Mr. Whitefield being about to fail for America, fent for him to London. On his arrival he was introduced, and dined with him at the Tabernacle-houfe, in company with a young clergyman. After dinner there was a moft tremendous ftorm of thunder and lightning. As they stood at the window beholding the raging elements, Mr. Kinsman, fup. pofing the clergyman, from his being a vifitant to Mr. Whitefield, to be a ferious perfon, familiarly put his hand upon his shoulder; and, with great cheerfulness and energy, repeated the words of Dr. Watts, "The God that rules on high, And thunders when he please; And then with peculiar pathos and confidence added, "This awful God is ours, Our Father and our Love." The words fo appofitely introduced, fo folemnly and fo emphatically delivered, made a deep impreffion on the mind of the young clergyman, and began a converfation, which, by the bleffing of God, ended in his faving converfion. Here his miniftry was greatly owned, and he thought himself highly honored, in preaching the first sermon that ever was delivered from the pulpit of the prefent Tabernacle. His harmonious voice, his fprightly and pathetic manner of addrefs, brought no fmall number of all ranks to hear him; among whom was Mr. Shuter the celebrated comedian, who having been excited by curiofity to hear Mr. Whitefield, was fo affected with his preaching, that at one time there were hopes of his being under ferious impreffions. Having alfo heard Mr. Kinfman, he was fo delighted with him, that he frequently vifited him. But the lamentable immorality that pervades the stage, the fcoffs of ridicule from men of confiderable influence, and the contemptuous infinuations of the profane (that most dangerous and deftructive method of attack, to which Mr. Shuter was, by his profeffion, particularly expofed, foon operated as a foil to thofe rifing hopes that were entertained concerning him, and as blafts, fwept away thofe promifing and blooming flowers. Some years after, having forgot where he lived, accidendently meeting Mr. Kinfman at Plymouth, he embraced him with rapture, and inquired "if that was the place of his refidence." He replied, "Yes, but I am just returned from London, where I have preached so often, and to such large auditories, and have been fo indifpofed, that Doctor Fothers gill advifed my immediate return to the country for change of air."" And I," faid Mr. Shuter, "have been acting Sir John Falstaff fo often, that I thought I should have died, and the physicians advised me to come into the country for the benefit of the air. Had you died, it would have been ferving the best of Masters; but had 7, it would have been in the fervice of the Devil. Oh, Sir, do you think I fhall ever be called again? I certainly was when I was studying my part in the Park; and if Mr. Whitefield had let me come to the Lord's table with him, I never should have gone back again. But the careffes of the Great are exceedingly enfnaring. My Lord E- fent for me to-day, and I was glad I could not go. Poor things! They are unhappy, and they want Shuter to make them laugh. But, O Sir,-fuch a life as yours!-As foon as I leave you, I fhall be King Richard. This is what they call a good play; as good as fome fermons. I acknowledge there are some striking and moral things in it. But after it, I fhall come in again with my Farce of A Dish of all Sorts, and knock all that on the head. Fine reformers are we!" The inhabitants afterwards taking notice that he visited Mr. Kinsman, were astonished; and one gentleman in particular asked him if he were a Methodift. "Mine is a fine method, is it not? No, I wish I was. If any are right, they are." Mr. Kinfman has now and then amufed his friends, by faying, "that his popularity in the metropolis originated entirely in mistake." On his arriving in town, Mr. Whitefield published Mr. Kinfman, a promifing young man, to preach; and the people running away with the idea that he faid, " my Kinfman is to preach," flocked together to hear Mr. Whitefield's relation. When he was once preaching in London on the Lord's-day, a heavy and unexpected fhower of rain coming on, feveral fabbath-breakers paffing by at that inftant, fled into the Tabernacle for fhelter. Among thefe was a young man who was perfonally acquainted with Mr. Kinfman, at Plymouth. Seeing him in the pulpit, he immediately refolved to wait the conclufion of the fervice, and inquire after the welfare of his relations. This he accordingly did; to whom Mr. Kinfman replied with his usual affability, "Your good aunt and religious mother are both lately gone to heaven; but which way are you going? what will your pious mother fay, if fhe fhould mifs her William there?" Though the fermon had not the leaft effect, this fentence ftruck him to the heart, and God made it the means of his converfion. He afterwards became a very valuable member of the church at Dock, and died an Ifraelite indeed. Some years after, his youngest fon, a wild young man, marrying, and having a child, applied to Mr. Kinfman to, baptize it. He having fome knowledge of his character, told him he would baptize his child for its grandfather's fake; and then began to relate the striking circumftance of his father's converfion. This fo affected the young man, that from that time he became ferious, and is now a member of the fame church at Dock. As the mariner, when he puts to fea, does not expect to reach the defired haven unaffailed by the inaufpicious gale; neither should Christians expect to bask in the fun-beams of profperity without the intervention of a lowering cloud. About this time, while on a vifit at London, Mr. Kinsman was exercised by a providence exceedingly afflictive. His dear child, about three years of age, was drowned by falling into a well! The following extract from a letter to Mrs. Kinsman, which he penned upon this very mournful occa fion, while it gives us fome idea of his pathetic manner of address, and the strength of parental affection, will be parti cularly acceptable to his intimate acquaintance : 66 MY DEAR LOVE, London, July 26, 1757. "SINCE my coming to this place, I have had repeated returns of my diforder, but the good Lord hath carried me comfortably through the work I have been engaged in. Laft hight I was appointed to read letters, when five thousand were gathered to hear. If I am in my element in any one part of my work, it is in that. The Lord was pleafed to give me ftrength of body to ftand near three hours, and that liberty of fpeech which filled my own foul with wonder. O Grace, Grace! But this was, I foon found, as a preparative for the fevereft trial I ever felt. I find a conftituted asthma is not enough for fuch a ftupid heart as mine. Juft now, my friends began diftantly to open to me the melancholy news; and the manner in which the Eternal has been pleafed to take away my once most lovely babe, was in fome mea Ture anticipated. And here, did I think over the scene which thy dear eyes muft behold, and the throbs which this awful providence muft occafion in your diftreffed breast. I muft drop my pen, and give vent to thofe tender paffions which none but parents know, and which I never before fo fully felt. These words came on my mind, Aaron held his peace. The laft fermon I preached was from Romans, viii. 32. He that spared not his own Son, &c. O the heights, the depths of the love of God! How can we murmer, or how dare we repine? VOL. I. D To the honor of his grace, I muft tell you, that I never felt forrow like to this, and yet have not found one rebellious thought. My concern is increased, that I am not with you to bear a part, and affift you in the midst of that anguish, which I fear your fpirit has felt. But the Lord orders all things well. In pity to my poor weak nerves, God hath called me to a distance, and I doubt not he hath been and will be better to you than seven hufbands. I can only drop a I think on my poor children, Nancy and Andrew. O that their dear little hearts may be duly impreffed! I long I long to hear from you. But I don't know how to ask you to write particulars: 'Twill be like opening that wound afresh, which I pray God to heal speedily in your dear, dear heart, &c. &c." tear. At Plymouth and Dock his preaching was ftill attended with remarkable fuccefs, particularly among young perfons; nor was any period of his ministry accompanied with a greater out-pouring of the Spirit, than while he was going through the Epiftle to the Ephefians. At length the repeated folicitations of the people induced him to limit the fphere of his operations, and except his vifits to London and Bristol, his labours were chiefly confined to the above places. In the year 1763, the fociety at Dock becoming very numerous, wished to be formed into a regular church. They therefore gave Mr. Kinsman an unanimous call to take the overfight of them; and he, having accepted it, was fet apart to the paftoral office at Broadmead in Bristol, August 4th, by the Rev. Benjamin Fawcett, of Kidderminster-the Rev. George Powell, of Weathersfield the Rev. Jeremiah Field, of Wellington, Somerfet-the Rev. Hugh Evans, and the Rev. John Thomas, of Briftol. In the year 1771, having refigned bufinefs to his fon, he went to refide wholly at Dock; until which period (if our memory, be correct) he never received any pecuniary confideration for his fervices; nor did he in the whole courfe of his miniftry at Plymouth, never having required any. Mrs. Kinfman was continued a valuable bleffing to her husband and the church, till July 1774. It is but justice to her memory to fay, that fhe was a great ornament to her Christian profeffion, and a mother in Ifrael. The Lord was very gracious to her during her long illnefs, and indulged her with a very cheerful and happy frame in her last moments. Mr. Kinfman continued a widower till October 1776, when he married Mrs. Joanna Webber of London, now his mournful relict. After his fettlement in the paftoral office, Providence. raifed up feveral of the members of the church to affift in. preaching (particularly the Rev. Robert Heath now of Rodborough). But thefe being frequently called to labour in the adjacent towns and villages, and the state of Mr. Kinsman's health, for many years, not admitting of his preaching three times on the Lord's-day, both places were obliged to be provided with regular affiftants; the most distinguished of whom were, at Plymouth, the Rev. Meffrs. Dunn and Padden; at Dock, the Rev. Meffrs. Jones and Lake; each of whom continued for fome time in the exercife of his ta lents, with fuccefs, until invited to the paftoral office at other places. After the removal of Mr. Lake from Dock, there came a perfon from Walfall, who, in the short term of a few months, drew off many very ferious members, the fpiritual children of Mr. Kinfman; a circumftance which proved like a poignard in his breaft, during the fucceeding years of his life. After this event a fucceffion of minifters from the metropolis, and other parts of the kingdom, regularly supplied the congregation, much upon the fame plan with the London and Bristol Tabernacles. In January 1792, dropfical fymtoms began first to make their appearance in his legs, and left little hopes to his friends of a long continuance among them. For the laft twelve months he could do little more than preach two or three fermons, and it was with great difficulty he continued to adminifter the Lord's Supper. As he approached to the close of life, he would frequently look out of his chamber window, and on feeing multitudes flocking to the meeting, would fay, "Thither I once led up the tribes of the Lord to worship." At other times, when he has heard perfons paffing his houfe with oaths and imprecations in their mouths" How wonderful are thy ways, O Lord! I only want breath to praise and preach to others, and cannot, but these have lungs to fwear, and breath to blafpheme thy holy name." He would often repeat a converfation he once held with the late celebrated Mr. Hervey, relative to the divinity of Jefus Chrift. "I now feel this doctrine," said he to his family, "to be a folid ground of hope in my declining days. I am going rapidly, but I muft not talk of death to you, as you cannot bear it." A few weeks previous to his death, a pretended physician being introduced by a friend, without the knowledge of Mr. Kinfman, and perceiving that his end was approaching, after fome converfation, expreffed his astonishment at his uncommon cheerfulness. "I have great reafon to be fo," faid |