ration for their characters, and a love to the cause in which they were engaged; he was led to affociate with them; was perfuaded to affift them in their devotional exercifes, and was affectionately compelled to preach to them the word of life. From this time the caufe of religion gradually revi ved, the number of thofe who feared the Lord progreffively increased, and Mr. Shrubfole had the honour and happiness of preaching to a large congregation, and of prefiding over a church of more than one hundred members, most of whom were the feals of his own ministry.

It will be readily allowed that in circumftances of fuch important confideration, Mr. S. had quite enough to engage his mind, and to employ his time; and yet, befides his minifterial duty, he was Mafter Maft-maker in the dockyard-an office which required conftant attention, and frequently great exertions. But by a wife and regular appropriation of the time that could be fpared from his official concerns, he was enabled to make a tolerable proficiency in the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin languages; was well read in divinity and hiftory; compofed and published feve ral tracts on various fubjects, and furnished himself with matter which proved highly acceptable and ufeful in his public miniftrations.

He was richly endowed with minifterial gifts, and he exercifed them with diligence and fidelity. His preaching was judicious and practical, and the applicatory improve ments of his difcourfes were delivered with fuch peculiar energy and affection, as made them very impreffive and ufetul. In doctrinal fentiments he was a Calvinist, but of the moderate rather than of the rigid clafs. His natural difpofition and his religious opinions were both favourable to Catholicifm and cordiality, and he lived on the moft friendly terms with the members of the Established Church and of Mr. Welley's Society. How greatly he was refpected by the latter will appear from this fingular circumftance: In a very ferious diffenfion that had arifen among them, and between them and Mr. Weiley, Mr. S. was fixed on by each of the parties to be the arbitrator of their several claims; and it is remarkable that his decifion met with the approbation, and procured him the thanks of all that were concerned in this unpleafant bufinefs.

Mr. S. did not appear with lefs honour as an officer in the dock-yard than he did as a Minister of the Gofpel; and his ufefulnefs in both capacities was very extenfive. The knowledge which he had acquired, and the abilities which he poffeffed in the line of his profeffion he fuccefsfully em

ployed to ferve the artificers in the various dock-yards, and to benefit his country; and for thefe purposes he published a pamphlet entitled, "A Plea in Favour of the Shipwrights," &c., which made his name very popular, and acquired him the respect of his fuperiors. But it was at Sheerness that his honourable activity, his benevolent exertions, and his exemplary piety were eminently witneffed; and thefe procured him, what he justly merited, the veneration and love of all its inhabitants.

Having fucceeded in attaining fuch an office in the dock yard as was quite agreeable to his mind, and the duties of which did not interfere with his religious employments, he determined never to feek after any other preferment; and when it was freely offered him by a diftinguished and excellent character, he very nobly declined both the honour and the advantages of a higher ftation, left they fhould by any means obftruct or paralife his minifterial ufefulnefs. He expreffed the following fentiments in a letter to a friend, when he was appointed Mafter Maft-maker, and he remembered and acted on them as long as he lived. "I preach regularly twice a week. I fuppofe I am accounted a phonomenon, there never having been, I believe, a preaching Master Maft-maker before. However I know there has been a preaching Carpenter of the most exalted rank, and this bleffed perfon, by the grace of God, I am determined to imitate while I live, and not the vain practices of the world. May God rather bring me down to the grave than fuffer me to fwell beyond the dimenfions of a fincere follower of him who humbled and emptied himself for my unworthy foul."

Mr. Shrubfcle's ministerial services were perfectly gratu itous. His falary as Mafter Maft-maker being fufficient for the maintenance of his family, he accounted it an honour to employ his abilities in the caufe of God, and was happy that it was in his power to do this in a way that relieved his mind of much anxious dependence, and that provided for the establishment of a Gofpel Miniftry in future times. And having, by the divine bleffing, fucceeded in raising a large congregation, in building a capacious chapel, and in clearing it of every debt, he was filled with admiration and gratitude, and the language of his foul was, "What hath God wrought!"

I have thus given, Sir, a flight sketch of the life, and the prominent features in the character of Mr. Shrubfole; and I trust they will both pleafe and edify the numerous readers

of the Evangelical Magazine. May God raife up many fuch men, and make them extensively useful to his church and to the world. Amen,

Your's, &c,

W. S.

CONVERSION OF A MAN AND HIS WIFE.

[In a Letter to the Editor from the Minifter of the Church to which they belong.]

AS your monthly publication is defigned as a vehicle to communicate to the public an account of the gracious operations of the Spirit of God upon the fouls of those who are made the heirs of divine grace; I beg leave to fend you the following narrative :

Atalittle diftance from Saxmundham, in the county of Suffolk, a woman who had for morethan forty years lived in ignorance of God, happened to call one Lord's-day to fee a female relation, and was perfuaded by her to go to the house of God, and hear a funeral fermon preached for a man whom, a few days before this, the Lord had graciously taken to himself. The perfon alluded to had, a little before his departure, been made to fee the vilenefs of his own heart, and the neceffity of falvation by the bleffed Redeemer; and (to his abundant joy) had been made an heir of the covenant of promife. Upon his dying bed, he was entirely compofed; he could look forward without difmav. Death, which is looked on by the wicked as the king of terrors, was no more viewed by him as a tyrant, but as a conquered foe. In the courfe of the fermon much was faid concerning the work of God upon the foul,particularly asto the entire fubmiffion to the divine will which it had produ ced in the mind of the deceafed during the whole of his illness. As to his continuance in life, or his departure by death; he defired the Lord's will to be done, and not his own. In fome degree perhaps he rather inclined to the choice made by the greate Apoftle of the Gentiles: "Having a defire to depart and to be with Chrift, which is far better." The hearing of thefe things brought the poor woman to wifh, with Balaam, that "fhe might die the death of the righteous, and that her latter end might be like his." Directly after the fermon the poor creature was under very deep convictions for fin, the ftings of a guilty confcience pierced the inmoft receffes of her foul; her language upon the occafion was like the three thoufand under Peter's fermon: "What fhall we do to be faved?" I met with her a little after she had heard the fer

mon; or rather the put herself in my path, in order that she might unbosom her mind to me, which was at that time in great agitation. During the converfation fhe feemed all attention. Before I took my leave of her, I promised shortly to make her a vifit, which in the courfe of a few weeks I put in practice; but as no time was fixed, my coming was rather unexpected. When I approached the houfe, I did not ufe the ceremonies of a formal vifitor; for no fooner had I given' a gentle tap, than I opened the door, and walked in, to the great furprise of the poor woman and her husband. A little before my arrival, the hufband had prevailed upon his wife to play a game at cards, but on my going in rather on a fudden, the turned her head to fee who was coming in at the door; and no fooner was my perfon identified, than fhe threw down her cards and swept them all under the table, and there they lay the remainder of the evening. I could not but smile, to think of the fudden change. The cards, which a little before had been the objects of pleasure, were now thrown down, and even trampled under foot. I had no fooner feated myself, than I began to give vent to my feelings upon the occafion. I made remarks on the curfed and evil nature of fin, together with its deceitful charms, and its dreadful confequences. I then obferved the bleffednefs which attended the religion of Jefus, where it was experimentally received. This I affured them would afford pleasure which the world could neither give nor take away; that it would alleviate the burdened mind, and at all times adminifter comfort and joy in believing. After I had finished my exhortation, I asked if they would permit me to pray with them before we parted, to which they cheerfully confented. No fooner had I done interceding with the God of all grace, for his bleffing upon the family in general, than I found my mind particularly affected for the welfare of the poor man. I directly endeavoured to convince him of our innate depravity and natural propenfity to the things which are evil; from the testimony of the Apoítle, Eph. ii. 1, 2. I then noticed the nature and neceffity of the new birth, as indifpenfably neceffary to qualify us for the enjoyment of happiness.

Having thus, agreeably to my promife, paid my vifit, and endeavoured to make it as profitable as poffible, I returned home. No fooner was I departed, than the poor man was feized with the horrors and diftreffes of a guilty confcience. He attempted to lie down to reft, but it was all in vain, or the arrows of the Almighty had funk fo deep into his foul, that neither fleep could remove his pain, nor the objects of VOL. I.

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time divert his attention. During the doleful fhades of the night, he was like one of old, " full of toffings to and fro." So powerful was the work of God upon his mind, that nature was nearly exhausted with exceffive grief. In the morning he attempted his ufual employ, but it was with the greatest difficulty he attended to the duties of his station. He now betook himself to a throne of grace, to feek God's face, and implore his favour: His feeking was not in vain, for in the courfe of a few months he found, to his abundant joy, Him whom his foul now loveth. Upon the converfion of this man I cannot but make the following remark: If the Lord worketh, who can hinder? when Jehovah teaches, he teaches to profit. That this follower of the Lamb of God now poffeffes gifts and graces eminently confpicuous, is evident from the confeffion he gave to the church of Chrift, when he was admitted a member, and from his engaging in prayer fometimes before two hunderd people, to the great aftonishment of those who have heard him. The man and his wife are both joined in Christian fellowship. The habitation where they live is a little Bethel. In the morning and evening there tent is like the tabernacle of old, where the incenfe per umed the holy place. Their children are taught to fear and ferve the Lord. In a word, they are like Zecharias and Elizabeth of old, "walking in all the ordinances and commandments of the Lord blameless."-Can any one fay the hand of the Lord was not in this? PLACABILIS.

June 21, 1794.

Remarkable conversion of W. B. of the Parish of S

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GREEABLE to your wishes I fend you the following account of the remarkable converfion of W. B. who had lived a diffolute life for near forty years. He was notorious for drinking and Sabbath-breaking, and his ral deportment was fo abandoned that he was wicked even to a proverb. On Saturday evening, March 4, 1789, he attended a funeral at the parish-church, and from the place of interment he immediately betook himself to a public-house, where he became fo intoxicated that it was with fome difficulty he was enabled to reach his own habitation. Νο fooner was he laid down upon his bed, and compofed to fleep, than the words of Eliphaz were verified in his expe