those who formed, or concurred in the plan; and it would have enabled the party, which they meant to exclude, completely to triumph. I was, therefore, earnestly intreated to become a candidate, and at length consented to do so; and, no other candidate appearing, was chosen sole chaplain, March 25, 1802, though not without many efforts and stratagems to prevent it. At this period I resigned my lectureship in Bread-street. I had now £170 a year from the chapel and the Asylum; but without a house. I had also something coming in from my living.

"I now, however, became more doubtful than before, whether I should give up my living, or determine to go and reside upon it. I knew that the bishop would not long connive at non-residence; and that it would be impracticable to hold the Lock, if I resided any considerable part of my time in the country. In the event, I came to the resolution of retiring to my living, induced by the following reasons:

"1. I thought that, if a chaplain could be found, wholly unconnected with the conflicting parties, which had so long struggled for victory at the Lock, and who inherited none of those prejudices which, I knew, must attach to me, peace and amity might succeed; and the important object of the united charities, together with the interests of true religion in the chapel, might be pursued with a far better prospect of success.

"2. My engagements at the Hospital and Asylum, and the services in the chapel, with those which arose from the applications made to me by governors, added to my other urgent employments, were by far too much for me; allowing me no time for exercise or recreation: so that I had no prospect of proceeding with the publication of an improved edition of the Family Bible, on the plan on which I had begun it, without such close application, as I found, by experience, was injurious to my health and spirits.

"My determination, however, was not made absolute at once; and I purposed to wait, till I could resign my situation into the hands of an approved successor, before I publicly avowed my intention. In the mean time, I set about building a parsonage at Aston.

"My resources for this purpose were, indeed, small: but I did not suppose the expence would be so heavy as it proved; and I expected considerably more emolument from my publication, than, for reasons already assigned, it produced. I also borrowed a small sum on the living; or rather secured

a payment from it to my family, (according to the provisions of the Act for that purpose,) in case of my decease within a given term:--for I advanced the money myself, as I suppose is generally done in such cases.

"My resources were further aided, just at this time, by a very unexpected legacy, the circumstances attending which may deserve to be explained; as the whole formed a remarkable illustration of the text, He that hath pity on the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will pay him again.

he

"Some years before, I had become acquainted, as a min ister, with a female servant, of whose character I entertained a high opinion, and who was reduced by disease, justly deemed incurable, to the painful necessity of going into a London workhouse, (where the society must be peculiarly distressing to pious persons,) unless some charitable provision could, in another way, be made for her. As I was entrusted, by afluent and liberal friends, with money for such purposes, I proposed to support her for a time, till further medical means could be tried. Her case, however, was soon given up, as beyond the reach of medicine; and it was thought she could not long survive. Her situation became known to some families in which she had lived; and with the prospect of aid from them, I received her into my house, and undertook her support. From one family, in particular, in which she was greatly respected, I received at least £10 a year on her account. This, with some other helps, enabled me to maintain her, without any improper expence to myself. Thus things proceeded, till I was preparing to leave London, by building a house on my liv ing; when one of the family just mentioned, to whom I was known chiefly by means of this poor woman, died, and left me a legacy of £200. I still received, for several years, the usual aid for her support, and at the decease of another of the family, a further sum of £40. Thus I have had the privilege, and at little expence, for at least seventeen or eighteen years, of preserving from very great distress, a poor suffering diseased person, whom, I doubt not, the Savior and Judge of the world will own at the great day of final retribution, as intimately related to himself, and the heir of his kingdom. (Matt. xxv, 34-40. Mark iii, 54, 35.) -I would further observe, that this is the person, who was described in the "Christian Observer," for July 1803, p. 416, as having expended all her savings, made in service,

upon her aged and distressed parents, in the confidence that God would raise her up friends, in case the time should come when she should not be able to maintain herself.Such instances of the faithfulness of God to those who trust his providence, while they obey his commands, seem pe-culiarly worthy to be had in remembrance."

As this person is still living, and under the care of the family, (though she took as she fully apprehended, her last farewell of me, when I first went to college, in the year 1795!) little more can, with propriety, be here said concerning her. I may remark, however, that such are her fervent and affectionate piety, her cheerfulness, and the consistency of her temper and conduct, and (we are sure,) the earnestness of her prayers for all about her, that though she is unable to walk up and down stairs, or to get to church except by being carried; yet her presence is esteemed a privilege, by servants as well as by master and mistress, to those who have received her under their roof.*

"This legacy," my father proceeds, "enabled me to go on with my building: but, before it was finished, the circumstances of having found, as I thought, a proper successor, induced me immediately to resign the chaplainship of the Lock; and after a sharp struggle, (the only contested election in which I was ever engaged, and in which I only contended by writing letters to different governors,) he was chosen, Feb. 3, 1803.

"As soon as it became known, that I was about to leave the Lock, a number of individuals, governors, and others without my interposition, and without my knowing, for some time, that it was in hand, raised me a voluntary subscription of about £300.

"I thought myself, indeed, entitled, not as a donation, but as a remuneration, to something from the hospital. The whole stipend which I received, at first £80, then, as joint chaplain, £100, and then £150 as soie chaplain, was charged to the chapel account; and certainly was little enough for my services in the chapel. So that, for above seventeen years that I continued at the Lock, I had attended the patients in the wards, as chaplain to the hospital,

* Since the above paragraph was written, the excellent person referred to (named Elizabeth Moulder,) has departed this life: but, as a brief memoir of her has appeared in the "Christian Guardian," and is now published, with additions, as a separate tract, I forbear adding more concerning her in this place.

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 pursuing 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.

"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 now 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.'

"Here I close, for the present at least, this narrative. I 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