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view of his finally entering the church. His parents were induced to acquiesce in the proposal. Young Brown resided for some time, under the tuition of his new friend, at

SOME ACCOUNT OF THE REV. DAVID
BROWN, LATE SENIOR CHAPLAIN
OF THE EAST-INDIA COMPANY,
AND PROVOST OF THE COLLEGE Scarborough. He was afterwards

OF FORT WILLIAM.

THIS account is taken from a very interesting work, which has recently been published by Cadell and Davies, entitled, "Memorial Sketches of the Rev. David Brown, with a Selection of his Sermons preached at Calcutta." The work is edited by the Rev. Charles Simeon, of Cambridge, who had been amongst the earliest friends of Mr. Brown; and I unite with that distinguished minister of Jesus Christ, in the hope that it may tend to kindle in the hearts of many, not only a respect for the memory of Mr. Brown, but an ardent solicitude to follow his steps.

The Rev. David Brown was born in the East Riding of Yorkshire, where his venerable parents, still living, and his brothers, reside. The exact time of his birth is not mentioned; but it must have been in the latter months. of 1763, or the first months of the following year. From his early youth he was distinguished for a religious turn of mind, an amiable disposition, and a thirst for knowledge. When about ten or eleven years of age, being on a journey with his parents, he fell into the company of a minister, who, though a stranger, was so much struck with his intelligence, that he offered to take charge of him for a year or two, in order to prepare him for a grammar-school, with the CHRIST, OBSERV. No. 181.

removed to the grammar-school at Hull, then under the care of the Rev. Joseph Milner. Mr. Milner became much attached to his pupil; and while that good man lived, Mr. Brown continued to consult the judgment, and confide in the experience and piety, of his tutor. Mr. Brown proceeded to the University of Cambridge, and was entered at Magdalen College, where he prosecuted the usual studies preparatory to his entering into the church.

Mr. Brown had been piously educated. The following allusion to this circumstance was found among his papers after his decease

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Thy goodness, like the sun, dawned on my early days:-a godly. grandfather, who poured out prayers for me;-parents who attended to the instructions given them by the ministers of God;-early acquaintance with the Rev. Messrs. Jesse, Stillingfleet, Milner ;-mercies all flowing from my God!" What a strong encouragement does the case of Mr. Brown hold out to parents, not only to be assiduous in forming the minds of their children, from earliest infancy, to the fear and love of God; but to provide for them, as far as possible, such friends and associates as may promote their religious progress!

During Mr. Brown's residence at college, he was led, in the course of his correspondence with a pious friend in London, to relate some B

successful efforts he had made to do good among the poor. This letter having been shown to an officer in the East-India Company's service, a new direction was given to all his prospects in life. In the month of February, 1785, he was invited by this officer, Major Mitchell, to undertake the task of superintending an institution recently formed in Bengal, for the support and education of the orphans, of both sexes, belonging to the indigent deceased Europeans of that presidency. He was at first disinclined to listen to this proposal, deeming it his duty to pursue his academical studies to their natural termination; but the friends whom he consulted being of a contrary opinion, be yielded to their judgment, and agreed to accept the situation that had been offered to him, provided he could obtain episcopal ordination. Here, however, a new difficulty arose. Dr. Lowth, then Bishop of London, gave a peremptory refusal to his application, alleging, that he had already ordained several men for the colonies, who afterwards remained lounging about town, a disgrace to the clerical profession. On this repulse, Major Mitchell applied to the late Bishop of Llandaff, Dr. Watson, who agreed, that if the Archbishop of Canterbury saw no impropriety in his ordaining Mr. Brown, after what had passed, he would cheerfully do it. The Archbishop approved of the proceeding, and Mr. Brown was ordained by the Bishop of Llandaff, on the 26th of February, 1785. The Bishop showed him much pastoral regard: he had himself conducted a long and close examination of Mr. Brown, and he gave him much valuable counsel, which proved afterwards a comfort and support to him. His Lordship's last words were: "Go in peace, and may the blessing of God go with you! Do all the good you can; and if it is no better for you in this world, it will be in the world to come."

The Society for promoting Christian Knowledge elected Mr. Brown a corresponding member, gave him books, and recommended him to the Court of Directors of the EastIndia Company, who, with great liberality, advanced 300 guineas for his outfit. He did not leave England until the month of November following. The interval appears, from his journal, to have been passed partly among his friends in Yorkshire, but chiefly in London. During this time the frame of his mind appears to have been that of devotedness to God's service, and resignation to his will. Before the East-India Company had resolved to make him an advance, he experienced much pecuniary inconvenience. On one occasion he observes; "My duties this day have been, preaching two sermons, reading prayers three times, a funeral, a churching, and a christening. Major morning came to church, and begged me to make use of a ten-pound note as long as I wished. I had but two shillings remaining, which I left this evening with a poor soldier whose wife lay-in of twins, which last Sunday I baptized. My God, continue to help me to serve thee, and follow me this day and every day with thy blessing!"

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From an incidental expression in his journal, Mr. Brown appears to have been married about this time; a circumstance which, probably, added to his pecuniary difficulties. "I am now," he says, "to reside in Chelsea, and have very little money and food to provide for my wife and self. The Lord will provide. Of this he has given me a precious token this evening; for unexpectedly were sent in various supplies."

The friends whose regard be seems at this time to have cherished with the greatest affection, were Mr. Simeon, the Messrs. Lloyds, of King's College, Cambridge, and Mr. Houseman. Mr. Simeon accompanied him to the ship in which

he embarked for India, on the 15th of Nov. 1785, with Mrs. Brown, who was delivered on board, of a son, on the 1st of February. The journal of his voyage exhibits the same deep piety which was visible in his former memoranda, and contains many interesting details. The following incident is selected merely because it marks that union of firm-ness and suavity which was characteristic of Mr. Brown's mind.

"Feb. 25, 1786. The evening of this day was remarkable for a debate, in which my sentiments respecting song-singing, drinking to excess, &c. were brought to the test. After a glass of claret, I declined taking more, when the Captain forcibly urged me, and would have taken my glass and filled it: but with a determined air I told him, he might as easily attempt to shake Gibraltar as to shake me from my purpose. It was replied,Then you must sing.' I told them I considered it as inconsistent with my character, and 1 could not oblige them by a violation of my judgment. This was followed by arguments on the necessity of being good company, of the innocence of festivity, &c. The Captain observed, that we ought to accommodate ourselves to the spirit of the company. we sit down with, and that it was only good breeding and harmless to do so. I replied, that I was a great advocate for liberty; that I gave large scope to others to follow their own judgments, and that I valued myself on this prerogative: I had opinions that I could not part with to oblige any company whatever;-that a man must be dastardly and unprincipled who would, to please others, act contrary to his judgment, and thus give up the most precious right of human nature-that as to the innocence of song-singing, I would not hesitate to affirm, that some songs were really criminal, and by no rules of morality to be justified, and that to me all seemed improper and inconsistent. I added, that it was contrary to good sense as well

as good breeding, to press a person after such a declaration; and that I did not doubt but the present company would have as contemptible an opinion of me as I deserved, should I comply; and concluded by saying to the Captain, that I did not believe it would give him any satisfaction to hurt my feelings, but that I should disoblige him by granting what they bad asked. To this he made a short and proper answer-that I should never more be pressed to do any thing disagreeable or contrary to my judg ment, so long as I was in his ship. Mrs. reddened, and could not conceal the ebullition of passion excited by my serious harangue. She affirmed, that she knew a clergyman, the best of men, whose respectable character none need blush to copy, who would sing a lively or jolly song, and think no harm. I objected to any man's opinion or conduct being a rule of action for me: there were clergymen capable of doing things that debased their character, and sunk them beneath their dignity. She made another pass at me before she desisted: People will never think worse of you for singing a cheerful song, and being gay a little.' I answered, that my aim was not the opinion of others: I referred my conduct to a higher law than the law of reputation. The conversation ended amicably, and in my complete enfranchisement."

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The ship reached Madras Roads on the 27th of May, when Mr. Brown learnt the afflicting news of the loss of the Halsewell Indiaman, in which he had intended to sail in preference to every other: he had even actually applied to Captain Pierce for a passage. "Alas!" he observes, "how blind is man! Let us be content, with St. Peter, to be well assured that the hidden things of the providence of God we shall know hereafter. Our defect in foreknowledge is more than amply provided for in the knowledge, wisdom, and goodness of God. O

that I may hang on him as a son on his father, and forget my cares and dangers in the abiding consciousness of his ever-watchful protection!"

On the 8th of June, 1806, Mr. Brown landed at Calcutta, where he met with a kind reception from the Rev. John Owen, now the Chaplain-General of our naval and military forces; from Mr. Charles Grant; and Mr. Chambers. He took up his abode at the Orphan Establishment; and a few days after his arrival, he received a farther appointment as one of the chaplains of the Company. On entering on the charge of the Orphan Establishment, he prays, 66 May these souls committed to my care be led to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus, and be instructed in all right things, to the praise and glory of God! O Lord, my joy will be to see them trained in the way they should go; but give them thy Spirit, which alone can direct and keep them in right paths."

Mr. Brown had not been in Calcutta above a month before he began his efforts for a mission to the natives. He had been diligently preparing himself for this while on board ship, by a study of one or two of the oriental languages; and we find him devoting a part of his time at Calcutta, to the acquisition of Bengalee, and expressing his hope (December 3, 1786) that the Lord would enable him to acquire this language, that he might "translate the Scriptures of truth for the benefit of the poor benighted heathen of this land." His letters, during the year 1787, as well as his journal, evince much anxiety on this head. "I am beginning," he says, a native school of young Hindoos, who will not only be my scholars but my family and property." "This consider as the first seed of Christianity sown on the native soil of Bengal." He drew up a Memoir on the subject, "entitled a Proposal for establishing a Protestant Mission in Bengal

66

and Bahar," which was forwarded to England.

In this Memoir, which is framed with singular wisdom, while it manifests an ardent zeal in the cause he had espoused, he recommended the measure of translating the Scriptures into the different languages of the East, and the sending forth of missionaries to instruct the natives— "fit men, of free minds, disinterested, zealous, and patient of labour, who would aspire to the arduous office of a missionary." After assigning his reasons for desiring to have young clergymen of the Church of England, he adds: "But genuine piety is the grand requisite in a missionary. His work must be his business, his delight, and reward. Whoever is greedy of gain, and seeks great things for himself, whoever prefers a life of ease and competence to a life of toil with an humble subsistence, is not fit for the purpose. But men who are ready to endure hardship, and to suffer the loss of all things: who count not their own lives dear to them, and who are willing to do and suffer for the sake of the Gospel: these are the men who are wanted; these are the true missionaries to instruct the heathen successfully in the way of salvation."

This Memoir was presented to the East-India Company; and Mr. Brown, at the same time, addressed letters to the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of Llandaff, Mr. Wilberforce, and other distinguished characters in this country, urging them to use their utmost efforts to draw the public attention to this subject, and to gain for it the sanction of Government. Thus, as Mr. Simeon justly observes, long before the great Missionary Societies, or the Bible Society, had been thought of, did this honoured servant of Christ, in conjunction with his two friends, Mr. Grant and Mr. Chambers, urge, with great force and energy, the claims of the nauves on our Government, and

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