Calvary. And this was an object | of such paramount importance in his estimation, that it may with truth be affirmed, he never lost sight of it; never degraded it from the prominent station which it was entitled to hold; nor ever allowed any other object to claim the precedence of it. From the first Sermon that the writer of this was privileged in hearing from his lips, to the very last that he delivered, he can testify, that the incessant burden of his preaching was "Jesus Christ and him crucified"-which he undeviatingly exhibited as the alone ground of hope to the guilty and perishing children of men. And his public ministrations were characterised by this excellence, that you might, in all his Sermons, constantly trace an unity of design, one object which he had ever in view, namely, to lead the minds of his hearers to Christ, "in whom it hath pleased the Father that all fulness should dwell-and that for the supply of all their spiritual wants-for pardon, peace, and joy eternal. In truth, nothing short of the grossest stupidity could account for any of his hearers mistaking him on this head. one article in the system of Christian doctrines, is the spirit of error more prevalent than on that of faith. Ask the generality of preachers "what is faith?" the reply will be-"It is a principle of grace implanted in the heart, at regeneration, &c. &c." but of this mysterious principle no definite or distinct idea can be formed, for it is supposed to exist where no sentiment is conveyed to the mind, nor any light to the understanding. We are sometimes very gravely told from the pulpit, that this "principle of grace," may be implanted in the heart, without the subject knowing any thing in the world about it, and that it may remain there, like seed buried under the clods of the valley, for twenty years, 'ere it spring up and fructify! Such is the vile jargon we are often destined to hear from many a famed divine in the present day. But the moment we open the scriptures and attend to them, we are struck with the incongruity of the modern doctrine respecting faith, and that infallible standard. Both prophets and apostles appear to have studied the greatest plainness of speech on this subject-sometimes 2. Another prominent trait in exhibiting it under the idea of the ministry of Mr. Austin was crediting a report, as in Isaiah his simple view of faith. No liii. 1. Rom. x. 16. sometimes as attentive reader of the scriptures the belief of a witness or testineeds to be told that much is mony, 1 John v. 9. and then it is therein said respecting the efficacy equivalent to a conviction, or conof faith, in the whole affair of our fident persuasion of the truth of salvation. We are said to be jus- what is testified or promised, Heb. tified by faith-to be sanctified xi. 1, 11. Rom. iv. 21. and at by faith-to live by faith-to walk other times it is even described as by faith to overcome the world synonymous with knowledge, See by faith-and in short, we are said Ps. lxxxix. 15. Is. liii. 11. John to be saved by grace through xvii. 3-yea, with hearing God faith. No wonder, therefore, that speaking to us in his own word: the subject of faith should have Is. lv. 3. And thus instead of given rise to so much discussion in holding up the one faith" to us the Christian church. It is in- as a mysterious, indescribable deed of the highest importance to something, inexplicable by luman a minister to have his views re-language, there is nothing more gulated by the word of God on simple and intelligible than the this particular point; for on no faith of the gospel, as it lies in the . holy scriptures. Mr. Austin was perfectly aware of the truth of all this, and he was deeply solicitous to guard his hearers from the leaven of the Pharisees on this point. He very properly considered that, as the work finished by the Son of God on Mount Calvary is the only meritorious ground of a sinner's acceptance, so all the benefit of that work is conveyed to men, by means of the divine Testimony, or report concerning it for Christ's righteousness is "unto and upon all that believe, without difference." Rom. iii. 22. ch. x. 4-17. The great thing with him, consequently, was, to hold up to the view of perishing sinners, "the word of the truth of the gospel"-to state its importance and excellency-to illustrate its import-and exhibit the divine evidence by which it is supported, and to urge men, by every argument and motive which reason, conscience, and revelation could suggest, to believe it to the saving of the soul. It was a rare thing with him to notice any of the controversies that exist in the world about the nature of faith; but he was very anxious to present to the view of the sinner what he was to believe; and if at any time he found it necessary to explain what he meant by believing, the mode of speech which he generally adopted, and with which he was best pleased, as being least liable to mistake or abuse, was that of having "the eye of the mind turned to Christ"-a phraseology which he evidently borrowed from Is. xlv. 22. "Look unto me and be ye saved, &c." Thus to "hold forth the word of life" to men of every rank, with the promise of salvation to him that believeth, he always regarded as "the great affair" (an expression which he often used concerning it) and whatever was the subject of discourse, he rarely, if ever closed it, without bringing the matter to this point. And this leads us to remark another peculiarity in his preaching, namely, 3. His views of the calls and invitations of the gospel.* In this last particular, Mr. Austin's preaching formed a perfect contrast to that of numbers of his brethren, who have adopted the scheme of Hyper-Calvinism contained in the writings of Drs. Crisp and Gill, Mr. Brine and others; but in our opinion, it constituted the crowning excellence of his ministry, and therefore deserves to be particularly mentioned. We remember to have been struck with the pertinency of a remark we have somewhere seen respecting the great Dr. Gill, namely, that he appears to have been extremely jealous lest one more than the elect should be saved! And to avoid splitting on that rock, he was led to reject all the calls and invitations, with which the scriptures abound, as inducements to sinners to repent and believe the gospel, as, in his view, savouring of Arminian legality! This takes its rise from a miserably defective view of "the glorious gospel of the blessed God," and Mr. Austin was fully aware of its unscriptural bearing, which is to becloud *We cannot help remarking in this place, that the peculiarity above mentioned is happily described by the writer of the "Elegy on Mr. Austin's death," inserted p. 9, 10. of this volume, in the following lines "No Sectarian zeal could bind him, To with-hold the gospel call; His enlarged views inclin'd him, We could not, however, refrain from smiling, when we noticed that, by some accident this Stanza is wanting in the copy of the Elegy inserted in the Baptist Magazine, January 1817. Query! Was the Editor apprehensive it might be construed into a reflection on the conduct of his ministering brethren, and consequently that it might give offence? never thought at all about their immortal souls, or the things that relate to their eternal peace. Your chief concern is, "What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or wherewithall shall we be cloathed.” But, oh, do consider that you are mortal beings-that you are the subjects of sin, and in a state of condemnation-that death stands ready to arrest you and hurry you away to the bar of judgment, there to give an account of all your actions to God! If you go on in this state until death overtake you, what becomes of you for eternity? Well; remember, that now is the accepted time and day of salvation. The gospel addresses you in the most kind and endearing language-tells you of a finished salvation-sets before you a feast of fat things," comprising all that is necessary to make you happy in this life and in that which is to come; and invites you to partake without money and without price-"The Spirit and the bride say, come; and let him that heareth say, come; and whosoever will, let him come and take of the waters of life freely." But, ah, my dear hearer, if you the riches and freeness of divine | be one, or two, or more, who have grace, and its immediate nearness to the chief of sinners. He not only considered the gospel as revealing the way of salvation, through the mediation of the Son of God; but he also regarded it in the light of A FEAST, provided by the Majesty of heaven, to which all the sons of wretchedness and misery are graciously invited to come and partake of its choicest blessings without money and without price. Isaiah lv. 1—3. Matt. xxii, 1-10. Luke xiv. 16-24. And though he was fully aware that nothing short of almighty power could prevail on sinners to comply with the gracious invitations and kind entreaties of the master of the feast, yet he did not consider this as making the slightest difference with regard to his duty in urging, entreating, and beseeching sinners to be reconciled unto God, 2 Cor. v. 19-21. And here his excellence as a preacher of the gospel eminently appeared, at least in our estimation. For though it has certainly fallen to our lot to hear a great variety of ministers of the word during the last thirty-five years, we can truly declare that we never heard one who surpassed the sub-put these things from you, giving a ject of this Memoir, in the instance we are now mentioning, and very few that have equalled him. There was a peculiarity, we had almost said an unrivalled felicity, in his manner of bringing home to the hearts and consciences of his hearers, the great subjects of his ministration. His method was his own, but it was admirable; and no verbal description can fully do justice to it. "And now, my dear hearers," he would say, when he came to wind up his discourse and bring it to a close, "you have been hearing of matters of vast concern to all the human race-permit me seriously to ask you what you think of them. In this large assembly there may possibly " preference to the pleasures of sin, and casting the fear of God behind your back, how will you answer for such conduct in the great day of account! Remember, once more, that he that believeth on the Son of God hath everlasting life; but he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life, for the wrath of God abideth on him." This is an imperfect sketch of the style of his addresses, which he always contrived to introduce in an easy, natural, and pleasing manner; and though the phrase[ology might be varied, the sentiment was always substantially the same. We have oftener than once heard it remarked of Mr. Austin, Video meliora, proboque, in reference to the scriptural order | propriated to that purpose. With of Christ's house, that " he knew these meetings he has often exmore than he practised," and to his pressed his cordial satisfaction; praise be it recorded, that this is "I enjoy them exceedingly," he the strongest censure we ever has often said to the writer of this, heard passed upon his character." and find them very refreshing But even admitting this to be true, to my own mind." On these occawe fear it is only what may be said sions he always presided, when of hundreds of other ministers, not prevented from attending; he and of churches also, which boast began by reading a chapter from much of their apostolic purity. one of the apostolic epistles, and gave out a hymn; then called Deteriora sequorupon one of the brethren to pray: is a maxim that has been current after which two or three of them for ages, and happy they who can spake to exhortation-and having plead an exemption from the sang another hymn, he himself charge. It is not our business, concluded by a short prayer, in however, to vindicate what is amiss which he always adverted to the in any man, and Mr. Austin's leading topics that had formed the character stands in need of no subject-matter of exhortation, imsuch weapons of defence. That ploring the divine blessing to there were several things in the follow the important things that order of the church which appear-had been said unto them, and the ed to himself capable of improve-truths of which they had then ment, we never doubted; and had been reminded by their dear he been privileged, at the time he brethren." What Mr. Austin's took the pastoral charge of it, sentiments were, respecting à pluwith the wisdom and experience rality of Elders, Pastors, or which he had acquired at the time Bishops, in every church where he quitted it, we can readily believe they can be obtained, we are not that he would have instituted a competent to speak; but, we different order. But when a church greatly question if there be any has once set out wrong, and pro-one thing from which the churches ceeded for a course of years in an of the present day suffer more unscriptural way, it is no easy painful consequences than they do matter to draw them out of the from their culpable neglect of the beaten track, and lead them into a mind of Christ, in reference to new path, especially when they this matter; and the existing state are to be the first to innovate. Mr. of the church in Fetter-lane, since Austin approved of weekly com- the death of Mr. Austin, is one, munion; and could he have among innumerable other proofs brought the church into one mind of its truth. Whether that church upon the subject, we doubt not possesses wisdom and virtue enough but it would have afforded him to profit by its present afflicted the sincerest pleasure; but he was state, is a question which a little aware that the object could not time will decide; but one cannot be attained without great sacri- help figuring to one's-self, how fices, and he had not nerve for vastly different had been its conthe undertaking. That brethren, dition during the last six months, who have gifts for discharging the had it possessed a presbytery, after duty to edification, should exhort the pattern of the first churches. one another and the body at large, Titus i. 5. Phil. i. 1. Acts xiv. 23. when publicly assembled together, ch. xv. 4. ch. xx. 17. We anticimet his cordial approbation, and pate the objection that will be one evening each week was ap. 'instantaneously started, "How shall a church, that has no affluently great, and which, we can truly members, provide the means of say, often excited our admiration. support for more than one pastor?" but the objection weighs not a feather with us Let them select one at least, who is in a situation to support himself for if he be a man at all fitted for the office, it will be far more agreeable to him to do that, than to receive support from others. Acts xx. 35. 1 Pet. v, 2-4. And these remarks are equally applicable to the rest of the Baptist churches! His deportment in the church was strongly characterised by the amiable qualities of meekness, gentleness, patience and humility. With the strictest truth may it be said, that he " was with them in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling;" and with equal propriety it may be added, that "be was gentle among them, even as a nurse cherisheth her children." Every member shared his affection But whatever may be said of and his prayers; and few ministhe radical defects in the constitu- ters could with more consistency tion and order of the church, it appropriate the words of the will not be denied by any one, apostle, "Who is weak and I am that, in discharging the duties of not weak-who is offended and his official station, Mr. Austin was I burn not?" Though very averse very exemplary. In his public to a gossiping style of visiting, doctrine he exhibited "a pattern the moment he heard of indisposiof uncorruptness, gravity, sin- tion or distress in the family of cerity-sound speech which could any of his friends, his attentions not be condemned:" and in this res- were prompt, and his sympathy pect, too, he formed a striking con- unfeigned. He mixed very little trast to many of his brethren in the with the world, but devoted himministry. Deeply impressed with self most unreservedly to the disthe importance of the message he charge of the duties which dehad to deliver, there was no dis- volved upon him from the station play of greatness about him, noin which the exalted head of the effort to shine; the first object of his regard was to present to the minds of his hearers, the doctrine of the everlasting gospel, in language the most plain and easy of comprehension that he could select, without obtruding his own imper-was crowned, and cheered with tant self on their consideration. He was indeed well content to be nothing, that "Christ might be all in all." Yet his discourses were never common-place effusions; far less were they crude and incoherent rhapsodies: but the result of a diligent study of the holy scriptures, and consequently they always commanded the attention of his audience; and there was this singularity attending them, that we do not remember to have ever wished them shorter. He rarely descended below his own standard in preaching, but he sometimes rose to things that were uncommon. church had placed him, pursuing the noiseless tenour of his way," amidst a variety of difficul ties, both from within and from without, but encouraged by the success with which his ministry the animating prospect of being enabled through grace, to render in his account with joy, to the Chief Shepherd and Bishop of souls. The duties which he enforced upon others he was always solicitous to exemplify in his own conduct; and though a most strenuous advocate for the doctrine of the free justification of the ungodly though faith in the blood of the Lamb, no man could contend more pointedly for the holy influence of the gospel. It was his constant prayer, as he told the writer of this Memoir, that God would rather take him out of |