnish their doctrines which way they will, and cover them with what pretences they please, they do but murder souls who pretend to advise them to bring something with them to God for the grace of justi- fication. Bring thy sins with thee, and bring the curse of the law upon thy conscience, and lay these before the Lord, saying, Lord, here is an undone sinner, have mer- cy on me for Christ's sake. There should be nothing else heard there but that. But when you come for sanc- tification, you have good reason to mind justification, for the one flows from the other. When you would try your justification, in God's name try it by your sanctifi- cation ; that is allowed you. The reason is, it is trying a tree by its fruits. In short, they who bring sanctifica- tion as a title to their justification, they err the breadth of God's whole heavens ; and they who pretend to the blessing of justification, and cannot justify it by the prac- tice of sanctification, do but deceive themselves." In fixing our minds on these important distinctions be- tween justification and sanctification, we must not forge Trail was a workman that needed not to be ashamed. He knew how clearly to state, and solidly to establish, the faith of God's elect, and the doctrine according to godliness." 186 LETTERS ON SANCTIFICATION. that they are closely and inseparably connected. Accord- ing to the Scriptures, they are linked in an indissoluble bond in the decree and promise of God — in the design of the mission, offices, and death of the Saviour — in the call and offer of the Gospel, and in the experience of all the saints. Justification through the blood of Jesus has in- deed a most powerful influence in the production and in- crease of evangelical holiness. It is true, the doctrine has often been represented, and generally believed (my friend can recollect the period when he was the dupe of this prejudice), to be hostile to the interests of real sanctity. In every such case, there has been misrepresentation, either through ignorance or malignity. The treatment this doctrine has received, is somewhat similar to what fell to the lot of its strenuous supporters, the primitive Christians. Their persecutors, with a horrid ingenuity in the art of tormenting, used to dress them up in the skins of animals, and then cast them as a prey to wild beasts. Its enemies first clothe it in a licentious garb and then call on the friends of virtue to detest it. I have no doubt that this doctrine, in itself so salutary, is liable to abuse, and has in fact been abused. A man whose acquaintance with this doctrine is superficial, or, though extensive and accurate, is merely speculative, may very likely abuse it, and will most certainly derive no sancti- fying influence from it. It will not, however, be difficult to convince your candid mind, especially as I may now appeal to your own experience as evidence of the truth of what I say, that this doctrine, properly understood, and really believed, has not only a powerful influence in making men holy, but it is the only effectual means of producing true holiness. Unjustified men are under the curse of the divine law, which, while it continues in force, opposes an insurmountable obstacle in the way of the production of evangelical holiness in the human heart. This curse of the law, though in itself most holy, renders it inconsistent with the moral excellencies of the divinitr LETTERS ON SANCTIFICATION. 187 to communicate to those who are under it spiritual good. Of consequence, it binds men under the influences of sin, and seals up all sanctifying influences from their souls. It were not a more absurd expectation that when, by the influence of the frost, the clods stick fast together, the earth should be clothed with the verdure of spring, the luxuriance of summer, or mellow richness of autumn, than that when man is cut off from the source of all spi- ritual life and beauty, he should bring forth the fruits of holiness. The fig-tree blasted by the Saviour's curse soon withered away — striking emblem of that scene of spiritual barrenness and desolation which overspreads the mind which God has pronounced accursed. By the justifica- tion of the sinner through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, this obstacle, otherwise insurmountable, is removed. The wall of adamant which refused all access to the " fountain of gardens, the water of life" into the barren soil of the human heart, is levelled with the ground — and now God, in consistency with his own holi- ness, can render us holy. In consistency with his own ho- liness, did I say ? He stands, I speak it with reverence, He stands irrevocably engaged to employ all his perfec- tions in bestowing on the justified person holiness of heart and life, as a principal part of that salvation to which his justifying sentence has adjudged us ; 2 Tim. iv. 7? 8. The blood of Christ applied to the conscience, is represented by an Apostle as purging it from dead works to serve the living God ; Heb. ix. 14. This doctrine farther believed, in reference to our own particular case, furnishes the most powerful motives to universal holiness. The views which it gives us of the excellencies of the divine character, and especially of the goodness of God to us, have a plain tendency to excite that love of God which is the seminal principle of all ho- liness. The wondrous love of God and of Christ ; the ho- liness and equity of his law ; its high and indispensable ob- ligations on us as a rule ; the infinite vileness, danger, ma- 188 LETTERS ON SANCTIFICATIOX. lignity and demerit of sin ; the beauty, dignity, and use- fulness, of evangelical holiness ; the perfect pattern of the Redeemer ; the promise of grace to enable us to imi- tate it ; and the prospect of a gracious vet most abundant reward for this imitation ; all these, and a thousand other motives, operate with an invincible force on the justified sinner, inducing him to cleanse himself from all filthi- ness of the flesh and of the spirit, periecting holiness in the fear of God *. These are not, my dear friend, what they have sometimes been said to be, mere theological niceties. Properly to understand these truths, is no vul- gar attainment in Christian theology — experimentally to know them, is the very essence of Christian godliness. The evangelical holiness of which we are speaking, is not the spontaneous production of the human heart. The doctrine of Scripture plainly is, that all mankind are by nature unholy ; and this doctrine is supported by the united voice of experience and observation. He who is intimately acquainted with the principles of the human constitution, and the tempers and conduct of all mankind, has solemnly declared, that every imagination of the thoughts of man's heart is only evil, and that continual- ly. One man may have naturally a more amiable tem- per than another, but all, all are depraved. The noble structure of man's original excellence is swept away as by the besom of destruction. An image, in all its features a frightful contrast to the moral image of divinity, is to be found in every heart. Deceitful above all things and desperately wicked is its name. Ignorance, atheism, un- belief, pride, malice, revenge, unbridled appetite, and * " In the name of all believers," says one, M being justified by Christ, we seek to be renewed in the inner man after his holy pattern. We covet earnestly to have the same mind in us which also was in our divine Mas- ter. We look upon it as our privilege to draw nigh to God in all the duties of devotion. We would not discontinue them for a thousand worlds. We prize holiness as a most choice part of our happiness, — a blessing purchased by the blood of our adorable High Priest. We therefore press forward as racers press forward to the goal, or the chased hart flies to the water brooks."— Hervetfs Letters, published 1811. LETTERS ON 'SANCTIFICATION. 189 inordinate desire, with all their detestable associates and followers, possess the place which was once occupied by the love of God. " Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies." We must all own, that we are as unclean things, and need to pray, " Create in me a clean heart. AVash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin." While in this situation we are not only unholy, but the way of our being made holy is totally un- known to us. Nature's light teaches, that we should ab- stain from direct injustice, violence, and impurity ; but of the nature and extent of true holiness, and especially of the manner of its production, we are altogether igno- rant. The way of sanctification revealed in the Gospel, — and this is, indeed, the only way, — lies quite beyond the sphere of human reason's discovery. Had all the phi- losophers in the world consulted together about a method of restoring the lost image of God to the mind of man, they never could have discovered that plan which well merits the appellation, " the manifold wisdom of God." Sanctification in Christ Jesus, — Christ made of God to us Sanctification,— Sanctification by faith which is in Christ, are ideas which it never could have entered into the heart of man to conceive ; and even when this divine plan is re- vealed, unenlightened men, however naturally gifted, consider it as foolishness, and obstinately refuse to prove its efficacy. Whenever man has directed his mind to this subject, he has discovered a bias to the original constitu- tion under which he was placed, — the covenant of works. The truth of this remark must strike you, when you cast a glance over those immense regions of the world where revelation is unknown, and where Paganism in its vari- ous forms, and the superstition of Mahomet, maintain their sway. They all agree in this one principle, that by doing we are to live, though they differ widely as to what is to be done in order to life. It is, however, impossible that man should be made really holy by any of these me- 190 LETTERS OX SAXCTIFICATIOX. thods. They want the sanction of Him who is the source of all true holiness, and whose divine appointment and blessing are necessary to make any plan the ministration of righteousness to the race of man ; and it deserves to be noticed, that, so far from making men holy, where these human devices, which, very undeservedly, have received the name of rational religion *, ftrevail, to the exclusion of the doctrine of sanctificatiori^hrough the righteous- ness and grace of Christ, an increase of licentious conduct has been the constant result. Of this we have a striking stration in Popery f, that grand apostacy equally from truth and holiness. On the other hand, you who have read ecclesiastical history with so much attention, need not be told, that a thorough reformation in nations and churches has uniformly been preceded and produced by a clear exhibition of the truth as it is in Jesus. Let us, then, my friend, in our researches into the nature of true holiness, and the means of its attainment, fix our hopes of success entirely on the gracious assistance of the God of truth and holiness, and let this be our prayer, " Open thou our eyes, that we may behold wonderful things out of thy law." The nature of true holiness is but very imperfectly understood, even by many Chris- * " I dread mightily, that a rational sort of religion is coming in ^among us. I mean by this, a religion that consists in a bare attendance on outward duties and ordinances, without the power of godliness, and thence people shall fail into a way of serving God, which is mere Deism, having no relation to Christ Jesus, and the Spirit of God." — Halybur- ton's Memoirs, a book in which the Christian, and especially the Chris- tian minister, may find much important instruction. t