a view of inducing him to settle there, which also failed; and the building was afterward appropriated to the worship of the Kirk. From these parts he made a tour southward, preaching by invitation, in almost every place whither he came; and on his return called at Annan. The curiosity of the landlady led her to open a small bundle, which Mr. C. had laid on one side, and finding a Bible, was certain from that circumstance, in connexion with his appearance, that her guest was a minister. She frankly told him what she had done; asked if she was correct in her conjecture, and in the name of a few religious friends, requested him to preach on the following day-it being the Sabbath. This was readily acceded to; and such was the reception which his ministry met with, that testimonials from Ireland were applied for, touching his life, character, and ministry, which being abundantly supplied, he was urged by the people to take the oversight of them in the Lord. Among the testimonials furnished was one from the Rev. Francis Grey, minister of Bovavey, and another from the Rev. Robert Steel, minister of Dungiven; men of considerable note and influence in those parts. To this invitation he returned a favourable answer, and was soon after set apart as their pastor. In the Evangelical Magazine, for June, 1794, is a highly interesting account of that day, and of the circumstances leading to the transactions thereof. Among those engaged, we find that the Rev. Mr. Waring, then of Durham, gave the charge, from 1 Tim. iv. 16; and the Rev. Mr. Tissier, then of Newcastle, addressed the people, from 1 Thess. v. 25. Referring to Mr. C.'s second day's labours in Annan, the account saith:"On that day the audience had considerably increased, and were so captivated with his sermon, that they urged him to make a further stay, and at length to take up his abode among them, and become their pastor." Then is added, "We are further informed, that this is the only church in Scotland organized upon the Independent principles of church government." If

this be correct, and there is no reason to doubt it, the venerated subject of this memoir, venerated most by those who knew him best, was the first who had the honour-(of course the writer views the subject as a Congregationalist) of attempting to reduce the principles of Independency to practice in North Britain.

It was but a short time ere a commodious " Meeting-house" was loudly called for. To this call the energetic and devoted pastor cheerfully responded; and at an immense expense of time, bodily fatigue, and mental anxiety, accomplished the object. As there could be little hope of securing funds adequate to the demands of such an undertaking in the neighbourhood of Annan, or in any other part of Scotland, Mr. Carnson determined upon a visit to London. This visit he paid, and collected 1801. 8s. 7d.; no mean sum for a stranger to collect for so distant an object in those days. From a paper now before the writer,-and which is one of a file recently transmitted to him by an esteemed relation, on whom the responsibility of this memoir according to seniority and literary attainments, should have rested, the Rev. T. D. Carnson, of Preston, Lancashire;-it appears that the pastor at Annan was scrupulously exact in all his dealings, as well with bodies of men as with individuals. In the paper referred to is the examination, by competent men, of the begging accounts, regularly signed and counter-signed, and showing that not a penny had been wasted on the one hand, nor on the other diverted from the specified and legitimate object. After a length of time Mr. Carnson was rendered so uncomfortable by an individual, who, so far as the account can be understood, wished not only to secure the deeds of the chapel into his own hands, but to direct and control the proceedings of the place, that he accepted an unanimous call to the pastorate of Park-head, near Carlisle, where, while on a visit to a friend, he had often preached. Here he remained, with much comfort, for nearly ten years,

preaching statedly, not only in the chapel, but in all the regions round about. Previously to his settlement in this place, he discovered, that for some time the Socinian heresy had prevailed in the pulpit at least. This led him to draw up in very clear and comprehensive terms, his confession of faith, which contained every thing essential to a sinner's salvation through a crucified Redeemer, and every thing conducive unto, and promotive of, a holy life, and close walking with God. The people received this document with unmingled satisfaction, and from that time neither the sophistry nor the ice of Socinianism has cursed that rural district.

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The influence and tendency of his life and ministry were most apparent here, not only during his residence among the people, but many years after his removal to another field of labour and not a great length of time ago, when the writer was making a temporary stay in Westmoreland and Cumberland, he was frequently gratified by the simple and touching allusions of many aged Christians to the days of other years, when Mr. Carnson's preaching visits were as welcome as they were found to be refreshing. After continuing in this place nearly ten years, he accepted of an invitation to supply the united churches of Barnard Castle and Cotherstone; and subsequently to remain with them for the space of two years; why he did this it would be difficult to divine. Certainly it was not for the love of filthy lucre ; nor was it because of the least dissatisfaction among the people of Park-head. The following copies of documents, taken from the originals, will testify to the truth of the above assertions. The first is dated Barnard Castle, December 20, 1805, and is as follows :-" We the undersigned, composing the church of Calvinistic Dissenters, being satisfied with the character and gifts of you, the Rev. A. Carnson, do invite you to undertake the charge of teaching and governing us, the said church, according to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And we the said church do promise for the present, to give you 351. per ann., with 107. to be paid by As wit

ness our hands," &c. As this was all that the church offered him, and that only "for the present," he will be acquitted of the charge of seeking “great things for himself.” That his removal was not occasioned by any alienation of the affections of his charge, the next extract from another paper will show. It is dated November 23, 1805: “We the undersigned, do certify and declare, that the Rev. Andrew Carnson has been our pastor upwards of nine years, during all which time he has laboured faithfully among us in word and doctrine. We also declare, that his leaving us at this time, is his own free choice, and that our original harmony and affection are still unbroken; and that in parting with him we feel the deepest regret. Signed," &c. In addition to this, we may select the following honourable testimonial from the Rev. G. Bennet, of Carlisle, afterwards of Strathmiglo, whose piety and learning secured him the friendship and patronage of many eminent men of the day, dated Carlisle, November 19, 1805 :— "I do hereby certify, that I have known the Rev. Andrew Carnson, some time settled in Park-head, Cumberland, and from my observation can declare, that his walk and conversation have been such as becometh the gospel of Christ and now, being loosed from his late charge, is every way deserving of encouragement in his views as a minister of Christ. George Bennet," &c.

Having, to the entire satisfaction of the two congregations, fulfilled the terms of the primary engagement, he received an invitation from them to become their permanent pastor. This was dated Feb. 14, 1808, and thus begins :-" We, the members of the dissenting churches of Cotherstone and Barnard Castle, being satisfied with the life and doctrine of you, the Rev. Andrew Carnson, colleague and successor to the Rev. L. Prattman, do unanimously invite you to continue among us, and take the oversight of us in the Lord," &c. From this time Mr. Carnson laboured inces

santly in the discharge of his double duties, until the Rev. W. L. Prattman resigned his charge in Farnham, and became a resident in Barnard Castle. What the immediate effect of this change was, or what the precise nature of the arrangements made betwixt the two ministers, the writer has no correct knowledge, being then too young to interfere with, or care about such matters. Suffice it to say, there was, for a length of time, the appearance, and we trust, the existence of strict and unfeigned amity among all parties; "And walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, they were edified." But this state of things was not permitted to continue. A certain party became dissatisfied; and, as dissatisfaction without sufficient reasons shows great weakness or something worse, it was incumbent that reasons should first be found and then assigned. In the finding of them there would, of course, be little difficulty; in stating them, no reluctance. Consequently, a document was drawn up, containing divers grave charges, and forwarded to the trustees of the York Fund, with a view of alienating from Mr. C. the yearly exhibition which he had solely enjoyed since the death of his predecessor and colleague, Mr. Prattman, sen. Whether the gentlemen of that trusteeship had too little piety for a due appreciation of the charges, or too great piety and discernment to be misled by them, the writer is not competent to judge; be that is it might, they caused a copy of the whole to be carefully taken, and sent to Mr. C., together with the regular remittance; a delicate, but substantial method of saying, There's nothing here to shake our confidence in your character." That copy we have at this moment before us; and, although somewhat mutilated, it is sufficiently legible, even to the names of the parties whence it emanated; and we are laid under a deep moral and religious obligation to declare, that after a most careful and impartial induction of the facts or rather statements, contained therein, there is no proof, no, nor shadow of proof, of

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any neglect of ministerial duty; of any, even the least approach to inconsistency of moral conduct; or of any one circumstance in the whole of his public life that need have caused himself, or can cause his surviving friends a momentary blush. A great number of his friends now flocked more closely round him, including several of the evangelical clergy and laity of the episcopal church; some of the most eminent of the Society of Friends, and many in his own denomination, and proved the estimation in which he was held, by contributing in a way the most delicate, yet efficient, to the comforts of his old age, and the relief of his increasing infirmities. Notwithstanding this unexpected trial - as cruel as it was unexpected-he continued to labour with patience and diligence for several years; yet not in many respects, as he had been wont to do. In spirituality of feeling, and blandness of manners, he greatly improved; but it was evident that he was a man of broken spirits, and that wounds had been inflicted which no power on earth could entirely heal. That such should have been the influence of a document so concocted, and so employed, on one of keen sensibility and high moral feeling, and on one too, whose ingenuousness invited, and whose integrity dared the strictest scrutiny, cannot be a matter of surprise for, certainly, it is one of the most extraordinary papers ever drawn up for, or presented to, a committee of intelligent, impartial, or practical men ; and signed by individuals, who, whatever their claims might be as gentlemen or officers of a Christian church, which claims we feel no disposition to deny, even if it were mannerly to do so, could prefer no reasonable grounds of complaint, if we doubted their ability, at that period at least, to examine evidence; or their disposition to do unto others as they would have had others do unto them. He came out of this trial not only unscathed, but purified, and continued his labours, for some years, when sensible decay led him to resign all ministerial engagements and responsibility. In the Rev. Mr. Harri

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son, co-pastor with the Rev. Mr. Prattman, of Barnard Castle, he found a faithful successor. To him he committed, under the Great Shepherd, and with their own consent, the flock over which he had presided during twentyour years; and with him he held a delightful and endearing fellowship to the day of his death.

Persecution having now exhausted all its energies, sanctified friendship having opened unexpected resources, and ministerial duties no longer devolving upon him, the subject of this memoir had nothing to do but "set his house in order," and wait the long expected summons. To his friends it was delightful to witness his growing meetness for heaven. His reading, his conversation, his prayers, the addresses which he delivered with great feebleness from his chair, in the absence of the young pastor, testified that his conversation was in heaven, and that he was tending thither. To give an account of his dying experience, would be to give an account of many of his last months, nay years. In a very important sense he died daily. His attachment to the great doctrines of salvation, as revealed in the Scriptures, and as propounded in the " Assembly's Catechism," became stronger and stronger; his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ more simple, consequently more energetic; and his reliance upon the character and offices of the blessed Spirit more habitual and influential. Never did man glory more in the cross of Christ; and never did man, according to the measure of his ability, preach it more constantly or

exclusively. During the first years of his ministry, the crowds that followed him, frequently rendered accommodation within doors utterly hopeless. Congregations of five, six, and even seven thousand have often stood around him, and from good authority we know the effect was in many cases very powerful. Our earliest recollections of him represent but the ruins of what had once been stately and imposing; yet those recollections are associated with much that was animated, benevolent, and commanding. Had his education corresponded with his talents, his knowledge of mankind with his knowledge of the Scriptures; or his means of improvement with his capacity for improvement, few would have surpassed him. In this, however, we would not glory. The recollection is sweet to us, that he was "a holy man of God," as is the conviction, "that he now inheriteth the promises." He died without a struggle, on Tuesday, July 21, 1840, surrounded by many friends. A vast concourse attended his funeral. Previously to the removal of the body to its final resting place, an eloquent funeral oration was delivered by the Rev. W. L. Prattman, of Barnard Castle; and on the Sunday following the event was improved in an excellent sermon, from Hebrews xiii. 5, last clause, to a crowded congregation, by the Rev. Mr. Harrison, of the same place. "Our fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?"

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his relation to Christ, the truth which dwells in him, the love which constrains him, and the Spirit by whom he is pervaded and sanctified, forbid the possibility of such a case. But, is it not true, that many a child of God, from ignorance of his obligations, from de

fective views of his responsibility, from the want of definite plans, from some vague floating notion that he has no influence that can be brought to bear usefully upon the condition of others, sits down in comparative indolence, and allows himself to forget that his one talent is as sacred a trust as if ten had been committed to him? If no Christian man can either live or die to himself, it follows as a consequence that, living or dying, he must be the Lord's ; and, if the Lord's, then he must be supremely anxious, while he lives, to know what is the will of the Lord concerning him. He must, with the Bible in his hand, make himself acquainted with the Master's will,-what is agreeable to it, what is required by it; and then he must strive to ascertain, by deliberate and prayerful reflection, what means and opportunities are committed to him for the accomplishment of any part of that will. He must ask himself, in the presence of Him who died for him, have I neglected the proper use of any talent intrusted to me? have I preferred my own ease and comfort to the Divine glory? have I felt as I ought to have felt for the honour of that Saviour, who bore my sins "in his own body on the tree?" have I looked with sufficient compassion on the souls of men perishing around me? have I exerted a uniformly holy and Christian influence in the circle in which I move? have I omitted no favourable occasion for doing good to the souls and bodies of men? In one word, have I done what I could? An investigation of this close and faithful character cannot fail to discover many a neglected path of duty, and to suggest new walks of usefulness in the Christian life.

Is the reader a head of a family? Let him ask himself whether he has done all in his power to advance the spiritual interests of those committed to his immediate care? Can nothing more be accomplished in the way of instruction, of earnest persuasion, of wise government, of strict religious example, of conciliatory conduct and spirit, and of well-digested plans of domestic piety and worship? Let him

ask, if he has agonised in spirit, for the salvation of his house? if he has conversed and prayed with his children individually and apart, as well as in the family circle? if he has estimated, at their proper value, the souls of his domestics? if he has been uniformly careful of the eternal interests of all those dependent upon him for support and counsel ? Such inquiries as these will quicken the energies of conscience, will stimulate the dormant feelings of piety, and will lead to the adoption of some new methods of practical useful

ness.

Is the reader a member of a Christian church? All true Christians ought to be such. It is their Lord's will concerning them, that they should confess him before men, that they should come out from the world and be separate, that they should remember his dying love. But how many members of churches stand idle all the day, as if the Master had given them no work to do!

They look to the fellowship of the church as a medium of receiving good; but they forget that their membership imposes upon them the solemn obligation of seeking the good of Jerusalem. Let every church-member ask himself, have I been a helper of my pastor in his anxious and arduous work? have I contributed my mite of influence to the prosperity of the cause? has my spirit been that of love, while my efforts have been those of an active and devoted member of the mystical body of Christ? have I allowed no grace to lie dormant, and hid no talent in the earth? Is the church the better or the worse by reason of my accession to it ? What does conscience testify?

What are the reasonable conclusions of my pastor and brethren respecting me?

Is the reader engaged in any of those works of usefulness, which characterise the present age, and distinguish it from those periods of lethargic indifference to the cause of Christ which have preceded it? Let him ask, in what manner he has acquitted himself in the performance of the duties which his zeal and piety have led him voluntarily to undertake? Has he been earnest