1807.] 
and fair-dealing. With more than an ample 
income, in full health of body and eafe of 
mind, of exuberant fpirits, and bleffed with 
the friendfhips of many good and even titled 
families, Mr. Coombe retired to apparent hap- 
pinefs and leifure at Kenfington, with an 
amiable wife and an only fin. But in an evil 
hour, liftening too creduloufly to a plaufible 
project, he funk vaft fums of money ma mine, 
whence not a fhilling ever rofe again. The 
firft grievous fhock, on his being certified of 
his lofs, and his fubfequent fettled chagrin, 
preyed moft fatally on his peace of mind. 
Lofs of {pirits, fleep, appetite, and ftrength, 
progreffively and rapidly enfued, till he 
breathed his laft heavy figh, dying literally of 
a broken heart! His health, friends, an enor- 
nous fortune, and ftill {weeter enjeyments, 
were by one fad paflion, the thirft of gain, 
all rendered ineffeétual ; and a hazardous f{pe- 
culation in a mine ruined his fublunary com- 
forts irretrievably ! 
. [Particulars of the Rev. Thomas Towle, whofe 
death is recorded at p. 597 of the laf? volume: 
This accomplithed f{cholar, who had for iome 
years paft been the father of the Diffenting 
Minifters, was born February 15, 1724. His 
parents being perfons of confiderable refpecta- 
bility and property, having determined to de- 
vote him to the fervice of the fanctuary, 
placed him under the fuperintendance of the 
Rey. Mr. Taylor. at Deptford, a gentleman 
of very remarkable attainments in mathema- 
tical and claffical knowledge. At this femi- 
nary for Diffenting Minifters he made confie, 
derable proficiency in literature. After leav- 
ing the academy at Deptford, Mr. Towle 
completed his ftudies under, the care of Dr. 
Marriott, who prefided over the regular dif- 
fenting feminary in London. For this gentle- 
man, who was at that time the beft Greek 
fcholar amongft the Diflenters, Mr. T.-enter- 
tained the utmoft veneration, never mention- 
ing his name but in terms of the higheft 
refpect. He had been for perhaps more than 
half a century minifter of the Independent 
congregation, meeting formerly in Ropema- 
ker’s-alley, Little Moorfields, near where the- 
Romifh chapel now ftands. In 1764, the 
building being very much decayed, a new 
meeting-houfe was built, to which he contri- 
buted 1001. by the congregation at Alderman- 
bury Poftern, and at which he regularly 
officiated twice every Sunday. But a few years 
fince, Mr, Barber’s congregation at Founders’» 
hall, Lothbury, being deprived of their place 
of worthip, united themtelves to Mr. Towle’s 
church; and the two paftors divided the work 
of the miniftry between them, Mr. Towle 
preaching in the morning, and Mr. Barber in 
the afternoon, till within the laft two years, 
during which Mr. Towle had been unable to 
officiate, and moft part of the time confined 
to his bed, Janguiihing under a complication 
of: diforders, the chief of which was the ftone 
in the bladder, and which terminated in his 
Montuty Maa., No, 153, 
Account of the late Rev. Thomas Towle. 
BZ 
x 
death. His father had matty years before died 
of the fame diforder; and the ftone whign 
was taken from him was confidered of extra~ 
ordinary magnitude, but that which has, fince 
Mr. Towle’s death, been extracted, far fur-. 
pafled it, both in fize and weight. It wés 
nearly as large as an egg, and weighed upa 
wards of three ounces, with rugged-edged fur= 
face; fo that the pain which it muft have 
occafioned to the good man was moft excrus 
ciating. He has often been feens‘while in- 
wardly enduring the fevereft torture, endea-s 
vouring, by reviving cheerfulnefs, to mitigate 
the anxiety his: friends experienced for him, 
Indeed he was, when in health, a moft ene 
tertaining and inftru€tive companion, ever 
ready to communicate knowledge from the 
abundant ftores of his mind ; fond of fociety, 
efteemed by the wife and geod of every dee 
nomination ; and enlivening every party ta 
which he was invited, by pleafing urbanity 
and the moft chatte effufions of attic wit. His 
advice was eagerly fought in cafes of difficulty, 
he being, as it were, the chamber-counfellor. 
of Diffenters, and none more fit than he for 
that office 5 for, if the proper ftudy of man- 
kind is man, he certainly had profecuted that 
ftudy to the utmoft. As Mr. Towle knew 
the value which was fet upon his judgment, 
he was in general very cautious in giving his 
Opinion, without fitting every fubje&t to the 
bottom. He was, in religious principles, 
Calvinift, not believing it potlible to defend 
the omnifcience of the Deity, without em- 
bracing thofe doétrines. As a preacher, his 
fermons were very mezhodical and exact, ad- 
drefled moftly to the underftanding; indeed, 
his opinion was, that Minifters fhould chiefly 
aim to elucidate the Scriptures ; and with this. 
view he had for many years been engaged in 
an expofition of the Bible, and having gone 
through the whole of the Old Teftament, had 
proceeded fome way through the Gefpel of St. 
Matthew in the New Teftament. But it was 
in prayer he was moft peculjarly admired, 
The fublimity, pathes, humility, and devo- 
tion he difplayed in his adorations, confeflions, 
petitions, and intercellions, could not fail te 
influence the affeCtions of thofe who had the 
happinefs of uniting in his addreffes to the 
Throne of Grace. Mr. ‘Towle was an un- 
wearied {cholar, and in the knowledge of the 
Clailics and general Literature, perhaps none 
of his contemporaries furpafied him. He was 
a man of an independent fortune and high 
{pirit, ti} breken by illnefs and fevere dos 
meftic troubles. But, as his charaeter, drawn 
by more maiterly hands, will appear in the 
Funeral Sermon which will foon be publifhed, 
the writer of this article forbears to expa- 
tiate on this fubject. He is not known to 
have publithed auy og but an Ordinatioa 
Sermon at Thaxted in Effex, and twa Fus 
neral QOrations over hia teverend brethrene 
Edward Hitchio, B.D. and Samuel Morton 
Savage, D.D. He married, about the year 
i Ma aTdo, 
va 
