THOMAS GIBBONS, D. D.-This eminent and pious Divine was born at Reek, in the parish of Swaffham-Prior, about eight miles from Cambridge, on the 31st of May, 1720. His father, Mr. Thomas Gibbons, was for some years pastor of a congregation at Olney, in Buckinghamshire; and afterwards of another at Royston, Hertfordshire. His mind was early the subject of serious impressions, and he felt a strong inclination to the Christian ministry. Accordingly, after having been instructed in reading, writing, and arithmetic, he was sent to a grammar-school at Little Swaffham, in Cambridgeshire, and afterwards to one or two other grammar-schools in the same county. At about fifteen years of age he was placed under the care of Dr. Taylor, at Deptford, with whom he commenced his academical studies; but he finished them under Mr. Eames, in Moorfields. Dr. Gibbons must have suffered considerable disadvantages in his education, owing to his being obliged so often to shift his tutors. But by indefatigable application, he was enabled to surmount every obstacle, and made very considerable acquisitions in solid learning and ornamental knowledge.

Mr. Gibbons underwent his examination for the ministry July 5, 1742, before the Rev. Dr. Watts, T. Bradbury, Dr. Guyse, J. Hubbard, Dr. J. Jennings, S. Price, and Dr. W. King. In the same year he was appointed assistant to the Rev. Thomas Bures, in Silver-street. But he did not continue long in that situation, being chosen in the year following to succeed the Rev. Robert Wright, in the Independent church at Haberdashers'-Hall. He was ordained to the pastoral office there October 27, 1743. The Rev. Richard Rawlin, delivered the introductory discourse; Dr. Guyse preached the sermon; and the Rev. Thomas Hall gave the exhortation. In the following year he married Miss Hannah Shuttlewood, a descendant of one of the ejected ministers; by whom he had four sons.

Upon the death of Dr. Marryatt, in 1754, he was elected one of the tutors of the Dissenting academy at Mile-End, in

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conjunction with Dr. Conder and Dr. Walker. The branches of science in which he was appointed to instruct the pupils were, logic, metaphysics, ethics, and rhetoric. In 1759, he was chosen one of the Lord's-day evening lecturers at Monkwell-street, in the room of the Rev. William Guyse; and in the following year he received the degree of M. A. from the college of New-Jersey, in America. In 1764, the university of Aberdeen, conferred on him the degree of Doctor of Divinity.

The circumstances that attended his last illness and death were sudden and surprising. On Thursday the 17th of Feb. 1785, he had spent the whole day in his closet till about eight o'clock in the evening, when he walked to Hoxtonsquare coffee-house, to read the evening paper, according to his usual custom. On his entering the coffee-house, Mrs. Herbert, the mistress, said to him, "How are you, Doctor?" He replied, with a cheerful countenance, "Perfectly well, madam, I bless God;" and then walked into the parlour. The maid-servant carried him the newspaper, and left the room. Soon after she had occasion to go again into the parlour, and there found Dr. Gibbons lying upon the floor, with the newspaper under him. By his fall the candle had been put out, and was also upon the floor. He was carried from the coffee-house to his own house, and attempted to pronounce a few sentences inarticulately. He lay from the 17th of February, to the 22d of the same month; and though he could not speak, yet he appeared in his bed to breathe easily, and had a pleasant countenance. At length, a little before three o'clock in the afternoon of the 22d of February, 1785, he expired, in the 65th year of his age. On the 3d of March his remains were deposited in BunhillFields, being attended to the grave by a large part of his congregation. His funeral sermon was preached by Dr. Benjamin Davies, from Gen. xlviii. 21. And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold I die! But God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers.

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Dr. Gibbons was a man of great piety, of unimpeachable manners, upright and benevolent, and of great cheerfulness of temper. His religious principles are said to have been Calvinistical; but we have heard that he considered himself a Baxterian; and he was in the habit of speaking with much candour of those who differed from him in sentiment. He possessed a considerable degree of classical literature, and was very diligent in his profession, being a frequent preacher, and author of a variety of works. (x) He

(x) WORKS.-1, Poems on several Occasions, 1743.-2. A Confession of Faith at his Ordination, Oct. 27, 1743-3. Britannia's Alarm, 1745.4. Miscellaneous Pieces on the Rebellion, 1745.-5. Popery Unmasked, 1745.-6. The Vine and Bramble, 1745.-7. The Mourner's Complaint considered and applied, in a Funeral Discourse for Mr. William Beldam, who died of the Small-pox, Dec. 29, 1741, in the 26th year of his age.— By Thomas Gibbons, senior. To which are added, an Elegy, and some other poetical Pieces on the same occasion, by Thomas Gibbons, junior, 2d edition, 1746-8. The Deliverance and Triumph of Great Britain, in a Thanksgiving Sermon for the Success of His Majesty's Arms under his Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland; preached Oct. 1, 1746.-9. The Prosperity of the Christian Church in the latter ages of time, represented and improved in a Sermon preached at New Court, June 17, 1747, at a Monthly Exercise. Dan. ii. 44.-10. An Elegy on the Death of the Rev. Peter Goodwin, 1747.-11. The Divine Improvement of desolating judgments, represented in a Sermon on occasion of the dreadful fire in the city, on March 25, 1748. Micah vi. 9-12. An Elegy on the Death of Dr. Isaac Watts, 1748.-13. Juvenilia; Poems on various subjects of Devotion and Virtue, 1750. 14. The Excellency of the Gospel, and the Hap. piness of an Interest in it; a Sermon preached Nov. 4, 1751, before the Society for promoting Religious Knowledge among the Poor. Matt. xiii. 45, 46.-15. A Letter from a Pastor to his People on the commencement of the year 1752.-16. The Religious Observance of the Sabbath practically stated and enforced.-17. The Hidden Life of a Christian exemplified in the Diary, Meditations, and Letters of a young Minister, 1752, 2d edition, 1756.-18. Sympathy with our suffering Brethren, and an Improvement of their Distresses shewn to be our duty: In two Discourses occasioned by the cruel oppressions of the Protestants in France, 1755. Amos vi. 6.-19. A Sermon on occasion of the tremendous earthquake at Lisbon, Nov. 1, 1755. Heb. iii. 2.-20. Our Duty as Patriots, Protestants, and Christians în a time of War. A Sermon on the Declaration of War against the French, May 18, 1756. Jer. iv. 19.-21. An Elegy on the Death of Dr. Grosvenor,

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was happily free from that dejection of spirits which spreads a gloom over the soul, and tends to occasion misconceptions of the nature of genuine religion. His conver

1759.-22. A Sermon occasioned by the Death of King George II. Oct. 25, 1760. Eccles. vii. 14.-23. Divine Conduct vindicated, or the Operations of God shewn to be the Operations of Wisdom, in two Sermons occasioned by the Death of the Rev. Samuel Davies, M. A. President of the College in New Jersey, Feb. 4, 1761.-24. Sermons on various subjects, with an Hymn adapted to each, designed to assist the Devotion of the Family and Clergy, 1762.-25. Dedication of ourselves to God argued from the Divine mercies in a Sermon preached at St. Thomas's, Jan. 2, 1764, for the benefit of the Gravel Lane Charity School.-26. The Divine Glories displayed in Babes and Sucklings, a Sermon occasioned by the Death of his Son, Nathaniel Gibbons, May 28, 1764, in the 11th year of his age.-27. The Duty of saving one another in Love: preached at Little Baddow in Essex, at the separation of the Rev. Evan Jones to the pastoral office, Sep. 20, 1764.28. A Charge delivered to the Rev. William Kingsbury, at his Ordination at Southampton, Oct. 18, 1765.-29. A Charge at the Ordination of the Rev. Charles Case, at Witham in Essex, Oct. 15, 1767.-30. Rhetoric: or a view of its principal Tropes and Figures, in their Origin and Powers: with a variety of rules to escape errors and blemishes, and attain propriety and elegance in composition, 1767-31. An Ode to the Memory of the Duke of Newcastle, 1768-32. An Account of a most terrible Fire that happened at Barwell in Cambridgeshire, during the exhibition of a puppetshow, when eighty were either killed or wounded, 1769.-33. The State of the World in general, and of Great Britain in particular as to Religion and the Aspects of Providence seriously and impartially considered, in a Sermon at Haberdashers'-Hall, Oct. 21, 1770.-34. The Character and Blessedness of the Righteous: occasioned by the death of William Cromwell, Esq. July 9, 1772. With the speech at his interment, and a brief account of the Cromwell family.-35. The Chrisrian Minister, in three poetic epistles. To which are added, Poetical Versions of several parts of Scriprure, and Translation of Poems from Greek and Latin writers, 1772-36. Objections against the Application to the Legislature for relief of Protestant Dissenting Ministers and Dissenting Tutors and School-masters dispassionately consi dered and obviated: to which are added, the Sentiments and Observations of Lactantius, a Christian writer in the fourth century, and of the eminent Dr. John Owen in the last century upon the only warrantable methods of treating diversities of opinion in religion, 1772.-37. The Blessedness of dying in the Lord: preached at the Weigh-House, on the death of Dr. Langford, Apr. 23, 1775. Rev. xvi. 13.—38. An Account of what Share Dr. Gibbons has had in the late transactions among the Protestant Dissenters at Northampton, 1775.-39. The Birth-place; or Thoughts on a Visit

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sation was cheerful and entertaining; but at the same time discovered a mind deeply impressed with an habitual reverence for God. And very seldom, if ever, did he close a conversation, without suggesting some hints which might be improved to spiritual advantage and edification. Uprightness and integrity were distinguishing features in his character; and he never concealed sentiments unfriendly to any man for whom he professed a friendship. His hopes and expectations were founded on the gospel; and his spirit appeared to be cast in its mould. This was evidenced by that evident degree of benevolence and candour, which he did not merely profess, but possess. His heart was more enlarged and expanded by the influence of the love of Christ, than to suffer him to confine his affectionate regards within the narrow limits of a party; but he could see and admire the image of the Saviour, wherever it appeared. But the influence of Christianity was in nothing more evident than in the tender sympathy he manifested to the distressed. "In his ministry (says Dr. Davies) he was truly evangelical, and bore an unambiguous testimony to the grace of God, and the atonement of Christ, as the grand and sole foundation of a sinner's hope. And in connexion with this he maintained the absolute necessity of genuine holiness and piety,

to it, 1775.-40. An English Version of the Latin Epitaphs in the Noncon. formists' Memorial: to which is added, A Poem sacred to the Memory of the two thousand Ministers, ejected or silenced by the Act of Nonconform ity, August 24, 1662, 1775.-41. The Remembrance of our Creator in the days of our Youth; a Sermon on the death of Mr. Thomas Wilton, Aug. 5. 1776. 42. Female Worthies; or the Lives and Memorials of eminently pious Women, who were ornaments to their sex, blessings to their families, and edifying examples to the church and world, 2 vols. 8vo. 1777.-43. Essays in prose and verse, partly collected, and partly original, for the improvement of younger minds.—44. Memoirs of the Rev. Isaac Watts, D.D. 8vo. 1780.-45. Hymns adapted to Divine Worship, in two books. 11 Derived from select passages of the Holy Scriptures. 2. Written on sacred subjects, and particular occasions; gathered in part from various authors, and partly original, 1780.-46. Sermons on evangelical and practical subjects; published after his death in 3 vols. 8vo. 1787.