THE

AMERICAN CLERGY.

REV. WILLIAM ROBINSON.

ONE of the most eminent Christian ministers of the South in the last century was the Rev. W. Robinson, whose conversion was exceedingly striking. He was the son of a wealthy Quaker in England. Being permitted to pay a visit of a few weeks to an aunt in the city of London, from whom he had considerable expectations, he greatly overstayed the time which had been allowed him; and becoming deeply involved in dissipation, he incurred large debts, which he knew his father would never pay, and which his aunt refused to discharge. In this situation, fearing to return home, and unable to remain long in London, he determined to quit his native country, and seek his fortune in America. In this determination his aunt reluctantly acquiesced, and furnished him with a small sum of money for that purpose. Soon after his arrival in America, he had recourse, for subsistence, to teaching a school in New Jersey, within the bounds of the Presbytery of New Bruns-wick. He had been for some time engaged in this business, without any practical sense of religion, when it pleased God to bring him to a knowledge of himself, and of the way of salvation, in a remarkable manner. He was riding at a late hour, one evening, when the moon and stars shone with unusual brightness, and when every thing around him was adapted to

excite reflection. While he was meditating on the beauty and grandeur of the scene which the firmament presented, and was saying to himself, "How transcendently glorious must be the Author of all this beauty and grandeur!" the thought struck him with the sadness and the force of lightning, "But what do I know of this God? Have I ever sought his favor, or made him my friend?" This happy impression, which proved, by its permanency and its effects, to have come from the best of all sources, never left him until he took refuge in Christ as the hope and life of his soul. He soon resolved to devote himself to the work of the gospel ministry; completed his academical education, and studied theology, while he went on with his school; and was, in due time, licensed and ordained by the Presbytery of New Brunswick. He was remarkable for the native vigor of his mind, and still more for the fervour of his piety. Wherever he went, it pleased God to grant him some precious fruits of his ministry. He died at St. George's, in Delaware, April, 1746.

REV. HUGH KNOX.

MR. HUGH KNOX, a native of Ireland, came to America, when quite a young man, about 1753 or 1754. He immediately waited on his countryman, the Rev. Dr. Francis Allison, then residing at New London, Penna., to whom he had letters, and in whose academy he hoped to find employment as a teacher. Dr. Allison, not being able to give him a place in his seminary, furnished him with a letter to Mr. Rodgers, requesting his good offices in endeavouring to procure a grammar school for the young stranger, within the bounds of his parish. Mr. Rodgers soon succeeded in forming a respectable school, at the

Head of Bohemia, about ten miles from St. George's, as master of which Mr. Knox was comfortably placed. He continued to preside over this school for more than a year; and having received a good classical education in his own country, being remarkably prepossessing in his personal appearance and manners, and attending with great assiduity to the duties of his station, he soon became much esteemed by his employers; and was considered as most agreeably settled. He attended public worship, with great punctuality, at Mr. Rodgers's Lower or Forest church, near Middletown, and looked up to the pastor as his patron and friend. Things had been going on in this happy and promising manner for a number of months, when a sudden reverse occurred. Mr. Knox, though a respectable attendant on public worship, and a young man, hitherto, of decent morals, had manifested nothing like real piety. He was accustomed, every Saturday afternoon, to meet some gay companions at the tavern of a Mr. Witherspoon, near the place of his residence, with whom he passed several hours, at first with decency and temperance; but, after a while, not so entirely in this manner as could have been wished. On a certain Saturday afternoon, when Knox and his companions had been diverting themselves in their usual way, some of the company said to him, "Come, parson," (a title they gave to him on account of his being the most grave of their number, and a great admirer of Mr. Rodgers,) "Come, parson, give us a sermon." He declined. They urged him. He still resisted. At length, however, overcome by their importunity, and probably excited, in some degree, by liquor, he said, "Well, come, I will give you the sermon which Mr. Rodgers preached last Sunday." Mr. Rodgers had preached, on the preceding Sabbath, from 2 Cor. v. 20, and had given an unusually solemn and excellent discourse. Mr. Knox, having a good memory, a flexible voice, and great powers of imitation, was enabled, not only to recollect and repeat the substance of the discourse, as he heard it

delivered, but also to copy the voice and manner of Mr. Rodgers so closely, that Mr. Witherspoon, who heard it all from an adjoining apartment, declared that, if he had not known to the contrary, he should really have supposed it was Mr. Rodgers himself preaching. In short, he was carried beyond himself, and spoke so much like a man preaching the gospel in good earnest, that his profane hearers were deeply affected, and when the discourse was ended, one after another silently withdrew. But what is still more remarkable, Mr. Knox himself was solemnly impressed by his own mock preaching, especially as he drew towards the close of the discourse; and when it was finished, he sat down with mingled emotions of shame and horror at the profane mockery of which he had been guilty, and deep conviction of the important doctrines he had been delivering in application to himself. So strong, indeed, were these impressions, that he could not bear the thought of looking Mr. Rodgers, or any of his other pious patrons, in the face, after such conduct and accordingly, early the next morning, without waiting to collect any of his dues, or to adjust his affairs, he precipitately quitted that part of the country, and was not heard of for a number of months.

The next autumn, when Mr. Rodgers attended the commencement of the college of New Jersey, which was then seated at Newark, he was surprised to find Mr. Knox at the house of the Rev. Mr. Burr, the president of the college. The young fugitive had applied to Mr. Burr, soon after his retreat from Bohemia, for admission into one of the classes of the college; but having informed him that his last residence had been in the neighbourhood of Mr. Rodgers, and being unable to produce testimonials from that place of his good moral character, Mr. Burr advised him to wait in Newark until the commencement, when he expected to have an opportunity of seeing Mr. Rodgers, and of conversing with him on the subject. Mr. Knox, upon first meeting his old pastor, was much agitated, and, as

soon as possible, took him aside; acknowledged his unworthy conduct, with every appearance of humiliation; implored his pardon for the offence committed against himself, in turning his sermon into profane mockery; and informed him of the situa tion in which he stood with regard to his expected admission into the college. Mr. Rodgers promised to speak as favourably of him to Mr. Burr as truth would permit, and not to disclose the conduct which led to his elopement from Bohemia, unless it should be drawn from him by unavoidable questions; and, with these promises, left him in the most painful anxiety.

Here Mr. Rodgers learned from young Knox, that the serious impressions made on his mind by the sermon which he had so profanely repeated had never been eradicated; that his wickedness had been overruled, as he hoped, for his eternal good; that he had for some time cherished a hope concerning himself, as a real Christian; and that his earnest desire was to complete his education at the college with a view to the gospel ministry.

Happily, president Burr, in the hurry of the commencement, only asked Mr. Rodgers whether he knew Mr. Knox; and whether he would advise that he should be admitted into the college. To both these questions. Mr. Rodgers answered promptly in the affirmative. The young man was admitted; passed through the college, and his subsequent theological studies, with reputation; and, after receiving many testimonials of sincere and active friendship from his old pastor at St. George's, entered on the work of the gospel ministry, and became equally honoured and useful in his profession.