ELEGIAC LINES ON THE DEATH OF THE REV. ABRAHAM BOOTH, Late Pastor of the Baptist Church, Goodman's Fields. Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn comelk in his season. WORN in his Master's work, and full of years, Like th' autumnal shock of golden ears, Triumphant to the garner home convey'd! His was the hoary head with glory crown'd, By wisdom mark'd with dignity and grace: No wanton speech, or subterfuge of art, Disgrac'd his themes, or prov'd a want of thought : Arose the uncorrupted truths he taught! Simple, yet eloquent, - profound, yet clear, He charm'd, and cheer'd, and rous'd the list'ning throng; Impress'd the careless breast with godly fear, And rais'd the drooping, and confirm'd the strong! Ambassador of God! - in colours true He amply trac'd the Reign of Grace divine : Himself a copy of the saint he drew, A happy witness of the rule benign! From carnal policy and worldly pride, The pomp and forms that earthly minds approve, Was one mild government of truth and love +. No seat of learning train'd his op’ning mind, He rose to eminence from humble source, On wings of zeal and patience upward borne ; Yet BOOTH, with the true modesty of worth, Th' eulogium of posthumous fame supprest And praise his God, and enter into rest! * See an elaborate work written by him on the Reign of Grace. ; ALIQUIS + See his excellent Essay, proving that the Kingdom of Christ is not of this World. He forbade, in his Will, any thing to be said of him in his Funeral-Sermon. Printed by G. AULD, Greville Street, London. THE EVANGELICAL MAGAZINE. APRIL, 1806. MEMOIR OF SAMUEL EATON, ESQ. THE subject of this Memoir was born in the year 1779, at Chandernagore, in the East Indies, originally a French settle ment, but taken by Col. Clive in the year 1757. His father was an Irish Catholic, who went over to Bengal as a Cadet in the early part of life. His mother, who was a woman of colour, was the daughter of a French General of high repute, whose name was Desmoulin. The father and mother died nearly at the same time, leaving behind them four sons. It was the father's wish and appointment by will, that his children should have an English education. To facilitate the attain ments of this object he sent over, not long before his death, twelve thousand pounds;-which sum was entrusted to the hands of two eminent grocers, in the west end of the town, with directions that every expence in the course of their education might be defrayed, and that what remained should be equally divided among them on their coming of age. One of the sons died in the East Indies. Three of them, of whom Mr. Eaton was the second, were actually sent over to England by the grandfather, who survived their father. A con fidential black servant was appointed to take the charge of them in crossing the dangerous deep; and so anxious was the grandfather that he might not be bereft of them all in one disasterous moment, that they were sent over at three different times, the same servant bringing first one, and then returning for another, till all arrived. These children, fatherless and motherless, heirs to an immense fortune, sent for the cultivation of their minds so many thousands of miles, presented an appearance highly interesting to a feeling beart. The eldest of the three that came to Engiand died of a consumption at twelve years of age. Samuel, of whom this narrative principally treats, was sent to school at Brighton, where he was placed for three years under the care of the Rev. Mr. Mossop, a clergyman in the established church. Not long after the arrival of the young people in England, an unexpected occurrence took place, which threatened deeply to affect their temporal interests. Their English guardians, who had the above-mentioned money in their hands, failed. A respectable gentleman, however, whose widow is still living, and who, having been for many years a purser in the East India Company's service, was well acquainted with the family of Mr. Eaton, generously stept forward, and took such legal steps as were necessary to protect the persons, and secure part of the property of the children. About 50007. was recovered from the bankrupts effects; and the boys were made wards in Chancery. They were sent to various places of education: Samuel, after he left Brighton, went to a school at Lewisham, which, on account of some disgust, he left very abruptly; and this occasioned his entering into a situation so replete with dangers of every kind, that he will doubtless reflect upon his deliverance from them with admiration and praise to all eternity. Coming to London, and rambling about this great city, where perils present themselves at every turn to the young and inexpe rienced, he saw a bill of apartments to let;-which led him to become an inmate in a family which had like to have proved his ruin. The principals in this family were infamous and abandoned characters; they had, however, sufficient craft to conceal their wickedness, in a considerable degree, from this young man, who lived with them about five years. Finding that he was entitled to considerable property in England, and that he had the most flattering prospects from the east, they kept him from all his former acquaintances, and, upon various pretences, removed with him to Bristol, to Cardiffè in Wales, and to other parts of the country. When his own dividends from the bankrupts' effects were spent by them, they brought him again to town, that he might apply for his share of the brother's property, who had died at twelve years of age. His good friend the purser was dead; and they discountenanced his keeping up any acquaintance with his widow, though she still felt a tender solicitude for his welfare. That he might shun society, even of the most virtuous kind, as much as possible, the people he lived with endeavoured to instil into his mind the most despicable ideas of the female sex ; and, in fact, kept him as in a prison. In fine, from the future developement of the character of this family, apprehensions have been entertained, that when the young man's property was all spent, his life itself would have been in danger! Mr. Eaton has since said, that his mind must have been infatuated to a great degree, not to see through their mercenary and iniquitous designs. The time, however, for his deliverance at length arrived. The wicked are taken in their own net. The person in whose house he resided, in order to further his crafty and self-interested schemes, called upon a professional gentleman to assist him in a plan, which appeared to be to get the young man's property |