FEW ministers in modern times have been more highly distinguish ed or more eminently useful, than the Rev. William Romaine, M. A. late Rector of St. Andrew's by the Wardrobe, and St. Ann's, Blackfriars. This eminent individual was born at Hartlepool, a small fishing town in the county of Durham, on the 25th of September, 1714. The ancestors of Mr. Ro maine were French protestants, who, on the revocation of the edict of Nantes by Louis XIV. took refuge in this country. Mr. R.'s father settled at Hartlepool, and engaged as a merchant in the corn trade, in which he exhibited in his conduct the utmost integrity and liberality. During the Spanish war in 1741, corn having risen to an extravagant price, this gentleman succeeded in appeasing a formidable mob, by promising to sell them wheat at a much lower rate than was customary, a promise which he faithfully fulfilled. His integrity and liberality were graciously blessed by a God of Providence, and he was mer→ cifully spared in health and pros. perity, to the advanced age of 85, when he died, leaving a widow, one unmarried daughter, and the subject of this memoir. Of Mr. R.'s mother and sister, it is recorded that they were in the habit of reading and explaining the scriptures to their neighbours, admitting them for this purpose to

OCTOBER 1831.

family worship, and thus sharing in the commendation of those women "who labour in the gospel, and whose names are in the book of life." Doubtless many honourable widows might thus exert themselves in perfect consistency with the retiredness of the female character, and with great comfort and usefulness to many of their poor and ignorant neighbours. In this age of preaching and profession, many, alas! overlook the immense importance of family and domestic instruction, and are far too remiss in visiting the fatherless and widow in their affliction, and reading and explaining to them the oracles of God.

The subject of our present memoir was the second son of these excellent parents. His elder brother was brought up to business, and died suddenly at an inn in the prime of life; but the early display of talent evinced by Mr. R., and his anxious desires after improvement, induced his parents to send him to the grammar school at Houghtonle-Spring, in the county of Durham, founded by that devoted and excellent person the Rev. Bernard Gilpin, sometime Rector of that parish; a school long distinguished as a seminary of sound learning and religious knowledge, and from which many students have been supplied to our Universities who have eventually become eminent

and useful in church and state. Mr. R. continued seven years at Houghton, and thence proceeded about 1730 to Hertford College, Oxford, from which he afterwards removed to Christ Church. Here he early distinguished himself by his diligence and proficiency in literary pursuits, accompanied with great indifference as to his outward appearance. is said that a visitor observing Mr. R. passing by, inquired of the Master of one of the Colleges,

It

Who is that slovenly person with his stockings down?' and received for answer, That slovenly person, as you call him, is one of the greatest geniuses of the age, and is likely to be one of the greatest men in the kingdom!' We have however little, or rather indeed no information as to the manner in which his time was spent, or the line of study which he pursued; nor do the records of either University at that period enable us to form any probable conjecture as to the attainments of individual students at the time of their first degree. As however, we find Mr. R. soon after he had commenced Master of Arts, superintending an edition of the Hebrew Concordance and Lexicon of Marius de Calasio, we may fairly conclude that the Hebrew language had early occupied his attention.*

Mr. R. was ordained deacon at Hereford in the year 1736, by the Right Rev. Dr. Egerton, then Bishop of that Diocese. His first curacy appears to have been that of Loe Trenchard, in Devonshire, where he continued until October

* In editing this work Mr. R. is stated to have evinced considerable ability. He has however been censured, and not undeservedly, for having omitted Calasio's account of the Hebrew word usually translated God, and substituting in its room his own interpretation. He distinctly indeed points out this alteration, but unquestionably such a liberty should not have been taken. The author's own interpretation ought to have remained, and the editor's

1737, when he proceeded Master of Arts, and shortly afterwards became resident at Epsom in Surrey. In December 1738, Mr. R. was ordained priest by Dr. Hoadly, Bishop of Winchester, and continued serving the curacies of Banstead and Horton in Middlesex, until 1741, when he was appointed chaplain to Sir Daniel Lambert, then Lord Mayor of London, and proceeded in consequence to the metropolis.

During Mr. R.'s residence at Epsom, he became engaged in controversy with Mr. Warburton, afterwards Bishop of Gloucester, in consequence of a sermon preached by Mr. R. before the University of Oxford in March 1739, which he entitled The Divine Legation of Moses demonstrated from his having made express mention of, and insisted so much on the doctrine of a future state;' whereby Mr. Warburton's attempt to prove the Divine Legation of Moses from the omission of a future state is proved to be absurd and destructive of all revelation. This discourse was followed in 1741 by another sermon preached also before the University, and entitled Future Rewards and Punishments proved to be the sanctions of the Mosaic dispensation.' These discourses called forth some severe remarks from Mr. Warburton, which were subsequently replied to by Mr. R. This controversy however, can scarcely be regarded as conveying any very decisive attestation to Mr. R.'s talents or Christian attainments, and may therefore be dismissed without any further observation.

About the same time Mr. R. delivered a sermon at St. Paul's, from Romans ii. 14, 15. which he entitled No Justification by the Law of Nature.' The main object of this discourse is to show, that redemption from sin through an

have been annexed.

God to Adam, and handed down by

tradition to his posterity-that this redemption from sin by sacrifice is especially contained in the law, and that when sinners of the Gentile race offer such a sacrifice, they do by nature the things contained in the law; and would consequently be accepted on the ground of the Redeemer's sacrifice. This sermon evinces the clearness of its author's views on the grand topic of redemption through Christ; views from which he never swerved to his dying hour, and which alone afford a resting place for the Christian's hope.

Though Mr. R.'s first introduction to the metropolis was such as might reasonably have induced him to expect immediate success, he yet appears not to have obtained any permanent or even very desirable engagement as a minister for several years. During this period he was employed in occasional preaching, but principally in editing Calasio's Hebrew Lexicon and Concordance. This great work was completed in 1748, and Mr. R. then determined on leaving London and returning to his native place. He had actually packed up his trunk and was proceeding to take his passage, when he was met by a gentleman with whom he had no acquaintance, but who inquired if his name was not Romaine, and, on being answered in the affirmative, proceeded to state that the lectureship of the united parishes of St. George's, Botolph Lane, and St. Botolph's, Billingsgate, was vacant, and that having some interest in those parishes, he would exert it on Mr. R.'s behalf, provided he would become a candidate. To this Mr. R. consented, only stipulating that he should not be called upon to canvass in person, a custom which he always thought inconsistent with the character of a clergyman, and against which he publicly protested many years after, in a discourse which he preached and published when candidate for the living of

St. Ann's, Blackfriars, and St. Andrew by the Wardrobe. In consequence of this providential interview, Mr. R. became, in 1748, lecturer of St. Botolph's. His estimate of his own character and experience at this period is supposed to be contained in the following extract of a letter published many years after.

I know one who learned this very slowly, but has had much pains taken with him; and to make what I have been saying more plain, I would illustrate it by his experience. He was a very, very vain proud young man; knew almost every thing but himself, and therefore was mighty fond of himself. He met with many disappointments to his pride, which only made him prouder, till the Lord was pleased to let him see and feel the plague of his own heart. this time my acquaintance with him began. He tried every method that can be tried to get peace, but found none. In his despair of all things else, he betook himself to Jesus, and was most kindly received. He trusted the word of promise, and experienced the sweetness in the promise. After this he went through various frames and trials of faith, too many to mention, and he is now got, where may Mrs.

At

your dear sister, get, and as far beyond as you can.

First, He has been brought to a clear conviction, that "all fulness of good is in Jesus," as clear, as that all the sap in the branch is from the stock on which it grows, as that all the nourishment in the member is from the body. What has the branch or the member, except what they receive? Now this continual receiving from Jesus, every thing saying, You must go to him, you must go to him,' is a most humbling lesson. And my friend says, it is nothing but this which crucifies his pride: he has been attempting for many years to be something, to do something of