he laboured, though less frequently, it being twenty-four. miles distant, yet with decisive proofs of success. At this latter place, a small neat meeting house has lately been erected. At Ripley, about fourteen miles, he preached very often. In these excursions he was frequently exposed to rain, snow, and frost; but neither the dark nights, nor the inclemency of the weather, could intimidate his heart, or cool his zeal, in attempting to do good to his fellow men. Once in the year he visited London; preached to very large congregations at the Tabernacle and Tottenham Court chapel: he also paid an annual visit to Bristol Tabernacle and Kingswood. Many have acknowledged the spiritual benefits they received from his lips. In addition to his annual visit to London, he paid a stated one to Olney; where, and in its neighbourhood, the scene of so many interesting feelings and circumstances in his younger years, he constantly spake the word of God; and, it is not to be doubted, with those emotions of spirit which the recollection of past days is apt to inspire. He never cultivated elegance of composition. His prevailing taste was acquired in early life, not by perusing the writings of the politer moderns, but by reading the old Puritan divines; and his habits and modes of address being formed while he lived among a serious but rustic people, he had too much good sense afterwards to affect that refinementt of speech, and that polished manner, which would never have been easy to him. He seemed to have formed himself after the model of Luther, who somewhere says, "He is the best preacher who speaks in plain and entertaining language, and in a manner most calculated to draw the attention of the young, and best adapted to the capacities of the common people. He was more of a rough Burgess than a glittering Bates, though a great admirer of the latter. He used what Mr. Whitefield called market-language. His vivacious and vigorous conceptions were conveyed in terms clear and strong, in bold metaphors and abrust sentences, to the understandings and feelings of his hearers. But there was such an unction on his spirit, such a richness in his matter, as made serious and spiritual hearers pass over what persons of fastidious refinement would call coarse, expression, and uncouth gesture. It pleased God to honour him, however, with signal and very extensive success in the conversion of many.

Soon after his settlement at Poole, he married Miss Frances Welch, a pious young lady endowed with a handsome fortune; with whom he lived in harmony for many years, leaving her his bereaved widow.

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In the midst of all his knowledge and success, we do not mean to intimate that he was free from infirmities: no one was more willing to own and bewail them than himself. While he was earnest in communicating truths to others, he was himself often cast down with the most distressing doubts; and was often afraid, "lest, after having preached to others, he himself should be a cast-away." His severe conflicts, however, occasioned that tender sensibility, which was easily touched with compassion toward those who were exercised with similar fears. They taught him how to speak word in season to him that was weary and ready to faint. Indeed, it is in the school of experience, and with a discipline so diversified as to be best suited to different circumstances and dispositions, that our great Master trains up his pupils to be humble, affectionate, patient, and sympathizing ministers in his church.

About 1800 he was attacked with a paralytic stroke, which so impaired his faculties as to oblige him to desist from the labours of the sanctuary. Infirmities both of body and mind, followed so fast upon him, as to induce him to resign his office as pastor of the church. The people chose in his stead the Rev. T. Durant, who was ordained to the pastoral office Sept. 8, 1801. The most undisturbed harmony continued to subsist between Mr. Durant and his late venerable friend, from the commencement of their acquaintance till the time of his death. It is remarkable, that after the threatening attack before mentioned, he was restored to a full capacity for preaching again, in turn with his successor, with almost as much clearness and energy as ever. In 1802, he was seized, after preaching on the preceding Sabbath, with a violent hæmorrhage from the head; the blood flowing in such quantities, as to baffle, for a time, all the efforts of medical skill, and to leave no rational hope of recovery; but, contrary to all expectation, he was once more gestored to a measure of health and strength, which enabled him again to appear with vigour in the pulpit for a series of several months. But at le gth, the time drew near when Ashburner must die. The last service in which he engaged on a week-day, was the concluding prayer after the general Sacrament, at the Hants Association, held at Poole, April 25, 1804; and the last sermon he preached was delivered on the following Sabbath, April 29. The text was Romans vii. part of the 26th and 34th verses. In this discourse he treated on the two intercessions in which the Christian is interested, as the pledge and earVOL. I. No. 5.

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nest of his future inheritance: - the intercession of Chri in heaven, and the intercession of the Spirit in t heart. When Mr. Ashburner came home, he sai "Now my work is done!" This last sermon was mu blessed to the comforts of God's people; and one young me in particular, knowing the indisposition under which t aged preacher laboured at that time (for his strength grad ally decayed) said, If he never heard him again, he shou have reason to bless God that he heard him at that time.

During his last illness he enjoyed sweet peace of min with a calm resignation to the will of God, and a good hop through grace. He spoke of dying with great familiarity a fortitude; and said, "I used to have doubts and fears specting death; but now the sting of death is gone; Jest is precious; I have no fear as to death; that is all gone." another time he said, with sweet composure of mind, " wait for thy salvation, O Lord; I have got the world behin me, and I am glad I have done with it: and I see a great beauty in that promise than ever."-" As thy day is, so sha thy strength be." He died July 2, 1804. His remains wer attended to the grave by a number of neighbouring minis ters, six of whom held the pall, and others preceded th corpse, among whom was the respectable clergyman of th parish; and followed by his weeping widow, and a long tra of genuine mourners. The solemnity of their countenance and their sighs of sorrow, spake to the hearta language whicl words can ill express. The burial ground was filled with persons who attentively listened to the service at the interment. Mr. Adams of Salisbury, addressed the people, and concluded wit prayer. From the grave the people proceeded to the meet ing house. The Rev. Henry Field, of Blandford, opened the worship; the Rev. J. Lewis, of Ringwood, prayed. The funeral-sermon was then delivered by Mr. Kingsbury, which has since been published, with a sketch of Mr. Ashburner' life. The Rev. Thomas Durant paid a tribute of respect to the memory of his predecessor, in a sermon on the Lord's Day evening after the interment. Funeral discourses were also delivered by many of the most respectable ministers in the neighbourhood; and at all the places to which he had been accustomed to pay an annual visit.

ASHE, SIMEON. Of this worthy minister neither the time of his birth, nor the age he had arrived at, are mentioned by Dr. Calamy or Mr. Palmer. He received his education at Emanuel College, Oxford. He went seasonably to heaven, says Dr. Calamy, at the very time when he

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was cast out of the church; for he was buried on the eve of Bartholomew-day, 1662: so that he was not actually ejected but it was death only that prevented it. Indeed himself and some others in his situation were well known to have been ready to quittheir livings, and had done it intentionally. One of them expressed a desire to live only to Bartholomew-day, if it were the will of God, that he might publicly bear his testimony to the necessity of a farther reformation. Mr. Ashe's first employment in the ministry was in Staffordshire, in the neighbourhood of those eminent men, Mr. John Ball, Mr. Robert Nicholls, and Mr. Langley, with all of whom he had a particular acquaintance. But for his nonconformi. ty to the ceremonies, and refusing to read the Book of Sports, he was soon displaced from his living. He gained however, a little liberty in an exempt church at Wraxall, under the covert of Sir John Burgoyne, and elsewhere under Lord Brook in Warwickshire. He was a christian of the primitive simplicity; and a nonconformist of the old school. He was eminent for a holy life, a cheerful mind, and a fluent elegancy in prayer. He had a good estate and was liberal with it. His house was much frequented, and he was universally beloved. He was chaplainto the Earl of Manchester in the wars, and fell under the obloquy of the Cromwellians for crossing their designs, and particularly for his vehemently opposing the Engagement. Hehadaconsiderable hand in bringing back King Charles II. Dr. Walker among other charges against him, severely censures him for a sermon before the House of Commons, as containing large invectives against the government and governors of the church. Among many sad grievances in it, he mentions "SUBSCRIPTION, urged upon all graduates in both universities, and upon all men entering into the ministry, as a heavy oppression, driving some promising persons from the office, and ensnaring the consciences of others; conniving at a scandalous ministry; -the shameful abuse of oaths, particularly the oath of matriculation; -the abuse of churchcensures, &c. &c." These were heavy charges, but there was evidently too much truth in them.

Mr. Ashe at the time of his death was rector of St. Aus. tin's in London, worth one hundred and seventy-two pounds per annum. He was one of the Cornhill lecturers, and a member of the Westminster assembly. Mr. Calamy preached his funeral sermon, which may be seen in the volume of farewell sermons. He speaks of him as a man of great sincerity, humility, benevolence, prudence, and patience; diligent

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ligent in preaching the gospel, in season and out of seasen, so as not to please the ear and wound the heart; seeking not the applause of the people, but the salvation of souls; eminent above most in prayer: and one who maintained great acquaintance and communion with God. He died as he lived, in great consolation and chearful exercise of faith, mo lested with no fears nor doubts, and conversing much to the edification of those about him. "When I was with him (says Mr. Calamy) he took occasion to complain much, and not without just cause, that ministers, when they met toge ther, discoursed no more of Christ and heaven, &c. professing that if God should restore him, he would be more careful in his discourse. He exhorted me and other ministers to preach much of Jesus Christ, and to speak of Christ to him; saying, when I consider my best duties, I sink, I die, I despair; but when I think of Christ, I have enough; he is all and in all. I desire to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified, &c." The morning before he died, he said, "It is one thing to speak of Christ and of heaven, and another thing to feel the consolation of Christ and of heaven, as I do;" (clapping his hand upon his breast:) and at another time, "The comforts of a holy life are real, and soul supporting. I feel the reality of them, and you may know by me, that it is not in vain to serve God."

He published a few sermons of his own composition, and two works of Mr. Ball.

ASTLEY, RICHARD, was born near Manchester, and educated in the public school there. His early good inclinations and solidity were very observant where he boarded; so that when his father was desirous of taking him from school, intending him for trade, some discerning persons in the family earnestly recommended his continuance at school, expressing their hope that he might be useful in the ministry. His father yielded to their advice, and found his son's proficiency in learning answer his expectation. Upon his going to the university, some of his pious friends met together, without his knowledge, to seek a divine blessing upon his studies. One of them a good solid christian, when prayer was over, said, "I believe God will do great things for this lad, though I shall not live to see him leave the university. When he returns acquaint him with what I say, to excite his thankfulness." They accordingly did so: and Mr. Astley, upon giving them a sermon in private, fully satisfied them that the expectation was just. He proved an excellent preacher.