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words, the spirit of the Bible. Nor do we know any book, net pro fessedly devotional, from the perusal of which, a Christian rises with impressions more like those produced by the Bible itself. No one who has read the book needs to be told the character of the author : there stands his likeness, in a monument more lasting than brass. To all such his biography must be a subject of interest; and it is with much satisfaction that we find the Christian public is at Jength enabled to gratify a curiosity so natural and commendable. To the edition of the Ecclesiastical History now before us, is prefixed a life of JOSEPH MILNER, written by his brother Isaac, (the same who has continued the work in a fifth volume.) It is written in an affectionate spirit, and with great simplicity and neatness of style.

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From this narrative we learn that Joseph's health, having been early injured by the measles, continued to be extremely feeble throughout his subsequent life. He early evinced extraordinary capacity, especially in the great strength of his memory. "While at school he wrote down a sermon from memory, by way of experiment, without having taken a single note while hearing it. The preacher, on comparing what Milner had written with his sermon, said, 'The lad has not omitted a single thought or ́sentiment in the whole sermon; and frequently he has got the very words for a long way together.' He was averse from mathematical studies, and devoted himself chiefly to the languages, and to composition. In these branches of education he made so rapid a proficiency, that his master, compassionating bis ill health and low circumstances, and admiring his talents, formed the resolution of aiding him through his preparation for the University; after which, by his friendly efforts and the interest of the others, Milner was placed at the age of eighteen in Catharine Hall, Cambridge. "While at the University he was diligent, and made uncommon progress in his studies. At degreetime, he ranked high on the list of Mathematical and Philosophical honours, and obtained one of the two gold medals, which are annually given by the Chancellor of the University, to the best proficients in classical learning. The candidates that year (1766) were uncommonly numerous and able."--Vol. I. p. 10.

He

After leaving the University, Mr. Milner obtained the place of head master of the grammar school of Hull, where for three years he was a favourite with the most intelligent and respectable part of the community. The manner in which he discharged his duty as a teacher, was such as to add much to the reputation and extent of the school; while his ministrations in the pulpit, being of a negative character, gave no offence to the consciences of worldly men. was one of that large class of preachers who, avoiding doctrinal discussion, enforcing in general terms the duties of morality, and mingling without reserve in the circles of fashionable life, is every where well received and highly commended. A more dangerous situation can scarcely be be imagined. Wo unto you (said the best judge of Christian ministers and ministrations,) when all men shall speak well of you. But at the close of this period, the mind of Mr. Milner began to undergo a radical and universal change. The serious impressions of his

childhood, and the general orthodoxy of his riper years, had both left him ignorant of vital Christianity. He had now to learn for the first time what it is to become a new creature and though it does not appear that he professed to embrace any new system of faith, the principles he had hitherto held as dogmas in the understanding, were now transferred to his heart, and became (as they ever must in that place) the actuating principles of his entire course of thinking, speaking and acting. A change like this "cannot be hid."

"From the commencement of a change in his sentiments and practice, to the time when his judgment may be considered as settled and confirmed, an intervai of at least two years elapsed. However, the alteration, when first perceived, was sufficient to excite suspicion and alarm, though the better sort of people did not immediately abandon their favourite schoolmaster and preacher. They could not think of this without reluctance. It must even be owned that they gave him a fair time for trial; and they also made some private attempts to reclaim him; but all in vain.

"Once in particular, at the conclusion of a very decent convivial meeting, in the house of one of the first families of the place, where some of the more respectable clergy were assembled, and among them one clergyman of learning and distinction, whose residence was not at Hull, and who happened to be on a visit at that time, a general attack was made on the young enthusiast. This evidently appeared to have been preconcerted, though the writer does not deny that the intentions might be friendly, and that the plan might originate in a desire to preserve Mr. Milner from plunging deeper into Methodism. This attack, though attended with some ridiculous circumstances in the course of it, was truly instructive in the event. The advantages of serious study of the Scriptures, and of the knowledge of them, appeared in the strongest light. The assailants agreed in no one thing but in zeal to run down Mr. Milner, and in some general extravagant charges of enthusiasm, Methodism, and such like. They could state no distinct article of false doctrine, or even of disagreement; and when the Bible was appealed to, they proved themselves such wretched textuaries that they could not produce a single passage to their purpose; and were unable even to find those passages of which they seemed to have some faint and imperfect recollection. Mr. Milner patiently endured their reproaches; and smiled while they were fruitlessly turning to and fro the pages of an excellent Bible, which seemed to have been very little used. In those days he had begun to carry a Bible constantly in his pocket; a practice which he never left off. When the party were exhausted and had become pretty silent, he pulled out his little pocket Bible, now grown dirty and tattered by much wearing, the obvious comparison of which with their elegant one, conveyed a silent but sufficiently intelligible admonition, and proved no bad introduction to what he had to say. In a word, he entered fully into an explanation of the peculiar doctrines of Christianity; confirmed his arguments and statements by numerous and appropriate passages of Scripture, and completed his defence by reading the texts which they had sought for in vain, and then by answering the supposed objections. Several of the party freely acknowledged afterward they had better have let him alone.'

"But Mr. Milner's company did not continue long to be called for in genteel and convivial meetings. The man, who was grown insupportable in the pulpit, ceased to be a desirable guest at the table; and indeed his own heart was now so much engaged in different branches of practical religion, that he had little time and no taste for trifling company. He was constantly seeking opportunies to say "a word in season." He had left off playing at cards; he was no longer seen at the playhouse or the assembly; his presence checked and rebuked indecent conversation, and irregularities of every kind, and when a company, by being less trifling, or by some ill-natured attack on religion, presented an opening for grave conversation, Mr. Milner would often express himself with so much seriousness and so much just admonition, that men of the world no longer felt themselves at ease in his presence. They, on the one hand, did not choose to be thus exposed to his censures, nor to have their consciences made uneasy by him. He on the other, devoted the little time which he could spare from absolute duty, or

from private study, to those social visits which had the express design of pre moting the interests of religion.

"These and similar causes concurred to separate Mr. Milner more and more from people of superior rank. They, with very few exceptions, were never seen at church when he preached; and he rarely met them, except once a year officially, as chaplain to the Mayor, or on some such occasion. He has been heard to say, that the dislike of him proceeded to such a height, that few persons whe wore a tolerably good coat, would take notice of him when they met him in the street. Nevertheless the common people heard him gladly.' The large church where he preached was crowded beyond example The care of the soul became the topic of cominon conversation. Great seriousness prevailed. Drunkards and debauchees were reformed. The town assumed a new appearance Great numbers, whose consciences were awakened under his preaching, earnestly inquired, 'what must we do to be saved? The sick sent for him to their chambers for spiritual advice; and when he returned home, he found his house crowded with visiters who had the same object in view. His strength was exhausted in this service; and his health suffered exceedingly by often going out in the winter evenings of Sundays, after he had heated himself by delivering a long sermon with the utmost exertion. Embarrassing and difficult cases were frequently proposed to him, where heads of families or superiors insisted on their dependants leaving off their religious practices. Many are alive who well remember that an inundation of persecution in various ways broke in and continued for a long time."-Vol. I. pp. 14–16.

To those who have had much opportunity of observing mankind under the operation of the searching, humbling doctrines of the Bible, the foregoing account will appear perfectly in the natural order of things. In substance it must be so until God or sinners change. But as some, even of the admirers of Mr. Milner's general character, may find some difficulty in accounting for such a state of things, his brother proceeds by way of explanation in the following passage: "Does the curious reader grow impatient to be satisfied more particularly respecting the cause which produced all this prodigious alteration both in Mr. Milner's own mind, and in the regards of his people? Mr Milner's publications will most effectually satisfy every inquiry of this sort. The author, though dead, yet speaketh' and, as no man on earth ever wrote, preached, or conversed, with less disguise, let the serious reader consult his various writings. A more just, more concise, and more intelligible account cannot be given of his principles, than that he was truly a sincere member of the church of England. He believed the articles of the church in their plain, literal, and grammatical sense; and all his sermons were penned according to that interpretation of Scripture which they contain and express. With many persons unacquainted with the history of religious controversy in these kingdoms, a sort of puzzle may still remain how such sentiments could on the one hand produce all this dislike and persecution from some of the people, and this resentment from his clerical brethren; aud on the other could occasion such flocking to his churches To explain this difficulty in detail and with minuteness, is neither pleasant nor necessary in this place; but it may in some measure open the eyes of the intelligent to suggest, that our author certainly did believe and maintain that the clergy of the establishment, in general, had very much deviated from the principles which they profess, and to which they subscribe their assent: That the reading desk and the pulpit were often at variance; and that instead of setting forth to the understanding with plainness, and pressing upon the conscience with energy, the great and peculiar truths of the Gospel, such as the doctrines of original sin, of justification by faith, and of regeneration by the Holy Spirit, as stated in the articles and homilies of the church of England, the clergy in general were substituting in their place a system of little more than Pagan ethics. He further maintained, that by their fruits ye might know them; that one system was fruitful in good works, and the other productive of pride, self-righteousness, and attachment to the ways of the world. To all which it should be added, that Mr. M. had never the least hesitation in owning, that he himself, during the first years of his being in holy orders, was as deeply involved as any person could be in this charge of departing from

the genuine religion of the Bible and of the establishment to which he belonged; that he had been active and earnest in corrupting the most important passages of Scripture and articles of faith; that though his own conscience never in the smallest degree accused him of insincerity or hypocrisy, yet his zeal had been without knowledge;' that the tendency of his warm addresses to the people, before his conversion, when he used often to bring forward the peculiarities of the Gospel, must have been to explain away those peculiarities, and misguide his audience; and lastly, that, in fact, at that time, he did not understand the nature of Christ's salvation, had never experienced its humbling operation on the mind of a truly penitent sinner, but was building an edifice both of religious doctrine and practice on a self-righteous foundation.

"The reader is to observe, that the state of persecution above described, as well as the violent agitation of men's passions concerning religious subjects, did not continue during the whole of Mr. Milner's ministry. The storm subsided, a good deal, after the first seven or eight years; whereas the duration of Mr. Milner's serious and active ministry is to be reckoned from about the twenty-seventh year of his age to his fifty-fourth. Many causes concurred to abate the storm of prejudice, and to produce milder sentiments of him and his ministra. tions."-Vol. I. pp. 17, 18.

"Mr. Milner just lived to receive that very ample and decisive testimony of esteem, which was shown to him by the Mayor and Corporation of Hull, upon the decease of the Rev. Mr. T. Clarke. He was chosen vicar almost unanimously. But he survived that event only a few weeks. He died Nov. 15, 1797.

For

"Never was sorrow more unfeigned or more general among the inhabitants of a large town, than at Hull, on the loss of their pious and faithful minister. A spirit of mutual condolence pervaded the hearts of the people; numbers expressed their respectful sentiments of the deceased by the change of their external dress ; and when the serious minister adverted to the recent melancholy event in the pulpit, almost every eye bore testimony to the feelings of the heart. Some very remarkabie wishes were uttered by profane, worldly, and avaricious persons: 'That they would freely give up all their wealth to be where HE now was.' many years past the clergy of the town of Hull have, in general, been very serious persons, and have lived in harmony with Mr. Milner both in doctrine and in zeal. Some of them have been his pupils both in profane and sacred learning; and all of them looked up to him with reverence as a wise and experienced guide in spiritual things. The affectionate attachment of one of them was so tried by his death, that he could scarcely be induced to desist from mourning over the remains of his friend, or, for some days after, to take necessary refreshments."Vol. I. p. 27.

"Several gentlemen, who had been his pupils many years ago, showed a sincere regard for their instructer, by erecting, at their own expense, an elegant monument to his memory in the High Church of Hull.

"The monument was executed by Mr. Bacon, with the following inscription:

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which his labours
successfully inculcated,

and his writings will exhibit and vindicate
to future generations.
He died

on the 15th November, 1797,

in the 54th year of his age."--Vol. I. p. 23.
(To be concluded.)

Entelligence.

BURMAN EMPIRE.-AMERICAN BAPTIST MISSION.

To plant the Gospel in this vast empire, inhabited by a brave, active, irascibleimpatient, warlike race, supposed to the number of seventeen millions, is an object worthy of Christian enterprise. The despotic and capricious character of the Burman governors, their former treatment of the missionaries, the death of Mr. Wheelock, Mr. Coleman, and Mrs. Price, and the ill health of Mrs. Judson, have been occasions of mourning, if not of discouragement, to the friends and supporters of the American Baptist mission in Burmah. But the Lord seems to have given the missionaries favour at the "golden feet," or imperial presence, and our hopes are revived. In the person of Dr. Price, who arrived at Rangoon, December 13th, 1821, the board appear to have availed themselves of the advice of the Serampore brethren, communicated about six years ago; and his medical skill, which they deemed so important, has turned to good account.

While Mr. Judson was engaged in translating the Scriptures into the language of the country, and labouring to call the deluded people from their idolatries, and feeding with the bread of life the little church which has been gathered from among the natives, the fame of Dr. Price, in curing various diseases, reached the royal ear, and he was summoned to the court of Ava! whence Messrs. Judson and Coleman had, not long before, been repulsed.*

"My hopes (says Mr. Judson, July 20th, 1822,) of finishing the New Testament, without interruption, are all blasted by the arrival of an order from the king, summoning brother Price to Ava, on account of his medical skill. I must of course accompany him, and endeavour to take advantage of the circumstance to gain some footing in the capital and palace. But it is most repugnant to my feelings to leave my present pursuits and prospects in Rangoon."

On the 21st of August he writes :—“ Early this morning, I administered baptism to May Mee, (an old woman—a disciple of Moung Shewa-gnong,) the eighteenik Burman convert." Two more still remain, the one deterred by fear of government, and the other by fear of her husband. "Add to these a desirable num ber of hopeful inquirers; and I feel that I am leaving, at least for a time, one of the most interesting fields of labour, that was ever opened to a missionary. But the path of duty seems to lead to Ava, and it is infinitely easy for God to open there a more interesting field." The mission at Rangoon will be left under the care of Mr. Hough.

Dr. Price remarks:--" Free toleration through the favour of government, is an end so desirable in this country, that we feel the importance of the present opportunity, as an opening of Providence, to obtain this end, and we prepare with

* See Christian Herald, Vol. VII. pp. 495, 530, 562.

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