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MEMOIR OF THE LATE REV. JOHN RYLAND, D. D.

perused with affectionate interest by many to whom, for his great Master's sake, the subject of our narrative was justly dear.

IT has often been remarked that the lives of men who have been principally occupied in the study and the pulpit, furnish but scanty materials for the biographer, and The late Dr. Ryland had the supply very little to awaken in- honour of descending from a famiterest or gratify curiosity. While ly, who, through several generathe truth of this remark must gen- tions, were eminent for piety. His erally be admitted, it would prove great-grandfather, John Ryland, that we little understood the most valuable ends of biography, if, on this account, eminent and holy men were suffered to descend to the grave without some tribute to their memory-some grateful record to the honour of that grace which made them what they were. In the case of the venerable saint whose likeness appears in our present number, this duty has in part been discharged, as our readers are aware, in the admirable discourse delivered on the occasion of his decease, by the Rev. Robert Hall; and we shall now proceed to relate such farther particulars, respecting our deceased friend, as have come to our knowledge, fully persuaded, that however defective the account may be, it will be AUGUST, 1826.

lived at Hinton on the Green, Warwickshire, and was a member of the Baptist Church at Alcester, now under the pastoral care of the Rev. Joseph Price. His son Joseph Ryland, resided near Stow on the Wold, Gloucestershire, and married Freelove Collett, a most excellent woman, whose family were highly esteemed among the Dissenters in that part of the kingdom. Their son, John (the father of the Doctor) was born in 1723. His earlier days were spent in folly and sin, but he became the subject of a saving change about the eighteenth year of his age, and joined the church at Bourton on the water, of which the venerable Benjamin Beddome was then pastor. As it was soon dis

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covered that he possessed talents || successfully cultivated by his fath

er, that, when only five years old, he read the 23d Psalm in Hebrew to the celebrated Hervey; and, besides making considerable progress in Latin and French, had

for public usefulness, he was placed under the tuition of the reverend and learned Bernard Foskett, at that time President of the academy at Bristol, and pursued his studies there with great dili-gone through the Greek Testament gence and success. On leaving before he completed his ninth year. the academy, he supplied the Thus early did he lay the foundachurch at Warwick, then desti- tion of that familiar and critical tute, and after preaching to them acquaintance with the originals of for about four years, was ordained the Sacred Volume, which was, their pastor on the 26th of July, through a long succession of years, 1750. From thence, he removed a source of so much pleasure to to Northampton, October, 1759, himself and instruction to other. where he was very useful, for many It may, however, be reasonably years, as a pastor and instructer of questioned, whether such close apyouth; till, in the year 1786, he plication to study at so tender an resigned to his son, who had for age did not materially repress that some time been associated with natural vigour and buoyancy of him, in the pastoral office, the spirits, a portion of which, in whole care of the church, and re- youth, seems essential to the detired to Enfield, near London,velopement of decision and fortiwhere he expired, rejoicing in his tude in after-life. Saviour, July 24th, 1792, in the 69th year of his age.

While Mr. Ryland was witnessing with pleasure the rapid progress Soon after Mr. Ryland's ordina- of his son in the various branches tion at Warwick, he married Eliz- of a liberal education, he was faabeth, the only child of Mr. Sam-voured to observe in him,-that uel Frith, of that town. They had five children, one of whom died young the rest were all spared to reach the decline of life, though one only now survives-the Hon. Herman Witsius Ryland, who went to Canada many years since as Secretary to the Governor, Lord Dartmouth, and is now a Member of the Upper House of Legislature in that province.

Of this family, John was the eldest. He was born January 29th, 1753, in the parsonage-house, belonging to the great Church in Warwick, which his father had taken of the rector, Dr. Tate. Before he could speak, he had been taught to distinguish all the letters of the alphabet, by the assiduity of his nurse, who used to take him into the church-yard, and point them out on the tomb-stones; and from his earliest childhood, he preferred reading to play. This disposition was so promptly and

which would fill his heart with far greater delight-the symptoms of genuine piety. About his thirteenth year he became deeply impressed with religious concern, and on the 13th September, 1767, was baptized on a profession of faith, by his father, in the river Nen. Mr. Joseph Dent, afterwards his brother-in-law, and Mr. William Button, then a pupil of Mr. Ryland's, and subsequently pastor of the Baptist Church in Dean Street, Southwark, were baptized at the same time. The latter of these good men finished his course a few years since; but Mr. Dent remains an honourable member and esteemed deacon of the Church at Northampton to this day.

Soon after his baptism, young Mr. Ryland was induced to address his father's pupils on the momentous truths of religion; and after he had continued this practice for some time, it led, by a

natural and easy gradation, to the || conviction of their scriptural auexercise of his ministerial gifts in thority, those views on that suba more public way. His first pro-ject, so clearly laid down in the bationary sermon before the church works of his reverend friend Anwas delivered May 3, 1770, from drew Fuller. For the light which Jeremiah xxxi. 9. From this pe- had enabled him to explore this riod he continued for several province of theological truth, he years, assisting his father in the was indebted, instrumentally, to pulpit as well as in the school- the writings of the justly celebratroom, and zealously engaged in ed Jonathan Edwards, and others proclaiming the gospel in the vil- of that class, with which he befages round Northampton, where came acquainted about the year his labours are still remembered 1775. It is generally known that with grateful respect In 1781, a thorough congeniality of sentihe was called to the office of co-ment on these topics did much pastor; and on the removal of his towards cementing that cordial father, five years after, to the union which subsisted so long beneighbourhood of the metropolis,tween Ryland, Sutcliff, and Fulthe entire care of that large churchler; and which led them, after and congregation devolved upon him. In this important station he continued, till the voice of Providence summoned him to a sphere of still greater usefulness, in which he was destined long to continue, a blessing of no small value to the churches, and to the world. As to the manner in which he conducted himself during his residence at Northampton, many yet living can testify how holily and justly, and unblameably he behaved himself among them. Few men, entering so early into the ministry, have exemplified more fully the parental admonition of the apostle to his beloved Timothy, Let no man despise thy youth: but be thou an example of the believers in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, în faith, in purity.

several years of intimacy, to combine in founding the "Particular Baptist Society for propagating the Gospel among the Heathen"an enterprize which will ever shed an imperishable glory upon their names.

William Carey, of whom we are now naturally reminded, had been baptized by Mr. Ryland, in the river Nen, in the year 1783, soon after the latter had become the colleague of his father. This young man, then 21 years of age, was at that time labouring to procure a scanty livelihood as a journeyman shoemaker. About four years afterwards, he was chosen pastor of the church at Moulton, near Northampton, where his zealous labours so enlarged the congre. gation, that it became necessary to erect a more commodious At the commencement of his place of worship. As his people religious course, Mr. Ryland was could raise their pastor only £10 much attached to the writings of or £11 per annum, it was reJohn Brine, who had been the quisite to collect for their meeting personal friend of his father, and elsewhere; and while at Birming he adopted the views of that emi- ham on this errand, Mr. Carey nent man on what was currently could not refrain from conversing styled the Modern Question; but on the state of the heathen, and several years before he assumed the importance and practicability the pastoral office, he saw reason of sending them the gospel. to alter his sentiments on this generous friend in that town, who much-controverted point; and ever is yet living, struck with the inafter maintained, with the fullest formation Mr. Carey had acquir

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sion o endure, between long cherished attachments and a sense of duty, he yielded to their unanimous invitation, and removed, with his family, to Bristol, in December, 1793. A public service, recognizing his union with the church at Broadmead, was held on the 15th of May following, in which Messrs. Francis of Horsley, Kingdon of Frome, Clarke of Exeter, and Tommas of the Pithay-men all venerable and beloved in their day, but long since gathered to their fathers, took part. One minister

ed, and the ardour he displayed on the subject, urged him to prepare his thoughts for publication, accompanying the request with an offer of ten pounds towards the expense. On his return home. Mr. Carey met his three friends, Fuller, Sutcliff, and Ryland at Northampton, and communicated to them what had passed. He importuned one of them to undertake the publication in his stead; but as they severally declined it, he fulfilled the task himself soon after by sending his "Enquiry" to the press; which being follow-only survives, (Rev. J. Hughes M. ed up by the sermons of Sutcliff and Fuller at Clipston, in April 1791, and the Circular Letter to the Northamptonshire Association, on Godly Zeal,' by Mr. Ryland, in the succeeding year, issued in the formation of the society at Kettering, Oct. 2, 1792.

A. of Battersea,) who united in that service, and for him it was reserved to attend the funeral solemnity of his venerable friend in the place where, more than thirty years before, he had solemnly implored the divine benediction on the commencement of his labours.

A few months after Dr. Ryland fixed his residence at Bristol, he received the first letters which had arrived from Carey and Thomas in Bengal, and the intelligence they contained was so cheering, that he longed to communicate it as widely as possible. The Rev. David Bogue of Gosport, and-Ste

Scarcely had Mr. (now Dr.) Ryland assisted in laying the foundation of the Baptist Mission, ere he was called to a distant part of the kingdom, and fixed, for the remainder of his life, in the precise spot where he could most effectually serve the Society: not merely by exerting his influence through a wide and most respecta-ven, then of London, being at that ble circle, but by infusing a portion of his own spirit into the rising generation of our ministers, and thus providing, in the surest manner, for its perpetuity and

extension.

time supplying at the Tabernacle, were invited to meet a few friends at the Doctor's house on this interesting occasion; and when, after uniting in prayer and praise, these worthy ministers returned to Dr. Caleb Evans, the amiable their lodgings, they mutually exand excellent pastor of the church pressed their desires to set on in the Broadmead, Bristol, and foot a Missionary Society among President of the Baptist academy their connexions likewise. About in that city, had been removed by the same time, Dr. Edward Wildeath in August, 1791, and the at-liams, then of Birmingham, and tention of his bereaved friends was other pædobaptist ministers of soon directed towards Northamp- that district, were imbibing a simton for a successor. In com-ilar spirit; and the result of these pliance with their solicitations, Dr. Ryland paid them a visit for a monthat Christmas, 1792, and after a painful struggle, such as many a conscientious and honourable mind has been called, on a similar occa

concurrent trains of thought and feeling was one in which ages unborn will have to rejoice-the establishment of the London Missionary Society in September,

1795.

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