to lead him to a saving acquaintance with divine things. He was twenty-seven years pastor of the Baptist Church at Liverpool, and during that period one of the regular supplies at Tabernacle and Tottenham-court Chapel," two of Lady Huntingdon's chapels in London; where, it is said, his ministry was greatly owned. He died in 1799, aged sixty-one; and the following year was published his volume of original hymns, from which were taken the two by him in our collection.

Miss Anne Steele.

THIS amiable, pious, and talented lady, was the daughter of Rev. William Steele, pastor of the Baptist Church at Broughton, in Hampshire, England. She was a member of her father's church forty-six years, and died in November, 1778, in the sixty-second year of her age. She published, during her life, under the assumed name of Theodosia, two volumes of her compositions, mostly poetical; and a third volume was published after her death, by her friend, Dr. Caleb Evans, of Bristol. Her excellent hymns, by which, though dead, she still speaks, and which, with her other writings, says Dr. Evans, are the faithful counterpart of her amiable mind, exhibit to us the fairest picture of the original. The following lines, composed by one of her nieces, are inscribed on her tomb:

"Silent the lyre, and dumb the tuneful tongue,

That sung on earth her great Redeemer's praise ;
But now in heaven she joins the angelic song,
In more harmonious, more exalted lays."

Robert Robinson.

THIS individual obtained in his day, by his versatility of talents, and frequent changes of theological tenets, both celebrity and notoriety. He was a native of Swaffham, in the county of Norfolk, England, and in the year 1752, at the early age of seventeen, became a student at the Tabernacle, one of Lady Huntingdon's chapels, in London. His talents as a public speaker were of a high order; he could command the attention of every ear, and possessed almost absolute dominion over his audience. After preaching for some time at the Tabernacle, he left the Calvinistic Methodists, and formed an Independent church, consisting of persons who had imbibed his sentiments. In a short time he changed again, and became a Baptist. These changes all took place in the course of a few years, and before he had reached the age of twenty-five; at which period of his life he was invited to the pastoral charge of the Baptist Church at Cambridge. This unhappy disposition to change in his youth, was followed by an instability in maturer years, which betrayed itself in regard to subjects of the utmost importance. His unbounded self-conceit, and sovereign contempt of others, prepared a heart, already gone astray from divine guidance and evangelical truth, to drink the cup of Socinianism to the drugs. His eccentricity and love of novelty were further shown in his refusal, for some time, to eat except when he was hungry; and to follow nature, he would retire to bed only when he was overpowered with sleep, so that day was turned into night, and night into day.

Besides the hymn,—

Come, thou Fount of every blessing," &c.,

Mr. Robinson, according to his biographer, wrote another, a Christmas hymn, in the same strain, which was set to music by his friend, Dr. Randall, Professor of Music in the University of Cambridge. This hymn we have not been able to discover, unless it be the one commencing,

"Mighty God, while angels bless thee."

He is also said to be, but we know not on what authority, the author of the hymn beginning,

"Sweet the moments, rich in blessing."

John Bakewell.

THIS venerable and excellent man, a native of Greenwich, England, the author of many hymns, was one of the very first who labored as a "helper," or local preacher, in connection with the Wesleys, and the early Methodists; having begun to act in that capacity about the

year 1749. His mortal remains lie in the buryingground adjoining the City Road Chapel, in London: and the inscription on his tomb-stone states, that he died March 18, 1819, aged ninety-eight years; having adorned the doctrine of God our Saviour eighty years, and having preached his glorious gospel about seventy years. A letter, written by Mr. Bakewell, was inserted in the Wesleyan Methodist Magazine for 1816, page 538.

John Cennick.

THIS individual, well known in the early days of Methodism for his frequent changes of religious opinions, became acquainted with Messrs. John and Charles Wesley in the year 1739, and was appointed by the former his first teacher at Kingswood school. This appointment was probably made on the recommendation of Mr. Whitefield, with whom Cennick had formed a very intimate acquaintance. Here, however, he was unfaithful to his trust; and when his friend Whitefield began to preach Calvinistic doctrines, Cennick, in opposition to Mr. Wesley's views and wishes, followed his example, which was justly the occasion of his discharge from Kingswood. He then joined Mr. Whitefield, and became very popular for a time. Subsequently he joined the Moravians, in connection with whom he remained until his death, in 1755. The biographer of the countess of Huntingdon speaks of Cennick as possessing

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a sweet simplicity of spirit, with an ardent zeal in the cause of his divine Master;" and gives him the title of founder of the Brethren's churches in Dublin and the north of Ireland. And his memory and works have been celebrated in a poem by his friend Bishop Gambold, of the Moravian Church.

Cennick's hymns are numerous, amounting to upward of eight hundred, and fill two thick volumes; but, in their poetic character, are mere doggerel. Yet two of them,

and,

"Jesus, my all, to heaven is gone,"

"Children of the heavenly King,"

as amended in the Hymn-book, have become exceedingly popular. The other hymn, commencing,

"The Saviour meets his flock to-day,"

in its present dress, especially verses 2 and 3, cannot, with strict adherence to fact, be ascribed to Cennick; who, however, has an undoubted right to the original.

This author, who also wrote several volumes of "Village Discourses," which still circulate among the Calvinistic Dissenters in England, has been highly honored in another particular. Two of his short hymns, or "graces"-one to be used "before meat," the other "after meat"—are, to this day, almost universally adopted by the Methodists in England, before and after each meal, to the exclusion of those excellent compositions of a similar kind, by Charles Wesley; some specimens of which may be found in this volume. See pp. 140-142.

Cennick's "graces"—which are among his very best attempts at poetry, on account of their celebrity among the English Wesleyans-deserve to be inserted here. Before Meat.

"Be present at our table, Lord;

Be here and everywhere adored :
Thy creatures bless, and grant that we
May feast in paradise with thee."

After Meat.

"We bless thee, Lord, for this our food;

But more for Jesus' flesh and blood

The manna to our spirits given,

The living bread sent down from heaven:

Praise shall our grateful lips employ,

While life and plenty we enjoy ;

Till worthy we adore thy name,

While banqueting with Christ, the Lamb."