Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Brown, John (1754-1832)

by Francis Watt

BROWN, JOHN (1754–1832), of Whitburn, Scottish divine, was the eldest son of John Brown of Haddington [see Brown, John, 1722–1787], where he was born on 24 July 1754. At fourteen he entered Edinburgh University. He afterwards studied divinity at the theological hall of his denomination, was licensed to preach by the associate presbytery of Edinburgh, 21 May 1776, and was ordained to the charge of the congregation at Whitburn, Linlithgowshire. Here, after a lengthened and laborious ministry, he died on 10 Feb. 1832. Brown was twice married, and was survived by his second wife and the issue of both marriages. His works were:

1. 'Select Remains of John Brown of Haddington' (1789).
2. 'The Evangelical Preacher, a collection of Sermons chiefly by English Divines' (Edin. 1802–6).
3. 'Memoirs of the Life and Character of the late Rev. James Hervey' (Edin. 1806; enlarged editions were afterwards published).
4. 'A Collection of Religious Letters from Books and Manuscripts' (Edin. 1813; enlarged ed. 1816).
5. 'A Collection of Letters from printed Books and Manuscripts, suited to children and youth' (Glasgow, 1816).
6. 'Gospel Truth accurately stated and illustrated' (Edin. 1817; enlarged ed. Glasgow, 1831. This is a work on the 'Marrow controversy').
7. 'A brief Account of a Tour in the Highlands of Perthshire,' with a paper entitled 'A Loud Cry from the Highlands' (Edin. 1818).
8. 'Means of doing Good proposed and exemplified in several Letters to a Friend' (Edin. 1820).
9. 'Memoirs of private Christians' (Glasgow, 1821?)
10. 'Christian Experience, or the spiritual exercise of eminent Christians in different ages and places state in their own words' (Edin. 1826).
11. 'Descriptive List of Religious Books in the English Language, suited for general use' (Edin. 1827).
12. 'Evangelical Beauties of the late Rev. Hugh Binning, with account of his Life' (Edin. 1828).
13. 'Evangelical Beauties of Archbishop Leighton' (Berwick, 1828).
14. 'Notes, Devotional and Explanatory, on the Translations and Paraphrases in verse of several passages in Scripture' (Glasgow and Edin. 1831).
15. 'Memoir of Rev. Thomas Bradbury' (Berwick, 1831).
16. 'Memorials of the Nonconformist Ministers of the seventeenth century' (Edin. 1832).

Various works of Boston, Hervey, and others were, 'through his instrumentality, chiefly given to the public' (List in Memoir, p. 168).

[Memoir, with portrait, by Rev. David Smith, prefixed to Brown's Letters on Sanctification (Edin. 1834). Some interesting notices of Brown are given in his grandson's. Dr. John Brown, Letter to J. Cairns. D.D. (2nd ed. Edin. 1861).]

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