the gentleman told him that the lectureship of that parish was then vacant, and promised to use his influence on his behalf, if he was disposed to become a candidate. Mr. Romaine consented, on condition that he should not be obliged to canvass. He was successful. Thus, by an occurrence, in which the hand of God was strikingly apparent, he was detained, and became the instrument of kindling that flame of evangelical truth in the established churches of London, which, we hope, will never be extinguished.

About 1744 or 1745, he was appointed morning preacher at St. George's, Hanover Square. Here his light brake forth as the morning, and his path resembled that of the sun, which shineth more and more unto the perfect day. He now disrobed himself of the flowery dress of the orator, and put on the simplicity that is in Christ. His discourses were better adapted to the wants of the thirsty soul, than the whims of the curious hearer. The consequence was, his ministry was greatly attended by persons of all descriptions, and he was at last dismissed "under the glorious imputation of crouding the church †," but not before many souls were savingly converted ‡.

In 1747, he published, by subscriptions, the first and

There be my seat, till I learn my lesson perfectly that will soon be. There is nothing in his presence, but what is like himself. In heaven all is perfection. The saints are as humble as they are happy cloathed with glory and cloathed with humility, with one heart and one voice, they cry, "Worthy is the Lamb." They look not at, they praise not one another; but the Lamb is glorified in his saints, and will have from them never ending praise and glory, for the glory which his sovereign grace has bestowed upon them.

"In a measure, I now feel what they do. My heart is in tune, and I can join that blessed hymn, looking at him as the giver of grace, (and grace is glory begun, nota bene) as they look at him the give of glory. I can take the crown, most gladly, from the head of almay graces, as they do from the head of their glory, and cast it down at his loving feetWorthy is the Lamb." He is-he is-blessings on him for ever and ever."

St. George's, Botolph Lane.

It wa well observed by a nobleman, to one who made the complaint, that he wondered such complaints should be made with respect to the house of God, by those who could bear to be much more incommoded at the play house without complaint." Mr. Goode's ser

mon.

One of whom was Mr. John Sanders, late his Majesty's state coachman, a venerable Christian, whose life see hereafter.

second

second volumes of a new edition of Calasio's Hebrew Dictionary and Concordance *, with great additions and emendations; and in the years 1748 and 1749, the third and fourth volumes of the same work. These productions gained him great literary fame. To this work he ob tained the signature of every crowned head in Europe, his Holiness not excepted.

In 1749, he was chosen lecturer of St. Dunstan's in the West, and, to the edification of thousands, lived to go through an entire commentary on the Bible in his evening exercises. At St. Dunstan's he was greatly harrassed by his parishioners, who engaged him in a law suit; but he was at length relieved by the voluntary interposition of Dr. Terrick, then bishop of London; who, remembering the familiarities of their youth at college, knowing him to be a man of approved abilities, of untainted morals, and a warm advocate for the established forms of worship, could not forbear to interest himself in his favour. Some time after he preached at Westminster Chapel; but was driven out by the Dean and Chapter. Though his stay here was but a few months, his labours were blessed to several well known characters in London.

February 11, 1755, he married Miss Price, of Shoreditch, a pious lady of genteel fortune, whom he left a widow. Only one of his children, Dr. Romaine, survives him, of whom he said, to several friend's a few days previous to his death, on hearing him expound in the family, "O what a marvellous mercy it is, that I should have a son who is a son of God!" In the same year he was

t

F. Marius de Calasio was a Franciscan frier, professor of Hebrew at Rome, in the beginning of the seventeenth century, and composed an excellent Concordance of the Hebrew Bible, founded on the Concordance of Rabbi Nathan, printed in four large volumes folio, at Rome, 1621. At the beginning of every article in this work, there is a kind of dictionary, which gives the signification of each Hebrew word, and affords an opportunity of comparing it with other Oriental languages, viz. with the Syriac, Arabic, and Chaldee; and this is extremely useful in determining the true meaning of the Hebrew words. In this edition Mr. Romaine was assisted by Mr. Moses Lutzena, a Portuguese Jew. It is however said, this edition is very incorrect, and that there is also reason to think, that the fidelity of the principal editor, who was a follower of Hutchinson, cannot altogether be depended on. It is certain at least, that the learned in these matters greatly prefer the old edition. See the Biographical Dictionary, article Calasio.

chosen

chosen Professor of Astronomy in Gresham College; but the admirers of sir Isaac Newton not relishing the philosophy of Mr. Hutchinson, nor the spiritual turn Mr. Romaine gave to his lectures, soon deserted him, and he resigned.

The lectureship of St. Dunstan's was instituted by the will of Dr. White, who bequeathed to the lecturer eighteen pounds per annum, to preach two sermons a week for about eight months in the year. Mr. Romaine held no other situation in the church than this for sixteen years. In the long vacation he frequently preached in the domestic chapels of the Countess of Huntingdon, from whom also he received a scarf. In this interval he had offers of livings in the country; and was applied to by the rev. Mr. Whitefield, to resign his lectureship for a situation in America, worth many hundreds a year; but he declined all these proposals, not seeing it his duty, in the latter case, to leave the established church; nor, in the former, to retire from London, where he was set for the defence of the Gospel*,

In August, 1764, he was chosen to the united rectory of St. Andrew by the Wardrobe and St. Ann Black Friers;

His sentiments upon this subject may be collected from the following extract of his letter:

"As to what you mention about -I know not what to say. It is in the best hands. He knows what to do. Let him alone. Remember he is the head of the church, and he will look after his own matters, and well too. At present I see not my way clearly from London. Here my master fixed me, and here I must stay till he call e to some other place. When he would have me to move, he will let me know his will. Besides, what am I? What does it signify where I am? A poor dumb dog, the vilest, the basest, of all the servants of my Lord. If you could see what is passing for any one Your in my heart, you would not think any thing of me; you would only admire and extol the riches of Jesus's love." In another letter he expresses himself in this language: "Would be worth my acaceptance? The worth of it does not come before me; but what my Master expects of ine. His will must be my rule. And it has been a long time as plain to me, as that two and two make four. I am stationed by himself. I am alone io London, and while he keeps me there, I dare not move; and when he has a mind to remove me, my ay will be as plain from London, as it is now to abide in it. if I iearkened to self, and wanted to run away from the Cross I know of To place so snug as -; but would you have me such a coward, as to fly, and such an one to stand by me-oue, who has kept me in many hades, and one, who, I trust, will presently make me more than Conqueror :"

but,

but, by the opposition of some, who were unfriendly to the Gospel, was kept out of the pulpit till March 2, 1766; when the lord chancellor, to the joy of thousands, terminated the dispute in his favour. His election is said to have been principally owing to the influence of a publican. Mr. Romaine, being informed of this circumstance, we are told, waited on him to thank him for the zeal he had shewn on that occasion. "Indeed, Sir," he replied, "I am more indebted to you, than you to me; for you have made my wife, who was one of the worst, the best woman in the world*.".

• What effect his induction to this parish had upon him, may be learned by the following quotation from another of his letters:"All the blessings of Jesus's love be with dear

I was not in a hurry to answer your letter, because Mr. Berridge promised to make his acknowledgments to, and because the time was at hand when my lord chancellor declared he would end the affair of Black Friers. You have heard of the event. My friends are rejoicing all around me, and wishing me that joy which I cannot take. It is my Master's will, and I submit. He knows what is best, both for his own glory, and his people's good. And I am certain he makes no mistake in either of these points. But my head hangs down upon the occasion, through the aweful apprehensions which I ever had of the care of souls. I am frightened to think of watching over two or three thousand, when it is work enough to watch over one. The plague of my own heart almost wearies me to death; what can I do with such a vast number? Besides, I had promised myself a little rest and retirement in the evening of life, and had already sat down with a Soul, take thine ease. And lo! my fine plan is broke all to pieces. I am called into a public station,, and to the sharpest engagement, just as I had got into winter quarters-an engagement for life. I can see nothing before me, so long as the breath is in my body, but warand that with unreasonable men-a divided parish, an angry clergy, a wicked Sodom, and a wicked world; all to be resisted and overcome; besides all these, a sworn enemy, subtle and cruel, with whom I can make no peace, no not a moment's truce; night and day, with all his children, and his host, is aiming at my destruction.

"When I take counsel of the Hesh, I begin to faint; but when I go to the sanctuary I see my cause good, and my master is Almighty-3 tried friend, and then he makes my courage revive. Although I am no way fit for the work, yet he called me to it, and on him I depend for strength to do it, and for success to crown it. I utterly despair of doing any thing as of myself, and therefore the more I have to do, I shall be forced to live more by faith upon him. In this view I hope to get a great income by my living-I shall want my Jesus more, and shall get closer to him. As he has made my applica ion to him more necessary and more constant, he has given me stronger tokens of his love. Methinks I can hear his sweet voice-Come closer, come close: soul! nearer yet; I will bring you into circumstances, that you cannot Jo one moment without me."

He

1

He began his ministry at Black Friers with that glorious declaration, "I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." And how truly he adhered to this determination you all know*. He continued to serve his parishes in the faith and truth of the Gospel, till he grew old among them; and then bore the richest fruits in his old age. In this he was peculiarly favoured, being afflicted with no symptoms of bodily decay, till the last stroke came that took him from earth to a better service above. It may truly be said of him, as of one of old, "his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated ;" and he has frequently spoken of it with peculiar gratitude to God.

During his thirty years residence at Black Friers, the utmost regularity pervaded all his proceedings. It had been his invariable custom, the last fifty years, to rise at five in the morning-breakfast at six-sup at eight, and retire at nine. He always entered upon the new year, by preaching a sermon in the morning; and generally made a single significant word, such as Immanuel, Shiloh, Hosanna, &c. the subject of his discourse. This he designed to be a motto for the year. On Whit-monday he likewise preached to young people, on Tuesday to old people, and on the anniversary of his election to Black Friers, he commonly gave a short account of the state progress of the Gospel in the kingdom. In one of these discourses he mentioned, that himself and three others agreed to spend one hour in the week, at a stated time, in prayer for the revival of the power of godliness in the established church. To so small a number were spiritual clergymen reduced, that out of twenty thousand, there were not twenty who preached the truth as it is in Jesus; but before his death he had, in his possession, a list of more than three hundred.

and

Early in 1755 he published his last work, entitled "The Triumph of Faith ;" and in a few months after hap pily realized, in its fullest extent, the truth contained in

that title.

On Friday, June 5, 1795, calling on an intimate friend, as soon as seated, he said, without an introduction, "Set thine house in order, for thou shall die and not live." His friend asked him, if he had any particular meaning in reMr. Goode's Sermon, p. 19. L

VOL. IV.-No. 79,

citing