OBITUARY.

1815, Dec. 50, at Coseley, Staffordshire, Mr. JOSEPH MAULLIN, aged 85. In his early days he was one of the catechumens of the Rev. Samuel Bourne, then one of the ministers of Coseley, in conjunction with Birmingham, the memoirs of whose life have, not long since, been given to the public by the late truly excellent Dr. Toulmin. Under the pious and well-adapted instructions of that able and assiduous pastor, Mr. Maullin had in his youth a serious sense of the importance and value of religion impressed upon his mind, which was afterwards greatly beneficial to him in the regulation of his conduct. So strongly did he feel himself in debted to his useful admonitions and good counsels, as to retain a lively and grateful recollection of him to the latest period of remembrance; and he never spoke of his labours, or mentioned the name of Mr. Bourne but with high applause, evidently prompted by the feelings of grateful respect. Being thus disposed in early life he formed good habits before he attained to manhood, which led him to sobriety, industry, practical integrity, a regular attention to divine worship, and an exemplary concern for the promotion and prosperity of religion. From his youth to the decline of life he was industrious and active in his worldly occupation, and it pleased God in his providence to crown his assiduity with considerable success. His zeal for the interest of the place of worship which he constantly attended as long as he was able, and for the welfare of the schools belonging to it, was no less conspicuous; for it was enlightened by a good understanding, and animated by warm benevolence. Indeed he was ardently desirous of seeing the cause of sacred truth in a flourishing state, and of having education and religious instruction extensively diffused among the numerous poor children of his neighbourhood, which was testified by his liberal contributions towards the support of religion, and the school institutions established by charity, and by his unwearied endeavours to render himself useful to them.

ed was thoroughly perfect and with-
out blemish, this is not the lot of frail
humanity; but, though his unusual
energy of mind and warm feelings
might sometimes betray an over-has-
tiness of temper, yet he certainly bore
the general traits of a valuable and
excellent character.
He was upon
principle a Protestant Nonconformist,
and well understood the rational
grounds of dissent from the hierarchy
set up and endowed by human au-
thority. In his religious opinions he
was completely Unitarian, having a
clear view of the doctrinal sentiments
which are usually so denominated,
and a strong attachment to them, as
the genuine truths of divine revelation.
He frequently avowed his firm per-
suasion of the entire unity of God,
aud of the instrumentality of his Son
the Mediator, of the perfect freeness
of divine grace, and of eternal life's
being the gift of God the Father
through Jesus Christ our Lord. These
most important truths of the glorious
gospel formed the foundation of his
Christian hope, were his satisfaction
in active life, and the support and
consolation of his mind in the various
vicissitudes he experienced.

In his declining years, and when the infirmities of age were making rapid advances, his life was embittered by some sore afflictions both in his person and family. While suffering the frequent and violent attacks of an asthma, and the increasing symtoms of losing his sight, the ravages of mortality among his near relatives, some of whom might have been expected from their comparatively youthful age, long to survive him, were painfully felt. But he was far from considering these mournful events as occurrences of chance, or repining at them as the effects of an undue severity. He devoutly acknowledged the providence of God in these afflictive strokes, regarded them as the fatherly chastisements of an all-wise and merciful Being, as means to be improved for weakening his love of this life, promoting his preparation for leaving the present world, and advancing his meetness to inherit a better state. He accordingly express

It is not pretended that the deceased it to be his desire, prayer and en

Obituary.-Mrs. Lewin.-Rev. Francis Blackburne.

deavour, to exercise the most humble and patient submission to the will of God under all the adversities with which he was tried.

When low sunk in the vale of years, reduced by infirmities to helpless decrepitude and total blindness, and enduring acute bodily pains, he still retained a considerable portion of his former mental faculties and vigour; and his piety shone with a mild lustre through the decay of nature. Just views of the gracious sovereignty of the Divine Being, and the resigned spirit of his holy Master, were often present to his mind, for to this effect he frequently exclaimed, "I wish to bear all my afflictions in such a manner as becomes a rational creature of the great God, and a faithful disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, who, when enduring the heaviest afflictions and sufferings, said, Not my will but thine be done,' and The cup which my Father hath given me to drink shall I not drink it?'' Under the influence of this great example he was solicitous that his heavenly Father would afford him strength equal to his day, and not permit his faith or patience to fail to the last moment of his mortal existence. His surviving relatives may with satisfaction indulge the hope that his pious wishes were accomplished, that he calmly fell into the sleep of death as a subject of the Divine favour, and as a sincere disciple of Jesus; and that he will be numbered among them who will hereafter joyfully awake to a blissful immortality.

F.

1816, Jan. 13, aged 70, MRS. LEWIN, the wife of the Rev. R. Lewin, of Liverpool. The greatest part of her life was spent in the domestic circle, though she possessed mental acquirements that would have adorned the most polished society: her suavity of manners appeared in all her actions, her conversation was energetic, but mild, never giving way to ill-natured remarks; her performance of the duties of a wife and parent have stamped upon her afflicted family the most lasting impression of her excellent heart; nor was the character of the Christian ever more brightly exemplified; her heart was always open to the keenest sensibility for those in distress, and her hand ready to re

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lieve. Her sorrowing friends will draw consolation from her firm faith in the Christian religion, which fortified her mind on all occasions; her truly religious character which led her never to pass over a single day without devoting a considerable part of it to her Maker; and her rare and excellent virtues, while they deeply regret her loss.

D. N..

Sunday, the 21st of January,_at Richmond, in Yorkshire, the Reverend FRANCIS BLACKBURNE, Vicar of Brignall, which living he held thirty-five years, residing upon it and performing in the most exemplary manner all the duties of a parish priest, till increasing infirmities compelled him to retire to Richmond, whence, however, he in every year paid frequent visits to his parishioners, by whom he was universally beloved, He was buried, at his express desire, on the 24th, at Brignall.~ Mr. Blackburne was the eldest son of the late venerable Archdeacon Blackburne, whose sentiments on religious and civil liberty he asserted on all proper occasions, with that calmness and dignity which was peculiar to his

character. He was the intimate friend of Mr. Wyvill, and co-operated with him in all those measures, whose object was the amelioration of the representation in parliament, and extension of religious liberty to all classes of his Majesty's subjects, being firmly convinced that wherever the truth lay it was to be maintained in the spirit of brotherly love, and not by pains or penalties, or restrictions of any kind. The peculiar feature in his character is delineated by a term we believe peculiar to and most expressive in our own language, Good Temper. By this, and a charity extensive as his means, he was endeared to all around him, and particularly to the poor, whose blessings will accompany him to his grave. As a father, husband, neighbour, friend and parish priest, his memory will be long cherished by those who stood in these relations to him. He left behind him a widow and three children, two sons and a daughter; the latter married to Mr. Frend, whose name frequently occurs in this Repository.

Feb. 9, greatly respected, and in the full enjoyment of her faculties, at Cheshunt, Herts, in the 90th year of her age, Mrs. HANNAH JOYCE, relict of Mr. Jeremiah Joyce, who died in the same place, Sept. 17, 1778. Mrs. Joyce was granddaughter by her mother's side to the Rev. John Benson, a dissenting minister residing at Hoddesdon, in Hertfordshire, at the period of the RevoJution; but who, in 1690 or 1691, removed to Sandwich, in Kent. This gentleman had nine children, of whom the eldest, John, was educated for the ministry, among the Dissenters, and was afterwards settled at Chertsey, in Surrey. His sixth child, Martha, was married to Mr. John Somersett, of St. Mildred's Court, London, by whom he had six children. Of these, Hannah was born Sept. 5, 1726, O. S. and was baptized the following day, by the Rev. Mr. Grosvenor, of Crosby Square. The fact is noticed in the Register kept by Mr. Benson, who adds, "And she is now, June Stb, 1727, visiting (with her mother) her grandfather John and grandmother Hannah Benson, at Sandwich, in Kent, whom God long preserve as a blessing to herself and parents." Hannah remained in London only till she was about twelve years of age, when she was taken into the family of Mrs. Harding, of Cheshunt, who kept a very respectable and flourishing boarding school in that village, but who afterwards married Mr. Lewis Jones, at that time of Reading, in Berkshire, who removed to Hack ney, where he and Mrs. Jones died and were buried.

While with Mrs. Harding, the subject of this article married Mr. Joyce, by whom he had eight children. She was from a very early period seriously and deeply impressed with the importance of religion, and it appears from a sort of diary, in her own handwriting, but which was never seen, by her children even, till after her decease, that though she had been extremely assiduous in her attendance upon public worship, and exhibited the most decisive proofs of undissem bled piety, yet when she was in her 19th year, she made what she denominates a solemn re-dedication of herself to God and his service, by joining the church under the pastoral care

of the Rev. John Oakes. This was
in the year 1745, and she continued
a member of that church so long as
it remained in the same connexion.
The successor to Mr. Oakes was the
Rev. John Mason, author of nume-
rous excellent works, of which the
most celebrated is, a “Treatise on
Self-Knowledge;" an edition of this
with some alterations, and a biogra-
phical account of the author was in
1808 published by Mrs. Joyce's young-
est son, who dedicated it to his mo-
ther as the last surviving member of
Mr. Mason's church. She has left
four children, who cannot cease to
remember with emotions of filial piety
and gratitude, the constant care and
attention which she ever manifested
in forming their minds to habits of
usefulness, integrity and virtue.
J. J.
Highgate, Feb. 24, 1816.

* After the death of Mr. Oakes, a volume of his Sermons to young persons was published by his successor, Mr. Mason. The following Questions in Mr. Oakes's hand-writing, will shew on what terme persons were admitted to church communion with him at that time, who was pastor of a presbyterian congregation. QUESTIONS publicly proposed to such as offer themselves to the communion with

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1. Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Saviour of the world?

2. Do you believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he rose again from the dead for our justification?

3. And do you so believe these things, as that you do hereupon sincerely and

heartily devote yourself to him, and to God by him; as it becomes those to do who are bought with the price of his precious blood?

4. And is it your fixed resolution and the solemn purse of your soul (in dependance on divine grace) to lead the life you live in the flesh by the faith of the Son of God, and in a course of dutiful obedience to his commandments?

MINISTER. If this be the sincere belief solutions, then in the name of Jesus Christ, of your heart, and these your settled reand in the name of this Christian Society, I bid you welcome to this feast of the gospel.

Mr. J. Hennell.-Mrs. H. Aspland.—Mr. Justice Heath.--Dr. Vincent.

Tuesday, Jan. 30, at his house, in St. Thomas's Square, Hackney, Mr. JAMES HENNELL, aged 33. By a most mysterious visitation of Divine Providence, this interesting young man is taken away from a numerous family and a wide circle of friends in the midst of activity and usefulness. A Sermon on occasion of his death was preached by Mr. Aspland to the Gravel-Pit Congregation, Hackney, of which he had been a member, for several years, on Sunday morning, Feb. 18th, when a numerous audience testified by their deep sympathy their sense of the loss sustained by society in this melancholy event. At the request of the family of the deceased, the Sermon is put into the press; we shall extract the conclusion of it, containing some account of his character and happy death, in our next.

On Saturday, Feb. 3, at Wicken, in the county of Cambridge, at the age of 64, Mrs. HANNAH ASPLAND, relict of the late Mr. Robert Aspland, of the same place. Her sufferings were severe and long-continued, but a deep sense of religion which she had cultivated from earliest youth bore up her mind with exemplary fortitude and patience. Her faculties were clear to the moment of her dissolution, and her last breath was spent in prayer to her heavenly Father. By her express desire, her funeral sermon was preached at Wicken, on the Sunday following her interment, Feb. 11th, by her son, the only survivor of several children, Mr. Aspland, of Hackney, from 1 Peter iii. 3, 4, 5, words of her own choice, which had been her comfort in the failure of heart and flesh. A very crowded auditory was deeply affected throughout the whole of this trying service.

Lately, at Park House, Hayes, the Hon. Mr. JUSTICE HEATH, one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas. He was in point of service, the father of the Bench, all his brethren having taken their seats subsequent to him. He was esteemed the best black-letter man of these times, deeply learned and of the most solid and fixed principles. He was justly ranked among those few men, whom no power nor persuasion could divert into a relaxation from what he thought right; yet this virtue had degenerated into the vice of obstinacy in his old age, and thus begat sternness and severity.Monthly Mag.

Lately, at the age of 77, the very Rev. WILLIAM VINCENT, Doctor of Divi. nity. He had been preferred, in the year 1808, to the deanery of Westminster, and resided, at his death, in the cloisters be

longing to that cathedral. This elevate was considered as a most appropriate re ward of his long and skilful discharge of the functions of master of Westminster School.

It was brought as a reproachful charge against Milton, that he had once employed his superlative talents in the instruction of youth. Abilities not inferior to his own would be required to attach disgrace to an employment not to be compared in absolute utility with any other. The duties of it may be ill performed, and it then becomes dishonourable and injurious, Yet few instances of its abuse would probably occur were due judgment exercised in the selection of proper persons, and due honour paid to the qualified and meritorious. Milton has been de fended, with almost superfluous ability, by Dr. Johnson; and nothing further needs to be urged in vindication of the respectability of Dr. Vincent, and of the ample remuneration bestowed upon him. The example of John Milton is enough to give dignity to any avocation.

Dr. Vincent was educated at the celebrated school which he afterwards directed with such success. On that foundation he was elected to Trinity College, Cambridge. At the end of four years he returned, and never quitted the walls of that seminary, till it was judged right to terminate his conscientious diligence by an ample provision for his old age. Hundreds of the nobility and gentry of the land acquired under him that taste and that erudition which so much distinguish the higher orders of society in Great Britain. Without injustice to his name, it cannot be separated from the praises merited by British learning during one half of a century.

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In other respects, Dr. Vincent acquired

extraordinary literary reputation. What, indeed, could have been done more than he has done? Leisure and opportunity were denied him in the midst of most arduous engagement, which, instead of admitting the intrusion of other pursuits, stood itself in need of aid and division. Yet, he managed to steal from the school sufficient time to compose his admirable work on the Navigation and Commerce of the ancients. This proof of his learning and industry is well known at home, and perhaps more highly appreciated by the learned abroad, who may be pronounced equally discerning with his own countrymen, and perhaps less subject to hostility or partiality. This was enough for fame.

Dr. Vincent was not less intent and assiduous for heaven. He had talents; he had learning; he had a rare felicity in communicating the store of his mind to others. However, he had higher qualifioations. His heart was simple, his man