By the spirit of such a ministry were the people brought to a recollection of their religious profession, and of the duties incumbent on them. And this was the simple, yet powerful engine which gradually overthrew the Sunday card-tables, and stopped the thoughtless dance on hallowed evenings and many labors on the Sabbath which had been too customary, among Europeans as well as Natives, were suspended.

Yet, with that meek humility, which beautifully adorned his character, Mr. Brown never attributed to himself any portion of the effects he witnessed. On observing from time to time the devout earnestness and just discrimination which prevailed among the increasing numbers of serious hearers at the Churches, he has said, with mingled sentiments of surprise, and hope, and joy; "Surely this people will now receive good!" But never once adverted to, nor appeared to bear in mind, the strenuous efforts he had been making, by all the means he could devise, for many years, to promote the favorable change, which he perceived had dawned: while he was always quick at attributing to the temporary aid of others, the fruit of nearly his own exclusive and persevering labor.

Because

Because that "in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established," he rejoiced at opportunities of resigning the pul pit to his fellow chaplains, who preached the doctrines he had found effectual to promote the knowledge of salvation. And likewise from the peculiar circumstances under which ministers arrive at Calcutta, it was, in his opinion, highly eligible, that they should give full proof of their ministry, before they passed on to their distant stations; since there was, at the chief Presidency, the greatest resort of hearers, who, receiving, or being confirmed in the truth there, might carry the precious seed, into whatever region they were destined to occupy, of our immense Eastern territory.

Thus, to his beloved Henry Martyn he committed the charge of alternate preaching before the Presidency at St. John's, for a period of about five months, that he remained there.

To other chaplains he also gave like oppor tunity of bearing their testimony, and to offer their pledge to the Supreme Government, in earnest of the tendency of their ministry, which they were proceeding to exercise at the most distant points under British jurisdiction.

He

He thought that by this means uncommon advantages were brought to the people, which he prayed might be blessed to them.

In the foregoing Sketch it has been the aim, to give a view of Mr. Brown's clerical character, chiefly as chaplain to the East India Company. But it is difficult, or rather impracticable, to consider him for a moment, divested of the character of a Church of England Missionary, which he had assumed, and which he felt to be his dearest office. It will be seen from his own extracts, that he left England imbued with a missionary spirit, and that he lost not a moment in acting up to it.

His esteemed and affectionate friend, Dr. Claudius Buchanan, has expressed himself with his usual felicity of language, in his apt and accurate testimony to Mr. Brown's character, in this point of view*. He possessed, in the most large and elevated sense, the spirit of a Missionary; whose office was, at once the work and the gratification which, while young in years, he chose as the reasonable service of his whole life.

And

* Vide Dr. Buchanan's Address to the Church Missionaries; 1813.

And he was indeed a friend to Missionaries, as justly stated by Dr. Buchanan. It was his own observation, that, he loved them for their work's sake, whatever might be their tenets on unimportant differences, and whatever he might suppose were their weaknesses or errors of judgment.

His own zeal in early years had burned with a strong missionary flame. Had the providence of God opened such a course to him, he was ready, in willingness of spirit, to follow the track of a Brainerd, or an Elliot; whose work of faith toward God, and love to the souls of perishing sinners, elicited his warmest admiration. Yet with prudence, remarkable in so young a man whose zeal was ardent and sanguine, he seemed careful not to run before the leadings of Providence. Since therefore the situations in which he was successively placed, never left him at liberty to devote himself to the especial instruction of the heathen, he merged all plans for this purpose in the no less important duty of watching over the spiritual welfare of his own countrymen.

It would be too great a digression to observe minutely here, that, in fact, missionary purposes

purposes were thus the more effectually advanced; by the consequent increase of their number who cared for the souls of the heathen; and because the pious morality of Europeans must have an important influence in recommending their religious tenets to the natives.

Nearly at the entrance of his career in India, did Mr. Brown find himself called upon, by unforeseen events, to a ready and unqualified submission to his Divine Master's injunction, "to forsake all, and follow him."

But it is, in the first place, well deserving of note, that on the offer of a situation in India being originally proposed to him, the salary was represented and understood, as being far more considerable than it afterwards appeared to be; and he learnt that the labor incumbent on him would be greatly beyond what was first mentioned, while the expected emolument was less. This made no other difference to his eminently disinterested and generous mind, than to cause him to rejoice the more. The serious depression of salary excited neither uneasiness nor murmur; while the finding that his charge would be much enlarged,