Published by T. Chapman 151 Fleet Street Aug.1797.

HE Biographical Repofitory in the Evangelical Ma

ian character and conqueft, as the Great Apoftle of the Gentiles pointed at when he thus addreffed the believing Hebrews, Be ye followers of them who, through faith and patience, inherit the promises."

It is with a very mournful pleasure that, agreeably to the request of many friends, I am about to add to the lift of venerable names which adorn your Mifcellany, and to the teftimonies of eminent piety and usefulness which delight your readers, the name, and a few memoirs, of the late Rev. William Shrubfole, of Sheerness. He once accounted it an honour to be enrolled among the Patrons of this Magazine, and with pleasure affifted to fupport it: It is therefore but juft, that the work, which has been often indebted to him for his benèvolent exertions, should now gratefully record the memorial of his piety and virtue.

MR. SHRUBSOLE was born at Sandwich, on the 7th of April, 1729. His parents were honeft and industrious. When he was about eight years of age they placed him in the Town School, and, after a few years inftruction, he was taken from thence to work at his father's business, making malt. In February, 1743, he was apprenticed to Mr. George Cook, a fhipwright at Sheerness; and Divine Providence fo directed that this important engagement was concluded without the ufual time of trial. Had it been otherwife, he has often remarked he fhould certainly have VOL. V. returned

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returned to his parents, as his grief at parting was exceffive.

Mr. S. was early inclined to reading, efpecially of voyages, travels, and romances: He was alfo much addicted to playing at cards, and other games of chance. Thefe difpofitions he brought with him to Sheernefs; and, as the means of indulging them were greater than at Sandwich, they were fought. after with keener avidity, and enjoyed with increafing delight.

His career in vice foon became very rapid and alarming; but it was attended with fuch checks of confcience, and fuch reflections on eternity, as frequently made him tremble. When in bed this awful fubject would ftrongly imprefs his mind. At fuch times he would fay to himself, "What! never any more Sheernefs !-No more fhipping! -No more the pleasures and occupations of life! What, never! never! never!" Thus he reflected, till his foul was filled with confufion and terror; and he would then shrink down into his bed, feek for fleep, and earnestly with for the morning, that he might renew his bufinefs and lofe his dreadful apprehenfions.

He had several narrow escapes from fudden and violent death. Once he fell from the fide of a fhip then on the ftocks, and was preferved by a scaffold, at fome distance from the ground. At another time, he fell headlong from the fide of a wharf into a dock, among feveral boats and lighters Had he struck against any of them, he must have been inftantly killed; but he fell between them into the water. These, and feveral other deliverances of a fimilar nature, he experienced; but the goodness of God made no impreffion on his mind, nor did the uneafinefs and terror he felt, when reflecting on eternity, produce any conviction of fin.

Thus he continued, ftained with many black spots of daring tranfgreffion, till God, who preferves before he calls, was pleafed to fhew him the vanity and uncertainty of worldly connections, by removing from Sheernefs, in the fummer of 1749, a young woman who was the idol of his affections.

About this time, on a holiday, he cafually took up a folio volume, written by Ifaac Ambrofe: He opened it and began to read that part of it, which treats of " looking to Jejus," as carrying on the work of man's falvation in his death. He was much affected at the relation of the fufferings of Chrift, and fenfibly interefted at the enquiry which

the