without any thing brought to account on that score, and, I must say, wholly without compensation from man.—I also preached a weekly lecture for the same term of years, without any remuneration, except a few presents. For this, however, I did not consider the charity as indebted to me: but I did for the other. But as others did not see that I had any claim on the equity of the governors, I expressed a determination not to receive any thing from the charity as a gratuity; because I have always thought, that corporate bodies are under a responsibility for the use of the funds committed to their management, which admits only of the payment of just debts, and equitable compensations for services received, and not of the liberality of gratuitous donations.

"During the whole time that I was at the Lock, and indeed for some years before, the receipts from the chapel were small, compared with what they had formerly been; and, in this way, I was but unsuccessful in my attempts to serve the charity. But, if the vulgar proverb, 'A penny saved is a penny gained,' be founded in truth, I must take more credit to myself, in respect to the finances, than has been allowed me, Perhaps it would be found, if the case were fully investigated, that as many hundreds were saved annually, in the management of the institution, by those friends whose plans I supported, and aided by measures more appropriately my own, as fell short in the income from the chapel, at its lowest depression. This at least is certain, though but little known, that in the dearest times, when bread (the main article of provision in the Hospital,) was four times the price, and other articles of consumption double the price they had been, more patients were cured, and the charity had more resources, than in the 'golden days,' when the income of the chapel was three times as great.

"When I was appointed sole chaplain, doleful forebodings were expressed of the ruinous consequences which must follow: but, by a concurrence of circumstances, the single year, that I continued in that situation, was peculiarly productive both to the Hospital and the Asylum; and I left the united charities much richer at the end of the term, than they were at its commencement.

"I would only add on this subject, that I can rejoice in the testimony of my conscience before God, that I uniformly did my best, often amidst many censures, and against much

opposition, to promote the secular interests of the charities, as far as was consistent with the great object of both them and the chapel-bringing sinners to repentance and salvation; and that I never suffered my own gratification, ease, interest, or credit, to warp me from that line of conduct, which I deemed incumbent on me: and that, at least, I was enabled to defeat very many attempts, the success of which, it was afterwards allowed, would have been highly detrimental.

"Having made every requisite arrangement, I removed to Aston in the spring of 1803,and have here lived nearly nine years in quiet and privacy; with the opportunity of pursu ing my studies to far greater advantage than in town, and of reserving to myself time for recreation and exercise. The village is one of the smallest in the kingdom: two farm houses, a few laborers' cottages, and the newly erected parsonage, containing together about seventy inhabitants, young and old, form the whole of it; without alehouse, shop, or mechanic of any kind. Still, however, there is some opportunity of usefulness: the small church is generally well attended on the Lord's day: and exemp tion, to a considerable degree, from parochial duties leaves me at leisure for other services.

now

"Since I came to this place, I have completed the second edition of the Family Bible, with the addition of marginal references; have published a third edition; and am preparing a fourth. I have collected and printed all my other previous works, (with the exception of Bunyan's Pilgrim with notes,) in five volumes, octavo; have published several sermons; and, during the last year (1811,) have written Remarks on the 'Refutation of Calvinism.'

I

"Here I close, for the present at least, this narrative. might add many things concerning my family,-in respect of which God has specially favored me; so that many have wished me to say, what methods I took, which were crowned with such success. To this I must answer, that few things are looked back on by me with less satisfaction, than my own conduct in respect to my children, except in one particular, which appears to have been the grand secret,— namely, that I have always sought for them, as well as for myself, IN THE FIRST PLACE, the kingdom of God, and his righteousness."

My father's sentiments and practice concerning education must receive distinct notice hereafter; when both parts of

the above remarkable sentence, with which he concludes his narrative, will demand our attention. At present, therefore, I content myself with applying to it the sentiment of an acute observer, that a man always perceives his deficiencies most in those things in which he most excels.'

Here then we take leave of the document which has thus far been our guide. My father never made any subsequent addition to it: and, for the remainder of his history, recourse must be had to what recollection may furnish, or the letters which passed between the various branches of the family may supply. Though his narrative was written in 1812, he has, in fact, given the story of his life only to the period of his removal to Aston, in 1803, except in what relates to his Commentary; the account of which has, in a former chapter, partly from his own manuscript, and partly from other sources, been carried down to the decision of the Court of Chancery, in 1813. In the remainder of the present chapter, we shall detail such particulars as can be collected, and seem worthy of being recorded, to the same date, or somewhat later.

In doing this, we may, in the first place, advert to certain visits which he paid during the period in question.

The

Of these, two were made to Hull, in the summers of 1806 and 1811. In the course of the former he passed on to York, Leeds, and Huddersfield, where, as well as at Hull, he met with that respectful and cordial reception which his works had prepared for him, though he had hitherto been personally a stranger. On this occasion he made the acquaintance of three eminent persons, all since deceased; the venerable William Hey, Esq. and the Rev. Miles Atkinson, of Leeds, and the Rev. William Richardson, of York. last-named penetrating observer of mankind, was forcibly struck with his character, which he had always highly esteemed at a distance, and now still more admired on a nearer view. He afterwards made some observations to me on the subject, which led me, at a later period, to express a wish that he would write me a letter upon it; but he said it was too late for him to make the attempt. I remember two points which he noticed. One was my father's constant devotion to his great object: in whatever company he was, or whatever subject was introduced, he naturally and easily made it subservient, in the end, to the great religious design for which he lived. The other point was, that, with all his talents and industry, and in all his writings, he had

done nothing for display;, he had consecrated all his efforts to utility, and had sacrificed nothing to reputation, any more than to interest.-With his preaching, Mr. R. was somewhat surprised, on account of its abounding with familiar illustration, so much more than he would have expected from his writings. It may be remarked, however, that Mr. R. heard him address only a week-night congregation? One of the illustrations referred to, which he used on that occasion, was as follows:. He supposed the common objection made against insisting so much upon faith, and the inward work of religion on the heart; and that the objector should urge, 'good works are every thing: if we can but bring men to live well, we need not trouble ourselves so much about these doubtful and mysterious matters.' 'This,' said he, 'is as if a man should come into a garden, and, finding the gardener busy in grafting his trees, should tell him that fruit was every thing, and that all this, which he was engaged in, seemed a great waste of labor. The gardener would reply, True, fruit is every thing; but then I know that this is the only way to obtain good fruit.'

Twice also he visited Bristol, once in 1809, and again in 1813. In the former of these journeys, he preached at several places in Wiltshire and Somersetshire: but of Bath, he remarks, 'I was almost enchanted with the beauties of nature and art, beyond any thing I ever saw before: but no opening for preaching there.' His second journey to Bristol was, by request of the Church Missionary Society, to assist at the formation of that auxiliary Association, which has since yielded such effective aid to the parent institution. His reception at Bristol was very gratifying; and the regard borne him was afterwards testified in a very practical manner; as, in its proper place, we shall take occasion to state.

In 1812, having gone to see a friend at Rogate, in Sussex, he accepted an invitation to visit Portsmouth, where he was received with all possible kindness by Commis sioner and Mrs., now Sir George and Lady Grey.

His last journey to any considerable distance was in 1813, to Cambridge, where his only daughter (who had been married about two years before,) then resided. Here again he met with the most kind and cordial reception from various members of the University, and had reason to believe that his preaching, expositions, and conversation, were very useful. He says a few months afterwards, "My visit there, to which I was uncommonly reluctant

seems to have been greatly blessed;" and he adverts, in particular, to the late Dr. Jowett, then recently deceased, as having expressed to several persons how much he had felt himself excited by what passed. To have contributed, in any degree, to arm, as it were, an excellent and distinguished character for his last conflict, seems to have afforded him peculiar satisfaction.

In this journey an accident occurred, in the overturning of the coach, which proved fatal to a fellow traveller.— From about this period, my father began to complain of a topical affection (threatening cancer,) which henceforward confined him to his own neighborhood, and for some time excited alarming and gloomy apprehensions; which, however, were happily never realized to the extent that was dreaded.

The next subject to which we will advert is that of his publications during this period.

My father has observed in the preceding narrative, that he had published several sermons. Soon after his settlement at Aston, he was called to preach a funeral sermon for the Rev. Jeremiah Newell, vicar of Great Missenden, which he published, with a brief memoir annexed, for the benefit of Mr. N.'s family; and the attention thus called to their circumstances happily proved the means of a comfortable provision being made for them.-In May 1804, he accepted the invitation of the London Missionary Society, to preach one of their anniversary sermons, which he did, at St. Savior's Church, Southwark, prefixing to the published sermon the motto, "Is there not a cause?" (1 Samuel xvii, 29,) and justifying his pleading for that society, as well as for the one with which he was more immediately connected.— In 1808, he was again called upon to bewail and commemorate a deceased brother, and old friend, the Rev. Thomas Pentycross, A. M. "more than thirty-three years vicar of St. Mary's, Wallingford." The sermon is entitled, "The Duty and Advantage of remembering deceased Ministers." In 1810, the death of a very pious missionary on the western coast of Africa, the Rev. J. C. Barneth, who had been for a considerable time under his instruction at Aston, led him to preach and publish a sermon, with reference to that event, on "the Spirit and Principles of a genuine Missionary:" the text, Acts xx, 24: "None of these things move me," &c. In June 1810, he preached, at the church of St. Lawrence Jewry, London, and afterwards published, a Sermon