WILLIAM GURNEY, M. A.

CHRISTIANITY is so great and surprising in its nature,' declares the late Mr. Cecil, that, in preaching it to others, I have no encouragement but the belief of a continued divine operation.' The best of preachers will unreservedly acknowledge this position to be just. Nothing less than this conviction, they must feel, on their part, impresses their words with power. When they are most weak, therefore, then are they most strong. Salvation comes not in this sense by them, but of him to whom they are ministers.

Apollos stands commended, nevertheless, inasmuch as he was an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures!' Why is it that the modern preacher must not hope for this meed? Apollos was fervent in the spirit;' and thus he became more perfectly instructed in the way,' and "mightily convinced' the most inveterate opponents of religion. Causes still produce their effects. Fervent spirits, mighty in the scriptures, will yet mightily convince, and-through

the grace of God!-savingly convert, mankind.

But some ministers seem prohibited from attempting this flight, who are apparently best qualified for obtaining the prize. Their wings have been clipt, they may hop, they may skip, they may perch, they may roost,-but they must not fly! Diocesan amenability has been urged, over and over, and is now urged with more speciousness than ever, as sufficiently extenuatory of those established clergymen who still indulge themselves, week after week, in the supine custom of sermonic readings. Such clergymen tell us they read written sermons, simply because they fear to preach extemporary ones. There will not be many hearts found stout enough to brave this storm. Obnoxious, as these evidently begin to feel themselves, to the dire inquisition of what one might term clerical espionage, which not without some reason they dread, popular clergymen may soon find cause to relinquish that sort of preaching which has alone rendered them so valuable.

Amongst those divines of the modern day, however, who appear to have the fortitude to bear up, and the sincerity to speak out, undaunted by authority and unbroken by opposition, we may fairly rank the clergyman whose

exertions we are now briefly to review, and whose preaching it remains to appreciate.

William Gurney, M. A. is from Clare Hall, Cambridge, where he obtained a Scholarship by his classical superiority over thirteen other candidates. Having served a Curacy in Buckinghamshire, Mr. Gurney came to London, and was an Assistant at Tavistock Chapel; from whence he went to the Free-Chapel in West Street, St. Giles's, where his pulpit talents soon raised a numerous congregation, and where he laid the foundation of a Free School, which contains nearly five hundred children, who are, day by day, duly taught! Through the interest of the Exeter family, Mr. Gurney was, during 1807, appointed Rector of St. Clement Danes, where he preaches, every Sunday morning, to a full church. He is also the Afternoon Lecturer at St. Mildred's, in the Poultry; and he generally preaches, every Sunday evening, at the Chapel in West Street. His calls to duty are not, therefore, either few or small.

Of the tenets of this preacher there can exist no doubt. He ranks with the Whitfields, and Topladys, and Romaines, of the last age; and theirs was the true sense, notwithstanding some controversialists, of the Articles and Homilies of the

church of this land. His principles are of the calvinistic stamp.

Calvinism is energetic. Respecting Mr. Gurney, therefore, it may with truth be said that he preaches with fervour, and with efficacy. Solemn, serious, weighty, there is astonishing becomingness in his manner, matter, language.

Perseverance has at last enabled this clergyman to preach quite extempore. After desisting from reading his sermons, for once he read them, Mr. Gurney, indeed, never appeared to place much dependence on written notes; but the wonder still is, with those who deem it impracticable to act in this way, how he can feel himself supported in preaching without some monitory helps. Preachers such as him may, however, still trust to their powers. Occupied at all times with the full importance of sentiments in connection with divine things, and habituated to inculcate them, such persons will experience no difficulty in exhibiting truths with which they are so conversant. Unreadiness in this particular still indicates want of spirituality.

Nothing of the trimming school attaches to Mr. Gurney. What he thinks, he speaks, and speaks out. Mr. Gurney does not descend to please itching ears.' He does, however, much

more.

Awakening and convincing, he rouses the indifferent, and alarms the transgressor. He cannot be attended without profit, nor remembered without respect.

Action is that in which, referring to oratory, he is the most wanting. His voice is full, and strong; but, at times, too loud, if not harsh. Defects such as these, although to be noticed, are but slight drawbacks. He will be found an orthodox divine, in the best understanding of the phrase; and a judicious, informed, experienced, and energetic preacher. Such excellencies far

outweigh all oratorical wants.

Mr. Gurney has published a Sermon preached on the Day appointed by his Majesty for a general Fast, at the Parish Church of St. Giles's in the Fields, Oct. 19, 1803, before the St. Giles and St. George Bloomsbury Volunteer Association, as Chaplain to the same; together with an Account of the Ceremony of the Consecration of the Colours, and the Speech of Lieut. Colonel Sir John Nicholl on that Occasion.' He afterwards sent from the press a Sermon preached at the Free Chapel, West Street, June 15th, 1808, for the Benefit of the African and Asiatic Society.' Although Mr. Gurney had observed, in his Dedication of his Sermon. before the Bloomsbury corps, that he was not anxious to appear before