OF THE 
 
 Theological Seminary, 
 
 PRINCETON, N.J. 
 
 BX 5199 .R4 G8 1830 
 Grimshawe, T.S. 
 Memoirs of the Rev. Legh 
 Richmond, A.M., of Trinity 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2015 
 
 https://archive.org/details/memoirsofrevleghOOgrim 
 
FuMi.shed by Jon" LeaviU. J^e\:- y-rli 
 ant/ Cfoc/tertBmvs/er. Boston. 1^9. 
 
MEMOIRS 
 
 RET. LEGH RICHMOND, A.M. 
 
 N 
 
 OF TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE,' 
 RECTOK OFTURVEY, BEDFORDSHIRE; AND CHAPLAIN TO HIS 
 ROYAL HIGHNESS THE LATE DUKE OF KENT : 
 
 AUTHOR OF THE 
 
 DAIRYMAN^ DAUGHTER, THE YOUNG COTTAGER, &c. 
 
 THE 
 
 REV. T. S. GRIMSHAWE, A.M. 
 
 IIECTOR OF BURTON-LATIMER, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE; AND VICAR 
 OF BIDDENHAM, BEDFORDSHIRE. 
 
 Sixth American, from the last London Edition. 
 
 NEW-YORK : 
 
 PUBLISHED BY JOxNATHAN LEAVITT, 
 182, Broadway. 
 BOSTOX :— CROCKER A: BREWSTER, 
 47, Waslnngton-street. 
 
 G, L. Austin <fc Co. Printsrs. 
 
 1830. 
 
 9 < 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 Ix presenting the following Memoir to the public, the edi- 
 tor has to express his regret that it should make its appear- 
 ance so much later than the period originally designed, and 
 under another name than what was announced in the pros- 
 pectus. In explanation of both circumstances, it is necessary 
 to state that the execution of the present work was first pro- 
 posed to the editor by the family and more immediate friends 
 of Mr. Ricmio>'D ; but his state of health at that time, and 
 his temporary residence on the Continent for its recovery, 
 opposed an insuperable difficulty. 
 
 In the mean time, the Rev. He^ry Gauntlett, vicar of 
 Olney, Bucks, and well known as the author of the " Exposi- 
 tion of the Book of Revelation," kindly engaged to under- 
 take this necessary tribute of respect to the memory of aa- 
 eminent ministp" and faithful servant of God, as well as to 
 yield to the .les and solicitations of the Christian public. 
 
 On the' editor's return from the Continent, in the autumn 
 of 1827, a renewal of the former proposition was made to him 
 from a persuasion on the part of the family, that his long ha- 
 bits of confidential intercourse with Mr. Richmond, and their 
 frequent participation in the same objects, might afford ad- 
 vantages which his friend Mr. Gauntlett did not possess 
 in the same degree. The manner in which Mr. Gauntlett 
 complied with the known wishes of the family, proves the dis- 
 interested and Christian spirit by which he was actuated ; 
 and indeed forms, in conjunction with the above urgent entrea- 
 ty, the warrant and authority for the present undertaking. 
 
 The editor fhrther avails himself of this opportunity to avow 
 his personal obligations to Mr. Gaun'tlett, for the various 
 materials he has supplied, relative to the earlier part of Mr. 
 Richmond's life and ministry, and for the general use he 
 kindly allowed of the papers and documents which he had 
 prepared. 
 
iv 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 To the Rev. J. Fry, Rector of Emberton, the editor is in- 
 debted for correcting and revising the press, as well as for 
 some judicious suggestions. 
 
 He also begs to present his acknowledgments to the rela- 
 tives, and numerous correspondents of Mr, Richmond, who 
 have furnished him with so many interesting letters for inser- 
 tion in the present Memoir. 
 
 Circumstances over which he has had no control, have 
 very much restricted him in the time necessary for complet- 
 ing his undertaking. On these grounds he has to solicit the 
 indulgence of the public. He cannot dismiss the work with- 
 out expressing his earnest prayer that its perusal may be 
 accompanied by the'divine blessing ; and that it may be made 
 subservient to the increase of piety in our own Church, and 
 toithe general edification of the Church of Christ among all 
 who read it. 
 
 PREFACE TO THE SECOND LONDON EDITION. 
 
 The short period allotted to the editor for the execution of 
 his undertaking, prevented that deliberate consideration, and 
 careful revision, which was no less due to the subject itself, 
 than to his own personal feelings. In the present edition 
 he has endeavored to introduce a few improvements, bv 
 compressing some parts of the Memoir, and amplifying 
 others. Grateful for the kind reception " which it has 
 been honored, he once more commits it to the t.i;ine bless- 
 ing ; and if the perusal of these pages shall be found to 
 elevate the standard of ministerial doctrine, faithfulness, and 
 zeal ; and to promote the edification of the general reader, 
 he wishes no better testimony to the memory of his de- 
 ceased friend, nor a more gratifying remuneration for his 
 own labors. 
 
CHAP. L 
 
 Page 
 
 Preliminary remarks — Birth of Legh Richmond — His 
 ancestry ; education ; and incidents of early years — 
 Promise of talent — Completion of his education at 
 School, . . ... ; 9 
 
 CHAP. IL 
 
 Comprising the period from his entrance' at the University, 
 till his marriage, and, acceptance of the curacy of 
 Brading, in the Isle of Wight, , . .13 
 
 CHAP. HL 
 
 His entrance on Ms professional duties — UemarhaUe 
 • change in his views and conduct, and the incident 
 that occasioned it— Reflections on th^ foregoing event, 21 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 Developement of his character — Dedication of his time 
 and thoughts to profitable objects — Fondness for the 
 scenes of nature — Spiritual reflections upon them — 
 Zeal in his ministerial duties — Letters and Diary — 
 Remarks, ..... 27 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 Relation of circumstances occurring during the period of 
 the foregoing chapter, . . . .49 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 His removal from the Isle of Wight — Temporary cm- 
 nexion with the Lock Hospital, in London — and final 
 settlement at Turvey, . . . .62 
 
vi 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAP. VII. 
 
 Page 
 
 Commencement of his ministerial labours at Turvey-^ 
 Former state of the parish — Plans and exertions for 
 its improvement — Judicious rules and regulations of 
 his Friendly Society — Effect of his exertions — His 
 * Fathers of the English Church'' — Doctrine and mode 
 of preaching — Brief reflections on controversy, . 68 
 
 CHAP. VHI. 
 
 His talent for extempore preaching — Authority and ex- 
 pediency of this mode considered — Family Letters — 
 Commencement of the editor^s acquaintance with him 
 — Public institutions — Vindication of their character, 
 necessity, and usefulness, ... 90 
 
 CHAP. IX, 
 
 His anniversary sermon for the Church Missionary 
 Society — Meeting at Bedford in behalf of the Jews, 
 Bedfordshire Bible Society — Tours for the Jewish 
 and Church Missionary Societies — Extracts from his 
 Journals — Success of these tours — Their influence on 
 the general interests of religion-^On his own personal 
 improvement — On that of his parish and family, 123 
 
 CHAP. X. 
 
 Detection of an extraordinary imposture by Mr, Rich- 
 mond— publication of his tracts — Review of them-^ 
 Their great popularity and extensive circulation, SfC 
 — American editions — Remarks on the subject — Mr. 
 Richmond's connexion with the Tract Society, . 166 
 
 CHAP. XI. 
 
 His appointment as chaplain to the Duke of Kent — 
 Mrs, Richmond's illness — New schoohroom — Report 
 of his son's death — Embarrassment, arising from his 
 publication of ' The Fathers of the English Church'— 
 Interview with the Emperor of Russia^ Letters to and 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 vii 
 
 Page. 
 
 from his Imperial Majesty — Princess Metstchersky — 
 Letters to Mrs. Livius — Verses written on the mar- 
 riage of a friend^s daughter, ► . . 185 
 
 CHAP. XII. 
 
 Letters — Poetry — Description of Lake scenery — Brief 
 account of his first tour to Scotland — His sentiments 
 on Oratorios — Tribute to the memory of his mother, 
 6fc. 207 
 
 CHAP. xnr. 
 
 A Tribute of affectionate veneration for the memory of 
 a deceased Mother ; in a series of Letters to his Chil- 
 dren. By the Rev. Legh Richmond. . . . 221 
 
 CHAP. XIV. 
 
 Letter, and verses — Extracts from Diary — Tours to 
 Scotland — lona — Letters ; friendly, family, and pas- 
 toral — Memoir of Miss Sinclair, . . 248 
 
 CHAP. XV. 
 
 Death of his in fant — Marriage of his eldest daughter — 
 Visit to the North of Ireland— Texts on the walls of 
 his church — Extract of a letter to his daughter F — . 
 Isle of Wight tour — Pastoral letter — Journal — 
 His son WiWerforce' s illness and death — Reflections 
 — Marriage of his daughter H — . — Nugent' s ship- 
 wreck, and death — Letters — Apocryphal question- 
 Mr. Richmond's opinion on the mode of preaching 
 to the Jews — His sentiments on other subjects — Jour- 
 ney to Cromer- — Conversation with the editor — Medi- 
 tation in his study, . . . . • 275 
 
 CHAP. XVI. 
 
 Closing scene — Funeral — Remarks on his character, <SfC. 328 
 
3iEMOIRSe 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Preliminarj' remarks- -Birth of Lech Richmond— his ancestry; education; and 
 incidents of early years— Promise of talent— Completion of his education at 
 school. ' ' , 
 
 • 
 
 To record the excellencies of departed worth, and to en- 
 deavour to perpetuate their remembrance is a tribute no 
 Jess due to the present than to succeeding generations. Bi- 
 ography, indeed, has usualy selected, as the subject of its 
 memoirs, the lives of heroes and statesmen, in preference to 
 the milder though more useful virtues of the pious and the 
 good ; because the passions and interests of men never fail 
 to be excited by the achievements of war, and the disclo- 
 sures of the cabinet. But in pleading the cause of religious 
 biography, may we not urge the superior importance of its 
 subject, and the hallowed tendency of its aim ? Is the skill 
 and discernment, emplo3^ed in increasing the resources and 
 glory of earthly kingdoms, to be compared with the divine 
 science of saving immortal souls ? Are the triumphs of the 
 cause of God less real, because they are eternal ? Are its 
 victories less interesting, because their object is to contract 
 the limits of death and sin, and to-extend the empire of the 
 Son of God ? It is no small praise to the age in which we 
 live, that religion begins at length to assume the pre-em- 
 inence which its high claims and heaven-born character de- 
 mand. The drama of human life has long been characterized 
 by portentous events ; and reflecting minds seem disposed to 
 recognize in the past convulsions of empires, as well as in. 
 the elements of discord that are silently preparing the way 
 for new conflicts, that an Almighty hand intends to make 
 these events subservient to the accomplishment of his pur- 
 poses, and to the establishment of his kingdom. 
 
 Among those who have contributed to the revival of reli- 
 gion in the present day, the subject of the following memoir 
 stands highly distinguished. His name has been too long 
 associated with every exertion to promote the growth of 
 2 
 
10 
 
 MEMOIKS OF THE 
 
 piety, both at home and abroad, not to have excited a very 
 general soUcitude for whatever may illustrate the history and 
 character of a man, who has so often delighted the public 
 by his eloquence, stimulated it by his zeal, and edified it by 
 his example. It is to comply with this desire, as well as to 
 fulfil the claims of a long and most confidential intercourse, 
 that the present memoir is now presented. 
 
 The Rev. Legh Richmond was descended from an ances- 
 try highly respectable on the side of ooth his parents, each 
 of whom was related to some of the principal families in the 
 counties of Lancaster and Chester. His father, Dr. Henrj- 
 Richmond, practised as a physician, first at Liverpool, and 
 afterw^'ds at Bath, where he resided for several years. 
 His death occurred at Stockport, in Cheshire, in the year 
 1806 ; of which place the Rev. Legh Richmond, grand- 
 father to the subject of this memoir, was formerly rector. 
 
 Dr. Henry Richmond, was the fifth in lineal male descent 
 from Oliver Richmond, Esq., of Ashton Keynes, in the 
 county of Wilts, on which estate his ancestors had resided 
 from the time of the Conquest. 
 
 The mother of Mr. Richmond was the daughter of John 
 Atherton, Esq., of Walton Hall, near Liverpool, and by the 
 maternal side first cousin to Dr. Henry Richmond. 
 
 As some additional account of the family appears in the 
 progress of this work, recorded by his own pen, any farther 
 statement in this place is superfluous. 
 
 Legh Richmond was borp. at Liverpool, on January 29th, 
 1772. It was his privilege to have a most estimable mother, 
 endued with a superior understanding, which had been cul- 
 tivated and improved by an excellent education and subse- 
 quent study. In addition to her natural talents and acquire- 
 ments, she uniformly manifested a deep sense of the impor- 
 tance of religion. 
 
 This affectionate and conscientious parent anxiously 
 instructed him^ from his infancy, in the Holy Sriptures, and 
 in the principles of religion, according to the best of her 
 ability ; a duty which was subsequently well repaid by her 
 son, who became the happy and honored instrument of im- 
 parting to his beloved mother clearer and more enlarged 
 views of divine truth than were generally prevalent during 
 the last generation. It seems highly probable that the seeds 
 of piety were then sown, which in a future period, and under 
 circumstances of a providential nature, were destined to pro- 
 duce a rich and abundant harvest. 
 
KEV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 11 
 
 Ye that are mothers, and whose office it more peculiarly ' 
 is to instil into the minds of your offspring an habitual rev- 
 erence for God, and a knowledge of the truths of the Gospel ; 
 be earnest in your endeftyors to fulfil the duties which Prov- 
 idence has assigned to jou, and which your tenderness, your 
 af!ection, and the constant recurrence of favorable opportu- 
 nities so admirably fit you to discharge. Consecrate them 
 to God in early youth ; and remember that the child of many 
 prayers is in possession of a richer treasure than the heir 
 of the amplest honors and the highest dignities ; for the child 
 of many prayers can never perish, so long as prayer is avail- 
 ing. To faith all things are possible, and the promise stands 
 iirm, " I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing 
 upon thine offspring," — Isa. xliv, 3. Pray then for them, and 
 with them. There is an efficacy in the bended knee, in the 
 outstretched hand, in -the uphfted heart, in the accents of 
 prayer issuing from the lips of a mother, suplicating God 
 to bless her child, which faith may interpret for its encour- 
 agement, and the future shall one day realize. There is 
 also a solemnity in the act itself, peculiarly calculated to eli- 
 cit all the best feelings of the heart, and to quicken it in the 
 .diligent use of the means most adapted, through divine mer- 
 cy to insure the blessing. 
 
 Discouragements may arise — impressions that once ex- 
 cited hope may vanish — the fruit may not be apparent ; yet, 
 m after timfes, under circumstances of the most unpromising 
 nature — amid scenes, perhaps, of folly, vice, and dissipation 
 — or in the more sober m.oments of sickness and sorrow ; 
 the remembrance of a praying m.other may present itse f 
 with overwhelming emotions to the heart. The events of 
 earty days ma)* rise up in quick succession. before the mind, 
 until the long-lost wanderer, recovered from his slumber of 
 death and sin, may live to be a monument of the pardoning 
 mercy of God, and his last accents be those of gratitude and 
 praise for a pious mother. 
 ^ It was in the period of Legh Richmond's childhood, that 
 the accident occurred which occasioned the lameness to 
 which he was subject during the remainder of his life. In 
 leaping from a wall, he fell with violence to the ground and 
 injured the left leg, so as to contract its growth, and impair 
 its strength. It is a remarkable coincidence that somewhat 
 of a similar occurrence befel one of his own sons, and was 
 attended with precisely the same effects. It was in conse- 
 qu'ence of this accident, that Mr. Richmond received the 
 
12 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 rudiments of his early education under the sole tuition of 
 his father, who was an excellent classical scholar, and well 
 acquainted with literature in general. • 
 
 In addition to his proficiency in plassical and other ele- 
 mentary studies, he made considerable progress, during this 
 period, in the science of music ; a predilection for which, he 
 retained to the end of his life. 
 
 The activity of his mind soon began to develope itself. 
 Some specimens of the productions of his early years have 
 been preserved by the partiality of his friends ; and as youth- 
 ful talent generally delights to assume a poetic form, his 
 iirst efforts were devoted to the Muses. 
 
 We insert the following, which were written when he 
 was tv/elve years of age. 
 
 Before the earth and sea to man were given, 
 Or stars were spotted o'er the crys/al lienven ; 
 The face of nature was throughout the same — 
 A rugged heap, and Chaos was its name ; 
 Nor any thing but piled np heaps were tliere, 
 And earth and sea were mixed with fire and air: 
 jXo radiant sun by day afl'orded light. 
 Nor waning Phoebe shone in midst of night: 
 Nor earth self-poised in fluid air was placed, 
 Or sea, with circling arms the earth embraced* 
 
 ON THE NORNING. 
 
 Beiiold, the earth, is clad in sober grey. 
 And twinkling stars foretel the approach of day. 
 The hare runs timid o'er the bladed grass, 
 And early shepherds on the meadows pass. 
 In splendid majesty the morning star 
 Welcomes Aurora, in her rosy car. 
 The lark, the early herald of the morn, 
 Whose tender sides soft gentle plumes adorn, 
 Flies from her nest above all human sight. 
 And to the skies sublime she bends her flight. 
 Her pleasing notes the ambient hills repeat. 
 And day o'er half the world resumes its seat; 
 The splendent sun's etherial light appears. 
 And nature wipes away her dewy tears. 
 
 A few lines in imitation of jPope, may be considered as no 
 unsuccessful illustratration of the poet's rule. 
 
 * 'Tis not enough, no harshness gives off'ence. 
 The sound should seem an echo so the sense.' — 
 The line should soften when the bleat of sheep. 
 And gentle zephyrs soothe to placid sleep; 
 When din of ratling thunderbolts is heard, 
 The roughest words to softer arc prefered. 
 When purling rivulets translucent glide, 
 The liquid letters tlien should form a tide:. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 13 
 
 Within a labyrinth, the line seems vext, 
 
 Mazy, inextricable, and perpiext, 
 
 But when the rougher storms fierce range on high, 
 
 And heave the angry billows to the sky ; 
 
 When rattling rain comes hissing down in showers, 
 
 And to the whirlpool iii a torrent pours , 
 
 The line should rage, and every letter move, 
 
 As if great Jove was storming from above. 
 
 In the year 1784, when Legh Richmond was in his thir- 
 teenth year, he was consigned to the care of Mr. Breach of 
 Reading, for the purpose of obtaining further^ssistance on 
 account of his lameness, as well as to pursue the course of 
 his education. , He was subsequently removed to Blanford, 
 in Dorsetshire, and placed under the tuition of the Rev. Mr. 
 Jones, vicar of Loders, and curate to Blanford : and having 
 made a very creditable proficiency in his studies, and com- 
 pleted his education at school, he was finally sent, in the year 
 1789, being then seventeen years of age, to the university 
 at Cambridge. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Comprising the period from his entrance at the University, to his marriage 
 and acceptance of the curacy of Brading in the Isle of Wjght. 
 
 Mr. Richmond was entered at Trinity College, Cambridge, 
 m the month of August, 1789. The following particulars 
 have been communicated in a letter from the Rev. A. J. 
 Crespin, vicar of Renhold, Bedfordshire, a contemporary 
 of his in the University, and with whom he formed an inti- 
 mate friendship, which continued to the period of his death. 
 
 " I perfectly well remember that our dear departed friend 
 came to Cambridge for admission about Midsummer, in the 
 year 1789. I was just one year his senior. It w^s then the 
 custom at Trinity College, that one of the under graduates 
 should take the candidate for admission to the dean, and to 
 one or two others, and then to the master for examination. 
 It fell to my lot to perform this office for Legh Richmond, 
 and thus our friendship commenced. He came into resi- 
 dence, according to the usual plan, in the following October; 
 we were both among the candidates for foundation scholar- 
 ships, and after a public examination of two or three days, 
 we were happy on finding our names among the successful 
 candidates ; and as we afterwards dined every day at the 
 same table, the bands of our friendship were drawn still 
 closer. * * * 
 2^ 
 
14 
 
 3IEM0IRS OP THE 
 
 " I can with perfect truth affirm, that during the under- 
 graduateship of Mr. Richmond, he applied himself closely to 
 his studies, and was considered and acknowledged by all, to 
 be a young man of great abilities and correct conduct." 
 
 A letter from the Rev. William Tate, chaplain of the 
 Dock-yard, Portsmouth, and tutor of the Naval Academy, 
 contains a further and more detailed account of Mr. Rich- 
 mond's residence at college. 
 
 " Mr. Richmond and myself were of the same year at 
 Cambridge, anM had the same college tutor, the late Rev. 
 Thomas Jones. We were not, however, in the same lecture 
 room till v/ithin a year of our taking the degree of A. B.; 
 hence, our intimacy did not commence till about the begin- 
 ning of 1793. Mr. Richmond came to college with a high 
 character for his proficiency, both in classics and mathe- 
 matics. In fact, I often heard him spoken of as likely to be 
 one of the third or fourth highest wranglers. At the annual 
 college examination in May, he was each year in the first 
 class, and consequently was a prize-man. 1 do not recollect 
 that he ever was a candidate for a University prize ; indeed I 
 think that although he was an extremely good classic, he did 
 not consider himself sufficiently practised in writing Greek 
 or Latin 'verse, to venture a competition in this respect 
 with the distinguished men from the great public schools. 
 
 " That he had a great fondness for social life is not to be 
 wondered at, as he was so well informed on most subjects, 
 and had such a fluency of language, that conversation with 
 him never flagged, and his company was generally accept- 
 able. He visited at the Lodge, Dr. Postlethwaite being then 
 master, and was noticed by some of the senior fellows, in 
 consequence, I presume, of their having been friends of his 
 father. Dr. Richmond, who had himself been a fellow of 
 the college, and whose name stands in the Tripos as having 
 been the tenth senior optime, in January, 1764. 
 
 " Mr. Richmond's great recreation was music, in which I 
 suppose you are aware he was eminently skilled. He always 
 had a piano-forte in his room, and played on the organ also. 
 To any tune he could^ as he played, make an extempore 
 thorough bass. His musicial talents gave rise-to a great inti- 
 macy and friendship with the late Dr. Hague, the professor 
 of music, and also with Dr; Jowett, then tutor of Trinity 
 Hall, who used to have frequent musicial parties at his apart- 
 ments, at which I believe Mr. Richmond was generally pre- 
 sent. He was at all times attentive to the studies of the Uni- 
 
RRV. LEGH RICHMO]ND. 15 
 
 versity, and preserved, throughout, the character of a read- 
 ing man. Mr. Copely (now the Lord Chancellor) had apart- 
 ments directly under those of Mr. Richmond, and as they 
 were both reading hard, they commonly, for some months 
 before taking the degree of A. B., had coffee together af- 
 ter midnight. He went through the public exercises of the 
 schools, preparatory to his degree, with great credit, and 
 was accordingly placed by the moderator in the first class. 
 He did not, however, go into the senate-house to stand the 
 final examination, owing to ill-health. Dr. Butler, master of 
 Harrow school, was the senior wrangler, and Mr. Copely the 
 second ; and I have a printed Tripos for 1794, now lying 
 before me, at the bottom of which are the following words : — 
 
 rFfii-ot ^ '•^-'iworth, Email. } In.Ima QiijesUonistariim classe modera- 
 o * ^ Ds. Pwichmond, Trill. ) toribus censebantiir. 
 
 " I believe our year was the last in which those who went 
 out CEgrot, in the first class, were noticed in the Tripos. 
 Ever since, the names of such graduates have been omitted 
 in the'list of honors ; and the Cambridge, Calendar, in giving 
 a list of honors for each year, has omitted the names of the 
 CEgrot, in 1794, and all the preceding years, although they 
 were actually printed in the original lists. Mr. Richmond 
 was, for some years, collecting materials for a great work, 
 which he intended to publish, on the theory as well as history 
 of music. After taking his degree, he applied himself with 
 great ardor to his favorite study, and took much pains to pro- 
 vide materials for his intended musical publication, which he 
 hoped, might be ready for the press in the course of two or 
 three years. I have frequently sat with him, while, for hours 
 together, he was making experiments with his musical 
 plates, of which he had a great number, some of glass and 
 some of copper, of all the common regular forms ; as cir- 
 cles, ellipses, squares, rhombuses, pentagons, 6oC, These 
 he screwed down at a particular point, so as to be perfectly 
 horizontal ; and then, having sprinkled fine sand over the sur- 
 face, the bow of a violin was drawn across the edge, so as to 
 draw forth a musical note : and, by the vibration thus caused, 
 the sand was shaken from the vibrating parts, and became 
 collected in one line or more, formed by quiescent points. It 
 seemed very remarakble, that whenever that particular note 
 which was the limdamental of any plate, was sounded by it, 
 the sand invariably took the form of a cross, having its centre 
 in the centre of the plate. All other notes which could be 
 
16 
 
 ME3I0IKS OF THE 
 
 sounded by the same plate, diverged from the fundamental 
 note, according to a certain scale ; and every one caused the 
 sand to take a different form. Sometimes it seemed to take 
 the figure of two opposite hyperbolas ; but in whatever form 
 it rested, the figures on the different sides of a straight line, 
 drawn through the centre of the plate, were exactly the coun- 
 terparts of each other. The lines formed by the quiescent 
 points, in the vibrations of such plates, were calculated by 
 Euler, as may be seen by the Transactions of the Imperial 
 Society of Petersburgh {Acta Petropditana ;) but the results 
 are little satisfactory, being commonly expressed in hyper- 
 bolic forms, and not assuming a tangible shape. 
 
 About this time Mr. Richmond was member of a small 
 club, formed by six or eight Trinity men, for the discussion 
 of philosophical subjects. They met once a week, at each 
 other's rooms ; and, to prevent expense in giving suppers, 
 nothing more was to be provided than red-herrings, bread, 
 cheese, and beer. Hence they called this society the " Red- 
 herring Club." The respectability of the members appears 
 from this circumstance, that nearly every one obtained a 
 fellowship. Mr. Richmond took a leading part at this time 
 in another small society, which was named The Harmo- 
 nic Society." The members were musical amateurs, who, in 
 turn, gave a concert every fortnight, at which, with the help 
 of two or three hired musicians, they performed pieces out of 
 Handel and other celebrated composers, together with 
 catches, glees, &c. In 1796 was published, by Mr. Dixon, a 
 townsman of Cambridge, and one of the members of the 
 Harmonic Society, a collection of glees and rounds, for 
 three, four, and five voices, composed by the members of 
 that society. In this publication, out of seventeen pieces, 
 seven were contributed by Mr. Richmond. 
 
 " In 1796, Mr. Richmond began seriously to think of ta- 
 king orders, and of marrying on a curacy. In that situation, 
 he intended conscientiously to do his duty, though he had 
 not the deep sense he afterwards entertained of the vast im- 
 portance and responsibility of the charge he was about to 
 undertake." 
 
 The important period to which Mr. Tate alludes was now 
 arrived, when it became necessary that he should no long, 
 er delay his choice of a profession, — that choice, which 
 exercises so powerful an influence over all 4he events and 
 circumstances of future life, and in which our usefulness and 
 moral responsibility are so deeply involved. 
 
KEV. LEGH EICHMO^D. 
 
 17 
 
 It was the wish and intention of Dr. Richmond that his son 
 should direct his attention to the law, vrith the view of be- 
 ing called to the bar ; but the predominant views of his mind 
 after taking his degree, will appear in the following letter : — 
 
 ' Canihrklger Feb. 18, 1794. 
 
 " My dear Father, — It has long been my wish to write to 
 you on the subject which has occupied so much of my atten- 
 lion of late ; and on which, during the solemn interval of my 
 confinement, I had more frequent opportunities of meditating 
 than on any former occasion. I hope and trust that I have 
 thought more seriously on this subject, and have pursued a 
 more regular train of sound reasoning and self-examination on 
 account of my illness, than if I had enjoyed an uninterrupted 
 series of good health. The time is now arrived when, after 
 having passed through the regular forms of an academic edu- 
 cation, it is expected that a young man should select his pro- 
 fession ; and on the foundation (which he either has, or ought 
 to have laid in the universitv) of sound learning and good 
 morals, should begin to raise a superstructure of such mate- 
 rials as may render him an ornament to his profession, and 
 a satisfaction to his friends. 
 
 " I should here feel myself guilty of much ingratitude, or at 
 least of much unpardonable neglect, if I did not, at this period 
 of my life, return you my most sincere and unfeigned thanks 
 for the repeated testimonies of affection and generosity, 
 v/hich I have experienced for upwards of two-and-twenty 
 years at your hands : more especially do I feel myself indebt- 
 ed to you, during the last four years, for placing me in a 
 situation in which I have enjoyed UHmberless happy hours ; 
 have formed friendships and connexions, which are a source 
 of honest pride and satisfaction ; and have had an opportu- 
 nity (which 1 hope I have not entirely thrown away) of ma- 
 king great proficiency in such studies and acquirements, as 
 must and will be the chief basis of my future usefulness and^ 
 happiness. If such be the obhgations which I owe to your 
 kindness, what must be my insensibility to every tie of af- 
 fection, and to every principle of honorable feeling, were 
 I deficient in my expressions of gratitude to the benevolent 
 author of so many blessings. Indeed, sir, I am neither un- 
 grateful nor insensible. It has not been my custom, hitherto, 
 to make long professions, nor to enter into any detail of my 
 internal feelings ; and, perhaps, owing to a deficiency of this 
 kind, I may have suffered in your opinion, on some particu- 
 
18 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 lar occasions, more than I deserved. It now appears, there- 
 fore, to be the more advisable to unfold myself at large, ob- 
 serving, at the same time, that the chief faults and errors of 
 which I hitherto have been, and of which I am still, I 
 fear too susceptible, have not arisen from any source of mo- 
 ral depravity, or inate viciousness ; but from an evil, which 
 I see much too prevalent among young men, and from the 
 contagion of which I have not been entirely able to escape ; I 
 mean, the want of resolution to resist temptation, when it is 
 opposed to their better convictions. A very moderate ac- 
 quaintance with the younger part, at least, of mankind, will 
 convince any observer, that a certain degree of irresolution 
 is by no means inconsistent with many better quailities, and 
 often has its origin rather in the influence of external exam- 
 pie, than in any real viciousness of the heart. But I can truly 
 say that J am very desirous of becoming such as your most 
 sanguine wishes could expect, and I look up to a superior 
 Power for assistance not to violate these my resolutions. 
 
 "It appears tome, that in reviewing the respective merits 
 of the different professions, and in determining upon one of 
 them, a very intimate self-examination is requisite, previous 
 to the formation of any fixed resolution. It has been my en- 
 deavor for five months past to pursue this difficult undertak- 
 ing ; and I hope I have not failed in the attempt. The church 
 and the law are the two subjects to which I have directed my 
 attention. I have consulted my own inclinations, abilities, 
 deficiencies, merits, and demerits, and examined them in as 
 many points of view as I have been able, in order to deter- 
 mine which of those professions v/as the best calculated to 
 promote my own happirress, and the welfare of others. My 
 present determination is in favor of the former, principally 
 from the following considerations. The sacred profession is 
 in itself without doubt the most respectable and the most 
 useful in which any man of principle and education can pos- 
 sibly be engaged. The benefits which it is the province of 
 tjie clergyman to bestow on his fellow-creatures are more 
 widely disseminated, and are in themselves more intrinsical- 
 ly valuable, than those of every other profession or employ- 
 ment united together. To a conscientious mind, therefore, 
 that line of life appears to be the most eligible, in which he 
 may be enabled to do the most solid good to mankind. 
 
 One further argument with myself for preferring the 
 church to the law is, that P^have found, from four years' expe- 
 rience, a strong inclination to study several branches of litera- 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 19 
 
 ture, which are far more connected with the church than with 
 the law, as neither their nature nor the time requisite to be 
 bestowed upon them would allow the lawyer to exercise him- 
 self in them. What these are shall be the subject of future 
 information to you. At present, my desire of becoming a 
 VERY good general scholar is so much stronger than that of 
 becoming an extremely good, particular one, that I am con- 
 vinced I could not throw aside the hopes of pursuing my fa- 
 vorite views in that way, and dedicating myself solely to one, 
 and that perhaps not the most inviting, without the utmost 
 regret. Your affectionate son, Legh Rich.mo-xd." 
 
 In these views Dr. Richmond ultimately expressed his ac- 
 quiescence, though his own wishes inclined him to recom- 
 mend the choice of the bar ; and thus was the profession of 
 the church determined upon, for which he subsequently 
 proved to be so singularly qualified, and in which his influ- 
 ence and services were so widely felt and acknowledged. 
 
 He continued to reside at Cambridge 'till the end of the 
 Midsummer term, in 1797, pursuing those studies which 
 were more immediately connected with his future destination. 
 
 The following letter, the last he wrote from college to 
 his father, expresses his sentiments more fully on the sub- 
 ject of the ministry, and of his preparation for those duties, 
 on which he was now on the eve of entering. It is dated 
 June 30th, 1798 :— 
 
 " My dear father, — I take this opportunity of returning 
 you my most hearty and sincere thanks for all your kindness 
 to me during my stay at Cambridge, for nearly the last eight 
 years. I look back on the time which I have there spent, 
 with a considerable mixture of pain and pleasure. That I 
 have done things which I ought not to have done, and neglected 
 to do things which I ought to have done, is most true : yet 
 have I added very considerably to my stock of literary infor- 
 mation — have gained the good will and approbation of many 
 respectable and good men — have made acquaintances and 
 friends of several literary and worthy characters — have ena- 
 bled myself, I trust, by the improvement of my abilities, such 
 as they are, hereafter to maintain myself I have also had 
 an opportunity of contemplating men, manners and morals to 
 a very extensive degree ; and finally, in an age of much infi- 
 delity, and surrounded by many, whose principles savored 
 strongly of irreligion, I have built up a fabric of confidence in, 
 
20 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 and love for, that holy religion of which I am now a professor. 
 To this I ultimately look as my future guide through life, and 
 hope it will enable me to bear with fortitude those evils which 
 may be in store for me ; for who can expect exemption ? In 
 return for these advantages, I have to offer you my gratitude, 
 and my affection ; and let what will hereafter become of me, 
 bear in mind that it is not in the power of any thing human to 
 lessen either the one or the other. I am now preparing to 
 undertake what I cannot but consider as a most serious and 
 weighty charge — the sole responsibility, as resident clergy- 
 man, of two parishes. So far as information is required, I 
 hope I have not labored in vain ; so for as good resolution is 
 concerned, I trust, I am not deficient : as regards my success 
 and future conduct in this important calling, I pray God's 
 assistance to enable me to do my duty, and to become a 
 worthy member of the Established Church ; a church founded 
 on the purest and most exalted principles of unsophisticated 
 Christianity, as delivered by its divine Author himself, and 
 confirmed and explained Ly his inspired successors. The 
 character of a fashionable parson is my aversion ; "that of an 
 ignorant or careless one, I see with pity and contempt ; that 
 of a dissipated one with shame ; and that of an unbelieving 
 one with horror. I wish you to read a little book lately pub- 
 lished, entitled, ' Dialogues on the Amusements of Clergy- 
 men.' You will be pleased with it, as will my mother also, I 
 am certain. I am very busy preparing sermons for my future 
 flock. It requires much practice to write with fluency and 
 ease. Believe me to be, with every sentiment of regard and 
 affection,- — Your son, L. Richmond." 
 
 " To Dr. Richmond, 
 Grecian Coffee House, London.^' 
 
 Mr. Richmond was ordained deacon in the month of June, 
 1797, and took the degree of M. A., the beginning of July, 
 in the saine year. On the 22d of the same month, he was 
 married to Mary, the only daughter of James William Cham- 
 bers, Esq., of the city of Bath ; immediately after which he 
 proceeded to the Isle of Wight, and entered upon the cura- 
 cies of the adjoining parishes of Brading and Yaverland, on 
 the 24th of July. He was ordained priest in February, 1798, 
 
SET. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 •21 
 
 CHAPTER IIL 
 
 Misentrance on his professional duties— Remarkable change in his view? and con- 
 duct, and the incident thai occasioned it— Keflectioiis on the foregoing event. 
 
 Mr. Richmond appears to have entered on the ministry with 
 the desire and aim of discharging its important duties in a 
 conscientious manner ; and he manifested such propriety of 
 conduct in his moral deportment, and in the general duties of 
 his new charge, as to procure for him the character of a high- 
 ly respectable and useful young clergyman. A few months, 
 however, after his residence at Brading, a most important re- ' 
 volution took place in his views and sentiments, vvhich produ- 
 ced a striking and prominent change in the manner and mat- 
 ter of his preaching, as well as in the general tenor and con- 
 duct of his life. This change was not a conversion from im- 
 morality to morality : for he was strictly moral, in the usual 
 acceptation of the term. Neither was it a conversion from he- 
 terodoxy to orthodoxy ; but it was a conversion from ortho- 
 doxy in name and profession, to orthordoxy in its spirit, ten- 
 dency and influence. But before we indulge in any further 
 remarks, it is necessary to record the particulars of the oc- 
 currence to which we have alluded. Shortly after he had en- 
 tered on his curacies, one of his college friends was on the 
 eve of taking holy orders, to whom a near relative had sent 
 Mr. Wilberforce's " Practical View of Christianity." This 
 thoughtless candidate for the momentous charge of the 
 Christian ministry forwarded the book to 3Ir. Richmond, re- 
 questing him to give it a perusal, and to inform him what he 
 must say respecting its contents. In compliance with this re- 
 quest, he began to read the book, and found himself so deeply 
 interested in its contents, that the volume was not laid down 
 until the perusal of it was completed. The night was spent 
 in reading, and reflecting upon the important truths contain- 
 ed in this valuable and impressive work. In the course of his 
 employment, the soul of the reader was penetrated to its in- 
 most recesses ; and the effect produced in innumerable instan- 
 ces, by the book of God, was in this case accomplished by 
 means of a human composition. From that period his mind re- 
 ceived a powerful impulse, and was no longer able to rest un- 
 der its former impressions. A change was effected in his 
 views of divine truth, as decided as it was influential. He was 
 no longer satisfied with the creed of the speculatist — he felt a 
 conviction of his own state as a guilty and condemned sinner, 
 and under that conviction, he sought mercy at the cross of the 
 3 
 
22 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Saviour. There arose in his mind a solemn consciousness 
 that, however outwardly moral and apparently irreproacha- 
 ble his conduct might appear to men ; yet within, there was 
 wanting that entire surrender of the heart, that ascendency of 
 God in the soul, and that devotedness of life and conduct, 
 which distinguishes morality from holiness — an assent to di- 
 vine truth, from its cordial reception into the heart ; and the 
 external profession of religion, from its inward and transform- 
 ing power. The impressions awakened were therefore follow- 
 ed by a transfer of his time, his talents, and his affections, to 
 the service of his God and Saviour, and to the spiritual wel- 
 fare of the flock committed to his care. But while his mind 
 was undergoing this inward process, it is necessary to state 
 how laborious he was in search after truth. The Bible be- 
 came the frequent and earnest subject of his examination, 
 prayer, and meditation. His object -w disfontes haiirire sacros, 
 to explore truth at its fountain head, or, in the emphatic lan- 
 guage of Scripture, to "draw water out of the wells of salva- 
 tion." — Isa. xii. 3. From the study of the Bible, he proceed- 
 ed to a minute examination of the writings of the Reformers, 
 which, by a singular coincidence, came into his possession 
 shortly after this period ; and having from these various sour- 
 ces acquired increasing certainty as to the correctness of his 
 recent convictions, and stability in holding them, he found, 
 what the sincere and conscientious inquirer will always find, 
 the Truth ; and his heart being interested, he learnt truth 
 through the heart, and believed it, because he felt it. 
 
 His own account of the effect produced on his mind by the 
 perusal of Mr. Wilberforce's book, will excite the interest of 
 the reader. Speaking of his son Wilberforce, he remarks : — 
 
 "He was baptized by the name of Wilberforce, in conse- 
 quence of my personal friendship with that individual, whose 
 name long has been, and ever v/ill be, alhed to all that is able, 
 amiable, and truly Christian. That gentleman had already 
 accepted the office of sponsor to one of my daughters ; but the 
 subsequent birth of this boy, afforded me the additional satis- 
 faction of more familiarly associating his name with that of 
 my family. But it was not the tie of ordinary friendship, nor 
 the veneration whicb, in common with multitudes, I felt for 
 the name of Wilberforce, which induced me to give that name 
 to my child : there had for many years past, subsisted a tie 
 between myself and that much-loved friend, of a higher and 
 more sacred character than any other which earth can afford. 
 I feel it to be a debt of gratitude, which I owe to God and to 
 
RET. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 23 
 
 man to take this affecting opportunity of stating, that to the 
 unsought and unexpected introduction of Mr. Wilberforce's 
 book on ' Practical Christianity,' I owe, through God's mercy, 
 the first sacred impression which I ever received, as to the 
 spiritual nature of the Gospel system,the vital character of per- 
 sonal religion, the corruption of the human heart, and the way 
 of salvation by Jesus Christ. As a young minister, recently 
 ordained, and just entrusted with the charge of two parishes 
 in the Isle of Wight, I had commenced my labors too much 
 in the spirit of the world, and founded my public instructions 
 on the erroneous notions which prevailed amongst my acade- 
 mical and literary associates. The scriptural princples stated 
 in the ' Practical View,' convinced me of my error ; led me to 
 the study of the Scriptures with an earnastness to which I had 
 hitherto been a stranger; humbled my heart, and brought me 
 to seek the love and blessing of that Saviour, who alone can 
 afford a peace which the world cannot give. Through the 
 study of this book, I was induced to examine the writings of 
 the British and Foreign Reformers. I saw the coincidence 
 of their doctrines with those of the Scriptures, and those whicli 
 the word of God taught me to be essential to the welfare of 
 myself and my flock. I know too well what has passed within 
 my heart, for nov/ a long period of time, not to feel and to 
 confess, that to this- incident I was indebted, orginally, for 
 those solid views of Christianity, on which I rest my hope for 
 time and eternity. May I not, then, call the honored author 
 of that book my spiritual father? And if my spiritual father, 
 therefore my best earthly friend ? The wish to connect his 
 name with my own, was natural and justifiable. It was a 
 lasting mem.orial of the most important transaction of my life ; 
 it still lives amidst the tenderness of present emotions, as a 
 signal of endearment and gratitude ; and I trust its character 
 IS imperishable." 
 
 Though Mr. Richmond's mind and heart were experiencing 
 the remarkable change that has been recorded, it is necessary 
 to state that the regularity and decorum with which he was 
 previously discharging his duties, far exceeded those of ma- 
 ny other ministers. If then, notwithstanding these exertions, 
 he was still conscious how much he fell short of the standard of 
 ministerial faithfuless and zeal, and the requirements of per- 
 sonal holiness ; may we not ask, what ought to be the convic-. 
 tions of those who evince a far less degree of earnestness, 
 where the claims are precisely the same, and the obligations 
 to fulfil them are equally binding ? If he felt the need within, 
 
24 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 of a more operative principle of divine grace, as the only 
 genuine source of inward and external holiness ; what must be 
 their state who, with greater deficiencies, experience no con- 
 flict of the mind, no secret misgivings of the conscience? If, in 
 his ardent inquiry after truth, he meditated over the sacred 
 page, and explored the voluminous writings of the Reformers ; 
 what is their responsibility who rest in a system, without an 
 endeavor to ascertain its correctness ; who give to the world 
 the hours sacred to prayer and study ; or who appropriate their 
 time to objects, which, however praiseworthy in themselves, 
 are not sufficiently identified with their profession, nor calcu- 
 lated to promote their advancement in grace and holiness ? 
 
 But we would pursue this object farther, and demand, if 
 conversion, or a change of heart and life, be necessary in all 
 . men, because all naturally partake of the principles of inward 
 corruption, how much more is it necessary to him who offici- 
 ates in holy things ; and who, by the titles that designate his. 
 character and office, is supposed to contract engagements of 
 the highest and most sacred import ? 
 
 And yet the very nature and necessity of conversion is 
 questioned by some, in opposition to the most express decla- 
 rations of Holy Writ ;* thus proving their own need, at least, 
 of that conversion, the possibility of which they so heedlessly 
 dispute. A distinguished and excellent prelate, in our own 
 day,f has merited well of the Christian public, for inviting 
 attention to this subject. In the diocese of St. David's, a 
 prize was offered for the best Essay on the.signs of conversion 
 and unconversion in ministers of the Established Church. | 
 
 This was at once recognizing the doctrine, as well as the 
 necessity of conversion. It drew^ the line of demarcation 
 between true piety, and that which bears only the external 
 garb. It admitted the conversion of some, it doubted the con- 
 version oi'all ; and by instituting an inquiry into the signs and 
 evidences by which the distinction is to be known, it held out 
 a beacon to discriminate the ivue and faithful pastor from the 
 bold and unauthorised intruder. Let it be remembered too, 
 that this doctrine is avowedly maintained, and the beUef and 
 experience of its truth no less avowedly professed, by every 
 candidate, in the form and ceremony prescribed by our own 
 church for ordination— that on this occasion he is solemnly 
 asked, whether he trusts that he is inwardly moved by the 
 
 ^SeeMatt. xviii.3; Joliniii. 5; Acfs iii. 19 ; Epli. iv. 24. 
 
 tThe present Bishop of Salisbury, formerly Bishop of St. David's^ 
 
 tSee Wilks's Prize Essay on ihe above subject. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 25 
 
 Holy Ghost, to take upon himself the sacred office ? To which 
 he deliberately answers, " I trust so." And that, if terms be 
 significant of things, and professions mean what they are sup- 
 posed to imply, this call of the Holy Spirit denotes a series of 
 qualifications, of which the real conversion of the heart is the 
 primary and most indispensable. It is on the authority of this 
 declaration, and the supposed sincerity of its avowal, that he 
 is permitted to officiate at her altars, and that the dispensa- 
 tion of the Gospel is committed to his hands ; and therefore, 
 the absence of this quahfication is not mere!}' a fraud, and an 
 act of perjury, aggravated by the solemnity of the occasion, 
 and by the bold profanation of holy things, but a crime of a 
 still higher magnitude. Souls are betrayed, for every one of 
 which he must render an account to Him who has authorita- 
 tively proclaimed, " their blood will I require at thine hand." 
 
 Another very important lesson to be learnt from the prece- 
 ding narrative, is the necessity of discriminating morality from 
 religion. The principal error in Mr. Richmond's former views, 
 consisted in this, viz. that they were deficient in the grand 
 characteristic features of the Gospel. Not that he actually 
 denied a single doctrine v/hich the Gospel inculcates ; but his 
 conceptions were far from being definite, clear, and compre- 
 hensive. They wanted the elevation *nd spirituality of the 
 Christian System. ^They were founded more on the standard 
 of morality, than on the principles of the Gospel ; and there 
 fore were defective as it respects the motive and end of all 
 human actions, the two essential properties that constitute an 
 action acceptable in the sight of a holy God. A Heathen 
 may be Jiioral, a Christian must be more ; for though true 
 religion will always comprise morality, yet morality may exist 
 without religion. There was a confusion also in his notion of 
 faith and works, and of the respective offices and the design of 
 the- law and of the Gospel. The Saviour v/as not sufficiently 
 exalted, nor the sinner humbled ; and there was wanting the 
 baptism of the Holy Ghost and of fre.''' — Matt. iii. 11. 
 His sermons, partaking of the same character, were dis- 
 tinguished indeed by solidity of remark, force of expression, 
 strong appeal to the conscience, and a real and commendable 
 zeal for the interests of morality ; but they went no further. 
 As regarded the great end of the Christian ministry — the 
 conversion of immortal souls — they were powerless ; for moral 
 sermons can produce nothing but moral effects ; and it is the 
 Gospel alone that is '^mighty through God to the pidling 
 
MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 down of the strong holds of sin ; and bringing into captivity 
 every thought to the obedience of Christ.^^ — 2 Cor. x. 4, 5. 
 
 There was, indeed, an external reformation produced among 
 his people ; but the renovation of the heart, the communion of 
 the soul with God, the inward joy and peace of the Gospel, 
 and the hope full of life and of immortality — these were not 
 experienced and felt, because they were not known : and they 
 were not known, because they were not preached : and they 
 were not preached, because they were not adequately under- 
 stood by the preacher. And is there no ground for apprehen- 
 sion that the same deficiency still exists amongst us to a con- 
 siderable extent ? Are the peculiar doctrines of Christianity 
 commonly brought forward with sufficient clearness, fidelity, 
 and zeal ? Are the corruption and the lost state of man, the mer- 
 cy of God in Christ, the necessity of a living faith in the Sav- • 
 iour, the office of the Holy Spirit in his enlightening, convert- 
 ing, and sanctifying influences* — are these grand themes of 
 the Christian ministry urged with the prominence that their 
 incalculable importance demand ? Deficiencies in points like 
 these are serious impediments to the growt h of true religion, and 
 cannot be too sedulously reproved by those who are the consti- 
 tuted guardians of sound doctrine. For with the mere morahst, 
 the grandeur of the Christian dispensation — the divine love so 
 conspicuous in the whole of its stupendous plan — the beauty, 
 order, and symmetry of its several parts are all reduced to 
 the rank and level of a secondary and subordinate scheme. 
 Christ is not the centre of the system, but rather occupies the 
 extreme point ; and is brought in as a last expedient to cover 
 the nakedness and insufficiency of our own works. The mor- 
 alist, according to his own creed, do&s all that he can and 
 then — looks to his Redeemer to perform the rest. On the 
 other hand, where the moralist ends, the believer begins. 
 With him, every work is begun, continued, and ended in God. 
 He draws from above every motive for his obedience, every 
 promise for. his encouragement, and strength to subdue all his 
 corruptions. Christ is the sun that illuminates his moral hori- 
 zon, the living water to refresh his thirst, the heavenly manna 
 by which he is fed, the first and the last, the beginning and 
 the end, the Alpha and Omega, the " all and in all." — Col. 
 iii. 11. He is the Prophet, by whose wisdom he is taught ; 
 the Priest by whose sacrifice he is pardoned ; the King, by 
 whose authority he is swayed ; and the Shepherd, on whose 
 
 ' * See Dr. Owen's celebrated Work " On the Holy Spifit," and Doddridge^s 
 ** Seven Sermons on Regeneration," for an ahlft elucidation of this subject. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 27 
 
 tender care he reposes all his wants. What then is the 
 remedy Tor the defects to which we have alluded, and for the 
 fatal consequences resulting from them ? — The knowledge of 
 the Gospel ; and the full, free, and faithful declaration of its 
 truths. There must be its tidings on the lips, its grace in the 
 heart, and its holiness in the life of the preacher. Such was 
 the case in the instance of Mr. Richmond, after the change 
 above recorded ; and crowded auditories, an inquiring people, 
 and numerous conversions were the happy result. And such 
 will ever be the case where the Gospel is faithfully preached. 
 The same causes will always produce the same effects. The 
 blind will receive their sight, and the lame walk, and the deaf 
 hear, and the spiritually dead be raised to ilfe eternal. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Developement of his character— Dedication of his time and thoughts to profitaLle 
 objects— Fondness of the scenes of nature— Spiritual reflections upon them— Zeal 
 in his ministerial duties— Letters and Diary- Remarks. 
 
 In the preceding chapter, we have recorded the remarkable 
 change of which Mr. Richmond was the subject, and explained 
 its nature and character. We shall now proceed to illustrate 
 it by its effects, which form the best evidence of its existence, 
 and one of the strongest arguments for its necessity. With 
 this view, we shall consider its operation and influence on the 
 qualities of his mind and heart — on his ministerial habits — his 
 epistolary correspondence — and in the more solemn and im- 
 pressive exposure of the inward recesses of his soul. 
 
 In our intercourse with men, we meet with an almost end- 
 less diversity of character ; and he who studies human nature 
 is apt to classify those who are the subjects of his contempla- 
 tion, according to their respective shades and gradations. 
 But how painful is the discovery, when we see persons en- 
 dowed with finer qualifications of the mind, and the most 
 interesting sensibilities of the heart, wasting on unprofitable 
 objects the powers which, if rightly directed, might render their 
 possesor the instrument of extensive usefulne'ss and good. 
 We seem to behold a beautiful and imposing structure, but it 
 is not occupied by the rightful owner. The lord of the man- 
 sion is absent, and a stranger has usurped his place. We 
 turn with disappointment from the contemplation ; nor can 
 we withhold the prayer that ere long the fatal illusion may 
 cease, and the chain of the captive be broken. 
 
28 
 
 ME3I0IKS OF THE 
 
 In Mr. Richmond, every qualification became consecrated 
 to religion. His imagination, taste, affections, and endow, 
 ments received an impulse which directed all their energies to 
 the glory of God, and to useful and profitable purposes. 
 
 To illustrate what we have said, we subjoin the following 
 passage from one of his popular tracts, which, while it shews 
 his powers for descriptive scenery, proves at the same time 
 how much his admiration of the scenes of nature was made 
 the occasion of elevating the heart to God. 
 
 " It was not unfrequently my custom, when my mind w^as 
 filled with any interesting subject for meditation, to seek some 
 spot where the beauties of natural prospect might help to form 
 pleasing and useful associations. 
 
 " South-eastward, I saw the open ocean, bounded only by 
 the horison. The sun shone, and gilded the waves with a 
 glittering light, that sparkled in the most brilliant manner. 
 
 On the north, the sea appeared like a noble river, 
 varying from three to seven miles in breadth, between the 
 banks of the opposite coast, and those of the island which I 
 inhabited.* Immediately underneath me, was a fine woody 
 district of country, diversified by many pleasing objects. Dis- 
 tant towns were visible on the opposite shore. Numbers of 
 ships occupied the sheltered station which this northern chan- 
 nel afforded them. The eye roamed with delight over an 
 expanse of near and remote beauties, which alternately caught 
 the observation, and which harmonised together, and produced 
 a scene of peculiar interest." 
 
 The reflections awakened by these scenes are thus express- 
 ed:— 
 
 " How much of the natural beauties of Paradise still remain 
 in the world, although its spiritual character has been so 
 awfully defaced by sin ? But when divine grace renews the 
 heart of the fallen sinner. Paradise is regained, and much of 
 its beauty is restored to the soul. As this prospect is com- 
 pounded of hill and dale, land and sea, woods and plains, all 
 sweetly blended together, and relieving each other in the 
 landscape : so do the gracious dispositions, wrought in the 
 soul, produce'a beauty and harmony of scene, to which it was 
 before a stranger." 
 
 We insert one more brief reflection, 
 
 " What do ^they not lose, who are strangers to serious 
 meditation on the wonders and beauties of created nature ! 
 How gloriously the God of creation shines in his works ! Not 
 
 The Isle of Wight. 
 
REV. LEGH HICmiOND. 
 
 29 
 
 a tree, nor leaf, nor flower ; not a bird, nor insect, but pro- 
 claims in glowing language, '* God made me.' " 
 
 In his parochial engagements, we find him fulfilling all the 
 duties of an active and zealous parish priest. The important 
 and essential doctrines of the Gospel v. ere now made the 
 powerful and affecting themes of public addresses. As we 
 shall haVe occasion hereafter to enter into a more minute 
 detail of the subject and manner of his preaching, it is suffi- 
 cient in this place to observe, that man's fallen and ruined 
 state, and his deliverance and redemption by Jesus Christ, 
 formed the grand outline 6f his discourses ; and if the degree 
 in which the truth is preached be best estimated by its effects, 
 he could appeal to unquestionable evidence of his faithfulness ; 
 for God blessed his testmiony, and numerous' converts were 
 the seals of his ministry. In addition to the usual and ap- 
 pointed duties of the Sabbath, he visited his flock, and went 
 from house to house, taking care not to make these opportu- 
 nities the mere occasion of friendly and condescending inter- 
 course, but the means of real improvement, and spiritual 
 edification. The children of Brading were also the objects of 
 his tender solicitude. They were in the habit of repairing to 
 him every Saturday for the purpose of religious instruction ; 
 and his memoir of " Little Jane" records one of the happy 
 results of these youthful meetings. 
 
 Within the parish of Brading was situated the hamlet of 
 Bembridge, at the distance of about two miles. To this 
 place Mr. Richmond went once in every week to expound 
 the Scriptures, and to meet those who, through age and in- 
 firmity or other causes, were unable to attend the parish 
 church. A chapel of ease has since been erected, and con- 
 secrated in the sumimer of lwS27. He had likewise the care of 
 the parish of Yaverland ; and as the scenes of his early piety 
 and zeal cannot but be interesting to his numerous friends, 
 and the following description presents them vividly to the 
 imagination, we insert it in his own words :- — 
 
 " I had the spiritual charge of another parish, adjoining to 
 that in which I resided. It was a small district, and had but 
 few inhabitants. The church was pleasantly situated on a 
 rising bank, at the foot of a considerable hill. It was sur- 
 rounded by trees, and had a rural, retired appearance. Close 
 to the church-yard stood a large old mansion, which had for- 
 merly been the residence of an opulent and titled family ; 
 but it had long since been appropriated to the use of the 
 estate, as a farm house. Its outward aspect bore considera- 
 
30 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 ble remains of ancient grandeur, and gave a pleasing charac 
 ter to the spot of ground on which the church stood. In every 
 direction the roads that led to this house of God possessed 
 distinct but interesting features. One of them ascended be- 
 tween several rural cottages from the sea shore, which ad- 
 joined the lower part of the village street. Another, winded 
 round the curved sides of an adjacent hill, and was adorned, 
 both above and below, with numerous sheep, feeding on the 
 herbage of the down. A third road led to the church by a 
 gently rising approach, between high banks, covered, with 
 young trees, bushes, ivy, hedge-plants, and wild flowers. 
 
 " From a point of land which commanded a view of all 
 these several avenues, I used sometimes for a while to watch 
 my congregation gradually assembling together at the hour 
 of Sabbath worship. They were in some directions visible 
 for a considerable distance. Gratifying associations of 
 thought would, form in my mind, as I contemplated their ap- 
 proach and successive arrival within the precincts of the house 
 of prayer." 
 
 His reflections on these occasions are thus interestingly 
 expressed : — 
 
 " How many immortal souls are now gathering together to 
 perform the all-important work of prayer and praise — to hear 
 the word of God — to feed upon the bread of life! They are 
 leaving their respective dwellings, and will soon be united to- 
 gether in the house of prayer. How beautifully does this 
 represent the effect produced by the voice of * the good Shep- 
 herd' calling his sheep from every part of the-vvilderness into 
 his fold ! As these fields, hills, and lanes ^are now covered 
 with men, women, and children, in various directions, draw- 
 ing nearer to each other, and to the object of their journey's 
 end ; even so ' many shall come from the east and from the 
 west, and from the north and from the south, and shall sit 
 down in the kingdom of God.' " 
 
 In the year 1801, he formed a society at Brading, which 
 proved an occasion of much benefit ; the rules and regula- 
 tions being peculiarly calculated to promote order, sobriety 
 and religion. This society met every Wednesday evening, 
 and he himself assumed the office of director.* The members 
 
 *The following regulation will aflford a general idea of the character and 
 object of this society. 
 
 " The Society avIII meet every Wednesday evening, when the director will 
 attend for the purpose of explaining the holy Scriptures, the Liturgy of tlie 
 Church of England, and other such godly books as he may think useful and 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 31 
 
 of whom It was composed were such as had derived advantage 
 from his ministry, and were sincerely desirous of advancing 
 in knowledge and true holiness. A copy of the first address 
 delivered to them, has been found among his papers, from 
 which we extract the concluding passage : — 
 
 " In a word, my dear friends, I consider you all as deeply 
 sensible that the Care of the soul is the one thing needful, 
 'which if you neglect you will perish ; but which, if you re- 
 gard with an humble, devout, and sincere heart, God will 
 receive and acknowledge you among the number of his chil- 
 dren. I hope more will join themselves to our society, who 
 are in this mind and persuasion. It shall be my care to do 
 all in my power to cherish and support you in all virtue and 
 godliness of living ; to comfort you in affliction, to clear up 
 your doubts, to reprove your faults, encourage your good res- 
 olutions, and to be, by God's help, a spiritual pastor among 
 you, to lead you through the pilgrimage of this life, to the en- 
 joyment of the glories of Paradise. 
 
 " All that I now ask, and beseech of you is, that you will 
 be in earnest in your present professions, and strive with 
 heart and soul to persevere in that good road, wherein I trust 
 you now are going. And remember how sad will be the lot 
 of those who, having put their hand to the plough, look back 
 again, and are no longer fit for the kingdom of heaven. Be 
 strong then in the Lord, and may his grace preserve you in 
 vour DPood resolutions, and brinsf vou to the full knowledge of 
 the excellency of Jesus Christ, and give you the greatest of 
 all blessings, forgiveness of sins in this world, and life ever- 
 lasting in the w^orld to come. Ever be it, blessed Lord, now 
 and evermore." 
 
 To the soldiers that were occasionally quartered in that 
 part of the country, he was made highly useful by his preach- 
 ing. The history of one of these men is remarkable. It is 
 related at length in the " Christian Observer," for the year 
 1802, (p. 772.) Being too long for insertion here, we give 
 the substance of it as follows : 
 
 " A young soldier introduced himself to Mr. Richmond, in 
 company with one of his comrades, begging to know if he 
 
 profitable for the instruction and edification of the members ; giving them sucli 
 friendly and Christian exhortation and counsel as each or all of thera may 
 require ; answering any questions which they may wish to propose, respect- 
 ing tiie meaning and design of the word of God, ond tlieir own conduct and 
 religious progress in general ; and joining in prayer with them to Almighty 
 God for a blessing upon themselves, their families, their neighbours, their 
 country, and the whole Church of God, wherever dispersed in tlie world." 
 
32 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 would kindly purchase from him a few clergyman's bands, 
 and some manuscript sermons. Being asked by what means 
 they came into his possession, he stated, with much embar- 
 rassment, that his history was wholly unknown to his compan- 
 ion in arms, but that being thus urged, he would recount 
 the painful circumstances of his past life. He proceeded to 
 declare that he was the son of a clergyman in Wales — 
 that he had been regularly ordained, and officiated during 
 
 three years on a curacy in the county of W — ; that 
 
 disorderly habits, and debts, incurred without the possibility 
 of discharging them, had brought him at length to ruin and 
 disgrace : and that, to avoid imprisonment, he had been in- 
 duced to enlist as a common soldier — that he had served in 
 the last campaign in Holland, and was then about to pro- 
 ceed with the army on the expedition to Alexandria, under 
 Sir James Abercrombie. He added, that it was to furnish 
 himself with a few necessaries, that he was led to offer th^ 
 articles in question for sale. Mr. Richmond having ascer- 
 tained as far as possible, the correctness of his story, pur- 
 chased them ; and afterwards held a very lonor conversation 
 with him, on the awful consequences of his past life, and his 
 unfaithfulness to the solemn and sacred engagement he had 
 formerly contracted. The soldier seemed to be more abash- 
 ed by the disclosure of his history, than impressed with the 
 consciousness of his guilt, and the admonitions that he re- 
 ceived. In June, 1802, the comrade who had originally 
 acGompaned him, once more called on Mr. Richmond, and 
 stated that he was just returned from Egypt, and that the 
 young man, in whose welfare he had taken so lively an inter- 
 est, had fallen in battle, and died a true penitent — that on 
 the evening preceding the engagement of the 21st March, 
 he had been seized with the presentiment that he should not 
 survive the event of the following day : and had commisioned 
 him, (the bearer,) should he be spared to return, to inform 
 Mr. Richmond, that the counsel he had so faithfully given 
 to him, though it had failed at the time to impress him as it 
 ought to have done, had ultimately sunk deep into his con- 
 science, and produced all the effects that he could have wish- 
 ed ; ' tell our dear pastor,' continued he, ' that I owe him more 
 than worlds can repay ; he first opened my heart to convic- 
 tion, and God has blessed it to repentance. Through the 
 unspeakable mercies of Christ, I can die with comfort.' The 
 event that he had prognosticated was fulfilled j and it was 
 
REV. LEGII RICimOND. 
 
 33 
 
 discovered that podr Mr. E lost his life by a cannon 
 
 ball at early period in the action.'' 
 
 It is in the Isle of Wight that the scene is laid of those 
 popular tracts, composed by Mr. Richmond, the reputation of 
 Avhieh is now so vridely diffused in all parts of the world. 
 His Dairyman's Daughter" resided at Arreton, a village 
 six miles distant from Brading, where he was in the habit 
 of occasionally visiting her, by particular request, during 
 her last illness. Her name was Walbridge ; and who that 
 has read her history, can repress the emotions that such 
 unaffected piety and sanctified affliction are calculated to 
 awaken? 
 
 His " Negro Servant" lived in the family of an officer in 
 the neighbourhood. His " Young Cottager" was one of his 
 Sunday-school children, at Brading, and the first fruits of his 
 ministry m that parish. As we shall have occasion to allude 
 to these publications in another part of t^ie memoir, we shall 
 restrict ourselves to this brief allusion to incidents in the re- 
 lation of which the author has excited so much interest ; and 
 in which the charms of style and beautiful representations of 
 nature are blended with the faithful narrative of facts, and 
 the whole made subservient to the advancement of the cause 
 of scriptural truth. 
 
 Having descjl^'ibed him as thus engaged in his ministerial du- 
 ties, we shall here introduce a letter addressed to his friend, 
 
 the Rev. Mr. T , expressive of his views and sentiments, 
 
 within the period just mentioned. 
 
 " My reading in divinity has been considerable since we 
 last parted. The more I attend to the sacred writings, and 
 to the sentiments of the most pious and unprejudiced authors, 
 the more deeply sensible do I feel f f the unspeakable impor- 
 tance of religious attainments, both in knowledge, faith, and 
 practice. I am, at the same time, unavoidably led to see 
 how very, very deficiently the Christian scheme is apprehend- 
 ed by the great body of the laity, and preached in many of 
 our pulpits. The force of that admirable charge of Bishop 
 Horsley, 1791, is strongly impressed upon my mind, and 
 fully confirms these sentiments,* which a diligent perusal of 
 the Bible of the primitive Fathers, and of the Reformers had 
 previously excited. 
 
 * Bishop Horsley liad asserted, iu the above charsre, that tliere was a 
 grievous departure, at tliat period, from thef sound doctrines of the Reforma- 
 tion. See also a similar charge, published about the same time, bv the Bishop 
 of Durham. 
 
 4 
 
34 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 " It is curious to see with what undisguised simplicity and 
 plainness, niany of the doctrines which are now reprobated as 
 enthusiastical, metkodistical, and puritanical, are, in one and 
 all of these old writers, asserted and maintained. The plain, 
 literal sense of our Church Articles, are by them made the 
 foundation of every discourse, and of every scriptural expo- 
 sition ; and lyractical faiih in the Holy Trinity is the first, 
 the middle, and the last end, object, and aim of all they said,' 
 all they wrote, and all they thought. It may be answered, 
 that modern divines admit the truth of these things also ; but 
 if they do, they explain the doctrines almost entirely away, 
 and what is principally to be lamented, they do not make 
 them the ground of their sermons. It is nevertheless, a very 
 gratifying circumstance that so many clergyman and laymen 
 have of late adopted an opposite way of preaching and think- 
 ing. As my valuable friend and correspondent Mr. 
 
 says in a late letter to me — ' however thinly, comparatively 
 speaking, they are sprinkled over the bosom of the Church, 
 yet I trust that the maintainers of the good old principles of 
 the Reformation are daily gaining ground ; and that at this 
 time sound doctrine is oftener preached in many of our parish 
 Churches, than has been the case since the days of archbishop 
 Laud.' " 
 
 In the year 1801, Mr. Richmond was invited to preach 
 the annual Sermon in the Abbey Church at Bath, on the 
 subject of cruelty to the brute creation, in conformity with the 
 will of the Rev. Henry Brindley. It is to this circumstance 
 that the following letter alludes. 
 
 Brading, March 26, 1801. 
 
 " My dearest Mother,-:-It gives me real and unspeaka- 
 ble gratification that anf thing you observe in me should 
 give you the pleasure you describe ; yet 1 fear you overrate 
 me. Daily do I become more and more sensible of my own 
 deficiencies ; and when I hear myself praised, my failings and 
 corruptions seem to be magnified in the mirror of conscience 
 and conviction. I do feel an earnest and solemn wish to be 
 a real Christian minister of the gospel of Christ; but it is 
 indeed a character too exalted for my expectations of attain- • 
 ing, and unutterable is the responsibility attached to it. To 
 be a Christian at all, in the scriptural sense, is a business 
 of unwearied attention, watchfulness and labor ; but to be a 
 teacher, an example, a shepherd to the flock, requires tenfold 
 circumspection. May God make me what he wishes, in 
 
REV. LEGH RICH>IOND. 
 
 order to form that character ; and may no self-sufficiency, 
 carelessness, or presumption, ever lead me to false security^ 
 neglect of duty, or inactivity ; — to all of which we are so prone 
 by nature. In exact proportion as we struggle to rise above 
 our natural propensities, General Satan (as good Dr. Har- 
 rington ealls him.) endeavors not only to stop our progress, but 
 to turn our very improvement into danger and a snare, by ex- 
 citing pride and self-satisfaction at what we have been enabled 
 to do. I have no objection to hearing that my preaching ex- 
 cited attention at Bath (though I ought to avoid every thing 
 likely to awaken vanity,) because I am convinced that it is 
 not so much for any thing in me, individually speaking, as 
 in the scriptural truths which, by God's grace, I invariably 
 endeavor to advance and expound, that approbation was mani- 
 fested. I claim no praise, but that of being in earnest ; and 
 when I open the counsel of God to a congregation, I hope I 
 feel anxious for the welfare of my hearers, and really desi- 
 rous that they should, for their own sakes, ' mark, learn, hear, 
 and inwardly digest, the Holy Scriptures,' when explained 
 according to principles of sound orthodoxy, and evangelical 
 truth. And, thus considering sound truth as the m liter, and 
 pastoral anxiety as the manner of my preaching, I hope to 
 steer clear of any personal vanity, or silly presumption, in the 
 arts of human eloquQpce, ehher written or oratorical. I 
 have no wish to be a popular preacher in any sense but one, 
 viz., as a preacher to the hearts of the people. 
 
 " What you tell me respecting my father's inability to do 
 more for me than he does, I firmly believe ; and can consci- 
 entiously assure you, that I am too grateful for what is 
 done, to complain that more is not done. I cannot suffi- 
 ciently express my sensations of thankfulness for the uninter- 
 rupted kindness which I have ever received from you both. 
 I wish your latter years may receive every consolation from 
 my conduct, which duty and affection can afford you. God 
 forbid I should ever strike out. of my system of divinity that 
 nearly central part of the decalogue, ' honor thy father and 
 mother.' I look forward with great pleasure to your prom- 
 ised visit, which I must, and hereby do, bespeak to be a long 
 one. 1 will do every thing to make you comfortable ; and 
 have a snug room and bed quite ready for you, and a son's 
 welcome." 
 
 " To Mrs. Richmond, Bennet Street, Bath.'' 
 
36 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 His sermon on the above occasion was published at the 
 request of the congregation, which circumstance will explain 
 the letter that follows. 
 
 Brading, March 22, 1802. 
 
 My clearest Mother, — The vanity of authorship is prover- 
 bial, and yet I would fain hope that if* I am vain, it is not a 
 vanity of vanities, but a reasonable rejoicing on Christian 
 grounds. As I think you will feel an interest in the subject, 
 I will detail a'correspondence, which has taken place between 
 your son and Sir Richard Hill since the publication of the 
 sermon on cruelty to animals." 
 
 Copy of a letter to Sir Richard Hill, Bafrt : — 
 
 Brading,J\larch 13, 1802. 
 
 " Sir, — Although an entire stranger to your person, vet I 
 am not to your character. I therefore take the liberty, with- 
 out further apology, of enclosing you a tract, which I have 
 lately been requested to publish, on a subject which, from the 
 laudable part yoU took in the debate on the Bull-baiting Bill, 
 three winters ago, I believe you to have sincerely at heart. 
 Your known benevolence of disposition, regard for the in. 
 struction of the poor, and earnest zeal in the cause of reli- 
 gion, preclude my apologizing for sending you a copy on so 
 coarse a paper, not having one of the finer ones in the house. 
 
 " Believe me with great respect and esteem. 
 
 Your very obedient servant, L. Richmond." 
 
 Sir Richard Hill, in reply, to the Rev. L. Richmond : — 
 
 March 18, 1S22. 
 
 Rev. and dear Sir, 
 " It would not be easy for me to express the pleasure I 
 have received from the perusal of your most excellent discourse 
 on Gen. i. 26. The evangelical, as well as judicious and 
 striking manner in which you have handled the subject, must 
 forcibly recommend it to every friend of true religion and good 
 prder ; and the practical part, being all along enforced on 
 Gospel principles, will, I doubt not, make its way and pre- 
 vail, where the most earnest exhortations, from lower motives, 
 would be ineffectual. I shall very soon furnish myself with 
 a number of copies, printed on each sort of paper. For the 
 coarseness of yours, no apology was needful ; a large sum of 
 
RRV. tUGH RICIIMO^JD. 
 
 3? 
 
 money is not less acceptable or useful, whether conveyed in 
 a silken or worsted purse. I am happy to inform you that the 
 bill to prevent the savage practice of bull -baiting will be 
 brought forward again in the course of a few days, and I 
 hope there is no doubt of its success ; — the last bill was lost, 
 merely by its friends fancying themselves so secure, that they 
 did not attend to its progress through the House. I will en- 
 close in two covers my published letter to Mr. Windham, 
 on his opposition to the bill to prevent bull-baiting, as it is 
 probable you may not have seen it ; and subscribe myself with 
 great truth, Rev. and dear Sir, 
 
 " Your most faithful servant, Richard Hill." 
 
 We insert a short extract of a letter addressed to the Rev. 
 Mr. T. It is dated Bath, March, 1801. 
 
 I wish I could give you any adequate idea of the exalted 
 pleasure I have found from being introduced into a circle of 
 religious, accomplished, and rational people here, with Mrs. 
 H. M. at their head. I think I have received more solid 
 practical knowledge and advantage from the conversations I 
 have almost daily had with different individuals of this respect- 
 able party, than from any intercourse I ever enjoyed in my life. 
 I have had the satisfaction of drawing very extensive atten- 
 tion in the pulpit to what I trust a^e statements of sound 
 doctrine. The acceptance they have met with, also proves 
 what may be done where the pure truth is preached without 
 disguise, without quaintness, without affectation, and with- 
 out fear." 
 
 The following letter was written about the same time, to 
 his sister, on her marriage : — 
 
 " Forgive me, my beloved sister, if I express myself with 
 more than customary anxiety, in now writing to you ; related 
 as I am by the nearest ties of kindred, and by the still 
 closer bonds of love and tender friendship. I feel a lively in- 
 terest in all which concerns you ; and should be more than 
 commonly happy, if a brother's prayer, and a brother's ad- 
 monition, should prove in any way conducive to the welfare 
 and advancement of a much-loved sister. 
 
 " I am desirous of seeing and knowing that will shine 
 in the united characters of wife, mother, mistress, friend and 
 Christian. I feel truly and unequivocally anxious that you 
 
38 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 should not, even in appearance', sink into the mere accomplish- 
 ed and elegant woman. I wish you to set a right estimate 
 upon that far more accomplished, and infinitely more useful 
 character, which exists chiefly within the walls of your own 
 house. Every thing depends on your first outset. By the 
 model which your frame for your conduct'^^is very year, will 
 probably be regulated all your subsequent character and con- 
 duct, in every future station and relation of life. 
 
 *' You well know the afi?ection, and I trust will not despise 
 the judgment and sentiments of him who speaks thus candidly 
 and frankly to you. I am well persuaded that a young wo- 
 man, to be truly respectable, must dare to be laudably singular. 
 There always will be a certain description of persons in every 
 place, who will wonder that you can exist without passing your 
 time as they do ; but amongst those whose esteem and opinion 
 alone ought to regulate your own feelings and conduct, the 
 more retired and seldom-to-be-seen wife, whose theatre of real 
 action and real pleasure is within her own house, in the fulfil- 
 ment of sober, useful, and exemplary duties, will ever be most 
 beloved, most respected, and most befriended. 
 
 By way of immediate occupation of your time and thoughts, 
 allow me to direct them to the relief and benefit of the poor ; 
 not by idle gratuities, but by diligently seeking them out, in- 
 forming yourself of their wants and distresses, and economiz- 
 ing in superfluities, in order that thereby the poor may abound 
 in needfuls, and you may abound in their blessings. Be sys- 
 tematically charitable, both to their souls and bodies. Promote 
 plans for instruction ; assist in superintending them ; employ 
 yourself in making clothes for them ; and rest not till you have 
 made it a settled and uniform part of your character, to be 
 actively, constantly, and watchfully charitable. 
 
 " Let me beg of you to buy the new edition of Hannah 
 More's works, and invariably read them once a year, partic- 
 ularly her ' Strictures on education.' Let me recommend, 
 with the united earnestness of a brother and clergyman, that 
 you will read religious books, and sometimes allow me to be 
 your adviser. Be scrupulously attentive to the observance of 
 the sabbath, both in public and in private, both at church and 
 at home ; and in all your pleasures, all your pains, all your em- 
 ployments, prospects, plans and engagements, remember that 
 the use of this life is to prepare for a better ; and that ' straight 
 is the gate, and narrow is the way that leads to eternal life, 
 and few theit^be that find it.' Read your Bible, with prayer. 
 
REV. LEGH EICH3fOND. 
 
 39 
 
 daily, under the impression of this awful truth ; and mav God 
 remember you, my dearest sister, amongst those whom he es- 
 pecially loveth ; and his grace Tender you, what I wish you 
 may always prove to be, a valued wife, a tender mother, an 
 estimable friend, and a devoted Christian. — Your affectionate 
 brother. L. Richxo>-d." 
 
 We now proceed to unfold the more secret recesses of his 
 heart, as developed in a diary, commencing January, 1804, 
 and continued to August of the same year. It is much to be 
 lamented, that it seems never to have been regularly resumed, 
 and that there are only occasional and interrupted documents 
 of this kind found among his papers. A diary, in its spiritual 
 use and character, is a record of the soul's state of feeling, in 
 reference to the all-seeing eye of God ; and therefore must 
 necessarily be supposed to be the genuine expression of all its 
 inward movements, to the exclusion of every thing that, by any 
 possibility, can be supposed to be deceptive or assumed. In this 
 sense, it is one of the most solemn acts of intercourse that can 
 subsist between the soul and its God. It is the exposure of eve- 
 ry thought — the confession of every infirmity — the prostration 
 of the soul before a pure and holy Being, in all the depths of 
 self-abasement ; and directed to these important ends, it is like 
 antedating the judicial investigation and sentence of the 
 last great day of the Lord. Good men have differed as to the 
 expediency and necessity of this act ; but the difference prob- 
 ably, will be found less to regard the principle itself, than the 
 mode of its- execution. Duly improved, it may be a powerful 
 check and faithful monitor to every thought, word and deed ; 
 and though a divine poiver alone can restrain the passions of 
 the heart, and restore it in its wanderings, yet subordinate 
 means, in dependence on this power, are still available, and 
 may be blest in their use ; as the river is composed of tributa- 
 ry streams and rills, and yet all finally direct their course to 
 the same wide and expansive ocean. 
 
 Leaving, therefore, the decision of this question to each 
 man's judgment and conscience, we now lay before the read- 
 er the following extracts from the diary to which we have al- 
 luded. 
 
 " Jan. \. A new year is begun, but where is the new 
 heart, and the right spirit ? O, weakness and wickedness ! 
 Preached from Rom. xi, 28, 29 ; and Job xvi, 22. Felt much 
 
 satisfaction, after the morning service, from J and his 
 
 wife proposing to become members of my society. He shed 
 
40 " 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 tears of penitence and joy. May God work all for good. In 
 the afternoon, felt something of the fear of man ; but found, as 
 I proceeded, more freedom. O Lord, save me from fear of 
 censure, and love of praise ! Went in the evening to my soci- 
 ety at Arreton ; few, but meek, humble, and hopeful. Ano- 
 ther member proposed, an infirm old widow. 
 
 " Jan, 3. Uneasy at not having completed another part of 
 the review of Daubeny.* I am very deficient in steady, per- 
 severing diligence. Let me think much of this, and learn to 
 set a right value on time. Oh ! how precious ought every 
 hour to be, whe'n each may be the last. Thought much of 
 Cowper's description of preaching : (Task Book ii.) God im- 
 press it on my heart. B. is buried to-day ; how dreadfully 
 unprepared to meet his God ! How far am I responsible ? Alas ! 
 how great is the burden of the pastor ! Lord, give me grace 
 to see it, and feel it more and more, and enable me to bear it 
 with good conscience. I have been delighted, and I hope 
 profited, by Biddulph's funeral sermon on Mr. Drewitt ; oh ! 
 that I were like him ! I now wonder that I had not more 
 correspondence with that holy man, I shall ever think with 
 pleasure of my introduction to him. God, bring us together at 
 the last. I trust my reaolutions gain strength. O God, in 
 thy mercy strengthen me ! May my thoughts now close with 
 blessed Drewitt, and sink to peacefulness with a blesssing on 
 the meditation. 
 
 " Jan. 4. Received the Christian Observer ; my fourth let- 
 ter on Kipling there ;f surely it is conclusive, yet what will not 
 prejudice distort ? Preserve me, O my God ! in the wiles of 
 controversy, from the neglect of practical religion within. It 
 is not Calvin, nor Arminius, nor Crankier, but Christ, who is 
 the Saviour, and his name only be adored. 
 
 " Jan, 6. A beautiful frosty morning; Teach me, O 
 Lord ! from the beauties of nature, to learn the beauties of 
 grace. Every returning morning reminds me what a mercy 
 it is I am still alive ; and have space and time given me to re- 
 pent and believe. Take my heart, O God ! into thy. keeping, 
 and then it will be safe. If it be thy good pleasure to rescue 
 me from temporal perplexity, let my gratitude appear ; if not, 
 
 * He here alludes to his review of Daiibeny's Vindicice Ecclesioe Angli- 
 cance, of which we shall have occasion to speak in a subsequent part. It was 
 inserted in the " Christian Observer." 
 
 t This is another review in wliich he was engaged. It was published in 
 the " Christian Observer" for 1804, under the signatures of Academicus, and 
 a Curate of the South. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 41 
 
 let it be ground for submission and patient resignation. 
 With thee, I cannot do ill ; without thee, I cannot do well. 
 Heard Nugent's morning prayers. May he learn early the 
 lesson, which I for so many years neglected, and now perform 
 so unworthily. Prayer is the breath of faith. 
 
 " Jan. 7. Surprised by'a letter from Hannah More, to in- 
 vite me to succeed Mr. Drewitt, at Cheddar, or to recom- 
 mend a curate. Oh, I am unworthy, could it be brought 
 about. Yet what a field to act upon. Lead me, O God, to 
 that which is right. Shall I make any overtures ,to remove 
 there or not? It has filled me with mingled contemplation 
 and solicitude. Is it a call from God, or ought I rather to do 
 his work here ? Direct my heart, O God, from doubts and 
 wanderings, into thy paths. 
 
 " Jan 8, Sunday. Snow and sleet. How cold are my 
 affections ! hke this^season. Warm my heart, O Lord ! till it 
 burn with the flames of devotion. Compose my thoughts into 
 holy meditation, and let not the events of the day destroy them. 
 
 " Preached on the Epiphany, and on Christ amon^ the 
 doctors in the temple. 
 
 " My heart heavy in reflectiag how unworthy I am to think 
 ever of succeeding Mr. Drewitt : to be placed in such a parish, 
 with such neighbors and friends as that country would afford, 
 
 might be an unspeakable benefit to me, and my dear'M ; 
 
 but I hardly dare think of it. Lord direct me for the best. 
 I am a poor, -weak, irresolute, sinful creature; without thee, I 
 can do nothing. 
 
 " Jan. 10. What an awful idea is eternity ; am I prepared 
 to encounter it ? ' Oh, spare me a little, that I may recover 
 my strength before I go hence, and be no more seen !' Settle 
 my opinions steadfastly, and above all, my affections on thy- 
 self, O Lord ! Have mercy on the dear children whom thou 
 hast given me, and may I give them back unto thee in Jesus 
 Christ, their and my Saviour. I fear I have not taught N. 
 all I ought, and of which he is capable. Let me lay this to 
 heart, and recommend him to God in prayer. 
 
 " Much perplexed what to say t^ Mrs. More. Surely if 
 vanity wanted food, it is here — to be solicited by a Hannah 
 More to supply the place of a Drewitt ! But a sense of un- 
 worthiness, thank God, represses emotions like these. 
 
 " — 11. Much indisposed by a very severe cold ; but 
 alas ! how much more sick in the inner man. I have nearl}' 
 finished this month's portion for the * Christian Observer** 
 
42 
 
 MEJIOIHS OF THE 
 
 May I grow daily more diligent, pious, and wise unto salva. 
 lion, through God's blessing on my studies. 
 
 " — 13. Better in body ; I thank thee, O God ; but there 
 is much in my mind that wants healing. Oh ! thou Redeemer 
 of souls, and physician of hearts, purchase me entirely to thy- 
 self, and heal my diseases. I have sent off my packet to the 
 Christian observer. The world fights against me, the flesh 
 within me, and Satan both within and without. How shall 
 I conquer, but in Christ Jesus ? Help me to prepare, O 
 Lord, for the service of thy sanctuary ; and direct me to such 
 thoughts and words as shall edify my hearers, and reach my 
 own heart to a good purpose. 
 
 " Jan. 14. One fortnight more, and I shall be thirty. two in 
 years by nature, but how old in grace ? Sloth, detested sloth, 
 how does it injure my advancement ! Would to God I might 
 now break all bonds, and fly in heart and soul to the possession 
 of my God. There are moments when all heaven seems 
 open before me ; and others, when I tremble over the pit of 
 sorrows. 
 
 " — 15. The Sabbath is ended. I preached on the rea- 
 son why Christ delivered his doctrine in parables ; Matt. xiii. 
 10, 11. At Yaverland, -read the Homily on the time and 
 place of prayer. Went to Arreton ; my excellent, though 
 humble 'friend, J. W. was there. I pray God I might sit at 
 his feet in the kingdom of ^heaven ; 1 know no other such 
 Christian here. Would to God I were like him. I found 
 much comfort with my society. Returned in thunder, light- 
 ning, and rain. Thought of death and [of judgment. Oh, 
 awful meditation ! Let me examine my heart on its faith, hope 
 and love. Help me, O God ! to pray ; and so may thy bless- 
 ing rest on me and mine. 
 
 « — 16. Another week and another mercy* * Oh, teach 
 me to number my days, that I may apply my heart unto wis- 
 dom.' Why am I alive ? Why have I space to repent, when 
 so many are cut oflf? Who makes me to differ, either in out- 
 ward or^inward circumstances ? Oh, my Lord, and my God ! 
 to thee I owe every thipg ; yea, myself also. Let me then 
 speedily pay the debt. 
 
 " What method shall I take to cure my spiritual slothful- 
 ness ? There must be a struggle and agony — heaven must 
 be taken with violence. - 
 
 " Day after day elapses. — Oh, time ! oh, eternity ! In spite 
 of sorrows, calms and relaxations sometimes steal on me. Let 
 me not deceive myself with a false peace. Sometimes I am 
 
REV. LEGH RICIIMOXD. 
 
 43 
 
 tempted to doubt whether I am a real Christian. O teach 
 me, my God, to answer this question with a right conscience. 
 
 "Jan. 17. I feel much uneasiness at not making more 
 progress in the ri^ht way. The unfruitful tree shall be cut 
 down and burned.* Have mercy on mo, and all my family, 
 according to thy goodness, O Lord ! Help me to form a riglit 
 judement, bind my affections to the truth, and so let my life 
 shew it forth. Often, as my birth-day approached, have I 
 made resolutions of a^iew life ; but there has always been an 
 enemy within and witfiout, to prevail against me. 
 
 " Much pleased with Dr. Jackson, on the Catholic church, 
 — a curious and beautiful mean between Arminianism and high 
 Calvinism. Give me a firm and resolute heart, O God ! even 
 such an one as thou wilt accept. 
 
 " Wrote to Hannah More, dubiously. Lord, direct me to 
 choose for the best. 
 
 " Jan. 18. This day, with thy blessing, I shall go to feed 
 my sheep at Bembridge. Grant me to do so with a faithful 
 and a single heart. I always look upon that society as a hum- 
 ble ground for hope that the Lord means to do good through 
 me ; yet how often do I perform that duty with slothfulness. 
 Give me, O God, more will, and strength, and grace, and 
 power, and blessing, and success ; and teach me to judge (if it 
 so please thee) by the state of my people, of my own. Pro- 
 vide Cheddar with a successor to Drewitt, after thine own 
 heart, and increase the number of true pastors, and of true 
 sheep in thy pasture. 
 
 " — 19. How vain are all attempts to find peace in aught 
 but the Gospel ! How the world steals upon the mind, and 
 usurps the throne of God. * Video meliora pi'ohoque, deteri- 
 ora sequor,^^ Make me more discreet and considerate in the 
 management of my property. Let justice and generosity be 
 equally and forcibly remembered. I find my prayers languid 
 and lukewarm to-day. Why is this ? The fault must lie within. 
 
 " — 20. Little Mary in a Very high fever ; Nugent begin- 
 ning to have one. Teach me so to bear these trials, that 
 they may be truly profitable unto me. 
 
 " — 24. Let me impress on my mind the value of time, and 
 resolve and act accordingly. Let me often reflect on my 
 wife's and children's souls, as well as my own ; and never 
 forget the spiritual welfare of my flock. 
 
 " Mary excessively weak, — Nugent worse. Keep my heart, 
 O God ! or I shall soon be overwhelmed. Grant me thy bles- 
 sing, O God ! 
 
 * I see and approve the better, but follow the worse.— ^wer. Ed. 
 
4A 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Jan. 25. Letter from Mr. Wilberforce. How beauti- 
 ful a sight is riches united with godliness. Yet who that has 
 the latter is not truly possessed of the former. If the weather 
 should permit my going to Bembridge, prosper my endeavor 
 among the people, O Lord ! and may their prosperity be mine. 
 
 " — 27. An affecting letter from my mother to my wife, 
 exhorting to fortitude and patience, in case it should please 
 God to take^our sweet little Mary to himself. May we find 
 it to be for our good, which ever way tlye righteous God shall 
 ordain. Let me reflect much on this matter, and be thou with 
 me, O my God ! in all my prayers and supplications. 
 
 — 29. The Lord's sabbath and my birth-day. O al- 
 mighty God ! sanctify this day to my heart : herein and hence- 
 forth may I rest from sin, and spiritual sorrow, except that 
 sorrow which worketh repentance unto salvation. 
 
 I have preached on the parable. Matt, xx, 1 ; and from 
 Eph. i, 7, on redemption. 
 
 *' Had some interesting conversation with J. W. and E. C. 
 Went to Arreton, — Comfort and peace. My child rather 
 better. God bless us all, and make us to know what means 
 peace with thee. 
 
 " The barometer rose an inch and a half in twenty-four 
 hours. 
 
 " Jan. 30. The risings and fallings of the baromter, and 
 the consequent changes of weather, remind me of the risings 
 and fallings of my own spirit. This day some friends are 
 coming to keep my birth-day : when will friends of another 
 kind celebrate my birth-day into the life of glory ? Ten pounds * 
 from Mr. Wilberforce for the poor. Holy man ! would I re- 
 sembled thee. 
 
 *' — 3L May God strengthen me to keep my birth-day res- 
 olutions ; I am very weak and unstable. 
 
 " A momentary fit of anger, which, blessed be God, I im- 
 mediately tranquillized, and sought present reconciliation. Let 
 the fear of Gocfs anger ever make me afraid of my own. 
 
 " Feb. \. I am studying the Augsburg Confession on Justi- 
 fication. It appears decisive against Daubeny. Oh ! for a 
 full application of the doctrine to my own soul. 
 
 " Met my society at Bembridge. The occasion profitable. 
 Returned in a storm. May these meetings prove a solid and 
 permanent advantage to all, and to me. 
 
 " — 2. When I reflect on my unfruitfulness, I tremble. 
 Hours, days, weeks, years roll on, and still so much is to be 
 done. 
 
EEV. LEGII SICH3I0ND. 
 
 45 
 
 I have looked into the controversy between Daubeny and 
 Overton. Faults on both sides. But there is a controversy 
 between me and my God, where the fault is all on one side. 
 Who shall judge between us ? O Christ ! be my advocate, 
 yea, my surety, and I shall not fear thee, when thou shalt 
 appear as my judge. 
 
 Feb. 7. Much ado about nothing, and little done about 
 the great thing. Oh, let thy mercy be shown to me, by en- 
 abling me to show mercy to myself! When I think of what I 
 have been, what I am, what I shall be, — the idea fills me 
 with hopeful fear, and tearful hope. Let me think of my ser- 
 mons, my soul, my family, my relations, my friends, my par- 
 ish, my Saviour, and my God ; and thus close my meditation 
 to-night with prayer. % 
 
 " — 9. Dreamed a dream, full of confusion and dangers ; 
 useful hints may be drawn rationally from dreams, so far as 
 they may be considered as resulting from the state and frame 
 of the b(fdy, and the inward customary state of the mind. 
 Dreams are for the most part the uninterrupted thoughts of 
 the soul in sleep. Oh, my God ! may my waking thoughts 
 and my sleeping imaginations all become full of thee ! 
 
 " — 10. I find a strong inclination to false fancy, as if 
 some change in my worldly state and residence were to bring 
 about a correspondent one in my spiritual condition. Satan 
 struggles together with the flesh, to keep up the dangerous 
 phantom* Art thou not here, O my God ! and is not mine 
 office here ? and has not my soul help sufficient ? Oh, yes ! give 
 me strength to resist this, and to seek thee here and now. 
 Oh ! let me watch as well as pray, lest I enter into tempta- 
 lion. 
 
 Feb. 11. This day there is to be an eclipse of the sun. 
 What a beautiful emblem of those eclipses of the soul, which 
 sometimes hide the face of God from the sons of earth. Oh, 
 revive me with thy presence, my God ! even thy effectual and 
 abiding prsence, I have been meditating on the parable of 
 the good Samaritan, in a spiritual application, with a view of 
 preaching on it. May both its literal and mystical sense 
 shine forth in me. 
 
 " To-morrow is thy day, O God of Hosts ! may I sanctify 
 it, and may my words be blessed to the hfearts of my hearers. 
 Enable me to speak /rom the heart to the heart. 
 
 " — 15. Ash-Wednesday. Is this truly so to me ? Do I 
 mourn in dust and ashes for my sins ? I want the spirit of mor- 
 tification and self-denial. Enable me to preach to my people 
 5 
 
46 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 without fear of man, and with the love of God in my own 
 heart. 
 
 " Oh, my God ! guide, direct, sanctify and bless me, and 
 all mine and all thine. 
 
 " — 16. How weak, frail, and inconstant a creature is 
 man ; and of men, myself most deplorably so. Sometimes.my 
 desires and resolutions i*un mountains, high ; and then I grow 
 faint, and the stream of my affections is muddied and thick. 
 Let me think of my children and my household, and of their 
 spiritual welfare ; and not cleave in heart to any one tempta. 
 tion thrown in my way by the world. 
 
 The organ proposal negatived. I feel the benefit of a 
 momentary disappointment ; it is physic to the soul. How 
 #every thing tends to convince me of the folly and wickedness 
 of seeking comfort in the creature. O blessed Creator ! when 
 shall I be thine in spirit and in truth ? 
 
 " Feb. 17. Harassed with foolish thoughts. I grow more 
 and more ashamed of myself, that such things can \h.y hold of 
 my heart, and that I should have such deadness towards 
 heaven. ' O earth, earth, earth ! hear the word of the Lord.' 
 
 " I have been to Bembridge, and read Burder's poetical 
 abridgment of the Pilgrim's Progress, with profit and delight 
 to us all. How much more am I in my element, among my 
 little flock, than scheming .in the world. Drank tea at John 
 Wheler's ; his cottage is God's palace. 
 
 " — 20. Let me reflect on the fleetness of time, and on 
 • the uncertainty of my life. Drevvitt was taken away just at 
 my age — the hand of death may be close : oh, what folly to 
 imagine it at a distance ! May I then die daily. 
 
 " Received religious books to the' value of 15/. from Mr. 
 Thornton, to distribute in my parish. God be thanked for 
 such friends to me and mine. 
 
 Feb, 21 I have strangely neglected the review. I 
 pray God to give me strength to go on with it, and to think 
 and write to his glory. My inward and bosom sin preys sadly 
 upon me. I beseech thee, O my God ! to make me a new 
 creature ; in that respect most especially, give me a new 
 heart and a right spirit.' 
 
 " — 24. How soon the best plans degenerate into formality, 
 and how often Sata^ transforms himself into an angel of light. 
 What a fight, race, and struggle, the Christian warfare is ! 
 May 1 so fight, run, and strive, that I may obtain. 
 
 " — 26. A serene fine morning is an emblem of rest — rest 
 from storms and rain ; how ought 1 to seek an earnest within 
 
REV. LEGH RICHXOND. 
 
 47 
 
 of that ' rest which remaineth for the people of God.' In all 
 my ministrations this day — in the sanctuary, the house, the 
 closet, may all be to thee, and for thee, and by thee. I feel 
 my own deficiencies daily more and more ; O God ! may I 
 feel them till I lose them. 
 
 " — 27. I every day feel more the truth of the doctrine, 
 that the flesh, and spirit strive contrary wise against each 
 other. Excuses, apologies, procrastinations, delays, all pro- 
 ceed from this. 
 
 " — 29. I perceive too much compliance v. ith worldly com- 
 pany and conversation ; oh, my soul, if I give way to this^ my 
 usefulness will be much diminished. Let me often remember 
 that I renounced the world at bapt^m. 
 
 " March 4. The sabbath is over. I preached on the 
 strong man armed ; and from 1 Cor. i. 23, introducing a 
 homily. 
 
 " I wish my children could sing the praises of God ; may 
 their learning music have this end and aim, both in themselves 
 and me. 
 
 " — 6. Like the Israelites of old, I find myself w^anderin^ 
 in the wilderness of sin. Yet, O my God ! if thou art my 
 guide and light, by day and night, all will be well. 
 . " — 7. The beauty of such a morning as this should be an 
 emblem of the life of God in my soul. What is mere animal 
 life without this ? Oh ! break my rebellious spirit, and bring 
 the inner man into true subjection to thee. 
 
 " — 10. I am meditating a sermon, on drawing water from 
 the wells of salvation. Let me ever keep it in faithful re- 
 membrance, that I preach to my own heart first, and then to 
 my people's. I have been arranging the different texts which 
 describe Gospel graces and promises, under the emblem of 
 water. I must be more and more urgent in drawincr from the 
 fountain of God's vv ord. 
 
 " — 12. One day nearer death and eternity. Lift up my 
 heart, O God ! in earnest prayer for real blessings. Let me 
 be more desirous of graces than gifts, and yet remember, that 
 both are from thee. 
 
 March 16. A thick fog this morning. Is this the only 
 fog? On looking over ray diary, I see much to lament. What 
 a map of frailty ! O, my Redeemer, how shall I estimate the 
 infinite value of that blood of thine, which was shed for sin. 
 What are my fime, reading, learning, memory, situation, 
 influence, authority, money, and other various abilities, of 
 mind and body, but so many talents lent me by God, of which 
 
48 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 I must speedily render an account ? Have I any talents for the 
 ministry ? Do I use them as not abusing them ? Are they with 
 a single eye and heart consecrated to the honor of God? 
 
 " — 17. I plainly perceive that the Lord has permitted me 
 to suffer a dereliction, as a just punishment for too much care- 
 lessness ; but O ! my Lord Jesus, let me see the light of thy 
 countenance. Fix my roving wishes, and nail them to thy 
 cross ; and oh! let me remember that no flower can blow in 
 Paradise, which is not transplanted from Gethsemane ; no one 
 can taste of the fruit of the tree of life, that has not tasted of 
 the fruits of the tree of Calvary. 
 
 "—18. A day of rest. Rest thou, O my soul ! from va- 
 nity and the world. Fix thyself on the cross, and there muse 
 and contemplate till thou art filled with the theme. 
 
 " — 24. I purpose to preach five evening lectures next 
 week, on the progress, nature, and extent of Christ's suffer- 
 ings. May the subject animate my soul, and through grace 
 give life to my weak faith. 
 
 " — Lord r dead ! and thus end all hopes of preferment 
 
 it is called) from that quarter. How absurd to build on 
 man ! Wherever the Lord designs me to do good, he will keep 
 or place me ; and in him all is right, and as it should be. 
 
 " March 2. How many unforeseen events crowd upon my 
 attention ; what a strange, busy scene is this, and how it 
 strives to steal the heart from God ! 
 
 " — 27. I feel much dissatisfied with myself. Lord, what 
 am I, that thou shouldst so regard me ? A worm, a vile worm 
 of the dust. I am to preach to-night a lecture on Christ's suf-- 
 ferings. What do I suffer for him ? 
 
 " — 30. Good.Friday. I bless God that my first act has 
 been weeping for thy sorrows, O my Saviour !" 
 
 It is impossible to pursue the foregoing extracts without a 
 deep conviction of the sincerity and earnestness of the writer. 
 The heart seems to be unfolded before us, stripped of the illu- 
 sioijs of self-love, which are so apt to mingle in the estimate 
 that we form of ourselves ; and conscience is armed with all 
 the authority of a judge, and pronounces its i-mpartial verdict. 
 
 We see in his internal conflicts the struggles between the 
 two opposing principles, " the flesh and the spirit :" the striv- 
 ings of inward corruption, and the aspirations of the soul to- 
 wards God. The feelings of every renewed heart will har- 
 raonise with this description ; though the accurate observer 
 will not fail to remark, that the full triumphs of faith and hope 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 49 
 
 were yet wanting, and that stability, which time and experi- 
 ence arc necessary to bestow : for though the principle which 
 renewed the heart is ma^'ked throughout by circumstances 
 which ascertain its reality, its effects and influences are always 
 progressive. The reader who is less familiar with these 
 things, may here learn a most instructive lesson. He may 
 not comprehend the doctrine of conversion, — he may know 
 nothing of the conflicts of the soul, — nothing of the two prin- 
 ciples within, alternately striving for the mastery, — nothing of 
 that jealousy over the heart, and that deep convictiort of its 
 depravity expressed in the Diary of Mr. Richmond. Let 
 him then examine the fact here presented to his notice ; he 
 sees a man undergoing a visible and remarkable change in 
 views and conduct, and his principles and affections directed 
 to high and holy objects, — the reality of the principle attested 
 by the reality of its effects, ar^d inward grace illustrated by 
 outward holiness. Let him remember, that the conversion, 
 so strikingly exhibited in the case of Mr. Richmond, is no less 
 needed by himself ; — that it is indispensable to his admission 
 into the abodes of peace and glory ; and that if heaven be a 
 prepared place for a prepared people, • and a fitness for its 
 enjoyments be essential to their possession, there must be a 
 knowledge of thi^ principle, an inward experience of its power, 
 and an outward evidence of its existence in the life, before he 
 can have a well-grounded assurance of a happy immortality ; 
 for the spirit of heavenly inspiration has recorded, in charac- 
 ters, never to be obliterated, " except ye be converted, jq 
 shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven." 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Relation of circumstances occui ring during the period of the foregoing ciiapter. 
 
 The plan of the preceding chapter having restricted us to 
 the illustration of a particular principle and its effects, we 
 now proceed to notice what occurred within the period that 
 has just been traversed. We have alread}^ alluded to the 
 sermon preached by Mr. Richmond at Bath, ' On cruelty to 
 the brute creation,' and to the publication of that discourse, at 
 the request of the congregation. As the attention of the 
 legislature has of late years been often directed to this subject, 
 we think the following extract will not be deemed altogether 
 without interest. 
 5* 
 
50 
 
 MEMOIRS OF TJBEE 
 
 "This dominion over the creatures was given to Adam, 
 whilst the likeness of God shone forth in him ; consequently 
 it was a merciful domion. It was % sovereignty designed to 
 be exercised with every possible kindness of treatment, which 
 the grateful and benevolent temper of man, in his state of 
 primitive righteousness, could suggest. Hence we are enabled 
 the deduce the right of the inferior creatures to kindness of 
 treatment, from a most satisfactory and unerring source of 
 argument, no less than an explicit revelation of God's will, 
 coeval with the foundation of the world itself. The merciful 
 design of God in making man the lord of the creation, is 
 mercifully manifest; for such was the holiness of man's heart, 
 sych the purity of his affections before the fall, that every 
 creature subjected to his rule was assured of being happy. 
 The intention of God, whose loving kindness is over all his 
 works, was fully accomplishec^by appointing man, such as he 
 was whilst in Paradise, to be the intermediate instrument of 
 his goodness towards them. Made in the express image of an 
 holy and merciful God, Adam, like his Maker, was holy and 
 merciful too." 
 
 We might here have noticed another sermon, published by 
 him two or three years prior to this period, entitled, 'Reflec- 
 tions suggested by the close of the year,' which passed into a 
 fourth edition. It abounds with impressive remarks and strong 
 appeals to the young and to the old, on the shortness and un- 
 certainty of human life ; but . his religious views not having 
 then attained the maturity and correctness by which they were 
 afterwards characterised, we forbear making any extracts 
 from it. • 
 
 The religion of Mr. Richniond, though it engaged his most 
 earnest and anxious thoughts, had no tinge of gloom or aus- 
 terity. He was at all times cheerful ; and the following letter, 
 addressed to his aunt about this period, enclosing his profile, 
 is an instance of that playfulness of humor in which he was 
 often accustomed to indulge. 
 
 Brading, Feb. JO, 1803. 
 " My d*arest Aunt, — Being unwilling to trust mere pen and 
 paper to make excuse for my long silence, I have sent a rep- 
 resentative to do it for me ; humbly conceiving that a shadow 
 of an apology would be best made by a shadow of a man. 
 Now, my dear aunt, unsubstantial as a shadow is, it may 
 nevertheless be the means of creating a very solid idea of 
 the thing signified. At all events it is better than nothing ; 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 51 
 
 more especially as this shadow possesses (what other shadows 
 do not) a stationary faculty ; and I do apprehend, that whether 
 the sun shines or not, and whether a candle be or be not in 
 the room, the said shadowy gentleman will not quit your fire- 
 side without leave, if you think him worthy of being once 
 plaxied there. It is true, that from the very constitution of his 
 nature, he rather looksy>o/7i than at you, — but what then ? A 
 man's heart may look one w^ay, whilst his eyes turn another ; 
 and I beg you to take it for granted, that he is thinking very 
 much about you, notwithstanding the imperfection of his bodily 
 frame impedes liis treating you with a full stare. If you please, 
 you may fancy him in the pulpit, and that your pew happens 
 to be rather oi) one side of him, which will fully account for 
 his looking straight forward; as imagining that. his admoni- 
 tions and reproofs are less wanted in the pew on his right 
 hand, than in many other parts of the church. It may, in- 
 deed, seem somewhat strange that any one, who has renoun- 
 ced (or at least, as a parson, ought to be supposed to have re- 
 nounced) all dealings with the black art, should send a black 
 gentleman as an ambassador and representative. But strange, 
 or not strange, so it is ; and here he comes, and begs leave 
 to say that he is generally considered as bearing a strong 
 resemblance to his master ; upon the strength of which plea, 
 he chiefly hopes for a favorable reception at your hands." 
 
 The following lines were written on the occasion of the loss 
 of a young midshipman and nine sailors, belonging to his ma- 
 jesty's ship Leviathan, who were unfortunately drowned, not 
 far from his residence in the Isle of Wight, in the year 1804 : — 
 
 Hark to a voice' that sounds from ocean's caves, 
 Ye morial.--, who in fancied safety sleej)! 
 They that in ships o'erpassthe storiity waves, 
 See and declare God's wonders in the deep. 
 Warned by our sndden fate, learn hertven to prize ; 
 Earth's pleasures fade, her riches quickly flee: 
 Death in one awlui moment closed our eyes, 
 Tiiou know'st not but the nextmay summon thee. ^ 
 
 We add some further specimens of his poetical efforts : — 
 A BIRTH-DAY THOUGHT. 
 
 My birth-day of nature I've oftentimes kept, 
 
 And rfjoif.cd in the revels of youth ; 
 Yet "^t was all but a dream, for I slumbered and slept, 
 
 Quite a stranger to God and his truth. 
 
 But he pitied my soul, I awoke from rny sleep, 
 A ud he saved main infinite love : 
 
52 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 A new birlh-day my Saviour then taught me to keep, 
 For again I was born from above. 
 
 And now I believe that the God of all peace ' 
 
 Will be mine till with age I am hoary; 
 But if angels r ejoiced at my birth-day of grace, 
 
 How they'll sing on my birlh-day of glory! L. R, 
 
 " No cloud can overshadow a true Christian, but his faith 
 will discern a rainbow in it." — Bp. Home. 
 The same idea versified : 
 
 What though a cloud o'ershade my sight, 
 
 Big wiih affliction's tear ; 
 Yel Faitli, amidst llie drops that fall, 
 
 Discerns a rainbow tlftre. 
 
 Epitaph on the death of his own infant : — 
 
 This lovely bud, so young, so fair, 
 
 Called hence by early doom, 
 Just come to show how sweet a flower 
 
 In Paradise would bloom. 
 
 By a reference to the Diary it will be seen that an allusion 
 was made to Mr. Richmond's review of the late Archdeacon 
 Daubeny's VindicicB EcclesicB Anglicance.'^ This critique, 
 written in the year 1804, and inserted in the Christian Ob- 
 server, claims a just title to distinction among productions of 
 this class ; whether we consider the ability and conclusiveness 
 of its reasoning, the extensive acquaintance which it manifests 
 with the writings of the Reformers, and with the genuine prin- 
 ciples and doctrines of the Church of England, or the concil- 
 iatory spirit in which it is written. Controversy is here strip- 
 ped of the arcrimonious spirit which too often disgraces its 
 pages ; and truth is pursued without violating th6 law of char- 
 ity. By a writer in the Critical Review for June 1805, this 
 critique is called " the most respectable" work which has yet 
 come before him. " In delivering this opinion," he declares 
 himself to have been " influenced by a regard to the author's 
 experience and learning on the matters in dispute, to the sound- 
 ness of his principles, to his talents as a reasoner, and to the 
 moderation and good temper with which he expresses him- 
 self." He adds, that the author " has manifested a consid- 
 erable acquaintance with the writings of the Reformers, and 
 the history of the religious opinions of their day :" an3 that 
 he " has successfully exposed some errors of Mr. Daubeny, 
 and has thrown out several remarks which may well deserve 
 the attention of that gentleman." That the reader may be 
 
 See-p. 40. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 53 
 
 fuUy in possession of the circumstances of this controversy, it 
 is necessary to state, that the Rev. Mr. Overton had written 
 a work, entitled, ' the True Churchman Ascertained,' in 
 which he undertakes to vindicate that portion of the clergy 
 usually designated ' Evangelical,' from the charges and insin- 
 uations of their opponents ; and to prove the priority of their 
 claim to the title of true churchmen, from their stricter adher- 
 ence to the real doctrines of the church. In the prosecution 
 of this object, the real sense of the articles and doctrines of 
 the Reformers is investigated and appealed to ; and the con- 
 clusion then drawn is, that, by a reference to this standard, a 
 very serious defection will be found to have taken place, among 
 many of the clergy, from the doctrines of their own churchy 
 and from the principles established at the Reformation. A 
 man bold enough to advance a charge like this, must naturally 
 have expected to create a host of adversaries, and must have 
 looked for support, under such a conflict, to the sincerity of 
 his motives, and the supposed authority of his facts, and evi- 
 dence. It is impossible, however, to peruse this book, and not 
 to acknowledge the great research, the acuteness of argu- 
 ment, the able exposition of the doctrines and principles of the 
 Church of England, and the methodical arrangement mani- 
 fested by the author, in the execution of his work ; which, if 
 properly revised, and purified from some of the defects imputed 
 to it, might still be made highly instrumental to the removal 
 of many doctrinal errors in the present day. Many living 
 authors were specified by name on this occasion, and extracts 
 adduced from their writings, as furnishing undeniable testimony 
 of a departure from sound doctrine. Mr. Daubeny being 
 classed, and in some respects rather unjustly, with others 
 whose sentiments were more reprehensible than those he pro- 
 fessed, came forward, on his own behalf, and on that of a 
 large body of the clergy, to vindicate himself and them from 
 the charge of being corrupters of sound doctrine, and pro- 
 duced his ' Vindicise Ecclesise Anglicanse,' in reply. It is this 
 last work which gave rise to the critique of Mr. Richmond. 
 Without entering at large into the subject, we shall confine 
 ourselves to the selection of those portions of it, in which the 
 interest of sound faith and .vital religion seem to be most at 
 issue. 
 
 Though Mr. Daubeny seems in some places to distinguish 
 between baptism and spiritual regeneration, there are other 
 passages in which he appears to consider them as contempora- 
 neous and inseparable, and as declared to be so in the judg. 
 
54 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 ment of our own church. On this subject, Mr. Richmond re- 
 marks — " as to the expressions which Mr. Daubeny brings for- 
 ward, as proofs that the church considers baptism and regen- 
 ^ eration to be synonymous ; we would observe, that the church 
 ^ is usually made to speak in the name and in the character 
 of that part of it, which truly believes and partakes of her 
 saving privileges ; and when assertions are made as to the 
 efficacy of the sacraments, the blessing of church communion, 
 the state of the departed, and other important articles of 
 Chrintian hope and belief, whether it be in the iorm of public 
 prayer, homilies, articles, apologies, or catechisms, it is pre- 
 sumed thai all who unite in the use af her forms of worship, and 
 are not, by open and known delinquency, worthy of excommuni- 
 cation, are really such as we hope and pray they should be. 
 There is clearly a very wide distinction between the expres- 
 sion of a general hope, and a determination as to each indivi- 
 dual case. Without the^ former, no public forms can be 
 drawn up ; but we cannot hazard the latter, without wholly 
 mistaking the nature of the Christian covenant. 
 
 " The Church of England, in her office of infant baptism, 
 certainly presumes on the regeneration of every baptized 
 child. But she does the same, in the office for those of riper 
 years, respecting every adult who is baptized. In the latter 
 case, however, it is clearly a charitable presumption ; and the 
 exact parallelism of the two forrnS|furnishes good ground for 
 supposing that it is the same in the former. If regeneration 
 is to be considered as always accompanying the rite of bap- 
 tism, we shall be brought to the dilemma of admitting that an 
 insincere adult, who, though he professes, yet does not pos- 
 sess, the requisites of faith and repentance, must nevertheless 
 be regenerated without either : contrary to the express doctrine 
 of scripture and of the church." 
 
 This explanation, if rightly considered, would solve the 
 diiiiculty on this much agitated subject. It is the principle 
 which pervades all our services ; nor can they be understood, 
 or defended, on any other supposition. They are framed 
 throughout on the presumption that all her worshippers are^ 
 sincere, and as such, she addresses them in terms appropriate 
 to true believers. If we examine the construction of the ser- 
 vices of the church, and study their design and import, we 
 shall see, that whether it be in the rite of baptism,— of con- 
 firmation, — of the sacrament of the Lord's supper, — in the 
 solemnization of matrimony, — in the visitation of the sick, — 
 or in the final close of all earthly offices, the burial of the 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 55 
 
 dead, — the language of devotional feeling is indiscriminately- 
 put into the mouth of the living, and that of faith and hope is 
 expresyive of her sentiments, for . the dead. If truth seem to 
 be somev/hat violated hy this arrangement, because it is 
 impossible • to suppose that all are truly partakers of the 
 character and privileges ascribed to them, we should bear in 
 mind that the def ct, if it be right to employ such a term, is 
 in fact a defect of discipline, rather than an imperfection iii the 
 constitution and design of the church. Nor can the formu- 
 laries of public worship be correctly modelled on any other 
 principle than that now apparent in them. The outward pro- 
 fession is the testimony to the church, and the warrant for all 
 her declarations : the inward experience is left to the eye and 
 judgment of God ; and thus; presuming that her worshippers 
 mean what their presence and profession are supposed to 
 impTy, she charitably appropriates to each the language of 
 promise and privilege ; leaving to every man's conscience to 
 perform the faithful office of an approving or condemning 
 monitor. There are, hovv^ever, beacons held out to guard 
 against the consequences of self-delusion. In the administra- 
 tion of the Lord's supper, a possibility is admitted of the com- 
 municant being an unworthy partaker, so as to forfeit the 
 promised blessing, and to incur the threatened guilt. Why 
 then is the blessing to be considered revocable in the one 
 sacrament, and irrevocable in other ; and not, rather, in 
 both instances, dependant on the quo animo of the receiver, 
 ajid on the sincerity and faith by. which he is actuated in the 
 performance of the duty ? That such is the supposition, is evi- 
 dent from the language used in the twenty. seventh Article, 
 wherein baptism is called "the sign of regeneration, or new 
 birth, whereby tliey that receive baptism rightly, are grafted 
 into the church." The promise is here applied and limited, 
 not to the right Qchninistration, hut to the right reception of hap- 
 tism. In the case of children dying in infancy, and perhaps 
 in many other cases, that baptism and regeneration may be 
 contemporaneous, we will readily admit ; that they are so, 
 under all circumstances, is as unsupported by fact as by 
 Scripture ; for how can we suppose a principle to have been 
 communicated, when we can discover none of its evidences 
 and effects ? Or how can the right be deemed inseparable 
 from the blessing, when the instance of Simon Magus is a 
 recorded proof to the contrary ? 
 
 The following authorities, adduced by Mr. Richmond, are 
 very conclusive in shewing how untenable is the position, that 
 
56 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 the grace of the sacrament is inseparable from its adminis- 
 tration. 
 
 " ' Grace sometimes goes before a sacrament, sometimes 
 follows it, and sometimes does not follow it.'* — Theodoret. 
 
 " St. Augustin, commenting on the passage, ' they all drank 
 the same spiritual drink, but with some of them God was not 
 well pleased,' makes the following remark : ' Though all the 
 sacraments were common to all, yet the grace, wliich is the 
 virtue of the sacraments, was not common to all. As it is 
 also now, under a dispensation which was not then known, the 
 laver of regeneration is common to all that are baptized in the 
 name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ; but ihe grace 
 itself belonging to the sacrament, by which the members of the 
 body of Christ are regenerate with their head, is not common to 
 
 "St. Chrysostom observes, 'Many^are baptized with* wa- 
 ter, who are not baptized with the Holy Ghost ; they seem 
 to be the sons of God in respect to their baptism, but, ijideed, 
 they are not the sons of God, because they are not baptized with 
 the Holy Ghost, 'X 
 
 " St. Jerome has a similar passage, in his Commentary on 
 the third chapter of the Galatians. 
 
 The remark of Hooker is very justly and powerfully express- 
 ed : ' They (the sacraments) contain in themselves no vital 
 force of efficacy : they are not physical, but moral instruments 
 af salvation ; duties of service and worship ; which unless we 
 perform as the Author of grace requireth, they are unprofita- 
 ble. For all receive not the grace of God, ichich receive the sa- 
 craments of his grace.^^ There are other passages, where he 
 speaks very strongly of the grace consequent on the use of the 
 sacraments, but he is always to be understood as limiting their 
 application to the persons of believers. Nay, so explicit is he 
 in annexing the promise of the grace to the fulfilment of the 
 required conditions, that he does not scruple, in another part, 
 to declare, that ' he which is not a Christian before he come 
 
 * " Gratia sacramenlum aliquando praecedit, aliquando sequitur, aliquando 
 nee sequitur." 
 
 tOmnes eundem polntn spiritnalem biherunt, sed non in omnibus bene 
 placilum est Deo : et cum es?eni omnia cummunia saoramenta, non communis 
 erat omnil)us gratia, quae ?acrainentorum virfus e.-^t. Sicur et nunc. jai?i 
 revelata fide quae tunc velabatur, omnibus in nominie Patris et Filii et Spiri- 
 tus Sancti baptizatis commune est lavacrum l esenerationis, sed ipsa gratia, 
 cupis sunt sacramenta qua meynbra corporis Christi cum stio capita regenerata 
 sunt, non commu7ds est omnibus. 
 ' J See his fiftli Homily on St. Matthew. 
 
 ^ See Ecclesiastical Polity, book 5, p. 273, folio edit. 
 
KEV. LEGII RICHMOND. 
 
 57 
 
 to receive baptism, cannot be made a Christian by baptism ; 
 which is only the seal of the grace of God before received.' "* 
 
 To the above quotations might be added, a very conclusive 
 remark from Bishop Latimer, one of the Reformers. Christ 
 saith," he observes, " ' except a man be born again from 
 above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.' He must have a 
 regeneration : and what is this regeneration ? It is not to he 
 christened in water (as these fire-brands expound it) andnoilwig 
 else. How is it to be expounded then ? St. Peter sheweth, 
 that one place of Scripture declareth. another. It is the cir- 
 cumstance and collation of places that make Scripture plain. 
 St. Peter saith, ' we be born again.' How ? ' Not by a mor- 
 tal seed, but by an immortal.' AVhat is this immortal seed? 
 By the word of the living God, hij the word of God preached 
 and opened : thus cometh in our new birth.'^-f Latimer here 
 attributes regeneration to its true source, to the efficacy of 
 God's word on the heart and conscience ; and, by his sarcas- 
 tic remark, evidently considers the doctrine of a baptismal and 
 spiritual regeneration as a' Popish error, the opus operatum of 
 the Church of Rome. 
 
 The part of Mr. Daubeny's work in which he most disco- 
 vers the error of his doctrinal sentiments, is, where he ysserts 
 that the faith which justifies, is neither naturally nor necessa- 
 rily productive of good works, and that there may be even " a 
 firm belief in Christ, as the whole and sole cause of salva- 
 tion," which may convey to the professing party his original 
 interest in the merits of Christ ; and which, nevertheless, may 
 be unfruitful and inoperative.:): 
 
 In reference to this remark, Mr. Richtjiond observes, "on 
 a right understanding of this doctrine, and of its real efficacy 
 on the heart of the believer, stands the very foundation of pure 
 and undefiled religion. No point can be more clearly laid 
 down by our Reformers and early divines, than that it is one 
 and the same faith, which unites us to Christ, — which justi- 
 fies, — which saves, — which gives to the penitent and believing 
 sinner his title to the heavenly inheritance, — and which puri- 
 fies and renders him meet for the possession of it." To prove 
 that the faith which justifies is not inoperative, he then refers 
 largely to the book of Homilies, from which we select the fol- 
 lowing passages. 
 
 * See Ecclesiastical Polity, book 5, p. 276. 
 
 t Faihers of tlie Englisli Cliurch, vol. ii. p. 654. 
 
 t Vindiciae Ecclesiae Anglicaiiae, p. 359. 
 
 6 
 
58 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 " The right and true Christian faith is, not only to believe 
 that holy Scripture, and all the aforesaid articles of our faith, 
 are true ; but also to have a sure trust and confidence in God's 
 merciful promises, to be saved from everlasting damnation by 
 Chrict ; whereof doth follow a loving heart, to obey his com- 
 mandments.* 
 
 " Faith doth not lie dead in the lieart, but is lively and fruit- 
 ful in bringing forth good works. j" 
 
 " As the light cannot be hid, but will show forth itself, at 
 one place or other; sq a true faith cannot be kept secret; 
 but, wiien occasion is offered, it will break out and shew itself 
 by good works. 
 
 " There be two kinds of faith ; a dead and unfruitful faith ; 
 and a faith lively, that worketh by charity. The fir§t is un- 
 profitable : the second necessary for the obtaining of our sal- 
 vation : -the which faith hath charity always joined unto it; and 
 is fruitful, and bringeth forth all good works. 
 
 " The true, lively, and Christian faith, is no dead, vain, or 
 unfruitful thing ; but a thing of perfect virtue, of wonderful 
 operation or working, and strength, bringing forth all good 
 motions and good works. 
 
 " Now, forasmuch as he that believeth in Christ hath ever- 
 lasting life, it must needs consequently follow, that he that 
 hath this faith, must have also good works, and be studious to 
 observe God's commandments obediently. 
 
 " As soon as a man hath faith, anon he shall flourish in good 
 works ; for faith of itself is full of good works, and nothing is 
 good without faith." 
 
 In the works of 'Jindal the reformer, there is the following 
 description of the true and justifying faith, as con-tradistin- 
 guished from a mere notional and professional faith. 
 
 " Right faith is a thing wrought by the Holy Ghost in us, 
 wbich changeth us, turneth us into a new nature, and beget- 
 teth us anew in God, and maketh us the sons of God ; and 
 killeth the old Adam, and maketh us altogether new in the 
 heart, mind, will,,Just, and in all other aflTections and powers of 
 the soul ; The Holy Ghost ever accompanying her, and ruling 
 the heart. Faith is a lively thing ; mighty in working, valiant 
 and strong ; .ever doing, ever fruitful ; so that it is impossible 
 that he which is endued therewith, should not work always good 
 works, without ceasing.^ 'X 
 
 * Homily on Salvation, p. 25. 
 
 t Homily on Faitli, first part, p. 29. See also the Homily on Faith and Good 
 Works, for llie sub<eqiKMit quotations. 
 X See Fatliers of the Engl sh Church, vol, i. p. 51. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 59 
 
 Without multiplying quotations from Cranmer, Jewell, 
 Hooker, and others, we shall only add the testimony borne by 
 the twelfth x\rticle. " Albeit that good works, which are the 
 fruits of faith, and follow after justification, cannot put away 
 our sins, and endure the severity of God's judgment ; yet are 
 they pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ, and do spring 
 out necessarily of a tme and lively faith ; insomuch thai by 
 them a lively faith may he as evidently known, as a tree discern- 
 ed hy the fruit.'' 
 
 We close these extracts with the following scriptural au- 
 thorities : — " Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the 
 world ; and this is the victory that overcometh the world, 
 ev'en our faith.'' " Who is he that overcometh the world, 
 but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God ?" — 
 1 John V. 4, 5. " Purifying their hearts by failh." — Acts 
 XV. 9. " Faith, which worketh by love." — Gal. v. 6. Many 
 other passages might be quoted : see John i. 12, 13 ; iii. 36; 
 V. 24 ; Heb. xi. 
 
 We should not have indulged in these lengthened remarks, 
 were it not from the conviction that the doctrinal errors 
 which have been specified, are far from being confined to the 
 name of the late Archdeacon Daubeny (whom we would here 
 wish to mention with all the tenderness and respect due to his 
 character and virtues ;) but they still exist to no inconsiderable 
 extent. It is impossible not to admit, that on the subject of 
 faith and works there is a great indistinctness and ambiguity 
 of language ; much misconception as to their order and prece- 
 dence, and that the nature and properties of a justifying faith 
 are not sufiiciently distinguished from a mere notional faith, 
 or speculative assent of the understanding, unaccompanied 
 by any of its genuine effects on the heart apd life. Yet if 
 this doctrine, as it has been asserted by one of its most cele- 
 brated champions,* be the " articulus stantis vel cadentis Ec- 
 clesioi,'' that important article of faith, on the right under- 
 standing of which every church must stand or fall, how can 
 we contemplate the existence of so fundamental an error, in 
 any of the ministers of our own church, without the most 
 anxious forebodings as to its ultimate consequences? 
 
 Again, if we are told that in bapiism all are regenera- 
 ted, though we see thousands who have been baptized ex- 
 hibiting no traces of a renewed heart or holy life, how can 
 we reconcile the contrariety of the fact with the existence 
 
 * Luther. 
 
60 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 of the principle, or with the positive declaration of Scripture, 
 whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, for his seed 
 remaineth in him ; and he cannot sin (that i& to say, cannot 
 wilfully and habitually sin,) because he is born of God?" — 
 1 John iii. 9. To refer the members of the visible church 
 to regeneration at baptism, as alone sufficient to accredit 
 their pretensions to the Christian character, is, in the judg- 
 ment of Mr. Richmond, and of the writer of this memoir, 
 to present a fatal opiate to their consciences, and to nuHify a 
 most solemn and necessary admonition (given, let il he observ- 
 ed, to the baptized,) Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the 
 faith."— 2 Cor. xiii. 5. 
 
 It is much to be lamented that Mr. Richmond never un- 
 » dertook the exposure of these errors, and of others that 
 might be nientioned, on a more extended scale ; fitted as he 
 was for the task, by his extensive research, his matured 
 experience, his acknov/ledged powers, and the benignity of 
 his character. We cannot furnish d stron<?;er evidelice of 
 the Christian spirit, divested of all party feeling, that would 
 have influenced him iii the execution of such a work, than 
 in laying before the reader the concluding passages of his 
 Review. After having vindicated the construction, attri- 
 buted by Mr. Overton to the articles of the Church of Eng. 
 land, of a inodijicxl Calvinism, remote from all objectionable 
 extremes, he burst forth into the following animated and Chris- 
 tian strain : — 
 
 " Are, then, the doctrines of the Church of England to be 
 considered as Calvinistic ? — Certainly not ; if by that expres- 
 sion the assertion of all Calvin's peculiarities is intended. 
 Are they then Arminian ? — No, by no means ; if a similar 
 mode of defining that term is to be employed. But are we 
 hence to infer that none are to be admitted within the 
 pale of the church, who think with either the one or the 
 other of these eminent divines, on the points at issue between 
 them ? This would be a very unfounded conclusion. The 
 qualifications requisite to form a sound member of the Church 
 of England, do not by any means turn on the avowal or re- 
 jection of the avowed dogmas of Calvin or Arminius. Who, 
 may we not ask, is Calvin ? or, who is Arminius ? Were 
 they crucified for us, or were we baptized in their name ? 
 We have only one master to whom we owe subjection, even 
 Christ. Do we believe and rely on him as our only Saviour ? 
 Are we humbled before God, under a deep sense of our sin- 
 fulness, and of our innumerable transgrressions of his law ? 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 61 
 
 Conscious of merited wrath, are we making Jesus Christ 
 our sole refuge ; and is our every hope of pardon, acceptance, 
 and final salvation, founded on his obedience, saciitice, 
 mediation, and intercession? Conscious of our natural 
 ignorance and weakness, are we exercising an habitual de- 
 pendence on the Holy Spirit for light and strength ?■ Through 
 his power, are we striving to be delivered from all sin, and to 
 obtain the renewal of our hearts to holiness after ihe image 
 of God ? Are we living as those ought to do, who are look- 
 ing for death and judgment, and who are candidates for a 
 heavenly crown ? Are we obeying Christ as our supreme 
 Lord ? Is love to God the predominant affection of our souls ; 
 and does it produce the fruit of cheerful, unremitting, and 
 unreserved obedience ? Do we feel the force of gr^ititude lo 
 our God and Saviour inciting us to the cultivation of all holy, 
 heavenly, and devout atfections ; and to the performance of 
 every civil, social and relative duty ? Are we at the same 
 time diligently using the means whidi God has instituted in 
 his church for our growth in grace, and advancement in the 
 knowledge and in the love of God? Do we constantly fre- 
 quent his courts? Do we attend the table of the Lord? Do 
 we read and hear his word, with an earnest desire to be 
 made acquainted with his will? Are we habitually watchful 
 over our hearts and lives, and assiduous in the work of self- 
 examination ? And to all these means of improvement, do 
 we add unceasing and fervent prayer to the God and Fa- 
 ther of our Lord Jesus Christ, that he would pardon our 
 sins for the sake his Son ; that he would sanctify us wholly ; 
 and through the blood of the everlastins covenant, w^ould 
 make us perfect in every good work to do his will ? These 
 are the more decisive marks, by which our true churchman- 
 ship is to be ascertained. May every one who reads them, 
 have a testimony in his own conscience, that they are fairly 
 descriptive of his character." 
 
 His admonitions to those engaged in controversy are thus 
 impressively delivered : — 
 
 " What will it avail them in the great day of account, when 
 the contentions which now agitate their minds, shall sink into 
 absolute insignificance, — shall be as if they had never been 
 — what will it then avail them to have vanquished their ad- 
 versaries by the superiority of their polemical skill, if, unhap. 
 pily imbibing the baneful spirit of controversy, they shall be 
 found to have violated that brotherly love, which forms a 
 distinguished badge of the real followers of Jesus Christ ? 
 6* 
 
63 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 * Certainly,' as the pious bishop Hall has observed, * God 
 abides none but charitable dissentions ; those that are well 
 grounded and well governed ; grounded upon just causes, and 
 governed with Christian charity and wise moderation ; those 
 whose beginning is equity, and whose end is peace. If we 
 must ditier, let these be the conditions ; let every one of God's 
 ministers be ambitious of that praise which Gregory Nazian- 
 zen gives to Athanasius ; to be an adamant to tliem that strike 
 him, and a loadstone to them that dissent from him ; the one 
 not to be moved with wrong, — the other to draw those heart* 
 which disagree. So the fruit of righteousness shall be sown 
 in peace of them that make peace. So the God of peace 
 shall have glory, the church of God rest, and our souls un- 
 speakable consolation and joy, in the day of the appearing of 
 our Lord Jesus.' "* 
 
 CHAPTER VL 
 
 His removal from the Isle of Wight— Temporary connexion wiJh the Lock Hospita?, 
 in London— and final settlement at Turvey. 
 
 A CHANGE of residence, and of his sphere of labor, is, to a 
 minister, at all times a subject for grave deliberation. He 
 can take no step, in the consequences of which, others are not 
 deeply involved as well as himself. In no instance does he 
 stand alone : his principles, habits, and conduct, wheresoever 
 he goes, exercise their powerful effects on all around him ; 
 and he is the star, by whose genial or unfriendly influence, 
 their present, as well as future destiny, is in a great measure ta 
 be determined. It is this truth which constitutes the moral re- 
 sponsibility attendant on the acceptance of a new appointments 
 If the glory of God, and the conversion of immortal souls, are 
 the grand objects of which, as a minister, he is never to lose 
 sight ; nothing less than a deliberate and well-founded con- 
 viction that these are likely to be promoted by the step con- 
 templated, ought to determine his removal, more especially 
 from a scene where his labors have been owned and blessed. 
 
 So long, however, as we are assured that " the Lord order- 
 eth a good man's goings," and " appointeth the bounds of his 
 habitation ;" the indications of his will, and the openings of 
 his providence, rightly interpreted, will ever form the best 
 guide and ground ibr his determination. It was under the 
 
 * See Hall's Peacemaker, ad finem. 
 
RKW LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 63 
 
 fullest conviction that he was pursuing the path of duty, that 
 Mr. Richmond was induced to listen to the proposition of as- 
 sisting the Rev. Mr. Fry, in his laborious services as Chap, 
 lain to the Lock Hospital in London. The prospect of a more 
 extended sphere of usefulness, and the inadequacy of his in- 
 come to meet the demands of an increasing family, rendered 
 such an offer highly eligible ; and we shall see by the result, 
 in what manner his acceptance of this appointment, short as 
 was its duration, providentially led the way to all the subse- 
 quent events of his life. He proceeded, therefore, to London, 
 to confer on the subject of this new arrangement, and preach- 
 ed his first sermon from the following text : — " But of him are 
 ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and 
 righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." 1 Cor. 
 i, 30. 
 
 Some extracts from letters written to his wife at this time, ' 
 previously to the removal of his family from Brading, will 
 throw a light on a few of the circumstances connected with 
 this change of his residence and ministry. 
 
 London, Febmary 5, 1805. 
 
 *'I think I may say, I am determined- to try this situation- 
 The Lord seems to give me such tokens of affection, friend- 
 ship, and acceptableness, amongst the congregation of the 
 Lock, and points out so many spiritual advantages, tfiough 
 mingled with great trials and temptations, that I believe I am 
 right in coming to this decision. On Wednesday evening, I 
 preached for Mr. Fry. Several gentlemen spoke to each of 
 us, expressing a hope that I should undertake the charge ; and 
 one of them suggested, that if it were an object to me, he did 
 not doubt that very many would gladly contribute towards 
 the expense of the removal, and some increase of salary. 
 The hint was kind, whatever might be the result. Yesterday 
 morning, Mr. Fry and I conversed for a considerable time to- . 
 gether. I told him all my history and circumstances. He 
 seems resolved to omit nothing which may contribute to the 
 hopefulness and comfort of my arrangement ; and I really 
 think that it is God's will that I should repose a temporal as 
 well as a spiritual confidence in him. I called yesterday on 
 Mr. Wilberforce, who put five poimds into my hand to go 
 about from poor to poor and distribute.* Blessed commission! 
 
 * The wisflom of tliis modo of floin?^ ?ood, mu?t al once commend it-self 
 to those, wlio :iie aware of the circiims'aoces in wliicli clergymen avo fre- 
 quently placed relative to the poor. Their parochial duties bring to their 
 
64 
 
 MEMOIRS OP THE 
 
 I am to dine there to-day, and to take leave of the Dean of 
 Carlisle, who g 'es to Cambridge to-morrow. No two men 
 ever harmonized more sweetly in opinion, views, taste, judg- 
 ment, &;c. than Mr. Fry and myself. Our friendship is form- 
 ing andconfirming on the best grounds, I trust. You will judge 
 how little able I am to see many friends, or to do any thing 
 but labor in my vocation, when I tell you that I am to preach 
 twice on Good Friday, twice on Easter Sunday, once on 
 Easter Tuesday, and, perhaps, Easter Monday, and even next 
 AVednesday. You cannot write too often ; the sight of your 
 letters cheers and delights me. I wish I could play on the 
 ground for half an hour with the children." 
 
 " Lo7idon, Sunday, April 15, 1805. 
 
 "I begin a few lines to you, my dearly. beloved wife, in the 
 interval between my two services ; and I can hardly give any 
 other reason, than that my mind is worked up to a high state 
 of agitation, by meditating and preparing to preach to-night, 
 from John v, 28, 29, and it wants a few minutes' relief. The 
 subject is truly solemn ; and the manner in which I propose to 
 treat it, will be very trying and awful both to me and my 
 hearers. I preached to an overflowing congregation, this 
 morning, from Philip, iii, 10; — it cost me great thought and 
 pains : — I administered the sacrament to near two hundred 
 persons. I have been meditating for two hours, on death, judg. 
 ment, heaven, and hell. I feel that in the pulpit I shall either 
 deliver myself with very little, or very great feeling and effect. 
 Oh ! for a heart to feel more for myself and others ; — what a 
 poor, cold, miserable creature I feel myself to be ; I am some- 
 times constrained to cry out — and can such a worthless being 
 be saved ? — yet there is worth in Jesus for the most worthless. 
 God make me to experience fully the power of his resurrec- 
 tion, lest when I have preached to others, I myself should 
 become a cast-away. Adieu for the present, — perhaps I may 
 add a few lines before I go to bed. 
 
 *' Sunday night, ten o'clock. — My sermon proved very sol- 
 emn, and brought forth very copious tears from many eyes. I 
 
 noiice peculiar cases of want, wiiich ought not to be made jiublic. So limited, 
 peneraily, are their own re>()urces, tliat nnless funds are in tiiis way put at 
 their dis>pf)sal, many of God's own children may he left to sufier. It is the 
 practice of some churches, to pul portions of money in the hands of their Pas- 
 tor, for (listril)ntion amon^ such destitute members as may come under iiis spe- 
 cial notice in addition to ilie appropriations wiiicii the Deacons are ex- 
 pected to make. Some ciuirchesare too poor to furnish such funds. How 
 proper then, that tlie wealthy should remember and imitate this example of 
 Wilberfo»ce.--.4OT€r. Ed, 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMO^'D. 
 
 65 
 
 trembled inwardly, whilst I painted the resurrection and pun- 
 ishment of condemned souls ; and the effect was very striking 
 on a most numerous and attentive congregation. I am sitting 
 up to think about a sermon for to-morrow morning. 
 
 " 3Ionday morning, five o'clock. — Yesterday, at the sacra- 
 ment, 1 observed kneeling at the rails, close to Mr. Wilber- 
 force, a negro. I was much struck, and many interesting as- 
 sociations filled my mind. I find also, that it was quite acci- 
 dental, and that Mr. W. knpws nothing of him. Last night I 
 dwelt on the meeting of husbands, wives, parents, and chil- 
 dren at the resurrection, and thought deeply of you and your 
 babes ; in fact, I wept : I saw the tears of others responding 
 to my own." 
 
 While he was thus engao-ed in the duties and arrangements 
 attendant on his new appointment, the following letter will 
 prove that in dispensing spiritual instruction to others, he was 
 not unmindful of what he owed to one, whose happiness and 
 welfare were so nearly connected with his own. 
 
 *' London, April 20, 1805. 
 " My dear Wife, — I really feel it as an answer to very many 
 prayers which I have for years past ofiered up for you, that 
 you are now seriously thinking on the all-important subject of 
 religion. I trust you will henceforth become my spiritual 
 monitor and counsellor, my helpmate in every good word and 
 work, and my wife indeed, united in grace as well as in pro- 
 vidence. With respect to the inward conflicts and doubts 
 which you entertain in your mind, you must seek spiritual ar- 
 mor to fight the battle. Remember, that if you truly desire 
 to overcome all the evil tempers, affections, desires and prin- 
 ciples of your natural heart, you have an evidence within, that 
 God must have wrought it, and that he will not suffer you to 
 be tempted above what you are able to bear, but will, with the 
 temptation, make a way to escape. With respect to prayer, 
 I recommend you to Qonsider the precept of ' pray always and 
 without ceasing.' This evidently refers to that perpetual dis- 
 position of the heart to lift itself up in sudden, short, ejacula- 
 tory prayer, which is one of the most necessary means and 
 proofs of grace. It is this alone which can render the ap- 
 pointed and regular devotions of the church, the famih-, and 
 the closet, lively, strong, and efficacious. Satan will lose 
 much of his strong hold, if you thus laboriously strive to oh- 
 tain a prayerful frame of heart, an habitual meditation upon 
 
66 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Christ and eternity, a frequency of conversing on sacred 
 things, and above all, experimental contemplation and con- 
 versation. The world is a deadly enemy to spiritual attain- 
 ment ; you cannot too soon see the high importance of being 
 less conformed to it, in all its vanities, vices, follies, and un- 
 profitable waste of time, gifts, and talents. The Christian will 
 appear, even in the simplicity of every personal ornament. 
 The dress, the countenance, the tone of voice, the address, 
 will lose its former levity ; and in the minutest trifles of com- 
 mon life, you will see the hand of God leading to important 
 events, and his finger pointing to the life that is to come. I 
 have just been praying most earnestly, that God may carry 
 on such a work in your heart. The grand work of all is, to 
 believe. This is the root and fountain of all other graces. That 
 believing look at the Saviour which sees an interest in him, or 
 which at least leads to full conviction, both of his sufficiency 
 and efficiency to save our own souls, is the master work of 
 God. May you be led fully to see this, and in God''s own time 
 to rejoice in it. Accustom yourself to talk constantly with Nu- 
 gent and Mary on the substantial parts of Christianity, and ap- 
 peal to those little instances of experience which even a child 
 may comprehend. I wrote to you yesterday, and hope you 
 have got my letter. 1 have this instant received your's of 
 Tuesday. I hope to be able to leave London by the time you 
 mention. The three things which I have to settle, if possible, 
 are — the house, the furniture, and a successor ; and I do hope 
 another week will arrange the two former. I only fear for 
 the latter, and this makes me uneasy ; however, as I shall re- 
 tain the curacy till Christmas, there is still time and opportu- 
 nity ; but much depends on a desirable substitute for the sum- 
 mer, otherwise all might be overthrown. 
 
 *' Saturday morning, six o'clock. — 1 went yesterday to the 
 Hospital, and spent three hours in very close inspection of the 
 miserable objects whom it contains. I have now resolved on 
 taking the house. It is in Chester Street, about a hundred 
 yards from the Lock ; it is surrounded. by fields, has a very 
 pleasant prospect, charming air, great retirement and quiet- 
 ness, with a little garden, a remarkable neat exterior, and as 
 neat and comfortable an interior. 
 
 Our final removal, if we can get a curate, must be in the 
 middle of June. I am asked, and have consented to preach 
 the Charity Sermon at Newport, on May 16th. I must once 
 more assure you, that I shall not stay a day longer than abso- 
 lute business requires. I trust our separation has been for 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOIN'D. 
 
 67 
 
 the best, and that our temporal and spiritual concerns, our 
 views and resolutions, tempers and prHicii)les, will all tl rive 
 and prosper tor the better. God bless tbe dear children. 
 Kind regards to your fire-side, from your truly affectionate 
 husband, L. RiCHMorsD." 
 
 Mr. Richmond's connexion with the Lock chapel was not 
 of long duration. A few weeks after his engngement, the 
 rector of Turvey in Bedfordshire became vacant by the death 
 of the late Rev. Erasmus Middleton, author of" Biographia 
 Evangelica.^' Mrs. Fuller, an eminently pious lady, was at 
 that period in possession of the partronage of this benefice ; 
 and being desirous of conscientiously fulfilling the important 
 and sacred trust committed to her, she wrote to the late Am- 
 brose Serle, Esq. one of the commissioners of the Transport 
 Office, author of" Horce Solitario!,'^ and many other vahiable 
 works, stating that as she was much indebted to him for the 
 benefit she had received from his writings, she would present 
 the rectory of Turvey to any clergyman, of similar sentiments 
 with himself whom he might choose to recommend. Mr. Serle, 
 who at that time attended the Lock chapel as his constant 
 place of worship, immediately fixed on Mr. Richmond as the 
 fittest person among his clerical friends and connexions to fill 
 this situation. It is, however, a fact highly honorable to him, 
 and a proof of the purity of his motives, that he could with 
 difficulty be persuaded to accept the nomination. His feel- 
 ings recal to mind the answer of another truly pious and ex- 
 cellent clergyman, who has retused to exchange a small curacy 
 for three livings successively offered to him, and who will pro- 
 bably from this circumstance be recognized by m.any of the 
 clerical readers of this Memoir, " What can a man want who 
 is useful and happy ?" And, to cite the remark of another 
 upon this truly Christian sentiment, " What can he want who 
 has Christ in his ministrations, and Christ's love in his 
 heart ?" 
 
 The objection which Mr. Richmond made to his accep- 
 tance of this benefice, arose from the apprehension that he 
 should enter a sphere of much less usefulness than that in 
 which he was then engaged. He was not aware, at that 
 time, that the population of Turvey consisted of eight hundred 
 souls. 
 
 He ultimately yielded, however, to the judgment of his 
 friends, and entered on his labors at Turvey. He was in- 
 Ciucted by his friend Mr. Fry, on the 30ih of July ; and, with 
 
68 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 his family, went to reside at the parsonage in the month of 
 October fjllowing. At the time of his induction he wrote the 
 following letter to Mrs. Richmond : — 
 
 Emberton, July 30, 1805. 
 " My dearest Mary, — I arrived safely, under the divine 
 blessing, at this good man's house yesterday. I have but a 
 few minutes for a few lines, but I must send those few. I 
 went to Turvey this morning. I like the place, — I like the 
 house, and I feel disposed to be well pleased, in spite of the 
 casement windows which are very good of their kind. I was 
 inducted amidst the ringing of bells, and congregation of 
 people, who assembled in troops to peep at the new rector 
 and witness the ceremony. The church is very handsome 
 and commodious. The day is delightful, and every thing 
 appeared to advantage. There are several conveniences 
 about the premises. I shall reserve all farther particulars 
 for conversation on Thursday evening, when I hope to see 
 3'ou. To-morrow I go to Mr. Higgins, and to make various 
 inquiries at the rectory ; and in the evening I preach for Mr. 
 Fry. 
 
 " My first impression of all the premises at Turvey was 
 a favorable one ; and I am persuaded all may be comfortable, 
 with a blessing on a contented and satisfied heart." 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Commencement of his ministerial labors at Turvey— Former state of the parish- 
 Plans and exertions for its improvement— Judicious rules and regulations of hia 
 Friendly Society— Effect of iiis exertions - His ♦ Fathers of the English Church'— 
 Doctrine and mode of preaching— Brief reflections on controversy. 
 
 Mr. Richmond commenced his residence at Turvey, in 
 October, 1805. But before we enter on the detail of his 
 ministerial labors, it may be proper to advert to the state and 
 circumstances of the parish, previously to his appointment to 
 it as rector. 
 
 The village of Turvey is situated between the two towns of 
 Bedford and Olney, being eight miles distant from the former, 
 and four from the latter. It was anciently the residence of 
 a-noble family, some of whose warlike ancestors repose be- 
 neath the beautiful and splendid marble monuments which 
 adorn the chancel of the church. What was once the man- 
 sion, is now converted into a farm-house. Having long ceas- 
 
REV. LEGIJ IlICH:iIOr>D. 69 
 
 ed to retain his original magnificence, it seems, in its present 
 form to announce the transitory character of human grandeur. 
 The family of the Mordaunts, subsequently Earls of Peterbo- 
 rough, illustrious as it once was in British history, and cele- 
 brated for its achievments in arms, now no longer exists, 
 having become extinct in the year 1814. How justly may 
 we apply to these instances of the instability of all earthly 
 dignities, the impressive exclamation of a distinguished judge 
 of former days :* — " And yet Time hath his revolutions ; there 
 must be a period and an end to all temporal things ; — an 
 end of names and dignities, and of whatsoever is terrene. 
 For where is Bohun ? — where is Mowbray ? — where is Mor- 
 timer ? Nay, which is more, and most of all, where is Planta- 
 genet ? They are entombed in the urns and sepulchres of 
 mortality !" 
 
 Previously to Mr. Richmond's incumbency, the village of 
 Turvey appears to have been greatly neglected. The duties 
 of the church were irregularly performed ; nor was there 
 ever more than one service on the Sabbath day, among a 
 population of at least 800 inhabitants. The ordinances of 
 religion were not respected ; the minds of the people were 
 grossly ignorant, and their morals and manners rude and dis- 
 orderly. The Rev. Erasmus Middleton was Mr. Richmond's 
 immediate predecessor ; a man distinguished both for his 
 learning and piety. By him the services of the church were 
 increased ; and the work of reformation was gradually, though 
 slowly advancing, when this faithful minister was prematurely 
 cut off, in the midst of his exertions, having retained his office 
 only for the short period of one year. 
 
 Mr. Richmond succeeded Mr. Middleton ; and entered on 
 his new appointment with a reputation for talents and piety, 
 which excited a great interest in the neighborhood, and an 
 expectation of extensive usefulness among his parishioners. 
 The text of his first sermon was taken from 1 Cor. ii« 2 ; 
 " For I determined not to know any thing among you, save 
 Jesus Christ and Him crucified." From these words he uni- 
 formly preached on every returning anniversary of his in- 
 cumbency, and continued to do so till the last year of his 
 life. 
 
 To those who overlook the comprehensive meaning of this 
 passage of holy Scripture, the text may seem to be too lim- 
 ited in its view, and to restrict the whole summary of divine 
 
 * Lord Chief Ju|Uce Crewe, in the time of Charles 11. 
 7 * ■ ' 
 
MEMOIBS OF THE 
 
 truth to the doctrine of the Atonement, without a due regard 
 to other important branches of Christian faith and practice. 
 But let it be remembered that the same Apostle, who " de- 
 termined to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified," 
 avows also, that he had " not shunned to declare all the 
 counsel of God," (Acts xx, 27 ;) and consequently, the pas- 
 sage must be supposed to comprise within its ample range, 
 the full extent and substance of every thing that is needful to 
 the faith and practice of the Christian ; nor, indeed, is there 
 a subject of doctrine or of morals, which is not essentially 
 identified with the doctrine of the Cross. It is there that we 
 best learn the malignity of sin, the depths of the divine love, 
 the necessity of self-humiliation, the character of holiness, 
 the motives and means for its attainment, and the dutiful ob- 
 ligation to " glorify God with our bodies and our spirits, which 
 are his." 
 
 The following account of Mr. Richmond's proceedings at 
 Turvey, will convey to the reader some notions of his zeal 
 and judgment, in promoting the welfare of his parish. 
 
 On the Sabbath-day, there were two regular full services ; 
 and in the evening, a lecture, rhore especially designed for 
 the young. His weekly labors commenced with what he 
 called his Tuesday-night cottage lecture, from its being heJd 
 successively in the cottages of the poor, whom he assembled 
 for the purpose of more familiar and direct instruction than 
 could be usefully or suitably delivered in public. On Friday 
 evening a lecture was delivered in the church, the prayers for 
 the evening service being previously read ; and once a month 
 he met the communicants, on the Saturday preceding the 
 sacrament. He had also a weekly service at the workhouse. 
 But his labors were not confined to public instructions ; like 
 his divine Master, " he went about doing good." At the cot- 
 tages of the poor he was a frequent visitor ; fulfilling the apos- 
 tolical injunction, of going from " house to house," scattering 
 the precious seed, making himself acquainted with their spi- 
 ritual state, and gathering from their answers useful hints and 
 reflections for the service of the succeeding Sabbath. 
 
 A Sunday school had been established at Turvey for many 
 years, endowed by Charles Higgins, Esq., who bequeathed 
 300Z. in support of the charity. John Higgins, Esq., of Tur- 
 vey Abbey, his nephew and successor, has generously paid 
 an interest on the bequest, of 20Z. a year. The school, 
 though well attended before, had its numbers considerably 
 increased, and its regulations greatly* improved, by the new 
 
Rev. legh RICH]VIO^D. 
 
 71 
 
 rector. He appointed a master of real piety, justly consid- 
 ering that on the principles and character of thje teacher, 
 the efficiency and usefulness of these institutions materially 
 depend. Mr. Richmond was accustomed to visit the school 
 previously to divine service ; and, for the benefit of his youth- 
 ful charge, chiefly, he engaged in a third service in the 
 church, on the Sunday evening. Here the first-fruits of his 
 ministry appeared. The conversion of two young children, 
 who afterwards died happily, followed his introductory ad- 
 dress to the children. 3Ir. Richmond, indeed, was peculiarly 
 successful on these occasions, and no part of his labors was 
 attended with more striking effects. It is remarkable, that 
 both at Turvey and at Brading the first memorials of his use- 
 fulness occurred in the instance of children. 
 
 Shortly afterwards, he established a Friendly Society. 
 Objections have not unfrequently been made to societies of 
 this description, and a preference given to Savings-banks. 
 It must be admitted, that some of these objections are not 
 without foundation. It has "been said, "that the usual sub- 
 scription of the members is insufficient to furnish a sum for 
 the support of the aged, — an insufficiency frequently increa- 
 sed by gross mismanagement ; — that ordinary Friendly Soci- 
 eties are republics of the worst kind ; in which are found no 
 men of talent or judgment, to control the disorders of their 
 meetings, which too often present scenes of drunkenness, con- 
 tention, and misapplication of funds ; — evils which, sooner or 
 later, never fail to issue in bankruptcy ; — that a fifth part of 
 the funds is regularly allowed for liquor, under the idea of 
 encouraging the publican, at whose house the subscriptions 
 are usually paid ; — that the system is productive of much im- 
 morality ; and associations and habits formed, which bring on 
 a train of serious evils ; — that, to the sum allowed from the 
 •club, the poor man often adds a large part of his weekly 
 earnings ; and, instead of exercising prudence and economy, 
 he wastes this money in intemperate indulgence." These 
 abuses of Benefit Societies have disgusted many persons, and 
 induced them to give a preference to Savings-banks, unac- 
 companied with annual dinners, and monthly resorts to the 
 publican. Admitting, however, the existence of these evils, 
 and without detracting from the great public good of the Sav- 
 ings-banks, it ought to be remembered that the abuses here 
 specified form no just grounds of exception to the Friendly 
 Societies conducted on better principles ; and that the Sav- 
 ings-banks cannot accomplish the same purposes in any thing 
 
72 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 like an equal degree. Their character and use is widely dif- 
 feren from those of Friendly Societies. The little tradesman, 
 the domestic servant, the bailiff or overseer of a farm, and 
 others in similar circumstances, may find in the banks a safe 
 and profitable repository for their savings ; but the laborer, 
 especially if a married man, has no inclination to lay up the 
 small sums he subscribes to a Friendly Society ; and these 
 sums, if deposited at the banks, would seldom meet his ne- 
 cessities in sickness and old age. A long illness would ex- 
 haust his deposits, and oblige him to throw himself on his 
 friends or the parish for a maintenance. But the Friendly 
 Societies are, strictly, Insurance Companies : and if their 
 funds be regulated by a just rate of insurance, without 
 which, it is granted, no Friendly Society deserves support, 
 — and if they be wisely and properly managed, no institution 
 is better calculated to afford the poor a comfortable and cer- 
 tain independence. 
 
 Mr. Richmond, who was . no, mean financier, was fully 
 competent to determine the scale of subscription ; and by his 
 judicious arrangements he prevented the above evils, and 
 effectually secured to the poor the benefits of a Friendly 
 Society. It is greatly to be desired that his plans were uni- 
 versally known ; and that all Benefit Societies were formed 
 or re-modelled on similar principles. For the information of 
 the public, the following sketch of the Turvey club is inserted. 
 
 The Friendly Society of Turvey was composed of three di- 
 visions. 
 
 First, A club for children of both sexes, from seven to 
 sixteen years of age ; each member pays one shilling en- 
 trance, and a penny per month ; and is allowed in sickness 
 eighteenpence per week. From three to four pounds is the 
 yearly expenditure on sick members. The society has de- 
 posited 50Z. in the Savings-bank, after twenty years' duration. 
 The number of its members has varied from twenty to forty 
 children. At sixteen years of age a member becomes eligi- 
 ble to the senior clubs, and is entitled to receive half the en- 
 trance fee required on admission. 
 
 Secondly, The club for women, confined to persons from 
 seventeen to thirty-five years of age. The entrance-fee is 
 five shillings ; the monthly subscription one shilling, or one 
 shilling and eightpence, at the option of the members. Those 
 who subscribe the larger sum receive six shillings per week in 
 illness ; and to the lesser subscriber is paid four shillings 
 weekly. The number of members have varied from thirty to 
 
EEV. LEGII RICHM02SD. 
 
 73 
 
 forty. The average payments for the last twenty years have 
 been 20/. and the society has 200/. in the Savings-bank. 
 
 Thirdly, The men's club, also comprising two classes. The 
 members of the one pay one shilling, and of the other one 
 shilling and fouf^-pence monthly ; and they respectively re- 
 ceive eight shillings and six shillings weekly in sickness. 
 The entrance-fee is seven shilhngs and six pence. Their 
 annual expenditures has been 35/., and their present fund 
 amounts to nearly 400/. These clubs have about twenty ho- 
 norary members, who greatly contribute to the opulence and 
 prosperity of the institution^, and their bounty, joined to the 
 subscriptions of a constant succession of young members, Mr. 
 Richmond considered, on the calculation of the Northampton 
 tables, to be adequate to the demands of the club. The rules 
 and regulations of the Turvey club resemble, in most respects, 
 those of other friendly societies ; but some additions and 
 amendments were made by Mr. Richmond which are too im- 
 portant to be omitted. 
 
 First. — No persons of immoral character were admissible, 
 or such as were likely to disgrace the society by habits of 
 drinking, impurity, profane swearing, or other notorious crimes. 
 
 Secondly. — A careful superintendence was maintained over 
 the members by Mr. Richmond and the officers of the society. 
 Offenders were admonished ; and after three admonitions, if 
 unreclaimed, were excluded from the benefits of the society. 
 
 Thirdly. — The practice of assembling the members of these 
 societies at public-houses, and of spending a portion of their 
 funds in liquor, was prohibited ; and their meetings were held 
 in the vestry of the church, at which Mr. Richmond constant- 
 ly attended. By this arrangement nearly a fiifth part of 
 the funds was saved, and the temptations of the public-house 
 avoided.* 
 
 In this, and in indeed every other plan of improvement, Mr, 
 Richmond was the presiding genius. Every thing was con- 
 ducted under his eye, and owed its success to his wisdom and 
 example. He possessed the happy talent of exciting interest, 
 conciliating regard, and meeting difficulties with calmness ; he 
 overcame impediments by a gentleness which disarmed oppo- 
 sition, a judgment which corrected mistake, and a temper 
 which diffused universal harmony. There was an openness 
 in his manner, which impressed all with a conviction of his 
 
 * For the establishment of this club, Mr. Richmond obtained the annaal prize 
 " for the best regulated Benefit Society in the county of Bedford." 
 7* 
 
74 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 sincerity, and prevented a suspicion of his having any other 
 motive than a wish to promote the welfare of his parishioners. 
 Where he met with opposition, he did not hazard the failure 
 of his measures by indiscreetly urging them ; but rather left 
 his arguments silently and gradually to prdSuce their effect. 
 Circumspection and caution marked every part of his conduct ; 
 his great aim being at all times to " give no offence in any 
 thing, that the ministry might not be blamed." He was con- 
 sistent throughout, in the public discharge of his duty, as weli 
 as in his general intercourse, and jarivate and domestic habits ; 
 and thus the energy of his zeal'n the pulpit was known to 
 be not the excitement of the moment, " the sparks of his 
 own kindling ;" but the steady flame of a Divine spirit, im- 
 parting to others the sacred glow which animated his own 
 bosom. 
 
 To the character, example, and authority of Mr. Richmond, 
 the members of these societies submitted their judgment ; and 
 yielded, for the most part, a ready acquiescence in his 
 counsels. 
 
 Notwithstanding the acknowledged excellence of these 
 plans, there appears to the writer of this memoir, one impor- 
 tant defect. These societies were still of a republican cha- 
 racter ; and it was in the power of the members to injure their 
 own interests by the decisions of a majority. On one occa- 
 sion, this defective government had nearly proved fatal to the 
 Turvey club. The funds had increased beyond the expecta- 
 tion of the members, who, in a time of great pressure, resolv- 
 ed to appropriate a portion of them to the relief of their neces- 
 sities ; and they were with difficulty turned from their pur- 
 pose, by his firmness and personal influence. This defect is 
 remedied in a society formed at Emberton, on Mr. Richmond's 
 plan ; one of the rules of which provides, that no proposition 
 shall pass into a law, without the concurrence of the president 
 and honorary members. Mr. Richmond acknowledged the im- 
 provement upon his principle, observing, with his usual frank- 
 ness, " our good friend at Emberton has secured by law, what 
 I have effected by personal influence." 
 
 It is very desirable that the rules of these societies should, 
 after a time, be enrolled according to act of parliament ; by 
 which they become legal corporations, and the evil attending 
 the removal of such men as Mr. Richmond is provided for, as 
 far, at least, as it can be done, by bringing these societies un- 
 der the sanction and protection of the law, and thus enabling 
 the better-informed of the poor themselves, to insure the pro- 
 
REV. LEGH RICH3I0?fD. 
 
 75 
 
 per application of their funds, and control the sudden impulse 
 of popular feeling. 
 
 Mr. Richmond's club, like other similar institutions, kept its 
 anniversary ; but in a different way, and with different effects. 
 These feasts are usually held at the public-house, and lead to 
 much disorder. The feast at Turvey was not a revel of riot 
 and drunkenness ; but a generous hospitality, consistent with 
 Christian principle. Mr. Richmond invited, on these oc- 
 casions, a number of his clerical brethren, and other respect- 
 able ladies and gentlemen in the neighborhood, who usually 
 ass'^mbled at Turvey, to the number of thirty or forty persons, 
 and with a large concourse of the villagers, accompanied the 
 society to the church. The subjoined letter gives a pleasing 
 account of the proceedings of the day. 
 
 " My dear Friend, 
 
 " You wish me to give you some account of the anniver- 
 sary of Mr. Richmond's Friendly Societies. This 1 shall do 
 with pleasure, having attended several of thenr. 
 
 " He generally kept the anniversary in" Whitsun-week. 
 You already know that Mr. R. has three Friendly Societies ; 
 one for men, a second for women, and a third for young per- 
 soiTS. Hence it frequently happens that the father is a mem- 
 ber of the one, the mother of another, and the children of the 
 third. Each club consists of the higher and middle eiassesof 
 parishioners, as well as of the poor. The former contribute, 
 but do not share in the benefit, while the latter are thus more 
 liberally assisted. 
 
 " On the anniversary, all these clubs walk in procession to 
 church and hear a sermon, after which they dine together in 
 the school-room. As this is an important scene of action, you 
 must indulge me with a moment of your time, while I shew 
 you its interior. Imagine to yourself a fine, large, airy room, 
 with a lofty ceiling, following the form of the roof of the build- 
 ing ; the floor even, and the walls, as well as the top, beauti- 
 fully white. Every part of the room is ornamented with the 
 staves of the different members, painted blue, and disposed 
 upon the walls, somewhat like the swords and halberts in an 
 armory. These are surmounted with bouquets and festoons 
 of flowers in rich profusion ; for which the 'squires' gardens 
 and shrubberies are laid under such heavy contributions, that 
 it needs almost a year to replenish them. Think of the vari- 
 ety of flowers and shrubs that a village like Turvey would 
 produce at Whitsuntide, and you may conclude that the choi- 
 
76 
 
 MEMOIES OF THE 
 
 cestof them are lo be found most tastefully arranged through- 
 out the room. One garland is suspended from the centre, 
 which is carried before the clubs to the church, instead of any 
 colors. In the centre of this garland, which is in the form of 
 a sphere, there is a triangle, emblematic of the three clubs 
 united in one ; and in the centre of the top of the room hangs 
 the triangle of Unity, which I shall have occasion to notice 
 by-and-by. Four tables are placed round the room, so as to 
 form one. That at the top for the honorary members, the 
 clergy, and gentry; on the right are placed the men, on 
 the left the women, and at the lower table the children. I have 
 been thus minute, because the order, as vvell as the elegance, 
 displayed on the occasion, contributed much to the good effect 
 of the whole. At eleven o'clock the 'squires of Turvey, Mr. 
 and Mrs. Richmond with their friends, and some of the 
 neighboring clergy, assembled to meet the club, near the 
 school-room. A long train of members of the different clubs 
 proceed in order to the churchy headed by the rector ; the 
 benefit members all carrying blue staves. The same order is 
 observed on returning from church to the school-room. A 
 visitor generally preaches the sermon. 
 
 " We were disbanded at the schooU-room, and allowed an 
 hour to ramble about ; after which we were summoned to din- 
 ner by a bell. The members had taken their places when we 
 entered the room. We were disposed at the chief table, 
 and, on a signal given, all rose up, and Mr. Richmond said 
 the grace. The covers were removed, and we enjoyed a very 
 nice dinner, mrio sermone. After dinner, the following 
 grace was sung by the whole company,' standing : — 
 
 •We thank thee, Lord, for this our food. 
 
 But most of all for Jesu's blood; 
 
 Let manna lo our souls be given, 
 
 The bread of life sent down-from heaven.' 
 
 " At this part of the day, as many of the villagers as can 
 approach the doors and windows are allowed to gratify their 
 curiosity by observing the proceedings. After a glass of wine 
 at our ables, and the simpler beverage of nut-brown ale at 
 the tables on our right and left, the steward for the day pro- 
 posed a vote of thanks ^o Mr. and Mrs. Richmond, for their 
 attention to the interests of the club. Upon which, Mr. Rich- 
 mond rose and addressed them at sohie length on the princi- 
 pies of these societies, and he had recourse to the triangle 
 before-mentioned, on whose sides were written, ' Faith, Hope, 
 Charity;' and on the cross-bars, * Mutual Support, Unity, Pa- 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 77 
 
 tience,' &c. He commented on these with his usual simpli- 
 city and piety, reverting to the early history of the institution, 
 and urging the necessity of keeping those principles steadily 
 in view, both in regard to their conduct in the management oi 
 the society, and towards each other. He dwelt also on the 
 subject of the perpetuity of clubs, and the necessity of taking 
 the calculation of human life from more recent tables than 
 those from which it had hitherto been made ; experience hav- 
 ing proved that human life is generally longer than had been 
 supposed. I need not say he made himself understood ; but I 
 may add, that he gave to the whole discussion such an air of 
 interest, that all were delighted, as well as edified. 
 
 " A few minutes after Mr. Richmond had resumed his seat, 
 the steward proposed the thanks of the societies to the honor- 
 ary members, for their countenance and support. When this 
 had passed, Mr. Grimshawe arose on the part of the honorary 
 members. His address contained a strong appeal to their 
 moral principles, and was heard with much interest. After a 
 short interval, the Hon. Lyttleton Powys made a very impres- 
 sive address. His remarks produced a more than ordinary 
 effect upon the whole assembly. He held in his hand a nar- 
 rative of a waterman, who had plied upon the river Thames, , 
 and by his honest industry had been able not only to educate 
 several of his relatives, and settle them in the world, but also 
 to leave considerable pecuniary legacies to some public reli- 
 gious societies. This book he presented to Mrs. Richmond 
 with a request that she should lend it to the members of the 
 club, to teach them the blessings of patient industry, with the 
 fear of God. He pointed out to them, in the waterman's 
 character, his conscientious observance of the Sabbath, in his 
 steady refusal to ply on the river on that day. 
 
 " \V hat I said, I must leave you to conjecture. The happy 
 countenances around me, — the beautiful effect of the pendant 
 flowers, and the sweet union of young men and maidens, old 
 men and children,' filled my mind with so many pleasing 
 ideas, that I assure you I could not continue silent, nor refrain 
 from contrasting the scenes of wretchedness I had witnessed 
 in the manufacturing districts of the north, with the comfort 
 and tranquillity of Turvey. 
 
 " I have mentioned to you that I was present at several of 
 these anniversaries, and I could not help observing that they 
 were so managed, as never to present an uninteresting same- 
 ness. Some new incident furnished a pleasing variety. On 
 one occasion, the senior chaplain of St. Helena was present. 
 
78 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 With a view to inspire contentment amongst the poor, he 
 drew a lively contrast between their comforts and his own pri- 
 vations in that island. He told them, that in consequence of 
 the failure of the regular supplies of provisions, they were 
 frequently reduced to the necessity of , eating salted beef, as 
 black and hard as the piece of mahogany which he held in his 
 hand. After describing Buonaparte's residence at Long- 
 wood, he produced a lock of his hair, which was handed round 
 the tables, and of course examined with eager curiosity. 
 
 " Without entering into further detail, 1 would make this 
 general remark, — that so much cheerful sobriety, decorum, 
 and good feeling were every where visible, as to afford a lively 
 illustration of St. Paul's precept, — ' using this world as not 
 abusing it.' 
 
 " At the close of the meeting, Mr. Richmond requested a 
 part of the company to drink tea with him at his own house. 
 His conversation was carried on in the same improving strain 
 and was calculated to engage the attention of the younger 
 clergy of his neighborhood, whom he frequently invited on 
 these occasions. ^ 
 
 " In closing my letter, one subject of mournful reflection 
 . forces itself upon my mind. — These scenes are passed away ! 
 our dear friend is indeed gone to a more beauteous abode,— 
 a pleasant paradise above ; but the vineyard he has left, may, 
 I fear, in some future day, be overgrown with weeds, and the 
 anniversary of Turvey cease to present the same happy fruits 
 to win our admiration, to console and improve our hearts. 
 Yet many of the members of the Friendly Societies at Tur- 
 vey are members of Christ. These will follow their beloved 
 pastor, their father, and their friend, to that blessed society, 
 whose members are 'no more sick.' 
 
 " That you and I may be numbered with them, is the sin- 
 cere wish of your faithful friend, Amos Westboy." 
 
 The good effects of these societies were universally felt. 
 The poor learned to enjoy hospitality without excess. An occa- 
 sional intercourse between rich and poor, called forth affections 
 and emotions of sympathy and kindness in the one, of respect 
 and gratitude in the other. Instead of the usual scenes at such 
 meetings, a cheerfulness and decorum without constraint pre- 
 vailed, and a respect for religion gave a sacred character to 
 the whole- It is remarkable, that for twenty anniversaries, 
 though an instance or two might be selected, of persons retir- 
 ing from the meeting to a public house, not a single instance 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 79 
 
 of intemperance occurred at the school-room. Another good 
 effect of these societies, was strikingly exemplified in the im- 
 provement of the female character. A lamentable departure 
 from propriety, previous to marriage, was general, before the 
 establishment of these societies ; afterwards, however, it was 
 a rare occurrence. 
 
 As might be expected, his exertions on the week-day con- 
 tributed, in no small degree, to give effect to Mr. Richmond's 
 ministry, and to attach the people to it. The church was nu- 
 merously attended ; the Sabbath became a hallowed day, and 
 its approach was anticipated with lively expectation. The 
 Gospel was preached with fidelity, and heard with deep and 
 solemn interest. Many were awakened from a state of insen- 
 sibility and thoughtlessness, to a just estimation of the truths 
 which they heard from their beloved pastor. Instances were 
 not unfrequent of sound and solid conversion ; and even those 
 who received little spiritual benefit, learned to treat religion 
 with respect, and began to exhibit a decency of deportment. 
 Vice did not lift tip the head with its wonted effrontery, nor 
 was sin committed with the same fearless unconcern, and dis- 
 regard to its consequences. 
 
 Another circumstance in the ministry of Mr. Richmond de- 
 serves the particular attention of the reader, we mean the 
 examination of candidates for the communion. It has often 
 been objected to the Church of England, that her ministers 
 admit to the Lord's Supper indiscriminately, and without due 
 regard to the principles and characters of the communicants. 
 The charge cannot apply to a consistent minister of the Es- 
 tablished Church. He is empowered, nay required, by the 
 instructions of that church, to put in force her discipline ; — to 
 examine, to reject, or admit at his own discretion ; subject, 
 indeed, as it ought to be, to the approval of his superior.* 
 
 Mr. Richmond, as a faithful son of the church, and a, no 
 less faithful minister of the Gospel, endeavored to carry into 
 effect the requirements of the Kubric, and ihe directions of the 
 Holy Scriptures : 1 Cor. v, 7, and xi, 28. The person pro- 
 posing himself for the communion was examined, and a year 
 
 * It lias been supposed that a clergyman Cixpoees himself to a civil action 
 for defamation, hy rcftisinsi the sacrament fo the most profligate offender. 
 This is a wiistake He must, iudee<i, remier his reasons for rejection, to the 
 bishop, ihroMijIi the cliurchwarden.s ; hut he is not liable to a civil action, ex- 
 cept lu, p7z6/ic^/y assisrus his reasons ftjr refusikl. Hs ou{;ln to pass by the 
 rejected [)erson, r.t the time of liie sacrament, or warn him in private. The 
 decision of tlie clersyinaii may, indeed, be reversed by his ecclesiastical supe- 
 rior ; but lie does not expose hitiiself to any process in a civil court. 
 
80 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 of probation was recommended io him, for the trial of his sin- 
 cerity, and the manifestation of it by a consistent and virtuous 
 conversation. Perhaps there were few communions which 
 exhibited a more satisfactory piety ; and the attendants at the 
 sacrament were, for the most part, the fruits of his own mi- 
 nistry, and the dearest objects of his heart: he was regarded 
 by them as a father ; they consulted him on all occasions, and 
 received advice and sympathy in all their affairs, both tempo- 
 ral and spiritual. At once respected and beloved by " the 
 children which God had given him," he, in return, watched 
 over them with anxiety, prayed for them with earnestness, 
 instructed them with diligence, ruled them with mildness, and 
 regarded them with the affection of an apostle : " for now we 
 live, if ye stand fast in the Lord." 1 Thess. iii. 8. 
 
 While Mr. Richmond was thus fulfilling the duties of an 
 active and laborious parish priest, he commenced a work, 
 which justly entitles him to the gratitude of present and suc- 
 ceeding generations. We allude to the 'Fathers of the Eng- 
 lish Church,' a publication containing copious and impartial 
 selections from the writings of our Reformers, and compris- 
 ing a valuable mass of theological knowledge, illustrative of 
 the doctrines of the Reformation. Nothing of the kind had 
 ever been attempted, and, perhaps, few modern divines pos- 
 sessed the requisite means of information. 
 
 The circumstance to which Mr. Richmond was indebted 
 for his superiority in this respect, is singular, and deserves in- 
 sertion. While he resided in the Isle of Wight, and shortly 
 after his perusal of Wilberforce's ' Practical View,' which 
 had effected so striking a change in his own sentiments and 
 character, a grocer at Newport sent him some trifling article 
 wrapped up in a leaf of Bishop Jewell's Apology. His atten- 
 tion was directed to the wrapper by one of his family, who 
 jocosely remarked, " this looks as if it would suit you, Legh." 
 He read the leaf, and instantly set off for Newport, to inquire 
 after the remaining pages. The grocer, smiling at the anxiety 
 of his clerical customer, replied, " O yes, sir, here they are, arid 
 I have a whole hogshead of these worthies ; they are much at 
 your service, for two pence a pound." The treasure was 
 speedily and joyfully secured ; and to this incident, trivial as 
 it may appear, Mr. Richmond owed his extensive and pro- 
 found acquaintance with the authors of the Reformation. 
 
 It is, indeed, a humiliating consideration, that works like 
 these should lose the veneration of posterity, and be treated 
 with the contempt due only to the meanest productions of the 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 81 
 
 day. It was an honor reserved for Mr. Richmond, to draw 
 frora obscurity the writings of those eminent men, who had 
 shaken empires by their discussions, overthrown systems 
 which centuries had struggled to uphold, and sealing their 
 testimony with their blood, bequeathed a sacred legacy of pure 
 doctrine to the Protestant church. 
 
 At the urgent and repeated entreaties of several clerical 
 friends, Mr. Richmond was induced to engage in this important 
 undertaking. A prospectus of his plan was laid before the 
 public in the year 1806 ; and shortly after, he commenced 
 the publication of the work in numbers, and ultimately com- 
 pleted it in eight volumes. It is impossible to contemplate 
 the execution of so laborious a task, and not to assign to the 
 Editor the praise of unwearied diligence, discriminating judg. 
 ment, and acknowledged impartiality. The substance of the 
 writings of Tindal, Ridley, Latimer, Cranmer, Hooper, Brad- 
 ford, Jewell, and others, was thus rendered accessible to the 
 theological student, at a time when the spirit of controversy 
 was gone forth, and when a standard of unquestionable au- 
 thority, and free from the bias of modern prejudices, became 
 a desideratum of the very first importance. Since the above 
 period, a considerable change of sentiment has taken place 
 among us ; and we have no hesitation in ascribing much of 
 that perceptible return to the doctrines of the Reformation, 
 which characterizes the present state of our church, to the 
 influence of this publication. It has been repeatedly referred 
 to, and largely quoted, on the various subjects which have 
 since come under discussion ; and if sound doctrine be to the 
 soul, what nutritious food is to the bod}^, and the stream be 
 purest as we approach nearest to its source, it is to the perusal 
 of the writings of the Reformers and their immediate suc- 
 cessors, next to that of the Bible, that we are to look, under 
 the divine blessing, for the revival of national piety and true 
 religion.* 
 
 From this brief mention of the ' Fathers of the English 
 Church,' we are naturally led to the consideration of the 
 doctrinal views and sentiments of Mr. Richmond, which fur- 
 nished the leading topics of his ministry. 
 
 ** The Fathers of the Engish Church' are now no longer to be obtained 
 in complete sets; but some of the separate volumes, which are distinct and 
 wholly independent in their contents, may be purcliased, by application to 
 the publishers, Messrs. Hatchard, Piccadilly, and Seeley, Fleet Street, Lon- 
 don. 
 
 8 
 
82 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 He has often been heard to declare, " that two great 
 subjects pervaded the Bible ; Sin, and Salvation from Sin ; 
 and that these ought to form the basis ot the Christian min- 
 istry. 
 
 In his addresses from the pulpit, he never failed to point 
 out, distinctly and forcibly, man's ruin by the fall : — his con- 
 demnation under the law, and his moral inability to deliver 
 himself, by any power or ^strength of his own : — The divinity 
 and incarnation of the Son of God : — Free and full justifi. 
 cation, through faith in the atoning blood and righteousness 
 of the Redeemer : — the nature of justifying faith, its frails 
 and evidences : — the agency of the Holy Spirit, in the regene- 
 ration and sanctif cation of believers : — and the necessity of a 
 renewed heart, and of holiness in the life, not as the title to 
 heaven, but as a meetness for its enjoyihent. These are funda- 
 mental doctrines, in which all true Christians without distinc- 
 tion of sect or party, cordially unite. They have been the 
 food of the church of God in all ages, — The manna which 
 has sustained her children in the many and diversified scenes 
 of human trial and infirmity ; — they have been the song of 
 their pilgrimage, — their joy in tribulation,— their light in 
 darkness, and their guide to life and immortality. 
 
 In addition to the above-mentioned doctrines, Mr. Rich- 
 mond adopted the views which are commonly called Calvin- 
 istic ; but not in that offensive sense in which they are fre- 
 quently, though most erroneously imputed. It is not the 
 intention of the editor to enter here on the Calvinistic con. 
 troversy ; this is neither the time nor the place for such a 
 discussion. He may offer a still better -reason for his silence, 
 — the conviction which he has long entertained, that the real 
 question at issue, and the one in which the interests of true 
 religion are most concerned, is not, whether the Articles of 
 our church and the sentiments of the Reformers, be more 
 or less Calvinistic ; but whether we spiritually understand, 
 and cordially embrace those fundamental principles, the be- 
 lief of which is indispensable to salvation, and to the well-be- 
 ing of every Christian community. 
 
 These principles are stated with admirable precision, and 
 strict adherence both to the letter and spirit of the Scriptures, 
 in the 9th, iOth, 11th, 12th, and 13th Articles of the Church 
 of England, and must ever entitle her to rank among the 
 purest of the reformed churches. Satisfied with the princi- 
 ples there laid down, we may safely allow a latitude of in- 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMO:>D. 
 
 83 
 
 terpretation on points which, though deemed important by 
 some, are not maintained by any to be essential to salvation. 
 
 The following analysis of Mr. Richmond's mode of preach, 
 ing, is submitted to the candid consideration ofthose persons, 
 who have fostered prejudices founded on error and misrepre- 
 sentation ; — prejudices not wholly unaccompanied by a very 
 culpable ignorance, and which charity and truth must alike 
 lament and condemn. 
 
 As a preacher he was scriptural, — experimental, — practi- 
 cal, — comprehensive, — powerful in his apjpeals to the conscience 
 and addresses to the heart, — -full of pathos and interest. 
 
 1. He icas scriptural. A rich vein of divine truth was dif- 
 fused through his sermons. The Law and the Gospel were 
 clearly and distinctly exhibited in all their characteristic fea- 
 tures, and enforced to their respective ends. Xo doctrine was 
 asserted which was not proved and established by a constant 
 appeal to the authority of Scripture, with the contents of which 
 he was familiarly acquainted. We would here remark^ that no 
 man can become a sound and enlightened divine, who does 
 not give his days and nights to the study of the Oracles of 
 God, accompanied by prayer and meditation. The connex- 
 ion of solid piety with an intimate knowledge of the Scrip- 
 tures is indissoluble. This forms, indeed, the manual of 
 every Christian, but belongs in a more especial degree to 
 the minister of the sanctuary. It is the armory whence he 
 must draw all his' weapons ; — it is the treasury whence he is 
 to be supplied with every motive and every argument, which, 
 through the grace and the power of the Holy Spirit can fix 
 conviction on the mind, rouse ihe torpid conscience, excite 
 the affections of the heart, and elevate the soul to God. It is 
 the sceptre of righteousness, by which he rules and guides the 
 flock ; the depository of every promise that can cheer their 
 passage through the valley of the shadow of death ; and by it 
 they are taught the new song, which will animate their praises 
 in the land of their inheritance. — " Worthy is the Lamb that 
 was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and 
 strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing, for ever and ev^. 
 Amen." 
 
 2. He was experimental. Divine truth, from his hps, was 
 not a cold speculative statement ; but was so interwoven with 
 all the inward experiences of the human heart, as peculiarly 
 to promote the edification of his hearers. He could appro- 
 priate the language of the Apostle, and say, " that whi^b we 
 have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which w« have 
 
84 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the word of life, 
 declare we unto you." From the heart he preached io the 
 heart, and seemed to enter into all its secret recesses. He 
 detected the illusions by which it is beguiled, — he traced hu- 
 man action to its hidden springs, — he accompanied the soul in 
 the alternations of doubt and hope, of fear and joy, in its con- 
 flicts with despair and unbelief; till led to the foot of the cross, 
 it was able to repose on the promises of God, and realize the 
 sweet enjoyment of pardon and peace. 
 
 3. He was practical. Some preachers are too exclusively 
 doctrinal. Others are no less exclusively practical. Mr. Rich- 
 mond avoided both extremes. He preached doctrine practi- 
 cally, and practice doctrinally. Both were in their due pro- 
 portion : in their mutual dependence, connexion, and use. He 
 connected precept with promise, and privilege with duty. As 
 a spiritual workman, he considered doctrine to be the founda- 
 tion, and practice the superstructure to be erocted upon it ; 
 adopting the sentiment of one of his favorite Reformers, — 
 " truly it is said, ' without holiness no man shall see the 
 Lord ;' but this I know, without the Lord, no man shall see 
 holiness." Thus the doctrine and its tendency; the opera- 
 tion of the Spirit, and its gracious fruits ; genuine faith, and 
 its necessary consequences ; holiness, and the means of at- 
 taining it ; Christ the Saviour, and Christ the Example ; 
 the insufficiency of works as a procuring cause of salva- 
 tion, and their indispensable necessity not only as evidences, 
 but as glorifying God ; these great and important truths 
 were enforced with the fidelity of a Christian pastor, and 
 with the wisdom of a scribe Well instructed in the kingdom of 
 heaven. 
 
 4. He was comprehensive. Chiristianity, in his mode of 
 exhibiting it, was a grand and conprehensive whole ; while 
 the symmetry of the several parts was faithfully preserved. 
 He did not give to one part of divine truth any undue pre- 
 ponderance over another. — Each truth seemed to be in its 
 right place, and in its just measure and proportion. All the 
 doctrines, and all the precepts, — all the promises, and all the 
 characters to whom they are made, — all the privileges, and 
 all the duties, were, in turn, the theme of his discourses. 
 It is this beautiful order, and harmonious combination of all 
 its various relations, that constitutes one of the characteris- 
 lic features of a Revelation from above. And to present it 
 under this form is that rare talent which all should endeavor 
 to attain ; and, when attained, it forms, so far as human in- 
 
REV. LEGn RICII:.IO^'D. 
 
 65 
 
 strumentality is concerned, the grand desideratum of ministe- 
 rial preaching. 
 
 The well informed reader will easily discern the old dimne 
 in this mode of proceeding. The highest Calvinist, in former 
 days, took in the whole range of Christian faith and practice. 
 Usher and others of the supralapsarian school, were as mi- 
 nute and particular in explaining and enforcing the law, in all 
 its ramifications, as they were full and glowing in setting forth 
 the grace of the Gospel ; and insisted as strenuously on the 
 necessity and importance of good works, as the lowest Ar- 
 minian. 
 
 5. He was impressive in his appeals to the heart and con- 
 science. No man better understood that part of a discourse 
 which consists of the application. Some preachers are very 
 deficient in this respect ; either wholly om.itting to apply their 
 subject, or for the most part failing in discrimination. A dis- 
 course, to be profitable, must come home to our own case. 
 
 Mr. Richmond, in appealing to his hearers, was faithful, 
 searching, forcible, and impressive. " He reproved, rebuked, 
 exhorted, with all long-sufiering and doctrine ;" but his ex- 
 hortations were accompanied by the most affecting displays 
 of the mercy, power, and grace of God in the gospel ; and 
 while his own experience of the truths he uttered, gave an 
 authority and efficacy to his words, God put his seal to the 
 testimony, and crowned his labors with success. 
 
 In presenting this delineation of Mr. Richmond's mode of 
 preaching, the editor feels there would yet be something 
 wanting, to give its complete character, if it were not stated 
 more. specifically, that the Saviour, in his various oilkes of 
 Prophet, Priest, and King, was the grand theme of Mr. Rich- 
 mond's ministrations. His excellence, like that of a skilful 
 painter, consisted in so arranging all the subordinate parts of 
 his picture, as to give due prominence and effect to the prin- 
 cipal figure. Christ Jesus icas the soul of all his discourses ; 
 and every precept, every promise, derived its force and value 
 from its bearing in relation to Him. 
 
 A style of preaching like this must be allowed to be'singu- 
 larly useful, combining all that is important and requisite in a 
 Christian preacher. . His ministry possessed two peculiar 
 excellencies ; — it was too practical to make an Antinomian, 
 and too doctrinal to make the mere moralist. Antinomianism 
 may indeed exist, notwithstanding the utmost precaution of 
 the preacher ; and a dependence on our own works as inter- 
 woven with the very frame of our corrupt nature ; but a. 
 8* 
 
86 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 minister is only then culpable, when his mode of preaching hag 
 a direct tendency to produce either the one or the other. No 
 man was ever more free from both these defects, as a preacher, 
 nor any congregation more exempt than his own, from these 
 pernicious errors. In that important branch of Christian 
 theology, relating to faith and works, where some preachers 
 are most confused, he was most clear and scriptural. He 
 laid the foundation in Christ alone, and in faith in his name ; 
 — a faith which was represented to be the gift of God, 
 aiid the work of his spirit ; living, energetic, fruitful, and holy 
 — not the cause, but the instrument of salvation ; and he taught, 
 that good works were themselves the subjects of promise 
 (Micah vii. 19;) the necessary fruits and evidences of faith, 
 but not the meritorious conditions, in whole or in part, of the 
 divine favor. It may be thought, that where the necessity of 
 faith and good works is equally admitted, distinctions of this 
 kind need not be pressed with so much earnestness ; but it will 
 be found, that the right understanding of these distinctions 
 involves the most important consequences. It is not a matter 
 of small moment, whether we put cause for effect, or attribute 
 to our own imperfect services, that salvation, which is the re- 
 sult of God's free grace in Christ Jesus. So far as our own 
 doings enter into the meritorious grounds of our acceptance, 
 they destroy the character of the gospel as a dispensation of 
 gratuitous mercy. " If by grace, then is it no more of works : 
 otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then 
 it is no more grace ; otherwise work is no more work." — Rom. 
 xi. 6. It has been said, that the poor, who constitute the 
 larger part of a congregation, are unable to comprehend 
 these theological subtleties, which ought not, therefore, to 
 form a part of ministerial instruction. We cannot better meet 
 this objection, than by a reference to the sentiments of Bishop 
 Horsley :- — " Pray earnestly to God to assist the ministration 
 of the word, by the secret influence of his Holy Spirit, on the 
 minds of your hearers ; and, nothing doubting that your pray- 
 ers are heard, however mean and illiterate the congregation 
 may be, in which you exercise your sacred functions, fear not 
 to set before them the whole counsel of God. Open the whole 
 of your message without reservation ; that every one of you 
 may have confidence to say, when he shall be called upon to 
 give an account of his stewardship, 'Lord, I have not hid thy 
 righteousness within my heart ; 1 have not concealed thy 
 loving-kindness and truth from the great congregation.' "* 
 
 * See Charges of Bishop Horsley, p. 16. 
 
REV. LEGH HICH3I0>'D. 
 
 87 
 
 We will merely add to this testimony, that the doctrines of 
 grace are often better understood by the poor and illiterate, 
 than by the rich and the wise. " I thank thee, O Father, 
 Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things 
 from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto 
 babes," — Matt. xi. 25. The cross of Christ, which is 
 declared to be, "to the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the 
 Greeks foolishness," is, to them that believe, " the power of 
 God, and the wisdom of God." — 1 Cor. i. 24. The recep- 
 tion of divine truth demands not human learning, but poverty 
 and humiliation of spirit. The learned are required to become 
 as fools, and to enter the kingdom of heaven as litlte children. 
 While to learning is reserved the honor of defending the out- 
 works of religion, it is the happy privilege of none but the 
 meek and lowly, whether learned or unlearned, wise or igno- 
 rant, rich or poor, to enter in and be saved. 
 
 Atler these extended remarks on Mr. Richmond's mode of 
 preaching which the importance of the subject seems to justify, 
 I we may now be permitted to ask, how we are to account for 
 I that prevalent disposition to represent ministers of Mr. Rich- 
 I mond's sentiments as pftaching nothing but exterminating 
 decrees, predestination, election, and reprobation ; and as 
 being incessantly occupied in proclaiming doctrines without 
 practice, a God without love, and a faith without morality ? 
 j Surely it is time to awake from this illusion, which first 
 creates a phantom, then combats it, and afterwards gains an 
 I imaginary triumph over a no less imaginary opponent. Men 
 j should not be charged with consequences which they disavow ; 
 much less be accused, at one moment, of relaxing all the 
 obligations of moral virtue, and at the next, of enforcing them 
 beyond the bounds of reasonable strictness. If, by the lan- 
 guage above alluded to, it is meant to attach the charge of 
 1 high Calvinism to that portion of the clergy who are here 
 intended to be specified, then we must reply, that high Col- 
 vinism is unquestionably not the prevailing creed of those to 
 whom the term is often so indiscriminately and ignorantly 
 applied. Many are known to disclaim the title of Calvinist 
 altogether. Few, very few are disposed to climb its Alpine 
 heights ; and the general persuasion seems to be, that in the 
 construction of the doctrinal articles of our church, there is a 
 sufficient approximation of sentiment to prove a reaemblance 
 to the views of Calvin, £^nd yet a sufficient distinction to shew 
 that there is not an identity. Party names of any kind are 
 highly objectionable and offensive in a cause so sacred as that 
 
88 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 of religion, because they seem to give to erring man the honor 
 and pre-eminence that belongs to God alone. " Be not ye 
 called Rabbi, for one is your Master, even Christ, and all ye 
 are brethren : Call no man your father upon the earth, for one 
 is your Father which is in heaven : Neither be ye called mas- 
 ters, for one is your Master, even Christ." 
 
 But if a term be employed to designate the religious creed 
 of the clergy in question, that of modified Calvinism is, per- 
 haps, the most appropriate. They conceive the Reformers, in 
 the composition of the Articles, to have discovered that happy 
 medium of doctrine which is free from objectionable extremes, 
 which gives to grace, its freeness, and to man the responsibil- 
 ity belonging to a moral agent ; and while it ascribes to God 
 all the glory of salvation, charges the sinner with all the guilt 
 of his own condemnation. The sentiments of that distinguished 
 Prelate whom we have already quoted, are, on this subject 
 also, entitled to notice. " It has been the fashion," he re- 
 marks, " of late, to talk of Arminianism as the system of the 
 Church of England, and of Calvinism as something opposite 
 to it, to which the church is hostile. That I may not be 
 misunderstood in what I have sai^* or may have occasion 
 farther to say upon this subject, I must here declare, that I 
 used the words Arminianism and Calvinism in that restricted 
 sense in which they are generally taken, — to denote the 
 doctrinal part of each system, as unconnected with the princi- 
 ples either of Arminians or Calvinists, upon church discipline 
 and church government. This being premised, I assert, what 
 1 have often before asserted, and by God's grace I will 
 persist in the assertion to my dying day, — that so far is it 
 from the truth, that the Church of England is decidedly 
 Arminian, and hostile to Calvinism, — that the truth is this, — 
 that upon the principal points in dispute between the Armin- 
 ians and the Calvinists, — upon all the points of doctrine char- 
 acteristic of the two sects, the Church of England maintains 
 an absolute neutrality ; her articles explicitly assert nothing 
 but what is believed both by Arminians and Calvinists. The 
 Calvinists, indeed, hold some opinions relative to the same 
 points, which the Church of England has not gone the length 
 of asserting in her articles ; but neither has she gone the 
 length o>f explicitly contradicting those opinions ; insomuch, 
 that there is nothing to hinder the Arminian and the highest 
 supralapsarian Calvinist from walking together in the Church 
 of England and Ireland as friends and brothers, if they both 
 approve the discipline of the church, and both are willing to 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 89 
 
 submit to it. Her discipline has been approved, — it has been 
 submitted to, — it has been in former times most ably and 
 zealously defended by the highest supralapsarian Calvinists. 
 Such was the great Usher ; such was Whitgift ; such were 
 many more ; — burning and shining lights of our church in her 
 early days (when first she shook off the papal tyranny) long 
 since gone to the resting-place of the spirits of the just."* 
 
 If by the charge of holdmg " a faith without morality," it is 
 intended to arraign the doctrine of justification by faith, are 
 those who make this charge aware that they are impugning 
 one of the Articles of their own church, which expressly asserts 
 this doctrine ? — That it is illustrated at large, as we have al- 
 ready proved, in the book of Homilies ? — That it forms a char- 
 acteristic ground of distinction between the Protestant and 
 Romish churches ; and is one of the fundamental principles of 
 Christianity itself? Once more let us appeal to the authority 
 of Bishop Horsley : — " That man is justified by faith, without 
 the works of the law, was the uniform doctrine of the first 
 Reformers. It is a far more ancient doctrine, — it was the 
 doctrine of the whole college of apostles. It is more ancient 
 still, — it was the doctrine of the prophets. It is older than 
 the prophets, — it was the religion of the patriarchs. "f 
 
 Nor can we omit the insertion of the following admonitory 
 hint from the same quarter : — " Take special care," says that 
 distinguished prelate, " before you aim your shafts at Calvin- 
 ism, that you know what is Calvinism, and what is not : that, 
 in that mass of doctrine, which it is of late become the fash- 
 ion to abuse, under the name of Calvinism, you can distin- 
 guish with certainty between that part of it which is nothing 
 better than Calvinism ; and that which belongs to our common 
 Christianity, and the general faith of the reformed churches ; 
 \est, when you mean only to fall foul of Calvinism, you should 
 unwarily, attack something more sacred, and of higher or- 
 igin."^' 
 
 After this almost involuntary allusion to polemical divinity, 
 but which the nature of the subject, and the peculiar circum- 
 stances of our own church, seemed to render unavoidable, we 
 cannot close this chapter without a few reflections. 
 
 It may check the pride and asperity of religious controversy, 
 to remember that amidst the various attempts to unite man- 
 kind, at different periods, within the bounds of one common 
 uniformity of opinion, whether under the name of Luther, Cal. 
 
 ♦Charges, p. 21ft— 218. 
 t Charges, p. 33. 
 I Charges, 226. 
 
90 JIEMOIRS OF THB 
 
 vin, or Arminius, or under the various subdivisions of the pres. 
 sent day ; all have alike failed in the establishment of an uni- 
 versal standard. But it well deserves our notice, that, while 
 each denomination claims a prefercnpe for its own peculiari- 
 ties, God has given his blessing to all, wherever their aim 
 has been holy, their efforts earnest, and the essential truths 
 of Christianity have not been violated. 
 
 Where, then, God withholds not his blessing, man must 
 not withhoW his charity ; and though union cannot exist with- 
 out the essentials of religion, which are, — faith in Christ, and 
 a confromity to his image, in a renewed heart and a holy life — 
 yet, if these be secured, the union is not only practicable, but 
 a necessary consequence ; for, if we are members of Christ, 
 we are members one of another. The more we imbibe the 
 genuine spirit of Christianity, which is a spirit of love, the 
 more shall we be divested of the shackles of party distinction ; 
 and be convinced, that the religion which is from above, is a 
 religion, not of names, but of principles ; not of forms, but of 
 realities ; not " the letter, which killeth, but the spirit, which 
 giveth life." " God is love ; and he that dwelleth in love, 
 dwelleth in God, and God in him."— 1 John iv. 16. " The 
 spirit of Christianity is Christianity. If this be wanting, the 
 glory is departed, and nothing rem.ains worth contending 
 for."* 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 His talent for extempore preaching— Authority and expediency of this mode conside- 
 red—Family letters— Commencement of the editor's acquaintance with him— Pub- 
 lic institutions— Vindication of their character, necessity, and usefulness. 
 
 The principles on which Mr. Richmond formed his minisWy 
 have been laid before the reader ip the preceding chapter ; in 
 which were stated, both the scriptural nature of his doctrines, 
 and the impressive manner of his delivery. He never failed 
 to attract a crowded congregation, and seldom preached 
 without the most decided proofs of divine power accompanying 
 his ministrations. He also possessed many natural endow- 
 ments, which in no small degree contributed to his success. 
 He was an eloquent speaker ; but his eloquence was not 
 labored and artificial, — it was the simple and glowing ex- 
 pression of a mind deeply impressed with the importance of his 
 
 Cecil's Remains. 
 
REV. LEGH EICIIMOXD. 
 
 91 
 
 subject, full of affection, and intent on imparting the same 
 feeings to those who heard him. 
 
 He used to refer his friends, who conversed with him on 
 the subject of preaching, to the advice of his college tutor : 
 " Don't use terms of science. The people have no abstract 
 ideas, — they cannot understand comparisons and allusions 
 remote from all their habits. Take words of Saxon deriva- 
 tion, and not such as are derived from Latin and Greek. 
 Talk of riches, not affluence, — of trust, not confidence. Pre- 
 sent the same idea in a varied form, and take care that you 
 understand the subject yourself. If you be intelligent, you 
 will be intelligible." 
 
 Mr. Richmond's successful application of these useful rules 
 is well known to all who had opportunity of hearing his ser- 
 mons. Though never offensively colloquial, he was well un- 
 derstood by the most illiterate of his congregation ; nor was 
 he satisfied till he had explained an idea in every possible 
 variety and point of view. On this account he sometimes seem- 
 ed, to persons unacquainted with his design, to employ a 
 needless number of words. It was once pleasantly said by 
 one who heard him — " An excellent sermon, but with too 
 many various readings." 
 
 He was also singularly felicitous in imparting interest to 
 what, in familiar phraseology, is called a dry subject. He 
 was once known to preach an hour and three quarters,* on 
 the incidental evidences of Christianity. On this occasion it 
 was said by a sensible man who heard him, — " This is indeed 
 a magnificent sermon ! I always thought Mr. Richmond a 
 good man, but I now know him to be a great man." 
 
 Mr. Richmond, as we have before noticed, possessed a fine 
 taste, and an almost enthusiastic admiration of the beauties 
 of nature. From these he often selected illustrations, and 
 embellished his subject with allusions to them. He used to 
 say, " There are three books to be studied, — the book of ere- 
 ation, the book of providence, and the book of grace. They 
 confirm and illustrate each other." 
 
 These natural talents were consecrated to the service of 
 religion, and gave an interest to his preaching, equalled by 
 few, and excelled by none. 
 
 *Tbis sermon was one of a course of lectures on the evidences of Chris- 
 tianity, preached at Ohiey, by the neighbouring clergy. Mr. Richmond took, 
 his plan from i he " Horje Paulinae," and applied Dr. Paley's principle to 
 every book of Holy Scripture, with preat in^jenuity and success. It is much 
 to be regretted that nothing remains of the sermon, except a few short headi 
 .of diacooirse, used by Mr. Richmond at the time of preaching. 
 
92 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 The editor would not be supposed, by these remarks, to 
 lose sight of the influence of the Holy Spirit, without whom 
 "nothing is strong, nothing is holy." He knows that the 
 Gospel is a mighty engine, but only mighty when God has 
 the working of it."* Yet is it most evident, that God is 
 pleased to make human agency, the natural endowments and 
 temperaments, as well as the graces of his servants, subserve 
 his purposes; and in the selection of instruments, there is 
 always a peculiar fitness for the work in which he employs 
 tRem. 
 
 The effect of Mr. Richmond's ministry was also consider- 
 ably heightened by the fluency of his addresses. He adopted 
 a method of preaching usually called extempore ; without pre- 
 meditation as to the words of a sermon, but not to the exclu- 
 sion of much previous prayer, and labour in the arrangement 
 of its materials. " It is a singular circumstance," observes 
 a friend of his early life, " that his first attempt to preach 
 extempore, in the very small church of Yaverland, in the Isle 
 of Wight, was a total failure. He was so ashamed of it, 
 that he declared he would not repeat the attempt ; and it was 
 only in consequence of the urgent solicitations of our common 
 friend, the Rev. Charles Hoyle, that he was induced to make 
 a second trial, when he succeeded beyond his hopes, and ne- 
 ver afterwards found any difficulty." 
 
 As a proof of the eminence to which he afterwards attain> 
 ed, we venture to introduce another anecdote. 
 
 The late Mr. Whitbread went to hear him preach at St. 
 Paul's, Bedford, in the year 1807, accompanied by a friend, 
 who had expressed an earnest wish to be present. The 
 church was remarkably crowded, — the preacher animated, — 
 and the interest of the congregation strongly excited. The 
 gentleman above allued to at length observed : " He has now 
 preached with incredible fluency, both as to matter and Ian- 
 guage for three quarters of an hour, and he does not seem 
 even yet to be exhausted, or to be drawing to a close." " Ex- 
 hausted!" replied Mr. Whitbread : " he can hold on, in the 
 same way, if necessary, for two or three hours longer." 
 
 We avail ourselves of this occasion to offer a few remarks 
 on the subject of extempore preaching. 
 
 This mode of address, which has considerably prevailed 
 during the last twenty or thirty years, however acceptable 
 to some, is known to excite strong prejudices in the minds of 
 
 * Adams' private thoughts. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 93 
 
 others. It is considered as an irregular and unauthorized 
 practice ; incapable of that well-digested arrangement, which 
 ought to charcterize a discoiirse from the pulpit : and as 
 derogating from the dignity of the ministers of the Estab- 
 lished Church. But this objection regards the execution 
 rather than the principle itself ; and it is the legitimacy, 
 suitableness, and efficiency of this practice, rightly and fully 
 improved, which forms the proper subject for consideration. 
 Its legitimacy will most probably be thought by many to be 
 the vulnerable part of the question ; while the absence of the 
 practice amongst the constituted guardians of our church, who 
 are supposed to be the proper standards for our imitation, will 
 no doubt be appealed to, as furnishing conclusive evidence 
 affainst it. With regard to its authoritv we insert the fol- 
 lowing Mandate, addressed by King Charles II. to the uni- 
 versity of Cambridge : — 
 
 " Vice Chancellor and Gentlemen, — Whereas his Majesty 
 is informed, that the practice of reading sermons is generally 
 taken up by the preachers before the University, and there- 
 fore continues even before himself ; his Majesty hath com- 
 manded me to signify to you his pleasure, that the said 
 practice, which took its beginning from the disorders of the 
 late times, be wholly laid aside ; and that the said preachers 
 deliver their sermons, both in Latin and English, by memory, 
 without book : as being a way of preaching which his Majesty 
 judgeih most agreeable to the use of foreign churches^ — 
 to the custom of the University heretofore, — and to the nature 
 of that holy exercise. And, that his Majesty's commands in 
 these premises may be duly regarded and observed, his fur- 
 ther pleasure is, that the names of all such ecclesiastical per- 
 sons as shall continue the present supine and slothful way of 
 preaching, be from time to time, signified to me, by the 
 Vice-chancellor for the time being, on pain of his Majesty's 
 displeasure.* Monmouth," 
 
 "Oc«. 8, 1674." 
 
 This document, which bears the stamp of royal authority, 
 is sufficient to remove the charge of innovation : and so far 
 from extempore preaching being, as is commonly supposed, 
 the exception to the general rule, written sermons on the 
 
 *Sec Statute Book of the University of Cambridge, p. 301. Car. II. Res- 
 9 
 
94 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 contrary are a departure from the original practice ; for prior 
 to the time of Charles I., extempore preaching was the 
 usual mode of address from the pulpit, and the deviation 
 from this <:ustom is here expressly stated to be a declension 
 from the zeal of former times, and to have had its source in 
 supineness and sloth. A reference to Fox's Book of Martyrs 
 plainly shows the practice of the Reformers. 
 
 In the life of Bishop Latimer we are told, that " he spoke 
 with great freedom; and it not then being the custom for the 
 clergy to write down their sermons, and read them, as they 
 do now, to the people, what he spoke on a subject was full 
 of sincerity, and flowed immediately and directly from the 
 heart."* With respect to the usage of foreign churches, 
 the writer can declare from personal observation, that neither 
 in the Romish, Lutheran, or Reformed Churches ; neither in 
 France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, or Germany, does 
 the practice of using written sermons generally prevail ; and 
 it is a fact no less extraordinary than true, that England is 
 the only country where it is known to he estahlishad. If 
 again we argue as to the suitableness and efficiency of ex- 
 temporaneous addresses, we might appeal to the powerful 
 effect produced by them, both in the senate and at the bar. 
 How could a pit, a Fox, a Burke, and a Sheridan in the 
 one, and an Erskine in the other, have rivalled the orators 
 of Greece and Rome, if the energies of their minds had been 
 impeded by the restraints and forms"of written compositions? 
 And shall the divine and nobler cause of religion, which ex- 
 tends to the immortal destinies of men, be thought less worthy 
 of the sublimest efforts of the mind, and the most intense 
 application of its powers ? Has not the preacher of righteous- 
 ness materials of a more ample range, and a greater stim- 
 ulus to vigorous exertion than. the advocate of a cause which 
 affects only the interests of the present moment ? But it may 
 be a&ked,., are. all qualified to exercise this talent? We an- 
 swer, let men be raised to the grandeur of the subject, in- 
 stead of the grandeur of the subject being lowered to the 
 level of the men, — let means be adopted to give more of a 
 moral elevation to the education, principles, habits, and lives 
 of the clergy ; let doctrine be purified of its errors, and the 
 ambassadors of Christ be more abstracted from the conta- 
 gious influence of secular occupations, and the deadening 
 effect of too much worldly intercourse, — let the influences of 
 divine grace be invoked to descend with their powerful energy 
 
 * See Latimer's SermoHS, 2 vols. 8vo., 1758. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 95 
 
 on the heart, and we shall soon find that preaching, whether 
 extemporaneous or otherwise, will answer all the purposes 
 of its institution, and religion regain its empire over the soul 
 of man. 
 
 We now subjoin some important authorities to sanction this 
 practice. 
 
 We quote the following from the life of Bishop Bull, former- 
 ly the learned and pious bishop of St. David's. — 
 
 " It was but seldom," and that upon some extraordirary oc- 
 casions that he composed his sermon entire, and committed it 
 lo writing ; which.is the reason that he has left so few finish- 
 ed discourses behind him. His usual m.ethod was, after the 
 dioice of his text, to mark some words that were to be explain- 
 ed, in order to give the true sense of that portion of Scripture 
 he had chosen to treat upon ; and then he writ down some ob- 
 servations which flowed naturally from the subject ; and, un- 
 der each observation, hints to illustrate it, and texts of Scrip- 
 ture proper to be explained, in order to give light to it ; and 
 then drew inferences from'his whole discourse, by way of ap. 
 plication. Thus he had only the scheme of his sermon before 
 him in writing ; and having in this manner secured the sub- 
 stance of it, he did, by custom and practice, bring himself to a 
 great readiness and fluency in expressing himself upon all 
 subjects ; and if this manner of preaching wanted the exact- 
 ness of more studied composures, it had the advantage of that 
 popular style, which by good judges has been thought the fit- 
 test for the pulpit ; from whence if men design to influence 
 and persuade the generality of their hearers, they must con- 
 descend to use more words than are 'necessary in a strict 
 sense ; the same thing must be repeated often, and turned 
 after a different manner, and inculcated with force, so that 
 fre^ and lasting impressions may be made upon the au- 
 dience. What Mr. Bull delivered of this kind never want- 
 ed a becoming fervor ; and he enlivened his discourses with 
 proper and decent gestures ; and his voice wasahvays exert- 
 ed with some vehemency, whereby he kept the audience 
 awake, and raised their attention to what he delivered, and 
 persuaded the people that he was in earnest, and affected 
 himself with what he recommended to others. By these means 
 he labored many years in teaching the ignorant, in confirming 
 the weak, in quieting the scrupulous, in softening the hard 
 heart, in rousing the sinner, and in raising the pious soul to 
 a steady and vigorous pursuit of eternal happiness. And 
 whatever he delivered, his words were generally fixed in the 
 
96 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 minds of his hearers, as they parted from his own, full of 
 warmth and heat."* 
 
 The next authority is from Archbishop Seeker. 
 
 " There is a middle way used by our predecessors, of set- 
 ting down, in short notes, the method and principal heads, and 
 enlarging on them in such words as present themselves at the 
 time. Perhaps, duly managed, this would be the best." 
 
 The example of Bishop Burnet may also be adduced ; and 
 in his well-known work, entitled, 'The Pastoral Care,' many 
 directions are given for attaining a proficiency in this practice, 
 from which we quote the following for its excellency and im-* 
 portance. 
 
 But the rule I have reserved last, is the most necessary of 
 all, and without it, all the rest will never do the business ; it 
 is this, that a man must ha^e in himself a deep sense of the 
 inith and power of religion ; he must have a life and flame in 
 bis thoughts, with relation to those subjects ; he must have felt 
 in himself those things which he intends to explain and recom- 
 mend to others. He must observe narrowly the motions of 
 his own mind, the good and bad effects that the several sorts 
 of objects lie has before him, and affections he feels within 
 him, have upon him ; that so he may have a lively heat in 
 himself, when he speaks of them ; and that he may speak in 
 so sensible a manner, that it may be almost felt that he speaks 
 from his heart. There is an authority in the simplest things 
 that can be said, when they carry visible characters of genu- 
 ineness in them. Now, if a man can carry on this method, 
 and by much meditation and prayer draw down divine influ- 
 ences, which are alwsiys to be expected v/hen a man puts him- 
 self in the way of th'em, and prepares himself for them: he 
 will often feel, that while he is musing, a fire is kindled within 
 him, and then he will speak with authority and without con- 
 straint ; his thoughts will be true, and his expressions free and 
 easy ; sometimes this fire will carry him, as it were, out of 
 himself; and yet without any thing that is frantic or enthusi- 
 astical. Discourses brought forth with a lively spirit and heat, 
 where a composed gesture, and the proper motions of the eye 
 and countenance, and the due modulations of the voice con- 
 cur, will have all the effect that can be expected from any 
 thing that is below immediate inspiration : and as this will be 
 of use to the hearers, so it will be of vast use to the preacher 
 himself, to oblige him to keep his heart always in good tune 
 
 * Nelsons's Life of Dr. George Bull, Lord Bishop of St. David's, p. 59. 
 
REV. LEGII .RICHMOND. 
 
 97 
 
 and temper ; not to suffer irregular or forbidden appetites, pas- 
 sions, or projects to possess his mind : these will both divert 
 him from going on in the course of meditation, in which a man 
 must continue many years, till all his thoughts are put in order, 
 polished and fixed ; they will make him likewise speak much 
 against the grain, with an aversion that will be very s^ensible 
 to himself, if not to his hearers, if he has guilt upon hira, if 
 his conscience is reproaching him, and if any ill practices are 
 putting a damp upon that good sense of things, that makes 
 his thoughts sparkle upon other occasions, and gives him 
 an air and authority, a tone of assurance, and a freedom of 
 expression. 
 
 " Such a method as I have been opening, has had great sue- 
 cess with all those that I have known to have tried it.. And 
 though every one has not swiftness of imagination, nor that 
 clearness of expression that others may have, so that in this 
 men may differ as much as they do in their written composi- 
 tions every man by this metliod may rise far above that 
 which he could ever have attained to any other ica.yJ^* 
 
 We now leave this subject to the decisijDn of the reader. 
 Enough has been said to prove that the Church of England, 
 in her best days, — in those of the Reformation, — and down- 
 wards to the time of Charles I., adopted extempore preaching; 
 and that the use of written sermons is coeval with the pe- 
 riod marked by the first symptoms of a declension both in zeal 
 and doctrine ; we are therefore justified in expecting that a 
 revival of pure religion will be accompanied by a return to 
 this practice, as most suited to produce a powerful effect, and 
 most in unison witlvthe example of Protestant Europe. To 
 those of the clergy who may feel inclined to make the attempt, 
 we particularly recommend Burnet's remark, who advises them 
 to make smaller excursions, before they indulge in a wider 
 range. Perhaps in few cases would it be expedient for a 
 young man to commence his ministry with extempore preach- 
 ing, which requires much previous knowledge of divine truth, 
 inward experience of its power, enlarged views, and facility 
 to express them. Time and experience are necessary to form 
 and mature a talent of this kind, as well as to provide suitable 
 materials for its profitable exercise. A preacher will soon 
 exhaust his resources, without a constant influx of new sup- 
 plies ; and repetition, feebleness, and barrenness of thought, 
 will take the place of that varied and powerful exhibition of 
 
 * Pastoral Care, p. 232 and folio wiog pages, 
 
 9* 
 
98 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 divine truth so essential to the success of the ministry. Not- 
 withstanding our preference for extempore preaching, we are 
 not insensible to the defects to which it is liable. There is a 
 danger of neglecting due preparation, of substituting fluency 
 of language for solidity of thought. If there is a deficiency of 
 taste in the preacher, he may degenerate into a style too col- 
 loquial, and his ideas and images may be unsuitable to the dig- 
 nity of the pulpit. 
 
 The old divines are no less worthy of imitation for the dilli- 
 gence they used in preparing their discourses, than for the 
 soundness of the doctrines they taught. They placed no sa- 
 crifice on the altar without invoking fire from heaven to de- 
 scend and consume it. They thought, they prayed, they were 
 mighty in the scriptures; and it was a well-known saying among 
 them, " Give not unto God, that which costs you nothing." 
 
 " He that intends truly to preach the Gospel," says Bishop 
 Burnet, " and not himself ; he that is more concerned to da 
 good to others, than to raise his own fame, or to procure a fol- 
 lowing after himself ; and that makes this the measure of all 
 his meditations and sermons, that he may put things in the 
 best light, and recommend them with the niost advantage to 
 his people ; that reads the Scriptures much, and meditates 
 often upon them ; that prays earnestly to God for direction in 
 his labors, and for a blessing upon them ; that directs his chief 
 endeavors to the most important, and most indispensable, as 
 well as the most undeniable duties of religion ; and chiefly, 
 to the inward reformation of his hearer's hearts, which will 
 certainly draw all other lesser matters after it ; and that does 
 not spend his time, nor his zeal upon lesser or disputable 
 points ; this man, so made and so mouldejl, cannot miscarry 
 in his work. He will certainly succeed to some degree : the 
 word spoken by him, shall not return again. He shall have 
 his crown, and his reward from his labors. And to say all 
 that can be said, in one word, with St. Paul, ' he shall both save 
 himself, and them that hear him.^ "* 
 
 We now close our remarks on extempore preaching. But 
 before we proceed with the narrative, we shall lay before the 
 reader a few letters written about this time by Mr. Richmond, 
 to his aunt and mother. They are not, indeed, connected 
 with any previous or subsequent remarks of our own ; but 
 are here introduced to preserve the chronology of the me- 
 moir. They are pleasing proofs of Mr. Richmond's affec- 
 
 * See Burnet's Pastoral Care. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 99 
 
 tionate attention to the claims of his own family, amidst the 
 incessant demands of public duties. 
 
 " Turvey, January 10, 1808. 
 
 " My dear Aunt, — Affection for one so long known and 
 loved must indeed be asleep, if I did not hasteri'to express my 
 tenderest concern on your account. My office and station calls 
 me daily, in one place or another, to pour the blam of conso- 
 lation into the wounded breast. I cannot, indeed, comfort 
 you in person, but if I may be allowed to speak in my Lord 
 and Saviour's name, I may often do so by letter. Indeed, my 
 dearest aunt, I shall be happy, in any endeavor I can exert, 
 to prove to you how affectionately, I am interested in what 
 regards your welfare, both spiritual and temporal. I am daily 
 exercised amongst the sick, the weak, the maimed, the suffer- 
 ing, and the departing ; and am constantly reminded of the 
 uncertainty of life, even from one day to another. What a 
 glorious light has the word of God thrown on the otherwise 
 dark and gloomy uncertainty, which would have overhung the 
 prospect of eternity ! How full, how free a provision has our 
 gracious God revealed for the salvation of sinners who lay 
 hold on his promises by faith. May you and I be enabled, 
 under every trial and pang of soul or body, to flee to the strong 
 One for help, remembering that " in all our afflictions he was 
 afflicted." 
 
 " May the reccollection of every past instance of God's 
 kindness lead you to trust in him, and to repose on his redeem- 
 ing grace and love. May your prayer be constantly heard 
 and answered, when at the throne of grace you plead what a 
 Saviour has done and suffered for you, and supplicate for a 
 heart thankfully resigned to God, let what will be his pleasure 
 concerning you. I feel persuaded you will ascribe what I have 
 said to a sincere affection, and a desire to contribute my mite 
 of consolation under the trial which Providence has brought 
 upon you. May you meet it with the true spirit of Christian 
 fortitude. Sanctified afflictions are the Lord's peculiar mer- 
 cies to those whom he loves. May your's prove one of this 
 kind ! Frequent meditation on the great change to which we are 
 all daily liable, and to which the youngest are rapidly hasten- 
 ing, — is highly profitable to the soul, and begets a watchful- 
 ness and preparedness of mind for every event and circum- 
 stance. Seasons of sickness and debility are pecurliarly cal- 
 culated to this end. They are often expressly sent, that as 
 in the day of health and prosperity we are too prone to forget 
 
100 
 
 MEMOIES OF THE 
 
 the Author and Giver of all our blessings, these messengers 
 of mercy may be the means, in his Almighty hands, of col- 
 lecting our wandering thoughts and affections, and of fixing 
 them abidingly on him. Receive these reflections from one 
 who loves you, who wishes never to forget that he is a minis- 
 ter of Christ, *%nd always Your affectionate nephew, 
 
 " Legh Richmond," 
 
 " Turveyy January 29, 1808. 
 
 " My dearest Mother, 
 
 " The return of this day* reminds me of life, death, and 
 eternity ; it reminds me of times past, and anticipates times to 
 come ; it reminds me of my dear mother also, and of the many 
 affectionate sensations which the successive anniversaries of 
 my birth have from year to year given her, arising form the 
 mingled hope of good and fear of evil. Sometimes you have 
 written to me on this day ; but lest a letter should not be 
 penned between us, I take up the quill to write to you. 
 Accept my kind, tender, and dutiful assurances of filial love 
 and veneration, and ten thousand thanks for all your cares 
 and prayers on my account, for six-and-thirty years ; nor ever 
 let it be thought that I am insensible to what I owe you. 
 Happy shall 1 feel, if enabled and permitted to contribute to 
 the ease and consolation of your declining years, and to miti- 
 gate the infirmities of old age, by the duly applied exertions 
 of younger years ! It seems but a little while, since I was a 
 boy myself, returning home from season to season, to enjoy 
 the blessing and comfort of parental and sisterly society and 
 affection at your home ; and now I see myself surrounded by 
 my boys and girls at my own home, growing apace and pre- 
 paring to occupy the station in the world which we now fill up. 
 It is and old and worn-out remark, ' how time flies !' Yet we 
 cannot help all making it in our turn ; we feel its force, and 
 out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. One 
 cannot help sometimes ejaculating with good old David, 'Q, 
 spare me a little, that I may recover my strength, before I go 
 hence and be no more seen !' What a scene does eterinty 
 present ! — the years of life past, — early connexions dissolved, 
 — the secrets of all hearts laid open, — souls saved or lost, — 
 Christ, a frowning judge, or a welcome Saviour, — all mistakes 
 and errors in religion at an end, — every false foundation 
 undermined, — a world in flames and consumed, as though it 
 had never been, — time itself no more, — eternal ages of ages 
 
 * His birth-day. 
 
REV. LEGH RICH3I0ND. 
 
 101 
 
 rolling on in ceaseless bliss or woe ? Who is sufficient even to 
 speak on these things ? 
 
 *' Pray for me, that since the Lord has spared me another 
 year I may not prove such a barren fig-tree as heretofore. I 
 could look back on all that is past, and view myself as no 
 better than a cumberer of the ground. But the gracious 
 Vine-dresser intercedes, and his prayer is full of love and 
 mercy ; may the Ow^ner of the vineyard hear, and answer it. 
 I have been very unwell, but am now much better : the poor 
 fig-tree is not yet cut down. May it bear fruit to the glory 
 of the Father. Accept our love, and give it to those around 
 you ; and believe me your affectionate son, 
 
 Legh Richmond." 
 
 ' ' Tui-vey, March 25, J 809. 
 
 "My dearest Mother, 
 
 " I do indeed most sincerely rejoice at your recovery from 
 so severe an attack of your complaint, as that which you des- 
 cribe. May a gracious God protect you under the shadow of 
 his wing, and spare your valuable health, for all our sakes ; 
 may you daily enjoy more of a sense of the divine presence as 
 you advance in your pilgrimage : may you sometimes be fa- 
 vored, from the top of the mount of Pisgah, with a cheerful 
 prospect of Canaan ; and alv/ays be supported by the trust that 
 He who hath begun the good work in you, will perfect it in 
 his own time. Your occasional doubts and fears, arise from 
 too much considering faith and repentance as the grounds, 
 rather than the evidences of salvation. The truth is, that a 
 weak faith makes the soul as secure, though not so happy, as 
 a strong one : and an imperfect repentance, as we deem it, 
 may be sincere, and therefore a work of grace. Our salva- 
 tion is not, because we do so well, but because ' He whom we 
 trust, hath done all things well.' The believing sinner is 
 never more happy nor secure, than when, at the same moment, 
 he beholds and feels his own vileness, and also his Saviour's 
 excellence. 
 
 I the chief of sinners am, 
 But Jesus died for me, 
 
 • 
 
 is the burden of his song. You look at yourself too much, and 
 at the infinite price paid for you too little. For conviction, it 
 is true, you must look to your own heart ; but for comfort, at 
 your own Saviour. Thus the wounded Israelites were to look 
 only at the brazen serpent, for recovery. The graces of the 
 
102 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Spirit, such as love, patience, goodness, faith, &;c., are good 
 things for others to judge us by ; but it is Christanity, as re- 
 ceived, believed in, rested upon, loved^ and followed, that will 
 speak peace to ourselves. By looking unto Him, we shall 
 grow holy ; and the more holy We grow the more we shall 
 mourn over sin, and be sensible how very short we come of 
 what we yet desire to be. None are so holy as those who 
 mourn that they are not more. so. While our sanctification is 
 a gradual and still imperfect work^ our justification is perfect 
 and complete : the former is wrought in us, the latter ^or us. 
 Rely simply as a worthless sinner on the Saviour, and the 
 latter is all your own, with its accompanying blessings of par- 
 don, acceptance, adoption, and the wow-imputation of sin to 
 your charge. Hence will flow thankful obedience, devoted- 
 ness of heart, patience in tribulation, and quiet waiting for the 
 glory of God. Thus, salvation is by faith alone ; and thus, 
 saving faith works by love. Embrace these principles freely, 
 fully, and impartially, and you will enjoy a truly scriptural 
 peace, assurance, and comfort. 
 
 " You would hear from my dear wife somethingof my inten- 
 ded proceedings, during the ensuing month of May. She has, 
 of course, told you, that I am to preach the annual missionary 
 * sermon, in London, on Whit-Tuesday. Mr. Robinson, of 
 Leicester, preached last year. 
 
 " I hope will succeed in procuring an eligible resi- 
 dence. How I wish they might fix 'near a truly pious and de- 
 voted clergyman. The importance of this circumstance should 
 never be forgotten in the choice of a residence, and is of far 
 greater importance than many are disposed to consider it.* 
 
 "May God bless, protect, and preserve you to his own king. 
 
 dom. Love to Mr. and Mrs. H , from all here and from 
 
 " Your affectionate son, Legh Richmond.'* 
 
 * How many, who have a good support for their famili?s, for mere purposes 
 of worldly gain, removt^ to sections of the country, wliere the regular ordinan- 
 ces of religion are not found, and where schools and religious institutions are 
 unknown. Thus their children grow up in ignorance and sin, and become 
 a curse to themselves and society. How cheaply do such parents sacrifice the 
 interests of the soul and eternity, for the riches of earth. We would not dis- 
 courage emigration, but we would invoke every parent, not to choose his resi- 
 
 ^dence beyond appointed means of grace. It has pleased God, by the foolishness 
 
 'of preaching, to save them that believe. 
 
 We would suggest the propriety of colonies of a dozen or more pious fam- 
 ilies going forth to the more destitute parts, carrying with them all the reli- 
 gious iiisututions of the day. New t-eftlements thus formed, might not need 
 afterward to be evangelized, but would themselves exert a salutary inlfluence 
 on present and future generations.—^wier. Ed, 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 103 
 
 It was towards the close of the year 1808, that the writer 
 of this memoir first became acquainted with Mr. Richmond ; 
 and as the circumstances connected with the occurrence were 
 of a nature that led to a very confidential intercourse, termi- 
 natingonly with the decease of his revered and much-beloved 
 friend, he trusts he shall be excused for briefly adverting to 
 the subject. 
 
 Soon after his entrance into the ministry, the serious charge 
 first attracted his attention, that the Gospel was not general- 
 ly preached with fidelity and correctness by the clergy. As 
 this accusation was circulated in the neighbourhood where he 
 then lived, and he was included in the supposed number of the 
 delinquents, it awakened serious reflections in his mind. 
 
 Having adopted the profession of'the church under a strong 
 predilection for its duties, he was disposed, in the first in- 
 stance, to repel this insinuation, with a deep sense of injured 
 feeling ; not wholly unmingled with indignation ; and to attri- 
 bute it to the prevalence of dissent in that particular vicinity. 
 But the question immediately suggested itself, — Wliy was 
 there a prevalence of dissent ; and did not this fact of itsel f con- 
 stitute a grave and momentous charge^ affecting the character 
 and credit of the clergy ? The fact, of the poor usually forming 
 the larger portion of the seceders, contributed in no small de- 
 gree to rouse his conscience, and to call for deliberate and 
 solemn inquiry. 
 
 At that period, the religious views of the writer in common 
 with those of many others, were of the following nature, — 
 that we were to fulfil every appointed duty to the best of our 
 ability, and that all deficiencies would be supplied by the merits 
 of the Redeemer; thus making the sinner's salvation, princi- 
 pally, the effect of his own merits, and considering those of the 
 Saviour merely as supplementary to them. The corruption 
 and entire alienation of the human heart from God, the ne- 
 cessity of the renewing influences of the Holy Spirit, and the 
 manner of their operation, were very inadequately understood 
 by him ; and consequently, very obscurely stated from the 
 pulpit ; and yet he was diligent in his parochial duties, zealous 
 as a preacher of righteousness, and aimed at holiness in his 
 life, without ever being able to attain what he so earnestly 
 desired. After various attempts to satisfy his conscience, the 
 suggestion gradually presented itself, that it was possible he 
 might hold erroneous views, however unconscious of their na- 
 ture and extent ; and the awful words of the apostle, " Woe 
 unto me if I preach not the Gospel," began to fill his m.ind with 
 
104 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 trouble and dismay. Not to dwell on a series of minor cir- 
 cumstances, the idea which was first admitted as a 'possibil- 
 ity , assumed the character of probability ; and, for a period 
 of two years, his mind was kept in a state of painful conflict ; 
 during which, many a prayer was offered up to the Father 
 of lights, and to the God of all mercy ; and the promise un- 
 ceasingly pleaded, — "If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of 
 God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not ; and 
 it shall be given him." — James i. 5. 
 
 At the expiration of this time a dying friend sent him 
 Romaine's twelve Discourses on the Law and the Gospel ; 
 earnestly expressing a hope, that the perusal of them might be 
 as useful to him, as she had found it to be to herself. It was 
 to this book that the writer owed the solution of all his diffi- 
 culties, and the first clear and spiritual conviction of the mode 
 of a sinner's acceptance before God ; from it he discovered, 
 that the law can never save, either in whole or in part, — that 
 its office is rather to condemn, " as the killing letter," and 
 " the ministration unto death," because it requires that perfect 
 and unsinning obedience, which no man can perform ; and in 
 the absence of such obedience, pronounces the awful sentence, 
 — " Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things, which 
 are written in the book of the law to do them."* — Gal. iii. 
 10.* Thus the law becomes " a school-master, to lead us to 
 Christ," — that the condemned and guilty sinner may see the 
 grace and glory of that redemption which is revealed in the 
 Gospel ; and disclaiming all self-dependance, may seek and 
 find acceptance from the unmerited mercy of God in Christ 
 Jesus. The work entitled, ' The Fathers of the English 
 Church,' of which an account has already been given, was, at 
 the same time, just published in numbers ; and, from a con- 
 viction that none were likely to be better guides, in the right 
 interpretation of the doctrines of the church of England, than 
 those who framed them, the writer began to read the above 
 publication with great interest. Shortly afterwards, he was 
 removed to his present residence, at Biddenham, but not 
 before he had been permitted to see some very decided fruits 
 from his change of views, and from a more scriptural style of 
 preaching. The parish of Biddenham not being further dis- 
 tant from Turvey than six miles, he frequently heard of Mr. 
 Richmond's character and proceedings ; and having expressed 
 a strong desire to cultivate his acquaintance, this wish was 
 shortly after gratified. 
 
 *See also Daniel ix, 11. 
 
REV. LEGH RICnMOKD. 
 
 105 
 
 As he was one morning engaged in reading the ' Fathers,' 
 the name of Mr. Richmond was announced, and he immediate- 
 ly entered the room. After a few general remarks, " What is 
 the book, sir," he asked, that you are reading ?" " The ' Fa- 
 thers of the Enghsh Church,' " I repHed. " What is the 
 nature of the work, and your opinion of its merits ?" I ob- 
 served, that I had been led by a train of circumstances to ex- 
 amine very minutely into the real purport and character of the 
 doctrines of our church, from a conviction that a great diver - 
 sity of opinion prevailed on the subject ; and that instead of 
 being directed by any modern guide, it appeared to me to be 
 the duty of a conscientious minister, to trace its doctrines to 
 the writings of those men by whose labors it had been estab- 
 lished. That a work had lately been published, professing to 
 contain copious extracts from the writings of the Reformers, 
 which I considered to be a most invaluable performance ; that 
 I was deriving much benefit and edification from it ; and that 
 if it were read by the clergy generally, I thought it would be 
 attended with very important consequences. Seeing a smile 
 upon his countenance, I inquired, " Why do you smile, sir ?" 
 *' It is owing," he replied, " to the singularity of our conver- 
 sation ; and you yourself will, perhaps, smile, and be surprised, 
 when 1 inform you that the editor of the work, in the praise of 
 which you are so earnest, is now before you." " You the 
 author of this work?" *' Yes," he replied, "I am the compi-. 
 ler." He then related the facts that have already been re- 
 corded, as to the manner in which he first became possessed 
 of the writings of the Reformers. The interest excited in ray 
 mind by this communication, and by the whole of the interview 
 awakened a strong wish to cultivate a nearer intercourse with 
 so valuable a character ; and the foundation was soon laid of 
 an intimacy which the experience of every year increased and 
 strengthened — the harmony of which was never interrupted 
 for a day, an hour, or a moment ; and which was the source 
 of increasing profit, comfort and happiness, to its lamented 
 close. Little did I think, when this first interview occurred 
 with my estimable friend, that we were afterwards to be 
 frequent companions in many a labor of love, — in many a 
 public cause ; and to share, with mutual sympathy, in the 
 various events that have occurred since that period ; — that f 
 then saw before me the man with whom I was to be leagued 
 in the closest bonds of intimacy, — that I shouJd be called upon 
 to officiate in baptizing his children, marrying his daughters^ 
 and burying two of his sons ; and, finally, that it would be my 
 10 
 
106 
 
 me:,ioirs of the 
 
 mournful duty, amidst the tears of his bereaved family and 
 sorrowing parishioners, to perform the last sad offices for 
 himself! 
 
 Shortly "afte^r the above interview, Mr. Kichmond was 
 requested to preach at Biddenham. It was the first time that 
 I had ever heard a minister of his sentiments. The clearness, 
 the ability, and the impressive manner, in which he unfolded 
 the great truths of the Gospel, — the earnest and affectionate 
 appeals that he made to the conscience ; the skill with which 
 he discriminated the different classes of his hearers, the aston- 
 ishing fluency of his utterance, and the earnestness both of the 
 preacher and the congregation, awakened in me a train of so- 
 lemn reflections, and especially on the value of public preach- 
 ing, when conducted on such principles, and accompanied with 
 such holy and devout affections. An intense interest and a 
 heavenly fervor seemed to be depicted in every countenance, 
 and to be felt in every heart. I shared in the same emotions, 
 but they were accompanied by a great depression of feeling, 
 and a conviction that 1 was wholly unworthy to enter the same 
 pulpit ; nor shall I ever forget the seasonable remark of a 
 pious old man, on the following morning, who, in dwelling on 
 the excellencies of the preceding day's discourse, observed, 
 " The grace that God has given to him, he can give both to 
 you and me; for God is no respecter of persons." 
 
 The writer being called away for a short time, by some fa- 
 mily circumstances ; Mr. Richmond undertook to assist him, 
 and supply the duty at Biddenham and at the adjoining parish 
 of Stagsden. It was during this interval that he received from 
 him the two following letters. 
 
 " Turvey, February 8, 1 809. 
 " My dear Friend, — 1 sincerely pray that you may be re- 
 stored to your parishes in that happy frame which may, under 
 a divine blessing, render j^ou to them, and them to you, a 
 mutual comfort. A general interest and inquiry is excited 
 in your whole vicinity, to hear you, and the word of God from 
 your lips. May you be directed and enabled, by the Searcher 
 of all hearts, to preach Jesus Christ freely, fully, and eftectu- 
 ally, both to unconverted and converted sinners. Do not 
 shun to declare the whole counsel of God. Keep in mind that 
 excellent rule I mentioned the other morning : ' never preach 
 gl single sermort, from which an unenlighted hearer might 
 not learn the plan of Salvation, even though he never after- 
 w«irds heard another discourse.' Sin and salvation are the 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 107 
 
 two grand subjects of our preaching ; and they ought to be 
 brought forward unceasingly, both doctrinally, practically, 
 and, above all, experimentally. Preach from the h^art, and 
 it will always reach the heart. I always find that when I 
 speak from the inward feelings of my own heart, with respect 
 to the workings of inbred corruption, earnest desire after sal- 
 vation, a sense of my own nothingness, and my Saviour's ful- 
 ness, the people hear, feel, are edified, and strengthened. 
 Whereas, if I descend to mere formal or cold explanations of 
 particulars which do not affact the great question — " What 
 must I do to be saved ?" — my hearers and I grow languid 
 and dull together, and no good is done. 
 
 " Many of our hearers have been accustomed to attend at 
 various descriptions of meeting-houses. The general charac- 
 ter of meeting-house piety is simple, earnest, scriptural, 
 plain, and interesting, — the awful condition of a sinner, in 
 his natural state, and the consolations and promises of a 
 Saviour are dwelt upon throughout their prayers and dis- 
 courses. Thus far all is good ; and we must do the same, 
 if we would regain or retain our congregations. Thus the 
 fathers of the English church preached to our elders and pre- 
 decessors ; — thus preached Romaine, Walker, Venn, Ber- 
 ridge, Milner, Newton, &c. ; and thus souls were saved, and 
 the church of England flourished^ and was built up under 
 their ministry. May you and I do so likewise, and daily see 
 the fruit of our labors, in the growth of our people in divine 
 knowledge. 
 
 " You see I speak to you with the freedom of a brother ; 
 you have given me liberty so to do. I esteem you highly for 
 it, and thank you for the confidence you repose in me ; I only 
 desire to use it to the glory of God, and the good of souls. 
 Having some little experience in the ministry, and knowing 
 a good deal of the character and circumstances of the peo- 
 ple, both religious and irreligious, in this neighborhood, I may 
 sometimes have it in my power to suggest hints, and commu- 
 nicate information, that may be useful and satifactory to 
 you. But above all, pray fervently to God for a blessing on 
 yourself, your preaching, your people, on the church of God, 
 and last, though not least, on your unworthy friend and bro- 
 ther, L. Richmond." 
 
 Turvey Feb. 20, 1809. 
 " My dear friend and Brother, — I promised you an account 
 of my proceedings with respect to your parishes, and now sit 
 
108 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 down to fulfil that promise. My friend who engaged to as- 
 sist me, having been prevented from coming here, I was 
 under the necessity of fixing a later hour for the services at 
 Biddenhara, ^but it was perfectly agreeable to your people, 
 and to many even more agreeable, than if I had served your 
 church at the usual time. 
 
 " Your churches have been overflowing as to the number 
 of hearers, and I trust God will bless the work amongst 
 them ; I preached for you also at Biddenham on the Fast- 
 day : — I had every reason to be highly satisfied with the gen- 
 eral appearances of things, during the three weeks I preach- 
 ed at Biddenham. Our truly Christian friends, the B.'s, did 
 every thing possible to promote my comfort, and the general 
 good of our holy cause. At two o'clock in the afternoon of 
 the 12th ultimo, I arrived for the first time at Stagsden ;* the 
 wliole school were assembled in the church, and a fine con- 
 gregation. I preached a sermon on the opening of the 
 school. When the service was over, I desired the children 
 and their relations to come into the chancel, where I gave 
 them a familiar address, by way of encouragement, and spoke 
 to them individually on their respective duties. I yesterday 
 went to Stagsden iigain, later in the afternoon, being unable 
 to get there so early as I wished, and found a noble congre- 
 gation indeed. After service I inspected the school, and 
 made a few regulations lor order and decency, which will 
 await your approbation. I have been very desirous that the 
 first impressions on the minds of the scholars, and that of 
 the parish at large, should be, that it is a religious as well 
 as a literary institution ; and I think I have succeeded. I 
 visited this morning two dying parishioners of Stagsden, one 
 at North-end, and the other at Bury-end. Both, alas ! with 
 little light. I have said and done every thing I could 
 amongst the people to pave the way, as I trust, for your 
 comfortable labors amongst them. I shall hope to see you as 
 soon as you return, as I shall be glad to enter into fuller 
 details of several little particulars which may be for your sat- 
 isfaction, and that of the parishes. One day at Biddenham, 
 I conversed individually with several of your parishioners, and 
 ivas happy to find that some young persons have been seri- 
 ously impressed under your ministry. Some others also spoke 
 to me, and desired to be kindly remembered, particularly one 
 
 * A neighboring village, the curucy of whicii was, at that time attached to 
 Biddenham. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 109 
 
 named . I propose going next week to see your 
 
 Biddenham flock once more before you return. 
 
 " Having given you some account of your parochial trans- 
 actions, allow me to express my earnest wishes for your spir- 
 itual prosperity, both as it concerns your own inward expe- 
 rience and outward ministry^ I feel persuaded, that you 
 will every day increasingly discover your infinite obligation 
 to our common Lord and Saviour, who has led you by his 
 grace, to discern between good and evil, truth and error, 
 " salvation by works, and salvation by grace through faith 
 alone. I cannot help feeling an affectionate and brotherly 
 concern and regard towards you, from having so exactly trod 
 over a similar ground. I have known the difficulty of giving 
 up all for Christ, — of ceasing to do and speak as the world 
 around me did ; — I have felt the necessity of denying myself, 
 — taking up the cross, and following our Lord. I (^ffer up 
 my prayers, that your mind may be strengthened unto the 
 clearest views of every essential truth, and unto firm resolu- 
 tions to walk in the good old way of our forefathers. 
 
 " God appears to have prepared you a people for your la- 
 bors, and they are anxiously awaiting your arrival. May the 
 Lord give you many of them as souls for your hire ! 
 
 Allow me with all the confidence and anxiety which friend- 
 ship and a desire to serve the interest of our great cause in- 
 spire, to give it as my decided advice (founded on observation, 
 and on the state of feeling and habit amongst religious people 
 in general,) that you study even the prejudices of those amongst 
 whom you may labor, against all worldly conformity, that might 
 injure the weight and influence of your ministry .Public, and 
 some private amusements, are viewed with peculiar dislike 
 and disapprobation by good people in general. Those v/ho 
 have not been accustomed to converse intimately with that 
 most respectable part of the community, the middle and 
 lower ranks of religious persons, would hardly conceive how 
 strong their feelings are upon those points which others often 
 view as trivial. 1 merely mention these things, because I 
 have myself found the necessity of attending to them, far be- 
 yond what I at first supposed. I feel a deep interest for 
 your happiness, and the success of your ministry. I view it 
 as a matter of providential mercy, that you are thrown into 
 this new situation, and trust great good will arise from it to 
 you, and to the people^ 
 10* 
 
no 
 
 MEMOIES OF THE 
 
 " I am much obliged by the friendly confidence with which 
 you have treated me, and pray God that our intercourse may 
 be truly blest. 
 
 *' I ought lo apologize for so long a letter, but I have been 
 insensibly led to be prolix. I shall preach, and visit the new 
 Sunday school at Stagsden on Sunday next, and shall pay 
 one more visit to your people at Biddenham, in the middle of 
 next week ; at the end of which I hope God will restore you 
 in safety to 'your work and your reward.' May the free, 
 sovereign, unmerited, and effectual grace of God, give you 
 all spiritual blessings in heavenly places with Christ Jesus. 1 
 commend you to his high and holy keeping, and desire you to 
 be assured with how great sincerity I am your unworthy fel- 
 low laborer, L. Richmond." 
 
 The»writer of this memoir cannot help here observing, how 
 much he recognized the hand of Providence in leading him to 
 a neighbourhood which abounded with so many privileges of a 
 religious nature, and where he found so experienced and use- 
 ful a guide as Mr. Richmond. In his former residence, with 
 the exception of an endeared friend, the want of these ad- 
 vantages was highly injurious to his progress in the knowl- 
 edge of religion. In this way we discover the goodness and 
 wisdom of Providence, in the various circumstances and 
 events of our lives, in appointing the bounds of our habita- 
 tion, and placing us when and where his Almighty wisdom 
 and love see to be most suited to the purposes of his grace, 
 and of our own welfare and advancement in holiness. 
 
 It was about this period, in the year 1809, that those 
 great institutions, whose subsequent career is so well known, 
 suddenly emerged from a state of comparative obscurity, and 
 by a kind of simultaneous movement engrossed the popular 
 favor and sanction, from one extremity of the kingdom to 
 the other. Men were at length roused from their apathy, 
 and seized with avidity the opportunity now presented of re- 
 deeming the guilt of past neglect. On the other hand, feel- 
 ings of disapprobation, or of more avowed opposition, were 
 manifested in certain quarters, and ministers of the Estab- 
 lished Church were subjected to much misrepresentation and 
 censure, on account of their attachment to these societies. 
 It seems, therefore, not irrelevant, in recording the life of 
 one who was a most active friend and able supporter of these 
 institutions, to offer a few remarks, in vindication of the mo- 
 
REV. LEGII RICHMOND. 
 
 Ill 
 
 tives which induced Mr. Richmond and others to afford them 
 their zealous co-operation. 
 
 The British and Foreign Bible Society first claims our 
 notice. 
 
 If ever there was a loud call for making an extended ef- 
 fort to circulate the inspired Volume, it was at the period of 
 the establishment of this society. At home the poison of 
 infidelity had been propagated with singular malignity and 
 perseverance ; while a sufficient supply of the Holy Scriptures, 
 the only antidote capable of arresting its progress was not to 
 be obtained. 
 
 On the continent of Europe, where this deficiency existed to 
 a much greater extent, an anti-social and anti-religious con- 
 federacy had long been actively at work,"' and atheism itself 
 had been proclaimed with the authority and sanction of law. j- 
 The moral restraints, so necessary to be imposed on the pas- 
 sions of men, being thus withdrawn, a system of demoraliza- 
 tion had gradually diffused itself throughout civilized Europe, 
 and the grreat fabric of civil and religious societv had long been 
 threatened with dissolution. The attempt, theretore, at such 
 a moment of disorder and confusion, to bring men back to the 
 important sanctions of a divine Revelation, seemed to be no- 
 thing less than an act of heavenly interposition, and a visible 
 fulfilment of the promise, that the gates of hell shall not prevail 
 against the interests of the church of God ; — it was to erect 
 the most powerful barrier against the future encroachments 
 of infidelity ; and, viewed in this light, it seemed like the bow 
 in the heavens, the pledge that the world was not to be again 
 destroyed by the overwhelming flood. 
 
 It is a delightful reflection, that Great Britain was the first 
 to stem the torrent, and, during a period of prevailing infidelity, 
 to form an institution, whose object was to dispense the bread 
 of life at home and abroad, to every nation under heaven. 
 
 To effect this grand enterprise of Christian benevolence, men 
 of all ranks and denominations, laying aside party distinctions, 
 met on common ground, and exhibited an union hitherto un- 
 known in the annals of Christendom ; — an union of all hands 
 and of all hearts ; holy in its character, and yielding the fruits 
 of righteouness and peace ; — an union, presenting to the world 
 a new weapon to silence the vauntings of the adversary, and 
 
 * See Barruel's Jocol)in Conspiracy on this subject, and another work of 
 similar character, by Professor Robinsou. 
 
 t A decree passed, during the French revoaltion, in the National Convention, 
 declaring that there was no God 1 
 
112 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 tending to the fulfilment of the prayer of the divine Interces- 
 sor, — " that they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, 
 and I in thee ; that they also may be one in us, that the world 
 may believe that thou hast sent me." John xvii, 21. 
 
 Cheering as were the prospects afforded by this union of 
 the Christian world ; an union without compromise of princi- 
 ple, and whose sole object was to lift up the standard of di- 
 vine truth, that all nations might gather around it, — yet there 
 never was an institution which encountered a more systematic 
 opposition. 
 
 It was maintained, and no doubt with all the sincerity of 
 conviction, that the circulation of the Bible alone, unaccom- 
 panied by the Prayer Book, the proper and authorized symbol 
 of the Established Church, must ukimately prove fatal to that 
 church, and yet, if the Prayer Book be in accordance with 
 the Bible, as the members of the Established Church believe 
 and avow, does it not seem at variance with the allowed con- 
 nexion of cause and etfect, to suppose that a principle, in its 
 tendency and design, can be subversive of that with which it 
 is identified'; or that the Bible, which propagates nothing but 
 truth, and therefore is opposed to nothing but error, can pos- 
 sibly lead to such a disastrous issue 1 It would certainly have 
 been a strange anomaly in morals, as well as in argumenta- 
 tive reasoning, for the future historian to have recorded, that 
 in the sixteenth century the Church of England was first 
 erected on the foundation of the Bible, and of the Bible 
 alone ; and yet that, in the nineteenth century, it was un- 
 dermined and finally overthrown by the same instrumentality : 
 thus exhibiting the extraordinary spectacle of a church subvert- 
 ed by the identical cause to which it owed its original esta- 
 blishment. The Bible, the Bible alone, says the immortal Chil- 
 lingworth, is the religion of Protestants ; and the Church of 
 England has recorded the same declaration in one of her Ar- 
 ticles. Its members, therefore, have nothing to apprehend 
 from the circulation of the sacred volume. They have only 
 to fear " the worm at the root," the decay of sound and scrip- 
 tural principles, to obviate which the Bible furnishes the best 
 antidote. 
 
 But while the sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures is allowed 
 to be the doctrine of our own church, and the fundamental 
 principle of the Protestant faith, another objection was urged 
 at this time, with no less frequency, namely, that the union of 
 such discordant materials (as they were called) as churchmen 
 and dissenters, would prove totally impracticable. Without 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 113 
 
 referring to the characteristic feature of Christianity, which 
 is to unite all men into one holy brotherhood, we will here 
 argue the questiou rather as a matter of fact, than of specula- 
 tion. The harmony of this union has now continued during a 
 long lapse of years, without experiencing any interruption ; 
 and it has owed its preservation to the uniform fidelity with 
 which the Society has adhered to its fundamental principle, viz. 
 the exclusion of note and comment ; — restricting its members 
 to the simple recognition of one great truth, — that the inspir- 
 ed volume is the common standard of faith and practice to all 
 mankind. It is true that disunion in the councils of the Socie- 
 ty has unhappily occurred, but it arose from other causes, 
 which w^e need not specify, because they are too well-known ; 
 and it is not less known, that they were wholly unconnected 
 with the union of churchmen and dissenters. The writer can al- 
 so add his own testimony in the following remarkable fact, that 
 during an intercourse of eight years' continuance with the late 
 Rev. Mr. Toller, an eminent and amiable dissenting minister 
 at Kettering, with whom he was associated as Secretary to 
 the Northamptonshire Bible Society, so numerous were the 
 subjects of discussion in which they were found to agree, that 
 there was neitheropportunity nor inclination to introduce those 
 in which they differed. Instances might also be enumerated 
 to prove the tendency of this Society to soften political differ- 
 ences, and national animosities. Mr. Baker and Mr. Plomer, 
 two rival candidates for the representation of the county of 
 Hertford, first met together without feelings of asperity, on the 
 platform of a Bible Society, and after the meeting, expressed 
 their mutual satisfaction in embracing each other as friends. 
 In a similar manner, the late Mr. Whitbread seconded a reso- 
 lution at the London Auxiliary Bible Society, which Lord Cas- 
 tlereagh had previously moved ; stating, that in such a cause 
 he forgot the opponent, and recognized only the friend. An- 
 other interesting fact may also be stated. After the anni- 
 versary of the Paris Bible Society, in the year 1826, the 
 writer met a warm and distinguished friend of the cause, 
 the Admiral Count Verhuel, who, two years before, had 
 attended the great annual meeting in London, as the repre- 
 sentative of the French Bible Society, and occupied a seat 
 next to Admiral Lord Gambier. On requesting to know what 
 were his feelings on that occasion, he replied, " I remember 
 the time when Lord Gambier and myself could not have stood 
 so near each other, without each holding a sword in our hands. 
 At that time we did not feel the want of our swords ; we suffer- 
 
114 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 ed them to remain in the scabbard ; we had no sword, but the 
 sword of the Spirit, and ' the sword of the Spirit is the word 
 of God.' " " Would it not," I added, " be a matter of regret 
 to you to be again engaged in a war with Grpat Britain ?" I 
 should always," he answered, " regret to be at war with a 
 countrj^ that is so nobly engaged in sending the Gospel of 
 peace throughout the world." 
 
 Anecdotes like these are the best refutation of objections 
 such as we have already enumerated. A uniting principle 
 cannot possibly be a bad principle ; the spirit of love is the 
 spirit of Christ and of true religion ; while prejudice contracts 
 the heart, and fills the mind with injurious surmises ; it finds 
 a vulnerable part in every limb of an Achilles, and a defect 
 and blemish in every feature of a Venus. 
 
 The Church Missionary Society next merits attention. 
 That we may duly appreciate the motives which led to the 
 establishment of this institution, it is necessary to state, that, 
 prior to its formation, the only society in the Church of Eng- 
 land, exclusively devoted to missionary objects, was the Socie- 
 ty for the propagation of the Gospel in foreign parts. Though 
 this designation seemed to imply a character of universality 
 in its labors, they were, in fact, restricted to the British colo- 
 nies in North America. In addition to this limited scene of 
 exertion, the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge 
 united with its other operations the charge and superintend- 
 ence of the Danish mission at Tranquebar, and the field of la- 
 bor formerly occupied with such distinguished success by the 
 apostolic Swartz ; and yet their laborers did not exceed four 
 or five in number ; while so inadequate were the funds for 
 the support of this undertaking, that the missionaries were 
 accustomed to contribute towards its expenses from their own 
 salary, and sometimes even from their personal property. 
 Such was the extent of missionary exertion in the Church of 
 England about the beginning of the present century. 
 
 With the knowledge of these facts, it appeared to several 
 pious and reflecting minds, that an effort ought to be made, 
 more commensurate with the credit and dignity of the Estab- 
 lished Church, the claims of the Heathen, and the ample 
 facilities possessed by this country for communicating the 
 blessings of the Gospel. Without therefore, presuming to im- 
 peach existing Societies for neglecting a field of labor which 
 they never undertook to cultivate, duty loudly demanded a vi- 
 gorous effort to rouse the dormant energies of the public and to 
 stimulate British Christians to dispense that Gospel which the 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 115 
 
 providence and grace of God had entrusted to their hands. 
 The appeal was made, nor was it made in vain ; and the 
 Church Missionary Society, forming its plans on the doctrine 
 and discipline of the Church of England, commenced its ca- 
 reer, by selecting Africa and the East as the scene of its ope- 
 rations. 
 
 It is due to this Society to state, that, considering the diiii- 
 culties it had to encounter, both at home and abroad, all its 
 proceedings have been marked by singular judgment, uniform 
 Christian conciliation, a well regulated and chastised zeal, 
 and that which forms the real and effective weapon of all mis- 
 sionary enterprise, — a spirit of humility, and faith in the 
 power and promises of God. It is also no small praise, that 
 this society was the first in the Church of England that ever 
 attempted to 7'epair the wrongs of injured Africa, hy confer- 
 ring upon it the blessings of the Gospel : — and the first that 
 wiped away the reproach from our church, of having never 
 sent laborers from among her oivn sons, to go forth in the cause 
 of the Heathen. We may however now refer with emotions 
 of gratitude and praise, to her missionary seminary, to the 
 living witnesses of reving piety, and to those who have already 
 finished their course with joy, after having bornfe the heat 
 and burden of the day, leaving others to reap the harvest 
 which they sowed in tears. Such were Martyn, and John- 
 son, and Brooks, and Palmer, and others like-minded ; of 
 whom we may exclaim, " these all died in faith, not having 
 received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and 
 were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed 
 that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." Heb. xi, 
 13. This Society is at present honored with the sanction of 
 nine of the prelates of the church. 
 
 The Society for promoting Christianity among the Jews 
 owes its origin to the conviction, that, amidst the prevailing 
 desire to extend the blessings of the Gospel to the world at 
 large, the exclusion of the ancient people of God was an act 
 unauthorised and unjust. The divine command is positive 
 and express, " Go and preach the Gospel to every creature.'" 
 The Jews, therefore, must be supposed to be included in this 
 command, and to have all the common claims of the Hea- 
 then, with the prior rights of the Jew. The order emphati- 
 cally given, was begin at Jerusalem and the Gospel 
 is represented to be the power of God, " to the Jew first, 
 and also to the Greek." The assertion that the Jews are 
 not to be converted by human agency, but by some extraor- 
 
116 
 
 MUMOIRS OF THE 
 
 dinary display of Almighty power, — that the time is not yet 
 come, — that they are in a state of judicial blindness, and too 
 degraded to encourage any reasonable hope for their conver- 
 sion, forms no ground for the neglect of the divine command. 
 The Jew is an alien from God, and needs mercy; and it is 
 this need, and the authority of a divine command, that consti- 
 tute his riglit to the offer, — if he reject it, the responsibility 
 is his own, — if the offer be withheld, the responsibility is 
 ours ; because it is not the secret purpose of God, but his de- 
 clared will, that is the basis and rule of our conduct. The 
 difficulties of the attempt may be alleged, but difficulties form 
 no justification for disobeying a divine command. Besides, 
 what are difficulties in the hand of Omnipotence ! What is 
 moral darkness to him, that can turn darkness into the light 
 of noon-day ! 
 
 At the very moment in which we are now writing, the ex- 
 traordinary signs of the times, and the gradual waning of the 
 Crescent on the shores of the false prophet, give a character 
 of intense interest to the future destinies of the Jewish na- 
 tion. If the grand crisis, indicated by prophecy, tQ which 
 the servants of God look with anxious solicitude, should in- 
 deed be approaching ; who does not see, in the events which 
 will probably follow that crisis, the removal of an apparent 
 barrier to the accomplishment of the purposes of God respect- 
 ing his ancient people ? It is true that the " times and sea- 
 sons the Father hath reserved in his own hands," nor is it 
 for erring mortals presumptuously to intrude into the secrets 
 of his counsel. But as the Almighty has connected the ful- 
 filment of his purposes with the agency of certain causes, — , 
 when this agency seems to be exerted, we may turn with joy. 
 ful hope, and hail the hour of Israel's salvation. " There 
 shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, who shall turn away 
 ungodliness from Jacob." 
 
 Nor ought we to omit, as a most powerful argument in favor 
 of this society, that the promises will never receive their final 
 accomplishment, nor the Church of Christ attain to the full 
 maturity of its high and holy calling, till the natural branches 
 be again garfted in by the same Almighty power which suf- 
 fered their excision. 
 
 It is, however, important to state distinctly, that this so- 
 ciety does not take its sanction from the prophecies which 
 respect the final restoration of the Jews. Nor does it pre- 
 sume to determine in what manner, or at what period, the 
 Jews, as a nation, are to be converted ; whether by some 
 miraculous interposition, or by human instrumentality, or by 
 
SEV, LEGH RICmIO^-D. 
 
 117 
 
 both. These subjects it leaves to every man's private 
 judgment, and is not responsible tor the peculiar sentiments 
 of any of its advocates. It acts on the simple principle of 
 precept and duty ; — that the Jew has long rejected the faith 
 of Christ, and yet cannot be saved without it ; and that it is 
 our bounden obligation, as Christians, to direct him to the 
 remedy which ice possess, and vvhich he needs. This is the 
 foundation on which the society prefers its claim. The re- 
 vealed purpose and design of God is an encouragement to 
 its faith, but it is his divine command alone which is the rule 
 and authority for its undertaking. So long as it adheres to 
 this fundamental principle, it occupies a station from which 
 no sophistry or ingenuity of argument can dislodge it. If it 
 departs from this simple principle, and in its public proceed- 
 ings, shall ever be led to mingle matters of doubtful dispu- 
 tation, it may gratify the predilections of a few, but will not 
 fail to alienate others. The society's strength and wisdom 
 is evidently to adopt a course in which none can disagree, and 
 all may be willing to unite. 
 
 There is another institution which demands our notice, — = 
 the Prayer-book and Homily Society. In the navy, no means 
 existed of distributing the book of Common Prayer among 
 that valuable body of men who risk their lives for the defence 
 of their country. The society was formed to supply this de- 
 ficiency. But, independently of this call for its exertions, 
 Prayer-books were generally published and circulated at that 
 time, without the insertion of the Articles of our Church ; — 
 those Articles which are the appointed standard of her doc- 
 trine, the guide to her worshippers, and the intended se- 
 curity against all declensions and corruptions in her faith ! 
 As a consequence of this omission, a large portion of her 
 members were utterly unacquainted with the very existence 
 of those Articles, — and a reference to them in the pulpit had 
 become a matter of rare occurrence. 
 
 We may further observe, that not a single copy of the book 
 of Homilies was to be obtained through the medium of any 
 existing society in the Church of England. And yet these 
 very Homihes were set forth by authority, originally appoint- 
 ed to be read in churches by the ministers, diligently and 
 distinctly ; and are recognised in the Articles, to which every 
 minister declares his solemn assent, as " containing a godly 
 and wholesome doctrine !" When, therefore, these neces- 
 sary bulwarks of our church, the Articles which record her 
 faith, and the Homilies which illustrate and enforce it, were 
 11 
 
118 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 thus allowed to remain almost inaccessible, we would ask of 
 every impartial and reflecting mind, whether there was not 
 just ground of apprehension that the purity of Christian doc- 
 trine might be ultimately corrupted ? — whether the general 
 tone of preaching in our pulpits at that time, and before that 
 time, did not, in many respects, justify that apprehension ? — 
 and whether doctrine was not treated as an inconsiderable 
 part of Christianity, and practical duties held up as the sum 
 and substance of true religion ] At the suggestion, therefore, 
 of Mr. Richmond, the book of Homilies was added to the so- 
 ciety's original object. 
 
 The unpromising state of public feeling, prior to the estab- 
 lishment of these societies, has already been adverted to. 
 The change subsequently produced is obvious to all. We 
 may hence learn an important lesson : — a nation, compara- 
 tively speaking, may be sunk in religious apathy; the zeal 
 and piety of churches may lie dormant, and the prospect may 
 appear dark and lowering. But amidst general declensions, 
 some characters are always preserved by the power and 
 grace of God from the contaminating effects of surrounding 
 lukewarmness ; and it is to their efforts that we must look, 
 at such times, for the needed revival. If it be asked, how 
 are these efforts to be employed ? We answer, strike the 
 rock, and never doubt that the copious stream will issue forth : 
 — use the necessary means, in dependance upon a divine pow- 
 er, and let the public mind be roused and excited. Men have 
 intelligence, affections, conscience, and capacities of action. 
 These properties may grow torpid, but they are not extin- 
 guished ; they require only to be called into action. Let us 
 deal, then, with men as moral agents. Let us address to 
 the understanding, arguments calculated to inform and con- 
 vince ; — to the heart what is likely to impress and engage its 
 affections ; — and to the conscience what is best suited to 
 rouse it from its state of torpor. Let us apply the exciting 
 principle, and be unwearied in invoking the influences of the 
 Holy Spirit, which can alone crown our efforts with success, . 
 and God " will open rivers in high places, and fountains in 
 the midst of the valleys ; he will make the wilderness a pool of 
 water, and the dry land springs of water. ^' 
 
 Let churches and states, legislators and prelates, ministers 
 of the sanctuary, and individuals in their respective families, 
 adopt this principle ; and communities will prosper, churches 
 will revive, and the domestic altar will never want a sacri- 
 fice, nor God withhold a blessing. 
 
REV. LEGH EICmiO>;D. 
 
 119 
 
 And yet it is this very principle of excitement, as applied 
 to the religious institutions of the day, which has been most 
 strongly censured. The system of public meetings, the ad- 
 dresses, sermons, biblical and missionary tours, have been 
 made the subject of severe reprehension by the opponents of 
 these societies. But it is this very system which has elicited 
 the moral energies of the country, and given one simultaneous 
 and unparalleled impulse to all its public institutions. By its 
 direct or indirect tendency, it has localized among us every 
 form of charity that can afford an asylum to distress, — to 
 crime, the means of reformation, — to ignorance, the benefit of 
 instruction,— and to penitent guilt, the hope of mercy and 
 salvation. And while it has conferred such blessings at 
 home, it has procured for our land the honorable appellation 
 of " The Zion of the whole earth." It is to the publicity of 
 these societies, next to their intrinsic value and importance, 
 that we are to ascribe so large a portion of their popularity 
 and success. If they were less public, they M ould be less 
 known ; if they were less known, they would be less supported ; 
 and if they were less supported, their efficiency would be pro- 
 portionably impaired. An institution, to be popular in this 
 country, must be brought into contact icith public opinion. 
 The men who conduct it must ^ see?i, heard, known, loved, 
 and respected ; the subject of it must be carried Jiome to the 
 heart, and descend through all the various gradations in society ; 
 be as accessible to the poor as to the rich, — to the unlearned, as 
 to the learned, — to the humblest cottage, as tothelordly mansion. 
 It will thus secure the patronage and liberality of the wealthy, 
 the approbation of the wise, and the benediction of the poor. 
 These advantages have pre-eminently distinguished the insti- 
 tutions of which we are speaking ; and so long as the princi- 
 ple of publicity characterizes almost every undertaking of a 
 secular nature, why are religious objects alone to be debarred 
 the benefit of this principle, where the application of strong 
 stimulants is the more necessary, in proportion as the end pro- 
 posed is more momentous, and men are less disposed to appre- 
 preciate its importance ? 
 
 But Mr. Richmond, and others of the clergy who have been 
 most active in supporting these institutions, have been charged 
 with absenting themselves from their parishes, and have been 
 branded with the title of itinerants. Nothing is more easy 
 than to use terms of reproach ; but reproach is not argument. 
 The real and only question for consideration is, whether 
 Christianity is a dispensation, the blessings of which we are 
 
120 
 
 3IEM0IRS OF THE 
 
 commanded to publish to all mankind ? — whether this object 
 can be accomplished without the medium of public societies ? — 
 and whether public societies can be effectively carried on 
 without the agency of public advocates ? The result of ex- 
 perience is conclusive, that societies of this kind, depending 
 only on local means for their support, are in the most declining 
 state. Men, too, who are in the habit of contributing their 
 money to a public cause, think, and with justice, that they are 
 entitled, in return, to a detail of its operations, from those 
 who by their connexion with the parent institution, and the 
 sources to which they have access, are best qualified to com- 
 municate information. Admitting, then, the justness of these 
 remarks, — from what class are public advocates to be selected? 
 From among laymen or ministers ? The professional habits, 
 experience, and education of the latter, evidently constitute 
 them the fittest organs of communication to all religious institu- 
 tions. How to reconcile these public exertions with parochial 
 duties, is, therefore, the only remaining consideration. Let 
 it be observed, then, that every clergyman is legally entitled 
 to an absence of three months in every year on the presump- 
 tion that he will provide a proper, substitute.* If, then, a 
 minister unconnected with. public objects, should choose to 
 avail himself of this privilagfe, for the purpose of aljov/able 
 recreation, or from any other motive, would his conduct be 
 considered as affording any reasonable ground for reproach ? 
 Why, then, should another minister, in the exercise of the 
 same privilege, and using the same precautions, be the subject 
 of animadversion, because, instead of appropriating the allotted 
 period to a watering place, or to any other object, his princi- 
 ples and conscience lead him to devote his leisure to the more 
 important claims of a religious institution. 
 
 Each Itinerates ; each is occasionally absent from his pj^rish ; 
 — with this distinction, that one is occupied with engagements 
 most interesting to himself; the other consecrates his lime, 
 his talents, and his strength, to the service of the cause of 
 God, and leaves for a while the limited, though important 
 scene of his own parish, to aid in the dissemination of light 
 and knowledge to the remotest regions of the earth. 
 
 Another charge urged, v/ith equal injustice, against these 
 societies, is, that they assume an authority with which they are 
 not legally invested^ that they are self -constituted and self, 
 authorized. As this accusation has been often and publicly 
 
 * This has reference to ministers of the established cluirch,-— Amer. EdL 
 
EEV. LZGH RICHMOND. 
 
 121 
 
 repeated and may seem to have acquired some validity from 
 the occasions on which it has been uttered, it must not pass 
 unnoticed. 
 
 The Church Missionary Society, as well as others of 
 recent origin in the Established Church, was a voluntary 
 association, founded on the principle, and resting on the basis, 
 of all other similar associations ; and, therefore, to impeach 
 one is to impeach all, and to strike at the root of every 
 voluntary association throughout the kingdom. 
 
 If it be said, that it is its religious character, and its 
 usurpation of rights that can only be legally exercised by 
 chartered bodies, that forms the real ground of offence ; — 
 this charge will be found to militate equally against the claims 
 of another venerable society, which, though aiming at a 
 religious end, nevertheless owes its origin to a voluntary 
 association, and possesses no chartered right, nor specific 
 legal character, to the present hour. The weapon, therefore, 
 that is raised to assault a foe, may unconsciously intiict a 
 wound upon a friend. 
 
 We might rest the question of authority simply on the 
 ground of imperious necessity, which is a law in itself super- 
 seding all other considerations. The appalling character of 
 the tunes, the wants of mankind, and the inadequacy of 
 existing means, loudly called for the establishment of these 
 societies. We might also urge, that the power and the will 
 to do good constitute the authority to do good ; and that, so 
 long as souls are immortal, the first dut}- of christian zeal is to 
 employ means to save them. But we content ourselves by 
 referring to an authority against which there is no appeal, — 
 the authority of public opinion : that public opinion which 
 exercises its vigilant control over all human proceedings ; 
 which legislates both for Governments and Churches ; ajid 
 erects a tribunal to the decisions of which the throne and the 
 altar are alike compelled to be ultimately subject. To 
 arraign, therefore, these public institutions, is in fact to ar- 
 raign public opinion, which has decided that they were needed, 
 and has thought proper to sanction them by its support ; and 
 so long as it honors them with such tokens of its confidence, 
 and makes them the depositories of its bounty, it surely be- 
 comes a pararaout obligation to fulfil the trust. To act oth- 
 erwise, would be to shrink from a duty, while in posses- 
 sion of the means of performing it ; to alienate a friend, per- 
 haps wuhout the hope of gaining an enemy. It is to with- 
 draw, when success encourages us to advance ; and to sound 
 11* 
 
322 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THU 
 
 a retreat, with the pledges of spiritual conquest in our haudffy 
 It is to commit a double fraud ; a fraud on those at home, who 
 are willing to give ; — and on those abroad, who are no less will- 
 ing to receive. It is to abandon scenes of labor which God 
 has specially honored with his blessing; and to extinguish 
 the light of the Gospel where it has begun ta shed its dawn, 
 with the glorious and animating prospect of shining more 
 and more unto the perfect day." 
 
 We lament any disposition to depreciate societies, which 
 confer so much lustre on the present age, and which are 
 so eminently calculated to uphold the moral dignity of our 
 Church, and to extend its usefulness. The period no longer 
 exists, when the name alone of the Church of England was 
 sufficient to inspire respect and homage. Prescriptive rights 
 are vanishing ; the partition wall is thrown down ; and hence- 
 forth we must appeal, not to the number and extent of our 
 immunities, but to the utility of our services, and the excel- 
 lency of our principles. In the present day, every thing is 
 undergoing the solemn ordeal of public opinion. To oppose 
 its decisions is unwise in policy, impracticable in its objectj. 
 and highly injurious to the Church, the interests of which we 
 profess to promote. We may plead zeal in her cause, but 
 zeal without charity is intolerance ; and prejudices, which are- 
 blameable in all, are criminal in the minister of Christ. We 
 may think that we thus are doing God service, and at the 
 same time be fighting against him. We would earnestly call, 
 then, on the members of our own communion, and especially 
 on the younger clergy, (while in the vigor of their strength, 
 and their full capacity for usefulness,) to imbibe the spirit of 
 the age in which they live ; to co-operate in these truly- 
 Christian efforts, and to recognise the finger of God in their 
 design and progress. Nor can we refrain from expressing the 
 ardent wish, that prejudices may be removed, dissensions 
 cease, and that all Christian people would offer up unceasing 
 prayer to the Almighty, for his spirit to become the workman 
 of this mighty machinery unto his own glory, and the moral 
 regeneration of mankind. " Ye that make mention of the 
 Lord, keep not silence, and give him no rest, till he establish, 
 and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth." — 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND, 
 
 123 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 His anniversary Sermon for the Church Missionary Society— Meeting at Bedford, in 
 behalf of the Jews— Bedfordshire Bible Society— Tours for the Jewish and Church 
 Missionary J^ocieties— Kxtracts from his Journals— Success of these tours — Their 
 influence on tie general inieresls of religion— On his own personal improvement— 
 On that of bis parish and family. 
 
 We have before alluded to the anniversary sermon, preached 
 by Mr. Richmond for the Church Missionary Society, in May, 
 1809. It is much to be lamented that one so capable of con- 
 tributing to the stock of valuable theological discourses, should 
 have composed only three sermons for the press ; two of them 
 published during his residence in the Isle of Wight, and the 
 third, which we now propose to consider, after his removal to 
 Turvey. This deficiency is one of the consequences of ex- 
 tempore preaching ; and ministers of acknowledged talents 
 and usefulness would do well to remember, that they owe to 
 the Church some lasting memorials of their pastoral labors 
 and of their zeal for the general interests of religion. 
 
 Mr. Richmond received many urgent representations from 
 the writer, on this subject ; but his unceasing engagements, 
 his extensive correspondence, and the more immediate claims 
 of duty, were always pleaded in excuse. An examination of 
 his missionary sermon will enable the reader to form some 
 judgment of his powers of composition, and will also afford an 
 illustration of his sentiments on the important subject of 
 missions. 
 
 His text is taken from John xxi, 16 — "He saith unto him 
 again, the second time, ' Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me V 
 He saith unto him, ' Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love 
 thee.' He saith unto him, ' Feed my sheep.'" CommentiQg 
 on these words, he briefly describes the peculiar interest and 
 solemnity of the occasion ; — the question proposed ! " Lovest 
 thou me ?" The answer given : " Yea, Lord, thou knowest 
 that I love thee." The successive repetition of the question, 
 and Peter's asseveration, "Lord, thou knowest all things, thou 
 knowest that I love thee ;" and the final command of the Sa- 
 viour, obedience to which is the test of the sincerity of the 
 profession : " Feed my sheep." The motive of love to Christ 
 is deduced as the only adequate and scriptural stimulus to 
 missionary exertion ; and the commandment given, to feed his 
 flock, declares the nature and object of the duty required. 
 .The application of the whole to ourselves is inferred from the 
 commission given to Peter and the apostles, as the represen- 
 
i24 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 tatives of the Church Universal to the end of time ; and from 
 the fact, that general exhortations, founded upon Christ's 
 general promises to his church, admit of no limitation, either 
 of time or place. He next inquires — 
 
 Who are the sheep of Christ ? 
 
 Why ought they to be fed ? 
 
 Whe7i? 
 
 By whom ? 
 
 With what food must they be fed, nourished, and supported ? 
 
 We pass over the first three as obvious in their meaning. 
 
 In answering the inquiry, — " who shall be the missiona- 
 ries ?" he observes, " the shepherds w^hom you set apart to 
 this honorable labor of feeding and nourishing souls for Christ, 
 must be men who love Christ for the salvation which he hath 
 wrought in their own souls ; men, who ' feel in themselves the 
 working of the spirit of Christ, mortifying the works of the 
 flesh, and their earthly members, and drawing up their mind 
 to high and heavenly things.' " {Art. 17.) They must be men, 
 not of warmth and zeal alone, but of solidity, patience, and 
 perseverance ; men who, like their Lord, can endure the con- 
 tradiction of sinners. For the most part, it is not so often men 
 of extensive learning, of genius, and superior literary talents, 
 who are wanted, as men of simplicity and sincerity ; men of 
 prayer and meditation ; men who so love Christ, as to be will- 
 ing to spend and be spent, for his sake ; men of subdued pas- 
 sions and mortified minds, who patiently wait for the coming 
 of our Lord Jesus Christ." 
 
 In his next important consideration, — " wherewith they are 
 to be fed," the following remarks claim the attention of all who 
 are engaged in the cause of missions. 
 
 /'Preach Christ, as a free, full, perfect, and all-sufficient 
 Saviour to the greatest of sinners. The sheep of Christ, 
 whether at home or abroad, will hear and know their own 
 good Shepherd's voice, and none other. Proclaim, as from the 
 house-top, ' that God commendeth his love towards us, in that 
 while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us ;' and thus 
 accomplished that wonder of men and angels, ' that God 
 might be just, and the justifier of the sinner which believeth 
 in Jesus.' 
 
 " Preach to them the blood of Christ ; its atoning and 
 cleansing power. Send over your missionary shepherds, to 
 feed the flock of Christ among the heathen, with the whole- 
 some bread and the pure water of life. We must not trifle, 
 in this matter. It is the cause of God and truth. 'Mingle 
 
REV. LEGH KICHMO^D. 
 
 125 
 
 therefore nothing with their food ; disguise it not with any 
 self-accommodating explanations. It is not the equivocal 
 language of a mere fashionable profession of the Gospel, that 
 will convey the word and substance of salvation to the soul of 
 either a nominal Christian, or a real heathen. 
 
 " Let the hemisphere of light, which is to burst upon the 
 dark mountains where now the heathen sheep are scattered, 
 be unsullied and without a cloud. Be. ye pastors according to 
 God's heart, and feed them with knowledge and understand- 
 ing. Christ living, Christ obeying, Christ dying, Christ 
 risen, Christ ascended, and Christ interceding for sinners : 
 this is the true bread of life. Our commission to feed his 
 sheep runs thus : ' Go ye and teach all nations, baptizing them 
 in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
 Ghost.' Hence the love of the Father, in giving sinners to 
 Christ ; the love of the Son, in dying for their redemption ; and 
 the love of the Spirit, in sanctifying and preparing them for 
 glorv', are the grand themes for Christian meditation. AVhen 
 these invaluable truths are enforced in a practical and experi- 
 mental manner, the sheep of Christ are truly fed, according to 
 their good Shepherd's design and commandment ; and so shall 
 they live and prosper." 
 
 In illustration of the foregoing remarks, He quotes the fol- 
 lowing testimony of Johannes, a converted heathen, who also 
 became a blessed witness of the truth, to his own nation. The 
 circumstance is recorded in the history of the missions of the 
 United Brethren among the Indian nations of North America. 
 
 " ' Brethren, I have been a heathen, and have grown old 
 amongst them : therefore I know very well how it is with the 
 heathen, and how they think. A preacher once came to us, 
 desiring to instruct us ; and began by proving to us, that there 
 was a God. On which we said to him, ' Well, and dost thou 
 think we are ignorant of that ? Now go back again to the 
 place from whence thou earnest.' 
 
 " Then again, another preacher came, and began to instruct 
 us, saying, ' you must not steal, nor drink too much, nor lie, 
 nor lead wicked lives.' We answered him : ' Fool that thou 
 art, dost thou think that we do not know that 1 Go and learn 
 it first thyself, and teach the people whom thou belongest to, 
 not to do those things. For who are greater drunkards, or 
 thieves, or liars, than thine own people V Thus, we sent him 
 away also. 
 
 " Sometime after this, Christian Henry, one of the Breth» 
 ren, came to me into my hut, and sat down by me. The con. 
 
126 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 tents of his discourse to me were nearly these : 'I come to 
 thee in the name of the Lord of heaven and earth. He sends me 
 to acquaint thee, that he would gladly save thee, and make 
 thee happy, and deliver thee from the miserable state in which 
 thou liest at present. To this end he became a man, gave his 
 life a ransom for man, and shed his blood for man. All that 
 believe in the name of this Jesus, obtain the forgiveness of sin. 
 To all .them that receive him by faith, he giveth power to 
 become the sons of God. The Holy Spirit dwelleth in their 
 hearts ; and they are made free, through the blood of Christ, 
 from the slavery and dominion of sin. And though thou art 
 the chief of sinners, yet if thou prayest to the Father in his 
 name, and believest in him as a sacrifice for thy sins, thou 
 shalt be heard and saved, and he will give thee a crown of 
 life, and thou shalt live with him in heaven for ever.' 
 
 " When he had finished his discourse, he lay down upon a 
 board in my hut, fatigued by his journey, and fell into a 
 ^ sound sleep. I thought within myself, ' What manner of man 
 is this ? There he lies, and sleeps so sweetly ; — I might kill 
 him, and throw him into the forest, and who would regard it ? 
 But he is unconcerned, — this cannot be a bad man ; he fears 
 no evil, not even from us, who are so savage : but sleeps com- 
 fortably, and places his life in our hands.' 
 
 " However, I could not forg^ his words ; they constantly ' 
 recurred to my mind ; even though I went to sleep, yet I 
 dreamed of the blood which Christ had shed for us. I thought, 
 ' this is very strange, and quite different from what I have 
 ever heard.' So I went and interpreted Christian Henry's 
 words to the other Indians. 
 
 " Thus, through the grace of God, an awakening took place 
 among us. I tell you, therefore, brethren," said he, " preach 
 to the Heathen, Christ, and his blood, his sufferings, and his 
 death, if you would have your words to gain entrance among 
 them ; if you wish to confer a blessing upon them.' "* 
 
 But the passage in Mr. Richmond's sermon which produced 
 the strongest impression upon his hearers, was the following : 
 
 " I stand before you this day as an ambassador for Christ, in 
 the cause of those who are ready to perish. In his and their 
 name, I beseech you to hear me, while I propose a few consi- 
 derations to your attention. 
 
 * See Crantz's JHlstory of the Greenland Mission, a most interesting publi- 
 cation ; in wl)ieH Mission the preaching of the Cross led to a general awaken- 
 ing of the Greenlanders, after the preliminary truths of religion had been 
 brotjght before them nearly eighteen years with little or no effect. 
 
REV. LEGH RICH3I0:>D. 
 
 127 
 
 " Consider the state of the world, its empires, nations, kin- 
 dreds, and tribes. When a map of the world is presented to 
 the eye, with what a variety of affections is it viewed, accord- 
 ing to the character and pursuits of the inspector ! 
 
 The mere statesman dihgently examines the magnitude, 
 position, and boundaries of other countries, with a sole refer- 
 ence to the political aggrandizement of his own. Wars, con- 
 quests, treaties, alliances, and a multitude of considerations 
 connected with ambition, pow-er, and national honor, dictate 
 and accompany all his speculations on the map. And then 
 he has done with it, and lays it down. 
 
 " The merchant takes up the map, and eagerly traverses 
 the delineation of seas, continents, and islands, with anxious 
 inquiry as to the pecuniary profit and loss, trade and merchan- 
 dise. His thoughts are absorbed in considering how much 
 may be gained by his speculations to some distant island or 
 foreign shore. He meditates on the track of his vessel upon 
 the ocean, marks its course upon the hazardous waves, and is 
 full of agitation with respect to its fate. There is his golden 
 treasure, and his heart is there also. As he views the map, 
 he conjectures, hopes, fears; and, \yith much solicitude, 
 contemplates his future gains, or dreads impending losses. 
 The map is again laid down, and he has done with it. 
 • " The curious traveller takes up the map of the world, and 
 is occupied with the remembrance or anticipation of the vari- 
 ous customs, manners, dresses, languages, buildings, and cere- 
 monies ; with a long list of wonders and amusements that have 
 engaged his attention. In such a way his imagination travels 
 over the whole globe ; and then this man's contemplations on 
 the map are likewise concluded. 
 
 " The natural philosopher investigates the various produc- 
 tions of this diversified globe with another object. Theories 
 of the earth's formation ; the animal, vegetable, and mineral 
 kingdoms, the origin of volcanoes, the cause of earthquakes, 
 the variation of the magnetic needle, all afford him endless 
 subjects of examination. Every continent, sea, climate, and 
 zone, which the map presents to his eye, furnishes him with 
 matter for inquisitive speculation : and then, he has done with 
 it also. 
 
 " But, when the Christian beholds the world's map, he has 
 a subject of investigation far beyond them all. W^hat they 
 have overlooked and disregarded, is every thing to him. His 
 great inquiry is, ' Show me the visible kingdom of Christ : 
 name the countries where Christ is known and worshipped. 
 
128 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Oil ! when shall the kingdoms of this world become the king- 
 doms of our Lord and of his Christ ? When shall the Heathen 
 fear the name of the Lord ?' 
 
 As his eye traverses the globe, he sighs over the awful 
 contrast' which its different portions exhibit. His own soul 
 loves Jesus, the Saviour of men. But how small a part of 
 these immense tracts of country which the map presents to his 
 view, so much as know whether there be any Christ ! What 
 nations immersed in Heathenish idolatry ! How many over- 
 run with the tyrannical superstition of Mahomet ! Yea, where 
 even the name of Christ is professed, how many are sunk into 
 the deep mire of Popish corruption, or virtual infidelity ! How 
 small a portion seems as yet to belong to Christ ! 
 
 " He mourns over the prospect, but does not lay down the 
 map and think no more of it. Again and again he takes it 
 up, prays for the sheep of Christ in distant lands, recommends 
 their case to God, and meditates plans for their deliverance. 
 He surveys the vast continents of Asia and Africa, and for 
 the most part it seems to be darkness visible. Then he looks 
 for his native island at home, endeared to him by a thousand 
 considerations, but most endeared on account of the Gospel 
 light with which she is blessed. And shall not the rays of 
 that light soon be diffused, as from a centre, to all the sur- 
 rounding world ? Doth not a voice from above, in an especial 
 manner, say unto Britons, ' Go ye into all the world 
 Wherefore ? Only for political aggrandizement, — for mer- 
 chandise, — for travelling recreation, — for collecting of philo- 
 sophical rarities ? Are these your only objects ? No ; saith 
 the Word, ' Go 5-6 into all the world, and preach the Gospel 
 to every creature !' 
 
 " From such a meditation on the map the Christian re- 
 tires, not to slumber over the convictions of duty ; not to say 
 much, and do nothing. He freights a vessel to carr}^ the pearl 
 of great price to those who nehher know of its existence nor its 
 value. The missionary is on board the ship. The messen- 
 ger of God is crossing the seas ; not, as formerly, to make the 
 Ethiopians afraid, but to proclaim the glad tidings of salva- 
 tion to the Heathen, to preach the Gospel to the poor, to 
 heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the cap- 
 tives, and recovering of sight to the blind. Whilst the 
 Christian, at home, who has been the instrument of sending 
 him forth on this errand of love, anxiously waits to hear the 
 happy news, that Dagon is fallen upon his face to the ground 
 before the ark of the Lord ; that Bel boweth down, and Nebo 
 
EEV. LEGH RICHMOND, 
 
 129 
 
 stoopetb, while the great trumpet is blown; and that they 
 which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the 
 outcasts in the land of Egypt, are now worshipping the Lord 
 in his holy mount. 
 
 " O ye statesmen, merchants, travellers, and philosophers, 
 take up your maps once more. 
 
 " Again consider the state of the church ; and if you love ' 
 Christ, feed his sheep." 
 
 The collection on this occasion amounted to 331Z. I*., be- 
 ing the largest sum ever contributed at any of the anniversa- 
 ries of the Church Missionary Society. 
 
 Mr. Richmond's exertions in behalf of the religious soci- 
 eties began, from this period, to form a vety prominent fea- 
 ture in his life. His journals, some of which we mean to lay 
 before the reader, will discover an extraordinary degree of 
 zeal and labor, such as few men would attempt to equal, and 
 fewer have ever exceeded. His correspondence at the same 
 time will show, that so far from sacrificing parochial or family 
 duties to his more public exertions, he was most strictly con- 
 scientious in the observance of them. We readily admit that 
 incessant occupation in the service of the public, may prove a 
 serious interruption to the due discharge of private obligations, 
 and that personal piety may be endangered by the excitement 
 and distraction of public engagements. Mr. Richmond, how- 
 ever, formed an exception to the too prevailing effect of popu- 
 larity. So far from being injured by his exertions abroad, they 
 seemed to invigorate and fit him for the better discharge of 
 his duties at home ; and his return from those missionary tours 
 was ever accompanied with some signal revivals in his church 
 and family. 
 
 In the year 1810, an Auxiliary Society was formed for the 
 county of Bedford, to co-operate with the London Society for 
 promoting Christianity among .the Jews. Extempore ad- 
 dresses were at that time so unusual, that few persons v/ere 
 either wilHng or able to trust themselves beyond a very brief 
 and limited expression of their sentiments ; and the writer well 
 remembers his own nervous agitation even when, having de- 
 clined to take a more prominent part in the business of the 
 day, the less difficult office of moving a vote of thanks to the 
 chairman was assigned to him. The feelings of many others 
 he believes were much of the same description. On Mr. 
 Richmond, therefore, by unanimous 'consent, devolved the 
 task of explaining the object of the meeting ; in doing which, 
 he entered so fully, and with so much ability, into the past 
 12 ' 
 
130 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 and present history of the Jews,— the obligations of the Chris- 
 tian world to that remarkable people for the fidelity with which 
 they had transmitted the sacred text, — their chiims on our 
 gratitude and humanity, — the manner in which those claims 
 had been requited, and the guilt of past neglect, — the lost and 
 degraded state of the Jews, contrasted with the splendorof their 
 future hopes, — that one would have supposed he had made this 
 cause the exclusive subject of his studies, so ample was the 
 knowledge he displayed, and the fluency with which he com- 
 municated it. , 
 
 A similar meeting was afterward held at Kettering, in 
 Northamptonshire, which Mr. Richmond addressed with equal 
 ability. He preached also, in behalf of the Society, at All 
 Saints' Church, Northampton, to a very large congregation. 
 
 The circumstance that next claims our attention, is the 
 formation of the Bedfordshire Bible Society, in the autumn 
 of 1811. The recollections connected with this event will 
 not easily be obliterated. The presence of Christians of all 
 denominations, assembled for the first tune in that district, 
 within the memory of man, to promote, by their united ener- 
 gies, an object equally dear to all, — the dignity and cordiality 
 with which His Grace the Duke of Bedford, the president, 
 declared his approbation of the catholic spirit and enlarged 
 benevolence of the undertaking, — the interesting and impres- 
 sive communications of the three Secretaries of the Parent 
 Society, the Rev. John Owen, the Rev. J. Hughes, and the 
 Rev. Dr. SteinkopfF, — the animated and powerful speech of 
 the late Samuel Whitbread, Esq., the Christian character 
 of the respective addresses, and the spirit of harmony and 
 peace which pervaded the meeting, awakened in every bosom 
 the purest and most exalted emotions. It was like the meet- 
 ing of Esau and Jacob, who, after years of mutual alienation 
 and distrust, forgot all past animosities, and fell on each 
 other's neck, with mutual tears and embraces. 
 
 The public v«ieeting at Bedford was attended with impor- 
 tant results : the Huntingdonshire and Northamptonshire Bi- 
 ble Societies owed their origin to the interest excited on that 
 occasion. In the establishment of the above society, and in 
 organizing county branches, at Luton, Leighton, Dunstable, 
 Woburn, Ampthill, Biggleswade, &;c., Mr. Richmond took 
 an active part ; and was, subsequently, in the habit of at- 
 tending their anniversaries, and not unfrequently those also 
 that were held in the adjoining county of Northampton. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMO^fD. 
 
 131 
 
 We now proceed to notice other labors of Mr. Richmond 
 in the Jewish and missionary cause, in different parts of the 
 kingdom : his own journals will best illustrate their charac- 
 ter, as well as their beneficial effects. We select the follow- 
 ing :— 
 
 Extracts from a Journal of a Tour in 1814. 
 
 " August 8. Left Turvey at five in the moriung. Dined 
 
 at C n with dear J s. The savory sweetness and 
 
 friendly cordiality of his conversation was, as it ever must be, 
 delightful and edifying. Arrived at Leicester, at eight in 
 the evening, and slept at my friend Mitchel's.* There I used 
 to converse with dear father Robinson. How solemn and 
 interesting does death render past recollections ! Leicester 
 cannot but mourn the loss of such a man. He was father, 
 friend, paytor, counsellor, and preacher, in an eminent do- 
 gree. Peace and veneration be to his memory ! 
 
 " — 9. Met Mrs. B., who informed me of the most dis- 
 tressing death of Mr. J., of London, I felt deeply affected. 
 Lord, what is man ! who can tell to what depths even God's 
 children may be brought ? I was glad to learn that he was 
 granted time and space for repentance, and recovery of mind. 
 May we all hear and fear. The Lord be merciful to his in- 
 teresting family. In the evening I preachfed for the Jews, 
 at St. Mary's church. A noble congregation. My text was 
 Matt. X, 8. I found much freedom in speaking, and thought 
 God seemed to be in the midst of us. Very many clergy- 
 men and dissenting ministers were present. The collection 
 was 41Z. 13.i\ The Lord keep m.e humble, simple-minded, 
 and single-eyed. 
 
 " — 10. Proceeded to Derby and Matlock ; delighted 
 with the High Tor : resolved on its being my text, in illus- 
 tration of Deut. xxxii, 4. Congregation, and evening, quiet, 
 calm, and interesting. The beauty of this place increases, 
 to my apprehension, every time I revisit it. Blessed be the 
 Bock of salvation ! I returned to M. B. by late twilight. 
 The scene exquisitely fine. God made all these beauties ! 
 May I see Him in them ! 
 
 " — 11. Went to Bonsai. It is one of the most inter- 
 esting, romantic spots I ever saw ; — it far exceeds descrip- 
 
 * The vicar of St. Mary's, Leicesler, and the successor to Mr. Robinson. 
 ThesudJei) decease of this nuich respected character is a subject of sincere re- 
 gret to ail his friends. 
 
132 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 tion. The church and church-yard are remarka-bly interest- 
 ing. In the evening preached for the Jews, from Prov. iii, 
 27. Collection, — 15/. 12^. I had not so much freedom as 
 sometimes, but felt calm and hopeful. The character of this 
 picturesque sequestered village, on the opposite side of Mas- 
 son (Hill) from Matlock, is beautiful, wild, rich, 'and engaging 
 in the extreme. 
 
 " Aug, 12. Early in the morning, I went into the beau- 
 tiful and romantically-situated church-yard, apd meditated 
 near an hour. Here is a remarkably fine yew-tree. In the 
 evening I received an invitation to preach for the Jews on 
 Sunday morning, at /ilfreton. I returned to Bonsai, and, 
 at niy friend Maddock's desire, addressed a large number of 
 young people in the church, who are under instruction for .an 
 approaching confirmation by the bishop. It was a pleasing 
 sight, and, I hope, a profitable time. How gracious is God 
 to body, soul, and spirit ! 
 
 " — 14. (Sunday.) We set off for Alfreton. I preach- 
 ed for the Jews, from John iv, 22. Collection — 15Z. 13*. 
 Returned to Bonsai ; preached from Psalm viii, 2. A church 
 completely filled ; many visiters from Matlock. It was a 
 delightful opportunity ; the Lord seemed to be present, amidst 
 a worshipping and listening people. Such a congregation, in 
 so romantic and beautiful a situation, is a rare and interesting 
 sight. Returned to the hotel to supper ; had some very 
 profitable conversation with Mrs. B., who has been an au- 
 thoress. How desirable to endeavor to introduce something 
 for God at these public places. 
 
 — 16. Manchester. Preached at St. Stephen's, Sal- 
 ford, for the National schools, from Psalm xlviii, 12 — 14. 
 
 " — 18. Rose early, and thought over a plan of ser- 
 mon for night. After breakfast, went to meet the Ladies' 
 Auxiliary Committee for the Jews. Gave an address, and 
 found the opportunity peculiarly interesting. It was then 
 fixed that the annual public meeting for the Jewish society 
 should be held on Wednesday, August 31, and that I should 
 preach at St. Clement's on the preceding evening. Went 
 to Oldham, where I preached for the Jews, from Rom. xi, 
 12. Collection — 21L I65. id. Preached with unusual free- 
 dom, particularly as it concerned the word ' reconciling.' The 
 presence of God was not, I trust, wanting among us. 
 
 " — 21. {Sunday.) Preached for the Jews at the parish 
 church of Halifax. It is a remarkably fine old building. Col- 
 lection — 19/. The day extremely wet. In the afternoon I 
 preached at Trinity church, in the same town ; a very large con 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 133 
 
 gregation. Collection — 34/. My morning text was, Psalm cii, 
 12, 13. Afternoon, Psalm cxxii, 6. I deeply lelt my sub- 
 ject. Immediately after the second sermon, Mr. C. and I 
 set off for Huddersfield. The road very fine and interesting, 
 — the evening wet. We arrived at the Rev. Mr. C.'s, and 
 were invited to sleep at Mrs. W.'s near Huddersfield. The 
 contrregation at the church was immense. The Methodist 
 chapel was shut up. The sight of such an assembly fiHedme 
 with desire and af}ection. I preached from Rom. xi, 15, 
 with great comfort. The occasion was in every way inter- 
 esting. Collection — 71/. One person had put into the plate 
 two guineas, wrapped in a ten pound note ! As soon as the 
 service was over, the organ and choir suddenly began the 
 grand Hallelujah Chorus, and executed it well. The effect 
 was sublime, and affected me much. 
 
 Aug. 22. At eleven, held a public meeting, for the for- 
 mation of a Huddersfield society for the Jews. It was nu- 
 merously attended, and went off very well. I v,?as requested 
 to preach a lecture at the church to-morrow evening. Had 
 an interesting conversation v/ith an old man in the factory, 
 about the sermon of last night. 
 
 " — 23. Preached the promised lecture at Huddersfield 
 church, from Eph. iii, 17 — 19 i a very fine congregation, 
 although an exceedingly wet night. Felt earnest in my sub- 
 ject, and went through it w'ith much solemn feeling. The 
 character of this whole family where I now am is highly in- 
 teresting. Such new friendships are, indeed, among the mer- 
 cies of God to travelling pilgrims. 
 
 " — 24. Set oft' for- Halifax. Preached to a very large 
 congregation at the old parish church, from Heb. xiii, 8, « 
 
 " — 25. Went to Bradford. Met a very friendly and 
 agreeable party of friends. to the Jews, at Mrl F.'s. It was 
 resolved to hold a meeting of the association at Bradford, on 
 I Saturday morning. Preached in the evening at Rothwell, for 
 I the Jews, to good congregation. 
 
 I " — 27. Set off for Bradford. Attended the public 
 j meeting : a very large assembly. Mr. S. made an excellent 
 and argumentative speech. The venerable vicar was pre- 
 sent. All went oft' well. We dined with Mr. F. ; the party 
 numerous, spiritual, and edifying. The conversation very 
 interesting. Returned to Leeds, and by the way examined 
 the fine ruin of Kirkstall Abbey. It is highly grand and 
 beautiful. 
 12* 
 
334 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 *' Aug. 28. {Sunday.) Awoke with anxiety respecting the 
 sermons of the day, having three to preach at difterent 
 churches, in the same town (Leeds.) Went in the morning 
 to St. Paul's, the church of the late Rev. Miles Atkinson. I 
 preached for the Jews, from Rom. xi, 30, 31. Found my- 
 self strengthened. Collection — 49/. Dined with Mr. H. 
 In the afternoon, preached at St. John's, for the Jews, from 
 Psalm cii, 12, 13. Preached with more satisfaction than 
 in the morning, and felt much for the souls of those present. 
 Collection — 22/. Drank tea at Mr. H.'s, and in the eve- 
 ning preached at St. John's, from Matt, x, 8: a very fine 
 congregation indeed. I preached with great freedom to my 
 own feelings, hoth as to argument and appeal. My heart 
 was much engaged in considering the great work of the mi- 
 nisterial calling. Singing very grand and impressive. Col- 
 lection — 31Z. In all, above 100/. during the day. I have 
 reason to be very thankful to God, for the help and strength 
 with which I was Enabled to pursue my course this day. 
 
 " — 29. Went to the public meeting at the Music-hall, 
 for forming a Ladies' Society. Many excellent speeches were 
 inade, which rendered the meeting peculiarly interesting. 
 After dinner, went to Birstall, and preached for the Jews, 
 from Rom. x, 1. The church is singularly venerable in 
 architecture, and picturesque in character. It was full in the 
 extreme. Collection — 111. 
 
 *' — 30. Arrived at Manchester just in time to preach at 
 St. Clement's church, from Gen. xvii, 5, on the united influ- 
 ence of Jewish and Heathen missions on each other. After- 
 v/ard, prepared papers for a meeting next morning. I felt 
 my lidind much affected while enlarging on the above view of 
 ',he question. 
 
 " — 31. Held the anniversary meeting of the Auxiliary 
 Society. Numerous attendance. Preached in the evening at 
 Stanley-bridge chapel, from John iv, 22. Collection — 18Z. 
 6*. Was struck with seeing a monument to the Rev. John 
 Kenworthy, aged thirty-four. He was a college friend, and 
 I did not know what was become of him. In the midst of life 
 we are in death \ 
 
 "■Sept. 1. Found many letters ; one from my dear wife, 
 which I answered. Children all well at home. O, how 
 merciful is God ! I have laboured much this last fortnight, but 
 am in no respect the worse, and in many the better for it. 
 And so may he ever give his beloved rest, not /row, but in 
 labor. The harvest is plenteous, but the labourers are few. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 135 
 
 The importance of such a work as I am engaged in appears 
 daily more and more in its effects on individuals, places, and 
 districts. May the Master, whom 1 serve, give me strength 
 according to my day, and use me for his own glory, and tiie 
 good of the church of Christ, where, when, and how he 
 pleaseth ! • . 
 
 ''Sept. 2. Stayed in the house all day. Endeavored to 
 collect some matter for my missionary sermons. Had an 
 hour's conversation with the pious and exemplary Mrs. C, of 
 Stockport. Spent a comfortable day with my mother and 
 aunt. Sat up before I went to bed and meditated on the 
 blessings which God had mercifully bestowed on me, in giv- 
 ing me so valuable a wife, and so many dear children. I then 
 prayed tor them, and retired to rest. 
 
 "—-3. Made two skeletons for Church Missionary sermons 
 to be preached at Buxton to-morrow. Proceeded thither. 
 Scenery lovely, Buxton completely full. My sermon here is 
 an arduous task. God give me strength to go through it to 
 his glory: fearless of man, and anxious for their spiritual 
 welfare. I find that ladies are to collect at the church" to- 
 morrow. 
 
 " — 4. {Sunday.) Rose early, to prepare for my day's 
 work. Went to the new and beautiful chapel. A large con- 
 gregation of genteel people. I preached from Luke xix, 42, 
 for the Jews. Collection — 44/. 4^. I enjoyed sufficient free- 
 dom from fear, so as to be rendered comfortable. Ladies 
 collected from pew to pew, supported by gentlemen. Went 
 immediately afterward to Bakewell, where I preached for 
 the Church Missionary Society, from Rom. iii, 29. Collec 
 tion — 17/. 12*. 2d. From thence I went to Yeolgrave, where 
 I preached for the same cause, from Matt, ix, 37, 38. Col- 
 lection — 11/. 14«. 5</. 
 
 " — 5. Rose early, and was struck with the singularly 
 beautiful elfect of the morning fog or dew, rolling, or rather 
 reposing in flakes and masses on the valley seen from my win- 
 dow. The hills around me were clear, the sun shining, the 
 objects in some part of the valley beginning to appear. At 
 length, all became clear and uninterrupted. The whole was 
 highly interesting. Went through the beautiful valley. Saw 
 a comment on my text of last night ; a large tract of harvest 
 land, and one solitary person reaping it ! Noticed a sublime 
 and interesting mass of rocks ; their shape, form, and charac- 
 ter, worthy of the minutest attention. Wild, unfrequented, 
 and romantic, in the highest degree. Within them is a her. 
 
136 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 mil's cave, on the wall of which some pious artist has sculp- 
 tured a crucifix. Meditation has here scope for boundless ac- 
 tion, — scenic, spiritual, sublime,. and beautiful.* 
 
 Sept. 6. Received a letter from my dear wife. All well, 
 God be praised. Preached at Chapel en le Frith, from Rom. 
 i, 16, for Church Missionary Society. Collection — 15Z. 16^. 
 \d. Slept at the inn. Mercies still follow me. Bless the 
 Lord, O my soul ! and all that is within me bless HLs holy 
 name ! 
 
 " — 7. Preached a lecture at Yeolgrave. Experienced 
 a mark of very kind attention from one of the Duke of Rut- 
 land's liousehold. Went to Matlock, to preach there. Met 
 Mr. and Mrs. Kemp, and Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Saunders. Re- 
 turned, after service, with Lady Elizabeth Percival and 
 Mrs. Childers ; and had much Christian conversation, as we 
 passed through the rocks on the romantic road, by moonlight. 
 
 " — 9. Attended a meeting of ladies and gentlemen for 
 the Church Missionary Society. Messrs. Kemp, Saunders, 
 Gel!, Maddoc, and myself, spoke. The collection, including 
 two donations of ten guineas each, from Lady E. Percival, 
 and the Hon. Mrs. Childers, after my sermon last night, 
 amounted to 40/. 9s. Qd. This first incursion into the very 
 heart of a watering-place is an excellent beginning, ifnd pro- 
 mises well. We met at the dining-room, just underneath the 
 romantic rocks ; shrubs, trees, rivers, &c., opposite. I was 
 reminded of Salvator Rosa's picture of John the Baptist 
 preaching in the wilderness. 
 
 " — 10. Breakfasted at Bonsai ; then read, wrote, and me- 
 ditated for to-morrow. The Lord of grace and glory help 
 me in my work, and bless it to me a poor sinner, while I 
 preach for and to other poor sinners ! 
 
 — 11. (Sunday.) Preached in the fine old church 
 (with its most singular and crooked spire,) for the Church 
 Missionary Society, from Mark xvi, 15 — Collection, 34/. Set 
 off for Sheffield. Proceeded to the parish church ; congrega- 
 tion computed at 3,500. Many hundreds unable to get in. I 
 preached jointly (by express desire) for the Jews and the 
 heathen, from Rom. iii, 29. Collection — 71/. 135. The 
 Hallelujah Chorus was grand and aflTecting in the highest de- 
 gree. Much to be thankful for in each of the three sermons 
 this day. The collection was said to be the largest ever 
 made in this church, on any occasion. It is not easy to de- 
 scribe or conceive the effect of such a congregation as this at 
 Sheffield. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOIsD. 
 
 137 
 
 " Sept. 12. Most hospitably received at Mrs. Walker's. 
 Went to see Mr. Walker's great iron-works, near Rother- 
 ham. Saw a cannon cast, and went through the whole ma- 
 nufactory. It- is most ingenious and interesting. Saw the 
 rolling-mill, and manufacture of tin plates. Observed on our 
 return in the evening, the effect of the many surrounding blaz- 
 ing furnaces. The effect in so finiif a night is grand and 
 beautiful : some of the fires on the tops of high hills, some on 
 the sides, others in the valleys ;~some near, others distant. 
 
 ^' — 14. Framed the plan of a sermon. Expounded at 
 family worship, from Malachi iii. ; and explained the Refi- 
 ner's process, from what we had seen the day before. Preach- 
 ed at Rotherham church, for the Church Missionary Society. 
 Text — Matt, xxviii, 19, 20. A fine congregation. Collec- 
 tion — 33/. ll*. lOcZ. Dear Maddock read prayers. Nu- 
 merous proofs hourly occur of the usefulness of my missiona- 
 ry labours, wherever we travel. Surely, goodness and mercy 
 follow us ! Glory be to God ! 
 
 "—16. . Set out for Doncaster. Went to Selby. Preach- 
 ed for the Church Missionary Society. Collection — 13Z. 14^. 
 lOd. The congregation good and attentive. My excellent 
 friend Maddock accompanied me. Before I retired to rest, 
 felt peculiarly earnest in prayer for my beloved wife and chil- 
 dren. O ! for the Lord to crown them with his mercies, tem- 
 poral, spiritual, and eternal ! 
 
 " — 17. Passed, this day, through the village of Wilber- 
 force, on my way to Knaresborough. It pleased me to think 
 of my boy. 
 
 *' — 18. (Sunday.) Preached at Knaresborough church, for 
 the Church Missionary Society, from Psa. xcvi, 9, 10. 
 Collection — 30Z. Went immediately to Harewood. The 
 church most beautiful within. Earl Harewood, Lord and 
 Lady Lascelles, Sir C. Stewart, &;c. present. I preached 
 from Matt, ix, 36- -38. Collection— 29/. Rev. Mr. H,, 
 Rector, and nephev/ to Earl Harewood, an estimable charac- 
 ter. Earl H. invited me to dinner. Collection — 23/. 17^. 
 Returned to Knaresborough, and preached from Eph. iii, 17 
 — -19, for the Church Missionary Society. Collection — 21/. 
 Enjoyed much peace all day. The house where I am is the 
 seat of enlightened piety, of kindness, hospitality, and Chris- 
 tian comfort. 
 
 " — 19. Received a singularly interesting letter from the 
 Russian princess, Sophia Metsckersfti, at St. Petersburgh.* 
 
 * rhis letter will be eliortly introduced to the notice of the readtr> 
 
138 
 
 MEMOIRS OP THE 
 
 Explored the romantic and beautiful scenery about Knares- 
 borough. Went on to Studley Park. Saw the ruins of Foun- 
 tains' Abbey ; — it far exceeds every thing I have seen or 
 shall see ; — imagination itself is filled, and more than filled. 
 I went through the long walk with that vigor, which I only 
 find myself able to exert when I travel, and have my mind 
 strongly bent on interea|ing and rational enjoyment. 
 
 " Sept, 25. (Sunday.) Preached in the morning at St, 
 Paul's, Leeds, from .Gen. xxii, 18. Collection — 40Z. Ss. 
 Dined with Mr. H. ; then preached at St John's, from Eph. 
 ii, 12, 13. Collection — 20/. I8s. Preached in the evening, 
 at St. James's, from Isa. ix, 7. In the morning, felt calm 
 and comfortable. In the evening, found most enjoyment in 
 my work. The congregation overflowing, — the singing uni- 
 versal, — the effect delightful. Missionaries were present. 
 How mercifully the Lord carries me through ! — What shall I 
 render unto Him for all his benefits. 
 
 " — 26. Attended the public Anniversary Meeting. 
 Thirteen clergymen spoke. The whole went oft' excellently. 
 Drank tea with a large religious party at Mr. D.'s. All pro- 
 fitable and affectionate. The Princess Sophia's letter delights 
 every one that hears it. 
 
 " — 27. Preached at Huddersfield, from Ps. xcvi, 10. 
 Church crowded in the extreme. I was able to speak with 
 much readiness. Collection — 80/. 
 
 " — 29. Held the anniversary meeting of the Hudders- 
 field Association. Preached in the evening at Almondbury, 
 from Matt, ix, 37, 38. Collection — 21/. Is. A noble con- 
 gregation. What strong testimonials do I daily receive of 
 the extensive usefulness of my journey ! Surely God is grood 
 indeed, in thus comforting my spirits, amidst many thoughts 
 of anxiety ! 
 
 " Oct, 1. Prepared to leave Woodhouse, — a roof under 
 which I have met with so much to improve and delight, that 
 I know not how to express my gratitude to God and its own- 
 ers as I ought. The five daughters gave me 5/. as an annual 
 subscription for a rescued negro child, to be called after Mad- 
 dock and myself. We were requested to plant two trees, as 
 memorials of our visit and friendship. M. planted an oak, 
 and I a Portugal laurel. The whole interesting family heaped 
 every mark of regard and respect upon us. I desire to enter 
 my record of thankfulness and affectionate pleasure, which this 
 visit and intercourse havfe excited in my heart : in such things, 
 the Lord is good indeed. Proceeded to Bradford. Heard 
 fresh testimonies there to the great use of religious tours. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 139 
 
 Oct. 2. {Sujiday.) Preached, in th^*morning, at Brad- 
 ford church, from Rom. x. 13, 14. A fine congregation. 
 Preached, in the afternoon, at the same church, from Matt, 
 ix, 36. A still larger congregation. Preached, in the even- 
 ing, from Hev. xi, 15. Overflowing congregation ; I never 
 saw any thing like it, — not less than four thousand, cer- 
 tainly. Three collections 115Z.#Sucha day, — —such a 
 
 church, — such a vicar, — such life, — such attention, — such lib- 
 erality, and such general success are rarely seen. I desire 
 to praise God from my heart, for the interesting, animating, 
 encouraging scene, it altogether presented. I received the 
 sacrament from the hands of the venerable, apostolical, blind 
 vicar. Supped and slept at Mr. Fawcett's. 
 
 " — 5. Met my mother at Chesterfield. We travelled 
 together to Mansfield. Proceeded to the church. A very fine 
 congregation. I preached from Rom. x, 15. Collection — 
 50/. I have had great heaviness of spirit since Monday night, 
 but I think the Lord has blessed me in it. He is good and 
 merciful ! 
 
 " — 6. Travelled to Bonsai, where Maddock found his 
 wife and children well. O ! may God grant that I do the 
 same ! He has been with me as a Protector all the way, and 
 I will trust him still ! May every tear be wiped from my loved 
 Mary's eyes, and may we again meet, with Christian and con- 
 nubial aflection. Amen. 
 
 " — 7. Proceeded to Nottingham, where we made ar- 
 rangements for a new association in connexion with the Church 
 ^lissionary Society. 
 
 " — 8. I parted with m}- friend Maddock, at six o'clock. 
 God be with him. He has been an amiable, cheerful, and 
 most interesting companion and coadjutor ; I love and esteem 
 him from my heart.* Rejoiced greatly in the hope of meet- 
 ing my dear wife at Creaton. I can truly say that that place 
 where she is, is a dear home to my heart ; and home itself 
 ceases to be home, if she is not there. Lord, I bless thee, 
 for having preserved me safe through a journey which already 
 exceeds 1,160 miles ; and may it be crowned by meeting her 
 at last, io love and. union of soul ! — Arrived safe at Creaton, 
 and found my dear wife and daughter well. This is a crown, 
 ing mercy, and shall be accounted as such. 
 
 " — . 9. Preached, in the morning, at Spratton, from 
 
 •This excellent man is since departed to a belter world, beloved and es- 
 teemed by all wl)o knew him. 
 
140 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Psalm xcvi, 10 : iff the afternopn, at Creaton, from Rom. x, 
 13 — 15 ; for the Church Missionary Society. Collection — 
 15Z. Is. Sd. Passed the evening pleasantly and profitably. 
 
 Oct. 11. We left Mr. Jones's. Dined at Northampton, 
 and arrived safe at Turvey, at half-past seven o'clock ; — 
 finding the dear children we^. What shall I render to the 
 Lord, for all his benefitB unto me ? 
 
 Thus ends a journey marked by manifold mercies, plea- 
 sures, useful labors, and gratifying events. Many valuable 
 friendships formed ; — religious and personal influence extend- 
 ed ; — the cause both of Jews and heathen furthered ; — 
 knowledge gained, love increased, and Christian esteem -es- 
 tablished and cemented. — Gloria Deo in excelsis 
 
 August, 1815. Commenced a journey for the Jews' and 
 Church Missionary Societies. 
 
 " — 24. In passing through Bakewell, went to see Mr. 
 Watson's geological museum. His arguments and illustra- 
 tions by specimens, in favor of the volcanic origin of the Der- 
 byshire hills, strata, &;c. are very extraordinary. 
 
 " — 27. Preached at Bolton, to between three and four 
 thousand people, lor the Sunday schools. Collection — 169Z. 
 \2s. 5d. A magnificent appearance. The singing was grand 
 and impressive in the highest degree. Anthems, Handel's 
 choruses, &;c. were sung, and accompanied by trumpets, 
 horns, &c. in a very fine style indeed. My mind was much 
 affected, and I found considerable enlargement, though not 
 without much inward temptation and struggle to the contrary. 
 
 " — Set off from Bolton, northwards. At Preston saw 
 the Rev. Mr. T. and Mr. H. Was much pressed on the sub- 
 ject of their Bible meeting. Dined at Garstang, where my 
 grandfather was vicar, from about sixty-five to eighty-five 
 years ago. Proceeded to Lancaster : saw some noble views in 
 the way. Here I caught the first view of the mountains. Ar- 
 rived at the Rev. Mr. H.'s : a delightful family : the grace of 
 God indeed appears here. We made arrangements for my 
 preaching at Lancaster, on Sept. 10th. 
 
 " — 30. Went to see Lancaster church and castle. The 
 lattfir is grand in a very high degree. .'I]he modern Gothic 
 court-houses exceed any thing I have ever seen. The view 
 from thence superb : sea, estuaries, castles, mountains, &;c., 
 form a beautiful display of scenery. Examined the interior 
 of the castle, visited the criminals, &;c. Had much affecting 
 information from Mr. H. relative to some criminals, executed 
 
BEV. LEGH RICHMOND, 
 
 141 
 
 at various periods. "What a picture of man does a gaoi afford ! 
 — how it reminds me of the saying of John Bradford, the re- 
 former, on seeing a criminal taken to the place of execution — 
 ' But for thq grace of God, there goes John Bradford.' 
 
 " Kendal., Sept. 3. Preached for the Jews, in the morning, 
 /rem Mark xvi, 15 ; in the evening, from Psalm li, 18. Met 
 many excellent friends, at Mrs. R.'s. The whole day most 
 agreeably and Christianly spent. 
 
 " — 5. An excellent Jews' anniversary meeting at Ken- 
 dal. Every thing went off well. A large dinner-party at Mrs. 
 R.'s, consisting of Mrs. P., and about twenty other friends. 
 The whole day profitably spent. 
 
 — 6. Mrs. R. and Mr. R. W. set out with me for 
 Bowness. Saw Winan Jermere Lake with astonishment and 
 delight. Proceeded to Ambleside, where I had a very pleas- 
 ing conversation with the Bishop of Llandatf. Proceeded 
 through the enchanting road by Rydal Water, Grassmere, 
 Leathes Water, Helvellyn, d:c. to Keswick, whose beauties 
 baffle all description. Our conversation was Christian and 
 edifying, — all having the greatest enjoyment in the scenery 
 and its accompaniments. 
 
 " — 7. Rose early, and walked to examine the beauti- 
 ful mountain of Skiddaw. After breakfast, went around 
 Keswick Lake. Saw the Barrow Cascades, Lowdore W^ater- 
 fall, Borrowdale Falls, Bowder stone, &c. All beyond my 
 description, or previous conception. After dinner, sailed on 
 the lake, with some other friends. All was serene, — lovely, 
 — delightful ! The Lowdore cannon was fired : the echo of 
 the many mountains produced a peal of perfect thunder. We 
 sang hymns on the Lake by sun-set and moon-Hght : the 
 eflfect may be better conceived than written. 
 
 *' — 8. Set off at six, for Ulles>vater ; beauty and wonder 
 in profusion. Saw the great mountain of Saddleback, and a 
 Druidical circle of stone. Crossed the lake of Winander- 
 mere, by the west. Exquisite. moonlight ! Arrived at Kendal 
 at night. Of these three days, — my companions, — my en- 
 joyments, I would write, but I cannot; they have left an in- 
 delible trace ; and I bless God for the mercy. 
 
 " — 10. (Sunday.) Went to Tunstal, and preached for 
 the Jews. Collection — 20Z. 55. Sd. Proceeded to Lancaster 
 and preached again for the J#\x^ Collection — 39/. 8^. A 
 fine congregation. Much help from above throughout the day. 
 " Sept. 11. Dined with dear Mrs. P., at S. Lodge. A most 
 13 
 
142 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 profitable and spiritual party. It was suddenly proposed 
 after dinner, that I should preach a lecture that night at Lan- 
 caster. At two hours' notice,- about 1000 people were col- 
 lected. I preached from Heb. xiii, 8. 
 
 " — 12. Went to breakfast at l.eighton fiall ; passed 
 an affectionate day wiih my nnother and sister. Mv mothe% 
 near eighty, walked a mile and a halt, — God preserve her ! 
 Had nnuch religious conversation. . 
 
 »_13. Went to C. Hall, the seat of the excellent C. 
 W., Esq. Vieu'ed the exquisitely romantic beauties of Kir- 
 by-Lonsdale church, church-yard, and bridge. In the eve- 
 ning, expounded the 23d Psalm to a large comj)aQy of friends 
 and neighbors. 
 
 — 14. Left this interesting and most edifying family. 
 Proceeded to Knareshorough. Arrived at the friendly house 
 of Mr. C. ; and preached, the following day, for the Jews, 
 from Luke xxiv, 47. Collection — 36Z. I8s. 2d. 
 
 " Leeds (Sunday.) — 17. Preached at St. Paul's in the 
 morning, for the Heathen.. Collection — 46/. In the after- 
 noon, at St John's. Collec ion — 20/. In the evening, at 
 St. James's. Collection — 29/. Texts, Psa. xcvi ; Rom. x; 
 Psalm Ixxxix. Had much suf)port throughout tlie day. 
 
 " — 18. A delightful annivetsury meeting o'' the Church 
 Missionary Society. Mr. Corrie, from India, gave some 
 most interesting details respe( ting that couniry, Abdool 
 Messee, &c. Many excellent speeches ; great savor and 
 spirituality throughout the whole. Dined at Mr. Hey's, with 
 Mr. Corrie, &;c. 
 
 " — 24. {Sunday.) Vve<\c\\ed at St. Stephens's, Salford, for 
 the Sunday schools, from John iii, 14, 1.5. Very good con- 
 gregation. In the afternoon, preached again for the schools, 
 from Psalm Ixxii, 4. Collection — 70/. Preached in the ev^e- 
 ning at St. Clement's, from Gen. xii, 1, 2, 3. Congregation 
 overflowing. I find by a letter, that Mr.C, of Bradford, h;is 
 through me, anonymously, given 85/. 135. to the church mis- 
 sion. 
 
 " — 2rf. Attended the Jewish anniversary. It was render- 
 ed most interesting by the particulars communicated about 
 a converted Jew, Emanuel Lemond, who died at Manches- 
 ter. I went afterward to the house where he died, and 
 spent two hours 'u\ deep affection, listening to the simple nar- 
 ratives of facts, from various persons, concerning this singular 
 convert. Brought away some memorials of him. A very 
 good day indeed. 
 
REV. LEGH EICHMOTSD. 
 
 143 
 
 ^* Hudders/ield, Oct. 1. Preached for the Church Mission- 
 ary Society, from Acts xxvii. 23. Collection — 547. Church 
 much crowded. Preached in the afternoon, at Slathwaite 
 chapel, from Mark xvi, 15. Above two thousand persons 
 present. In the evening preached at Longwood chapel, from 
 Pasim Ixxxix, 15, 16. An immense multitude. Upwards of 
 80Z. collected at these three services. Had a day of great 
 labor and apparent usefulness. Was carried through very 
 mercifully, in all the three sermons. I hear of good effects 
 from my sermons of last year in this vicinity, particularly 
 that at Huddersfield, from Eph. iii. on the love of Christ." 
 
 As the remaining parts of this tour refer to places already 
 mentioned in the preceding accounts, we forbear to insert 
 them, though they afford ample testimony to the usefulness 
 of his labors. 
 
 The perusal of this journal will probably awaken different 
 reflections, in proportion as the mind is impressed with the 
 importance of missionary undertakings. It requires some 
 portion of moral elevation justly to estimate the spirit and aim 
 of a man, who, to use the words of the venerable Leighton, 
 counted "the whole world, in comparison with the cross of 
 Christ, one grand impertinence." To those who see not the 
 exalted design of the Christian dispensation; its adaptation 
 to the wants of all mankind, and the consequent duty of dis- 
 seminating its blessed and holy truths ; the zeal of Mr. 
 Richmond will appear to have been overcharged. But he who 
 faithfully lays bel'ore his thoughts, the awful and abominable 
 idolatries of his fellow. creatures, and connects these evils^with 
 the solemn and affecting declaration of the Bible, — " the 
 wages of sin is death," — even " the bitter pains of eternal 
 death ;" — will in his own deliverance from them, "count all 
 things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ 
 Jesus his Lord;" and will burn with a zeal even to his con- 
 suming, till " all flesh shall see the salvation of God." 
 
 It is evident that these fragments were not intended for the 
 public eye. They are the simple details of daily occurrences ; 
 designed, perhaps, to interest his family, and to keep alive in 
 his own remembrance a sense of the divine goodness. Yet, 
 on this account, they may be regarded as the more faithful 
 transcripts of the scenes through which he passed, and of his 
 views respecting them. It is imposible to read without pre- 
 judice, the facts recorded, and not discern in them the man 
 of God ; — his time spent in laborious and incessant occupa- 
 
144 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 tion ;-^a piety fervent, but rational ; with less admixture ofha- 
 man infirmity, than may be found in the diaries of many other 
 good men ; — a holy elevation of spirit in the pursuit and pos- 
 session of his object, combined with deep humility; — a habit 
 of devotion, and increasing personal piety, in the midst of 
 almost universal respect and popularity ; — a sense of danger, 
 and constant prayer to be preserved from it ; and what perhaps 
 is more than all, in the midst of labors unceasing, various, 
 and exciting, abroad,~a. constant eye to the claims at home. 
 
 The editor has no inclination to amplify the preceding 
 remarks on the missionary tours of his friend, except from 
 a desire of rendering them useful to those excellent men, who 
 are following the course in which he took the lead. Mr. 
 Richmond needed more repose than he allowed himself, and 
 shortened his valuable life by over exertion. There is much 
 error in the trite maxim often quoted, it is better to wear 
 out than rust out :" for surely, it is a point of practical wisdom, 
 to preserve a medium between indolence and over-effort : and 
 the editor cannot but consider that exertion beyond the limits 
 assigned to human power is little better than a moral suicide, 
 [f good men were to satisfy themselves of the sinfulness of 
 over-strained activity, they would submit to the rein for con- 
 science' sake. It appears, that besides the fatigue of hasten- 
 ing from one place to another to futil his engagements, Mr. 
 Richmond generally preached three sermons on the sabbath, 
 and often five or six more in the course of the week. His 
 latigue was also increased by the crowded congregations that 
 assembled to hear him. The hours which should have been 
 given to a cessation from labour, were unceasingly occupied, 
 in conducting family worship, and conversing at every meal 
 with persons who were invited to meet him. On these occa- 
 sions he took, as was expected, a prominent part in the con- 
 versation ; which, however useful to others, must have insen- 
 sibly exhausted his strength. The writer, who accompanied 
 him in some of these tours, often expressed a fear that he 
 would soon become a wreck in mind and body, as the inevita- 
 ble result of such continued exertions. His reply was gene- 
 rally the same, ' I am not fatigued ; I do not feel it :' but it was 
 impossible not to entertain the apprehension, that imbecility, 
 or a premature old age, must ultimately succeed such unceas- 
 ing and exhausting eflfbrts. The political and religious world 
 have had some beacons held out to them, from which they 
 might gather an instructive warning, and learn to acknow- 
 ledge the wisdom of a remark made by an estimable charac- 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 145 
 
 tec, " I labor less that I may labor the longer ;" he might 
 Lave added, " with greater benefit to the church of God, in 
 the season of matured experience and ripened judgment.'* 
 In the midst of these multiplied engagements, the writer could 
 not refrain from asking his friend, " whence do you obtain 
 supplies for these extraordinary demands ?" Hours of retire- 
 ment and meditation are necessary to every Christian ; still 
 more necessary to the .minister of religion ; and most of all to 
 those who are exposed to the temptations and distractions of 
 public life. The largest reservoir will fail, unless it receives 
 continual supplies. iMr. Richmond, in these circumstances, 
 felt his need of redoubled watchfulness and prayer ; he not 
 only rose early in the morning to seek communion with the 
 Father of spirits, and retired, as early as circumstances 
 allowed, from the converse of man, that he might renew his 
 strength in waiting upon God ; but it was the constant habit 
 of his mind throughout the day, by secret ejaculations to draw 
 down help from above. 
 
 Besides this, he had by previous research collected his 
 materials, and by close study had so mastered his subject, 
 that he required less time for preparation than most men. 
 He wojuld often arrange his ideas for a sermon, as he was 
 travelling to the place vvhere it was to be delivered ; and 
 the abundance of his resources, together with a remarkable 
 facility of utterance, contributed to .lessen his labor. What 
 most excited surprise, was the diversified manner in which 
 he would treat the same subject. An esteemed friend of 
 the writer's once assured him, that he went to hear Mr. 
 Richmond preach three sermons on one Sunday. He said, 
 he expected there would be, of course, a similarity in the 
 discourses ; and yet they proved to be as varied as if they 
 had been delivered by three different preachers. 
 
 He has been known to have collected in these excursions 
 from 800/. to lOOOZ. ; and he once tolfl the editor, that the 
 fruits of one of these journeys were not less than 1200Z. But 
 though money forms the sinews of charity no less than of 
 war, and is indis[)ensable to the operations of every society ; 
 it was the establishment of missionary vieics and, principles, 
 the correction of errors, the removal of prejudices, and the 
 enforcement of the claims of Jews and Gentiles on the prayers 
 and benevolence of the Christian public, which formed one of 
 the most prominent features of usefulness in these tours. We 
 may add another, of which he never lost sight, namely, tfie 
 close connexion of the missionary cause with the advancement 
 13* 
 
146 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE^ 
 
 of personal piety. While he spoke of the souls of the 
 Heathen or Jews, he faithfully reminded his hearers of their 
 own ; admonished them of their obligation to improve their 
 Christian privileges ; and of the possibility of many, at the 
 last day, being admitted " from the east, and from the west, 
 and from the north, and from the south," while the children 
 of the kingdom might be cast out ! — that nominal Christianity 
 was, after all, little better than Heathen ignorance ; while it 
 involved greater guilt, and a more tremendous responsibi- 
 lity : — that personal religion was one of the best securities for 
 missionary zeal and exertion ; and that no one was likely 
 ever to be successfully engaged in communicating the Gos- 
 pel to others, who had not first felt its power and experienced 
 its peace in his own heart. 
 
 The writer of this Memoir can state, from repeated observ- 
 ation, that the improved tone of moral feeling, and of attach- 
 ment to the distinguishing truths of the Gospel, which is now 
 so perceptible throughout the kingdom, may, to a considera- 
 ble extent, be traced to the influence of these, and similar mis^ 
 sionary excursions. He has often heard his lamented friend 
 observe, in the earlier days of these institutions, — "the pub- 
 lic mind is gradually undergoing a great moral revolution^ 
 Christians are acquiring more enlarged views of the nature 
 of their religion, and the obligation to impart it. In com- 
 municating it to others, they are increasingly impressed with 
 its importance to themselves. Ten or twelve leading men 
 are doing all the work and bearing the burden and heat of 
 the day. It will be comparatively easy for those who come 
 after us ; but the prejudice, the opposition, and the conflict 
 of opinion, it is ours to encounter ; and these difficulties are 
 good for us ; for they convince us of our own weakness, and 
 show the excellency of the cause, and the power and strength 
 of God in its success^ and progress." We copy an extract 
 from a letter to his aunt, in w hich the same sentiments are 
 expressed. • " Incalculable is the national good which is 
 daily springing up from such exertions. It now appears ca- 
 pable of demonstration, that the moral wilderness will even- 
 tually blossom as the rose, through the blessing of God on 
 Bible and Missionary institutions. The opposition of error 
 and prejudice seems to languish and decay ; while the tri- 
 umphant career of sacred benevolence conveys life, light, 
 peace, and love ; and bears unequivocal evidence to the uni- 
 verse, that * God is with us of a truth.' " 
 
REV. LEGH KICmiOI^D. 
 
 147 
 
 We have already stated, that Mr. Richmond's popularity- 
 did not appear to exercise an injurious etfect on his mind. It 
 must be acknowledged that ministers of great popular talents 
 are exposed to much danger ; particularly from the indiscreet 
 admiration of some of their followers, who forget that minis- 
 ters, like other men, share in the common corruptions of 
 fallen nature. But it may be observed, that the singular 
 simplicity and unfeigned humility of Mr. Richmond, was a 
 great preservative from the ensnaring tendency of human ap- 
 plause. The writer can declare, from long observation of his 
 friend, that no man more uniformly abstained from the lan- 
 guage of praise towards others, or discouraged it more unre- 
 servedly towards himself. 
 
 Those too, who suppose that engagements of a public na- 
 ture are an unbroken career of success and popularity, are 
 much mistaken. The advocates of a public cause have much 
 to try their faith and patience. There are fightings without 
 and fears within ; subjects of deep humiliation in their own 
 experience ; and a necessity for much meekness, to bear with 
 the unreasonable opposition of enemies, and the prejudices 
 and mistakes of friends. Their divine Master leaves them 
 not without a holy discipline, to keep them low at his feet, 
 and humble in their own eyes. 
 
 Mr. Richmond had the habit of connecting every thing with 
 God. Every event, pleasurable or painful ; every object in 
 nature, or work of human ingenuity, suggested a subject for 
 devout contemplation, and filled his soul with holy affections. 
 He seemed to possess, in religion, the secret once attributed 
 to recondite philosophy ; — all he touched became gold, which 
 he converted to his own use, and to the benefit of others. This 
 holy transmutation made every place a Bethel, and every 
 object a cause of some pious emotion ; and thus circumstances 
 ensnaring in their natural tendency, were made to him the 
 medium of nearer access to God. 
 
 In illustration of this remark we quote the following, ' Re- 
 flections suggested during a Tour in Westmoreland and Lan- 
 cashire, with two valued friends;' and a Poetical effusion, 
 written after visiting the grave of Hervey, in Northamp- 
 tonshire. 
 
 " There is a peculiar sweetness in the recollection of those 
 hours which we have spent with friends of a kindred spirit, 
 amidst the beauties of created nature. The Christian can 
 alone find that congeniality in associates, who not only pos- 
 sess a lively and cultivated sense of the high beauty which 
 
148 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 landscape scenery presents to the eye; but who -can also see 
 creation's God in every feature of the j)rospect. The painter 
 can imitate, the poet describe, and the lourist talk vviih ec- 
 Stacy of the sublinne and beautiful objects which constitute 
 the scene before him. But he only can be said to enjov them 
 aright, whose talents, taste, and affections, are consecrated to 
 the glory of Him by whom 'all things were made, and with- 
 out whom was not any thing made that was made.' When 
 the pencil that traces the rich and animated landscape of 
 mountains, lakes, and trees, is guided by iv grateiul heart as 
 ■well as by a skilful hand; then the picture becomes no less 
 an acceptable offering to God, than it is a source of well- 
 directed pleasure to the mind of. man. And when the poet, 
 in harmonious numbers, makes hill and dale responsive to his 
 song, happy is it if his lieart be in unison with the harp of 
 David, and if he can call on all created nature, to join in one 
 universal chorus of gratitude and praise. The Christian tra- 
 veller best enjoys scenes like these. In every wonder, he 
 sees the hand that made it; — in every landscape, the bounty 
 that adorns it; — in rivers, fields, and forests, the Providence 
 that ministers to the wants of man; — in every surrounding ob- 
 ject, he sees an emblem of his own spiritual condition ; — him- 
 self a stranger and a pilgrim, journeying on through a coun- 
 try of wonders and beauties; alternately investigating, admir- 
 ing, and praising the work of his Maker, and anticipaiing a 
 holy and happy eternity, to be spent in the Paradise of God, 
 where the prospects are ever new, and the landscapes never 
 fade from the sight !" 
 
 01\ VISITING THE GRAVE OF HERVEY. 
 
 '*0! f )r the expanded mind llial soars on liigh, 
 Ranj^iiig r.far willi meditation's eye! 
 'J'liat climbs the lieighis of yonder starry road; 
 Rising tlirougii nature, up lu nature's God! 
 
 "O! for a heart that seeks tlie sacred ploom 
 Wiiich liovcrs round the precinct? of the; tomt)! 
 Wiiiie f:incy, muring tliere, sees visions bright; 
 In death discovering life, — in darkness liglit! 
 
 "O !' for a soul to trace a Sa\nour's power, 
 *• In each sweet foim thai decks ilie blooming flower! 
 And as I wander sucli fair scenes among, 
 I'll make the Rose of Sharon ail my ^ong. 
 
 " What thougii tlie chilling blasts of winter's day 
 Foibid t!ie garden longer lo be gay ? 
 Of winter yet I'll not refuse to sing, 
 Thus to be followed by eternal spring! 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 149 
 
 "Hei vey ! be tlioii my sruide to point the road 
 'J'liat leads far lieiice, to yonder blest abode I 
 Grant irie his faitli, ihon good, tliou {ireai Most High! 
 Letrae like Hervey live, — like Herveydie!'* 
 
 We next insert an extract from a letter, addressed to his 
 aunt, in' the year 1817, in allusion to a report that his public 
 services were recompensed by a salary. 
 
 " This subject reminds me of an observation which you 
 made when I lately saw you, and to which I for a moment 
 beg to draw your attention. You said that some person had 
 told either you or Mrs. M. that I received some pecuniary 
 compensation for my services in behalf of the religious insti- 
 tutions for which I am in the habit of pleading. I must 
 request that justice may be done to me, and to the cause 
 which I espouse. The report is false, in every possible point 
 of view. I never did, nor ever would, accept of a single 
 farthing, from a single individual. The whole has ever been 
 completely gratuitous, and disinterested. Matiy valuable cler- 
 gymen are pursuing the same path of usefulness in their 
 occasional excursions from home : but they act as volunteers, 
 and not as hirelings; we seek no reward in this world, but that 
 of seeing good done, and mankind benefited. Let this inju- 
 rious report be repelled ; let not prejudice and mistake operate 
 to the disadvantage of truth and charity. I can say, for one, 
 that if ever the least departure were to take place from the 
 disinterested plan of serving the societies gratuitously,* I would 
 instantly abandon the ranks of their public defenders and 
 advocates. My services arise from conscientious principle, 
 \nd are neither directly nor obliquely connected with pecuni- 
 iry advantage; but quite the reverse, if all were known. 
 Some people seem to doubt the possibility of disinterested 
 ictivity. Alas ! they know not the motives which Chris, 
 ianity inspires. Christ said for himself, and for all true 
 I^hristians, ' My kingdom is not of this world.' May we all 
 ully know what that important text means," 
 
 But the question which will no doubt principally suggest 
 self to the reader, is the following : — 
 How was his place supplied in his parish during these ex- 
 
 ursions ? 
 
 " An exception is, of course, here implied in behalf, of the regular official 
 jents of the public socLetiea. 
 
 I 
 
150 
 
 MEMOIRS OF ThE 
 
 It was his fixed determination, never to enter upon a public 
 
 engagement, till a provision had been made for the services 
 of his^ parish ; and he seldom left home .without procuring a 
 resident minister. Subsequently, when the claims of the dif- 
 ferent public societies, and the calls of his distant friends, 
 required him to give up a certain portion of his time, he 
 appointed a regular curate, who united with that office the 
 care and tuition of his children ; that neither his family nor 
 his people might suffer any diminution of their accustomed 
 privileges by his absence. The following letter, addressed 
 to a clergyman who was his temporary representative during 
 one of these journeys, will prove that he was not satisfied with 
 merely procuring a substitute, but that it was his earnest wish 
 to secure the conscientious and efficient performance of the 
 duty : — 
 
 " My dear Sir, 
 
 "I hope this will meet you in good health. In committing 
 my flock to your care for a season, I earnestly pray God 
 that you and they may prosper, and profit together. I will 
 add a few words explanatory of my usual proceedings. I 
 have, on Sunday mcrning and afternoon, lull services. My 
 evening service is for the Sunday school, and I always ad- 
 dress them in the most free and simple manner. If ever you 
 speak without full notes, this would be your occasion ; if not, 
 let the children be the especial object of your evening minis- 
 try, in that way wherein God shall direct your heart and lips. 
 
 " You will naturally wish to know my usual matter and 
 manner of preaching. In matter, I keep the Lord Jesus 
 Christ continually present, and experimentally applied to the 
 consciences, afieciions, and understandings of the hearers : my. 
 people are constantly used to the exhibition of the saving offi- 
 ces of Christ, as prophet, priest, and king, — all and in all : — 
 strengthening, comforting, guiding, and making the believing 
 sinner meet for the inheritance of the saints in light. 1 
 preach the duties of Christians, not as detached and separa- 
 ble appendages to doctrines, but as intimately connected, and 
 infallibly mixed with them, and flowing from them : still keep- 
 ing the work of the Holy Spirit in view, as convincing, direct- 
 ing, and revealing Jesus as the principle of both justification 
 by faith alone, and of sanctification through the Holy Spirit. 
 These rich, never-failing, fruitful, and consolatory truths, I 
 feel to be the great subject and object of the Christian min- 
 istry; and as such, I have ever preached them fully, freely. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMO^'D. 
 
 151 
 
 and experimentally. Give them, my dear . sir, these plain 
 scriptural truths in godly simplicity, and they will love and 
 bless you. In point of length, I would recommend from 35 
 to 45 minutes as tJie extreme limits. 
 
 " As to manner ; my first ohject is, to exhibit aflection, 
 earnestness, and a real desire that every sentiment and every 
 sentence may profit the hearts of my hearers. 
 
 " I rely on your brotherly and friendly feelings to allow for 
 the frankness of these accounts of my unworthy self, as I am 
 sure you would wish me to explain the objects so near my 
 heart, 
 
 " On Friday evening I have a lecture, to a small but listen- 
 ing people. In hay and harvest time it is much reduced. My 
 valued friend, Mr. Barker, will afford you any and every in- 
 formation concerning parochial matters. He will introduce 
 you to some of the sick, and other poor people ; and you will 
 find religious conversational intercourse in visiting the poor, 
 a sure road to their hearts ; and, during my absence, no 
 small satisfaction to mine. 
 
 " Mr. Barker will tell you all about my new school plans, 
 in which he is very useful to me. In all these things, my dear 
 sir, you v»ill now, for a season, be my substitute. Pray to 
 God for direction ; and after, pray for your absent friend. Do 
 the work of an evangelist, — resting on the special promises 
 made to ministers and flocks. Be sincere, humble, affection, 
 ate, and earnest ; — keep close to the Gospel of our blessed 
 Master, in private and in public ; and may He comfort and 
 strengthen you in all things. 
 
 " Be so kind to be exact in the times of commencing the 
 different services. Sunday morning, at ten ; afternoon, at 
 half past two ; evening, at six; Friday evening, at a quarter 
 before seven. 
 
 " In the same spirit in which I have written to you on my 
 feelings and wishes as a minister, I now also wish you to re- 
 ceive these expressions as a friend and a brother ; and to be 
 assured that I am, very affectionately and faithfully, yours, 
 
 Legh Richmond." 
 
 «' Rev. Mr. R s, Turvey:' 
 
 He was also in the habit, on these occasions, of writing 
 pastoral letters to his people, to convince them that, though 
 absent for a season, he was still not unmindful of their spiritual 
 welfare. These epistles are written with much plainness of 
 style, united with useful admonitions, and suitable references 
 
152 MEMOIRS OF TUB 
 
 to the circumstances of the parish. The Rev. Mr. Ward, 
 the excellent minister of Iver, has long adopted this practice 
 on a more extended scale, hy addressing a yearly epistle to 
 his parishioners, containing the substance of his pastoral 
 thoughts and reflections : and we think this example worthy of 
 being recommended to general imitation ; as they are pleas- 
 ing memorials of affection and zeal, and seem calculated to 
 strengthen thci bond of union which ought ever to subsist 
 between a minister and his people. We shall not now insert 
 those of Mr. Richmond, because they contain allusions- to 
 events which we have not yet had the opportunity of rela- 
 ting ; and because we are desirous of presenting the reader 
 with the various details of his public engagements without the 
 interruption of other subjects. 
 
 Perhaps some may be disposed to think that the excite- 
 ment and popularity of Mr. Richmond's publi.^. life, might 
 disqualify him for the more homely and retired duties of a 
 country parish priest. 
 
 That he returned with his mind deeply impressed with 
 the importance of the cause which he had been pleading, is 
 most true ; but the use that he made of this impression was 
 to endeavor to enkindle in the breast of others, the flame 
 which warmed and animated his own. He therefore drew 
 attention to these subjects, — introduced them into his ser- 
 mons ; described the state of the heathen world ; their idol- 
 atries, — their atrocious rites ; — the burning of women on the 
 funeral pile, — their awful ignorance, — their perishing state ; 
 and the bounden duty of Christians to send them that Gospel 
 which the mercy of God had put into their own hands. These 
 communications were then novel, and excited considerable 
 interest. 
 
 It has been said that such objects are too remote to en- 
 gage the attention of the poor ; and that their poverty disa- 
 bles them from contributing to their support. But the princi- 
 pal qualification for appreciating missions is a sense of the 
 worth of an immortal soul : and he who knows the value of his 
 own soul, be he poor or rich, needs no other argument to in- 
 spire him with a desire to save the souls of others : and it 
 must be mentioned to the honor of the lower classes, that 
 they have been found to be valuable and efficient friends of 
 missionary exertions ; not only by the fervor of their prayers, 
 but also by the amount of their pecuniary contributions. To 
 many of them may be applied the touching commendation of 
 the apostle, when speaking of the poor disciples of Corinth, — 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 153 
 
 In a great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy, 
 and their deep poverty, abounded unto the riches of their li- 
 berality, for to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond 
 their power, they were willing of themselves : praying us. with 
 much entreaty, that we would receive the gitl, and take upon 
 us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints : and this they 
 did, not as we hoped, but first gave their oicnsehes to the 
 Lord, and unto us by the will of God.'' 2 Cor. viii, 2 — 5. 
 
 The people of Turvey soon expressed a desire to contribute 
 their aid ; and a Bible and Missionary Society were accord- 
 ingly established. Mr. Richmond found the introduction of 
 these subjects to be attended with the happiest effects. His 
 people acquired more enlarged views ; they read their Bibles 
 with increasing interest : comprehended better the scope of 
 prophecy, and the future spread of the everlasting Gospel 
 among all the nations of the world ; they prayed for its ac- 
 complishment, and the cause of missions became dear to their 
 hearts. There was also a reaction upon themselves, — they 
 were led to a more earnest examination of their own state 
 before God. In reading the simple narratives of poor negrops 
 mourning for their sins, or rejoicing in the peace and conso- 
 lations of the Gospel, they caught the happy contagion ; they 
 wondered to see emotions described so like their own ; dis- 
 covered that the human heart is every where the same ; and 
 that the grace of God, confined to no clime or color, can im- 
 part its saving influences to men of every nation, tongue, and 
 kindred. In thinking of the souls of others, they became in- 
 creasingly interested for their own ; and learned to implore 
 that grace with renewed earnestness for themselves, the trans- 
 forming power and efficacy of which they saw, in the instance 
 of a once-benighted heathen. 
 
 Another question may occur. 
 
 Did his family sustain no injury by his frequent absence 
 from them. 
 
 They were left in the hands of an excellent mother ; to 
 whose assiduous and affectionate care, none bore a more will- 
 ing or frequent testimony than Mr. Richmond. But his own 
 [Ceaseless solicitude for the welfare of his children will be 
 jbest shown by the following letters; together with some va- 
 luable admonitions addressed to his daughters, and rules for 
 their general conduct and deportment. 
 14 
 
154 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 October, 1815. 
 
 " My dear Child, — This may probably reach you on your 
 birthday. It is a day which should remind you of the im- 
 portance of time, and the swift approach of eternity. It bids 
 you remember your Creator in the days of your youth. But 
 have you ever done so aright ? Have you seen yourself a sin- 
 ner, and gone to the blood of Christ for pardon ? Forms and 
 notions never yet saved a soul ; and have you, indeed, ever 
 gone further than forms and notions 1 My child, be in earn- 
 est ; it is no trifle whether you have real grace or not : it is 
 every thing to ascertain this point, and to act upon it. Do you 
 feel a burden of sin for daily offences ? — do you repent ? — do 
 you pray from the heart ? Suppose God were to see good to 
 bring you to a bed of death, where are your evidences that you 
 are really his child ? Think in how many ways you have of- 
 fended him in thought, word, and deed ? What but a Saviour's 
 blood can wipe the guilt away ? 
 
 " It is full time, my dear F , that you show a decision 
 
 of character, in that humble yet determined separation of life, 
 which distinguishes a common (alas ! too common,) nominally 
 Christian child, from a child that believes in Christ, loves 
 God, and is taught by the Holy Spirit. 
 
 " Secret, free prayer, is a great testimony that a work of 
 grace is begun. But do you thus pray ? Have you found out 
 the sins into which you are most liable to fall, and most easily 
 tempted to commit ? These are your bosom foes, and must be 
 resisted in a different strength from any which you naturally 
 possess. That strength is only to be obtained in Christ, and 
 by believing in him and Jiim a'one. Grace, free grace, reigns 
 in every step of the Christian progress. Do you ever feel 
 these things as a matter of uneasiness, or desire, or hope, or 
 fear ? It will not satisfy me, and I hope it will not satisfy 
 you, that you have had so many advantages of a Christian 
 education, unless you prove to yourself and me, that there is 
 a work of the Spirit in your heart. What a delightful dis- 
 play the Lord gave us of his goodness and power, when that 
 dear and beloved woman your mother and my wife (it is my 
 highest earthly privilege to call her-so,) lay, as we thought, 
 on the bed of death ! You cannot have forgotten it ; — no one 
 that saw it ever could. But that day was a warning and a 
 consolation for us ? — O may we use it as both. But do not 
 deceive yourself, — mere natural feelings and meltings of heart 
 are not enough. Sin, sin is the great cause of sorrow ; and 
 , therefore must you weep. Carry sin to Jesus, he will hide it 
 
REV. LEGH KICH3I0:\D. 
 
 155 
 
 for ever from his Father's sight. Angels rejoice when chil- 
 dren weep for sin. 
 
 " Read ' Little Jane !' Two Sunday scholars at Manches- 
 ter have been converted to God this summer, by reading 
 it ; — and must my own dear child heed it not ? I trust not. 
 
 Pray, dear F , for faith and love to the Saviour. Happy 
 
 shall I be to hear from yourself (when it does indeed come 
 from your heart,) either by letter or word of mouth, that you 
 feel a true concern for your never-dying soul. And so may 
 God give you many happy years, if it so please him. If not, 
 may he take you, as a pardoned sinner, to himself, in his own 
 time. — Love to my dear H. 
 
 " From her and your truly affectionate father. 
 
 " Tell H. that I write every word of this for her, as well 
 as for you." 
 
 Keswick, Oct. 16, 1815. 
 
 ' My dear Daughter, 
 " The exquisite beauty and sublimity of this country 
 almost makes a pen move of itself. Never did I pass so 
 beautiful a day as this at the Lakes. I shall sing the praises 
 of October, as the loveliest of months. This morning, at six 
 o'clock, I Vvas walking on the banks of Winundermere, to 
 catch a sunrise. I had every thing I could v/ish, and ob- 
 served the progress of day with delight. The mysterious 
 rolling of clouds across the hills announced the first influence 
 of the sun. Tints the most beauteous skirted the eastern 
 clouds ; those on the west caught them as l>y sympath}' . Va- 
 rious patches of mountains soon gleamed with the reflection 
 of the yet unseen luminary ; and such innumerable vicissi- 
 tudes of light and shade, and claro obsciiro, filled the scene, 
 as no tongue can describe. The lake, in all its length of 
 thirteen miles, lay beneath me, with its thirty islands. I heard 
 the early lowing of the cows, the bleating of the sheep, the 
 neighing of the horses, the twittering of the birds, the rustling 
 of the breeze, the rippling of the water, and dashing of the 
 oar, in a gentle kind of harmony. The sun advanced, and 
 threw a blaze of magnificent lustre over this Paradisiacal land- 
 scape. I soon crossed over the Lake, and passed through 
 rich scenes of wonder and loveliness. I saw Coniston and 
 Grasmere Lakes, under circumstances of peculiar advantage. 
 Clusters of mountains and lesser hills, clothed with crags, 
 brown fern, red lichens, green grass, purple heath, bushes, 
 barren gulleys, cascades, wild streaks, rolling mists, bright 
 
156 
 
 ME5IOIRS OF THE 
 
 sunshine, &c. presented incessant variety. Hill towered 
 above hill, — Alpine peaks reared their heads, — groves filled 
 the valleys, and cottages were sprinkled in wild profusion. 
 
 I dined at a little romantic inn, at the foot of the moun- 
 tain Helvellyn. The Lake of Leatheswater extended its 
 four miles' length close by. My parlor window faced the 
 great hill ; — a mountain stream fell from a great height, turn- 
 bling with a murmuring sound down into the vale. Something 
 dimmed the pane of glass through which I viewed it. On 
 inspection, I found the following lines, written with a dia- 
 mond : — 
 
 'Flow, mountain streamlet, swiftly flow, 
 And fertilize the plain below ; — 
 Sweet emblem of that gracious love 
 Which pours down blessings from above ; 
 The stream of mercy, Lord, is thine, — 
 The lowly heart that feels it, mine.' 
 
 " On another pane was written — 
 
 •Fortjet not, mortal traveller, thou must die, 
 Before thy journey's end, ask — 'Wluere am I?' 
 
 " And once more — 
 
 'These lovely scenes before mine eyes 
 Form a terrestial Paradise. 
 But this shall quickly pass away : 
 Then seek one in eternal day.' 
 
 " Thence I advanced to Keswick. Before me stood the 
 giants of the scenery, Skiddaw and Saddleback, — in sublime 
 beauty, not to be expressed. Their length, their breadth, 
 their height, their wildness, their roughness, their smooth- 
 ness, their surface, their profile, their tout ensemble, most 
 grand, most interesting. At length the Lakes of Derwent- 
 water and Bassenthwaites burst upon the eye with all the 
 charms that painters and poets love, and which Christians 
 know how to love, far better than either. The scene from a 
 hill, a mile on the road from Keswick, so much exceeds the 
 powers of my pen to describe, that I can only say, — " How 
 amiable are thy tabernacles,' O Lord, the Creator ! 
 
 *' I watched the moon decline on the lake, and then studied 
 the whole scene by the finest starlight 1 ever beheld. Mars 
 is now in the east, like .Tupiter ; yea, bright as a moon. The 
 Great Bear hangs pendant exactly over Skiddaw, and Mars 
 rises triumphantly over the summit of Saddleback ; the Ga- 
 laxy sweeps over the hemisphere, white as milk, and clear as 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 157 
 
 moonlight. All is solemn, silent, peaceful. I write you this 
 faint breathing of expression. Could you copy these scenes, 
 I should be proud of your company here ; I trust some day 
 you will. 
 
 This morning, as I stood on an eminence, looking down 
 on the exquisitely lovely Lake of Grasmere, environed by its 
 amphitheatre of mountains, a momentary shower produced a 
 rainbow ; — it extended from hill to hill, over the valley, and 
 seemed like a bridge for angels to pass over from one district 
 of Paradise to another : 
 
 "And as ihey pas.?, let angels sing 
 The wonders of creation's King; 
 And while ihey tune tlieir harps to praise, 
 I'd gladly catch their solemn lays; 
 Unite with theirs my feeble tongue, 
 And give to gratitude my song." 
 
 " My dear M , 
 
 " I leave you, in much love, a few fatherly hints. 
 
 1. Be constant in private prayer. 
 
 2. Be wise in the choice of books ; shun every thing of 
 the romance and novel kind ; and even in poetry, keep to 
 what is useful and instructive, as well as pleasant. 
 
 3. In company, show that the principles of your father's 
 house and ministry are your rule of conduct, and your real 
 delight. Be consistent ; — cheerful, but not light ; conversi- 
 ble, but not trifling. 
 
 4. Keep ever in view, Uiat you are supporting my cha- 
 racter and credit, as well as your own. 
 
 5. Show a marked preference to such conversation, re- 
 marks, persons, discussions, and occupations as may tend to 
 essential good. 
 
 6. Always think before you speak ; say and do neither 
 hastily nor unadvisedly. 
 
 7. If any proposal is ever made to you in which you hesi- 
 tate how to act, first say to yourself, — how would God have 
 me to act ? Secondly, — what would my parents have me to 
 do if they were here to advise me ? 
 
 8. Never lose sight of this : that the more public my name, 
 character, and ministry are become, the more eyes and ears 
 are turned to my children's conduct ; they are expected, in 
 knowledge and circumspettion, in religion and morals, in 
 opinions and habits, to show where they have been educated ; 
 and to adorn, not only their Christian profession, but th^ir 
 parents' principles. 
 
 14" 
 
158 
 
 MEMOIXS OF THE 
 
 9. In music, prefer serious to light compositions ; and m 
 vocal, keep close to sacred words. 
 
 10. Pray much for your affectionate father, 
 
 Legh Richmond. 
 
 " P. S. I send you the following application of a sermon., 
 from Eph. v. 15, 16 ; — 
 
 On circumspection of walk ; redemption of lime ; and gene- 
 ral transparency of character* 
 
 1. Adhere most scrupulously to truth ; and labor to pre- 
 serve the strictest integrity, simplicity, and sincerity. 
 
 2. Engage in no pursuit in which you cannot look up untt* 
 God, and say, ' Bless me in this, O my Father !' 
 
 3. Strive to be as kind, forbearing, and forgiving as you 
 can, both to friends and foes. 
 
 4. Never speak evil of any one, on any pretence whatever- 
 
 5. Strive to recommend religion by the courtesy, civilitVr 
 and condescending character of your conduct. 
 
 6. Watch against irritation, positiveness, unkind speakings ^ 
 and anger ; study and promote love» 
 
 7. Mortify lusts, sensuality, and sloth. 
 
 8. Never allow others to speak well of you ; nor espe- 
 cially yourself, to say or think any thing of yourself, but as 
 poorly done. Keep down pride ; let it not be indulged for a 
 moment, and watch against it. , 
 
 9. Shut out evil imaginations, and angry thoughts, 
 
 10. Let it be your sole business here to prepare for eter- 
 nity. Consider every moment of time in that view. 
 
 1 1 . Remember that you have to contend with a legion of 
 devils ; a heart full of deceit and iniquity ; and a world at 
 enmity with God. 
 
 12. Pray that you may ever rejoice in the advancement ot 
 Christ's kingdom, and the salvation of sinners ; and labor in 
 every way to promote these objects. 
 
 Prayer is the only weapon which can subdue your cor> 
 ruptions, and keep your evidences bright. Cultivate prayer." 
 
 We add another of these edifying testimonies of paternal 
 solicitude and love. 
 
 y *' To my Daughters. 
 
 w " With a heart full of affection, I sit down to express u 
 few sentiments and intimations o" my wishes., as connected 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 159 
 
 with your conduct, in the course of any journey or absence 
 from home. I wish each of you to preserve a copy of it, 
 my dear children, and often look at it ; take it with you when 
 from home, and keep it safe when at home. 
 
 "Independently of my anxious wishes for your secret, 
 spiritual welfare, I have much to feel on my own account, in 
 point of credit and character, as connected with your deport- 
 ment, in every house and company into which I may introduce 
 vou. I have not a doubt of your general affectionate wish to 
 speak and act right ; but inexperience, youth, thoughtlessness, 
 and want of more acquaintance with the world carnal and the 
 world religious, may easily occasion inconsistencies and er- 
 rors which might be injurious to your gwn, as well as to my 
 comfort and credit. Accept, therefore, a father's blessings 
 and prayers, with a father's chapter of admonitions and ex- 
 planations. 
 
 " You are not unaware that my name and character have 
 acquired much publicity ; — that I avowedly belong to a class 
 of Christian ministers who profess, for Christ's and their 
 souls' sake, to be separate from the world, — to maintain 
 purer and more distinct views of the Scripture doctrine — and 
 to be willing to spend and be spent in behalf of the truth as it 
 is m Jesus. I am, therefore, supposed not only to maintain a. 
 consistent separation from the follies and vices of the world, 
 its pomps and vanities, but to aim at so ruling and guidiug my 
 household, that my principles may shine forth in their con- 
 duct. Any want of correctness, consistency, faithfulness, and 
 propriety in them, will always attach a mixture of censure, 
 surprise, and concern, as it regards me. The friends of reli- 
 gion will grieve, and those who are otherwise will rejoice, if 
 you could be drawn into compliances, and expressions of sen- 
 timent, at variance with your father's : — always, therefore, 
 keep in remembrance, whether you are in company with de- 
 cidedly religious and consistent Christians, or with those who 
 are only partially so, or with those who are unhappily not so at 
 all, — that you have not only your own peace of conscience to 
 maintain, but the estimation and honor of your parent also.* 
 " Many temptations will occur, to induce you to yield and 
 aform to habits and principles, the very reverse of those 
 
 * Should anyone think there is too prominent a regard expressed for his 
 own reputation, in the advice and admonition lie gives his children; let such 
 ^ objerlor compare Mr. Richmond's feelings with those of the apostle, 
 in adverting to t!ie conduct of his spiritual children: — "Lest when I come 
 again, my God will humble me amongst you; and that I should bewail m:iHy 
 who have sinned already," &c, 2 Cor. xii, 21. 
 
160 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 which you hear me supporting, both in the pulpit and the par- 
 lor. Be not ashamed of firmly, though modestly, in such 
 cases, resisting them. State what mine and your principles 
 are, and heed not the momentary unpleasantness of appearing 
 singular, when conscience and duty require it. You may 
 easily say, ' My father does not approve of such and such 
 things, neither can I.' No person whose estimation is worth 
 having will think the worse of you, for such instances of mild 
 but decisive firmness ; and without it, I should be disgraced. 
 
 " All descriptions of public amusements ; novels, popular 
 amorous poems, plays, songs, vanities, and finery ; and all the 
 sad tribe of poisonous and dangerous pursuits, should be re- 
 gulated by this principle ; and O, that your own simplicity 
 and love to Christ, may never give way to one sad influence 
 of false sentiment, even amongst those whom, on other ac- 
 counts, we may esteem and regard. The half-religious are 
 often more dangerous than those who are less so ; because 
 we are more on our guard in the latter case than the former. 
 The great number of instances in which I have seen the 
 young people of religious families deeply injured in their spi- 
 rits and habits, by much visiting with persons of different views 
 and customs from those of their own household, has made me, 
 I confess, from pure motives of conscience and prudence, very 
 averse to much of that sort of visiting in my own children's 
 case, which I know to have been productive of bad conse- 
 quences in others. And the difhculty of drawing the line has 
 always appeared very great with my numerous friends and 
 acquaintance. Still I wish to make you happy in every rea- 
 sonable way ; and I am glad when I can give you the advan- 
 tage of new scenes and company, when it is of the right 
 kind. But as in my journeys, extensive intercourse takes 
 place, a great variety of characters will fall in your way ; and 
 I wish for all your sakes that you may be provided with sober, 
 discreet, and religious caution, that the natural ardor of 
 youth may not lead you into unbecoming or sinful compli- 
 ances. 1 know many families, and you know a few, where, 
 perhaps the parents are rehgious, but their young people are 
 very imperfectly, if at all so ; in such cases you may, from 
 equality of age, be thrown much more into the light, frivo- 
 lous, and objectionable conversation of the younger, than the 
 more useful communications of the elders of the family. Here 
 often, there is danger ; ever prefer and choose those, of what- 
 ever age, in whom you think you discover a holy, serious, 
 benevolent, consistent way of acting and speaking. 
 
REV. LEGn KICHMO^D. 
 
 161 
 
 ''A young professor of religion has not, in mosf instances, 
 so difficult a task to sustain, when in conversation with those 
 of a decidedly religious deportment, as with worldly persons, 
 and those who can scarcely be ranked as consistently serious, 
 although often to be met with in religious parties. If, how- 
 ever, your conscience be correct, you will see more and more 
 the duty of acting and speaking aright, and you must ever 
 pray for grace to direct and govern you. Difficulties and 
 dangers of this kind greatly multiply, when those who, from 
 relationship and family regard, stand very near to natural 
 love and affection, are nevertheless, in great measure, stran- 
 gers to the power of true religion, and therefore mingle with 
 the world wholly, pursue its pleasures, and support its cus- 
 toms. I entreat you to be much on your guard in all such 
 cases. Decays in religious feeling and conduct continually 
 arise from this source ; and endanger the temporal, spiritual, 
 und eternal welfare of many a hopeful family. 
 
 I am frequently placed in situations myself, where I find it 
 very difficult to satisfy my conscience that I am doing right, 
 amongst people and families where real religion has little or 
 no part in their ways and conversation. In trying to be 
 kind, attentive, and too compliant, perhaps, to their habits, 
 I feel that I am in great danger of strengthening them in 
 evil, and always of injuring my own consistency as a Chris * 
 tian. 
 
 " I will now add some remarks, placed under select heads, > 
 ; which may make them more conspicuous, and better remem- 
 bered : and may God render them useful to you ! Keep them 
 constantly with you, and let them be always read over, at 
 least once a week. 
 
 AMUSEMENTS. 
 
 Plays, balls, public concerts, cards, private dances, &c. 
 Serious, consistent Christians, must resist these things, be- 
 I cause the dangerous spirit of the world and the flesh is in them 
 I all : they are the " pomps and vanities of this wicked world,** 
 -o solemnly renounced at baptism. To be conformed to these 
 seductive and more than frivolous scenes, is to be conformed 
 to this world, and opposed to the character and precepts of 
 Ciirist. They who see no harm in these things are spiritu- 
 ally blind ; and they who will not hear admonition against 
 them, are spiritually deaf. Shun, my dear girls, the plea- 
 
162 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 sures of sin, and seek those which are at God's right hand 
 for evermore. You cannotlowe both. 
 
 Blessed be God, you have been kept far from those, who 
 make such recreations their idols to wean their hearts from 
 God. Never in any conversation speak lightly or triflingly 
 of these subjects, as if you had not imbibed proper sentiments- 
 concerning them. Ever preserve the consistency of your 
 parental house and principles, 
 
 BOOKS. 
 
 Characters are speedily discerned by their choice of books. 
 Novels in prose I need not now forbid ; ignorant as you are 
 of their bad tendency, by experience, you, I am persuaded, 
 trust me on that head, and will never sacrifice time, affection, 
 or attention to them. But beware of novels in verse. Poets 
 are more dangerous than prose writers, when their principles 
 
 are bad. Were Lord B no better poet than he is a 
 
 man, he might have done little harm ; but when a bad man is 
 a good poet, and makes his good poetry the vehicle of his 
 bad sentiments, he does mischief by wholesale. Do not 
 be ashamed of having never read the fashionable poem of the 
 day. A Christian has no time, and should have no inclina- 
 tion for any reading that has no real tendency to improve the 
 heart. The finest rule I ever met with in regard to the choice 
 of books, is this : — " Books are good or bad in their effects, as 
 they make us relish the word of God, the more or the less 
 after we have read them." There are too many valuable 
 books on a variety of subjects, which ought to be read, to 
 allow of time to be dedicated to unworthy and useless ones. 
 
 MUSIC. 
 
 Shun all the wretched folly and corruption of light, silly, 
 and aniorous songs, on the same principle that you would 
 shun books of the same nature. Sacred music is the true 
 refuge of the Christian musician. I wish your ears, your 
 hearts, and your tongues were oftener tuned to such melo- 
 dies. The play-house, the opera, and the concert-room, 
 have deluged the world with the abuses of the heavenly art 
 of music. Music was designed to lead the soul to heaven, 
 but the corruption of man has greatly perverted the merciful 
 intention. Do not you belong to such perverters, nor seem 
 to take pleasure in those who do. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 163 
 
 DRESS. 
 
 Aim at great neatness and simplicity. Shun finery and 
 show. 
 
 Be not in haste to follow new fashions. 
 
 Remember, that with regard to dress, Christians ought to 
 be decidedly plainer, and less showy than the people of the 
 world. I wish it to be said of the females of my house, — 
 " with what evident and becoming simplicity are the daugh- 
 ters of Simplex"^ attired." I refer you to my last letter on 
 that subject. 
 
 BEHAVIOUR IN COMPANY. 
 
 Be cheerful, but not gigglers. 
 Be serious, but not dull. 
 Be communicative, but not forward. 
 Be kind, but not servile. 
 
 In every company, support your own and your father's 
 principles by cautious consistency. 
 
 Beware of silly, thoughtless speeches : although you may 
 forget them, others will not. 
 
 Remember God's eye is in every place, and his ear in 
 every company. 
 
 Beware of levity and familiarity with young men ; a mo- 
 dest reserve, without affectation, is the only safe path ; — grace 
 is needful here ; ask for it ; you know where. 
 
 JOURNEYING. 
 
 Cultivate knowledge as you travel : — 
 History, antiquities, — in cities, towns, churches, castles, 
 ruins, 
 
 Natural history, — in plants, earths, stones, minerals, ani- 
 mals, <Sz;c. 
 
 Picturesque taste, — in landscape-scenery and all its bound- 
 less combinations. 
 
 Cultivate good-humored contentment, in all the little in- 
 conveniences incident to inns, roads, weather, &c. 
 
 Cultivate a deep and grateful sense of the power, wisdom, 
 and goodness of God, in creation and providence, as succes- 
 sively presented to your notice from place to place. 
 
 *Mr. Riclimond's signature in the * Christian Guardian/ 
 
164 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Keep diaries and memoranda of daily events, places, per- 
 sons, objects, conversations, sermons, public meetings, beau- 
 ties, wonders, and mercies, as you travel. Be minute and 
 faithful. 
 
 Ask many questions of such as can afford useful informa- 
 tion as to what you see. 
 
 Write your diary daily ; — delays are very prejudicial. 
 You owe a diary to yourself, to your friends left at home, and 
 to your father, who gives you the pleasure and profit of the 
 journey. 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 i 
 
 Strive to preserve a praying mind through the day ; not 
 only at the usual and stated periods, but every where, and at 
 all times, and in all companies. This is your best preser- 
 vative against error, weakness, and sin. 
 
 Always remember that you are in the midst of temptations ; 
 and never more so, than when most pleased with outward ob- 
 jects and intercourse. 
 
 Pray and watch ; for if the spirit be willing, yet the flesh 
 is deplorably weak. 
 
 RELIGION. 
 
 Keep ever in mind that for your own sake and for my sake, 
 you have a religions profession to sustain ; and this both in 
 serious and worldly company. Be firm and consistent in them 
 both. Many eyes and ears are open to observe what my chil- 
 dren say and do, and will be wherever we go. Pray to be 
 preserved from errors, follies, and offences, which bring an 
 evil name upon the ways of God. You may sometimes hear 
 ridicule, prejudice, and censure assail the friends of true reli- 
 gion ; — it ever was, and will be so : but " blessed are they 
 which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the 
 kingdom of heaven." Be not ashamed of Christ here, and 
 he will not be ashamed of you hereafter. 
 
 Court and encourage serious conversation with those who 
 are truly serious and conversible ; and do not go into valua- 
 ble company without endeavoring to improve by the inter- 
 course permitted to you. Nothing is more unbecoming, than 
 that, while one part of a company is engaged in profitable 
 and interesting conversation, another part should be trifling, 
 giggling, and talking comparative nonsense to each other. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 165 
 
 Ever show the interest which you take in the subjects of 
 schools for the poor, the distribution of tracts, the Bible and 
 Missionary Societies, and all those important topics which so 
 deeply occupy the people of God : and when you can find a 
 congenial friend, talk of heaven and eternity, and your soul 
 and your Saviour. This will be as a shield to your head and 
 your heart. 
 
 ESTIMATE OF CHARACTERS. 
 
 Look first for grace. Do not disesteem good people on 
 account of their foibles, or deficiencies in matters of little im- 
 portance. Gold unpolished is far more valuable than the 
 brightest brass. Never form unfavorable opinions of religious 
 people hastily. — '* Charity hopeth all things." Prize those 
 families where you find constant family prayer ; and suspect 
 evil and danger where it is avowedly unknown and unprac- 
 tised. Always remember the astonishing difference between 
 the true followers of Jesns, and the yet unconverted world, 
 and prize them accordingly, whatever be their rank in society. 
 
 Gentility and piety form a happy union ; but poverty and 
 piety are quite as acceptable in the eyes of God, — and so 
 they ought to be in ours. Not only are the poor far more 
 in actual number than the rich, but experience proves that 
 the proportionate number of the truly serious amongst the 
 poor is much greater than the corresponding proportion of 
 numbers amongst the rich. Take 1000 poor and 100 rich ; 
 you will probably find ten of the latter serious ; but 200 of 
 the foriTier shall be so at the same time. 
 
 Beware of the critical hearing of sermons preached by good 
 men. It is an awful thing to be occupied in balancing the 
 merits of a preacher, instead of the demerits of yourself. 
 Consider every opportunity of j\earing as a message sent you 
 from heaven. For all the sermons you have heard, you will 
 have to render an account at the last day. 
 
 PARENTS. 
 Seek to make them happy in you. 
 
 If you perceive that any thing in your ways makes them 
 otherwise, you ought to have no peace until you have cor- 
 rected it ; and if you find yourself indifferent or insensible to 
 their will and wishes, depend upon it yours is a carnal, diso- 
 bedient, ungrateful heart. If you love them, keep their com- 
 15 
 
166 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 mandments ; otherwise love is a mere word in the mouth, or 
 a notion in the fancy, but not a ruling principle in the heart. 
 They know much of the world, you very little : trust them, 
 therefore, when they differ from you and refuse compliance 
 with your desires ; — they watch over you for God, and are 
 entitled to great deference and cheerful obedience. You may 
 easily-.,shorten the lives of affectionate and conscientious pa- 
 rents, by misconduct, bad tempers, and alienation from their 
 injunctions. Let not this sin be laid to your charge. 
 
 " I shall add no more at present, than that I am your affec- 
 tionate father, L. Richmond." 
 
 We reserve the insertion of some interesting letters, ad- 
 dressed to Mrs. Richmond, for another part of this Memoir. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Detection of an extraordinary imposture by Mr. Richmond— Publication of his 
 Tracts—Review of them— Their gre It popularity and extensive circulation, etc.— 
 American editions— Remarks on the subject— Mr. Richmond's connexion with the 
 Tract Society. 
 
 In the year 1813, Mr. Richmond was the means of detect- 
 ing one of the grossest impostures ever practised upon the 
 credulity of the public. A woman of the name of Ann Moore, 
 of Tutbury, in Staffordshire, professed to have lived six years 
 without having taken any solid food, and four years and a 
 half without any liquid. The singularity of the case^led per- 
 sons to visit her from various parts ; and on these occasions 
 she maintained an appearance of moral and religious feeling, 
 which left an impression of a highly favorable nature on the 
 minds of those who conversed with her. She ascribed her 
 existence, in this state of inedia, to absorption by the lungs 
 and skin ; and declared that some physicians had assured her 
 of the possibility of the case. Leaving disquisitions of this 
 nature to medical men, it is, nevertheless, a well-established 
 fact, that after a watch of sixteen days, in the year 1808, 
 during which no discovery was made of her having taken any 
 food or liquid whatsoever, a strong disposition prevailed among 
 several physicians and surgeons of known talent and respect- 
 ability, to give credit to her assertions. A second and stricter 
 watch, was, however, agreed upon, and the arrangement of it 
 committed to the direction of Mr. Richmond, who felt a pecu- 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 167 
 
 liar interest in the case, and formed a committee for the pur- 
 pose, composed of several medical and other respectable 
 gentlemen. The precautions were so well taken against the 
 admission of any kind of nourishment, that the woman was 
 reduced to a state of exhaustion, and finally confessed the 
 imposture. 
 
 An excellent pamphlet was drawn up on this occasion, by 
 Mr. Richmond, containing many valuable remarks of a phy- 
 siological nature ; but as we feel most interested in the moral 
 view of the subject, we insert the following reflections of the 
 author, arising from the discovery of the hypocrisy and pre- 
 tended«abstinence of this extraordinary impostor. We refer 
 the reader to the pamphlet itself for further information.* 
 
 " Those who are accustomed to trace and admire the lead- 
 ing steps of God's providential government in the conduct of 
 human affairs, will not fail to connect together all the links 
 of the chain of occurrences by which this detection was begun 
 and completed. At the same time, other hypocrites and im- 
 postors will be taught by the present exposure of guilt, that 
 ' verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth.' 
 
 " But further : this woman pretended to a high degree of 
 veneration for the Scriptures, and the religion of the Gospel 
 of Christ. She had, partly by reading books, and partly by 
 intercourse with various persons of intelligence and piety, ac- 
 quired a more than ordinary share of religious knowledge. 
 She possessed a fluency of speech, and could assume an in- 
 teresting deportment in conversations of a serious nature. 
 
 " Hypocrisy is at all times odious, but religious hypocrisy 
 pre-eminently so, Christianity, in its true character and pri- 
 vileges, is a jewel of too high a value not to provoke, from the 
 basest motives, many a specious, though spurious imitation of 
 its excellence. It cannot be denied that the cause of religion 
 has suffered much in worldly estimation through the miscon- 
 duct of unworthy pretenders. From hence infidelity takes oc- 
 casion to triumph ; prejudice gains strength ; licentiousness 
 
 * By the committee, which consisted of 33 clergy and gentry, wiih Sir 
 Oswald Mosely as tiieir chairman, it was resolved unanimously — "Tiiatthe 
 thanks of the Committee be given to the Rev. L. Richmond, (to whose origi- 
 nal proposition in November hist, and subsequent perseverance ia the p!aa 
 till the present time, the discovery of the im|)osture has been owing,) for the 
 pains he has bestowed on a subject whicii has excited so much public inter- 
 est. And that he be requested to prepare for the press, a statement of facts 
 relative to the supposed abstinence of Ann Moore; and a narrative of the 
 circumstances which led to the present detection of the imposture." — See 
 Statement of FactSj Preface. 
 
168 
 
 3IEM0IKS OF THE 
 
 grows bolder ; and the enmity of the multitude against moral 
 principles and practice, finds a delusive apology for sia in the 
 exposure of the hypocritical professor. True Christians will 
 hence learn the indispensable necessity of the most unbending 
 uprightness and simplicity in all the concerns of life ; that 
 they may not bring an evil name on the cause which lies 
 nearest to their heart and welfare. 
 
 " Those who are at all acquainted with the secret recesses 
 and operations of corruption in the human heart, will find, in 
 the recent detection of this impostor, a source of convincing 
 and improving meditation. While too many others, perhaps, 
 may indulge in unfeeling and indecorous levity, wlipn con- 
 templating this discovery of sin, wretchedness, and shame ; 
 the real believer in the sacred truths which the Scriptures re- 
 veal will view it with far different feelings. Such an one 
 too well knows the awful nature and tendency of sin, to dare 
 to trifle with it even so much as in thought. 
 
 " Yet, however implicated the notoriety of this woman's 
 supposed abstinence may have been with her pretensions of a 
 religious nature, real religion cannot eventually suffer by the 
 disclosure of her true character. Had she been even more 
 uniformly consistentnn her outward conduct than was actually 
 the case ; yet truth cannot lose its integral virtue because 
 falsehood occasionally assumes its external garb. — The Bible 
 is still the word of God, and loses none of its intrinsic worth al- 
 though it once made an ostentatious appendage to the furni- 
 ture of Ann Moore. Nor has the hallowed name of a Re- 
 deemer ceased to be holy, because her polluted lips have of- 
 ten taken it in vain. The infidel and the profligate are in no 
 less danger of the ripening vengeance of God, because they 
 can now point with the finger of scorn at the detected hypo- 
 crite. The invaluable blessings which genuine Christianity 
 ever did, and ever must pour down upon the heads and hearts 
 of its faithful professors, shall still prove their divine origin by 
 the fruits they invariably produce ; and the temporary exalta- 
 lion of impostors and false pretenders shall, in the end, con- 
 tribute to the lasting triumph of truth. 
 
 " Moreover, that very religion, \yhich this wretched woman 
 possessed not, will direct the hearts of those who are, hap- 
 pily, partakers of its influence, to one contemplation more. 
 They will view her as an object for pity and prayer. While 
 the world has overwhelmed her name with disgrace, and just 
 indignation has been excited against her offences — while a 
 providential discovery has arrested her iniquity in its prosper- 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMO^D. 
 
 169 
 
 ous career, and she is now reduced to ignominy and shame, 
 the Christian will pray for her repentance. His abhorrence 
 of the sin, will not diminish his pity for the deplorable case 
 of the sinner. Meditation upon his own liability to offend, 
 as well as a review of the many sad proofs of human depravity 
 which he daily sees around him, will forcibly lead his affec- 
 tions, amidst the occurrences of time, to contemplate an ap- 
 proaching eternity. There, through the medium of the Scrip- 
 ture revelation, he will trace the record of divine mercy ; and 
 will feel it to be his privilege and delight to plead, in a Sa- 
 viour's name, for the pardon of this presumptuous offender. 
 And while thus occupied, his hope and his prayer will be, 
 that ' where sin hath abounded, grace may much more 
 abound. 
 
 We have already incidentally alluded to Mr. Richmond's 
 tracts, and now resume the subject. 
 
 During his residence in the Isle of Wight, some inteaest- 
 ing events occurred, connected with his ministry, which he 
 first made known to the public through the m.edium of the 
 ' Christian Guardian.'* These communications having ex- 
 cited much attention, he was afterward induced to publish 
 them in the form of tracts, of which the first that made its 
 appearance was the 'Dairyman's Daughter.' 'The Negro 
 Servant,' and ' the YounojlCottager, or Little Jane,' succes- 
 sively followed: and finally, in the year 1814, they were 
 united into one volume, under the title of ' Annals of the 
 Poor,'f with the following appropriate motto, from Gray ; — 
 
 Let not ambition mock their useful toil, 
 
 Tlieir homely joys anfl destiny obscure ; 
 Nor graudeur hear, with a disdainful smile, 
 
 ' The short and simple annals of the poor. 
 
 His ' Dairyman's Daughter' rapidly acquired an unexam- 
 pled celebrity. It was read with an avidity that required 
 many successive editions to satisfy the demands of the pub- 
 lic, and soon became the most popular tract of the day. The 
 author, from the generous motive of ensuring to it a more 
 extended usefulness, was induced to present it to the Reli- 
 ous Tract Society, by whom it was immediately translated 
 'o the French and Italian languages. The writer of this 
 
 * See Christian Guardian, for 1809, 1810, 1811. 
 
 t In tins edition, considerable additions were made in 'the Dairyman's 
 M^hter.' 
 15* 
 
170 
 
 MEMOIRS OF the: 
 
 Memoir well remembers a circumstance connected with this 
 celebrated tract, which he will here mention. He was taken 
 by Mr. Richmond, in the year 1811^ to attend a committee 
 meeting of the Tract Society, when one of the members rose 
 up, and observed, that as he came with the full intention oT 
 submitting to them the motion in his hand, he hoped he should 
 not violate the delicacy of its author, by proposing, that the 
 tract of 'the Dairyman'^s Daughter,' the merit of which had 
 been so generally reco^5niscd, should be translated into the 
 German, Swedish, and Danish languages. Another member 
 then rose and said, that he trtisted he should be excused for 
 adding an amendment to the motion, by recommending that 
 the above tract be translated into all the Eui'opean languages'j 
 as far as means and opportunities might occur for that pur- 
 pose. The resolution was unanimously carried in this amend- 
 ed form. The tract has since been translated into most 
 of the Continental languages. It has also obtained a wide 
 circulation in America ; the Old an^d the New World have 
 alike stamped it with the seal of popular approbation. At 
 home, several editions of 20,000 copies each were printed 
 within a very short period, and the copies which have been* 
 circulated in the English language alone, to the present time, 
 are estimated at two millions. It has found its way to the 
 palaces of kings,* and has been seen in the hut of the Jn- 
 dian.f Its author was informed #f thirty instances in which 
 it was ackowledged to have been instrumental to the con- 
 version of its readers, of whom one was a female convict at 
 Botany Bay. The last instance of its usefulness was com- 
 municated to him within only twenty-four hours of his dc 
 cease ; and from its peculiarity deserves to be mentioned. 
 
 A clergyman, who had conceived a violent antipath 
 against the Religious Tract Society and all its publications 
 was induced to select the 'Dairyman's Daughter,'. for th 
 purpose of criticising and exposing its defects. In the pe 
 rusal of it, however, he was so arrested by the interest of the 
 story, and so penetrated by the power of the religious truth 
 which it contained, that the pen of criticism dropped from hi 
 hand, prejudice was charmed into admiration, and he wa 
 added, as another trophy of that grace which had shone s(k 
 brightly in the life and death of the Dairyman's Daughter. 
 
 *A copy was presented by the Rev. Mr. Patterson to the late Emperor ot 
 Russia, the circumstances of which we shall soon mention, 
 t A copy was seen by a traveller in the hut of a North American Indian. 
 
EEV, LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 171 
 
 After what we have stated, we may justly inquire, to what 
 are we to attribute the great popularity of this tract ? 
 
 No doubt the happy union of interest and simplicity in the 
 story, the graces of its style, and the beautiful imagery of its 
 descriptions, have rendered it attractive to every reader ; but 
 the stamp of nature and reality which marks its details, the 
 expression of feelings which find a response in every awaken- 
 ed mind, and the manner in which the whole narrative is 
 made the vehicle of conveying the most important truths, 
 constitute its principal claim to admiration. It is needless, 
 however, to prove the excellence of a tract, of which four 
 millions of copies are said to have been circulated in the nine- 
 teen languages into which it has been translated ; or to adduce 
 the testimonies to its usefulness, which have been already 
 printed in almost every report of the Tract Society, in addi- 
 tion to the numerous instances privately received by Mr. 
 Richmond, and which are frequently alluded to in his 
 letters. 
 
 A few extracts from the ' Annals of the Poor,' will illus- 
 trate the spirit and style of the author. 
 
 We begin with his reflections as he contemplates his church 
 of Yaverland, by which he was accustomed to pass, in his 
 way to the Dairyman's Daughter. 
 
 " Here the rich and poor meet together in mutual acknow- 
 ledgment that the Lord is the Maker of them all ; and that 
 all are alike dependent creatures, looking up to one com- 
 mon Father to supply their wants, both temporal and spi- 
 ritual. 
 
 " Again, likewise, will they meet together in the grave, 
 that undistinguishing receptacle of the opulent and the needy. 
 
 " And once more, at the judgment seat of Christ shall the 
 rich and poor meet together, that ' every one may receive the 
 things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whe- 
 ther it be good or bad.' 
 
 How closely connected in the history of man are these 
 three periods of a general meeting together ! 
 
 " The house of prayer, — the house appointed for all living, 
 — and the house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 
 May we never separate these ideas from each other ; but 
 retain them in a sacred and profitable union ! So shall our 
 worshipping assemblies on earth be representative of the 
 
172 
 
 MEMOIBS OF THE 
 
 general assembly and church of the first-born, which are writ- 
 ten in heaven."* 
 
 We insert another reflection. 
 
 " Travellers, as they pass through the country, usually 
 stop to inquire whose are the splendid mansions, which they 
 discover among the woods and plains around them. The fa- 
 milies, title, fortune, or character of the respective owners, 
 engage much attention. Perhaps their houses are exhibited 
 to the admiring stranger. The elegant rooms, — costly fur- 
 niture, — valuable paintings, — beautiful gardens and shrub- 
 berries, are universally approved ; while the rank, fashion, 
 taste, and riches of the possessor afford ample materials for 
 entertaining discussion. In the mean time, the lowly cottage 
 of the poor husbandman is passed by, as scarcely deserving 
 of notice. Yet perchance such a cottage may often contain 
 a treasure of infinitely more value than the sumptuous palace 
 of the rich man ; — even 'the pearl of great price.' If this be |j 
 set in the heart of the poor cottager, it proves a gem of un- 
 speakable worth, and will shine among the brightest orna- 
 ments of the Redeemer's crown, in that day when he makes 
 up his 'jewels.' 
 
 " Hence the Christian traveller, while, in common with 
 others, he bestows his due share of applause on the decora- 
 tions of the rich, and is not insensible to the beauties and 
 magnificence which are the lawfully-allowed appendages of 
 rank and fortune, cannot overlook the humble dwelling of 
 the poor. And if he should find true piety and grace beneath 
 the' thatched roof, which he has in vain, perhaps, looked for 
 amidst the worldly grandeur of the rich, he remembers the 
 declarations in the word of God. He sees with admiration, 
 that ' the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose 
 name is Holy, who dwelleth in the high and holy place, 
 dwelleth with liim also that is of a contrite and humble spi- 
 rit." (Isa. Ivii, 15.) And although heaven is His throne, 
 and the earth his footstool, yet when a habitation is to be 
 sought, and a place of rest selected for himself, he says, ' To 
 this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite 
 spirit, and tremhleth at my word.'' 
 
 " When a house is thus tenanted, faith beholds this inscrip- 
 tion written on the walls — ' The Lord lives hereJ' "f 
 
 * Dairyman's Daughter, pp. 70, 71. 
 t Dairyman's Daughter, pp. 97— 99. 
 
EEV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 173 
 
 The death of the Dairyman's daughter : — 
 
 " I sat down by the bedside. The mother could not weep, 
 but now and then sighed deeply, as she alternately looked at 
 Elizabeth and me. The big tear rolled down the brother's 
 cheek, and testified an affectionate regard. The good old 
 man stood at the foot of the bed, leaning upon the post, and 
 unable to take his eyes off the child from whom he was so 
 soon to part. 
 
 " Elizabeth's eyes were closed, and as yet she perceived 
 me not. But over the face, though pale, sunk, and .hollow, 
 the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, had cast 
 a triumphant calm. 
 
 " The soldier, after a short pause, silently reached out his 
 Bible towards me, pointing with his finger at 1 Cor. xv, 55, 
 56, 58. I then broke silence by reading the passage, ' O 
 death, where is thy sting ? O grave, where is thy victory ? 
 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 
 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory, through 
 jour Lord Jesus Christ.' 
 
 I At the sound of these words her eyes opened, and some- 
 thing like a ray of divine light beamed on her countenance, 
 jas she said, ' Victory, victory ! through our Lord Jesus 
 .^Christ !' 
 
 ' " She relapsed again, taking no further notice of any one 
 present. 
 
 " ' God be praised for the triumph of faith,' said L 
 " ' Amen !" replied the soldier. 
 
 " The Dairyman's uplifted eye, showed that the amen was 
 ijin his heart, though his tongue failed to utter it» 
 " She recovers for a short interval. 
 
 " At length I said to Elizabeth — ' Do you experience any 
 iloubts or temptations on the subject of your eternal safety!' 
 ! " ' No, Sir ; the Lord deals very gently with me, and gives 
 ne peace.' 
 
 " * What are your views of the dark valley of death, now 
 hat you are passing through it V 
 " ' It is not dark.' 
 '• ' Why so ?' 
 
 " ' My Lord is tJiere, and he is my light and my salvation V 
 " She did not again revive while I remained, nor ever speak 
 iny more words which could be understood. She slumbered 
 or about ten hours, and at last sweetly fell asleep in the 
 inns of that Lord who had dealt so gently with her. 
 
174 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 " I left the house an hour after she had ceased to speak. I 
 pressed her hand, as I was taking leave, and said, * Christ is 
 the resurrection and the life.' She gently returned the pres. 
 sure, but could neither open her eyes, nor utter a reply. 
 
 *' I never had w^itnessed a scene so impressive as this be- 
 fore. It completely filled my imagination as I returned home. 
 
 *' ' Farewell,' thought I, 'dear friend, till the morning of an 
 eternal day shall renew our personal intercourse. Thou wast 
 a brand plucked ^■:'om the burning, that thou mightest become 
 a star,, shining in the firmament of glory. I have seen thy 
 light and thy good works, and will therefore glorify our Fa- 
 ther which is in heaven. I have seen, in thy example, what 
 .it is to be a sinner freely saved by grace. 1 have learned from 
 thee, as in a living mirror, who it is that begins, continues, 
 and ends the work of faith and love. Jesus is all in all : he 
 will and shall be glorified. He won the crown, and alone^;' 
 deserves to wear it. JVTay no one attempt to rob him of his 
 glory ! He saves, and saves to the uttermost. Farewell, 
 dear sister in the Lord ! Thy flesh and thy heart may fail, 
 but God is the strength of thy heart, and shall be thy portion 
 for ever !' 
 
 The following description is taken from the ' Young Cotta- 
 ger, or Little Jane ;' and pleasingly illustrates his method of 
 imparting instruction to children. 
 
 " On the summer evenings, I frequently used to assemble 
 this little group out of doors, in my garden, sitting under the 
 shade of some trees, which protected us from the heat of the 
 sun. From hence a scene appeared which rendered my oc- 
 cupation the more interesting. For, adjoining to the spot 
 where we sat, and only separated from us by a fence, was 
 the churchyard, surrounded with beautiful prospects in every 
 direction. 
 
 *' I had not far to look for subjects of warning and exhorta- 
 tions, suitable to the little flock of lambs that I was feeding. 
 I could point to the heaving sods, that marked the different 
 graves and separated them from each other, and tell my 
 pupils, that, young as they were, none of them were too 
 young to die ; and that probably more than half of the bodies 
 that were buried there, were those of little children. I hence 
 took occasion to speak of the nature and value of a soul ; and 
 to ask them, where the expected their souls to go, when they 
 departed hence, and were no more seen on earth ? 
 
 * Dairyman's Daughter, p. 125, and following pages. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOXD. 
 
 175 
 
 ** I told them who was * the resurrection and the life,' and 
 who alone could take away the sting of death. I used to 
 remind them that the hour was ' coming, in which all that 
 are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth : 
 they that have dono good unto the resurrection of life ; and 
 they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.' 
 
 " Sometimes I sent the children to the various stones which 
 stood at the head of the graves, and bid them learn the 
 epitaphs inscribed upon them. I took pleasure in seeing the 
 little ones thus dispersed in the churchyard, each committing 
 to memory a few verses, written in commemoration of the 
 departed. They would soon accomplish the desired object, 
 and eagerly return to me, ambitious to repeat their tasks. 
 
 *' Thu^ my churchyard became a kind of book of instruc- 
 tion, and every gravestone a leaf of edification for my young 
 disciples. 
 
 " The church itself stood in the midst of the ground. It 
 was a spacious antique structure. Within those very walls, 
 I first proclaimed the message of God to sinners. As these 
 children surrounded me, I sometimes pointed to the church ; 
 spoke to them of the nature of public worship, — the value of 
 the sabbath, the duty of regcilar attendance on its services : 
 and urged their serious attention to the means of grace. I 
 showed them the sad state of many countries, where neither 
 churches nor Bibles were known ; and the no less melancholy 
 condition of multitudes at home, who sinfully neglect worship, 
 and slight the word of God. I thus tried to make them sen- 
 sible of their own favors and privileges. 
 
 The following passage contains a vivid description of the 
 scenery with which he was surrounded. 
 
 " In the widely sweeping curve of a beautiful bay, there is 
 a kind of chasm or opening in one of the lofty cliffs that 
 bound it. The steep descending sides are covered with trees, 
 bushes, wild flowers, fern, wormvrood, and many other herbs; 
 here and there contrasted with bold masses of rock, or brown 
 earth. 
 
 " In the highest part of one of these declivities two or 
 three picturesque cottages are fixed, and seem half suspend- 
 ed in the air. 
 
 " From the upper extremity of this great fissure or opening 
 in the cliff*, a small stream of water enters by a cascade, 
 flows through the bottom, winding in a varied course of about 
 a quarter of a mile in length ; and then runs into the sea, 
 
176 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 across a smooth expanse of firm hard sand, at the lower ex- 
 tremity of the chasm, 
 
 " The open sea, in full magnificence, occupied the centre 
 of the prospect ; bounded indeed, in one smail part, by a verv 
 distant shore, on the rising ascent from which the rays of the 
 sun rendered visible a cathedral church,* with its towering 
 spire at near thirty miles distant. Every where else, the 
 sea beyond was limited only by the sky. 
 
 " At my feet the little rivulet, gently rippling over pebbles, 
 soon mingled with the sand, and was lost in the waters of the 
 mighty ocean. The murmuring of the waves, as the tide 
 ebbed or flowed on the sand ; their dashing against some 
 distant rocks, which were covered fantastically with sea-weed 
 aad shells ; sea-birds floating in the air aloft, or occasionally 
 screaming from their holes in the clifls ; the hum of human 
 voices in the ships and boats, borne along the water ; all these 
 sounds served to promote, rather than interrupt meditation. 
 They were soothingly blended together, and entered the ear 
 in a kind of natural harmony. 
 
 " In the quiet enjoyment of a scene like this, the lover 
 of nature's beauties will easil}^ find scope for spiritual illustra- 
 tion."* 
 
 The following are his reflections upon this scene : — 
 " The waves of the sea ebb and flow in exact obedience to 
 the laws of their Creator : — thus far they come, and no far- 
 ther ; — the}^ retire again to their accustomed bounds ; and 
 so maintain a regulated succession of effects. 
 
 " But, alas ! the waves of passion and affection in the hu- 
 man breast, manifest more of the wild confusion of a storm, 
 than the orderly regularity of a tide ; — grace can alone sub- 
 due them. 
 
 " What peaceful harmony subsist throughout all this lovely 
 landscape ! These majestic cliffs, some clothed with trees 
 and shrubs ; others bare and unadorned with herbage, yet 
 variegated with many-colored earths ; these are not only sub- 
 lime and delightful to behold, but they are answering the end 
 of their creation, and serve as a barrier to stop the progress 
 of the waves. 
 
 " But how little peace and harmony can I comparatively see 
 in my own heart ! The landscape witJiia is marred by dreary 
 barren wilds, and wants that engaging character which the 
 various parts of this prospect before me so happily preserve. 
 
 * Cliichester Cathedral, 
 t ' Annals of the Poor— the Voung Cottager,' p. 57—60. 
 
REV, LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 177 
 
 Sin, sin is the bane of morality, and heaps confusion upon 
 confusion wherever it prevails. 
 
 " Yet, saith the voice of promise, ' Sin shall not have 
 dominion over you.' O ! then, may I yield myself unto God, 
 as one that am alive from the dead, and my members as in- 
 struments of righteousness unto God. And thus may I be- 
 come an able and willing minister of the New Testament ! 
 
 " I wish I were like this little stream of water : it takes its 
 first rise scarcely a mile off ; yet it has done good even in that 
 short course. It has passed by several cottages in its way, 
 and atforded life and health to the inhabitants ; it has water- 
 ed their little gardens as it flows, and enriched the meadows 
 near its banks. It has satisfied the thirst of the flocks that 
 are feeding aloft on the hills, and, perhaps, refreshed the 
 shepherd's boy who sits v, atching his master's sheep hard by. 
 It then quietly finishes its current in this secluded dell, and, 
 agreeably to the design of its Creator, quickly vanishes in 
 the ocean* 
 
 " May my course be like unto thine, thou little rivulet ! 
 Though short be my span of life, yet may I be useful to my 
 fellow-sinners, as I travel onwards. Let me be a dispenser 
 of spiritual support and health to many ! Like this stream, 
 may L prove the poor man's friend by the way, and water the 
 souls that thirst for the river of life, whenever I meet them ! 
 And if it please thee, O my God ! let me in my latter end be 
 like this brook. It calmly, though not quite silently, flows 
 through this scene of peace and loveliness, just before it en- 
 ters the sea. Let me thus gently close my days likewise ; and 
 may I not unusefully tell to others of the goodness and mer- 
 cy of my Saviour, till I arrive at the vast ocean of eternity."* 
 
 These descriptions exhibit Mr. Richmond's delicate and 
 vivid perception of the beauties of nature, and the profitable 
 use he made of them. The concluding passages involunta- 
 riiy leads the mind to the closing scene of his own life. For 
 his race is now run ; the little rivulet has ceased to flow, and 
 IS absorbed in the vast ocean of eternity ; while the pious 
 M ish expressed in the image has been realized. The rivulet 
 has left the traces of its fertility, and evidenced the benefi- 
 cence of its course ; and we may apply to him the word with 
 which he takes his leave of his endeared Dairyman's Daugh- 
 ter, " thy flesh and thy heart failetlr, but God is the strength 
 of thy heart, and thy portion for ever." 
 
 * ' Annals of the Poor— Tlie Young Cottager,' p. 63, 65. 
 16 
 
178 
 
 MEMCmS OF THE 
 
 We subjoin one more extract, from ' The Negro Servant.' 
 
 "I dismounted from my horse, and tied it to a bush. The 
 breaking of the waves against the foot of the cliff at so great 
 a distance beneath me, produced an incessant and pleasing 
 murmur. The sea-gull« were flying between the top of the 
 cliff where I stood, and the rocks belov/, attending upon their 
 nests built in the holes of the clifl'. The whole scene, in every 
 direction, was grand and impressive ; it was suitable to de- 
 votion. The Creator appeared in the works of his creation, 
 and called upon the creature to honor and adore. To the 
 believer this exercise is doubly delightful. He possesses a' 
 right to the enjoyments of nature and providence, as well as 
 to the privileges of grace. His title-deed runs thus : ' All 
 things are yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or 
 the world, or life, or dedth, or things present, or things to 
 come, all are yours, and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's.' 
 
 " I cast my eye downwards, a little to the left, towards a 
 small ca\^e, the shore of which consists of fine hard sand. It 
 is surrounded by fragments of rock, chalk cliffs, and steep 
 banks of broken earth. Shut out from human intercourse 
 and dwellings, it seems formed for retirement and contem- 
 plation. On one of these rocks I unexpectedly observed a 
 man sitting with a book, which he was reading. The place 
 was near two hundred yards perpendicular below me*; but I 
 soon discovered by his dress, and by the black color of his fea- 
 tures, contrasted with the white rocks beside him, that it was 
 no other than my Negro disciple, with, as I doubted not, a Bi- 
 ble in his hand. I rejoiced for this unlooked-for opportunity of 
 meeting him in so solitary and interesting a situation. He 
 was intent on his book, and did not perceive me till I appoach- 
 ed very near to him. ' William, is that you V 'Ah, massa ! 
 me very glad to see you. How came massa into dis place ? 
 me tought nobody here, but only God and me.' " 
 
 After a long and interesting conversation with the negro, 
 Mr. Richmond thus concludes : 
 
 " 'My friend,' said I, '. T will now pray with you for your 
 own soul, and for those of your parents also.' This was a 
 new and solemn house of prayer. The sea-sand was our 
 floor : the heavens were our roof; Ihe cliffs, the rocks, the 
 hills, and the waves, formed the walls of our chamber. It was 
 not, indeed, a place where prayer was wont to be made, but 
 for this once it became a hallowed spot. It will by me ever , 
 be remembered as such. The presence of God was there. I J 
 prayed, — the negro wept, — his heart was full, — I felt for him, I 
 
REV. LEGH RICH3I0>'D. 
 
 179 
 
 and could not but weep likewise. The last day will show 
 whether our tears were not the tears of sincerity and love. 
 It was time for my return. I leaned upon his arm as we as- 
 cended the steep cliff in my way back to my horse, which I 
 had left at the top of the hill. Humility and thankfulness were 
 mai-ked in his countenance ; I leaned on his arm with the feel- 
 ings of a brother. It v/as a relationship I was happy to own. 
 I took him by the hand at parting, — appointed one more in- 
 terview previous to day of baptizing him, and bid him fare- 
 well for the present. ' God bless you, my dear massa 
 
 * and you, my dear Christian brother, for ever and ever.' 
 
 Some of Mr. Richmond's reflections, in tlie passages before 
 us, will remind the reader of those beautiful lines of Cow- 
 per, in which he enumerates the enjoyment of natural scene- 
 ry as among the covenanted privileges of the believer. 
 
 "lie looks abroad into the varied field 
 
 • . Of nature; and though poor, perhaj)?, compared 
 
 Wnh those whose mansions glitter in his sight, 
 Calls the deiiglitful scenery all his own. 
 His are the nicHintains, and the valleys his, 
 And the resplendent rivers ; his to enjoy 
 With a propriety that none can feel, 
 • But who, with filial confidence inspired, 
 • Can lift to heaven an iinpresumptiioiis eye, 
 
 And smiling say, ' my Fatiier made llieni all !' "t 
 
 A suspicion has been expressed by some, as to the entire 
 genuineness of the tract of the Dairyman's Daughter, arising 
 from an idea that the language and sentiments of her letters 
 were far beyond the capacity of persons in that situation of 
 life. The writer of this memoir once entertained the same 
 doubt ; and as it tended greatly to diminish the interest and 
 profit which he would otherwise. have found in the perusal of 
 the tract, he ventured to express his feelings to Mr. Rich- 
 mond, who, in consequence, produced some of her letters, 
 which were carefully examined ; and the result was, that- no 
 alteration was found to have been made, except the correc- 
 tion of the spelling, and the occasional change of a single 
 wcrJ, for one which better expressed her meaning. 
 
 In further confirmation of the genuine character of these 
 interesting narratives, we lay before the reader a letter ad- 
 dressed to the Rev. Mr. Fry, by a highly respectable gentle- 
 
 '^See ' Annals of the Poor— Negro Servant,' p. 3G. 
 t Cowper's Task, b. 5. 
 
180 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 man, who was connected for many years with Mr. Richmond 
 as a friend and parishioner. 
 
 * Turvey Abbey, Feb. ^21, 1828. 
 
 . My dear Sir, The conversation we had to^-ether the other 
 day, respecting the interesting tract called ' The Dairym^in's 
 Daughter,' induced me to request a sight of the original let- 
 ters. 
 
 " I own that I could not dismiss from my mind, when I 
 formerly read the tract, the idea that our friend had improved 
 the young woman's letters according to his own amiable and 
 pious feelings ; and it was not without pleasure and surprise I 
 found, on the perusal of the originals, that they were in every 
 respect as he had given them ; with the exception of the bad 
 spelling, and the unnecessary use of capital letters, which 
 he had corrected, and a word which was here and there added 
 or admitted, to make the young woman's meaning more plain 
 and intelligible. This latter alteration, however, was of rare 
 occurrence, and such as was not only allov/able, but necessary. 
 
 " I think it would be advisable to advert to this circum- 
 stance in Mr. Richmond's Memoir, as it is possible that 
 others may labor under the same mistake with myself. I 
 am, my dear sir, yours, very sincerely, John Higgins.'J 
 
 As to the facts of the story, the writer is able to offer a 
 very satisfactory proof of their correctness. The Rev. Mr. 
 Hughes, one of the estimable secretaries of the British and 
 Foreign Bible Society, in company with another friend, visit- 
 ed the spot where this interesting young woman formerly 
 resided ; and interrogated the brother (who had read the 
 tract,) whether the circumstances of the story were precisely 
 the same as they are there related ? To this he replied, there 
 was only one fact tha^. was misrepresented. Being asketl, with 
 some degree of anxiety, what that fact was, he observed, that 
 Mr. Richmond had described a vine trained near the side of 
 the window, whereas it was not a vine, hut an apple-tree. If 
 historic truth had never been more seriously violated than in 
 this instance, the credibility of facts would seldom have been 
 impeached. Seven cities would not have contended for the 
 honor of Homer's birth. The Trojan war would not have 
 been the subject of a grave literary discussion ; nor would 
 the supposed antiquity of the Chinese empire have furnished 
 the infidel wits of France with a pretence for questioning the 
 authority of the Mosaic statement. 
 
REV. LEGll RICIIirOXD. 
 
 181 
 
 We have thought it important to adduce these testimonies 
 to the character of Mr. Richmond's tracts, being aware of a 
 disposition in the minds of some to identify them with a class 
 of publications which profess to convey religious truth under 
 tlie garb of fiction. We do'not mean to discuss the propriety 
 of such a vehicle of instruction ; but we v/ish to distinguish 
 these publications from the writings of our friend, who sought 
 his materials, not in the regions of fancy, but in the less ques- 
 tionable sources of fact and reality. We consider Mr. Rich- 
 mond to have been excelled by no writer in this species of 
 composhion. To a style simple, elegant, and full of pathos, 
 he united a spirit of Christian love, which transfused its sweet- 
 ness into every thought and expression ; and his imagination, 
 rich and powerful, being purified by " a live coal from the 
 altar," was consecrated in all its varied exercises to the glory 
 of God and the true interests of man. While, if his, fancy 
 sparkled with all the beautiful tints of the rainbow, it was only 
 to fix the gaze of the admirer on the heavenly world. 
 
 We cannot conclude these remarks v/ithcut adverting to 
 two editions of the ' Dairyman's Daughter,' published in 
 America ; the one by the Philadelphia Sunday and Adult 
 School Union, and the other by the New England Tract So- 
 ciety at Boston. 
 
 On comparing these editions with the English copies of the 
 same work, we were surprised to find numerous instances of 
 omission or alteration. The American editions difier from 
 each other, as well as from the English tract. Surely an 
 author and the public have a right to expect from an editor a 
 faithful adherence to the original ; or at least that he should 
 apprise the reader of alterations, and assign a reason for mak- 
 ing them. But in the instance before us, the foreign tracts, 
 though they bear the name of Mr. Richmond, are far from 
 being his own work. The first letter of the Dairyman's 
 Daughter, which contains her religious principles, is v\-holly 
 omitted ; the interesting fact relating to the burial service is 
 suppressed ; no less than nineteen pages of the narrative are 
 removed ; and in short, there are so many omissions, transpo- 
 sitions, and alterations, that the reader would with difficulty re- 
 cognise the real features of the character of the pious daugh- 
 ter of the Dairyman. We cannot but complain of this gross 
 mutilation of our friend's interesting memoir, as an imposition 
 on the render, and an injustice lo the author's reputation. 
 
 Without intending to impugn the integrity of our American 
 brethren, or to assign raotives for their conduct, we must 
 16=* 
 
182 
 
 JIEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 express our regret ; considering, as we do such interpoiations 
 and false presentments to be both injurious to the memory of 
 an author, a misrepresentation of his principles, and an inter- 
 ference with his design, by no means consistent with fair and 
 honorable feeling ; and we cannot but hope that the evil com- 
 plained of will be corrected in subsequent editions.. The 
 justness of these remarks must plead our excuse (if any be 
 needful,) for their introduction in this place.* 
 
 " A very useful method," says Archbihop Seeker, " of 
 spreading the knowledge of religion, is by distributing, or pro- 
 curing to be distributed, such pious books, especially to the 
 poorer sort, as are best suited to their capacities and circum- 
 stances. Much good may be done in this way, to considerable 
 numbers at once, in a more acceptable manner, for a trifling 
 expense." 
 
 With similar views and sentiments to those expressed by 
 
 * Since writing the above, we iiave seen an American edition, published 
 Philadelphia, in the year 1827, which we are happy to say, is in every respect 
 conformable to the original. 
 
 Concerning the two editions of which the biographer complains, we know 
 nothing. We have, however, been led carefully to compare the Dairyman's 
 Daughter, as published by the American Tract iiociety, with two editions 
 published by the London Religious Tract Society, of which Mr. Richmond 
 was a Secretary; — and we are happy in being able to assure the public, that 
 there is no cause of complaint against that edition. It is, indeed, an abridg- 
 ment; but so careful have the committee been, that in no instance is there ai> 
 alteration in the language which at all affects either the style or sentiments of 
 the author. The alterations are such as were unavoidable in connecting 
 paragraphs and preserving the unity of the narrative. The omissions are 
 principally descriptions of natural scenery, and the reflections of Mr, R. The 
 narrative is entirely preserved. Tlie fact relative to the burial sei*vice, ia 
 inserted in page 7. The letter, containing the religious principles of the 
 Dairyman's Daughter is omitted, as the same sentiments are fully set forth i» 
 the conversations recorded in the narrative. To have published the whole, 
 would have made a tract of 50 or 60 pages — would have greatly increased 
 the expense, and consequently, greatly limited its circulation. Before the 
 publication of the tract in its present form, it was approved by a committee of 
 five clergymen, of different denominations. Of this committee, the Rev. Dr.^ 
 Milnor represents the Episcopalian interest. 
 
 We . have, also, compared it with the edition of the Dairyman's Daughter,, 
 published by the Protestant Episcopal Tract Society of New- York j and, we 
 find this latter tract still more abridged and altered, than is the edition of the 
 American Tract Society. 
 
 It is proper to add, that the two editions of the London Society differ vety 
 much from each other, both as to language and matter. If Mr. Grimshawe 
 compared the American editions with the edition published by the London 
 Society, he would see cause of complaint. But if, on the other hand, be 
 sliould compare them with the London edition, of 1812, from w hich they were 
 republished, he would rather admire the candor with whi<;h they were abridg- 
 ed, and the very strict regard which was paid to the language of the autiior.-— 
 Amer, Ed. 
 
HEV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 183 
 
 the venerable Archbishop, a number of pious persons, more 
 than twenty years ago, formed an association, which they 
 called "The Religious Tract Society." Publications like 
 those of Mr. Richmond, could not fail to attract the notice of 
 such an institution : and his well-known liberality, together 
 with the high estimation in which his character was held, 
 induced the committee of that society to make proposals to 
 him of becoming one of their secretaries. At that time the 
 institution had no church-representative, though the commit- 
 tee was composed of persons of all denominations. The secre- 
 taries were the Rev. Joseph Hughes, and the Rev. Dr. 
 Steinkopff, well known from their connexion with the British 
 and Foreign Bible Society. By the accession of Mr. Rich- 
 mond, it was justly expected that the society would derive in- 
 creased wisdom in its counsels, and vigor and unity in its 
 operations. The editor well remembers the circumstances of 
 this application, and the reasons which induced Mr. Richmond 
 to accept the office of joint secretary. It was a proposition 
 which required serious deliberation. On the one hand, Mr. 
 Richmond considered that a strong prejudice was known to 
 exist against the society, not only amongst the enemies of 
 true piety, but also among some of its friends. It was sup- 
 posed to consist almost exclusively of Dissenters, and its tracts 
 were regarded with jealousy and suspicion. To accept this 
 offer, he feared, might identify him with dissent (though he 
 was ever warmly attached to the doctrines and discipline of 
 his own church,) and might endanger his usefulness in the 
 legitimate field of his labors. On the other hand, he recog- 
 nised in the institution many claims to his regard. Its object 
 was the same which lay near to his own heart, — the circula- 
 tions of tracts, and the revival of the doctrines of the Refor- 
 tion. He saw in the connexion, an opportunity of extending 
 his usefulness ; and certain pledges and securities seemed 
 alone to be wanting, to allow of the Co-operation of a con- 
 scientious churchman. He thought that, under the sanction 
 of a sufficient guarantee against the introduction of peculiari- 
 ties, there was no just reason for his refusal of the office pro- 
 posed to him ; and that by his acceptance of the secretaryship, 
 he might even promote the interests of his own church, by 
 preventing the circulation of tracts hostile to her opinions ; as 
 well as advance the common cause of true religion. The 
 required guarantee was given : Mr. Richmond yielded to the 
 wishes of the Society ; and from that period to the day of his 
 
184 
 
 .MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 death, he had no reason to complain that the engagement was 
 violated in a single instance. 
 
 Mr. Richmond's decision may give occasion to a differ- 
 ence of opinion. By some he may be censured; — by most 
 persons his conduct will be approved and admired. Those 
 who consider a union with Dissenters, under any circum- 
 stances, as a virtual surrender of principle, and a viola- 
 tion of ecclesiastical discipline, will condemn his connexion 
 with the Tract Society ; but we have never been convinced 
 that a union, on common ground, with any part of the family 
 of Christ, is an act of treason against our own church. The 
 union requires not a surrender of principle, but of prejudice : 
 it requires no compromise of forms, but it does require a 
 just estimation of the essential truths of salvation. We confess 
 that it has ever appeared to us a strange inconsistency, that 
 the most zealous opponents to the union of true Christians, 
 upon common principles, should themselves have united with 
 Lutherans, and employed them as their agents to plant church- 
 es, and disseminate religious knowledge, and that for a long 
 period of time ; though, in discipline wholly, and partly in 
 doctrine, those agents differ from their own establishment. 
 The allusion will be readily understood. We do not mean to 
 recriminate in the spirit of hostility ; but we must be allowed 
 to protest against the unfairness of denouncing their brethren 
 of the Church of England, for uniting with Dissenters in the 
 propagation of our common Christianity, where both disci- 
 pline and peculiarities of creed are excluded, by mutual con- 
 sent, and collision is consequently avoided. 
 
 From this vindication of our friend, we turn to the impor- 
 tant results of the Tract Society. Every part of the globe 
 has been the scene of its operations ; and from every country 
 the most pleasing testimonies of approbation and usefulness 
 have been received. Bishops and archbishops, emperors and 
 kings, ministers of the Reformed, and even of the Roman 
 Catholic Church, have been loud in its praises. We regret 
 that the limits of this Memoir will not allow us to insert 
 numerous interesting proofs of the Divine favor, attendant on 
 the publications of the Society. We must refer the reader, 
 for these, to the summary of proceedings for the last twenty 
 years, published in one volume, by the Tract Society : and 
 which contains a most satisfactory vindication of the charac- 
 ter of the tracts, and of the design of the institution. 
 
 We have purposely omitted numerous testimonies to the 
 usefulness of Mr. Richmond's tracts, received from almost 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMO^'D. 
 
 185 
 
 every part of Great Britain, as well as from many foreign 
 countries (so numerous, indeed, that they would fill several 
 chapters,) lest we should seem to depart from that Christian 
 modesty so conspicuous in the character of their author. \Ve 
 hope the candid reader will pardon what the warmth of our 
 affection has dictated ; and the more readily, when he re- 
 members that all that we have said of the man magnifies the 
 grace of God which was in him, and wrought effectually 
 by him. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 His appointment as chaplain to the Duke of Kent—Mrs. Richmt)nd's illness— New 
 school-room— Report of his son's death— Embarrassment arising from his publi- 
 cation of "Th€ Fathers of the English Church' — Interview with the Emperor of 
 Russia— Letters to and from his Imperial Majesty — Princess Metstchersky — Letters 
 to Mrs. Livius— Verses written on the marriage of a friend's daughter. 
 
 i Among the distinguished characters who gave the sanction 
 ! of their rank and influence to the public institutions of this 
 country, his late Royal Highness the Duke of Kent is pre- 
 eminently entitled to our grateful remembrance. Every re- 
 ligious and benevolent undertaking found in him a powerful 
 friend and patron. He was the avowed advocate of the Bri- 
 tish and Foreign Bible Society. He was the patron also of 
 the Society for promoting Christianity among the Jews. He 
 usually attended and took the chair, at the anniversaries of 
 the numerous public charities which confer so much honor 
 on the city of London ; on which occasions Mr. Richmond 
 often met his Royal Highness, and by the intervention of a 
 common friend, became one of his chaplains. 
 
 In the discharge of his functions, Mr. Richmond was some- 
 times required to officiate at Kensington palace. On one of 
 these occasions the Duke and Dutchess and their retinue 
 were present. His Royal Highness heard Mr. Richmond's 
 sermon with profound attention ; and when the service was 
 i concluded, he was pleased to express his approbation of the 
 impressive, scriptural, and faithful truths which he had heard ; 
 adding, that he fully concurred in their importance, and wish- 
 ed to feel their influence. At the same time he inquired how 
 he had attained so remarkable a fluency in the expression of 
 his ideas ; and asked whether his discourse had been deliver- 
 ed from memory. Mr. Richmond replied in the negative ; 
 and said, that he usually prepared and digested the leading 
 
186 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 heads of his subject, but he modestly ascribed his ready ut- 
 terance to the effect of habit. His Royal Highness express- 
 ed a hope that he would preach at the palace whenever he 
 came to town ; and added, " you must converse, Sir, with the 
 Dutchess on these subjects, for she understands them far bet- 
 ter than I do." 
 
 On the evening of the same day, Mr. Richmond received 
 a polite request from the Duke of Kent, that he would favor 
 him with the perusal of the notes'from which he had preached 
 in the morning. A discussion had taken place at the palace, 
 on the subject of Mr. Richmond's extempore preaching ; and 
 it had been said that no man could preach so accurately, as 
 well as fluently, without a large portion of his sermon being 
 duly transcribed. 
 
 The notes, on inspection, were found to occupy a very 
 small space ; and we mention this little anecdote as another 
 proof of that talent in extempore preaching far which he was 
 so remarkable. 
 
 Mr. Richmond continued to be honored with the uniform 
 marks of his Royal Highness's esteem and regard. And 
 when that solemn event occurred, which was mourned by the 
 nation at large, and by the friends of religion and humanity 
 in particular, Mr. Richmond was one of those who followed 
 his ro.yal patron to the grave. There, as well as in various 
 parts of the kingdom, where his public exertions called him, 
 he heard many a testimony to the virtues, the zeal, and the 
 benevolence of this beloved and venerated prince. Charity 
 in him lost its patron ; the cause of God its firm and unshaken 
 supporter ; and illustrious rank its ornament and example. 
 Testimonies like these are instructive to the living, while they 
 are honorable to the dead. They prove that in this coun- 
 try, whenever exalted station is adorned with corresponding 
 virtues and consecrated to high and noble ends, it never fails 
 to obtain the best of all kinds of homage, the homage of the 
 heart. 
 
 About this time, Mr. Richmond was visited with a domes- 
 tic event which threatened the most distressing consequen- 
 ces. Mrs. Richmond, after having given birth to another 
 child, and being apparently recovered from the effects of her 
 confinement, was attacked by a dangerous illness'; occa- 
 sioned, as was supposed, by an imprudent exposure to the 
 air. The symptoms became very alarming, a high fever fol- 
 lowed, and after the utmost exertion of medical skill, and 
 
REV. LEGII RICHMOND. 
 
 167 
 
 the most unremitting attention, her recovery was declared to 
 be hopeless. 
 
 The suddenness of this shock to the feelings of Mr. Rich- 
 mond, who had long- known her value, both as a wife and a 
 mother, and the tender age of most of his children, gave to 
 this dispensation the poignancy of the severest trial. Never 
 can the writer forget the impressions made on his own mind 
 Kt that period. In the expectation of her immediate dissolu- 
 tion, she had taken leave of all the members of her family. A 
 very few of their more intimate friends were permitted to see 
 her on this occasion, and he v/as included in the number. On 
 entering the room with another endeared friend, to pay this 
 mournful visit, he was surprised to see an expression of joy- 
 ful feeling on the countenance of the wife, and a calm and 
 delightful serenity depicted on that of the husband. He 
 could not help exclaiming — Is this the chamber of death ? 
 Death was so stripped of its terrors, and religion so sur- 
 rounded with all its consolations, that the place looked more 
 like the portals of heaven, than the gloomy vestibule of the 
 tomb. The triumph of faith in the dying wife seemed to 
 support the otherwise afflicted husband, and to impart to him 
 a corresponding elevation of feeling. He forgot for the mo- 
 ment his own sorrows in her joys ; his own loss in her 
 gain ; and did not wish to arrest her expected flight to the 
 world of happy spirits, or indulge his grief while she was 
 rejoicing in the mercies of redeeming love. 
 
 If this conduct of Mr. Richmond should excite surprise in 
 any of our readers, let it be remembered that he was in the 
 habit of estimating every thing by its reference to eternity ; 
 and that tenderly as he was attached to his wife, and sensi- 
 ble of the importance of her life to himself and to his chil- 
 dren, still the consciousness of her assured happiness was 
 evidently the absorbing feeling of his mind at that time. God 
 also gives extraordinary support under extraordinary trials. 
 " A martyr's grace in a martyr's sufferings." 
 
 " There is a time for all things." Nature and grace have 
 their feelings, and there is a season for the lawful expression 
 of both. The removal of the wife would doubtless have filled 
 with the greatest sorrow that heart jvhich now exulted in her 
 triumphant prospects. The hucbctnd would weep, while the 
 Christian would rejoice " Vv ith joy unspeakable and full of 
 glory." 
 
 It will be well, while we contemplate the triumph of faith 
 and hope in others, that we should inquire what would be 
 
188 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 our own feelings in the hour of death, and under the pressure 
 of affliction. Reader ! does death present the appalling image 
 of a dread eternity to your mind, or does faith open to your 
 view the prospect of a glorious immortality ! Time hurries 
 on its rapid course. Sorrow, or joy, — the cry of terror, or the 
 song of victory, must sooner or later be the portion of every 
 child of Adam. Be yours the triumphant song — "Thanks 
 be to God which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus 
 Christ." 
 
 The affectionate sympathy of Mr. Richmond's parishioners 
 at this trying season, deserves to be mentioned. The most 
 fervent prayers had been offered up daily for the recovery 
 of Mrs. Richmond ; and those prayers were heard. Con- 
 trary to all human expectation, the symptoms of the disor- 
 der abated, and her life was spared. It seemed as if she had 
 entered into the valley of the shadow of death, — explored 
 all its secret recesses, — penetrated to its utmost confines, and 
 seen the light which could alone dispel all its darkness ; and 
 then,— led by the hand of Him who says, " I kill, and I make 
 alive : I wound, and I heal ;" she once more returned to the 
 days of her pilgrimage, and survived to follow to the grave 
 the husband, who thirteen years before had resigned her to 
 the mercy of his God. 
 
 The following letter alludes to the circumstances above 
 described : — 
 
 <' My dearest friend, — A hasty line must tell you that my 
 dear wife has been dangerously ill. On Saturday, her end 
 appeared at hand, but she has since revived, and we enter- 
 tain hope. 
 
 " I never witnessed such a triumph of grace : it has shone 
 more bright than tenderest hope could have expected. Jesus 
 bore her through the most painful and affecting scene more 
 than triumphantly. Amongst other (as it then appeared,) 
 dying requests, she desired that one of the little boys' names 
 (the child whose birth has occasioned so much danger) should 
 be a memorial of that disinterested, affectionate, and highly- 
 valued kindness which a friend indeed once showed her and 
 hers in time of need : that name will be Pallatt. She 
 breathed a most grateful message to you at the same time. 
 Her manner of taking leave of me and our eight children 
 around her bed, was more striking than you can conceive, or 
 I can describe. Pray for us, and give a line to your grate- 
 ful friend, Legh Richmond." 
 
EEV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 189 
 
 Mr. Richmond ever considered the education of the young 
 as forming one very important part of his ministerial duties. 
 His heart was much interested in this work, and he was sin- 
 gularly blessed in it. He diligently fed the lambs of his 
 flock ; and, as we have already stated, the first-fruits of his 
 ministry in the Isle of Wight and at Turvey were found 
 amongst them. 
 
 At Turvey he had been accustomed to assemble the chil- 
 dren of the parish in a room taken out of a barn adjoining 
 the rectory, but which was too small to accommodate the 
 numbers that attended. Hitherto the instruction had been 
 confined to the Sabbath-day. Mr. Richmond felt anxious to 
 afford the children the additional advantage of week-day les- 
 sons in reading, writing, and arithmetic, on the National plan. 
 With this view he determind to erect a schoolhouse ; a piece 
 of ground in the centre of the village was given for the pur- 
 pose, by John Higgins, Esq., and the object was ultimately 
 accomplished by the aid of the National Society, and the 
 contributions of numerous friends. 
 
 We here insert a letter on this subject, written by Mr. 
 Richmond to Thomas Pellatt, Esq. 
 
 " My dear Friend, — It is common in this vicinity, when 
 any person is subject to epileptic fits, that they go about from 
 house to house, begging for a piece of silver money at each. 
 When they have obtained as many sixpences and shillings 
 (the more, they apprehend, the better) they get them all melt- 
 ed down into one amalgamated ring : this charm they wear, 
 and they fancy it cures their fits. This may or may not be 
 wise; but I have also my sort of fit, and that is, building and 
 carrying on a pastoral school, under my own care and labor, 
 for all the poor children of my parish, without exception : and 
 local resources being inadequate, I beg about for precious 
 metal, to be amalgamated into a ring of personal friendship 
 and general benevolence, for the support of my school : not 
 that I expect to be cured myself of my fit of anxiety for the 
 poor's sake, but that I do hope for the cure of much sin and 
 ignorance in their hearts, lives, and houses, through God's 
 blessing on this union of charitable aid. 
 
 " Having said thus much, do you feel it right to give my 
 poor children either a donation, or annual subscription", or 
 both, or neither ? Your name is already incorporated, not only 
 with my heart, but with my child. It would gratify me to 
 record it in my parochial book also. But be assured, that if 
 17 
 
190 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 you refuse me (and pray do so without reserve, if you see 
 good reason for it,) I shall ascribe you noncompliance solely 
 to the purest motives. My School, both in its erection and 
 continuance, is, and will be a monument of personal esteem 
 to me, and of charity to my poor children. Your faithful 
 friend, L, Richmond." 
 
 The fidelity of detail which we have prescribed to our- 
 selves in the execution of the present Memoir, compels us to 
 advert to a subject of peculiar delicacy. Though it was the 
 object of Mr. Richmond to train up his family, from their 
 earliest youth, in those principles which he himself professed 
 and adorned ; circumstances of a painful nature occurred in 
 the conduct of his eldest son Nugent. It cannot fail to afflict 
 the mind of a pious parent, when he perceives no fruit from 
 the seeds of piety, which he has been anxious to implant in 
 the hearts of his children. Yet this is far from being an 
 uncommon case ; children do not alwaj^s adopt the views, or 
 walk in the steps of those who have gone before them ; un- 
 happily, examples are not wanting in the families of pious 
 parents, of greater evils in the conduct of their children, than 
 are generally found even amongst the worldly and the unbe- 
 lieving. Such grievous disappointments may, perhaps, be 
 traced in many instances to the neglect, the weakness, or the 
 inconsistency of the parents, who are rebuked and chastised 
 by the Almighty, in the iniquity of their offspring : yet in 
 other cases, trials may be permitted, to exercise faith, deepen 
 repentance, quicken diligence, and excite to more frequent 
 and fervent supplications at a throne of grace. But what- 
 ever be the cause of these mournful dispensations, they cer- 
 tainly confirm the views and declarations of Scripture, re- 
 specting the awful condition of our fallen nature. They 
 show that where the heart is not renewed by divine grace, 
 the best instructions and the brightest examples are without 
 effect. 
 
 Mr. Richmond used every r/ieans in the power of a Chris- 
 tiaii parent, to instruct his children, and to restrain their evil 
 propensities. Neither solemn expostulations, nor tender en- 
 treaties, nor fervent prayers were wanting ; but they were in 
 this case apparently without effect. At length, discovering 
 that his son, now sixteen years of age, evinced a decided pre- 
 dilection for a seafaring life (one of the last occupations in 
 which he wished to see him engaged;) he conferred with a 
 valued friend in the Transport Office, by whose advice it was 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND, 
 
 191 
 
 ultimately arranged that Nugent should embark in a mer- 
 chant's vessel destined to Ceylon. 
 
 These circumstances deeply wounded Mr. Richmond's pa- 
 ternal feelings, and required the utmost exercise otliis princi- 
 ples to support him under them. It was a disappointment of 
 the keenest kind. This was his first-born son, and in the days 
 of tender infancy he had fondly devoted him to be a minister 
 of the sanctuary. But the plant was blighted in the bud. Yet 
 he submitted with a confiding, though mournful spirit to the 
 will of God ; he met his son at Depttbrd ; urged whatever af- 
 fection and duty could suggest ; visited him again for the last 
 time at Portsmouth, where the vessel had arrived ; and having 
 presented him with a Bible, which he conjured him carefully 
 to peruse, he committed him to that God who has promis- 
 ed, " I will pour m}^ Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing 
 upon thine offspring." Isa. xliv, 3. He saw the vessel pro- 
 ceed on her voyage with emotions better conceived than de- 
 scribed, and lingered on the shore till its white sails were dis- 
 Cernible no longer. 
 
 The name of the ship was the Arniston. The expected 
 time of absence was two years. Mr. Richmond received let- 
 ters from his son, during the voyage, as he arrived at I\Iadeira, 
 and afterward at the Cape of Good Hope, in tlie month of 
 September ; and finally from Ceylon, dated at Columbo, which 
 place he reached in January, 1815. 
 
 These letters expressed regret for his past conduct, and a 
 hope that he might one day prove a consolation to his parents ; 
 other letters which he subsequently wrote were to the same 
 effect. 
 
 About sixteen months afterward, Mr. Richmond read the 
 afflicting account in the public prints, that the Arniston, on 
 its return from Ceylon to Europe, had been lost in a dreadful 
 gale of wind, near the Cape of Good Hope ; and that there 
 was reason to fear that every person on board had perished. 
 Who can describe the feelings which, at that moment, rent 
 the hearts of the unhappy parents ? The intelligence was 
 brought by a vessel from the Cape, which had heard the re- 
 port on its voyage homewards. Still, no official intelligence 
 had reached this country. Mr. Richmond waited the result 
 with the most painful anxiety. Information was at length re- 
 ceived, that the vessel was wrecked near Cape Lagullas, and 
 that every passenger on board had perished, with the excep- 
 tion of six persons, whose names were specified ; in which 
 number Mr. Richmond's son was not mentioned. 
 
192 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 The whole family went into mourning ; and the father sor- 
 rowed for his lost child with a grief unmitigated by the com- 
 munication of any cheering circumstance as to the state of his 
 mind, or his fitness for so sudden a change. 
 
 About three months afterward, a letter was delivered to 
 Mr. Richmond in the handwriting of the very son whom he 
 mourned as dead ; announcing that he was alive, — that cir- 
 cumstances had prevented his setting sail in the Arniston, of 
 whose fate he seemed to be unconscious ; and communicating 
 details of his present engagements and future prospects ! The 
 transition of feeling to which the receipt of this letter gave 
 rise, produced an effect almost as overwhelming as that which 
 the report of his death had occasioned. The family mourn- 
 ing was laid aside, and Mr. Richmond trusted he might re- 
 cognise, in this signal interposition of divine Providence, a 
 ground for hope that his child's present deliverance was a 
 pledge of that spiritual recovery, which was now alone want- 
 ing to fill up the measure of his gratitude and praise. 
 
 The following letters, written during the period of painful 
 suspense, equally discover the heart of the parent, and the 
 piety of the Christian, 
 
 My dear Mary, On my return last night from the scenery 
 of that perfect Paradise, the district of the Lakes, I found 
 your triple letter. With ^ heart responsive to your own, and 
 whose happiness depends on yours, I throw myself along with 
 you at the footstool of grace and mercy, and say. Not my 
 will, but thine be done, O Lord ! Be calm, be very calm, my 
 love, and wait the Lord's will. It appears, doubtless, more 
 probable that the commissioners of the Transport Office, and 
 the ship-owners, should know the fact, than others. Mr. H. 
 argues on that ground ; an<i it is our wisdom to follow him, 
 and pause. Perhaps the report is designed of God, to do us 
 good : nay, can I doubt it 1 If it should prove true, the tem- 
 porary check given to it has a lenient and merciful tendency, 
 to prepare our minds for events; if false, it must call forth 
 our gratitude, when it shall be proved so. It can be no sub- 
 ject of wonder to either you or me, that accidents should hap- 
 pen amidst the perils of the seas. I have ever felt it a duty 
 to my own feelings, to look upon such as at all times probable ; 
 and so, I am persuaded, have you. After all that we have 
 gone through on that trying subject, I hope we are prepared 
 to view all its contingencies, as those who have experienced 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 193 
 
 too much mercy from our God and Saviour, not to trust him in 
 the darker and more mysterious providences with which he 
 may see good to try us. I perfectly accord with you, in the 
 most willing surrender of his life, if his soul he but safe : and 
 if it has pleased God to remove him in this way, why should 
 we wholly despair of answers to prayer ? I have faith in that 
 very prayer you offered up in May last for him,* and in many 
 ( thers which you h ive sent forth to heaven in his behalf. 
 Knowing nothing but ^* hat your letter affords me, I shall wait, 
 and cast my burden c n the Lord. Do you the same ; and 
 then we shall sweetly meet at the throne of grace, in daily 
 unity and blessed accord. I could never for an instant doubt 
 that God had some designs of wisdom and love in the trials of 
 last May ; and I hope among them is a more calm, resigned, 
 hopeful, and solid state of mind, as it concerns our son. I 
 will, therefore, for the present, close the subject, with an ear- 
 nest prayer, that you and I may mutually cast our care on 
 Him who careth for us, who preserveth us daily, and crown- 
 j eth our un worthiness with his mercies. He has a right to it, 
 ' and we will not rob him of the honor of keeping us as the 
 apple of his eye. So he giveth his beloved rest. Amen." 
 
 My dear mother. We thank you from our hearts, for all 
 your kindness. We feel a calm resignation to the will of God 
 in this new trial, and recognise evidences of his covenant love 
 in the consolations which he vouchsafes us. Nature and mem- 
 ory will now and then be very busy, and we feel greatly. Then 
 we think of the efficacy of prayer, in connexion with promise, 
 and are strengthened and supported. I doubt not that a veil 
 is permitted to be thrown over the last nine months of poor 
 dear Nugent's life, in order that faith and hope in ay have a 
 ground for exercise. I am willing to believe that, in addition 
 to all others, the prayers of his apparently dying mother, a 
 fortnight before the shipwreck, were too fervent and spiritu- 
 ally effectual not to avail much for her son. ' The promise is 
 to you and to your children, and to them that are afar off.' 
 
 " The people here once more assembled in -crowds at 
 prayer-meetings, for us ; above 250 gathered together last 
 night. Much sympathy prevails; and 1 trust God is making 
 ' all things work together for the good of them that love him, 
 and are tbe called according to his purpose.' My dear wife 
 exhibits all the grace and Christianity of last May on the 
 
 * Dui ing the period of lier dangerous illness. 
 
 17* 
 
194 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THK 
 
 present occasion. She is incessantly occupied : she devotes 
 four entire hours to the boys alone, daily, independently of the 
 three hours which they pass with Mr. Garrard. The remain- 
 der is appropriated to the other children and the household. 
 She has high ideas of the duties both of a wife and mother^ 
 and seems to lay herself out for both, with a mixture of good 
 sense and piety which I have never seen exceeded, seldona 
 equalled. God gives her great strength of mind at present, 
 although she often testifies debility of body and spirit. You 
 may write to her without fear. I was prepared, by contra, 
 dictory reports, for some weeks past, to meet the confirmation 
 of this sad catastrophe, and so was my dear wife in a mea- 
 sure : but last Saturday morning, as we, and the three elder 
 girls, were breakfasting at Mr. Livius's, at Bedford, the 
 newspaper, containing the whole melancholy narrative, was 
 taken up by rny wife, and she instantly and suddenly saw the 
 account. It was a trying hour and we all melted. Friends in 
 need are friends indeed, and amongst our greatest earthly 
 mercies. Nobody but ourselves can rightly estimate this trial, 
 because none else can know what we went through on that 
 poor boy's account. Thank God, we cannot reproach our- 
 «elves,^ — we did the best we could, from his birth. The Lord 
 saw fit to try us, but it was in wisdom and love. We dreaded 
 his return to England, unlesshe was greatly changed ; but who 
 shall say that the great change was not wrought, through hi» 
 own trials and sufferings, sanctified of God to his soul ? Poor 
 boy ! when his watery grave appeared to be his immediate and 
 only refuge, he must have thought of his poor parents, and 
 needed a friend and counsellor. But I hope God was hettet^ 
 to him than any eartlily friend, — and then, all is well for him 
 and us too. A thousand thoughts sometimes crowd into our 
 minds, and make us weep. Then comes the kind Redeemer, 
 and wipes away the tears from our eyes. * This is the victory 
 that overcometh the world, even our faith,' your affectionate 
 son, Legh Richmond. 
 
 . The following pastoral letter alludes to the same subject ; — 
 
 " My dear Friends, 
 
 "1 expected to have the satisfaction of speaking to you 
 this day from the pulpit, after a journey, during which I have 
 seen much of the blessing of God, both in my public labors 
 and my private intercourse ; — but we know not what a day 
 may bring forth ! It has pleased Him, with whom are the 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 195 
 
 issues of life and death to bring me acquainted with the event 
 of the death of my first-born child by shipwreck, on the 
 shores of Africa, on the 30th of May last. I know I have 
 many dear friends amongst you, who will feel for me under 
 this trial, and make allowance for my state of mind, as not 
 permitting me to come out this day. Nevertheless, I wish you 
 to hear something of my thoughts, and to know how a cove- 
 nant God and Saviour supports me under this bereavement. 
 I have, therefore, desired that you would gather together as 
 many friends and neighbours as you can for prayer. We feel 
 most thankful to God, and to you, for your prayers, when my 
 dear partner seemed to be dying ; and believe that the Lord 
 heard you. We think that he will hear you again, when yoa 
 ask that this trial may be sanctified to us, and overruled to 
 (Tod's glory, and the final comfort of many a soul. 
 
 " You are none of you ignorant that it pleased God to per- 
 I mit grievous exercises of mind to befall his parents, through 
 I some circumstances connected with the conduct of this now 
 departed youth ; and I believe that very many of you have 
 felt much for us before now, on this account. Yet we feel it 
 to be a great mercy, that making all necessary allowances for 
 human defects and failings, we cannot reproach ourselves 
 with misconduct towards him. We did what we believed to 
 be right and best for him, from his infancy : the precepts, the 
 principles, the instructions, and the examples which we en- 
 deavored to set before him were to the utmost of our power, 
 according to the w^ord of God, to the time of his leaving us. 
 And then we were perfectly satisfied that God, in his provi- 
 dence, had opened the best and only possible way of avoiding 
 greater evils, when he showed us and our child, that it was 
 right and necessary he should choose a sea-life, as his ap- 
 pointed path. However contrary to our former wishes, we 
 submitted to the will of God ; and he very cheerfully set out 
 on his voyage. The God who saw good that this should be 
 his lot and portion, has forbidden his return home again ; and 
 our boy has gone the way of all flesh. ' The Lord gave, 
 and the Lord hath taken away, — blessed be the name of 
 the Lord !" But here is our hope and consolation. Nearly 
 eighteen years, prayers have been unceasingly ofi'ered up for 
 his spiritual welfare, and I believe that none of those prayers 
 were unavailing. Only a fortnight before the time at which 
 he died, his mother was wrestling in earnest and believing 
 prayer, for his soul to be reconciled to God. The Lord heard 
 her for herself ; and may we not hope that he who says, ' the 
 
196 
 
 MESIOIRS OF THE 
 
 promise is to you and to your children,' would hear her for 
 him likewise ? Moreover, you prayed earnestly for her and for 
 him too ; and the Lord heard you for her, — why not for him 
 likewise ? All these things appear to the eye of my faith, as 
 links in the chain of grace : and I do therefore hope, that, 
 amidst the trials and wonders of the deep, faith and repent- 
 ance might be granted to our poor boy, before he departed 
 hence, and was no more seen. O parents ! learn to pray for 
 yourselves, and then you shall be heard for your children. 
 We are most thankful to God, for enabling us to take this view 
 of his covenant love, and to build hope on this Rock of ages. 
 
 " Some of you will remember him with affection, although 
 you used to mourn over his errors. I sincerely hope you will 
 yet meet him in a better world, — where shall be neither sin 
 nor sorrow, and where no acts of real kindness to your fel- 
 low-creatures will be forgotten. 
 
 " I have often called on you as missionary friends ; and I 
 hope I shall prevail on still more of you to help the cause of 
 poor injured Africa. 
 
 " We seem to have now another strong feeling towards the 
 shores of Africa. Poor Nugent lies buried there ! and our 
 missionary pennies and pounds are going to a country, which 
 his father loves for the negro's and the Hottentot's sake, as 
 well as because his son has there found a grave. May the 
 living and the dead in Africa experience the blessing of the 
 Lord ! 
 
 " Grace, peace, and mercy be upon you all ! I hope His 
 presence will be with you, when you meet for prayer ; and if 
 (as may be probably tlie case) some may not be with you the 
 first time you hear this, call another meeting, and read this 
 letter again, so that all may hear it who wish to do so. And 
 believe me, with much Christian love, to be your affectionate 
 friend and minister, Legh Richmo^jd. 
 
 We have already alluded to ' the Fathers of the English 
 Church,' and to a respectable body of the clergy, at whose 
 earnest entreaty, and on whose promise of support, Mr. Rich- 
 mond undertook that important publication. At the same 
 time they submitted to his consideration the propriety of con- 
 fining his selections from the writings of the Reformers to 
 four octavo volumes. 
 
 In yielding to the wishes of his clerical brethren, amongst 
 whom was the late Mr. Robinson, of Leicester, and Dr. 
 Gilbee, the rector of Barby, in jNorthamptonshire, he con- 
 sidered the whole body of his advisers as responsible for the 
 
REV. LEGH RICH3IO>D. 
 
 197 
 
 expenses, and pledged to carry him through the hazard of the 
 undertaking ; and with this idea, he anriounced the proposed 
 work, under the sanction of a joint editorship. The selection 
 was, however, left to his own discretion ; and trusting too 
 implicitly to the reputation and merits of the Reformers, and 
 judging of the public mind by his own estimation of their 
 writings, he extended the work to eight volumes. Admitting 
 the value of his materials, we still question the propriety of in- 
 creasing the size of the publication ; not only because the 
 risk was doubled, but also, because the purchase was thereby 
 rendered too expensive for the generality of theological read= 
 ers. Whatever might be the cause, the sale was compara- 
 tively slow. It neither fulfilled the expectations of Mr. Rich- 
 mond and his friends, nor was it in any way commensurate 
 with the sterling value of the work. The spirit of the age was 
 not sufficiently advanced to appreciate the importance of such 
 an undertaking, though its merits are now generally admitted^ 
 and it has become a book of acknowledged reference. And 
 yet it was allowed by competent judges' that the editor had 
 performed his office of selection with great fidelity ; includ- 
 ing the sentiments of all, and excluding none ; mingling with 
 them no comments of his own, but leaving the reader to the 
 free and unfettered exercise of his judgment. 
 
 Worldly policy, however, was not one of the qualifications 
 of the subject of this Memoir ; he was by no means fitted for 
 transactions of a secular nature. None possessed more of the 
 harmlessuess of the dove, — few had less of the cautious pru- 
 dence of the serpent."^ 
 
 The sale of ' The Fathers,^ was insufficient to defray the 
 expenses of publication : and in the summer of 1814, on a 
 balance of accounts, it appeared that Mr. Richmond was in- 
 debted to his publisher in the sura of 2,000Z. ; and that he had 
 no means of defravinoj this larsre amount, but bv the stock in 
 hand. 
 
 These pecuniary embarrassments lay heavy on the mind of 
 Mr. Richmond, and deeply affected his spirits. His depres- 
 sion was observed by his friends ; but it was not without diffi. 
 culty he was prevailed on to disclose the cause. He was a 
 
 ^Mr. Richmond's aversion to the affairs of this life, and his consequent 
 Qofitness for them, is portrayed in the following anecdote. — He was on a visit 
 to bis friend Mr. F., who excused his absence by saying — " I must leave you 
 for an hour, Richmond, to do penance at our parish vestry." " If," replied 
 Mn Ricluaond, " it is penance to you, it would be a perfect purgatory to 
 
198 
 
 MEMOIKS OF THE 
 
 man of most delicate feeling, and shrunk from the idea of call- 
 ing on others for relief. 
 
 The knowledge of these facts induced many of his friends 
 to exert themselves in the sale of the Fathers ;' and by their 
 exertions, in the course of about fifteen months, the whole 
 debt was discharged. 
 
 It is not intended, by the above remarks, to reflect on the 
 parties with whom the work originated, or on the persons em- 
 ployed in its publication : yet it is but common justice to our 
 much-esteemed friend to explain to the world a transaction, 
 to which no small blame has been attached, yet in which 
 nothing is to be regretted but the increased size of the work, 
 and his want of knowledge in the business part of its publica- 
 tion. In the pecuniary transaction of life, Mr. Richmond pre- 
 served an undeviating rectitude. With an income never ex- 
 ceeding 400Z. or 500/., till within a few years of his decease ; 
 and with a family of twelve children, to be maintained and 
 educated, (with the exception of two, who died in infancy) it is 
 much to his credit that he provided things honest in the sight 
 of all men, ' owing no man any thing,' and depending only on 
 his own resources. With respect to the difficulties arising 
 from the pubHcation of ' the Fathers,' he ever considered him- 
 self entitled to public sympathy and relief, having undertaken 
 the work, not indeed with the security of legal instruments, 
 yet with the implied engagement of an adequate support. 
 Whether he was right in this supposition, we are not prepar- 
 ed to decide. The history of this transaction conveys, how- 
 ever, an impressive lesson to all candidates for the press, not 
 to engage too precipitately in the dangers and risks of author- 
 ship ; but to calculate the consequences, and by wise and ju- 
 dicious arrangements, to endeavor to ensure success, or to 
 anticipate the possibility of failure. 
 
 The following letter shows the strength of his faith, and 
 his implicit reliance on the promises of God, amidst his diffi- 
 culties. 
 
 Rudder sjield, August 23, 181 4. 
 " With the most affectionate love, regard, and estimation, 
 my dearest Mary, I must expostulate with you, on this mis- 
 trustful and despondent view which you seem too willing to 
 indulge. I may say, what has God done, in his whole course 
 of providential mercies for eighteen years, that we should not, 
 to the fullest extent, trust Him with ourselves, our fortunes. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 199 
 
 and our children, for the time to come ? Will mistrust of our 
 only Provider and Protector, render us less likely to meet with 
 trials ? I am too deepl\^ sensible, and grateful also for your 
 conduct and feeling on the general subject of domestic mat- 
 ters, not to enter most heartily into them. But as you have 
 asked ray advice on your state of mind, I do most earnestly 
 conjure you to consider the genuine meaning of those texts — 
 ' Take no thought lor the morrow and * Be careful for no- 
 thing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication, with 
 thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God,' dec. 
 Phil, iv, 6, 7. See also, 1 Peter v, 7 ; Psalm Iv, 22 ; and many 
 more. I am persuaded that mistrust of God's providential 
 care is a besetting sin of many of God's children, and hinders 
 much of their peace, comfort, and usefulness. You are not 
 justified, my dear Mary, in foreboding evil to yourself and 
 your children. How many clergymen with large families have 
 much fewer comforts, and worse prospects ? God has blessed 
 us too much in many points of view, to warrant such sad con- 
 elusions and gloomy doubts. Pray lay these things more un- 
 conditionally on the Lord, and He will infallibly prepare, 
 strengthen, and support you in every thing. What has he not 
 done to prove this ? It is the joy of my heart to hope and think 
 that your merciful restoration to me and mine, is to exemplify 
 a lasting confidence in the wisdom, love, and power of that 
 God, who so delightfully brought you through the greatest of 
 all trials, in the valley of death, leaning on his rod and his 
 staff. May God enable you to keep up my spirits as well as 
 your own, by the belief, that he who hath done, will also do, 
 all things well. It is my perfect persuasion that by faith we 
 are saved, in body as well as in soul. Therefore, with the 
 minutest attention to every prudent and active means, ' Only 
 believe !' is the Christian's motto." 
 
 During the emperor Alexander's visit to this country, Mr." 
 Richmond had the gratification of meeting him at Portsmouth. 
 Mr. Richmond had ascended a lofty tower in the dock-yard, 
 and from its summit was viewing, through a telescope, the 
 surrounding objects, when his imperial majesty and suite 
 unexpectedly entered. Mr. Richmond offered to withdraw ; 
 but the emperor would not con&ent, saying — " Perhaps, sir, 
 you are acquainted with the pomts of view before us ?" Mr. 
 Richmond assured him he well knew every spot in the neigh- 
 borhood ; and drawing out his telescope, directed the eye of 
 the Emperor to the diflferent objects worthy of notice. After 
 
200 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 a long and interesting conversation with his majesty, before 
 they separated, Mr. Richmond said — " I avail myself of this 
 opportunity lo thank your imperial majesty, in my own name, 
 and in that of all the friends of the Bible Society in England, 
 for the distinguished patronage and support that your majesty 
 has shown to the same cause in Russia." The Emperor 
 obligingly replied, — " Sir, my thanks are rather due to your 
 country, and to the friends of the cause : for had it not been 
 for your example, we should have had no Bible Society in 
 Russia." 
 
 Some months after this remarkable interview, Mr. Rich- 
 mond inclosed a copy of his Tracts, with the following letter, 
 to his imperial majesty. 
 
 May it please your Imperial Majesty, 
 An offer has been made to me by the Rev. Mr. Pater- 
 son, of conveying a copy of the book which accompanies this 
 letter to your Imperial Majesty, through the kindness and con- 
 descension of His Excellency the Prince Galitzin. 
 
 In presuming to take this liberty, I am influenced, not by 
 the opinion which 1 myself entertained as to the value of the 
 contents of the volume, but by the firm persuasion which I 
 hold, that the Christian sentiments which form the foundation 
 of those simple narratives, are dear to your Majesty's heart. 
 
 " Your majesty's public conduct and avowed principles 
 have tended to convince me, that neither the splendor of im- 
 perial dignity,'^nor the glory of military conquests, are, in your 
 Majesty's estimation, comparable to the privileges and bless- 
 ings which Christianity alone can confer on those who live 
 under the influence of the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour 
 Jesus Christ. 
 
 " In the belief and hope that it is your Majesty's desire to 
 promote the temporal and eternal interests of the people of 
 Russia, by an instrument, however apparently small and un- 
 worthy, which God may see good to bless, I submit this little 
 volume to your Majesty's candid acceptance. 
 
 " These short 'Annals of the Poor,' have been made very- 
 useful, through the mercy and power of God, to many in this 
 country. England is now attached to Russia, not only by past 
 political and friendly relations, but much more than ever, by 
 your Majesty's dignified and condescending deportment, dur- 
 ing your recent visit to this kingdom. May theKing of kings, 
 who is alike the Lord of Russia and of Britain, make use oi 
 
REV. LEGH RICH3I0XD. 
 
 201 
 
 even so feeble an instrument as this little volume to, convey 
 some of the spiritual blessings which have attended its pub- 
 lication in Britain, to the utmost extent of your Majesty's 
 dominions. 
 
 " When your Majesty shall be pleased to receive this book, 
 may the author of it be permitted to remind your Majesty, 
 that he is the sam.e individual whom your Majesty saw at the 
 summit of the lofty tower, in the dock-yard at Portsmouth, 
 on Friday, June 24th last ; and who then had the unexpected 
 honor of lending your Majesty the telescope with which your 
 Majesty surveyed the surrounding prospect. The kind and 
 condesending manner in which your Majesty was pleased to 
 notice an English stranger on that occasion, is recollected 
 with the sincerest satisfaction and gratitude, whilst I now 
 present this volume to your Majesty's notice. 
 
 " Your Majesty will be pleased to allow me, as a minister 
 of the Gospel, to conclude by praying Almighty God, that 
 His grace, peace, and mercy, may be abundantly poured down 
 upon your Majesty, and upon the people of your extensive 
 dominions, over whom he has given you the earthly sove- 
 reignty. 
 
 "May the Gospel of the blessed Jesus prosper among the 
 subjects of all the Russias ; and that it may be your Majesty's 
 chief crown of rejoicing, in the great day of his appearance, 
 is the supplication of your Imperial Majesty's most obedient 
 and unworthy servant, Legh Ricii:mo^'d." 
 
 The following reply was received by Mr. Richmond from 
 his Imperial Majesty, accompanied with a ring of consider- 
 able value : — 
 
 " Reverend Sir, The copy of your book, entitled ' Annals 
 of the Poor,' was, according to your desire, presented to his 
 Imperial Majesty, the Emperor Alexander, by me, together 
 with your letter, and accepted by his Majesty, with the great- 
 est satisfaction. The object of this volume, the promotion of 
 Christian charity and truly religious sentiments, renders it 
 most valuable and interesting in the eyes of the Emperor, 
 who desires nothing so much as to see the principles of the 
 Gospel of Jesus Christ our Saviour, more and more universal 
 in his dominions, and in the whole world. 
 
 " On this occasion, his Imperial Majesty recollected also 
 having made your acquaintance in Portsmouth, under the cir- 
 cumstances you describe in your letter. 
 18 . 
 
a02 
 
 BIEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 " In consequence of all this, his Majesty ordered me to de- 
 posit your book in the library of the Imperial Humane Soci- 
 ety, and to send the ring which accompanies this letter, as a 
 mark of his true esteem for you, and high approbation of your 
 work. 
 
 " It is very agreeable to me, in thus fulfilling the order of 
 my sovereign, to assure you of the sincere esteem with which 
 I have the honor to be your most obedient servant, 
 
 " Alexander Galitzin." 
 
 « St. Petersburgh,J(m. 14, 1817." 
 
 Mr. Richmond also presented a copy of his ' Young Cot- 
 tager' to Princess Sophia Metstchersky, who first translated 
 the tract of the Dairyman's Daughter into the Russian Ian. 
 guage. This noble lady's time and influence are consecrated 
 to the cause of religion, and many instances are recorded of 
 her usefulness. May her distinguished example inspire a like 
 zeal in others of the same elevated rank ; and may the time 
 soon arrive, when the crown and the coronet shall universally 
 be laid at the foot of the cross of the Redeemer ! 
 
 He received from her Highness the following answer : — 
 
 " Reverend Sir, I have been hesitating for some days if I 
 should stop to answer you till Mr. Pinkerton would be here, 
 in hope that he would help me to express my gratitude for 
 your kind letter and valuable present in proper time ; but I 
 am afraid it will be too long, and you will perhaps suppose 
 me indifferent and ungrateful, so I venture to send you my bad 
 English without correction. 
 
 Remember, dear Sir, that I am but a scholar, a very new 
 one, and quite unfit to correspond with such a man as you, 
 though my soul is capable of loving you as a brother and 
 friend in Christ Jesus ; and of admiring you as a chosen ser- 
 vant of his, a vessel unto honor, sanctified and meet for the 
 Master's use, and for the edification and comfort of his chil- 
 dren. Yes, sir, I hope I am united to you in one body and 
 soul, which is Christ Jesus the Saviour ; and I say, with ' Lit- 
 tle Jane,' that I am happy to be even the smallest and lowest 
 of all his members. How much I delighted in reading this 
 narrative ; how wonderful the grace of our Lord ! how happy 
 the country where children are brought up in the fear of God, 
 and taught so young to love and serve the Saviour ! what an 
 eminent Christian, — so young a child ! But this is neither to 
 be taught nor learnt. He alone can give it, who is love itself, 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 203 
 
 and who purchased us to himself by shedding his precious 
 blood for us. Oh, sir, you do not know, perhaps, to what an 
 unworthy teing you wrote. I have passed all my life in the 
 ignorance of Him who died for me ; without love to Him who 
 loved me first, and sought me out, when I hastened to my ruin 
 in a life of enmity to my God. He sought me out, and mer- 
 cifully sent His servant Pinkerton to open my eyes and my 
 ears by the power of His word, so that 1 plainly see now 
 what a sinful, wicked creature I am : what a gracious, mer- 
 ciful God to offend ! and how kind, and always ready and 
 willing to receive us, our Saviour Jesus Christ is, and always 
 will be ! How good He was to me, sending such a meek, pa- 
 tient, loving soul, as the worthy Mr. Pinkerton proved to be 
 during his living in my family.* What a life of disgust it 
 must have been to a man of his distinguished merit, to bear 
 with the caprices and wickedness of a spoiled, ignorant, and 
 proud woman ; but * charity seeketh not her own, is not easily 
 provoked, beareth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all 
 things : charity never faileth :' I have an evident proof of it 
 in my dear friend and instructer. But I must stop, and ask 
 to be forgiven for having written so much : my heart opens 
 at the voice of a friend, and then I speak out of the fulness 
 of it. Excuse me, then, sir, for intruding so much upon your 
 time. Pray for me, that I may come in faith and grace to 
 the happy day, in which I shall be enabled to join with you 
 in joyful hallelujahs and eternal praises of our heavenly Fa- 
 ther and divine Saviour. Oh, may his peace always be with 
 you ! Receive with indulgence, dear sir, my hearty thanks ; 
 and the assurance of the sincere esteem and high regard with 
 which I am your much obliged and obedient, 
 
 " P. Sophia Metstchersky.'* 
 
 The letters to Mrs. Livius, which are next inserted, were 
 written about this period, and the editor cannot recur to them 
 •without feelings of the liveliest emotion. They allude to an 
 excellent and highly valued character, the late George 
 Livius, Esq., who is endeared to the writer by recollections 
 which time cannot impair, — which live not only in the me- 
 mory, but in the heart. He once knew the world, but had 
 long retired from it, and left it in pursuit of a better. He 
 
 J* Mr. (now Dr.) Pinkerton, was intrusted with the education of this distin- 
 guished lady's children. 
 
204 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 was the well-known Gaius* of the county where he lived,. — 
 the lover of good men, of whatever name or title : he was 
 purified in the furnace of affliction ; but his trials are now 
 terminated, and he has entered on those blest abodes where 
 rest is promised to the weary, and where sorrow and sighing 
 tiee away.f 
 
 The editor trusts he shall be pardoned this short indul- 
 gence of awakened feeling towards one who was his father- 
 in-law, and who eminently united to the interesting qualities 
 that adorn the man, the principles and graces that constitute 
 the Christian. 
 
 Nov. 15, 1816. 
 
 My dear Madam, — Permit me to exercise the Christian 
 privilege of at once condoling and consoling you. Often have 
 I felt with and for you, as it has long respected your depart- 
 ed son ; yet I doubt not, every pang of his, and every grief, 
 have alike had their allotted embassy, and that a message of 
 mercy to both. The valley of tears is strewed with rocks 
 and thorns, and the pathway often lies through deep waters ; 
 yet the. rocks are placed there by him who is emphatically 
 the Rock ; the thorn of care is not unaccompanied by the Rose 
 of Sharon ; and in the deep waters God has promised to de- 
 liver. If this valley be a wilderness, it is one through which 
 his people are journeying, and in the midst of its darkest 
 shades they fear no evil, for He is with them ; his rod and 
 staft^are their support and consolation. It is not so, my ho- 
 nored friend ? That you and I may ever prove it, is the sin- 
 cere prayer of my dear wife and of your affectionate friend, 
 
 Legh Richmond." 
 
 Nov. 23, 181 G. 
 
 " My dear Madam., — Allow me once more to express the 
 friendly solicitude which I feel for you and my honored friend- 
 Mr. Livius, under your recent and present trial. f His strength 
 
 ^ A name given to him, expressive of his hospitality. St. Paul alludes to 
 Gains, as the host by whom he was entertained. Romans xvi, 23. 
 
 t The following anecdote deserves to be preserved, relating to this gentle- 
 man. He was formerly resident in India, where he held an important office, 
 in the time ol Warren Hastings. Being some time after requested by Mr. 
 Burke, who conducted the celebrated impeachment of Governor Hastings, )<> 
 furnish him with some fresh charges, of which it was known that Mr. Livius 
 was in possession, the latttr inquired what number he already intended to pre- 
 fer ? " We have now," replied Mr. Burke, " twenty-seven charges against 
 him." "Then," said Mr. Livius, *'l will not add one more to the number, 
 for you have twenty too many." 
 
 t The death of one of their son?, and the dangerous illness of Mr. Livius. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 205 
 
 spirits would not admit of my saying all which my heart dic- 
 tated when I saw him yesterday. I wish him to know how 
 much I have valued his friendship, and how grateful I feel 
 for a series of hospitality and kindness of no ordinary cha- 
 racter, for a period of now near eleven years. I wish him to 
 know that I have ever been a sympathyzing observer of his 
 bodily sufferings ; and have entertained a cordial esteem and 
 regard for his many amiable and excellent qualities of head 
 and heart. 
 
 " The confidential intercourse with which, at various pe- 
 riods, he has been pleased to favor me, cannot be obliterated 
 from my recollection, nor effaced from my affections. It is my 
 heart's prayer that his consolations may be ' neither few nor 
 small ;' that the peace of God may be his resting. pillow, and 
 that God will ' make his bed in all his sickness.' Not one 
 affliction has ever befallen him beyond what his heavenly 
 Father designed for his present and eternal good. Wisdom, 
 mercy, power, and faithfulness, have guided all. May each 
 of his children be blessed with a heart taught by the same 
 spirit who hath taught hirh and you to look to the Strong One 
 for help ; and may they be elTectually preserved from the 
 snares and delusions of this present evil world. 
 
 " May you, my dear friend, be upheld by a Saviour's power 
 and love, to fulfil ever}^ arduous task which his wisdom as- 
 signs you. Forgive this intrusion, solely prompted by grate- 
 ful friendship. Accept our united assurances of love for you 
 and yours." 
 
 Dec. 18, 1816. 
 
 " My very dear friend, — It is fit that the same moment 
 which brings me the long-expected, yet afflicting tidings of 
 my much-loved friend's departure from this vale of tears, 
 should dictate a few sympathetic lines to his dear relict. 
 Your mind has long waited this event, with Christian resig- 
 nation. May the Spirit of power and peace bless his own 
 preparation, now that the hour of trial has arrived ! You have 
 the prayers of many friends to mingle with your own. These, 
 in God's sight, are riches. May you enjoy them spiritually 
 and eternally. ' Tribulation worketh patience ; patience, ex- 
 perience ; experience, hope ;' hope thou therefore in God. 
 Time is swiftly passing away, and its stream is gradually 
 absorbed in eternity. Our years roll on, and we shall soon 
 be there ; and there we shall meet those who have loved 
 Christ, and loved us. There, dear madam, in the bosom of 
 18* 
 
206 
 
 JIEMOIHS OF THE 
 
 your Saviour and God, you shall meet your dear husband. 
 Till then, may faith, hope, peace, tranquillity, and love, gild 
 your horizon, like resplendent clouds round the setting sun, 
 prophetic of a bright approaching morning. Christ has be- 
 queathed his peace to you ; take it as his legacy, and use it 
 to his glory. Mrs. Richmond unites in affectionate regards 
 to you and all yours, under this present trial, with your af- 
 fectionate friend, Legh Richmond," 
 
 We close the chapter with a pleasing little poetical effu- 
 sion, written about the same time : — 
 
 A WIDOWED MOTHER'S ADDRESS TO HER DAUGHTER ON 
 THE DAY OF HER MARRIAGE. 
 
 Say, why should my bosom thus lieave with a sigh, 
 And the tear of affection now start from tny eye ? 
 Forgive me, my child, whom my soal holds so'dear ;— 
 You've a smile from my heart,, though my eye drops a tear I 
 
 This sigh is the tribute of tenderest love. 
 
 And I trust shall be heard in the mansions above ^ 
 
 For it breathes a warm prayer to the Bridegroom of heaven^ 
 
 That to thee, now a bride, his best blessing be given. 
 
 May He weave thee a garland on this nuptial morn, 
 With the roses of Sharon thy brows to adnrn ; 
 With the ring of his love, may he claim thee for his, 
 And pronounce thee " joint heir" of his heavenly bliss. 
 
 May his true Wedding robe, which he purchased with blood. 
 Be thy portion,, my daughter, by Jesus bestowed ; 
 By his grace freely pan^oned, and cleansed from all sin, 
 Be thou spotless without, and all glorious within. 
 
 May my child and her partner, in holy connexion. 
 Be united, through grace, by true Christian affection ; 
 May the wife prove a sister, the husband a brother, 
 And each find a help in the faith of the other. 
 
 Thus thy marriage on earth a sweet emblem shall be, 
 Of a far brighter union provided for thee ; 
 A nd then, the few days of thy pilgrimage past, 
 Thy Saviour will own Thee his spouse at the last. 
 
 Peace be with you, my children! I speak without guile, 
 I began with a tear, but I end with a smile; 
 'Tis my hope, that your happiness nothing shall cloy, 
 And the heart of the widow shall sing with new joy \ 
 
REV. LEGH RICH3I0?fD. 
 
 207 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Letter— Poetry— Description of lake scenery— Brief account of his first tour to Scot- 
 land— His sentiments on Oratorios— Tribute to ihe memory of his mother, &c. 
 
 It was usual with Mr. Richmond to mark with peculiar so- 
 lemnity the birthdays of himself and all his family. Those 
 he kept as a kind of religious festival ; — writing letters to the 
 different members of his family, and preaching to his parish- 
 ioners on an appropriate subject. The following letter he 
 wrote to his mother on one of these occasions. 
 
 "My dearest Mother. — The return of this day demands a 
 return of affectionate regards to God, the author of my being, 
 and to you, the instrument employed by him to convey life and 
 existence to my unworthy self. Often do I reflect with love 
 and gratitude on your kindness and watchful care over me, 
 from infancy to the present moment. Your qualities of heart 
 and head cannot be forgotten, any more than the name of 
 parent; — a title consecrated by every principle, divine and 
 human. This being my birthday, I propose to preach on 
 Psalm cxxxix, verses 14 — 18. How suitable . for such a me- 
 ditation ! What a miracle is the life of man, viewed naturally, 
 spiritually, and eternally ! How incomprehensible, from the 
 first to last ! from conception to the cradle, — from the cradle 
 to the grave, — from the grave to the resurrection, — from the 
 resurrection through eternity ! Then to consider the endless 
 variety of frames, providences, events, souls, bodies, and 
 .spirts! Sometimes when I meditate on futurity, I am lost 
 in inexplicable thought : I then see the importance of the 
 mind's retiring into the consolations of the past and the pre- 
 sent, as they rise from the revealed plan of salvation ; and 
 through that medium, even eternity assumes a solid and hope- 
 ful aspect. 
 
 " If ever I felt it more than ordinarily due to a valued pa- 
 rent to express my gratitude, it is at a time when she has so 
 kindly and so considerately met the peculiar circumstances of 
 difficulty, in which a variety of events have conspired to place 
 me. Between my last and present birthday many sorrows, 
 many shocks to feeling, many heavy expenses have occurred; 
 my heart has been tried to the utmost : but your aflectionate, 
 unupbraiding, and liberal conduct, has proved a great cordial 
 to me and my dear wife, in all our trials. " 
 
208 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 The following letter will introduce to the reader a son of 
 Mr. Richmond's, of whom we shall have occasion to speak 
 more fully toward the close of this Memoir. The name, as 
 has been observed, was given to commemorate that remark- 
 able event of his own life which arose from the perusal of 
 Mr. Wilberforce's work on Practical Christianity. This boy 
 was now in his twelfth year ; and we insert this letter prin- 
 cipally to show the manner in which Mr. Richmond address- 
 ed his children at an early age. 
 
 " My dear Wilberforce, 
 
 " Shall I have no cause for heart-ache at my return, 
 when I inquire how my child has behaved ? how he has at- 
 tended to his learning ? how he has adhered to truth in his 
 words ? Shall 1 be comforted with the glad tidings that your 
 heart, and your conscience, and your ways, all seem to par- 
 take of a happy influence? That you show your love to 
 mamma by keeping her commandments ? That you pray to 
 God to forgive you your sins, and hourly offences ? Do the 
 four walls of your little chamber bear witness to your prayers 
 and supplications for yourself and me ? Do the sun's rays, as 
 they early penetrate your window in the morning, find you 
 early and active to rise, to read, to labor, and grow in grace? 
 
 "I saw Litchfield cathedral, and attended divine service 
 there. It is a much smaller one than York, but has great 
 beauty; the organ notes rolled sublimely through the vaults, 
 arches, pillars, and roof ; and the exquisitely painted windows 
 assimilated with such sounds, and rendered the effect very 
 fine. It has three beautiful spires. 
 
 "One evening I travelled with a friend for three hours, 
 amidst the most beautiful and never-ceasing distant lightning ; 
 the whole western hemisphere was in a constant blaze ; the 
 flashes alternated from one point of the horizon to another, 
 distance about forty-five degrees from it; sometimes the 
 flashes were silvery, sometimes yellow, sometimes orange, 
 sometimes forked, sometimes sheet-like, sometimes so vivid, 
 you seemed to have a peep into more distant regions of 
 space ; sometimes more faint ; now and then you heard slight 
 rumblings, then all was silent. At one point the flashes 
 gleamed upon a distant view of a castle, which seemed all on 
 fire, and was only rendered visible by the effect of the light- 
 ning. A dark forest lay behind, and formed a fine contrast. 
 Sometimes the forked flashes hurried one another in a kind 
 of playful progress ; at others, they dashed together as if in 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 209 
 
 terrible combat : all this passed between seven and ten o'clock, 
 on the evening of June 28th. But what are these lightnings, 
 compared with those which made Moses quake and tremble at 
 Mount Sinai ? or what were even the latter, when contrasted 
 with those of God's wrath against sinners ? Thunder and 
 lightning is a fine emblem of Divine justice and threatenings. 
 You have need to ' flee from the wrath to come.' 'Repent, 
 for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.' ' The wicked, and all 
 the people that forget God, shall be turned into hell.' Do 
 you forget Him ? — if so, what shall be your portion ? If you 
 say you do not forget Him, how do you prove it ? — 
 
 video meliora proboque 
 
 Detei iora sequor ; 
 
 is the character of too many nominal Christians ; I would not 
 have it to be yours. An enlightened, but unconverted mind, 
 bus eyes and tongue to approve what is right ; but the feet 
 follow the paths of evil. A converted heart alone walks in 
 the steps of Him who is ' the way, the truth, and the life,' 
 Say— 
 
 "To me, O Lord, be tliou ' the way,' 
 To me be thou 'the truth;' 
 To me, my Saviour, be 'the life,' 
 Thou Guardian of my youth ! 
 
 " So shall thy * way' be my delight, 
 Tliat ' truth' shall make me free ; 
 That ' life' shall raise me from the dead, 
 And then I'll live-to Thee." , 
 
 . " I sincerely hope you are beginning to be truly sensible of 
 the danger of sin, and the necessity of seeking the Lord very- 
 early. Your life is an uncertainty, at best ; occasional indis- 
 positions should remind you that you may never arrive at 
 man's estate. If you are to die a boy, we must look for a 
 boy's religion, a boy's knowledge, a boy's faith, a boy's Sa- 
 viour, — a boy's salvation ! Or else, a boy's ignorance, — a 
 boy's obstinacy, — a boy's unbelief, — a boy's idolatry, — a 
 boy's destruction ! Remember all this and beware of sin ; 
 dread the sinfulness of an unchanged heart ; — pray for a new 
 one ; pray for grace and pardon, and a soul conformed to 
 the image of Christ Jesus ; pray for wisdom, for the destruc- 
 lion of pride, vain conceit, and self-sufficiency. ' Be not 
 slothful in business ; but fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.' 
 
 " Friends here inquire after you ; but it is in the full hope 
 that you go on well, creditably, obediently, industriously. 
 
210 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 humbly, and Christianly. Love to all, from your affection- 
 ate Father, L. Richnond." 
 
 We here introduce a birthday hymn, composed for his son 
 Wilberforce : — 
 
 "My years roll on in silent course, 
 Impelled by a resistless force : 
 Awake, my soul ! awake and sing, 
 How good thy God, how great thy King ! 
 
 " My years roll on : then let me know 
 The great design for which they flow; — 
 And as the ship floats o'er the wave, 
 Thy vessel. Lord, in mercy save. 
 
 " My years roll on : the tide of time 
 Bear me through many a changing clime ' 
 I've summers, winters; — heat and cold, — 
 Winds, calms, and tempests, ten times told. 
 
 "My rears roll on : but here's my hope, 
 And (his my everlasting prop : 
 Thoiigh seasons change, and I change too, 
 My God's <!ie same ; — for ever true ! 
 
 «« My years roll on : and as they roll. 
 Oh ! may they waft my ransomed soul 
 Safe through life's ocean, to yon shore, 
 Where sins and sorrows grieve no more ! 
 
 " My years roll on : and with them flows 
 That mercy which no limit knows: 
 'Tis Mercy's current makes me glide, 
 In hope of safety, down the tide.. 
 
 "My years roll on : my soul, be still ; — 
 Guided by love, thy course fulfil : 
 And, my life's anxious voyage past, 
 My refuge be with Christ at last!" 
 
 "L. R." 
 
 The birth of another child induced Mr. Richmond to re- 
 quest a very endeared friend, Mrs. R., formerly of Kendal, 
 to stand as sponsor. The request was made in the follow- 
 ing letter : — 
 
 TurvcTf, Jan. 23, 1818. 
 
 "Will my dear friend, Mrs. R., allow me to enrol her * 
 name amongst the sponsors of my sweet little child at her 
 baptism ? It is my wife's desire, as well as my own : do not 
 
 refuse us. Dear Mrs. F. of S— Castle, is the other 
 
 godmother. Join her in this act of charity and friendship, 
 and thus put a seal to valuable recollections of Kendal, 
 Keswick, &c. &c. The hymn of our last morning, after 
 
REV. UEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 211 
 
 breakfast, still echoes a sweet farewell in niy ear and my 
 heart. 
 
 " My babe is to be called Charlotte Elizabeth. Charlotte 
 as a memorial of the lamented Princess ; and Elizabeth, as a 
 memorial of ' the Dairyman's Daughter.' A palace and a 
 cottage here unite in my child's cradle : may she rock in 
 peace, and ever be found in the arms of her Saviour." 
 
 The following verses, composed by Mr. Richmond, were 
 sung at the baptismal font, immediately after the service was 
 concluded : — 
 
 " Welcome, dear balie, to Jesu's breast — 
 For ever there securely rest : 
 Welcome lo these his courts below,— 
 Here may our God his grace bestow. 
 
 ** Lord, sanctify ihis solemn hour, 
 Thy spirit on our offspring pour! 
 Fulfil thy promise to our child, 
 May she in Christ be reconciled! 
 
 "These holy waters now proclaim 
 Redemption free in J esu's name, 
 Each sprinkled drop becomes a seal 
 Of that salvation which we feel. 
 
 " Behold th' affrighted infant weep! 
 Fear has disturbed her gentle sleep. 
 Weep not, dear babe, all oihers smile, 
 And love and bless thee all the while. 
 
 "Grant, Lord! if spared, the time may come. 
 When, summoned (o her heavenly home, 
 Though all around her weep and sigh, 
 In smiles triumphant she may die ! 
 
 "Receive the helpless child, we pray, 
 And seal lierto Redemption's day, 
 3Iansions of bliss may she inherit, — 
 The gift of Father, Son, and Spirit!" 
 
 ' With the lady who stood sponsor to his child, Mr. Rich- 
 mond visited, during one of his tours in the North, the Lakes 
 of Westmoreland. Among his papers is a very pleasing de- 
 scription of the scenery of that rich and romantic country. 
 W^e extract the following passage, on account of its beauty : — 
 " There are numberless changes of effect produced in moun- 
 tain scenery by the variation of sun, shade, mist, cloud, the 
 state of vegetation, character of the atmosphere, and other 
 causes, well known to every one familiar with such scenes ; 
 and they constitute no inconsiderable source of that highgra- 
 
212 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 tification which the traveller experiences in the study of natu- 
 ral beauties. The same combination of objects, viewed under 
 a change of external circumstances, forms completely a new 
 scene, and possesses an appropriate charm ;* inasmuch as it 
 is the same and yet different. This consideration unfolds an 
 almost endless diversity of effect, to be observed and enjoyed 
 by the mind which loves to investigate the varieties of which 
 such prospects are susceptible. This double source of variety, 
 sometimes occasioned by actual change of the principal ob- 
 ject in the landscape, and sometimes only by a change of at- 
 tendant circumstances, affords strong evidence that the Cre- 
 ator, in all his works, appears to delight in a profusion of that 
 display of contrivance, skill, and diversity, which teaches the 
 creature to adore his attribute of Omnipotence. But it does 
 more : it leads to the contemplation of that which declares, 
 that ' God is here !' The delight with which a Christian 
 traces the finger of God, in the midst of a tine prospect, does 
 not merely arise from the admiration of divine power and con- 
 trivance ; nor from his own quick sense of beautiful and sub- 
 lime imagery ; nor from his deduction of cause and effect, 
 which natural philosophy traces in the history of earth, 
 air, fire, and water. He sees all this, it is true, and ho- 
 nors God in it. But he also sees, that in the whole of this 
 complexity of wonder, this harmony of created existence, 
 there is a purpose of benevolence. The diversified joys of 
 the landscape all concentrate in the joy of devotion. It is 
 the love of God to man which tills the scenery with beauty 
 and delight ; it is the love of God which adapts the mind of 
 man to this peculiar capacity of intellectual enjoyment. 
 Whether the Christian's survey of nature partakes of the 
 skill of the artist, the energy of the poet, the science of 
 the philosopher, — let his enjoyment arise from any or from 
 all of these sources, — this is the crowning consideration, that 
 these delights are given him of God, and are an evidence of 
 God's love to him. This leads him to reflect on his own cha- 
 racter as a fallen sinner, yet still the object of such incom- J 
 prehensible mercy. J 
 " Under the impression of all these powerful emotions, htl 
 bursts forth into the pious reflection ; ' What is man, O Lord,^ 
 that thou art thus mindful of him, or the son of man, that 
 thou so regardest him.' Nor can he refrain from exclaiming 
 — ' O Lord our God, how excellent is thy name in all the 
 aarth !' " 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 213 
 
 We subjoin another reflection, as he surveyed the beautiful 
 Lake of Windermere, from above the town of Bowness, where 
 it first breaks upon the sight. 
 
 " Was Paradise more enchanting than this ? Did the Lord 
 put our first parents into a garden more exquisitely beautiful 
 than that before me ? Could the river, which watered the 
 plains and valleys of Eden, — could the ground out of which 
 grew every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for 
 food, present a more lovely sight than this ? That Paradise is 
 vanished from mortal sight and possession ; but, through the 
 Redeemer, a brighter and immortal Paradise is regained ; and 
 the believer may see it emblematically and substantially re- 
 presented to him, in his spiritual enjoyment of such an earthly 
 Paradise as the vale and mountains of Windermere." 
 
 As he passes through the churchyard of Bowness, towards 
 the Lake, he remarks : — 
 
 " A country churchyard is ever an interesting object ; but 
 in such a situation as this, many new ideas are excited, which 
 add greatly to contemplative affections. On entering it, I was 
 immediately struck by seeing a newly erected tombstone, at 
 the east end of the churchyard, on which is inscribed the 
 name of Richard Watson, late Bishop of Llandaff*, who passed 
 a large portion of the latter part of his life at a beautiful man- 
 sion on the banks of Windermere : he died, aged 81. It was 
 near this very day twelvemonths that I held a conversation 
 with him, as he sat in his carriage, at Ambleside." 
 
 Mr. Richmond, having received frequent invitations to visit 
 Scotland, and being no less desirous himself of cultivating a 
 personal intercourse with many valuable characters in that 
 country, was induced, in the year 1818, to fulfil his long. me- 
 dilated project. The introduction of the Jewish subject af- 
 forded a favorable opportunity ; though it was to be expected 
 that the sphere of exertion would be somewhat contracted 
 to an Episcopalian pleader of that cause. We are in posses- 
 sion of very few notices of this first journey, beyond the ac- 
 companying letters ; but we are furnished with more ample 
 materials respecting a visit paid in 1820, to which we shall in 
 due time direct the attention of the reader. 
 
 Edinburgh, July 17, 1818. 
 *' My dear Mary, — The respect, regard, friendship, and 
 affection with which both myself and my cause are received, 
 in every place, by the religious people in Scotland, constitute 
 a feature in my life never to be forgotten. My whole mind 
 19 
 
214 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 is d-eeply busied in meditations upon the goodness and 
 love of God. lean liardly expect to interest your mind in- 
 all the niimitio) of my hourly intercourse ; but I believe your 
 eyes would be often filled with tears of gratitude, if you saw 
 and heard all which I see and hear. 
 
 " jDelicate and difficult as the task is which I have to per- 
 form, as an Episcopal missionary in this Presbyterian land, 
 I seemed to have succeeded beyond hope ; and I am laying 
 the first foundation ef a building, in which, if Providence per- 
 mit and spare me, I shall hereafter feel much interested, v,nd 
 the cause of God, I trust, be effectually promoted. But 
 think not, my loved Mary, that amidst the bustle of mis- 
 sionary arrangements, conversations, speeches, and ser- 
 mons ; nor amidst the wonders and beauties of mountains, 
 lakes, cascades, rocks, glens, plains, rivers, trosacks, and 
 woods, I forget my dear, dear domestic circle at home. You 
 are all unceasingly before my eyes ; and the family group 
 mingles with every scene I behold, and every undertaking 
 v/herein I am concerned ; and often I see my dear wife anx- 
 iously and diligently pursuing the duties of her statio^f, — smil- 
 ing on the babe, or listening to the juvenile tales which a 
 Catherine or a Legh may be able to read or to spell ; or tak- 
 ing your v/alk, during this beautiful weather, in the fields. 
 Or 1 see you on your knees, praying for grace to enable you 
 to act with judgment in all things ; and supplicating mercies 
 on your husband, as he journeys by land or by water. Our 
 prayers meet. What a favour to enjoy health, safety, and 
 comfort, in all my wanderings ; — and to be permitted to see 
 the cause of God flourishing in a tbreign land, or rather, in 
 so distant a part of our own !'' 
 
 " My wish is, that my loved and honored wife may receive 
 this on our wedding-day. If posts occasion a failure, let the 
 will be accepted for the deed. My desire is to express to 
 you on that day, (an anniversary most dear to my heart) 
 some little portion of that love and honor which I bear to- 
 wards you ; and to assure you, that a distance of four hun- 
 dred miles, and a most active and unceasing train of business, 
 impair not, but rather enhances, the feelings of my heart to- 
 wards you and our dear children. Scenes, indeed, of a na- 
 tural, moral, and spiritual character are passing here before 
 me in striking succession, far beyond what I can express ; 
 but I trust they are ripening for domestic good ; and I never 
 felt more than now that great benefits to myself and to others 
 
EEV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 215 
 
 are originating in my missionary excursions. God only knows 
 "what I have felt on my reception in Scotland, as connected 
 with my tracts and sermons. I am surprised, gratified, and 
 •humbled. 
 
 • " A leading feature in my late transactions has been de- 
 rived from visits to Sunday and other schools, where, after 
 hearino^the children examined, I have addressed them. In 
 every instance they have made juvenile collections for the 
 Jewish children. On Sunday last I visited a school of two 
 hundred children. It was the half yearly day for distributing 
 reward books. The sixty most deserving scholars were to 
 receive ' the Young Cottager' as their reward. Three of 
 them had already been blessed, some time ago, in hearing it 
 read at schoel. 1 was requested to present each child with 
 a tract, as they were successively brought up to me, in pre- 
 sence of about two hundred grown-up persons of all ranks. 
 It was a most solemn and affecting scene. The gentleman 
 who manages the school offered up a most affecting thanks- 
 giving for the good which had attended the distribution of my 
 tracts throughout Scotland, and in his school in particular, 
 and for the opportunitj^ now afforded of introducing me per- 
 sonally to so many children, ' who had long loved me with all 
 their hearts.' Immediately all the, company and all the chil- 
 dren sang a thanksgiving hymn. Then followed what affected 
 me greatly. The children were drawn up in a triple semi- 
 circle, in the centre of which I stood. Each successful can- 
 didate successively stepped forward and received from my 
 hand a ' Young Cottager,' and from my lips a short exhorta- 
 tion and blessing. Not an eye was dry, and my own with 
 difficulty allowed me to go through the simple and interesting 
 ceremony. One girl, who was two j^ears since converted 
 by God's blessing on the tract, as she approached me, was so 
 affected, that she dropped on her knees and burst into tears. 
 
 " At another female school which I visited, there was a 
 class of thirty dear little girls, all of five and six years old, 
 who underwent the most interesting examination I ever wit- 
 nessed. A monitor of eight years examined, and all the 
 thirty little lambs replied at once in simple orderly expres- 
 sions, as if but one had spoken ; and thus also they repeated 
 hymns, and at last united in singing one. They then grouped 
 around the chair where I stood, and where I addressed about 
 one hundred and eighty of all ages. The affectionate fare- 
 wells which I have received from Jiumerous classes of friends 
 accompanied by the most earnest entreaties that 1 will repeat 
 
216 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 my visits among them, affect me beyond any thing 1 have ever 
 witnessed." 
 
 My dear Boy, — Were I to attempt to describe the beau- 
 ties of the Highlands of Scotland to you, I shDuld be much at 
 a loss. Whether my subject were the grand mountains, with 
 snow still on their tops ; or the magnificent water-falls, amidst 
 rocks, and glens, and woods ; or the noble rivers and roman- 
 lie brooks, winding through fruitful plains or hills ; or the fine 
 lakes,, expanding their bosoms to the clouds, which they re- 
 flect from their surfaces ; — whether.! were to write from the 
 splendid mansion and grounds of a Highland chief ; or the 
 lowly, smoke-dried cottage of a Highland peasant; — whether 
 the ruined castle or abbey, or the neat modern parish church, 
 were the subject of my description, I could say much, yet not 
 enough. Here I am, amidst the unexampkd and wild beau- 
 ties of the Trosacks, on the banks of Loch Katrine ! TJiere 
 is the glen down which Fitz-James hurried from the moun- 
 tains, when he lost his way ; there is the island of the Lady 
 of the Lake, from whence she put forth her little skiff, at the 
 sound of the echoing horn. There is the great mountain of 
 Benvenu, springing up from the lake to the clouds : there is 
 his brother Benan, with Benean, and Benhaum, and Benledi, 
 and Benvoirlich, and Beneen, and many more lofty beins 
 (m.ountains,) surrounding this most lovely lake. Here is the 
 Goblin's Hole; and the7'e the spot where the last of the 
 couriers of Roderic Dhu was slain. In all the scene subli- 
 mity reigns ; and above all, God reigns in it also." 
 
 " My dear F , I was unspeakably gratified at New- 
 
 castle, in seeing two little girls, one of ten, the other of twelve, 
 the spiritual fruits of my ' Young Cottager ;' the latter of the 
 two I had not seen before. I never before, except in the case 
 of ' Little Jane' herself, saw so clear and so early an instance 
 of decided grace, and of a truly enlightened mind : you would 
 have thought her conversation equal to eighteen at least. I 
 apprehend that I have become acquainted with above. thirty 
 cases of decided usefjjlness in youth, from that tract, since I 
 came into the North. Oh ! what a mercy ! In this, * good- 
 ness indeed follows me.' 
 
 " My visit to Scotland has been marked by more affection 
 and usefulness than any I ever made ; numerous public and 
 private occurrences overwhelm me with gratitude. The Scot- 
 tish scenery is of the very first class. Whatever is beautiful, 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 217 
 
 whatever is grand, whatever is wild and romantic, — all are to 
 be found in almost unlimited variety of display. Noble rivers, 
 lakes, and waterfalls, picturesque hills and mountains, lovely 
 land and sea views, fine towns and buildings, — all speaking 
 the goodness, power, and wisdom of God ! The marks of 
 affection, regard, and esteem, with which I was received, far 
 exceed what I have ever witnessed ; and I have reason to 
 believe much actual good has been done to many individuals, 
 while I was there." 
 
 The following letters express his sentiments on the subject 
 of Oratorios, on which he seems to have held a most decided 
 opinion. No man was ever more truly fond of music than 
 himself, and especially in its application to devotional pur- 
 poses. Such is the professed object of Oratorios ; and the 
 sublime compositions of those great masters in this science, 
 Handel and Haydn, certainly carry its powers to almost the 
 highest degree of perfection. The principle then, itself, in its 
 pure and legitimatv: application, must ever be considered as 
 subservient to the interests of piety. It is, therefore, the 
 abuse of this principle, and the mode in which Oratorios are 
 generally conducted, that excited the apprehension of Mr. 
 Richmond, as to their possible influence on his own children. 
 The worldly associations connected with what is otherwise a 
 source of high gratification to a scientific and devotional mind, 
 constituted, in his estimation, an insuperable objection to these 
 festivals. As a difference of opinion is known to exist in the 
 religious world on this subject, we feel happy in exhibiting Mr. 
 Richmond's sentiments, in the following; letter to his wife. 
 
 ''Edinburgh, Aug. 25, ]S\n. 
 My very dear Mary, — The approaching grand musical 
 festival, to be held at Edinburgh, about the same week with 
 that at Northampton, occasions almost daily discussion in 
 every party where we are visiting ; and there is but one feel- 
 ing amongst all our Christian friends, — that no serious and 
 consistent Christian will go. Mary,"*" of course, hears nothing 
 from either her father's lips, or from those of all his estimable 
 friends on this side of the Tweed, but determined objections 
 to the whole plan, its accompaniments, its gayety, its dissipa- 
 tion, its ensnaring character, and its inconsistericy with every 
 principle of nonconformity to the world. Neither she nor I 
 
 His eldest daughter, who accompanied him during his tour to Scotland. 
 
 19* 
 
218 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 could appear again in Scotland, in a religious and much less 
 in a missionary character, if we were to be present at these 
 amusements. How, then, can I do otherwise, which from my 
 heart I sincerely, seriously, and deliberately must, than con- 
 demn the same thing, as it concerns dear F . 
 
 I have never had but one opinion on the subject of these 
 prostitutions of religion and music, at these theatrical, and, a» 
 I think, unwarrantable medleys. I wish you had the good 
 sentiments of dear John Newton, on the public Oratorio of the 
 * Messiah,' at hand. I deeply lament that any, who, in other 
 respects, so justly deserve the name of consistent Christians, 
 should so little fathom the corruptions of their own hearts^ 
 and be so insensible to the dangerous tendency of public 
 amusements which unite all the levity of the world with the 
 professed sanctity of religious performances. Think not that 
 I blame any one but myself, for not long since making my 
 sentiments on this ensnaring subject better known to those sa 
 near and dear to me. It is somewhat singular, that I should^, ' 
 with many Christian friends of all ranks in Edinburgh and 
 Scotland, be making a firm stand against the principle and 
 the practice of a musical festival held here, at the very time 
 that I must also make as firm a stand against the same tiling 
 in the South. It is contrary to every feeling I can entertain 
 on the subject. We have forsworn all these things on prin- 
 ciple ; and what is religious character and credit worth, if 
 consistency is to- be sacrificed ? Numerous as my faults and 
 errors may be, I hope to be preserved from ever deliberately 
 consenting that my children, of whatever age, should enter 
 into societies, intimacies, or amusements, which I deem for- 
 bidden, so as to wound my conscience. 
 
 " I write with the most affectionate feelings of a husband, 
 a father, and a Christian ; and at this distance, we must not 
 encounter the chance of reciprocal uneasiness, from any du^ 
 bious discussion. I will only add, that I have not the least 
 objection to dear Mrs. M. knowing my whole mind on the 
 subject, which is, and has been for many years, perfectly de- 
 cided. God will ever bless those who sacrifice worldly in- 
 terest to pure conscientious motives : I have no fears on that 
 head. 
 
 " Our journey is very active, and full of mercies. I con- 
 clude that Mary tells you of the beauties and kindness of Sco- 
 tia. She is here forming truly Christian acquaintances and 
 friendships. I pray for, and think of you much. God bless you ' 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 219 
 
 Take this as the hearty prayer and desire of your affection, 
 ate L. Richmond." 
 
 The same subject is thusresum ed, in a letter addressed to 
 an active friend of the Tract Society : — 
 
 " I can truly, deliberately, and conscientiously add to the 
 testimony of my friend Pellatt, that I do consider the ordinary 
 musical festivals, conducted as they are, amid a strange med- 
 ley of wanton confusion and most impure mixtures, as highly 
 delusive, fascinating, and dangerous to youth. I consider the 
 Oratorio performances in churches, as a solemn mockery of 
 God, and forbidden by the clear principles of the Gospel. 
 The makir=g the most sacred and solemn subjects which hea- 
 ven ever revealed to man, even to the Passion of Christ him- 
 self on the cross, a matter for the gay, critical, undevout re- 
 creation of individuals, who avowedly assemble for any pur- 
 pose but that of worship ; and who, if they did, could hardly 
 pretend that it were very practicable in such company, and 
 on such an occasion, I do from my heart believe to be highly 
 offensive to God. Playhouse actors and singers (frequently 
 persons of exceptionable character,) are hired, supported, ap- 
 plauded, and almost idolized, in these exhibitions, and encour- 
 aged to persevere in their immoral and dangerous profession. 
 Vice rides triumphantly in such proceedings. I am happy to 
 say, that in case of the festival at Edinburgh, none of the se- 
 rious people, either ministers or laymen, have countenanced 
 it with their presence : excepting two clergymen, one of whom 
 left the Oratorio in the midst of the performance, shocked and 
 confounded at the abuse of holy things, and ashamed of being 
 found there ; the other is deemed by all his brethren to have 
 acted very wrongly, and to have countenanced much evil. 
 The spirit of the world, the pride of life, the lust of the eye, 
 all enter into these public gayeties ; and their false pretensions 
 to partial sacredness, only render them more objectionable. 
 If young people do not learn this lesson early, they will great- 
 ly suffer in all hope of their spirituality. The less they may 
 now in the infancy of their Christian state, see and feel this, 
 the more dangerous it is to yield to their ignorance and inex- 
 perience. What is morally and religiously wrong, can never 
 become right through the error of youth. And it would be a 
 strange departure from every moral and religious principle, to 
 say — ' I know an act to be wrong in itself, but my child has 
 not grace enough to see it as I do ; therefore, I may lawfully 
 
220 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 permit him to do what I know to be wrong. Would not this 
 open a door to every species of sin and error ? 
 
 " As to examples of good people : — Sin does not cease to 
 be sin, because some good people unhappily fall into the 
 snares which the great enemy of souls spreads for their delu- 
 sion. It is, and it shall be for a lamentation, that good men 
 err so deplorably, and thereby countenance what, eventually, 
 their principles condemn, and what they may some day have 
 deep cause to regret. 
 
 " No man in England loves music, — sacred music, — better 
 than I do ; therefore my sacrifice to principle and conscience 
 is far greater than that of many others. I ought to have the 
 greater credit for my self-denial ; but I dare not countenance 
 sin and danger, because it is clothed in the bewitching garb of 
 good music and pretended sanctity. ' Let not my soul come 
 into their assembly !' Tender and affectionate husband and 
 father as I hope I am, however I may someti^ries be misap- 
 prehended, and consequently sorry to interfere with the com- 
 fort of those most near and dear to me ; yet I rejoice from my 
 heart, in having prevented the sanctioning any part of so pro- 
 miscuous and unjustifiable a medley, by the attendance of any 
 of the members of my dear family ; and they will one day 
 thank me. When the object is avowedly an act of worship, 
 all is right, let who will sing and play ; but when it is avowed, 
 ly an act of amusement, religion, rightly felt and understood, 
 fjrbids the profane performance of singing. men and singing- 
 women, trifling with the things that belong to our everlasting 
 peace, and turning them into mockery." 
 
 Leaving these remarks to the judgment and conscience of 
 the reader, we now return to the course of our narrative. 
 
 Allusions have been made, in a preceding part of this Me- 
 moir, to Mr. Richmond's mother. Her maternal care in the 
 days of his childhood, her early endeavors to instil into his 
 mind the principles of religion, and the interest she manifest- 
 ed in some of. the subsequent events of his history, have been 
 incidentally mentioned. She died in the beginning of the 
 year 1819. But before we enter upon the account of her 
 decease, we shall introduce a brief memoir, from the pen of 
 Mr. Richmond, in which the history of his family is so inter- 
 woven with his own earlier years, as to form a kind of epi- 
 sode, which we have no doubt will interest the reader by the 
 simple and affecting character of its details. It is addressed 
 to his children, as a memorial of the virtues of his mother ; 
 while his execution of it is no less a memorial of his own. 
 
REV. LEGH BICHMOND. * 221 
 
 This little piece will appropriately form, by itself, the sub« 
 ject of our next chapter. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 A Tribute of affectionate veneration for the memory of a deceased -Motfter ; — in :% 
 ' series of Letters to his Children. By the Rev. Legh Richmond,' 
 
 LETTER I. 
 
 " My beloved Children, — The affecting summons which I 
 so lately and unexpectedly received, to pay the .la&t act of 
 duty and love to the remains of my invaluable and revered 
 parent, has impressed my mind with a strong desire to leave 
 some memorial of her character, for your sakes, and for your 
 instruction. 
 
 • " I am just returned from the grave of one whom a thou^ 
 sand tender recollections endeared to every faculty of my 
 soul ; and I wish to preserve soniething of that solemnity of 
 feeling, and gratitude of heart, which such a scene was cal- 
 culated to inspire. How can I better do this, than by en- 
 deavoring to convey those emotions to your bosoms, through 
 the medium of an epistolary communication, devoted to an 
 affectionate retrospect of the character and disposition of the 
 deceased ? I feel myself, as it were, a debtor to two genera- 
 tions, between whom I now stand, as the willing, though 
 feeble and unworthy agent, by whom benefits and consola- 
 tions, derived from the one, may be transferred for the lasting 
 advantage of the other. The solid character of her religious 
 principles, the superiority of her mental attainments, and the 
 singularly amiable deportment by which she was distinguish, 
 ed, constitute powerful claims to your regard. If any addi. 
 tional plea were needed, I would derive it from the deep and 
 affectionate interest which she took in whatever concerned 
 your welfare, both spiritual and temporal ; from the prayers 
 which she daily offered up to the throne of mercy, for your 
 happiness ; and from the unceasing watchfulness and anxiety 
 which she manifested for your progress in every good word 
 and work. 
 
 " Although she was far separated from you, by the distance 
 of her residence from our own, and the opportunities of per- 
 sonal intercourse were thereby greatly restricted ; yet her most 
 tender and sacred affections were ever near tome and mine. 
 We occupied her daily thoughts and her nightly meditations ; 
 
222 • MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 and now that she is gone to rest, and her heart can no longer 
 beat with mortal anxieties, it is highly becoming tliat we who 
 loved her, and whom she so ardently loved, should give a con- 
 sistency to our affection for such a parent, by a grateful in- 
 quiry into those qualities of head and heart with which God 
 so eminently blessed her. 
 
 " There- is a solitary tree, underneath which, by her own 
 desire, she lies buried, in Lancaster churchyard. I feel a 
 wish, if I may be allowed for a moment to employ the image- 
 ry, to pluck a branch from this tree that waves over her 
 tomb ; to transplant it into my own domestic garden, and 
 there behold it flourish, and bring forth ' fruit unto holiness.' 
 I would gladly encourage a hope that this wish may be realiz- 
 ed in you, my children, and that such intercourse v/ith the 
 dead may indeed prove a bles.ing to the living. 
 
 "But this can be expected only in dependence on the free 
 and undeserved mercy of that God and Saviour, in whom your 
 venerable grandmother trusted ; and ' whom to know is life 
 eternal.' Whatever, therefore, of domestic narrative ; what- 
 ever of earnest exhortation to yourselves; or whatever of re- 
 mark upon the interesting qualities of the subject of this me- 
 moir may intermingle with my present address, — keep invari- 
 ably in mind, that, my great objects, as it concerns her, and 
 you, and myself, is to give glory to God alone ; and in the 
 deepest humiliation of heart, to look up to Him as the sole 
 fountain of excellence. 
 
 " In addressing you on such a subject, my children, it is 
 natural that I should reflect on the varieties of age and cir- 
 cumstance in which you are placed. Even in point of your 
 number, I can hardly pronounce it without some degree of fear 
 and trembling. Ten immortal souls —souls allied to my own, 
 by ties inexpressibly tender, and inviolably dear ; — souls com- 
 mitted to my charge, not only as a minister, but also as a pa- 
 rent, ' Who is sufficient for these things V has been the secret 
 cry of many a minister and many a parent. In each of these 
 relations, I wish to apply that divine promise to my heart, 
 * our sufficiency is of God.' I have long cherished a hope, 
 founded on another gracious intimation of His will to those 
 who love and fear him, — ' The promise is unto you and to 
 your children, and to all that are afar off", even as many as 
 the Lord our God shall call.' Supported by these consolations, 
 it has been my aim to bring you up in the nurture and admo- 
 nition of the Lord, and to train up my children in the right 
 way ; trusting, that if they live to be old, they will not depart 
 
/ 
 
 REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 223 
 
 from it. Yet sometimes the anxious fear connected with a 
 survey of the world in which you are placed, — its vanities 
 and its vices, — its delusions and its dangers, will force itself on 
 ray thoughts. I have lived to see, in other families, some of 
 their buds of promise blighted, through the baneful and infec- 
 tious intluence of corrupt associations. I have seen what ha- 
 voc the pomps and vanities of this wicked world, the sinful 
 justs of the flesh, and the wiles of the devil, have made in 
 many a household. I have v.'itnessed the sorrows, and have 
 mingled mine with the tears of my friends, when they have 
 spoken of the wanderings and misconduct of some of their chil- 
 dren : and then, I have occasionally trembled for my own little" 
 flock. But I feel it, at the same time to be both my privilege 
 and my duty to use this very solicitude for a higher and nobler 
 purpose than despondency and unbelief would suggest. These 
 anxious affections are planted in the paternal heart, and mani- 
 festly ordained of God,, as incentives to caution and stimulants 
 to prayer. As such, I would employ them for your sakes ; I 
 would thereby the more assiduously teach you to ' abhor that 
 which is evil, and cleave to that which is good :' and above all, 
 I would with the more earnestness and dependence on the 
 covenant grace of God, present your mortal and immortal in- 
 terests, in supplication to Him who hath said, 'the promise is 
 unto you and your children, and to all that are afar off, as 
 many as the Lord shall call.' 
 
 " And surely, I may be allowed to urge an excuse for dwell- 
 ing upon this text, even in a way of literal application. For 
 you, my first-born child, are indeed ' afar off;' and these pages 
 may much mora easily reach you, amongst your uncertain 
 journeyings on the shores or the waves of India, than they 
 can ever convey an adequate idea of the exercises of varied 
 affection, which your eventful history has occasioned us. 
 
 " Next to your immediate parents, no one felt so deeply on 
 your account as my deceased mother. Her prayers and good 
 wishes were mingled with our own, when we first committed 
 you to the vicissitudes of the ocean, and the mariner's lot ; and 
 the above-named promise was her support, as well as ours. 
 
 " As I stood on the shore of the Isle of Wight 'in the sum- 
 mer of 1814, and watched the departure of the ship which 
 contained my child, v/ith a father's eye and a father's heart, 
 I mused over the past, the present, and the future, until the 
 shadows of the night interrupted my view. One moment sug- 
 gested, * my poor child will soon be afar off f the next, as it 
 were, replied, but#the promise is unto you and to your chil- 
 
224 
 
 MEMOIRS - OF THE 
 
 dren, and to as many as are afar off.^ The thought consoled 
 me as I returned homeward, and I prayed for my little ones, 
 that God would ' speak peace to you which were afar off, and 
 to them that were nigh.' 
 
 " And then, again, my son, when during the following year 
 we received the dismal tidings of the wreck of your ship, 
 and the destruction of nearly all her crew, on the coast of 
 Africa,* as she returned on her voyage from Ceylon, when 
 among the six persons whom alone, out of 360,. Providence 
 saved from death, we found not your name, we seemed, in this 
 valley of the shadow of death, more than ever to need the rod 
 and the staff of the great Shepherd to comfort us. At that 
 trying period the same promise came to our aid, and we felt 
 its consoling influence ; while, like Aaron, when his sons were 
 dead, we held our peace. And when afterward it pleased 
 God, in the mystery of his mercies, to discover to us our 
 mistake, and to prove to us that you had no part in the horrors 
 of this watery grave, it did indeed seem once more fulfil, 
 led, — ' this my son was dead and is alive again ; he was lost 
 and is found.' 
 
 *' During these transitions of feeling, I cannot express how 
 much the truly scriptural communication of sentiments and 
 counsel, which we received from my now deceased parent, 
 contributed to the encouragement of faith, and patience, and 
 gratitude. From that period till her death, the welfare of 
 my child 'afar off' continued to lay very near to her heart. 
 'What news from India?' washer frequent inquiry, and al- 
 ways accompanied by the interesting tear of maternal solici- 
 tude. To you, therefore, as the eldest of my dear filial flock, 
 I may, with due earnestness, first commend this ' tribute of af- 
 fectionate veneration for the memory of my deceased mother.' 
 
 " She was a faithful mother to us all ; and I wish her mem- 
 ory to be enshrined in the grateful recollection of your heart. 
 If these lines are ever permitted to meet your perusal, my 
 son, cherish them for her sake and mine. 
 
 "From India, I turn to my nine children at home; and 
 greet you with a father's blessing, as I present you with 
 these domestic meditations, which I write for the sake of 
 those of you who have enjoyed the opportunity of occasional 
 intercourse with the subject of the memoir, as well as of those 
 whom circumstances never permitted to know her. I antici- 
 pate the time when even my last born, the babe that cannot 
 
 Off Cape Lagullas. ^ 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 225 
 
 yet lisp the honored name of 'grandmother,' shall not be ig- 
 norant of her worth, but shall love to listen to the record of 
 those gracious affections with which God was pleased to adorn 
 her; and perhaps, on some future day, when visiting the grave 
 where she is laid, may say, 'here lies one, whom from my 
 cradle I was taught to love and honor.' 
 
 " But, whilst I am enumerating ' the olive branches which 
 surround my table,' and ' the children whom God hath given 
 me,' I suddenly feel as if I had erred in my calculations. Is 
 there no link of connexion between the visible and invisible 
 worlds ? no right of appropriation by which in earthly pa- 
 rent may say, ' I have a child in heaven V Yes ; a sweet little 
 cherub in the mansions above seems to my imagination to be 
 the very link which faith and love would employ to animate 
 all the energies of my best affections, when I look at my still 
 living children, and contemplate their immortal condition. 
 
 " One of you, my eleven children, is in glory, — a lamb, 
 safely and eternally folded in the arms of his Redeemer. He 
 is the first of my household that has gone to his rest. May 
 he prove a pledge for many to follow him there, in God's 
 own time. In the mean time, cherish it in your frequent re- 
 membrance, as an argument for heavenly. mindedness, that 
 one of you is already in heaven. I may not, indeed, now 
 address myself to hhn ; but I may speak of him to you : I 
 may remind you of his epitaph, and of the Paradise to which 
 he belongs. I may also thus preserve the sense of kindred 
 alliance between the dead and the living of my family, and 
 ardently pray for the perfect and eternal reunion of them all, 
 through grace, in ' the house not made with hands, eternal in 
 the heavens.' Such likewise were the supplications of her 
 who through faith and patience is gone to inherit the promises, 
 and to join our own little infant in singing hallelujahs 'to Him 
 that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.' 
 
 " In the cherished anticipation of such results, from the 
 free and undeserved mercies of redemption, I will conclude 
 the present letter, by subscribing myself your affectionate 
 father, L. Richmond." 
 
 LETTER II. 
 
 " My dear Children, — In this endeavor to delineate a short 
 sketch of the life of your deceased grandmother, it seems ne- 
 cessary that I should give you some little information respect- 
 ing her parentage and ancestry. There is a kind of pleasing 
 20 
 
226 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 melaiicholy in recurring to times now long past, acpd .to for- 
 mer generations, endeared to recollection by kindred ties, to 
 which I cannot feel wholly insensible. A number of letters, 
 papers, and documents, connected with the early circumstan- 
 ces of my dear mother's life, and of her more immediate rela- 
 tives and ancestors, lie before me. While I peruse them, I 
 seem to be translated to a former age ; and to realize 'once 
 more scenes and associations which can only thus be revived. 
 They bring to my recollection the friends of my own infancy 
 long since dead, and the various domestic relations and 
 events of which they loved to speak. I would not set a 
 higher value on such things than they deserve ; nor would I put 
 the mortal genealogies of earth in even a momentary com- 
 petition with the alliance of 'the family of heaven.' Yet, in 
 tracing the personal history of those whom God is pleased to 
 honor with spiritual blessings, an interest may lawfully be 
 excited by a variety of minor circumstances, which are neces- 
 sary to the connexion of the story ; and may lead to profitable 
 considerations, when viewed as the links of that chain in Pro- 
 vidence, by which . the Almighty Father upholds the destinies 
 of his children, and confirms the counsels of his will respect- 
 ing them. 
 
 " My mother was born at Liverpool, in the year 1736. Her 
 parents Vere descended from, and nearly related to, several 
 ancient and respectable families in the counties of Lancaster 
 and Chester. Her father, John Atherton, Esq., of Walton 
 Hall, near Liverpool, was descended from a younger branch 
 of the Athertons, of Atherton in the former county, who set- 
 tled at Preston. Of his character, I have frequently heard 
 my mother speak with affectionate veneration. More parti- 
 cularly, she" used to give me an account of a behavior and 
 conversation on his death-bed, which seemed to bear the 
 characteristics of true Christian faith and hope. *I am,' 
 said he, ' an unworthy sinner, but I know in whom I have be- 
 lieved. I have nothing, nothing of my own ; but Christ is 
 every thing. My daughter, the comforts of dying rest not in 
 ihe poor merits of man, but in the sure mercies of God.' 
 
 " Such were a few of the expressions which frequently es- 
 caped from his lips, till his eyes peacefully closed in death. 
 Such traditional memorials should be valued amongst us that 
 remain ; and may, by God's blessing, prove incentives to 
 follow those who through faith and patience are gone before 
 to inherit the promises. 
 
 <'Her mother was the daughter of Sylvester Richmond, 
 
REV. LEGH RICH3I0ND. 
 
 227 
 
 Esq.'* of Acton Grange in the county of Chester, by Frances 
 Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Richard Brook, of Norton Priory, 
 Baronet, who died in 1710. 
 
 Her mind, at a very early period, exhibited a strong in- 
 clination to the study of the best authors. She was well versed 
 iii the historians, essayists, and poets of her own country, and 
 read the French language with fluency. Her memory, even 
 at the advanced age of eighty-three, was well stored with 
 the judiciously. selected reading of her younger ye^jrs. She 
 possessed a naturally strong judgment, and eximined with 
 accuracy the sentiments and the style of every book which she 
 read. At a period when female education was, with but few 
 exceptions, very feebly directed to the cultivation of general 
 and useful literature ; when the romance and the cookery 
 book were too frequently esteemed to be the chief requisites 
 of a lady's library — Miss Atherton was a constant student 
 in almost every branch of such learning, as, even in this 
 more cultivated age, would be deemed advantageous and in- 
 teresting to the female mind. In this she was encouraged by 
 both her parents, who well understood and highly valued the 
 proper cultivation of the understanding, through the medium 
 of useful literature. 
 
 "But with these attainments there was no display, no pe- 
 dantry, no conceit. If ever there was a disposition marked 
 by true feminine modesty and humility, it was her own. She 
 thoroughly fulfilled the apostolic injunction, ' in honor prefer- 
 ring one another.' Others, indeed, knew her value ; but she 
 ever undervalued herself. Although domestic and retired in 
 her habits, yet she mingled with and adorned a most respect- 
 able circle of relatives and friends, among whom she was 
 justly esteemed as an approving and amiable companion. 
 
 " From her childhood she entertained a deep reverence for 
 the Holy Scriptures, and had a strong tincture of piety in her 
 disposition. She read many valuable authors on religious 
 subjects : and though not at all times equally favored with 
 opportunities of Christian intercourse, which daily experience 
 proves to be so requisite for decision of character, yet her 
 heart was ever directed with firmness and affection towards 
 serious subjects, which produced a conscientious integrity of 
 
 * This Sylvester Riclioiond was the son of Dr. Sylvester Richmond, who 
 settled, andl practised very successfully as a pliysician, in the town of Liver- 
 pool, durincr the reign of Ciiarles II. His father was Oliver Richmond, Esq. 
 of Ashton Keynes, in the county of Wilts, on wiiich estates his ancestors had 
 Buccessively resided from the time of the Conquest. 
 
228 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 mind, distinguishable in her whole deportment. In the latter 
 period of her life, to which I shall soon direct your chief atten- 
 tion, she has confessed to nie that defective views of some 
 primary points of Christian doctrine pervaded her former re- 
 ligious sentiments. She most sincerely relied on the atone- 
 ment of Christ ; but at that period had imperfect views of tlie 
 fulness and sufficiency of his work. She had acquired very 
 humbling views of herself as a sinner ; yet these were not 
 unmixed with error and indistinctness, with regard to the plan 
 of divine Acceptance. The commonly received divinity of that 
 day, and the usual discourses of the pulpit, were lamentably 
 defective in many grand essentials of Christian faith. The 
 spiritual truths of the Gospel, and the fundamental principles 
 of the Reformation, were generally veiled under a system of 
 ethics, v/hich however pure and correct, as Rpart of the great 
 scheme of revelation; j^et, when substituted for the whole, 
 loses its own intrinsic value, while it robs the Redeemer of 
 his honor and the sinner of his hope. 
 
 Under external advantages of this nature, it is an inter-, 
 eisting subject of investigation to trace the secret and gradual 
 progress of the mind of a sincere and humble inquirer after 
 truth, through the different stages of its advancement. 
 
 There were two circumstances which greatly contributed 
 to strengthen and direct her judgment and affections in re- 
 ligious concerns. Her mother's own brother, the Rev. Legh 
 Richmond, who was, first, vicar of Garstang, near Lancaster, 
 and afterward rector of Stockport, in Cheshire, was educated 
 and prepared for the ministry by Dr. Thomas Wilson, bishop 
 of Sodor and Man. The venerable and apostolical character 
 of this insular prelate was by this connexion brought more 
 immediately under Miss Atherton's notice. She also saw 
 much of a similar disposition in the conduct and ministry of 
 his pupil, her uncle. ' Bishop Wilson,' to use the language 
 of his biographer, ' was a man of most exemplary piety, 
 charity, and all Christian graces, who continued for the long 
 course of fifty-seven years, to perform all the offices of a 
 good bishop and a good man.' His writings, and particularly 
 his manual of devotion, entitled ' Sacra Privata,' were much 
 esteemed by and rendered very useful to her. These bene- 
 fits wei^ greatly increased by the intercourse with her uncle, 
 whose disposition, attainments, and conduct in the ministry 
 not a little resembled those of his excellent tutor.. 
 ■ " My dear mother always spoke with peculiar gratitude and 
 veneration of the advantages which she received from the in- 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 229 
 
 structions and conversations of this relative. Her subsequent 
 marriage with his son, my late honored father, Henry Rich- 
 mond, M. D., naturally conduced to increase those sentiments 
 of respect and regard which she had previously entertained, 
 and rendered every valuable feature in his domestic and 
 ministerial character doubly dear. 
 
 " Another circumstance connected with the early period of 
 her life, to which I have frequently heard her revert, and of 
 which I find among her papers some valuable memorials, was 
 her intimate acquaintance with a near relative, the late Henry 
 Cornwall Legh, Esq., of High Legh, in the county of Ches- 
 ter. This gentleman had formed a valuable intercourse with 
 the late Lord Dartmouth and some of his friends, through 
 whom he had been led into remarkably solid and serious 
 views of the great importance of real religion. I have often 
 heard my mother observe, that of all the acquaintances of her 
 own age, during her earlier years, there was none with whom 
 she found so much congeniality of mind, upon religious topics, 
 as Mr. Legh. Frequent visits which she made to the family 
 at High Legh, afforded opportunities of useful conversation 
 with her relative. I am now in possession of two manuscripts 
 on sacred subjects, given to my mother by Mr. Legh, to which 
 she attached great value, and of which she spoke, to the end 
 of her life, as a means of guiding her mind into clearer views 
 of divine truth than any human composition which she had 
 previously read. As I consider these papers to be estimable 
 for their own sake, as well as that of my mother and her 
 friend Mr. Legh, I will annex part of them to this memorial, 
 and indulge a hope that her grandchildren may profit by the 
 same channel of instruction which, at a former period, was 
 instrumental to the spiritual attainments of the deceased. 
 
 "i have hitherto been speaking of that portion of my dear 
 parent's life which was prior to my own birth. I shall, in my 
 next letter, write more immediately from my own recollection 
 and experience. I wish you to profit by this simple domestic 
 narrative. I feel that I owe it to God, to my children, and 
 to my departed mother, that you should become better ac 
 quainted with her now that'she is dead, than circumstances 
 permitted while living." 
 
 ***** 
 
 20* 
 
230 
 
 3«EM01RS OF THE 
 
 LETTER III. 
 
 " In the year 1771, Mi&s Atkerton was married to hex 
 cousin, Dr. Henry Richmond, the only son of Rev. Legh 
 Richmond. His mother was the daughter of Henry Legh, 
 Esq., ofHigh Legh, in Cheshire^ hy Letitia, another daughter 
 of Sir Richard Brook, Bart., of Norton, Dr. Richmond was 
 educated at the grammar-school in Macclesfield, under the 
 care of the Rev. Mr. Atkinson. He was entered at Trinity 
 College, Cambridge, in the year 1759, and was elected fellow 
 of that society in 1766. He was originally intended for the 
 sacred ministry, and his father had considerable hopes, at one 
 period, of obtaining the rectory of Stockport for him ; but in 
 consequence of the failure of his expectations in that point, a 
 change took place in regard to the profession which he adopts 
 ed, and he applied himself to the study of physic. 
 
 " Not long after the death of his latlier, which took place 
 in 1769, Dr. Richmond settled as a'physician in the town o< 
 Liverpool. At this period Miss Atherton resided with her 
 mother, now a widow, in St. Paul's Square, in the same 
 town. A congeniality of principles and dispositions, founded 
 upon many valuable qualifications of mind, which they each 
 possessed ; and an esteem strengthened by the kindred inti- 
 macy of the families from their very infancy, led to. that union 
 which took place in 1771. Her younger sister Elizabeth 
 was,^ nearly, at the same time, married to Michael Nugent, 
 Esq., of ' in Ireland, a first-cousin to the late Earl Nu- 
 gent. Mrs. Atherton continued to live with Dr. and Mrs, 
 Richmond till her death, which did not take place till about 
 sixteen years after the marriage of her daughters. I am 
 the more minute in relating these family occurrences to 
 you, my children, because I am aware that it is the only 
 channel through which you are likely to obtain them. The 
 lapse of time, the distance and dispersion of some relatives, 
 and the deaths of many others, gradually throw a veil over 
 a variety of occurrences and connexions, the remembrance 
 of which, to a certain extent, I wish you to preserve. 
 
 " We know not by what peculiar links in the chain of pro- 
 vidence and grace, it may please God to promote our best and 
 dearest interests ; but, among others, I would cherish the 
 hope, that the memorials of our ancestry, and more especially 
 of such as, in their generation, loved and feared His holy 
 name, may not be unavailing to their posterity. 
 
HEV. LEGH BICHMO>'D. 
 
 231 
 
 I will now endeavour to lay before you a short review of 
 what I may call the second period of your grandmother's life. 
 Her conduct during the single state, as a daughter, had been 
 useful, affectionate, dutiful, and domestic. Such daughters, 
 and such alone, are calculated to exhibit those still brighter 
 characteristics which attach to the subsequent relations of 
 the wife and the mother. Let my children ever remember, 
 that in the ordinary course of the progress of a Christian and 
 domestic character^ the seed of Iwpe is planted in childhood, 
 and the hud manifests its first beauty and fragrance in their 
 earlier youth, and thence issue that more expanded foliage, 
 which constitutes the ornamental features of their more ad- 
 vanced condition. There is a wise and beautiful order in the 
 mode and manner of the dispensations of G-od's grace. 
 
 There is a progressive attainment of knowledge, and a 
 growth of principle in the hearts of such as He is training up 
 in the way they should go, which successively develope as the 
 infant advances to. childhood, the child to youth, and the youth 
 to man. There is a preparation of heart which accompa. 
 nies this progressive formation of character. The affections 
 and principles of action which, under the divine blessing, have 
 been fostered in the bosom of the child, to the furtherance of 
 the parent's happiness, and the general welfare of the domes- 
 tic circle, are precisely those which will hereafter constitute 
 the solidity and the loveliness of the nuptial character. The 
 difficulties and the trials of early life may have been fewer 
 (mercifully perhaps, ordained to be so;) but the heart that 
 has been disciplined in the school of filial obedience and 
 affection is thus prepared for future usefulness, and for the 
 trial of faith, love, and patience, in a subsequently acquired 
 relation. More particularly to speak of the female charac- 
 ter ; — subject to those exceptions which the unlimited grace 
 of thfe Almighty is sometimes pleased to make in the dispo- 
 sitions of individuals at a more advanced period of life ; ex- 
 ceptions which in no respect form a rule for general con- 
 clusions ; those who, in unaffected sobriety of manners and 
 simple spirituality of heart, have aimed at fulfilling the do- 
 mestic duties of the daughter, will ever constitute that truly 
 honorable class of women whom Providence appoints to sus- 
 tain the more arduous characters of the Christian wife and 
 the Christian mother. In vain shall we look for characters of 
 this description among the daughters of folly and fashion. 
 Their hearts are estranged from the very principle of the do- 
 mestic disposition. Accustomed to the repeated indulger ce 
 
232 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 of luxurious inclinations, their volatile desires are ever upon 
 the wing in search of something new and gay, that may sa- 
 tisfy a craving and disordered appetite for novelties. They 
 are * lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.' But, says 
 the same apostle, ' she that liveth in pleasure is dead while 
 she liveth.' Beware, my dear daughters, of such examples ; 
 dread their contagion, and, therefore, shun their society. Pray 
 that you may ever be preserved from the ensnaring influence 
 of those pomps and vanities of the world which you have 
 solemnly renounced in your baptism. And let it be the com. 
 fort of my advancing years to see that your centre of attach, 
 ment, as well as duty, is at home. 
 
 Numberless and invaluable are the ideas which connect 
 with that one word, home. May you and I so cherish them 
 by sacred principle on earth, that we may be found meet for 
 a better home hereafter, even for * the inheritance of the 
 saints in light.' My dear mother had been educated in senti- 
 ments truly domestic ; her chosen associates were of a.similar 
 character, — her parents encouraged them for conscience, as 
 well as for comfort's sake. Her time and attention had been 
 from her youth upward, chiefly directed to the devotional study 
 of religious truths, the culture of useful literature, the tem- 
 perate pursuit of the elegant arts, the society of estimable 
 friends, and the well-regulated plans of her parents' family. 
 In the midst of all, she lived in constant habits of prayer ; 
 and this consolidated the valuable qualities of her mind, and 
 gave them a holy tendency. 
 
 " With dispositions and habits thus previously formed, Miss 
 x^therton entered into the marriage state. The following 
 year gave birth to the heart that dictates, and to the hand 
 that guides my pen. 
 
 " May I not be 'allowed to pause for a few moments over 
 the solemn and affecting considerations hereby suggested. I 
 have frequently meditated upon the subject of my birth, 
 as connected with my death and resurrection. I have often 
 contemplated the history of man, through its eventful course, 
 from the cradle to the grave ; and endeavoured to make the 
 practical application to myself. But I think 1 never felt its 
 characteristic importance so powerfully, or at least so affect- 
 ingly, as when I committed to the grave the friend, the nurse, 
 the protector, the guide and guardian of my helpless infancy, 
 — all summed up in the endeared name of mother. I seemed 
 to recall the time, * when as yet I hanged on my mother's 
 breast ;' and to revert to ihe tender anxieties with which she 
 
EEV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 233 
 
 watched over her first-born child. And now a few short years 
 are rolled away, and how great the change ! The eye that 
 saw, the ear that heard, the tongue that encouraged, and the 
 arm that upheld the babe of her youth, are mouldering in the 
 dust 1 She is departed hence, and is no more seen ! It is my 
 prayer, for myself and my loved children, that we may so 
 learn * to number our days, that we may apply our hearts un- 
 to wisdom.' And if such meditations as these may, through 
 grace, lead us to see more of the vanity of the earthly state, 
 the value of time, and the rapid approach of eternity, our visit 
 to the tomb will not have been unprofitable. 
 
 *' I well remember, in the early dawn of my expanding 
 reason, with what care she laboured to instil into my mind a 
 sense of the being of God, and of the reverence which is due 
 to him ; of the character of a Saviour, and his infinite merits ; 
 of the duty of prayer, and the manner in which it ought to be 
 offered up at the throne of grace. Her way of .enforcing 
 these subjects was like one who felt their importance, and 
 wished her child- to do so likewise. First instructed by her 
 to read, I have not forgotten, in my Bible lessons, \^ith what 
 simplicity and propriety she us^ to explain and comment on 
 the word of God, its precepts, and examples. These infan- 
 tine catechetical exercises still vibrate in my recollection, and 
 confirm to my o.wh mind the great advantage attendant upon 
 the earliest possible endeavors to win the atieniion, and 
 store the memory with religious knowledge. Her natural abili- 
 ties, which were of a superior character, 'enabled her to con- 
 j verse with a very little child with much effect ; and there was 
 j a tenderness of affection, united to a firmness of manner, 
 which greatly promoted the best interests of a nursery educa- 
 tion. 
 
 j " My mother had six children, three of whom died in in- 
 i fancy. A very affecting circumstance accompanied the death 
 of one of thehi, and was a severe trial to her maternal feelings. 
 Her then youngest child, a sweet little boy, just two years 
 old, was, through the carelessness of his nurse, precipitated 
 from a bed-room window upon the pavement beneath. I was 
 I at that time six years of age, and happened to be v/alking on 
 I the very spot, when the distressing event occurred; I was, 
 j therefore, the first to take up, and deliver into our agonized 
 i mother's arms, the poor little sufferer. The head was frac- 
 i lured, and he only survived the fall about thirty hours. I 
 I still preserve a very distinct and lively remembrance of the 
 1 struggle between the natural feelings of the mother, and the 
 
234 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 spiritual resignation of the Christian. She passed the sad 
 interval of suspense in almost continual prayer, and found 
 God a present help in tirne of trouble. Frequently, during 
 that day, did she retire with me ; and, as I knelt beside her, 
 she uttered the feelings and desires of her heart to God. I 
 remember her saying, ' If I cease praying for five minutes, I 
 am ready to sink under this unlooked-for distress ; but when I 
 pray, God comforts and upholds me ; his will, not mine, be 
 done.' Once she said, ' Help me to pray, my child: Christ 
 suffers little children to come to him, and forbids them not, 
 — say something.' ' What shall I say, mamma ? — shall I 
 fetch a book V ' Not now,' she replied : ' speak from your 
 heart ; and ask God that we may be reconciled to his will, 
 and bear this trial with patience.' 
 
 The day after the infant's death, she took me to the bed 
 on which my little brother lay ; and kneeling down, she wept 
 for a few minutes in silence ; and then taking his cold hand 
 in one of hers, and mine in the other, she said — ' Lord, if it 
 had not been thy good pleasure, it had not been thus. Thy 
 will be done ! I needed this beavy trial, to show me more of 
 myself, and to wean me from the world. Forgive my sins, O 
 God ! and let me not murmur.' Then looking at the cherub 
 countenance of her babe, she added—' Thou art not lost, but 
 gone before !' She then put his hand into mine, and said — 
 * If you live, my child, never forget this ; and may I one day 
 meet you both in heaven !' 
 
 " I have dwelt upon this part of my dear parent's history 
 with the more minuteness, because she has frequently told me, 
 that it was not only the greatest shock which her feelings 
 were ever called upon to sustain ; but that she was persuaded 
 it was overruled by God for the most salutary purpose, as it 
 concerned the spiritual discipline of her own heart. .. To the 
 end of her life, she wore a little locket attached to her watch : 
 it contained a lock of her poor little Henry's hair ; and she 
 often looked at it, and spoke of it, as a remembrance of God's 
 goodness to her, at a most trying season. 
 
 " These things occurred at Stockport, when we were on a 
 visit to my father's mother and sisters, in the early part of 
 the year 1778. The recollection of what I have related is 
 still clear and impressive on my mind. 
 
 " Not many weeks after the death of this child, my father 
 proposed a tour into Yorkshire, Westmoreland, Cumberland, 
 and Lancashire, with a view to the restoration of my mother's 
 health and spirits, which had materially suffered from her dis. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 235 
 
 tress of mind. A journey through scenes of so much beauty 
 as the mountains and lakes of that district afford, was render- 
 ed pecuHarly interesting by the state of mind in which it was 
 undertaken. 
 
 " My mother had a correct taste for landscape scenery, and 
 loved to trace the hand of the Creator in his works. She 
 had also an acquaintance with the history, antiquity, and bi- 
 ography of her country, which was much gratified by the ob- 
 jects, both of art and nature, associated with them. Her 
 memory was enriched with many of the best descriptive pas- 
 sages in the works of the poets, and she was able to quote 
 and apply them to the various objects which presented them- 
 selves to her notice. My father's mind was perfectly con- 
 genial to hers in these things. 
 
 " Young as I was at the time, I feel a grateful satisfaction 
 in retaining so much as I do of the scenes through which we 
 passed, and of the remarks which they made, in conversatiott 
 upon them. I need not tell you, my children, how great a 
 source of pleasure I myself have derived from the contem- 
 plation of the beauties of landscape, taken in connexion with 
 its associated circumstances, and more especially in its rela- 
 tion to the hand that formed them. 
 
 " To this journey in my childhood, accompanied as it was 
 by the tender anxiety of my mother in particular, to direct my 
 attention to every object worthy of notice, and the impressive 
 manner in which her late severe trial led her to utter her sen- 
 I timents, I ascribe much of my own turn of mind, as associa- 
 i ted with the works of nature. Her little boy was permitted 
 to ramble with her amongst the noble scenery of Skiddaw and 
 } Helvellyn ; to sail on the smooth expanses of Derwentwater 
 ! and Windermere ; and to have his wondering eye directed by 
 j her to the cataracts of Barrow and Lowdore. He was al- 
 lowed to visit, with her, the minsters of Ripon and York, the 
 1 ruins of Fountain's Abbey, the splendid castle of Raby, and 
 I the romantic course of the Tees. Amidst the whole, she did 
 I not forget to teach him the importance of treasuring up use- 
 ful information, cultivating a taste for the wonders of nature 
 and art, and of learning how much it is the Christian's duty, 
 
 * To look through nature up to nature's God.* 
 
 And now, when no longer himself a little boy, but a father, 
 writing to his own little boys, he feels a kindred pleasure in 
 
 I endeavoring to excite in them a love for these early enjoy- 
 ments of his own childhood, through which he was so affec- 
 
 I tionately led by the hand and the heart of his mother. 
 
 I 
 
236 
 
 ■ MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 " In the year 1782, my father quitted his residence at Li- 
 verpool, and settled in the city of Bath, where he practised 
 as a physician about twenty-four years. As it is my inten- 
 tion to write to you principally upon what I have seen and 
 known of my mother, during the latter part of a life prolong- 
 ed to nearly eightj^-four years ; and as, in so doing, I shall 
 have occasion to make several references to the circum- 
 stances thut preceded this period, I shall in a more cursory 
 manner speak of the events of her domestic history. 
 
 " Her mother, Mrs. Atherton, died at Bath, in the nine- 
 tieth year of her age, in the year 1789. She was a woman 
 of remarkable sweetness of disposition ; and possessed many 
 qualities of mind which greatly endeared her to a valuable cir- 
 cle of acquaintance, even to that advanced period. Serious, 
 sensible, and cheerful, her conversation was instructive and 
 entertaining; full of anecdote and good sense, she was an in- 
 teresting companion to the young, and even to children, as 
 well as to their elders. She evidenced a very marked regard 
 for religious principles and services, and adorned them with a 
 corresponding conduct. She bore her faculties very meekly, 
 and enjoyed an almost uninterrupted state of good health, 
 until, after a short and not painful illness, she gently sunk into 
 the grave ; and, full of years and respect, ' slept with her 
 fathers.' 
 
 " In the whole of their deportment, and in the management 
 of the family, my parents maintained great order and pro- 
 priety, founded upon conscientious principles. They steadily 
 resisted the torrent of folly, vice, and dissipation, for which 
 the gay city of Bath is distinguished. While the giddy vota- 
 ries of fashionable life incessantly whirled in the vortex of en- 
 snaring pleasure, they cultivated, for themselves and their 
 children, sentiments and habits of a domestic and rational cha- 
 racter. Regular and prudential in all their household arrange- 
 ments, they maintained a valuable intercourse with many 
 estimable friends ; and set their children a uniform example 
 of steady resistance to those temptations so injurious to all, 
 but especially the rising generation. Their evenings were 
 much spent at home, in family reading and improving conver- 
 sation. By pursuing this course, they hoped to lay a founda- 
 tion for future domestic usefulness, in their children's disposi- 
 tions. I shall ever retain a grateful remembrance of the sober 
 and temperate regulations which characterized my paternal 
 roof. It was their desire to bring us up in the fear of God, 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 237 
 
 s.nd to teach us the important lesson self .denial, so essen- 
 tial to the formation of Christian principle. 
 
 " My dear mother felt much anxiety on my account, during 
 the period of my residence in Trinity College, Cambridge, 
 which commenced in 1789, and terminated in 1797. A tide 
 of intidel and democratical principles burst upon this country 
 at that period, in connexion with the French revolution. Many 
 young men, and not a few at the Universities, were deeply 
 infected with them : it was indeed a dark and dangerous 
 epoch, and she dreaded the influence of evil communications. 
 Her letters used to breathe the language of parental caution, 
 and evidenced the correctness of her judgment. The tbllow- 
 ing extract is from one bearing date 1790 ; 
 
 ' I hope that my dear son does not, in the midst of his li- 
 terary studies, forget those that pertain to religion. I cannot 
 help trembling for my country, in these days of infidel demo- 
 cracy. I fear too many young students at College treat the 
 Scriptures with neglect, if not with contempt. Some such 
 have lately passed the Christmas vacation at Bath, and have 
 made a very unbecoming display of their sentiments, at the 
 coffee-houses and public rooms. I sincerely hope that you 
 will be preserved from this contagion. It has been my 
 prayer to God, from your infancy, that you might live and die 
 a true Christian. ' I am more anxious about this point than 
 about your classical and mathematical attainments, impor- 
 tant as they may be. I know you will bear with a mother's 
 exhortations; they "come from a heart which has long beat 
 with anxiety for your welfare,' &c. &c. 
 
 " In a subsequent letter of the same period, she writes — 
 
 * Your sentiments in answer to your father's last, on the 
 subject of religion, gave me no small satisfaction. Whoever 
 deserts that firm foundation is exposed to every gale of pas- 
 sion ; and at best spends his life in a comfortless and agitated 
 state : for doubt is raiser}^ to a thinking mind : and human 
 reason, with all its self-sufficiency, is easily misled by incli- 
 nation.' 
 
 " It was a subject of peculiar satisfaction to my mother, 
 that after four years' residence at college, during which peri- 
 od my father had left me to the free choice of the professions 
 of the law or the church, I at length deliberately preferred the 
 latter. Before that period it had been otherwise — both my 
 father's mind and my own had leaned to the former : but 
 when I assigned to him a variety of motives for entering into 
 
238 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 the ministry, which resulted from much consideration on my 
 part, he cheerfully acquiesced in my decision. 
 
 *' I then first discovered that it had been my mother^s secret 
 ivish and iwayer, from my hirili, that I might become a minister 
 of God's word : but she had never disclosed it to me, from a 
 fear oi' creating an undue bias, in a matter which she con- 
 sidered of so great importance. Her views of the ministerial 
 profession were peculiarly serious, and she dreaded the idea 
 of a rash intrusion into the sacred office. She had wished me 
 to be guided by the unfettered disposition of my own mind, 
 and hoped God would direct me in the right path. Her sen- 
 timents may be gathered from the following extract of a let- 
 ter, dated March, 1794 : 
 
 * Your account of the motives which have determined you to 
 enter into the church, as contained in your letter to your fa- 
 ther, has given us both great satisfaction. Your determination 
 on this point appears to me as an answer to the prayers which 
 I have been offering up ever since you were born. The cha- 
 racter of a good clergyman has ever stood foremost in my 
 estimation ; and on the other hand, that of a careless, idle, and 
 dissipated, and above all, an immoral one, has been my dread 
 and abhorrence. The object of almost every other profession 
 terminates with this world, and its concerns ; but that of a 
 clergyman looks to eternity. Here much depends upon the 
 character and conduct of the minister of a parish. ,Your 
 grandfather Richmond was an excellent pattern of what a 
 pastor should be, and 1 sincerely wish you may tread in his 
 steps. I am sorry to say that Bath has long been the annual 
 resort of a class of young clergymen, whom I hope you will 
 never imitate. The ball-room, the theatre, and the card-ta- 
 ble, are not the appointed scenes of clerical occupation. / 
 love the Church of England too well not to feel hurt and 
 ashamed when the levity and unsuitable conduct of any of her 
 clergy give the world at large a just ground for censure. 
 
 ' My feelings respecting yourself and the sacred profession 
 have been constantly associated with the principles of a lit- 
 tle book, with, which I wish you to become better acquainted. 
 It is called * A Mother's' Legacy to an unborn Child.' It 
 was written by Mrs. Joceline, who was aunt to my great- 
 grandfather, Sir Richard Brook, of Norton. Her thoughts 
 and wishes, relative to her child becoming a clergyman, 
 are precisely my own. Her book is a very interesting and 
 affecting composition, and has long been a favourite com- 
 panion of mine. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 239 
 
 *Your choice of your profession has eased my mind of a 
 considerable burden ; and the principles which you express 
 give me hope, that if my life be spared, you will be a comfort 
 to my old age, and also a blessing to many others. Pray to 
 God for direction and counsel in all your ways ; trust in the 
 mercy of the Saviour ; and pursue the path of duty, as the 
 appointed way to happiness.' 
 
 " I was ordained a deacon in the month of June, 1797, by 
 the Bishop of Winchester, in consequence of obtaining the 
 curacy of Brading, in the Isle of Wight. On this occasion 
 she wrote to me — 
 
 * I passed the evening of the day on which my dear son was 
 ordained (last Trinity Sunday,) in privacy and prayer. Next 
 to the day that gave you birth, I consider it as the most im- 
 portant of your life. You are now become a minister of the 
 church. Yours is a weighty charge — may God give you grace 
 to fulfil its duties aright. You are going to reside in a beau- 
 tiful country, and I hope you will also find ' the beauty of ho- 
 liness' there. I always had a desire to see the Isle of Wight; 
 and now I have the prospect of visiting the young pastor and 
 his flock, as an additional inducement to go there. I shall 
 conclude by observing, that as it may now seem too presuming 
 in me to give lectures on theology to a reverend divine, 1 
 shall henceforth rather expect to receive them from you ; but 
 a mother's prayers may be as needful as ever, and her bless, 
 ing no less acceptable than formerly. Take them both from 
 your affectionate mother, C. R.' 
 
 " Such, my dear children, were the maternal auspices un- 
 der which I entered on the work of the ministry. As to my- 
 self, I had m.uch, very much, yet to learn, and not a little to 
 unlearn ; but whatever lessons I had to acquire, or whatever 
 mercies to experience, they are all rendered doubly valuable 
 to me, as connected with the prayers and blessings of such a 
 parent. 
 
 Peace and gratitude be to her memory, from the heart of 
 your aflTectionate father." 
 
 LETTER IV. 
 
 My dear Children, — I had scarcely entered upon the 
 work of the ministry, when a train of circumstances led me 
 to a much deeper and more anxious investigation into the 
 real nature of the religion of the Bible and of the Church of 
 
240 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 England, than I had hitherto pursued. But as my present ob- 
 ject is not to speak of myself, otherwise than as immediately 
 and necessarily connected with my dear parent, I shall only 
 observe, that my correspondence and intercourse with her, 
 from that period, assumed a very serious and affectionate 
 character, upon all the great points of scriptural truth. 
 
 " My own mind has been thoroughly convinced, that it is 
 very possible to enter into the sacred office of the ministry, 
 with all the advantages of theological and literary attain- 
 ments — with a mind not insensible to the moral and benevo- 
 lent duties of the clerical character — and with a general ac- 
 quaintance with all the system of our ecclesiastical formula- 
 ries, and still be a stranger to the essential and discriminating 
 principle, on which rest all the energies and all the efficacy 
 of personal and social religion. I evidently perceived the 
 application of this important remark to my own case, and 
 was gradually led to the deliberate and conscientious adop- 
 tion of what I then did believe, and now do believe to be the 
 truth, the only genuine source of inward peace and vital 
 holiness." 
 
 ♦ [Here the manuscript ends.] 
 
 We feel considerable regret at the abrupt conclusion of 
 this manuscript, not only on account of the reader, but for 
 the sake of Mr. Richmond's family, to whom it would have 
 served as a valuable and authentic memorial, endeared by its 
 being the production of their father. It seems to have been 
 commenced shortly after the death of his mother, which oc- 
 curred in February, 1819; and it is probable that his nu- 
 merous engagements prevented him completing the interest- 
 ing detail. We cannot forbear observing how important it is, 
 that men, whose writings are likely to benefit others, should 
 leave nothing of real moment unfinished — that they should be- 
 ware of trusting to a futurity which they may never realize.* 
 
 " The writer remembers once paying a visit to Dr. Watson, the well-known 
 Bishop of LlandaflF, at his beautiful residence at the Lakes, and seeing him 
 surrounded by several volumes vvhicb he was successively examining : on ask- 
 ing his lordship what was the subjectof his studies— he replied, "these, sir, are 
 ray own works. At my advanced age I must expect to be drawing near the 
 grave, and I am preparing for the press a final edition of all that I have written, 
 revised and corrected by my own hand, to prevent an editor mutilating ihem 
 after my death." His decease occurred about twelve months afterward, which 
 -was the best proof of the prudence of the measure. 
 
REV, LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 241 
 
 We can supply the deficiency in the above Memoir only by 
 the insertion of the following papers. We are sorry that our 
 materials are not more ample. 
 
 The first is a prayer, found among his mother's papers, and 
 which appears to have been composed by her at the tim.e 
 her son first went to collage. 
 
 " O Lord, the author and fountain of all good things ! from 
 thy bountiful mercy and goodness, we thine unworthy crea- 
 tures receive all we possess and enjoy, valuable in this world, 
 and also the assured hope and confidence of eternal happiness 
 in the world to come. Look down, I most earnestly beseech 
 thee, upon the hearty desires of thy humble servant. Bestow, 
 O Lord, upon this child such a portion of thy heavenly grace 
 as may support him in all the dangers, and carry him through 
 all the temptations of this wicked and degenerate age. Let 
 the enemy of our salvation have no advantage over him ; and 
 let not the wicked one be able to approach to hurt him ; visit 
 him, O Lord, with thy salvation, and keep him in perpetual 
 peace and safety. Let not the pernicious examples of any of 
 his companions ever incline him to transgress thy laws in 
 thought, word, or deed. May he abhor and detest every 
 thing that has the appearance of immorality, and flee from 
 sin as from a fiery serpent. Grant, O Lord, that after the 
 pattern of his blessed Saviour, he may increase in wisdom 
 and knowledge ; may he grow in grace as well as years, and 
 in favor with God and man. May he be dutiful and obedient 
 to all those who have the rule and authority over him. May 
 he cheerfully and readily obey their commands, in every 
 thing be directed and instructed by their guidance and coun- 
 sels. May he behave with due judgment and propriety to all 
 his equals ; and to his inferiors may he always show himself 
 condescending and obliging. Endue him, O Lord, with such 
 a share of natural faculties and abilities, that he may receive 
 and retain the instructions and precepts of his tutors and 
 teachers : but grant, O Lord, that human knowledge may not 
 prejudice that which is divine : let him rather study thee and 
 thy kingdom, than all things else. To know thee, O Lord, 
 is to be truly wise, and to contemplate and meditate on thee 
 and thy wonderful goodness to the children of men, is the 
 highest learning. 
 
 Finally, O Lord, if it be thy blessed will, grant him such a 
 measure of thy wisdom from above, that, in the future course 
 of his life, he may become a useful member^of society ; and 
 having served Thee faithfully in this life, by doing good in his 
 21* 
 
242 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THBT 
 
 generation, may he be made partaker of everlasting glory in 
 thy Son's kingdom in heaven, where there is fulness of joy, 
 and at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore. 
 All this I most humbly and earnestly entreat, in and through 
 the merits and mediation of thy Son our Lord and Saviour 
 Jesus Christ, in whose name, and in whose words, thou hast 
 promised to be propitious to the petitions of those who ap- 
 proach thy throne with faith and sincerity. 
 " Our Father, which art in heaven, &:c. 
 
 Mr. Richmond'^s mother was sometimes exercised with 
 fears respecting her right apprehension of divine truth. His 
 correspondence was made highly useful in giving her more 
 just, solid, and correct views on this subject. The following 
 letter, written on one of these occasions, exhibits a lucid state- 
 ment of Christian doctrine. 
 
 " My very dear Mother, I trust that the letter which you 
 have written to me, will neither in length nor strength be one 
 of only few such, which I may be happy enough to receive. 
 No ; write to me constantly, while hand and eye, and heart 
 and head are thus mercifully spared for the instruction and 
 gratification of your children. Write to me on what concerns 
 the body, and also the soul. The latter especially claims our 
 mutual contemplation. Ere long we shall both be in eternity : 
 you, perhaps, a little sooner, and I in a short space to follow. 
 Yet even this natural order of providence may be reversed, 
 if God see good. At all events, what are the few short days 
 and years of time compared with a ' for ever V Cherish, my 
 dear mother, clear, deep, solid, unfading views of the Savi- 
 our's work ; a work so perfect, that the sinner can neither add 
 to nor take away from it, — a work which ensures peace to the 
 guilty — pardon to the offending — light to the blind — life to 
 the dead ! Beware of dishonoring Christ by doubting of his 
 power or willingness to save, because you feel yourself unwor- 
 thy, sinful, and weak. Faith honors him by believing. ' What 
 must I do to be saved V cried the jailer; ' believe on the Lord 
 Jesus Christ,' was Paul's reply. Salvation is wholly of faith 
 from first to last. This is the grand discriminating principle 
 between true scriptural evangelical religion, and all mere imi- 
 tations or assumptions of that title. Our paradox is, that 'weak- 
 ness .is strength.^ The soul that by faith, through grace, is 
 saved without works,* obtains an inward principle of love, 
 
 * Sy grace are ye p'aved, through faith ; and that not of yourselves; it is the 
 gift of God. Not of works, lest any man shouhl boast." Eph. ii, 8, 9. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 243 
 
 which miisi tcork, cannot but worJc, and actually does work:* 
 The order is thus : First, God loved us ; secondly, thence 
 we obtain faith to trust him ; thirdly, we are thus saved ; 
 fourthly, we therefore love him who first loved us ; fifthly, this 
 love produces good thoughts, words, and works, as the fruits, 
 not the root, of our salvation. Thus is He the author and 
 finisher of our faith, and the author of salvation to all them 
 that obey him. He has promised to all, as well as to David, 
 to perfect the thing which concerneth his people : whom he 
 loveth, he loveth to the end ; trust him, therefore, evermore. 
 Such is the Christian's doctrinal, practical, and experimental 
 creed. 
 
 " I preached, on Sunday, a right loyal sermon for poor 
 queen Charlotte, and traversed all the useful and exemplary 
 features in her character. This day she is to be buried. 
 Peace to her memory ! Poor king George ! In the midst of 
 life, he is, as it were, in death — in light, darkness — in riches, 
 poor — in splendor, dulness — in society, solitary : — yet, hap- 
 pily, not dead — not dark — not poor — not dull — not solitary. 
 Providence hangs a veil of mystery over him, but grace illu- 
 mines it, even while he can scarcely discern through it the 
 form of our revered monarch. He sees consolations and 
 companions from on high. He has the peace which the world 
 cannot give, nor sickness take away ; therefore he is a hap- 
 py man. Our journey was well bestowed on Fanny, and will, 
 I hope, leave a lasting impression on her mind, of a useful 
 sort. I do with you hope that my valuable acquaintance 
 may be of future use to my children ; the ' promise,' you 
 know, ' is not oi:ly to us, but to them.' " 
 
 The following letter, addressed by Mr. Richmond to his 
 wife, enables us to supply some information relative to the 
 last moments of his father : at the same time that it affords 
 a fine illustration of the ftiith and resignation of his mother. 
 The event here alluded to, occurred at Stockport, in Che- 
 shire, in the year 1806. 
 
 ** Dearest Mary, — I sent you a few hastily penned lines 
 last night. As soon as I had finished them, I went to our 
 medical friend, from whom I had a regular account of the 
 melancholy event which has brought me here. I had previ- 
 
 *See homily "on the true, lively, and Christian faifh." We also beg to 
 refer tlie render to tlio remarks made on the whole of this doctrine iu the re- 
 view of Mr. Daubeny's work. 
 
244 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 ©usly written a note, that I might be shown into a room with 
 my dear mother alone. I then went with Mary, and found my 
 mother in a moyt interesting struggle between divine conso- 
 lation and natural affection. My first words, after an interval 
 of silence, were, * are you supported, my dear mother V * Be- 
 yond all hope and expectation,' v/as the reply. ' Do you feel 
 the consolations of religion ?' * I am resigned to the stroke, 
 though it rends my heart in two. I may weep ; but I dare not, 
 will not complain. I never deserved him ; he was lent to me, 
 and now God has taken him again. You are come to support 
 a poor widowed mother's heart ; and I know you will be, what 
 your dear sister Fanny has already been, the prop and strength 
 of my age and affliction.' I was astonished and melted at 
 her fortitude and resignation. I find my dear father's mind, 
 for three weeks past, was calm and tranquil, expressive of 
 much faith, patience, and hope. My mother was reading that 
 exquisite commentary of Bishop Home, on the 23d Psalm. 
 He observed, at the close of the fourth verse, ' that is hea- 
 venlyf and it is my comfort.' He then suddenly said, ' my head 
 is giddy,' staggered to the sofa, and. fell into my mother's 
 arms ;^his eyes fixed, and a deadly paleness on his face. She 
 contrived to ring the bell, and instantly returned to him ; he 
 gasped for breath, and groaned twice. The servant came in, 
 and lifted up his legs ; he gave one more slight struggle, and 
 breathed out his soul in my mother's arms. She sat with him 
 two hours in silent composure ; unable to weep, but calm in 
 grief. That night she could not sleep, but gained relief by 
 much weeping. Fanny arrived on Sunday evening, and slept 
 with our dear mother. After I had sat for half an hour yes- 
 terday evening, the rest came in, one by one, and we fell into 
 a solemn but tranquil conversation. My very heart was ready 
 to burst ; but I concealed my feelings as much as possible. 
 After a while, I went to see the body of my father. As we 
 proceeded up stairs, I found my legs tremble, and when I 
 came to the room door, I staggered ; but instantly offering up 
 a prayer for strength, felt relieved, and advanced. 
 
 Instead of seeing any thing to inspire terror, I beheld his 
 well-known and honored countenance so calm, heavenly, mild, 
 and unaltered, that it seemed only like a sweet sleep. I 
 never felt more composed ; and we sat three quarters of an 
 hour, chiefly in silent contemplation. I could only now- and 
 then interrupt it by, ' Oh ! how sweet a countenance ! — there 
 is nothing terrible in this ! It is the emblem of peace and 
 composure. Oh ! my dear father ! I could have wished to have 
 
REV. LEGH EICHMOND. 
 
 245 
 
 closed your eyes ! — but God's will be done ! With difficulty, 
 I left the room. I went down to supper. Afterward, I re- 
 quested all the house to assemble, and read 1 Cor. xv. ; and 
 then offered up a solemn and appropriate prayer. Great feel- 
 mg pervaded us all. 
 
 This morning, at nine o'clock, commenced the business 
 of the funeral. My heart again failed me. I was excessively 
 tried in the procession through the churchyard, and in the 
 church. I was, however, invvardly strengthened, and shed 
 the last tear over his remains. 
 
 " On returning to the house, for. a moment I fainted, but 
 recovered. Indeed, my dear love, it has been a very trying 
 scene to me. A thousand tender recollections of past days 
 have successively crowded upon my mind ; and every object 
 here reminds me so much of a beloved and revered parent, 
 that I cannot hut feel deeply. 
 
 " He seems to have had a presentiment of his approachinj^ 
 end, but rather concealed it from others. I never felt myself 
 of such pov/er to console as at this moment. My dear mother 
 says, ' You are my oak, and 1 am a poor ivy, clinging around 
 you : now you are my child indeed.' " 
 
 The ensuing letter contains all the particulars with which 
 we are furnished respecting the decease of this excellent wo- 
 man, in January, 1819. It is addressed to one of his daugh- 
 ters. He had previously seen her on his return from Scot- 
 land, in the preceding autumn ; and remarked that she looked 
 more aged, though not complaining ; but she expressed her 
 apprehensions that they were meeting for the last time. 
 
 " My dear F ; I am just returned, after executing 
 
 the difficult and affecting task of preaching a funeral sermon 
 for my most excellent and revered mother, at her parish 
 church. I took my subject from Psalm cxv. 1, as best suited 
 to her humble, meek, and believing frame of mind. It was 
 indeed a trying effort ; but God carried me through surpris- 
 ingly. I introduced some very interesting papers, which I 
 have found amongst her memoranda, in her own handwriting. 
 Her last message to me was — ' Tell my son, I am going di- 
 rect to happiness.' 
 
 " Never was there a more delighttul and heavenly counte- 
 nance than hers, as she lay in her coffin : it combined every 
 sentiment which the most devout mmd could desire : love — 
 joy — peace — ^gentleness — goodness — faith — meekness— cha- 
 rity, all shone serenely bright. I followed her to her grave, ia 
 
246 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Lancaster churchyard, where she lies under a sycamore-tree, 
 amid the magnificent landscape of sea, mountains, rivers, cas- 
 tle and church, around. You remember its high beauties. — 
 But you very imperfectly know the high qualities of head 
 and heart which your grandmamma possessed — I never met 
 with her equal at the same age. I occupy her little room, 
 adjoining her bed-room, by day ; and it is a great consolation 
 to me to sit in her arm-chair and think of her, and read her 
 papers on various subjects. There you and I took leave of 
 her, in November last — but, alas ! her place knoweth her no 
 more ! I look out of the window, at the grand rauge of snow- 
 capt mountains, which are now beautiful in the extreme. I 
 had no conception of the winter beauties of these hills ; — 
 Lansdale Piles, Rydal Head, Hill Bell, Helvellyn, &c. Ate. 
 all finely illuminated with snow sunshine, in diversified shades. 
 And then I think of my dear mother, and how she enjoyed 
 their characteristic grandeur. 
 
 Letters pour in daily, from all parts of England, condol- 
 ing with us in our great loss. My mother was loved and ho- 
 nored most extensively. Dear woman ! for forty-seven years 
 I have proved thy affection, and can trace, from earliest in- 
 fancy, the tokens of thy worth. May I follow thee in humility, 
 faith, and love ; and cherish thy memory with gratitude and 
 honor !" 
 
 The following lines were inscribed on the tombstone of the 
 late Mrs. Richmond, which is enclosed with iron railing, and 
 placed under a sycamore-tree in Lancaster churchyard, on 
 the west side, erected by her three afflicted children, to her 
 memory : — 
 
 " Sacred to the memory of Catherine, widow of Henry Richmond, M. D. 
 (formerly of Liverpool, and late of Baih,) and daughter of John Aiherlon, 
 Esq. late of Walton Hall, in this county, who departed this life, January 
 the 30th, 1819, in the eighty-fourth year of her age." 
 
 " The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of right- 
 eousness." 
 
 C. R. 
 
 SOLI DEO GLORIA. 
 
 ** What though Affliction here would heave a sigh, 
 That one so loved and so revered should die — 
 Calm Resignation clasps a Saviour's cross, 
 And mourns, but does not murmur at the loss. 
 'Twas there her n»eek and lowly soul was taught 
 To seek the heavenly crown his blood had bought. 
 'Twas thence, in mercy, beamed the welcome ray, 
 Which cheered with hope the aged pilgrim's way. 
 
REV. LEGH RICIIM:O^D. 
 
 247 
 
 This raoiilderins dust shall here repose in peace. 
 Till that great <iay, wlien lime itself shall oease. 
 Her spirit is with God ; and this its plea — 
 ' My Saviour liv'd, my Saviour died for me '.' " 
 
 "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but (into thy name give glory, for ;hy 
 mercy and for thy truth's sake." 
 
 The following obituary, relating to this event, was inserted 
 in one of the periodicals of the day : — 
 
 "On January 30th, 1819, died, at Leighton Hall, near 
 Lancaster, aged 83, Catherine, widow of Dr. Henry Rich, 
 mond, formerly of Liverpool, and late of Bath. Mrs. Rich- 
 mond was, through life, distinguished by superior intellectual 
 faculties, cultivated taste, and most amiable manners. These 
 she retained to the last. But these qualities were only sub- 
 servient to a solid and enlightened piet}' of heart, founded 
 upon a cordial reception of the principles of the Gospel of 
 Christ. The deep humility of her disposition, her meek and 
 quiet spirit, and her devotional sense of a Saviour's mercies, 
 have seldom been exceeded. With her increasing age, God 
 blessed her with increasing enjoyment of divine truths ; and 
 enabled her to meditate, converse, and correspond upon them 
 will a vigor of mind, sobriety of judgment, and simplicity of 
 affection, which proved the holy source from whence they 
 proceeded. 
 
 " Her son engaged in the affecting task of preaching her 
 funeral sermon, in the parish church of Warton, on Sunday, 
 Feb. 14, to a large congregation, [rom Psalm cxv. 1 ; a sub- 
 ject selected as being peculiarly expressive of her own views 
 and feelings when living. The mingled tears of relatives, 
 friends, domestics, and neighbors, bore an interesting testi- 
 mony to the love and veneration in which her memory is 
 held." Thus had Mr. Richmond the delightful consolation of 
 knowing, that both his parents departed in the hope and 
 peace of the Gospel. Happy is it when the bonds of nature 
 are knit more closely by those of grace ! — when the child 
 and the parent are partakers of the same Christian hope, run- 
 ning the same race, and looking forward to the same eternal 
 rest and glory ! 
 
 " Oh ! what is death ? 'Tis life's last shore, 
 Where vanities arp vain no more ! 
 Where all pursuits their goal obtain, 
 And life is all retouched again : 
 Where, in (heir bright results, shall rise 
 Thoughts, virtues, friendships, griefs, and joys." 
 
248 
 
 MEMOIES OF THE 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Letter, and verses— Extracts from Diary— Tours to Scotland— lona— Letters , 
 friendly, family, and pastoral— Memoir of iVliss Sinclair. 
 
 Mr. Richmond, in his northern tours for the religious soci- 
 eties, often visited Scotland. On one of these occasions, he 
 left his eldest daughter under the hospitable roof of Dr. and 
 
 Mrs. S , near Glasgow, with whom he had formed a par- 
 
 ticular intimacy. But whether present or absent, Mr. Rich- 
 mond discovered a uniform anxiety for his children. Their 
 spiritual welfare lay near his heart. He often wrote to them, 
 and never oniitted to make some useful reference to the great 
 concerns of eternity. 
 
 The following letter, and copy of verses, addressed to his 
 daughter, exhibit a model of parental care and affection : — 
 " Dear Mary, 
 
 " I wrote to you on my own birthday, and now I do the 
 same on yours. 'There is a time to be born, and a time to 
 die.' So says Solomon ; and it is the memento of a truly 
 wise man. But I may add, there is an interval between 
 these two times, of infinite importance. 
 
 *' Does my beloved child duly appreciate this? Not all 
 the charms of nature, either Scottish or English, can for a 
 moment compare with those of grace : and when can we bet- 
 ter contemplate the real value of life, the vanity of the world, 
 the worth of a soul, and the need of a Saviour, than when the 
 lapse of time brings round the anniversary day of our birth? 
 It seems to concentrate all the experience and feeling of past 
 days, and to unite them with the anticipations of those which 
 are yet to come : it speaks to youth and age alike, and sum- 
 mons both to prayer and meditation. Soon will eternity over- 
 whelm all the concerns of time, but will infallibly take its 
 character from them. I sincerely hope that you are syste- 
 matically improving time, with a view to that eternity. Your 
 opportunities have been many and valuable ; your privileges 
 great — may every ensuing day prove that they are not lost 
 upon you. Religious parentage and social connexions alone 
 cannot save : personal religion in the heart is every thing. 
 
 Our dear friend Mrs. S , appears to enjoy it in deed 
 
 and in truth. Prize such a friend ; not only because she is 
 itind, and agreeable, and worthy, but because she is a child 
 
HEV. LEGII RICHMOND. 
 
 249 
 
 of God, a member of Christ, and an inheritor of the kingdom 
 of heaven ; and as such may be the ordained instrument of 
 God, for establishing the same principle in you. Think of us 
 all, not for the mere love's sake of earthly kindred, but for 
 the love of Jesus, as connected with the family of heaven. 
 This alone gives to charity itself its value. 
 
 " Farewell, my dear child ; and while you pray for your- 
 self, forget not your affectionate father, Legh Richmond, 
 
 ADDRESSED TO MISS RICHMOND, 
 
 ACCOMPANIED BY A LOCKET OF DERBYSHIRE FLUOR 
 SPAR, IN THE FORM OF A HEART. 
 
 Here I offer my daughter a heart witliout sin, 
 
 That knows nought of corruption and sorrow within ' 
 
 A heart which you see is so curiously wrought, 
 
 That it ne'er can offend — not so much as in thought ' « 
 
 That its virtues are shining within and without. 
 Is a truth which admits of no rational doubt : 
 Its cliaracter, Mary, is pure and sincere ; 
 And its inmost ide^iis transparent and clear. 
 
 'Tisaheart that will bear the minutest inspection, 
 And never proves guilty of any deception : 
 What it was, that it is — what it is, it will be — 
 Unconscious of guile or to you or to me. 
 
 It may seem to be strange — nay, it is so, I own — 
 That this heart, though so pure, is as hard as a stone ; 
 It resists all impressions which tenderness makes ; 
 But if force be employed, it immediately breaks. 
 
 An<l thisheai-t if once broken, can never be healed, 
 Nor tlie least of its wounds be a moment concealed ; 
 And though stony its texture, and hard be its nature, 
 Like yourself, this poor heart is a delicate creature. 
 
 Then make use of the emblem you wear at your breast : 
 With " the hearts that are pure,"* do you geek to be blest ! 
 Weep and mourn for a nature by a sin so deranged, 
 And pray for a heart that's essentially changed. 
 
 May the " stone" in your heart, be removed far away, 
 And the softened affections alone bear the sway ! 
 They will lead you to Jesus with penitent sighs. 
 Till the sun of his righteousness sweetly arise. 
 
 Mrty graces resplendent as those of the stone, 
 
 Both within and without, be for ever your own ! 
 
 Let your heart be transparent, wherever you are, 
 
 And your conduct will shine far more clear than the spar 
 
 But should you offend, and for sin be heart-broken, 
 Behold on the cross there's Mercy's bright token ' 
 
 *Matt,v.8. 
 
 22 
 
250 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 The heart that is contrite God will not despise,— 
 The heart that is broken is dear in his eyes. 
 
 Christ's love has no limit, then give hitn thy heart,— 
 
 In the deed shall His spirit free comfort impart : 
 
 So the heart of the Saviour, allied close to Jliine, 
 
 In a glorious unity ever will shine. L. R. 
 
 We regret that the limits of this memoir will not allow us 
 to lay before our readers copious extracts from Mr. Rich- 
 mond's journals of his tours in Scotland. Ete adverts to them 
 at all times with grateful recollection : they form an inter- 
 esting part of his public life, and, indeed, led to an important 
 event in his family. We insert the following extract. 
 / 
 
 EXTRACTS FROM HIS DIARY. 
 
 Juhf 18. W^ent to Long-town, and entered Scotland by 
 Gretna-green — a disgrace to both countries. Proceeded to 
 Dumfries. A superior place. Admired the town. Meditated 
 as I walked along on Rom. vii. Search deep. ' Lord, what 
 is man !' 
 
 —19. Went with the Rev. Dr. D. to visit the church 
 Mausoleum of Robert Burns, the poet, which cost 1500/. 
 Extraordinary and ornamented collection of momuments in 
 the churchyard. Held a meeting to aid the circulation of 
 the Hebrew Testament for the Jews at the new Church. 
 Well attended ; 12/. 12^. collected ; and a foundation laid for 
 a new society in behalf of the Jews. 
 
 — 20. Attended a Bible meeting. A very delightful 
 day* Made some truly valuable acquaintances. Took leave 
 of Dr. D. Manifold mercies. 
 
 " — 21. Set out out for Biggar. Held a meeting for He- 
 brew Testaments. Collected 12/. 7*. Qd. Felt much respect 
 for the memory of the well-known John Brown of Hadding- 
 ton, while I was in the house of his grandson, and amongst 
 his great grandchildren. 
 
 " — 22. Breakfasted at Lanark. Went to see New La- 
 narli, and the Clyde Falls ; Mr. Owen accompanied us. 
 Nothing could exceed the beauty of the scene. Saw the 
 whole of the mills and machinery. Dined and had much 
 conversation with Mr. Owen on all his plans. They want a 
 religious basis, 
 
 " — 23. Sermon at church. Went at four to Mr. Owen's 
 schoolroom, and addressed the whole institution, from Job 
 xxii, 21. Fine sight. Collected 41, Ss, In the evening, 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 251 
 
 held a meeting at Lanark church for the Hebrew Testa- 
 ment. Two thousand people — grand spectacle. 
 
 July 24. Breakfasted with Mr. Owen. Conversed agam 
 on his new plan. Went to the school : saw the children go 
 through all their various classes. The dancing may be pretty 
 for children, but unquestionably leads to much evil among the 
 adults. Many things are very interesting here, but require 
 close investigation. Visited the fall of the Clyde — very su- 
 perb indeed. Read, as I travelled on, Mr. Owen's manu- 
 script. Some clever ideas of economical arrangement ; but 
 it must fail, as it now stands. There is no Christ in his 
 scheme, and it cannot prosper. 
 
 " — 25. Glasgow. Preached in the Episcopal chapel iu 
 the evening, from Rom. xi, 17, IS. Fine congregation. Af- 
 terward, attended a juvenile missionary meeting. 
 
 " — 26. Erskine. Dined with Dr. and Mrs. S. Most 
 hospitably and kindly welcomed. A lovely retirement. 
 
 " — 27. Paisley. Delivered an address for the Jews to a 
 very numerous assembly. Collected 23Z. Afterward spent a 
 very profitable evening. iMuch sensible and valuable conver- 
 sation. 
 
 " — 29. Read an account of my proceedings at Dumfries 
 in the Edinburgh Star. Lord, keep me humble, and show me 
 the real character of myself. ' Lord, what is man !' 
 
 " — 30. Paisley. Preached in the morning, from Rom. x, 
 11. Collected lOL lis. 5d. Addressed in the evening 
 3000 people, including 1500 children and young people. 
 Wonderful crowd. Fine spectacle. Close and riveted at- 
 tention. Returned home. I bless God for all his goodness. 
 
 " — 81. Glasgow. Met Dr. C. Interesting and most pro- 
 fitable conversation, on plans for parochial visitation, inter- 
 course, and reform. Attended a meeting for the Jews. 
 Noble assembly. Spoke for an hour. Collected 14Z. Mr. 
 David P. is to travel with me into the Western and Northern 
 Islands. 
 
 *' Aug. 1. Isle of Bute. Was much struck with the gran- 
 deur and beauty of the Frith of Clyde. Exquisite view of the 
 mountains. Tints indescribable. Marquis of Bute's — basal- 
 tic character of the rock. Visited a Highland cottage ; chil- 
 dren reading : mother and grandmother ; spinner's wheel ; 
 smoky roof ; Gaelic Testament. Religious conversation. In- 
 telligence and seriousness. The cottage scene, and island 
 scenery around, and spiritual associations altogether, con- 
 stituted a most interesting combination. 
 
252 
 
 MEMOIBS OF THE 
 
 " Aug. 2. Rothsay. Went to a Jews' meeting. Place 
 overflowing. Collected 17Z. 17*. Had much interesting 
 conversation this day about Ossian, and received some strong 
 proofs of its authenticity. 
 
 " — In the course of the last three days, have seen some of 
 the finest specimens of clouds rolling over hills in every shape 
 and manner. Also grand combinations of sea, island, and 
 mountain beauty. O, for a heart to feel and acknowledge 
 God's protecting mercies ! 
 
 — 13. Aros. Prayed earnestly for all my family, and 
 my parish." 
 
 The beauty of the following passage entitles it to insertion. 
 VIEW FROM FAIRLY. 
 
 " I rose early in the morning to view the mountains of Ar- 
 ran. They were enveloped in clouds, and rendered invisible. 
 Thus, it occurred to me, have my fair prospects in the land- 
 scape of life been often obscured, and the mists of sadness or 
 uncertainty have shed a gloom over my spirits. I have said, 
 ' why art thou cast down, O ! my soul, and why art thou dis- 
 quieted within me ? Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise 
 Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.' 
 
 " I looked again across the arm of the ocean which inter- 
 vened, and I saw the clouds becoming gradually thinner ; 
 the mountains showed their grotesque and interesting forms, 
 as if seen through a veil, which at length dispersed, and the 
 magnificent group of hills was seen in all its beauty. So, I 
 thought, has mercy often shed her rays over the scene of life, 
 dissolved the clouds of apprehension and sorrow, and cheer- 
 ed the whole prospect with the enlivening light of hope and 
 love. Every mountain raises its head to the glory of God, 
 and all their fantastic but sublime combinations declare his 
 wisdom, power, and goodness. This lovely scenery shall 
 preach to my soul, and from its ever-varying features I will 
 draw forth instruction, and subjects for praise and adoration." 
 
 From Aros, island of Mull, Mr. Richmond wrote a letter to 
 his son Wilberforce, and in the course of his journey another 
 to Mrs. Richmond, both of which we here insert. 
 
 ''Aros, August 14, 1820. 
 
 My dear Wilberforce, 
 ** How little idea can my son form of the scenes with 
 which his father is surrounded, amongst these Highlands and 
 
BEV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 253 
 
 islands of the North. It is like being in another world. In 
 some of these remote islands, where the Gaelic language is 
 chiefly spoken, (though not to the exclusion of the English,) 
 where different manners, dress, habits, dwellings, &;c. prevail, 
 
 ' Tbe world forgetting, by the world forgot,' 
 
 it seems difficult to conceive that it is still Britain. I am now 
 on my way for Staffa and lona, but whether the weather will 
 be fine enough to allow of my projected excursion, remains 
 a doubt ; you shall know before this letter is concluded. I 
 propose this evening to gather a little compaay of Highland 
 cotters, and to preach to them in a wild glen, in this roman- 
 tic island. The parish church is fifteen miles distant. Yester- 
 day I came from Oban, which is thirty- five miles by sea from 
 this place ; but owing to the wind being in the wrong direc- 
 tion, we made tacks amounting to one hundred miles, before 
 we got into this little peaceful spot. This is a little inn — be- 
 fore it in one direction, is the sea, and beyond, a vast range 
 of mountains, called Morven, in Argyleshire ; in another di- 
 rection, about half a mile off, is a ruined castle, standing on 
 a bold knoll and rock, washed by the waves. On our right 
 hand are the hills of the isle of Mull, covered with heath and 
 cottages. Before the door runs a salmon stream, rattling 
 over stones : above thirty people were yesterday fishing and 
 harpooning for salmon ; fifty of them weighed from four to 
 twenty-five pounds each. Dozens of children were in the 
 river to catch eels, talking Gaelic with much vociferation and 
 "alacrity. 
 
 " I think, in our voyage yesterday, I saw twenty ruined 
 castles, and three inhabited ones, and above twenty. five of 
 the islands of the Hebrides. The intelligent boatmen tell you 
 all manner of ancient legands and histories connected with 
 them and their ancient masters. They carry you back into 
 the days of Norwegian, Danish, and Irish story. I saw the 
 spot where a par^of the Spanish armada was wrecked ; and 
 a gun still remains on a rock, belonging to one of the Spanish 
 ships. It is on the main-land shore, opposite to the Isle of 
 Mull. This is the grand scene of all Ossian's descriptions, 
 and corresponds exactly with them. All the ruins are finely 
 covered with ivy, and so are the rocks. 
 
 " We have had much rain, and the mountain torrents run 
 grandly down their sides. I think on Thursday we counted 
 350 cascades, in a morning ride : some of them gigantic. I 
 remember seeing twenty-nine at one view. The wild magni- 
 22* 
 
254 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 ficence of Highland scenery cannot easily be conceived. Par- 
 ties of ladies are amongst the visitants, and in some places 
 hey cheerfully submit to many privations for the sake of the 
 prospects. I go into the cottages, and sit down with the poor 
 people, and talk with them on religious subjects, and receive 
 rich milk and whiskey in return. There is much grateful 
 affection about them. 
 
 " In the map you may trace my toute thus : Carlisle, Long- 
 town, Annan, Dumfries, Biggar, Lanark, Glasgow, Gree- 
 nock, Isle of Bute, Arran, Campbeltown, near the Mull of 
 Kintyre, Arroquhar, Inverary, Dalmally, Oban. Next, and 
 yet to come, if" all be well, is Staffa, lona. Fort William, Fort 
 Augustus, Inverness, Tain ; thence downwards toward Perth, 
 Dundee, and Edinburgh. I am very thankful to God for per- 
 mitting me to take this round, and more so for making my 
 services very acceptable, and I hope useful. The tempest- 
 beaten glens, the secluded isles, the populous towns, the ro- 
 mantic villages, all in their turn bear witness to the declara- 
 tion of ' the truth as it is in Jesus.' I have a truly congenial 
 companion in the * Clemens' of the Christian Guardian ;* he 
 is just what I want, both for soul and body, and in each de- 
 votes himself to my aid and comfort most assiduously. Our 
 views, principles, taste, and feelings, strictly accord. He is 
 a student of divinity in the University at Edinburgh, and pre- 
 paring for the Scotch church. I left Mary with Dr. S. last 
 Tuesday ; she will soon go to Edinburgh, and wait till my re- 
 turn from the North of Scotland. I shall now lay down my 
 pen, and probably not resume it until the point is decided, to- 
 morrow or next day, whether the rain will allow of our visit- 
 ing these most interesting of islands, Staffa and lona. The 
 latter is thirty miles from hence ; the former, twenty, but on 
 the opposite side. 
 
 " Tuesday, Aug. 15. Very wet, and we cannot proceed. 
 Both lona, at twenty, and Staffa, at ten miles distance, are in 
 sight, but it is very doubtful whether we shall reach them, as 
 the Atlantic is full of mists, rain, and wifftl. I am waiting 
 patiently for better weather, in a little inn, in this little island, 
 five miles by three. 
 
 " — 18. My dear boy, I have seen Staffa, and write this 
 from lona. What I shall say I know not, for really I can 
 say nothing as I ought. When I entered the cave oflFipgaK 
 1 knew not whether to burst out into one unceasing cry of as- 
 
 * Rev. Dr. Pitcairn. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 255 
 
 lonishment, meditate in unbroken silence of overwhelming 
 wonder, or fall down upon my knees, in devout adoration of 
 Him who formed such a scene of sublime beauty. It beggars 
 all description. This was on Wednesday : after waiting four 
 days for weather, yesterday we arrived at this lonely scene 
 of ruins and curiosities, and it more than answers all my ex- 
 pectations. Think of all we have read about lona, and im- 
 agine then a small part of my sensations." 
 
 " My dear Love, — It would be no easy task to describe 
 'the laborious circuit of engagements and accompanying so- 
 licitudes, in which I am deeply engaged. Next week I enter 
 the depths of the Highlands, and so far north : if all be well, 
 the week after next I shall reach Staffa, the isle of wonders ; 
 and lona, the isle of caves and kings. Amongst the spiritual 
 mercies, I have this week met with, are three new and dis- 
 tinct instances of the conversions and happy deaths of chil- 
 dren in Glasgow, Paisley, and Greenock ; two, through 
 * Little Jane.' The wide dispersion of, and impression con- 
 nected with these tracts in Scotland, is scarcely credible. I 
 have, in this respect, seen far beyond 'the travail of my soul.' 
 When I reflect upon the simplicity of their origin, and the 
 little idea entertained of their ever going beyond the limited 
 circulation of the Christian Guardian, I am sometimes lost in 
 wonder at the success attending their publication. Surely, 
 we may unitedly praise God for his unspeakable mercy to us 
 in this one unexampled instance. 
 
 *' This situation is very lovely : near it stands the seat of 
 Lord Blantyre, Mrs. Stewart's brother. Close by flows the 
 magnificent river Clyde, widening gradually from 200 yards, 
 to three miles in breadth. Highly cultivated scenery is back- 
 ed by stupendous groups of vast Highland mountains, forming 
 the very first class of landscape. Ruined castles, elegant 
 mansions, sea-port towns, woods, rocks, promontories, boats, 
 ships, banks, succeed each other. Ben Lomond is seen in 
 all his ponderous grandeur, and so is Benledi. The whole 
 neighbouring scenery is indeed very fine. 
 
 " I preach three times at Paisley to-morrow ; at Glasgow 
 on Monday ; at Rothsay, in the Isle of Bute, on Wednesday ; 
 at Greenock on Thursday ; at Port Glasgow on Friday ; at 
 Arroquhar on Sunday week." 
 
 Mr. Richmond visited the island of lona twice ; he found 
 there neither temple nor ordinances of religious worship, ex- 
 
256 
 
 HEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 cept in the occasional visits of a Scotch minister from an 
 adjacent island ; and the appointment of a schoolmaster, who 
 assembled the children in a rude building. 
 
 From lona Mr. Richmond visited Staffa. We extract a 
 few memoranda from his Diary, written at this time. 
 
 " Aug. 19. Set off for a second view of StafTa. We took 
 the good schoolmaster and his wife with us. No words can 
 describe the whole : we had the afternoon sun upon all the 
 most striking features of this magnificent group. The water 
 was so calm that we went into the great cave in the boat, and 
 thus obtained the finest view possible. We sang a hymn ; it 
 was sweetly echoed. Rows of prismatic pillars ;--their crown 
 twisted — pillars in all directions — an immense one at the 
 end of the cave — shells on rocks — covering of the roof — ruins 
 of lona seen from the cave — sound of the surf — causeway of 
 broken pillars — cattle feeding above — light and shade — cas- 
 cades of surf — spray dashing — scenery much improved by 
 the clearness of the day — lona huts — peculiar statistics of 
 lona — schoolmaster's account — no clock, but sun and tide — 
 seven watches — no shop — four sermons a year ; once, four a 
 day — schoolmaster reads weekly. 
 
 " Conversation this day in the boat very interesting. Re- 
 turned to lona at eight o'clock. Drank tea with the good 
 schoolmaster. 
 
 " Aug. 20. — Sunday. Willy's birthday ; God bless him ! 
 Breakfast conversation with schoolmaster. Plan for build- 
 ing a schoolhouse. Preparation for sermon. Sweet quiet- 
 ness of this island. Sabbath morning. Went at eleven to 
 the schoolhouse, and gave a service. I preached to a large 
 company of these poor lonans, from 2 Cor. v. Delightful ! 
 (the room, roof, windows, floor, desk, forms, people, &c.) 
 Then I went and passed two hours alone, amid the ruins and 
 graves. Had solemn and peaceful meditations ! 
 
 " At four gave another service, preaching from Luke xxiv, 
 47. At half-past six gave a third, chiefly to the children. 
 The last, by the schoolmaster interpreting in Gaelic, sentence 
 by sentence. Much affection. It was an interesting experi- 
 ment ; he prayed, read, and sang in Gaelic. 
 
 Passed a most comfortable evening, in conversation with, 
 these worthy lonians. Surely, I have learned much here ! 
 A day to be remembered. I hope to raise a sufficient sub- 
 scription to build a new schoolhouse for lona. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 257 
 
 " Moon setting. Stars most bright at eleven. All reflected 
 on the ocean, on the ruins, and from the hills and rocks." 
 
 It will excite no surprise, that a man of Mr. Richmond's 
 piety and taste should avail himself of this opportunity to visit 
 the once celebrated island of lona, one of the Hebrides. lona 
 now contains only one village, with mean houses, and about 
 400 inhabitants. It is the most noted place of Caledonian 
 antiquity.* It was formerly the seat of the Druids, some of 
 whose sepulchral remains are still extant. Christianity was 
 introduced into this island by St. Columba, after whom it was 
 called I-colum-kill, or Columba's Cell. St. Columba came 
 from Ireland to lona in the sixth century, accompanied by 
 .twelve disciples, through whose missionary labors the greater 
 part of Scotland was converted to the Christian faith. The 
 college founded by St. Columba was the seat and centre of 
 literature and piety ; and from hence these blessings were dif- 
 fused, not only over the British islands but throughout a great 
 part of Europe. The ruins of these ancient edifices still re- 
 main as memorials of the apostolical labors of Columba, his 
 associates and successors. lona is the burial place of forty, 
 eight Scotch crowned heads, four Irish kings, eight Norwe. 
 gian princes or viceroys of the island, and a multitude of no- 
 bility and religious orders. It had also 360 crosses, which 
 were all destroyed, except one, at the Reformation. The 
 ruin of the once splendid cathedral cannot fail to intei*est the 
 traveller, and to excite the deepest emotion in the heart of the 
 Christian. It was under the influence of recollections like 
 these, that Dr. Johnson composed the following celebrated 
 passage. 
 
 " We were now treading that illustrious island which was 
 once the luminary of the Caledonian regions: whence savage 
 clans, and roving barbarians derived the benefit of know- 
 ledge and the blessings of religion. To abstract the mind 
 from all local emotion would be impossible if it were endea- 
 vored, and would be foolish if it were possible. Whatever 
 Di^ithdraws us from the power of our senses ; whatever makes 
 the past, the distant, or the future predominate over the pre- 
 sent, advances us in the dignity of thinking beings. Far from 
 me, and from my friends, be such frigid philosophy, as may 
 conduct us, indifferent and unmoved, over any ground which 
 
 * We refer tlie reader to Penant's Tour through Scotland, and Johnson's 
 Tour to the Hebrides, for further information. 
 
258 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 has been dignified by wisdom, bravery, and virtue. The man 
 is httle to be envied, whose patriotism would not gain force 
 upon the plains bi* Marathon, or whose piety would not grow 
 warmer among the ruins of lona."* 
 
 From lona, he wrote to Mrs. Richmond : 
 
 " I am persuaded that my dearest Mary will not only allow 
 me to express the strong sensations of my own heart, as con- 
 nected with the remote and magnificent scenes in which a 
 kind Providence is at present placing me, but will sym- 
 pathize and share them with me. Had I not sent off' a let- 
 ter two days since to Wilberforce, I would on this day 
 have written to him, as it is his birthday, which has been 
 the subject of my early and earnest morning prayer, on 
 a sabbath spent in this extraordinary and interesting island. 
 You are not altogether unaware of the peculiar feelings and 
 wishes which, for many years, I have cherished in regard to 
 these islands ; and now the desire has been fully answered. 
 You can form little idea of the characteristics of every thing 
 and every body around me. The novelty, simplicity, singu- 
 larity, the tout ensemble is indescribable. I have been obli- 
 ged tq wait a whole week for suitable weather, and almost 
 despaired of success, but I regret it not now. ' God waits 
 upon the waiters,' and we experience it. No one can visit 
 these islands without allotting from a week to a fortnight of 
 disposable time for the purpose. You have seen my prints of 
 Staffa ; but you have not seen them large and solid as the 
 original. The sublimity, beauty, magnificence, singularities, 
 wildness, and overwhelming influence of the whole, quite stop 
 my pen, and my breath, when I attempt either to write or 
 speak on the subject. I have made two separate visits to 
 Staffa, and seen it within, and without, with every possible 
 advantage. My travelling friend, Mr. P., is of a truly con- 
 genial mind, and we have mutual pleasure in using the 
 scenes of nature as means of grace. 
 
 lona is delightful in another way. Here, amid the ruins 
 of ancient grandeur, piety, and literature — surrounded by 
 the graves and mouldering gravestones of kings, chieftains, 
 
 * See Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland, by Dr. Johnson. Bos- 
 well, in his life of Dr. Johnson, relates the following anecdote respecting this 
 passage : — " Sir Joseph Banks," he observes, '* the respectable president of 
 tlie Royal Society, told rae he was so much struck on reading it, that he clasp- 
 ed his hands together, and remained for some time in an attitude of silent ad- 
 miration." 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 259 
 
 lords of the isles, bishops, priests, abbesses, nuns, and 
 friars — the scene decorated with the fine and romantic re- 
 mains of cathedral, colleges, nunnery, chapels, and oratorios, 
 with views of islands, seas, rocks, mountains, interspersed 
 (vith the humble huts of these poor islanders ; — I am just pre- 
 paring to preach to as many of them as can understand 
 English, in the open air. A rock my pulpit, and heaven my 
 sounding-board ; may the echo i esound to their hearts. In 
 the evening, I expect to preach by a Gaelic interpreter, to 
 the whole company of islanders, sentence after sentence be- 
 ing translated as I utter them. I trust I am following up the 
 spiritual example and wishes of my friend C, and that some 
 good will result from this visit. This will more than repay the 
 delay occasioned in my journey, by this most interesting ex- 
 cursion t^ the Hebrides. It will somewhat lengthen my jour- 
 ney and time ; but I feel a persuasion that my own soul and 
 those of others are to profit by it. Join your prayers to mine, 
 that it may be so. 
 
 " Since writing the above, I have given three services, 
 under circumstances most interesting and novel, to these 
 poor islanders of Icolumbkill. The last by a Gaelic interpre- 
 :er, who translated every sentence, after I had delivered it 
 n English. I passed near two hours alone, amid the ruins 
 ind graves of the cathedral. It is a most solemn and peace- 
 ul meditation : and here, you may tell Willy, I knelt down 
 ipon the graves of ancient monarchs, mouldering in the dust, 
 md prayed God to ' remember him for good to make him a 
 loly and happy being, both in time and eternity. I asked of 
 he Lord, that my child might share in the Christian privi- 
 eges, character, and literature of the once renowned Chris- 
 ian divines of lona, the missionaries and theologians of a 
 •rimitive period, on whose ashes I was treading ; I prayed 
 hat if (and only if) his heart were rightly directed, God 
 v'ould make him a minister of Christ's church on earth ; but 
 hat he might never enter on the sacred ofiice, if likely to be 
 . careless, carnal, unconverted servant of the sanctuary. My 
 eart was full of holy freedom, as I offered up a father's pe- 
 ition on the birthday of my child." 
 
 The following is a letter addressed to his son, at this time, 
 ontaining a most impressive appeal on the subject of the 
 Christian ministry : — 
 
260 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 My dear Boy, 
 
 ^ * * * * * 
 
 *' It is high time that you and I should communicate fre- 
 quently, intimately, and confidentially. If this is not to be 
 expected by the time you have arrived at fifteen, when is it 
 to be looked for ? On one account, I have more solicitude, 
 and even dread, on your behalf, than for any of my children. 
 Earnestly as I should wish a son of mine to be a minister, 
 yet I tremble at the idea of educating and devoting a. son to 
 the sacred profession, without a previous satisfactory evi- 
 dence that his own soul was right with God. Without this, 
 you and I should be guilty of a most awful sin in his sight. To 
 any, and every other good profession, trade, or occupation, 
 it may be lawful and expedient to fix with some degree of 
 determination, long before entering upon it ; but the ministry 
 is an exception. Even St. Paul himself trembles at his re- 
 sponsibility, and exclaims, ' lest, when I have preached to 
 others, I myself should be a cast-away.' I consider personal 
 religion, accompanied and evidenced by personal conduct, to 
 be indispensable in the individual, before either he, or another 
 for him, fixes on the ministry for his profession. And I will 
 not hesitate to say to you that, honored, and happy as I should 
 feel, in being permitted to see you a faithful preacher of 
 righteousness, adorning the Gospel which you would proclaim 
 to others ; — yet without this, I would rather a thousand times 
 see you a mason, or in the humblest capacity in life. I know 
 what the office is : and a penitent sense of my own deficien- 
 cies teaches me to be fearful, and to tremble for those of 
 others : how much more so in the case of my own child ? 
 
 " The national church groans and bleeds, * from the crown 
 of its head to the sole of its feet,' through the daily intrusion 
 of unworthy men into its ministry. Patrons, parents, tutors, 
 colleges, are annually pouring a torrent of incompetent 
 youths into the church, and loading the nation with spiritual 
 guilt. Hence, souls are neglected and ruined ; bigotry and ig- 
 norance prevail, church pride triumphs over church godliness, 
 and the Establishment is despised, deserted, and wounded. 
 Shall you and I deepen these wounds ? — Shall we add one 
 more unit to the numbers of the unworthy and traitorous watch- 
 men on the towers of our British Jerusalem? God forbid ! But 
 to avoid so sad a departure from every principle of sacred or- 
 der and conscience, you must become an humble, seriously- 
 minded, consistent young disciple of Christ ; a diligent student, 
 
REV. LEGH RICH>IO^'D. 
 
 261 
 
 obedient son, a loving brother, a grateful worshipper, a sim- 
 pie-hearted Chrislian. And / must feel comfortably satisfied 
 that you are so ; or with what conscience, with what hope, 
 with what satisfaction, with what peace of mind, can I consent 
 to devote you to the most sacred, the most important, the 
 most responsible of all offices within the compass of human 
 existence. 
 
 " Now, I will not, and ought not to conceal from you, that, 
 however accustomed we may all have- been to talk of you 
 as a future clergyman, I dare not decide upon any such plan 
 without a much clearer evidence than I have yet seen, that 
 your actual state of feelings and conduct, temper and con- 
 versation, habitual and permanent thoughts are such-as will 
 justify me in coming to so solemn a determination on my own 
 part . 
 
 " I say this with anxiety, and write it with fear, as my pen 
 proceeds ; but I say it with earnest prayers for the real con- 
 version of your soul to God, and with some hope that He will 
 hear the petitions which 1 have offered up for you through 
 many a long year. I still repeat it, that I never can consent 
 to put my seal to the question of the ministry, unless, and un- 
 til I have some satisfactory proof of your heart being turned 
 to God, in holy consistency and permanence of character. 
 
 " Let these pages be a testimony before God — and keep 
 them as a sign between you and me — that 1 am in earnest, 
 as to a subject where indifference would be sin. 
 
 " I have long been studying your character, in the hourly 
 events of each day, in immediate reference to this point. Re- 
 member, ' they that are Christ's have crucified the fiesh, with 
 its affections and lusts :' crucify yours. Pursue your studies 
 with diligence : you may do great things for yourself, even 
 without help — although 1 grant, much better with it. But 
 ' work while it is day ; the night cometh when no man can 
 work.' Believe me your affectionate father, L. R." 
 
 May the above serious and highly appropriate remarks be 
 deeply impressed on every youthful aspirant to the ministe- 
 rial office. And may every parent, before he finally destines 
 his child for so sacred a profession, pause, and maturely weigh 
 the responsibility of the act : and, as a further stimulant to 
 his conscience, may he contemplate Mr. Richmond praying 
 for his son, amidst the graves and ruins of lona. 
 
 We have already noticed the cheerful character of Mr. 
 Richmond's piety. The kindness of his heart led him to ex- 
 •23 
 
262 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 pehence an exquisite satisfaction in imparting pleasure. It 
 seemed to be his constant aim " to instruct by pleasing ;" and 
 he entered into every innocent feeling of children, and readily 
 shared their recreations. The school at lona particularly m- 
 terested him ; and he soon gained on the children's affections, 
 who listened to his instructions with confiding simplicity. 
 Before he quitted lona, he Rewarded their diligent attendance 
 with a public entertainment. The best sheep to be found 
 in the island was purchased for the sum of six shillings. 
 But a difficulty arose on the occasion, — there was fuel to 
 roast it, but the whole domain could not supply the neces- 
 sary apparatus for its dissection. The children assembled on 
 shore, and picked up shells, to answer the purpose of knives 
 and forks. 
 
 How interesting a scene ! Two hundred children and their 
 parents, assembled on the sea-shore, — every countenance 
 beaming with delight ! The hearts of the guests might be 
 full of joy in the novelty of the amusement, and in the hos- 
 pitality of their benefactor; but the master of the feast, 
 amidst the wreck of greatness, the tombs of the mighty dead, 
 and the anticipation of the revival of former piety among 
 these remote islanders, would taste the higher luxury of do- 
 ing good. 
 
 At the conclusion of the festivity, all sung the following 
 hymn, which Mr. Richmond, in the glow of his benevolent 
 feelings, had instantaneously composed, and which was in- 
 terpreted by the schoolmaster. The precipitation with 
 which these lines were composed, must disarm the severity 
 of criticism ; — • 
 
 " Thou God of all grace O omnipotent Lord, 
 Fill our hearts with the power of thy soul-saving word! 
 Have mercy, Jeliovah ! and be it thy will 
 To save the poor children of icolunibkill ! 
 
 I" Thy Spirit came once on liie wings of a ' dove." 
 And proved to our (atiiers hov,' great was thy love : 
 Have mercy again, Lord ! and be it tliy will 
 To save the poor children of Ico^umbkill ! 
 
 When idolatrous Druids polU»*e3 the land, 
 To banish them lience thtnt tiidst stretch forth thy hand: 
 'J'hou art still the same Lord ; iind oh ! be it thy will 
 To save the poor children of Icolunibkill ! 
 
 " Ori thee all our hope, in our poverty, sliiys — 
 Revive, Lord, thy work, in the midst of the days: 
 We will trust thee, O Lord ! then be it (liy will 
 To save the poor children of Icolumbkiill 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 363 
 
 " Thouirli remote be our dwelling and liumljle our lot, 
 Yet our God has a blessing for each liitle cot. 
 
 Ilave mercy, dear Saviour! and be ittliy will , 
 To save the poorcliildren of Icolumbkill ! 
 
 " May our breasts feel the power of the blood that vpas shed, 
 When Christ on the cross for oursins ' bowed his liead.' 
 May that blood l)e our trust; aud oh ! be it thy will 
 To 'save ihe poor children of Icolumbkill ! 
 
 "Bless our parents and teacliers, and make it their joy 
 In seeking our welfare their time to employ ; 
 Oh I bless their instructions; and be it thy will 
 To save the poor children of Icolumbkill! 
 
 "Now hear our petition, O God of the Isles! 
 That we all may partake of ihy heavenly smiles : 
 In life and in death be thou merciful still, 
 And save the poor childreu of Icolumbkill! 
 
 "And at the last day, Avhen our bodies slinll rise, 
 To behold the great Saviour and Judge in the skies — 
 Then let ii be known 'twas thy pleasure and will 
 To save the poor children of icolumbkill." 
 
 Mr. Richmond, during his visit to lona, frequently preach- 
 ed in the schoolhouse. On one of these occasions, he advert- 
 ed to the Jev/ish mission. The hum of the children was 
 heard, " We will give, we will give !" Some persons present 
 attempted to check their zeal, and keep silence, but all voices 
 were raised in reply — " The bairns will have it — the bairns 
 will have it !" meaning the children would make a collection : 
 and they presented to him the sum of 2Z. Os. 9d.* If not all 
 their living, yet a magnificent offering to Him whose grace 
 had touched their hearts and inspired their zeal. Of these 
 poor islanders it might be truly said, " Their deep poverty- 
 abounded unto the riches of their liberality." 
 
 The impression made on the people of lona by Mr. Rich- 
 rtiond's visit, appears fronti the following anecdote. He had 
 hired a boat and two sailors, to take him to Fingal's cave, a 
 place of great curiosity, and of which he never spoke without 
 the deepest emotion. On his return, he asked the boatmen 
 what he had to pay them. But they refused to accept any 
 remuneration ; and though he urged them to name their 
 charge, they firmly persisted in their resolution ; looked at 
 him with tears in their eyes, and exclaiming, "No, no, no, sir. 
 Love has brought you to lona, and love shall find you a boat." 
 
 * This seems a large sum for lona, but we have the authority of Mr. Rich- 
 mond's journal for the fact ; where it is also stated, that he repeatedly declined 
 accepting the boon, but the islanders forced it upon him, as a testimony of 
 their regard to liim and to his cause. 
 
264 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Mr. Ricnmond, before he quitted this interesting scene of 
 his labours, addressed the children ; about 200 of whom were 
 present. The master desired that as many as wished to 
 thank their benefactor for his kindness to them, would lift up 
 their hands. All raised their hands above t-heir heads. " Is 
 this from your hearts ?" said the master. Instantly one hand 
 was laid on their hearts, the other remaining up : and 
 in this posture," says Mr. Richmond, in his journal, " the 
 dear children stood, while I gave them a parting blessing. 
 It was a most touching sight." 
 
 He left lona amidst the tears of its population, nearly the 
 whole of whom attended him to the sea-shore, with the most 
 lively demonstrations of gratitude and love. 
 
 " Farewell," he observes, " dear, interesting lona. May I 
 think much and profitably on my visit, and on what 1 saw and 
 enjoyed there." 
 
 Before he quitted the island he had formed a plan for 
 raising, by subscription, -the means of building a new school- 
 house, and providing a permanent salary for the master. 
 
 With a view to prepare his Scotch friends for the design, 
 he wrote to his daughter Mary, whom he left at Edinburgh. 
 
 " My dear Mary, 
 
 " Nothing ever equalled Staffa in one point of view, 
 or lona in another ; no words of mine will ever reach of 
 approach what I should wish to say ; but I thank God for 
 what I have seen. 
 
 " Tell all our good friends, that my anxiety to promote the 
 welfare of the poor islanders of lona has led me tourjdertake 
 the raising a subscription to build a schoolroom ; which, 
 with the aid of the schoolmaster, of most true and godly sim- 
 plicity, will be of essential benefit to the place. About 90/. will 
 be wanted, and I sincerely hope to succeed in raising it. I 
 have spent three days and a sabbath among them. I preached 
 thrice there ; the opportunity was delightful, and affecting in 
 the highest degree. Pray use your influence to prepare the 
 way before I come. The money will be admirably laid out 
 for the good of the island. I have pledged myself for the 
 attempt, and trust God will prosper it. I hope my petition 
 will prevail with those who wish well to the poor islanders. 
 The prayers, tears, and blessings of the dear people follow, 
 ed us to the shore, as I departed. It was a time much to be 
 remembered. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 265 
 
 On Mr. Richmond's return to Edinburgh, he made the 
 following appeal to the Scotch public : 
 
 loNA. — A friend to the religious education and improve- 
 ment of the inhabitants of the western islands of Scotland, has 
 recently visited the interesting island of lona (or Icolumbkill.) 
 The island is an appendage to a parish in the adjacent isle of 
 Mull. Divine service is performed in lona, by the minister, 
 four times a year. There is a school in lona, under the 
 charge of a pious master, who receives a salary from the 
 Society for promoting Christian Knov/ledge in the Highlands 
 and Islands of Scotland. This schoolmaster reads a sermon to 
 several of the inhabitants, every sabbath-day ; but the house 
 appropriated to the purpose of the school is in so ruinous a 
 state, and so very unsuitable to the design in regard to size, 
 light, and general convenience, that neither the education of 
 the children nor the instruction of the adults, can be carried 
 on with advantage. The inhabitants of this remote island, 
 are 450 in number. In the hope of promoting their religious 
 and moral welfare, it is proposed to raise a subscription for 
 the building of a very plain but commodious schoolroom, for 
 the instruction of the islanders. The tenants and cotters 
 are too poor to raise a subscription amongst themselves, al- 
 though they are desirous that such a house should be built, 
 and will assist in the carting and carrying of the materials to 
 the place. ' Gold and silver they have none ; but such as they 
 have they will give to the cause.' The schoolmaster is much 
 esteemed amongst them, and has been the instrument of con- 
 siderable usefulness to the inhabitants ; and there is every 
 reason to believe that the accommodation thus proposed will, 
 if carried into execution, greatly increase it. The requisite 
 steps will be taken to ensure the permanent appropriation of 
 the building to the purpose for which the subscription is raised. 
 It is estimated that 90Z. will be adequate to the accomplish- 
 ment of the plan. 
 
 " It may be a subject of affecting consideration, that this 
 humbled schoolhouse will be erected in the very midst of the 
 venerable ruins of many religious and literary establishments ; 
 from which, in the earlier periods of Scottish history, piety 
 and learning were diffused through a large portion of Europe, 
 as well as in the British islands ; and they still remain, as 
 memorials of the apostolical labors of Columba, his associates, 
 and successors. There, likewise, mingled with the grave of 
 the poor Islanders, lie the remains of numerous kings of 
 Scotland, Ireland, and Norway, — of the lords of the isl^s, 
 23* 
 
266 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 and of innumerable chieftains, who were long since buried in 
 this once chosen cemetery of royalty and ancient grandeur. 
 
 " The associations arising from a comparison between the 
 former and present condition of this little island, may perhaps 
 be allowed to plead an additional argument for this attempt to 
 ameliorate the situation of its present and future inhabitants, 
 by affording increased facilities and encouragements to their 
 education and instruction. 
 
 " Amongst the various appeals which are now making to the 
 Christian public, in behalf of the Highlands and Islands of 
 Scotland, it is hoped that the present may be allowed to rank 
 as not the least interesting. 
 
 Subscriptions, and names of subscribers, will be received 
 by Robert Hepburne, Esq., Edinburgh ; who has kindly un. 
 dertaken to act as treasurer. The Rev. Legh Richmond has 
 also engaged to conduct the correspondence, and the arrange- 
 ments requisite for the accomplishment of the building. 
 
 At this time he wrote the following letter to his daughter 
 Fanny : — 
 
 " Since I wrote my last, I have abundantly succeeded in 
 StafFa and lona. No words can express the astonishing sub- 
 limity, beauty, grandeur, and unique character of the former ; 
 or the deep and affecting interest excited by the ruins and 
 associations of the latter island. I slept four nights therein, 
 in a little hut, such as you never saw, amid the venerable 
 ruins of all the great literary and religious establishments of 
 ancient days, when lona was the fountain of learning and 
 piety to all Europe. I preached there thrice on Sunday 
 se'nnight, to such a group of poor islanders, in such a poor 
 place, as you cannot easily conceive ; and between the ser- 
 vices I went and locked myself up for affecting meditation, 
 amidst the ruins of the once grand cathedral of St. Columba ; 
 and walked upon the graves of numberless kings of Scotland, 
 Ireland, and Norway, — lords of the isles, chieftains of all the 
 clans, bishops, priors, abbesses, nuns, and friars ; who lie here 
 in wild confusion, mingled with the poor forefathers of the 
 present islanders. By day, the sun shone — and by night 
 a lovely moon illuminated the splendid panorama of ocean, 
 eighteen islands, innumerable mountains, ranges of vast 
 rocks, ruins, peasants' huts, ships, boats, and a countless group 
 of other interesting objects. As but a small part of those 
 poor lonians can understand English, I preached to them by 
 an interpreter, sentence by sentence ; a pious schoolmaster, 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMO^'D. 
 
 267 
 
 who is a blessing to the island, translating all I said. Never 
 did I see such a sight, or feel such a feeling before. I am 
 trying to raise a subscription, to build these poor islanders a 
 schoolroom : it will indeed be a work of charity. When 
 I first beheld the cave of Fingal, in Staffa, I knew not 
 whether to close my lips in mute astonishment, or to fall down 
 and pray to the true God of such a temple. I wanted new 
 faculties for such a new demonstration of almighty power. 
 As I went thither, the sea was rolling immense waves ; and 
 we went up and down into watery hills and valleys : but a 
 calm succeeded as we arrived at Staffa." 
 
 Letter to Mr. Higgins, of Turvey Abbey, on the same sub- 
 ject :— 
 
 I have enjoyed a fine view of the Highlands, and several 
 of the islands of Scotland. No prints or drawings can give 
 more than a feeble idea of Staffa. It exceeded all my ex- 
 pectations, which were wrought very high. It is grand, beau- 
 tiful, singular, efficient in the highest degree ; but often diffi- 
 cult to reach. With lona I was deeply interested, in quite a 
 difterent way, — in relation to its ruins and past history, its 
 present moral and religious necessities, — and I hope, its ap- 
 proaching improvement. I hope to build them a school : I 
 have raised a subscription for the purpose. Finely as the 
 Lowlands and some parts of the Highlands are circumstanc- 
 ed, in reg&rd to education, other parts need much to be done, 
 and especially the islands, which have been neglected : but 
 an active spirit is beginning to arise for their amelioration. 
 
 " The scenery of the islands and western shores of Scot- 
 land is very superb and interesting : I met with a great deal 
 more fine ivy upon the castle ruins, in various places, than I 
 think fell to your lot. The scene along the Caledonian canal, 
 from the island of Zismore to Inverness, is of the very first 
 class. Ben Nevis, rising directly 4,370 feet from the sea at 
 its foot, is a noble hill ; and the Fall of Foyers, 200 feet per- 
 pendicular, on Loch Ness, is a complete specimen of the 
 grand and beautiful as a cascade. 
 
 " My daughter Mary has found so many valuable friends in 
 Scotland, that she is persuaded to pass the winter with them ; 
 and is enjoying a retreat in a beautiful spot on the banks of 
 the Clyde, with a clergyman and his lady, (a sister of Lord 
 B.) who combine the truly Christian character with every 
 other good and ornamental qualification. I have consented to 
 this visit. 
 
268 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 " I have had much business, both of a private and public 
 nature, on my hands during my absence ; but on the whole, 
 have been very well. Travelling contributes much to my 
 general health and strength. 
 
 *' Present my kind and pastoral regards to Mrs. H. and 
 your family ; and every good wish for their temporal, spiri- 
 tual, and eternal welfare." 
 
 About this time, Mr. Richmond opened a communication 
 with the Duke of Argyle, the owner of the island of lona, 
 after he had raised 701. amongst his friends. The Duke, it 
 appears, chose to erect the proposed building at his own ex- 
 pense. 
 
 The following extracts from a letter written to the editor 
 by Mr. Titcairn, contain all the information on this subject 
 which we have been able to collect, 
 
 " Much of my correspondence with Mr. Richmond was re- 
 specting a fund which he had collected for erecting a new 
 schoolroom at lona. This was afterward rendered unneces- 
 sary, as the Duke of Argyle built the house entirely at his 
 own expense. Mr. Richmond contemplated the appropriation 
 of the money raised for lona, to a nobler purpose than that of 
 a building. He died, however, before a plan was adjusted. 
 Mr. Hepburne is the treasurer, and I am secretary to this 
 fund. We are now making arrangements with the society 
 in Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge, and with 
 whom the money is to be vested in trust ; and the interest 
 applied annually for the moral and religious benefit of lona. 
 We are thus endeavouring to carry into effect Mr. Rich- 
 mond's benevolent design." 
 
 It is with unfeigned satisfaction that we hail the dawn of 
 lona's recovery of her ancient privileges ; but we trust the 
 efforts will not rest here. When we contemplate this once ce- 
 lebrated isle, the ancient seat of piety and civilization ; former- 
 ly actively engaged in dispensing to others the blessings by 
 which it was so highly distinguished ; and when we contrast 
 these privileges with its present state of religious destitution ; 
 we confess we are unable to repress the emotions awakened 
 by such a recollection. Shall a population of 450 immortal be- 
 ings be left destitute of the means of grace, and of the appoint- 
 ment of a regular ministry ? Shall " she who was great among 
 the nations, and princess among the provinjces, sit solitary and 
 
SEV. LEGH BICHMOIVD. 
 
 269 
 
 become as a widow ]" We call on the sons of Caledonia to 
 fulfil a solemn act of duty — we would remind them of their 
 obligations to this illustrious isle, and would point to the bro- 
 ken fragments of its temples, which seem to say, " why re- 
 pair ye not the breaches of the Lord's house ?" We are dis- 
 posed to beheve, if an appeal at this time were made to the 
 Christian public, both in Scotland and England, that it would 
 not be rejected. To Mr. Richmond's visit, lona owes her 
 schoolhouse. We cannot refrain from indulging the pious 
 wish, that to his Memoir she might be indebted for a still 
 higher blessing, the establishment of a regular ministry ! 
 
 We must not extend the detail of these tours beyond the 
 present limits : other subjects demand attention. Mr. Rich- 
 mond's journal abounds with the most grateful recollections 
 and honorable mention of his friends in Scotland. Indeed, it 
 were impossible that such a heart should not feel deeply the 
 kind hospitality every where shown him, and the generous 
 manner in which the English missions were encouraged and 
 supported. Though delicacy forbids us to publish these warm 
 expressions of his gratitude and love, and restrains us from 
 specifying the objects of his praise, v/e cannot retrace our 
 steps homewards without making one remark. In the record 
 of those journeys there appears a uniform acknowledgment 
 of the liberality and urbanity of his brethren in Scotland, 
 without even one solitary exception to occasion regret. 
 
 This ' unity of spirit in the bond of peace,' is highly credit- 
 able to the Episcopalian and his brethren of the Presbytery. 
 The editor would throw himself upon the candor of the rea- 
 der for dwelling so much and so frequently, in the course of 
 the-Memoir, on the subject of Christian charity. But the 
 schisms of the church of God are very painful to his mind, 
 and the subject of his daily prayer. He knows no greater joy 
 than to perceive the family of his Lord and Saviour, however 
 scattered in distant lands, and somewhat separated by the 
 warpings of education and habits, or by the infirmities of a 
 fallen nature, cherishing ' the same love, being of one ac- 
 cord and of one mind,' ' doing nothing throufrh strife or vain 
 glory, but in lowliness of mind esteeming each other better 
 than themselves.'* 
 
 * Le^h Richmond, in tiiis respect, exhibited throughout his life a decided 
 pre-eminence. He seemed to carry along with him an atmosphere of his 
 own; and, in his society, peculiarities for the most part yielded to the soften- 
 ing influence of true aAeclion. The editor remembers a pleasing anecdote, 
 ■which strikingly exemplifies his friend's happy manner of meeting the asperi- 
 ties of very rugged patures. He was once conversing with a brother cler- 
 
270 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Legh Riclimond's correspondents were numerous. It is 
 truly wonderful that he could find time for a few lines to each 
 of them. When absent from home, he not only wrote to his 
 wife and to every one of his children, but to the tutor of his 
 boys ; to the curate who supplied his church ; and to his pa*- 
 rishioners. We have not room for many specimens. The fol- 
 lowing are no discredit to his memory. 
 
 " Lutterworth, Nov. 13, 1822. 
 " My dear Friend,* — I throw myself on your Christian 
 feelings of charity once more. I have done wrong in what I 
 have written ; I pray you to forgive me. My real, true, and 
 only excuse is that my anxious feelings for the parish, and 
 my high approbation of your character and conduct amongst 
 the people, made me underrate your objections ; I did not 
 think them of sufficient weight, and I was sincerely and ho- 
 nestly fearful that you had some other reason, in which I was 
 personally implicated, and which your delicacy did not like 
 to name. I now believe otherwise, and I hope you will receive 
 my acknowledgment of my error in the same spirit wherein it 
 is offered to you. Do not let it influence you in any part of 
 your feelings or conduct towards me. You little know the 
 heart with which you have to do, if you think that except un- 
 der an erroneous impression, I could wound any one, much 
 less a friend and brother, and one whom I so cordially esteem 
 and love. I fancied that it was your nerves, and not your- 
 self, that shrank from the path in which I hoped Providence 
 had placed you ; and therefore I wrote as I did. Once more, 
 forgive me. My wife can tell you how much I suflered in my 
 mind before you arrived. I looked to your coming as a great 
 comfort — I found it so. Every thing went on well : I thought 
 that after a year's trial and acquaintance with the people, 
 you would be the very man to succeed in my absence. I 
 built upon this hope, and imagined that I could remove the 
 difficulties which, on a short and cursory view, affected your 
 mind. I tried to do so, — I failed ; — the fabric of my hope 
 seemed to totter, — my spirits sank : I fancied there was more 
 
 gymaii, on the case of a poor man who Iiad acted inconsistently with his reli- 
 gious profession. After some angry and severe remarks, the gentleman 
 with whom he was discussing the subject, conchided by saying, *' 1 have no 
 notion of such conduct; I will have nothing to do with him." "Nay, bro- 
 tiirr," observed Mr. Richmond, " let usbe more charitable in our judgment; for 
 with opportunity on the one hand, and Satan at the other, and the grace of God 
 at neither, where should you and I be V 
 
 *The Rev. Mr. R , at that time his curate. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 271 
 
 of fancy than argument in your reasons for going. These 
 considerations disappointed me and excited my solicitude. I 
 was crossed in all my hopes and plans for the next year. 
 Even the parental desire to visit my daughter in Scotland, by 
 leaving a tried and accepted friend at home, seemed to be 
 blighted. Put all these things together, and I think you will 
 the more readily throw a mantle of charitable forgiveness 
 over the faults and mistakes of your friend. On the receipt 
 of this, which I send open as a part of my letter to Mrs. R., 
 talk to her freely about it ; and may every unea?y feeling, 
 either in your or hers, or my own mind, be done away. So 
 far as concerns my correspondence, this letter contains my 
 heart and mind ; cancel every other. 
 
 " I trust that you are sparing yourself, agreeably to my 
 request, in regard to any of the meetings, which have pressed 
 on your strength and spirits. Shorten the evening chancel 
 lectures; take care of yourself, yet be at ease in so doing. 
 An unexpected, but important proposition has been made to 
 me relative to some sermons for next Sunday, and which may 
 possibly -prevent my return before. It is yet unsettled,- and 
 waits the arrival of a letter to-morrow ; but I will mention 
 the result as soon as I know it myself. 
 
 " Accept, for myself, the most sincere assurance of my 
 high and unfeigned esteem for you and your ministry ; my 
 cordial prayers for your welfare, both in mind and body and 
 estate ; my anxious regret that our connexion must not be of 
 a more lasting continuance ; and my belief that you have en- 
 tertained a real and unmixed regard and respect for your un- 
 worthy friend. I can add no more than prayers for your hap- 
 piness, and a hope that your next partner in the ministry 
 may as highly appreciate your services, and give you as 
 fully his heart, as does your affectionate friend and brother, 
 
 Legh Richmond." 
 
 " My dear friend,* — Had I not frequently heard of you, and 
 of the satisfactory manner in which you and the boys were 
 going on, from my daughters, I should have written to you 
 before, a letter of inquiry and friendship. Accept a few lines 
 now, however, for the sake of both. I can assure you that 
 no object lies nearer to my heart than the welfare of my sons, 
 in whom the treasury of my affections and conscientious de- 
 sires is greatly bound up. I often, very often, look with 
 
 * The Rev. Mr. G d. 
 
272 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 trembling regard on the future, as it concerns them ; and were 
 there not a ihrone of grace for them and for me, I know not 
 how I should bear up under many a drooping feeling. You 
 now see and know them, and, I am persuaded, feel an interest 
 in all that respects them. Tell me a little of the progress 
 and general conduct of each, and be assured of the confidence 
 which I repose in your conscientious assiduity and friendly af- 
 fection towards them and us. You, my friend, know the value 
 oi an immortal soul, and can unite its prosperity with every 
 other consideration ; you feel it for yourself, and can feel it 
 for others. You know something of the snares and vices of the 
 world by which we are surrounded, and can enter into the 
 temptations by which youths are constantly endangered : you 
 are not ignorant of the inward plague of the natural heart, 
 and of the need there is for prayer and w^atchfulness, to pre- 
 serve it from manifesting its evils in a thousand ways. I can, 
 therefore, and I do, feel a peculiar satisfaction in contemplat- 
 ing your office as connected with your prhiciples. The time 
 is now at hand when I trust, in the bosom of my family and 
 parish, to cultivate more intimacy and friendship with you than 
 circumstances have recently permitted ; and to share with 
 you the anxious task of rearing up young minds for heaven. 
 I have h£id much interesting matter for contemplation during 
 this journey, on the beauties of nature as well as of grace. I 
 have taken a wide range of scenery in Scotland, in the Heb- 
 rides, and the Northeast coast of Ireland ; it is no easy task 
 to detail or describe such objects, with all their combinations 
 and effects ; but they leave a valuable impression on the 
 mind that seeks God in the midst of them. It is delightful to 
 worship him in the temple of creation, and to catch from 
 psalmists and prophets the happy art of elucidating his works 
 of redeeming love, by illustrations and arguments drawn from 
 his wonders and beauties in the natural world. I will, here- 
 after, try to tell you something of these things, and to brighten 
 the gloom of our w inter horizon by some of my Northern 
 lights. I have also seen some very lovely instances of the 
 power of divine grace on the hearts of individuals and peo- 
 ple. It is a very delightful consideration, that the same God 
 and the samQ Redeemer reigns every where, and produces 
 the same effects in heart and life. What reason have we 
 to mourn over our slow growth under so many advantages T 
 " Be pleased to give my kind love to Mr. Renton, and tell 
 him that I received his letter subsequently to mine leaving 
 this. I shall be happy if he can, even for two or three 
 
REV. LEGII RICHMOND. 273 
 
 days, give me the comfort of his society beyond the 12th of 
 August. Can you tell me where he is going? He forgot, in 
 his letter, to mention the name of the place and clergyman 
 whose church he is to serve. Give my love to the boys ; ac- 
 cept of mine and Mrs. Richmond's assurances of esteem and 
 regard, and believe me, faithfully yours, Legh Richmond." 
 
 Pastoral Letter, addressed to his parishioners at Turvey. 
 
 " Glasgow, Sept. 3, 1820. 
 
 " My dear Friends — Although distance may for a season. 
 produce silence, it cannot cause forgetfulness in my heart. As 
 it concerns you, I can truly say that your spiritual welfare 
 and temporal comfort, form the subject of prayers constantly 
 offered up at the throne of grace. It has pleased the Lord to 
 bring us safe to our dear child, whom we found better than 
 we could have expected, considering the illness and suffer- 
 ings through which she has been carried. Great joy attend- 
 ed our meeting, and the affections of nature and grace were 
 called into no small exercise. I desire to praise Him for the 
 past, and trust Him for the future. Many of 5'OU have had 
 abounding proofs of God's mercy and goodness in the hour of 
 need, and have been brought ' through fire and through water 
 into a wealthy place.' May the recollections of such benefits 
 keep you humble, make you thankful, and render you meet 
 for the inheritance of the saints in light ! As we. journeyed 
 hither, we saw many lovely scenes amongst the mountains, 
 lakes, rivers, and waterfalls of nature ; and they reminded us 
 of the far greater beauties of holiness in Him who made them 
 all, and gives us many a gospel lesson in the works of crea- 
 tion. We are now in a vast city, containing above 150,000 
 inhabitants. Much grace prevails here ; and also, in such a 
 multitude, much evil. What need we have to pray for the 
 universal reign of Christian principles in all hearts ; for the 
 day when Glasgow, and London, and Turvey, may present 
 nothing but a population of the true followers of the Lord Je- 
 sus. When and how shall this come to pass ? Times and 
 j. seasons are in the Lord's hands, but the means of grace are 
 j! put into ours. And I know of no means so immediately likely 
 to promote the great event of general conversion, as the live- 
 ly, steadfast, and exemplary conduct of Christian professors. 
 , I would wish to impress this strongly upon every one of your 
 minds : you are answerable to God for the conduct of every 
 ' hour, not only as it may affect your own individual state, but 
 as it may, and must respect your families, your neighbours, 
 
274 
 
 MEMOIHS OF THE 
 
 and the Church of God; The increase and prosperity of 
 young converts is closely connected with the manner in 
 which older professors of religion so let their light shine be- 
 fore them, that they, seeing their good works, may glorify 
 their Father which is in heaven. Be a united people : give 
 no place to unkind suspicions, or jealousies, or words. Re- 
 member the golden rule, * even so do ye unto others as ye 
 would that they should do unto you.' Keep your eye and your 
 heart steadily fixed upon the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. 
 Walk happily, by walking wisely and holily. Maintain fa- 
 mily prayer and instruction in your households, whenever it 
 is practicable ; and where it is not, be more earnest in secret 
 prayer for the removal of all hinderances. Keep together as 
 a people; encourage no divisions which break the peace of 
 the church, and injure weak souls by many false delusions. 
 A good Christian is a steady one. You that are in trouble, 
 cast your cares upon the Lord, knowing that he careth for 
 you. If God be with you, who can be against you ? Think 
 over past mercies, and see on whom you ought to trust. Do 
 not dishonor him by unbelieving doubts. He is faithful that 
 has promised. May God answer my prayer for unity, peace, 
 and concord. Hearken to the word of truth, from the lips of 
 my faithful fellow. laborer ; strengthen his hands, and encou- 
 rage his heart. Pray much for me ; T need it, for my labors 
 a^e many, and I am weak ; but the Lord is my strength, 
 God bless every one of you ; and may we, if God will, meet 
 again in love and holy resolution. So prays your affectionate 
 pastor. Legh Richmond." 
 
 It w^as during one of Mr. Richmond's excursions to Scot- 
 land, that he arranged for publication the very interesting 
 diary and " Letter on the Principles of the Christian Faith," 
 composed by Miss Sinclair, eldest daughter of the right Hon. 
 John Sinclair, Bart, who died on the 22d May, 1818. There 
 are few of our readers, we presume, who have not read the 
 above production, addressed by Miss Sinclair to one of her 
 younger sisters, without any intention of its meeting the pub- 
 lic eye, or aiming at any thing beyond the private edification ' 
 of her sister. It contains a very clear, scriptural, and able 
 exposition of the principles of the Christian faith, accom- ^ 
 panied by remarks which showed the influence of those 
 principles in her own heart. At the request of the family, a 
 memoir of Miss Sinclair was prefixed to the publication, by 
 Mr. Richmond. It is foreign to <>ur purpose to enter into any 
 
REV. LEGII RICnMOND. 
 
 275 
 
 review of this interesting little work, which details the early 
 growth and progress of divine grace in the heart of this young 
 lady, who appears to have united the attainments of genuine 
 piety witli the endowments of the most cultivated mind. We 
 have much pleasure in subjoining the following testimony, as 
 one of the many instances of usefulness arising from the pe- 
 rusal of this little memoir : 
 
 " Rev. Sir, — Being informed that you are writing the life 
 of Mr. Richmond, I beg, through the medium of my much es- 
 teemed friend Mr. F. to inform you, how greatly I am in- 
 debted to the memoir of Miss Hannah Sinclair. I trust it 
 is from no ostentatious wish to see my name in print, that I 
 allude to the blessed change in my views and principles. 
 Yet I do wish to give publicity to the little volume by which 
 my mind was first drawn to the true principles of the word of 
 God, and my heart rightly impressed by them. I would pay 
 a tribute of respect to the memory of one who must be ever 
 dear to my recollection, for the benefits received from that 
 excellent letter of Hannah Sinclair : and I nnxiously desire 
 that her valuable memoir by Mr. Richmond, may be read with 
 the same delight and benefit w^hich accompanied my perusal 
 of it. I am, &c. K. Phipps." 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Death of his infant— Marriage of his eliJest dau?hter— Visit to the North of Ireland 
 --Texts on the walls of his cliurch— Extract of a letter to his daughter F— . —Isle 
 of Wight lour— Pastoral letter— Journal— His son Wilberforce's iilnessand death- 
 Reflections— Marriage of liis daughter H— . — Xugent's shipwreck, and death- 
 Letters— Apocryphal question-Mr. Richmond's opinion on the mode of preach- 
 ing to the Jews— His sentiments on. other subjects— Journey to Cromer— Conver- 
 sation with the editor— Meditation in his study. 
 
 In the spring of 1821, Mr. Richmond lost his infant child. 
 He gives the account of this event in a letter to his daughter ; 
 and he composed a few verses, to sooth the feelings of the 
 mother, as well as to express his own. 
 
 "Dear Mary, — Our dear delicate baby has taken his flight 
 to a happier world ! I write beside his unspeakably beautiful 
 remains. Of all my twelve babes, I never clung to one like this 
 ^ • — perhaps, because I never expected his life. He was formed 
 • for a higher state than this, and is taken away from the evil 
 to come. He had an inflammation on the chest for a few days. 
 
276 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 He died in my arms — lovelier than the loveliest, calmer than 
 the calmest. His previously languid eye suddenly illumined 
 into heavenly brightness and vigor : it looked at me with full 
 intelligence — seemed to say, ' Farewell ! I am going to Je- 
 sus — and he was gone." 
 
 HYMN FOR AN INFANT'S FUNERAL. 
 
 " Hark! how the angels, as they fly, 
 'Slug through the regions of the sky; 
 Bearing an infant in their arms, 
 Securely fi eed from sin's alarms : — 
 
 • " Welcome, dear babe, to Jesu's breast — 
 
 For ever there in joy to rest : 
 Welcome to Jesu's courts above, 
 To sing thy great Redeemer's love ! 
 
 " We left the heavens and flew to earth, 
 To watch thee at thy mortal birth : 
 Obedient to thy Saviour's will,. 
 We stayed to love and guard thee stilL 
 
 " We thy protecting angels came, 
 To see tiiee blessed in Jesus name ; 
 When the baptismal seal was given, 
 To mark thee, child, an heir of heaven. 
 
 " When the resistless call of death 
 Bade thee resign thy infant breath — 
 When parents wept, and thou didst smile, 
 We were thy guardians all the while. 
 
 " Now wiih the lightning's speed, we bear 
 The cliild committed to our care ; 
 With anthems such as angels sing, 
 We fly to bear thee to our King. 
 
 " Thus sweetly borne, he flies to rest : 
 We know 'tis well — nny more, 'tis best. 
 When we our pilgrims' path have trod, 
 Oh! may we find him with our God !" 
 
 We have already noticed that Mr. Richmond, in his tour to 
 Scotland, left his eldest daughter to the care of Dr. and Mrs. 
 S., who resided near Glasgow. It was there that an attach- 
 ment was formed between Miss Richmond and a clergyman 
 of the Established Church of Scotland, whose profession and 
 character rendered the connexion a source of peculiar grati- 
 fication. He alludes to this circumstance in the following 
 letter to one of his daughters : — 
 
 ** My dear Love — Was not this the day on which you were 
 born ? Why, then, I must now wish you many happy returns 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMaND. 
 
 277 
 
 of it. But will they be happy, if you be not holy? How I 
 long to see my dear F. still more decided — more spiritual — 
 more given to holy thoughts, words, and \vorks. Let not your 
 mind be drawn aside by any thing that will steal your heart 
 from God. Make no idols of books that carry away the ima- 
 gination. I will give you a rule to judge whether an author 
 is profitable in the perusal. — Go directly from your book, and 
 open your Bible ; and, without partiality or hypocrisy, say 
 which you embrace with the most delight. The answer will 
 always show the state of your mind, and the profitableness 
 and lawfulness of the book. 
 
 " Become more serious.* I am much pleased with the con- 
 scientious principles and behavior of Mary and Mr. M., in 
 their intercourse. He is a true Christian, and most affec- 
 tionalely attached to her. His views of faith and practice 
 exactly accord with my own : he is too good a man to be light 
 and trifling on such a solemn subject as a nuptial engage- 
 ment. Mary's mind is sacredly and steadtastly made up, to 
 love, honor, and obey him, as the partner of her heart, and 
 ♦ the choice of her conscience. Oh ! pray for the dear girl, and 
 treat the question with sacred cheerfulness. My visit to Glas- 
 gow was blessed to the cultivation of pure regfird and esteem 
 
 with all the M s. 1 can resign her, with full hope and 
 
 confidence, into God's hands. Do 3'ou the same ; and when 
 we return home, seek more opportunities of useful conversa- 
 tion. Attend, in the course of every day and hour, to the 
 growth of your best and most ennobling principles of action. 
 Much, very much time, v. hich might be employed in an in- 
 creasing meetness for the inheritance of the saints in light, is, I 
 fear, lost. These things ought not so to be, my dear child. 
 Time is short, eternity is at hand. It is a hard thing to be 
 saved at all ; and every lost hour, every idle word^ every neg- 
 lected opportunity, makes it more hard. It is a strait gate and 
 narrow way to heaven, and (comparatively) few there be that 
 find it. 
 
 " Never be without a book, in daily reading, of a direct 
 spiritual and devotional tendency; one that will make the 
 vanities of time and sense appear unworthy of your notice. 
 Always maintain with some one, if possible, a truly religious 
 correspondence, calculated to bring Christ to the soul. Keep 
 in hourly recollection, that you are a great sinner, unworthy 
 of all the comforts and enjoyments which you possess ; and 
 that without a Saviour inwardly known, all is as nothing. Ex- 
 amine for the proofs of a converted mind, in the grand act of 
 24* 
 
278 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 faith on Jesus Christ. I cannot recommend you a more lively 
 example than Mrs. Isabella Graham, the admirable aunt of 
 Mr. M. Learn to love true religion in others, whoever they 
 may be. Shun party prejudice as the bane of charity and 
 the curse of the church. God's love is not limited to us, and 
 our division of the church of Christ; why then ought ours? 
 Far be it from us to feel alienation from any whom He is 
 leading heavenward. 
 
 " Pray think of the general tenor of this letter, for my 
 sake, and for your own sake. J have much spiritual uneasi- 
 ness about all my children, and npost anxiously wish to see 
 them grow in grace. Without this, all is dead. I want to 
 see them useful to others around them, and patterns to one 
 another, and comforts to me in all things." 
 
 The union took place at Turvey, in the spring of 1822 ; 
 and the writer of this Memoir had the pleasure of officiating 
 on the'occasion. On the day of Miss Richmond's marriage, 
 her father addressed to her the following interesting letter : — 
 
 " I this day consign you, my beloved daughter, into the 
 hands of one whom I believe to be a man of God, and who 
 will watch over your eternal as well as your temporal inte- 
 rests. I trust that your union is formed in the simplicity of 
 faith, hope, and love. Give yourself up, first to God, and 
 then to your husband, for Christ's sake. Pray for grace to 
 conduct yourself aright, in the new stations of wife and mis- 
 tress. Never depend for a single moment, on the strength of 
 your own feeble nature. Live constantly by faith on the Son 
 of God ; relying on him for the graces of domestic life, as'^ell 
 as those of a more general character. Endeavor in all things 
 to please God, and you will be sure to please all whom you 
 ought to please. 
 
 " Expect the trials and crosses incident to the earthly pil- 
 grimage ; but expect also by the mercies and merits of Jesus 
 Christ, to be enabled to pass through them with safety and 
 peace. 
 
 " Love, honor, and obey ;^our husband, for the Lord's sake. 
 Do it upon deep conscientious principles, as in the constant 
 sight of God. Think much on the love of Christ to poor 
 sinners ; and live upon this love, as food and medicine to your 
 own soul. 
 
 *' Be cheerful without levity ; be grave without hjoroseness ; 
 be devout without affectation ; be firm without obstinacy; be 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 279 
 
 diligent in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord in all 
 things. 
 
 *' Although you leave your father's house, I know you will 
 not leave its principles, any more than its love. Though se- 
 parated, we shall be closely united, — though out of sight, yet 
 never out of mind : you will think of us, and we of you, with 
 affections tender, rational, and abiding. We shall often meet 
 at the throne of grace, and welcome each other, and be wel- 
 come there ; we shall often meet in the correspondences of 
 heart and pen. We shall, if God permit, sometimes meet in 
 sweet personal intercourse again ; we shall often meet in the 
 affectionate reveries of imagination. And oh ! may we at last 
 meet to part no more, in the house not made with hands, eter- 
 nal in the heavens. 
 
 " Study your own and your husband's dispositions, that you 
 may cultivate true conjugal peace and love. Ever be ready 
 to open your heart to him on things spiritual as well as tem- 
 poral. Disappoint him not herein, for he will watch over your 
 soul, as one that must give account. A minister's public la- 
 bors are intimately connected with his private and domestic 
 consolations. A minister's wife may be a main-spring of en- 
 couragement or discouragement to her husband, in all his ar- 
 duous and anxious occupations fiy the good of his flock. On 
 her example and demeanor very much may often depend, 
 Keep this always in mind, and look up to Christ for gracious 
 help. Feel with, and for your husband, in all his parochial 
 and congregational interests, as well as in those which are 
 simply domestic — they ought to be inseparable. Cultivate a ^ 
 deep and personal piety. Imitate the holy women of old, 
 arra let your adorning be like unto theirs : St. Peter can tell 
 you what that is.* 
 
 " I rejoice in your lot ; I can see the hand of God in it. 
 This is a token for good to us all. 
 
 Go, dear Mary, to your husbEihd's house ; and may the 
 presence and blessing of the Lord go with you ; I commend 
 you to his holy keeping with confidence. Faithful is He that 
 hath promised, and He will do it. We shall have pledged^ 
 our vows at the table of the Lord, at this interesting period : 
 may this strengthen and animate our hearts to serve and trust 
 him. On this day the Spirit was poured out on the primitive 
 church with great power, — may we this day receive the ear- 
 nest of his love in much simplicity. 
 
 " Grace, peace, and mercy, be with my beloved daughter, 
 and with her affectionate father, Legh Richmond." 
 ' 1 Peter iii, 3, 4, 5. 
 
280 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 The year after the marriage of his daughter, Mr. Rich- 
 mond availed himself of a visit to Scotland, to make a short 
 excursion to the North of Ireland. . We can furnish the reader 
 with no other particulars than are contained in the subjoined 
 letter to his friend Mr. Higgins, of Turvey Abbey. 
 
 " My dear Sir, — Owing to some domestic circumstances 
 connected with our dear daughter's confinement, indisposi- 
 tion, and recovery, we h^ve been detained here beyond our 
 expectations ; but in our absence, we think and talk much of 
 our Turvey friends, and anticipate the restoration to their so- 
 ciety with much pleasure. During my wife's more retired 
 occupation of nursing arid superintending household affairs in 
 Glasgow, I have had interesting opportunities of seeing dis- 
 tricts of much beauty and curiosity. I have again visited 
 Staffa and lona, and several other of the Western islands. 
 I have also seen the Giant's Causeway, and the highly roman- 
 tic and sublime coast of Antrim in Ireland, including a jour- 
 ney of seventy miles by land to Belfast. I was very glad to 
 find that amidst all the misery and mischief of many other 
 parts of Ireland, one district in the North is very quiet, and 
 comparatively comfortable. I travelled in an open vehicle 
 until midnight, without fear or danger. But not so, had I 
 traversed the terrhories oP Captain Rock. The North of 
 Ireland is chiefly Protestant, although not exclusively so. I 
 had the opportunity of observing there, as in Scotland, that 
 in exact proportion to the universality and superiority of the 
 school education of the children of the poor, good or bad con- 
 duct prevails in the different districts. With mental attain- 
 ments and useful instruction, an elevation and stability of Ifca'- 
 racter, and a happy adaptation of mind to circumstances is 
 generally formed. Subject to occasional exceptions, I feel 
 confident that the three kingdoms will owe their future and 
 final prosperity to the great advances and improvements made 
 in general education. Nothing can more illustrate this fact 
 than the comparison between Scotland and Ireland, and the 
 contrasted districts of educated or uneducated Ireland and 
 Scotland with each other. For in some of the remote islands 
 and Highlands of even Scotland, much is yet to be done. 
 You would not be sorry that the Popish question was lost in 
 parliament, neither was I : I am convinced that we are safer 
 as we are, although equally convinced that many good men 
 most conscientiously think otherwise ; but I was glad when I 
 saw the result. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 281 
 
 From my children's account, the boys are going on very 
 well with Mr. Ayre, and I trust will improve much under his 
 tuition. May God be pleased to enable us to bring them up 
 in ' the nurture and admonition of the Lord and to see them, 
 as much as possible, preserved from the abounding snares 
 and evils of the corrupt world in which their lot must be cast. 
 
 " The beauty of nature, and its accompanying scenery, is 
 now great indeed. I cannot convey to paper the magnificence 
 of the mountains, the loveliness of the plains, the sublimity of 
 the rocks, the splendor of the ocean, the diversity of the 
 islands, the wonders of basaltic columns, the awfulness of the 
 caves, nor the combinations of effects produced by them alto- 
 gether. I cannot depict the numerous ivy-girt ruins of feudal 
 castles, nor the groves and woods of the mansions and villas 
 of lairds and lords ; but you know something of them, and 
 must conceive in imagination what your friend is unable 
 to describe. My great desire is to seek and find God in them 
 all, and to adore him there." 
 
 About this time the church at Turvey was inspected by the 
 archdeacon, who was pleased to express his high approbation 
 of the neatness and good order with which every thing ap- 
 peared to be conducted.* The church is a singular building, 
 having three chancels annexed to it. In one of these are the 
 monuments of the Mordaunts : the middle chancel contains 
 the font and communion table ; and the third was used for 
 the evening instruction of the schools, where Mr. Richmond 
 catechized and preached to the children. A most appropriate 
 s^gljtion of texts is inscribed on the walls of each of these 
 cfflBbels, as well as in the body of the church, chosen by Mr. 
 Richmond with great care, and exhibiting a complete system 
 of divinity. " I wish," said our excellent friend, "when I can 
 no longer preach to my flock, that the walls should remind 
 them of what they have heard from me. The eye, though 
 wandering in thoughtless vacancy, may catch something to 
 affect the heart." 
 
 We regret that we cannot convey to the reader an adequate 
 representation of the interior of Turvey church. The admira- 
 
 * We feel called upon, in this place, to bear our restimony to the zeal and 
 persevering labor of Archdeacon Bonney, in restoring the churches, under his 
 superintenflence, to a state of order, decency, and necessary repair, which 
 was greatly needed. They now exhibit the appearance becoming tlie cha- 
 racter of the Christian Sanctuary; and we cannot but express our wisl:, that 
 po laudable ah example were generally imitated. 
 
282 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 ble order of tho texts, which display both the taste and piety 
 of the- departed rector, might afford a model for similar ar- 
 rangements in other churches, 
 
 The following are extracts from a letter written to his 
 daughter F , at that period : — 
 
 " Londo?i, June 7 , Vo22. 
 
 " Fully as I can enter into the beauties of works of fiction, 
 yet I exceedingly dread their tendency. The utmost caution is 
 requisite in meddling with them. The novelist I unequivo- 
 cally proscribe, and many of the poets, and their poems, 
 which are only nets to catch young minds in the maze of 
 Satan. It is a maxim in regard to books, as well as com- 
 panions, that what does not improve, invariably iwjwre*. Fe.w 
 things in this world are merely negative and harmless : they 
 either do us good, when sanctified by the Spirit ; or they do 
 us harm, by stealing our hearts from God. Even the beauties 
 and wonders of nature, in an unsanctified mind, excite nothing 
 beyond natural affection, pleasure, and surprise. If CTirist^s 
 not sought for in them, we rise no higher than mere tourists, 
 rhymists, and painters. Whether we eat, or drink, or travel, 
 or read, or converse, or philosophize, all, all must be done to 
 the glory of God. 
 
 Hitherto, we have only incidentally mentioned Mr. Rich- 
 mond's exertions in behalf of the British and Foreign Bible 
 Society. But it was not likely that an institution, characteriz- 
 ed by so catholic a spirit, and by a design so grand and com- 
 prehensive, should fail to find in him a zealous and persever- 
 ing supporter. He was, in fact, disposed to believe thajUmen 
 never thoroughly understood, nor rightly felt the true^Bjpt 
 of Christianity, till they acquired it through the instrumen- 
 tality of this Society ; and that such was the force of early 
 and deep-rooted prejudices, and so unhappy were the divisions 
 and mutual alienation which they inspired, that apparently no 
 other mean could have been devised for allaying their unchris- 
 tian antipathies. Not that he was insensible to the excellency 
 and importance of his own creed and forms, yet he by no 
 means thought it was a necessary conclusion, that, because 
 we deem our own standard to be best, every other is conse- 
 quently erroneous ; or that genuine religion is so restricted to 
 one indispensable fbrm and interpretation, that, where men are 
 agreed as to its essentials, any difference of opinion, however 
 conscientiously held, could justly merit the grave charge of 
 heresy and error. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 283 
 
 That he knew how to defend his own principles, whenever 
 called upon to support them, we shall adduce the following 
 anecdote. — 
 
 Mr. Richmond once met the late Rev. Andrew Fuller, the 
 well-known secretary of the Baptist Missionary Society, at 
 the house of Mr. Livius, at Bedford. The conversation 
 turned on the ritual of the Church of England. 3Ir. Fuller 
 remarked, that " it assuined the sincerity of the worshipper, 
 and indiscritninately attributed to each the language of true 
 devotion, which he considered to be a defect." " How would 
 you frame these services ?" said Mr. Richmond : "the church 
 presumes, in the judgnaent of charity, that ail her worshippers 
 are sincere, and forms her ritual on this principle. If they 
 are not sincere, the greater is their responsibility." " But the 
 y<2C/," said Mr. F. is otherwise ; and charity, unsupported 
 by fact, is misplaced." " How would you remedy the defect ?" 
 rejoined 3Ir. Richmond. Here the conversation was inter- 
 rupted, the time being arrived for family worship. Mr. Rich- 
 mond, on this occasion, expounded a passage of scripture, and 
 Mr. Fuller concluded with prayer : after which the former 
 observed, with a smile, " Your prayer. Sir, is liable to the 
 same objection which you make to the services of our church. 
 Your petitions for pardon and grace, your acknowledgment 
 of guilt, your hope and confidence in God, were all generally 
 offered up without qualification, as expressive of the feelings 
 and sentiments of the whole assembly." How would you 
 have me pray ?" said Mr. F., '•' Precisely as you did," replied 
 Mr. Richmond : " but you must no longer adhere to your 
 obi^tion ; for you were not warranted in believing, except 
 in Prejudgment of charity, that all the members of the family 
 were sincere worshippers. You have this night authorized 
 the principle on which our services were constructed, by your 
 own example." 
 
 Mr. Richmond's public labors in the cause of the Bible 
 Society were rather occasional than regular : his tours being 
 for the most part taken for the Church Missionary and Jewish 
 Societies. But his services were willingly offered, whenever 
 opportunities occurred, and few speakers were heard with 
 more acceptability. He also often made voluntary excursions 
 of a smaller extent, to assist in the formation of branch Bible 
 Societies ; and he usually attended the annual meetings of 
 the auxiliaries to the present institution, within his own neigh- 
 borhood, where he was allowed to be one of the most efficient 
 instruments in their establishment and confirmation. 
 
284 
 
 MEMOIRS OF TUB 
 
 In the month of August, 1822, he was appointed by the 
 committee of the Parent Society in London, to accompany 
 one of their secretaries (Dr. Steinkopff)to Chichester, Ports- 
 mouth, Southampton, and the Isle of Wight. The recollec- 
 tions of his former residence were too strongly associated 
 with all the early events of his ministry, not to render the 
 proposal highly acceptable to him. 
 
 We venture to make a few extracts from his journal at this 
 tiirie, being the last we shall have occasion to notice. We 
 trace in them his usual taste for the beauties of nature, with 
 a glowing spirituality and devotedness of heart. 
 
 JOURNAL. 
 
 " Aug. 27, 1822. Saw views of the Isle of Wight. 
 What associations crowd upon my heart ! Arrived at Ports- 
 mouth. Joyfully and atfectionately received by my old 
 friends, Mr. and Mrs. T. in the dockyard. Talked over old 
 times — about the Isle of Wight, Brading, Bembridge, &;c. 
 
 " I entreat thee, O my God, to sanctify this season to my 
 soul and to the souls of others ! May this visit be a blessing. 
 Time is going on — eternity is at hand. Strengthen my heart, 
 head, and tongue, and keep me from evil. 
 
 — 28. Looked with peculiar recollection on the tower in 
 the dockyard, where I conversed with the emperor of Russia, 
 in June, 1814. Went to the Bible Societ3^ Well supported. 
 Good feeling. I enlarged on my former intercourse with the 
 
 Isle of Wight. Dined with Sir George G . Proceeded 
 
 to Southampton. Profitable conversation with Dr. S. m^JtJie 
 necessity of retirement and prayer, in the midst of publiSknd 
 official duties. My atfections greatly exercised to-day by 
 the topics of my speech — never more so. 
 
 " Lord, guide me in this pilgrimage. Keep my heart — 
 give me judgment — direct my tongue — preserve me from sin ! 
 
 " — 26. Went to the Bible Meeting at Southampton. 
 I told the minei;'s story.* A poor widow brought an interest- 
 
 * The story to which he alludes is very aftecting. In one of the Newcastle 
 collieries, 35 nnen and 41 boys died by suffocation, or were starved to deatli, 
 One of tlie boys was found dead, with a Bible by his side, and a tin box 
 such as the Colliers use. Within the lid he had contrived to engrave, with 
 the point of a nail, this last message to his mother: — "Fret not, my dear 
 motlier, for we are singing the praises of God while we have time. Mother, 
 follow God more than ever I did. Joseph, think of God, and be kind to 
 poor mother." Mr. Richmond brought the box from the North, and in his 
 mode of communicating this affecting incident, used to awaken feelings of the 
 most livaly interest. — See YoutJi's Magazine, vol. vii. p. 24. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 285 
 
 ing girl, named Mitchell, about eighteen, to acknowledge with 
 tears of grateful affection, how much she was indebted to the 
 tract of ' The Young Cotia^;er,' for a change of heart and 
 hope. She showed a simplicity of character that affected me 
 greatly. Sailed to Cowes. Proceeded to Newport. I am 
 once more in the Isle of Wight — God bless this visit. My 
 heart yearns over this spot. Lord sanctify all things to me 
 and to thy children ! and daily add to the church such as shall 
 be saved. 
 
 " Newport, Aug. 30. Met Robert Wallbridge,* and talk- 
 ed about his sister and father. Attended the Bible Meet- 
 ing. Entered at large into Isle of Wight feelings. Much affec- 
 tion manifested. Proceeded with Dr. S. to Ryde. He left me 
 to proceed to Portsmouth, after an affectionate farewell. f 
 
 " A number of persons came in the evening, and joined us 
 in family prayer. Dear John W. and his wife full of kind- 
 ness and holy affections. 1 expounded and prayed. Mr. 
 Butterworth was there. "It was an affecting season. How 
 my heart feels these scenes and interviews ! Lord, sanctify 
 all this to my own soul ! The Brading pulpit is offered me 
 for Sunday morning. 
 
 " Aug. 31. (Saturday.) Fixed to have a Bible meeting 
 on Thursda}- nexl. Set out with my daughter Fanny, and 
 went through Brading, to Mr. L.'s cottage at Sandown. All 
 the way, felt strong associations. Every tree, hedge, gate, 
 house, revived them. Went to Shanklin, to the Chine. Ex- 
 quisite views. Dined in the Chine. Returned through Bra- 
 ding. Was much affected on reading many gravestones — 
 ^ many that I once well knew ! Drank tea with the curate. 
 Fliiially settled that I should preach to-morrow at Brading. 
 The bells ringing for me. Found an invitation to preach to- 
 morrow at Ryde also. May my soul be directed into all 
 truth. I felt much while sitting in the Brading vicarage par- 
 lor — so many domestic recollections ! Returned to Ryde. 
 
 " Sept. 1. {Sunday.) A most affecting day. Went, after 
 breakfast, to Brading. Before church, saw many friends, 
 who most affectionately greeted me. Preached from Psalm 
 viii, 4—* What is man, that thou art mindful of him ? and the 
 son of man, that thou visitest him V Church most crowded. 
 I was much affected by the whole scene. Mr. T., the cu- 
 
 * This was tlie brolhcr of his Dairyman's Daughter. 
 
 tMr. Richmond's Journal coiUains'many expressions of the warmest esteem 
 and Christian regard for Dr. S., which delicacy alone prevents us from in- 
 serting. 
 
 25 
 
286 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 rate, acted in a very friendly manner. After many intei;esting 
 circumstances went to Ryde, and preached there in the af- 
 ternoon. Dined with Mr. and Mrs. P. At eight, went to Mrs. 
 Y., at Bank Cottage, where a multitude of people heard me 
 expound and pray. How many gave me the affectionate 
 right hand of fellowship ! Mr. and Lady Harriet W. Mr. But- 
 terworth, &;c. there. I expounded from John vii, 37 — ' In 
 the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cri- 
 ed, saying. If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.' 
 
 *' What scenes are these ! How far removed from the 
 pomps and vanities of this world ! 
 
 " Sept. 2. Went to Brading. Showed Jane's cottage to 
 Fanny.* Called on numbers of people. Much friendly and 
 kind reception at Brading : religious and devotional feeling 
 in every direction. 
 
 " — 3. Went to Bembridge. Interesting in the extreme. 
 Saw old Mr. G. dying, and happy in death. Called at the 
 G.'s. Found the whole family full of love, affection, and 
 piety. Went to Mr. K.'s and various others. All respect 
 and affection. Ascended Bembridge Down : the finest pros- 
 pect in the island. Dined at Mrs. M.'s. Had a delightful 
 religious party in the evening. Exposition and prayer. Set- 
 tled to have a distribution of tracts at Bembridge, on Thurs- 
 day, if fine. 
 
 " God grant me grace to go through all these affecting 
 scenes profitably to myself and others. 
 
 it — 4. Explored former scenes with much interest. 
 Many associations during this excursion. Lord, sanctify 
 •them ! 
 
 " — 5. A day much to be remembered. After break- 
 fast, went with Mr. Butterworth, &c. to distribute tracts, 
 according to promise, at Bembridge Point, to which I had 
 invited all the population of Bembridge. The most affecting 
 and affectionate scene ever witnessed. Such meetings, wel- 
 comes, congratulations, smiles, tears, salutations, from some 
 hundred persons — men, women, and children ! It is indelibly 
 impressed upon my mind, and beggars all description. 
 
 " Had many proofs of past usefulness. God bless this day 
 to me and many ! On returning home, found a delightful let- 
 ter from my dear wife, about the Isle of Wight ; God bless 
 and preserve her. Dined at six, with a Christian party. Ex- 
 
 * The scene of one of his interesting narratives. 
 
 I 
 
REV. LEGH RICHilO^D. 
 
 287- 
 
 pounded 23d Psalm. Oh ! that this day may be remembered 
 for good ! 
 
 " Sept. 9. Visited Robert Wallbridge and Mrs. A. — 
 Had much useful conversation about the Dairyman's Daugh- 
 ter. She gave m.e a lock of her hair. We went to Arreton 
 Church, and visited her ^rave. 
 
 " — 12. A day much to be remembered. On this day 
 twenty-five years since, I first read Mr. Wilberforce's book 
 on Christianity, in my little study, in the vicarage house at 
 Brading ; and thence and then received my first serious, and 
 I hope saving impressions ! 
 
 ''A memorial stone was this day put up over the grave of 
 little Jane, the voun^ cottager — mv first convert and seal in 
 Brading. Multitudes attended — old and young, from all the 
 vicinity. Her parents bent weeping over the grave. What 
 did I not feel ! We then adjourned to the cottage where sha 
 lived and died, and I distributed a number of ' Young Cotta- 
 ger' tracts to the inhabitants ar,d neighborhood, who came 
 in throngs to receive them. A truly afiTecting scene ! 
 
 " Sept. 18. A stone was this day put up for the Dairy- 
 man's Daughter, in Arreton churchyard. 
 
 ' Post tot naufragia tutus. 
 ' To God be all the praise.' " 
 
 The extent of his engagements, during this period, may 
 be conceived from the following brief extract of a letter ad- 
 dressed to an esteemed friend. 
 
 " Ryde, September 17, 1822. 
 
 Unless you were with me, you could have no idea how, 
 from before six in the morning till past twelve at night, I 
 have been, and am occupied. But mostly, I trust, for good. 
 The spiritual scenery exceeds in interest even the natural, 
 I wish I could tell you half of what T see and feel here. To- 
 night we have a Tract Society meeting in this town. On 
 Friday I preach on board convict ships, in Portsmouth bar- 
 bor : on Sunday, in churches at Portsea : and on Monday, 
 one or two public engagements at Southampton, whence on 
 Tuesday I go to town. 
 
 " My heart's prayer and desire is, that all your beloved 
 circle, lay and clerical, male and female, elder and younger, 
 may enjoy grace, peace, and love. I shall think of you on 
 the shore of my beloved island, and add you all to the group 
 of objects, which endear it to my heart. 
 
 " Ret. L. Lackey, Sandotcn, Isle of Wrighi.^^ 
 
288 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 After preaching several times to large congregations, he 
 took an affectionate farewell of his numerous friends in the 
 Isle of Wight, and shortly afterward, addressed the following 
 pastoral letter to his parishioners at Turvey. 
 
 Portsmouth, September 19, 1822. 
 
 " My dear Christian friends, — My heart iias never lost sight 
 of you, while I have been receiving such affectionate tokens 
 of the love and regard of the dear people in the Isle of 
 Wight, as have melted my heart almost beyond any thing I 
 ever experienced. I have had such daily opportunities of 
 seeing, doing, and receiving good, as I think I never enjoyed 
 before. It has been a time of revival, love, joy, peace, and 
 brotherly kindness. They think and talk of you, and pray 
 for you, and feel towards you as brothers and sisters, for my 
 sake, as well as for the Lord's. Not only are many of my 
 old friends continuing in the ways of God, but many others, 
 whom I used to labor among, are become serious ; and the 
 children and grandchildren of my former friends came around 
 me, in large groups, for a word and a blessing. I went one day 
 to a part of my old parish, where religion most prevailed, and 
 sent word that I should be glad to shake hands with as many 
 as would come down to the sea-shore, where I sat upon a 
 rock. More than five hundred men, women, and children 
 came, and I gave each a tract and a blessing. It was a 
 scene full of deep and trying affections. I can never describe 
 it, or think of it, without ardent feelings. We have put up 
 gravestones to little Jane and the Dairyman's Daughter.* 
 Some hundreds attended, and the tracts were distributed 
 that respect those dear persons. It was a time of great 
 feeling, and a tribute of much love was paid to the graves 
 of the deceased. Some were there weeping with gratitude, 
 m having been brought to God through the reading of those 
 very tracts. 
 
 The father and mother of little Jane were at the grave, 
 while the stone was putting up. We then went to the 
 house where she died, and the ' Young Cottager' tract was 
 given to every one that came. It will be a sweet day of re- 
 membrance to me, for it took place on September 12th. On 
 that very day, twenty-five years ago, I first received my 
 
 * See ' Christian Guardian,' OctoI)er 1822, for a lurtlier account of this 
 transaction. 
 
BEV. LEGH RICHM:0>'D. 
 
 289 
 
 own serious impressions, through reading a book,* and little 
 Jane was the fir§t fruits of my change of principles. 
 
 A nursery girl, who lived with me at the time of my 
 leaving the island, is come fifty-five miles on foot, on purpose 
 to see me here, and to thank me as the instrument of her 
 conversion, while she was my servant ; and to-morrow she sets 
 out to walk fifty-live miles back again. I did not at that 
 time know that she was under any religious impressions. 
 She was then fifteen years old. God be praised for his 
 mercies ! 
 
 " I left the island yesterday, with strong feeling. I preach 
 here on Sunday, and above thirty persons are just arrived 
 from the Isle of Wight, to see me once more, and to say 
 Farewell in the Lord. I beseech you to love one another, 
 labor for each other's good, live in peace, try to win souls to 
 Christ. Pray for me that I may return to my dear people of 
 Turvey with a blessing from above, for their sakes, and my 
 own. Farewell in the Lord. Your affectionate pastor. 
 
 Legh Richmoxd." 
 
 On his return to Turvey he addressed a highly respected 
 friend, and parishioner in the Isle of Wight. 
 
 " The remembrance of the days and hours which we spent 
 together in the Isle of Wight is very refreshing to me. I 
 hope that the numerous' meetings which we enjoyed, have 
 been profitable to not a few of those who assembled together. 
 My daughter and I frequently look back upon the two days 
 passed at Bembridge and Brading, when the tracts were dis- 
 tributed, and the gravestone put up, with such affection and 
 gratitude, I think they will never be forgotten by many. I 
 did feel a lively hope, that so much seed would not be sown 
 in vain, and that the Lord would give a blessing to such means 
 as I trusted he had put into our hearts to employ. My affec- 
 tions for the island are founded upon many of those circum- 
 stances which you will remember in our younger days. It 
 was there that my own heart was first made acquainted with 
 the infinite value of immortal souls, and of the difficult office 
 of a Christian minister. It was there that those means of 
 grace were enjoyed, which have been since felt and remem- 
 bered by some, as " times of refreshment from the presence 
 of the Lord. " It was there that I met with the Dairyman's 
 Daughter, the Negro Servant, and the Young Cottager, and 
 
 * Mr. Wilberforce's work on Practical Cbristianitv. 
 25* 
 
290 
 
 MEMOIRS OF TBTE 
 
 with my respected friend, John Wheler. Tliese, and many 
 more events, bind my heart to the place with very tender ties. 
 When you see our friends at Bembridge, tell them how much 
 I feel towards them. Some of them are the children of my 
 early ministry; others are their children; and others again 
 have been brought to the knowledge of the truth, through the 
 Lord's blessing upon instructions established and blessed 
 when I first knew them. These are strong ties for spiritual 
 regard. I pray, my dear friend, that you may grow in grace, 
 and in the knowledge of the Lord. He that has accompanied 
 you thus far in your way, will not leave nor forsake you. He 
 is the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever. Cast your 
 care upon him, for he careth for you. The promise is to you, 
 and to your children, and to as many as are afar off, whom 
 the Lord shall call. Let me hear from you soon. May grace, 
 peace, and mercy be with you and yours. Pray for me and 
 mine, and believe me, faithfully and affectionately, your friend 
 in Christj Legh Richmond. 
 
 ''Mr. John Wheler, Ryde, Isle of Wight.'' 
 
 We have already alluded to the illness of Mr. Richmond's 
 son, Wilberforce. Symptoms of a consumptive nature had 
 been gradually developing themselves; and it was at length 
 deemed highly expedient that he should visit Scotland, and be 
 committed to the care of the Rev. James Marshall, hi& 
 brother-in-law. It was hoped that the effects of a sea voy- 
 age, and change of air, and the benefit of Dr. S.'s advice, 
 who had been remarkably successful in several instances of 
 consumption, might possibly arrest the progress of this in- 
 sidious disorder. 
 
 Mr. Richmond did not, on this occasion, imitate the 
 w^orldly prudence of some persons, who labor to conceal from 
 the patients, the danger of their state, and with a mistaken 
 kindness prohibit the introduction of religious subjects, from 
 fear of aggravating the disorder. With a heart alive to the 
 eternal interests of his child,^he addressed to him the follow- 
 ing letters. May the perusal of them afford an instructive 
 lesson to all who are placed under similar circumstances, and 
 teach them never to forget, that " one thing is needful" for 
 others as well as for themselves ; and that the wisdom which 
 would endeavor to save the perishing body, at the risk of the 
 immortal soul, is an act of treachery the more criminal, in 
 proportion as its consequences are irreparable and eternal. 
 
 i 
 
HEV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 291 
 
 " Tun-ey, June 12,] 824. 
 
 " My dear Boy, 
 
 I have, as 1 mentioned to you the other day, for some 
 time wished to press upon your attention the important sub- 
 ject of the Lord's Supper : and, in the case of each of your 
 sisters, I found that some epistolary correspondence afforded 
 a liberty and facility of communication in the first instance, 
 I trust you will not object to adopting a similar mode. A 
 time of relaxation from your studies, and of indisposition, 
 may afford you good opportunity for such a purpose. Jt will 
 be exceedingly gratifying to me to receive some simple, 
 faithful account of your state of mind, views, feelings, and de- 
 sires in connexion with the privileges and duty of commemo- 
 rating the dying love of Christ to sinners. I wish to receive 
 you at the table of our Lord, both as your affectionate father 
 in the flesh, and your still happier father in the spirit, with 
 principles enlightened, and heart v/armed with a Saviour's 
 mercies. Approach me thus, my beloved son, and write to me 
 with a free confidential heart. I feel the most lively interest 
 in your spiritual welfare, far beyond what my ordinary man- 
 ner may betray. — You are arrived at an age, when I wish 
 you to become my bosom friend and companion in all things, 
 but above all, in those things which belong to everlasting 
 peace. I have sometimes feared that other subjects have 
 somewhat monopolized your thoughts ; and yet I have the 
 firmest hope that your mind is truly sensible of the value and 
 importance of divine things. I trust you are constant in 
 prayer, and that your affections are unfeignedly directed 
 towards divine truth. I cannot express to you how much this 
 belief comforts and strengthens my mind. It is allied to 
 every feeling and wish which I have so long and so anxiously 
 cherished, in regard to your future character, as a minister of 
 the Gospel of Christ. None but God knows how intense my 
 solicitude has been upon that point. It is high time that you 
 should, by the open act of communion, devote yourself to the 
 Redeemer's service, and look upon it as a pledge for 5'our 
 inward principles, and outward practice. You should atten- 
 tively examine the sacramental service in the Liturgy, and 
 always have a book of experimental and devotional character, 
 more or less in private reading. It must ever be kept in re- 
 membrance, that the mere literary discussional study of theo- 
 logy, however valuable and needful, is a distinct thing from the 
 affectionate work of the heart in the exercises of the con- 
 science in the soul. I am earnest that my dear child should 
 
292 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 enjoy all the privileges of the church of Christ, and adorn 
 them. Search for the evidences of a renewed heart daily ; 
 come as a lost, undone sinner, and may you taste that the 
 Lord is gracious. Beware of the world's temptations and 
 levities. We should all feel that time is short, and eternity at 
 hand, and be prepared accordingly. The regular partaking of 
 the Lord's Supper, when rightly viewed, has a tendency to 
 cherish the best affections of the soul, and to preserve both 
 young and old from the dangerous delusions of the world, the 
 flesh, and Satan. Let the communication of these thoughts 
 excite you to self-examination, meditation, and prayer. My 
 love and regard for you are great indeed ; my own heart is 
 wrapt up in the prosperity of yours. May all your studies be 
 sanctified to the glory of God. May you nrnv enjoy a portion 
 of those pleasures, which are at God's right hand for ever- 
 more. — 'The blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin.' How 
 delightful a thought for you and for your affectionate father, 
 
 Legh Richmond." 
 
 '\Turvey, June 22, 1824. 
 
 " My very dear Child, — I present you with this book, for the 
 express purpose of your keeping a journal and diary, not mere- 
 ly of passing events as they may occur, but of the thoughts of 
 your heart upon divine things. I earnestly entreat you to do 
 this : I recommend it from long experience as a most bene- 
 ficial exercise. It is perfectly secret to yourself and God. 
 No one can ever see it without your own knowledge and 
 consent. But such records have been so useful, so consolato- 
 ry, and so improving, that I make it my parental entreaty that 
 you will comply with this request. Suspended in uncertainty 
 with regard to your health and strength, my soul is most anx- 
 ious for your spiritual good. Trifle not, delay not in this mat- 
 ter. Press forward to the mark and prize of your high call- 
 ing. Review the past thoughts of your heart, — examine the 
 present, — anticipate the future. You are in God's hands, 
 I trust the everlasting arms are underneath you. Let me 
 entreat you to open your mmd also to me, in frequent corres- 
 pondence. I cannot express my solicitude for your spiritual 
 welfare. You know all the principles by which a sinner may 
 be saved ; you have known them from your infancy ; may they 
 be the ornament of your youth. Rest short of nothing but a 
 well-grounded conviction of your personal interest in Christ. 
 There is a rich provision in him for every possible difficulty 
 and deficiency which can present itself to your thoughts. Oh, 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 293 
 
 how does my heart burn to see you, in every sense of the 
 word, a true Christian. In a former note, I invited you to the 
 Lord's table. Happy, thrice happy shall I bo to see you 
 there, added to the number of the Lord's flock. 
 
 Since writing the above, I have received yours. I thank 
 you from my heart. Go on as your strength and opportuni- 
 ties will allow, by a little at a time ; but give me as much of 
 your thoughts and feelings as you can. Tell me of your past 
 years, and early leadings and convictions ; tell me more of 
 those things which 3^ou have named in former letters. You 
 cannot oblige me more, than by giving me the history of your 
 heart at various periods. I have known too little of you, my 
 dear child. Let that ignorance on my part cease. I have 
 •loved you from your birth, and watched over you till now, with 
 the tenderest affections ; but I feel my own deficiency in not 
 communing more with you on the state of your mind in the 
 sight of God. Comfort me now by frequent intercourse on 
 these matters. It is the very return of all others which I 
 desire tor all the past anxieties of a father and a minister. 
 May this journey be blessed to you both in soul and body. I 
 trust soon, with God's blessing, to see you again. In the 
 mean time, I commend you to Him, who has all events in his 
 hands, whose consolations are neither few nor small, who 
 gave his Son to die for your sins, and v/hose compassions fail 
 not. Be much in prayer and self-examination. The God of 
 the waves shall protect and guard you ; the God of the land 
 shall comfort you. But seek him aright ; trifle not with the 
 great concern. ' How joyfully shall I welcome you at the 
 Lord's table, if God so will. Adieu for the present, my child, 
 my friend, and, in Christ, my brother. Legh Richmond. 
 
 " Turvey, June 30, 1824. 
 
 " My ever dear Son, — I thank you for your letter, and am 
 glad to hear again from Mr. Marshall that you have borne 
 your travels so far well. You are never out of my thoughts, 
 and I follow you in imagination through every scene of your 
 occupation. But there is an eye that beholds and watches 
 over you, in a way that I cannot do. To Him I confide and 
 commend you, for sickness and health, for time and eternity. 
 What a word, what a thought is eternity. What prospects 
 does it set before us ! What inconceivable mysteries are in- 
 volved in it ! How does it make the things of time dwindle 
 into insignificance ! But what questions of unspeakable import 
 are involved in it ! Sin, corrupt nature, a broken law, an of- 
 
294 
 
 MEMOIES OF THE 
 
 fended God, eternal punishment ; conscience, guilt, regene- 
 ration, salvation by Christ ; faith, hope, love, free grace, unde- 
 served mercy, justification, effectual calling, adoption into 
 God's family, pardon of sin, consolation in Christ, heaven and 
 glory. These, and a thousand accompaniments, are all con- 
 nected with the idea, and the reality of eternity. What a 
 sad proof of the depravity of our hearts is our indifference 
 towards thiftking, and our backwardness towards speaking 
 upon those things which belong to our everlasting peace ; 
 and which nevertheless, if neglected, involve our eternal ruin. 
 We need warnings, and the Lord sends them in many ways. 
 Sickness, pain, bereavements, losses, disappointments, all 
 bring their message with them. The great question between 
 a s6ul and God is not whether we admit the truths of the 
 Scripture into our understanding, but whether they are soap- 
 plied to our hearts as to have wrought a change, and become 
 vital principles of faith and practice. Nothing short of this 
 can afford evidence of a saved and safe condition. There is 
 an action of the soul by which it rests upon Christ, and all 
 that he has done, with full confidence ; and this produces 
 peace in the conscience. The more we see of ourselves, 
 the more we see our sin«; and the more we see our sin, the 
 more we fly to the death and righteousness of Christ, for par- 
 don, deliverance, and hope. We behold not only his sufficien- 
 cy, but his willingness to save the chief of sinners. For this 
 we love him ; and if we love him, we desire and endeavor to 
 keep his commandments ; and this is the way of salvation. 
 
 " Now, does my dear boy view this in all its integrity : Do 
 the experiences of the past, strengthened by all the variety and 
 succession of instruction which you have from your infancy 
 received, work together to this great end ? Can you be sa- 
 tisfied with any thing short of this ? God forbid ! Let nothing 
 interrupt you in this continual work of self-examination ; and 
 let self-examination lead you to earnest and ardent prayer. 
 Let no pursuits of literature, no delights of sense, no passing 
 occurrences, no debility of body, no inferior subjects of re- 
 creation,, prevent you from keeping your thoughts close to 
 God and to eternity. Great have been your mercies, may 
 your gratitude be great likewise ! 
 
 " Accustomed as I am to close and faithful dealings with 
 my Christian friends and flock, it would ill become me to be 
 silent or indefferent where my dearly beloved child is concern- 
 ed. Sickness gives both you and me a wholesome admonition. I 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 295 
 
 pray God, from the depths of my heart, that we may each of 
 us improve it to our spiritual welfare. God mriy have great 
 things to accomplish hereby : let us believe and hope so. 
 
 "I had much pleasure in showing you London; and if Provi- 
 dence permit, may yet have more, in viewing the fine scene- 
 ry in your present vicinity, along with you ; but wheiher 
 amongst the beauties of att or nature, never, never cease to 
 look for and contemplate the God both of creation and re- 
 demption in the midst of all. Keep a continual watch over 
 your disposition, temper, and thoughts. There are not only 
 sins of the temper, but of the understanding also ; and pride 
 in every form, intellectual as well as sensual, must be brought 
 low. ' Learn of me,' said the Saviour, 'fori am meek and 
 lowly of heart.' I write, as I would talk v. ith and pray tor you. 
 May this dispensation of the Almighty, which has for the 
 present separated us, and given us cause for much anxiety on 
 your account, be a season of much profit to us all ! Lay these 
 things to heart, make them the subject of unceasing petition 
 at that throne, whence no believing supplicants are ever sent 
 empty away. Wonder not that I cannot rest contented with a 
 superficial religion, but that I look for a deeply experimental 
 life of God in your soul. I place time and eternity before me 
 • in holy imagination^. I strive, as it were, to penetrate the 
 veil which separates them, and to look earnestly at those 
 things which belong to your and my everlasting peace. For- 
 give me, my dear child, and may God forgive me, if I have 
 not always and equally pressed these subjects upon your per- 
 sonal attention. They have ever lain near to my heart, and 
 3'ou have had multiplied opportunities of meditating upon 
 them. I trust you have done so. But let me know more and 
 more of your thoughts, past and present. My Christian and 
 parental peace is dependent greatly upon it. I am glad that 
 our friend Dr. Stewart has had so good an opportunity of 
 studying your case. You are in the Lord's hands. May he 
 overrule every thing for your good. May our confidence be 
 placed only where it is due ; and pray for your father, and 
 your father shall pray for you. Amongst the books in your 
 travelling library, are many most valuable authors. Read, 
 mark, learn, and inwardly digest what they say, so far as you 
 find time and strength to peruse them. Above all, search the 
 Scriptures, for in them -you have eternal life. Your mother 
 sends her entire and most affectionate love to you : your sisters 
 and brothers the same. And what shall I add for myself? 
 
298 
 
 MEMOIllS OF THE 
 
 All that is tender, affectionate, parental, and Christian from 
 your father, L. R." 
 
 In the month of July Mr. Richmond joined his son in Scot- 
 land, using every means for the restoration of his health. 
 During a short interval of separation, he addressed to him 
 another letter, expressive of the ^me ardent desire for his 
 spiritual welfare, and written in the same delightful strain of 
 warm and affectionate feeling. 
 
 Bradford, ^m^. 5, 1824. 
 
 "IVIy dear Wilberforce, — 
 We have so long been fellow-travellers and pilgrims together, 
 and my eye and my heart have been so long accustomed to 
 watch over you, that I cannot help wishing to indulge my af- 
 fectionate feelings, by giving you a few lines during this 
 short separation, which, short as it has been, never ceases to 
 present my dear boy to imagination and recollection. 1 have 
 reasons to think, and perhaps the fault is my own, that you are 
 but imperfectly aware of my strong and anxious feelings to- 
 ward you, with respect both to your temporal and spiritual 
 welfare. I sometimes fancy I see this in your manner, and 
 it hurts me. I say little, or probably nothing ; but my heart is 
 alive to great sensibilities. Rest assured, my much-loved 
 child, that at all past periods, but most especially since it has 
 pleased God to put your health, and of course with it your life, 
 to so marked a trial, I have not ceased for a single hour (and 
 I can hardly except the dreaming hours of the night,) to make 
 your comfort and prosperity the subject of my prayers and 
 solicitude. When you may least have suspected it from my 
 ordinary manner, even my silence has spoken to God in your 
 behalf. Many and deep have been my meditations, . as we 
 ascended the hills, and descended the vales of Scotland ; or as 
 we ploughed the waters with our prows and paddles. I have 
 often experienced a kind of stupid impotency of utterance, 
 when my heart has been animated and full. You likewise 
 manifest a sort of reserve on the subject of personal religion, 
 which checks, and sometimes chills, my rising inclination to 
 more unreserved, free, congenial, and comfortable conversa- 
 tion. I wish all this to vanish ; and that whatever may be the 
 will of God concerning you, the future days which his provi- 
 dence may permit us mutually to spend together, may be more 
 distinctly marked by free and affectionate communications. 
 But far, far above all, it is my cherished and anxious hope that 
 
REV. LEGII RICHMOND. 
 
 297 
 
 j'ou may evince an increasing love to spiritual things, to read- 
 ing, conversing, and meditating upon the things which belong 
 to your everlasting peace. You have had your warning as to 
 the delicate and precarious tenure by which life, health, and 
 youthful vigour are held. Every day and hour still reminds 
 you of the uncertainty of all things future, so far as this world 
 is concerned. And such warnings are unspeakable mercies, 
 designed by God tor the most wise and benevolent purposes. 
 
 "The season of amended health, and present suspension of 
 paintul and distressing symptoms, is precisely that in which 
 your heart should exercise peculiar jealousy over itself, lest 
 the comparative trifles of this world, and the ensnaring affec- 
 lions c^the flesh, should deaden your feelings about the grand 
 question, 'What are the evidences of my salvation? What 
 have I done, what must I do to be saved V Other studies than 
 those directly religious, may, doubtless, have their due and 
 subordiante place. Other books than the Holy Scriptures, and 
 their expositions, may also have their moderated share of our 
 attentions ; but if any human study or any human book, have 
 more of our love and attention, than those which directly lead 
 our hearts to God, somethmg must be very wrong. Idols force 
 themselves upon our notice every where, and lawful things 
 may become idols by the abuse of them, and the suffering them 
 to usurp the frst place in the heart's afiections. Never be 
 contented with slight and general hopes of all being right with- 
 in, but seek and strive after clear and particular evidences, 
 that you 'know whom you have trusted,' for time and eternity. 
 I earnestly entreat you to examine yourself daily on scrip- 
 tural principles, that you may the more ardently throw youi- 
 self on the mercy of a covenant God for the forgiveness of 
 your sins, the renovation of your heart, and the guidance of 
 your judgment. Never be satisfied with an avowedly imper- 
 feet Christianity. A half Christian is 7io Christian, nor is he 
 accepted of God. Christ is a whole, perfect, and finished Sa- 
 viour ; and whosoever is a partaker of Christ, is a partaker of 
 aU that he is — has done — and will do, for the complete salva- 
 tion of all his chosen. Decency, formality, and cold cere- 
 monial worship, are poor and inefficacious substitutes for 
 heart-service, holy affections, trust in a Saviour, and love to 
 God. Not unfrequent are the times, and your dear mother 
 often experiences them also, when the immensity of that ques- 
 tion, 'Am I his, or am I not?' overwhelms me^ and I should 
 sink in despondency, if the pure, undeserved, and inexpressi- 
 ble mercy of God did not direct my soul to the Redeemer's 
 26 
 
298 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 blood, which, when believed in, and applied to the guilty and 
 trembling conscience, cleanseth from all sin, and opens the 
 door to hope and consolation. May my beloved child flee to 
 the same fountain with genuine humiliation, and find the like 
 deliverance : and may his anxious parents be made so far 
 partakers of his thoughts, as to feel strong in the Lord on his 
 account. My. mind was much affected when 1 first received 
 you at the table of the Lord, and my heart went out in lively 
 prayer, that you might also be received of God — owned, ho- 
 nored, and accepted, as a child of heaven. Live, speak, and 
 act as a consistent communicant of the church ; the vows of 
 the Lord are upon you ; but if all be right, you will find that 
 his yoke is easy, and his burden is light. I v.'ish to look upon 
 you, not only as my child by nature, but as my spiritual 
 child, and therefore (without a paradox) my spiritual brother. 
 Sweet associations of relationship are formed in the family of 
 God and the household of faith. Many tender and alTectionate 
 prayers have been daily offered up for you amongst the poor 
 people of Turvey, as I have several testimonies to prove. 
 We shall soon return to them again, God willing ; and may 
 those prayers, united to my own, be fully answered in the 
 gracious state of your soul, as well as in the comfort of your 
 bodily health. But we must,. as to the Jatter, await the Lord's 
 will.' He doeth, and will do all things well. Meditate on 
 these things, and may you and I mutually reap the benefit of 
 such exercises of your heart. As you read this letter, che- 
 rish a tender as well as a dutiful sentiment towards him who 
 penned it, and accept it as one more token of that deep-seated 
 love which I bear towards you, and which must increasingly 
 subsist, while / remain a father, and you a son. ^ 
 
 " I yesterday enjoyed the high mental luxury of walking in 
 the broad aisle of York Minster, quite alone, during the 
 morning service. As often before, such sights and such 
 sounds compelled me to weep ;^adas I was solitary, nothing 
 interrupted the flow of my heart. -I recollected being there 
 once with you, and I have not forgotten bow much, if I mis- 
 take not, your infant heart was also affected at that time* 
 Whether we shall ever again meet together, in that magnifi- 
 cent and astonishing fabric, I know not ; but, oh ! may God 
 grant that we finally meet in the * house not made with hands, 
 eternal in the heavens.' " 
 
 The summer ^nd autumn were spent in Scotland, in various 
 excursions, both by land and sea ; but after various alterua- 
 
KEV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 299 
 
 tions of hope and fear in this treacherous and delusive disor- 
 der, they returned together to Turvey, without any decided 
 amendment in the dear invalid. 
 
 The period at length approached, when this interesting 
 youth, the subject of so many prayers and fond anticipations, 
 was to be removed from this earthly scene. The wasted form, 
 the hectic look, the sunken eye, and the increasing difficulty 
 of respiration, all denoted that the hour of dissolution was ttt 
 hand. He looked like a tender flower nipped in the bud ; but 
 it was a flower soon to bloom in the paradise of God. His 
 Christian graces had been gradually unfolding, and his mind 
 carried through a state of anxious inquiry and close examina- 
 tion, till it was able to rest in full confidence on the grace and 
 mercy of God in Christ Jesus. He discovej-ed the most 
 earnest desirn for solid peace and comfort, both as to the 
 ground of his hope, and its necessary evidence. 
 
 To a friend, who frequently visited him, he said, " I wish 
 to be under no mistake or delusion, in a matter of so much 
 importance as the salvation of my immortal soul. Tell me 
 where you think I am defective in my views, or wanting in the 
 experience of their power. Deal faithfully with me, do not 
 deceive me; prav for me, above all, that I may not deceive 
 myself." 
 
 To the writer, a fortnight before his death, he expressed 
 himself as follows : " I trust I have the Christian's hope, but I 
 want more of it. 1 want more of that hung-erinff and thirst- 
 ing after righteousness, which the Saviour has promised to 
 satisfy — which we ought to have at all times ; but which, if we 
 have not in death, what is our hope, and how can we be pre- 
 pared to die]*' 
 
 The last visit was still more affecting ; it was only two days 
 before his end. He was sitting in an arm chair, supported with 
 cushions, and seemed to be in a very exhausted state. His 
 father sat opposite to him, in whose countenance was depict- 
 ed the struggle of nature and of grace — of nature, for he was 
 about to lose his child, — of grace, for that child was already 
 on the very threshold of glory. In another part of the room 
 were three or four of his brothers and sisters, some of them in 
 tears. " Speak to this dear boy," said the father, address, 
 ing himself tome, " and question him about his hopes." 
 r I sat down at his side, and taking him by the hand, said, 
 " Can you, my dear boy, pass through the valley of the sha- 
 dow of death, and say with David, ' I fear no evil V " " Yes, I 
 trust so." "What is the ground of your trust '/" " It is> 
 
300 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 because his *rod and his staff they comfort me.' My hope 
 rests on Christ alone." " Have you no doubts to be re- 
 moved ?" " I had many misgivings, but God has mercifully 
 taken them all away." " Is your heart wholly and supreme- 
 ly set upon God ? Do you truly love him ?" " I hope I do, 
 but I wish I loved him more." " Do you feel weary of sick- 
 ness?" "I feel more weary of sin, and long for the time 
 when it will be laid aside for ever." " Does the prospect of 
 glory animate and support you, and is the holiness and bless- 
 edness of heaven the subject of your meditations 7" " Yes, I 
 have been thinking of it with great delight this very morning, 
 and almost seem to have entered within its blessed abodes." 
 
 I then read to him that beautiful chapter in the Revelations 
 (the 22d,) descriptive of a state of glory. His attention was 
 peculiarly arrested. After I had finished, " This happiness," 
 I said, " will soon be yours, and the portion of all who are the 
 Lord's." Then gathering his brothers and sisters around us, 
 I requested him to bear his dying testimony to the value of the 
 Gospel in this trying hour. 
 
 He spoke tenderly and affectionately to all ; the marks of 
 approaching dissolution, gave an inexpressible interest to the 
 whole scene. Then, particularly addressing himself to his 
 brother Henry, he observed — " My dear father once hoped to 
 see me a minister in the church. It has pleased God to dis- 
 appoint that hope. Do you fulfil it, in my place, and be a 
 comfort to my father, when I am gone." 
 
 Three days afterward, Jan. 16, 1825, his happy spirit 
 took its flight to the mansions of the blessed. 
 
 The writer of this memoir fulfilled the last solemn offices. 
 The occasion was peculiarly impressive and affecting. 
 
 The following letters are pleasing testimonies to the piety 
 of the departed child, and the resignation of the bereaved 
 parent. 
 
 " Turvey, Jan. 25, 1825. 
 
 " My-much-loved Son, — Amidst many arduous struggles 
 between nature and grace, sorrow and joy, anxiety and conso- 
 lation, I wish to express a few of my feelings towards you. A 
 very few they must be, compared with the volume of emotions 
 which agitate my heart. But thanks be to God, grace, peace, 
 and mercy have been so abundantly inscribed upon the whole 
 of this affecting transaction, that I ought solely to be occupied 
 m songs of praise to God, for all his goodness to me and mine. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 301 
 
 The delightful enlargement of heart, the liberty of tongue, 
 the humiliation of soul, the affectionate tenderness, the sweet 
 serenity of mind, the dignity of sentiment, the laboriously ac- 
 quired intimacy with tlie Scriptures, the earnestness to speak, 
 to exhort, and comfort each and every individual, the devo- 
 tional spirit, the clearness of doctrinal views, and their blessed 
 application in imparting solid peace and comfort, in the pros- 
 pect of dying, all of which illustrated and adorned his latter 
 end, were beyond my most sanguine expectation : it was, and 
 shall be matter for joy and gratitude. 
 
 " We have now found letters, some of them near four years 
 old, and others written- while he w'as in Scotland, beautifully 
 descriptive of his state of mind ; while the conversations — 
 close, deep, and searching — which I enjoyed with him during 
 the last fortnight, produced the most convincing demonstra- 
 tions that he had been ripening for glory, beyond our thoughts 
 and imagination. For a season he was reserved towards 
 me, relative to personal feelings; but at length, of his own 
 accord, he broke out like the sun from behind a cloud, and 
 light diifused itself over the whole moral and spiritual land- 
 scape. 
 
 " It was gratifying to me to find that the humiliation of his 
 spirit was precisely such as I particularly wished to see it. 
 For four or five days previous to the arrival of my wife and 
 Fanny, God so mercifully ordered it, that he said every thing 
 to me, and I to him, which I could possibly have wished. 
 Our whole souls, on almost every topic of feeling, opinion, 
 confidence, faithful dealing, and unreserved affection, were 
 mutually opened. Oh ! they were sweet days. The pressure 
 of weakness, disease, and pain often afterward interrupted 
 our lengthened communications ; but sweeter and brighter 
 still were the intervals of ease and short conversation. Many 
 witnessed his lovely testimonies, and none can ever forget 
 them. 
 
 Two hours and a half before his death, he went to bed, 
 and laid his head upon the pillow. I said to him—' So he giv- 
 eth his beloved rest.' He replied, ' Yes ; and sweet indeed 
 is the rest which Christ give?.' He never awoke from this 
 sleep ; but when we dreaded, from past examples, a painful 
 waking, he imperceptibly w ent.off, in perfect peace, without a 
 sigh, or groan, or struggle, or even opening of the eye. I 
 did not suppose it possible for any death to be such as this. 
 Peace, rest, gentleness, faith, hope, and love, all seemed to 
 26* 
 
302 
 
 MEMO IKS OF THE 
 
 be the characteristics of his mind and of his dissolution. Oh I 
 what love, what mercy, what grace ! 
 
 " One of the most remarkable circumstances attending him 
 was, his secret and deep exercise of heart and study of the 
 Scriptures, beyond my own supposition, owing to his reserve 
 and silence. I saw much that I loved and admired, but I was 
 not aware of the half. Our feelings are much tried in propor- 
 tion to the endearing nature of our past and recent intercourse. 
 But, as he often said, ' I know whom I have trusted,' and 
 this relieves and consoles me. He was deeply impressed with 
 the idea that his removal was designed for the spiritual good 
 of others. I think it is manifest already, in more instances 
 than one. 
 
 "The whole village has been much in prayer and weeping, 
 for some weeks past, and the tenderest affections have pre- 
 vailed throughout : it is a season of much love. 
 
 " On Sunday, Mr. Ayre will preach a funeral sermon for 
 our dear boy ; and a beautiful hymn of Bishop Heber will be 
 sung by the congregation. 
 
 " Give my tenderest love to dear Mary. Comfort her 
 heart ; and may the peace of God, which passeth all under- 
 standing, keep hers and your heart." 
 
 " To the Rev. James Marshall 
 
 " Turvey, Feb. 6, 1825. 
 
 " My ever dear Child,* 
 
 " And now to the subject which occupies by far the greater 
 part of my thoughts, by day and by night. I should find it no 
 easy task to describe the state of my feelings. No previous 
 event of my life, with the exception of what passed during 
 your beloved mother's dangerous illness, near ten years since, 
 ever exercised my heart like this. And as that illness ter- 
 minated favorably, the circumstances no longer assimilate. 
 Dear, blessed boy, I watched over and cherished his infancy, 
 childhood, and youth, in sickness and in health, for eighteen 
 years, with no common measure of parental feeling. I de- 
 lighted in his superior mind ; endeavored to check its errors, 
 and to cherish its virtues ; and too fondly hoped that he might 
 have been spared as an ornament to the sanctuary. From 
 the beginning of last summer I went on pilgrimage with him, 
 both for his soul and body's sake. God alone knows what I 
 endured, in the inmost thoughts of my heart. But the Lord 
 
 * Mrs, Marsliall. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 303 
 
 was ordering all things well, beyond what I conceived. The 
 most valuable intercourse which I enjoyed with him during 
 our Scotch residence, was in those hours after breakfast, when, 
 as you m^y remember, I used to read, talk, and pray with 
 him, previous to his receiving the sacrament at Greenock. I 
 then saw many lovely testimonies of his state of mind. After 
 his return home, he was more reserved as to the personal 
 question, although ever ready to converse on the general sub- 
 jects of religion, and that with much.clearness and precision. 
 But at length the sweet sunshine broke from the cloud, and 
 filled the horizon most beautifully. We poured out our whole 
 hearts to each other, and mutually blessed God for the liberty 
 of feeling and language which we obtained. I felt much when 
 he had just departed, but I think I feel more now. A thousand 
 spiritual questions press upon my conscience and considera- 
 tion. Regrets, convictions, meltings, hopes, fears, doubts, 
 resolutions, anxieties, joys, retrospections, anticipations, all 
 mingle, all exercise, all agitate my heart. It was his declared 
 and solemn impression, that his death was to be as life to 
 others. Thank God I see it so, both in the house and the pa- 
 rish — an important work is going on in both, beyond former 
 priBcedent. I have not seen the like before, to the same ex- 
 tent. Blessed be God ! 
 
 " Dear Willy told me, on the Monday evening before he 
 
 died, that Mr. M 's affectionate attentions to him had 
 
 never been exceeded by those of a real brother ; and that he 
 should love him dearly as long as he lived, and ' much longer,' 
 he said, if' such consciousness shall be permitted. And dear 
 Mary,' he added, * how kind she was to us all, last summer ! 
 1 shall not see her again on earth, but I trust we shall meet 
 hereafter!' Our'last Lord's supper was a very affecting and 
 trying one : the family kneeled around the grave, to which 
 we had recently commited the mortal remains of one so dear. 
 I stood upon the very spot ; and dear Henry, for the first 
 time, came weeping, trembling, and rejoicing, to supply his 
 departed brother's place. I could hardly have conceived that 
 after so long meditating upon the probable removal of my child 
 from this mortal scene, I should have had scuh exquisitely 
 trying emotions to undergo. How little we know ourselves 
 until our principles and feelings are put to the proof!" 
 
 Some months after this afflicting bereavement, the editor 
 was called upon to unite Mr. Richmond's third daughter, 
 Henrietta, to the Rev. John Ayre, his friend and curate, now 
 
304 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 the clasical tutor of the Church Missionary college, at Is- 
 liogton. 
 
 It was a great solace in the midst of his affliction, to unite 
 his child with a gentleman whose principles he cordially ap- 
 proved, and who was in full possession of his confidence 
 and esteem'. 
 
 The following letters were addressed by Mr. Richmond to 
 his son-in-law and daughter previous to their marriage. 
 
 " Turvey, JiUy 6, 1825. 
 
 "My dear Henrietta, — Take, my beloved child, a father's 
 blessing, prayers, best wishes, and approval of your affection, 
 ate project. I hope the matter is of God, or I could not say 
 what I have done. The apostolical rule is to ' marry only in 
 the Lord and every Christian should be guided by it. Earth- 
 ly affection, however powerful, is not of itself a warrant for 
 the nuptial union. Where passion drives the steeds by which 
 the vehicle of our plans and endeavors is carried forward, 
 'we may expect, sooner or later^ an overturn. But when the 
 heavenly Spirit of truth and peace guides and governs our 
 machinery of conduct, all is right and safe. Nov/ I am full 
 of hope, from Mr. Ayre's and your letters, that this is the 
 case. Real Christianity as a foundation, with personal esteem 
 and affection, united to congeniality of feelings on all im- 
 portant subjects, as a superstructure, will ever make the mar- 
 riage union a source of happiness for both worlds. 
 
 " I am disposed to concur with you in thinking that my es- 
 teemed friend's principles, acquirements, talents, and steadi- 
 ness of character are good pledges of his success in life ; and 
 as Providence, not design, first brought you together, and 
 seems to have guided you both, I feel myself justified in join- 
 ing my consent and sanction to the future realizing of those 
 views which form the subject of his and your letters to me. 
 May constancy, faithfulness, and reciprocal love, character- 
 ize your attachment, and adorn your conduct. Let prudence, 
 propriety, and consideration, regulate all your behavior, du- 
 ring the interval which must naturally elapse, before all is 
 concluded. Keep in mind the dignity as well as the kindliness 
 of the Christian lover ; courtship and marriage are honora- 
 ble in all, when principle and grace direct our choice. May 
 you prove a blessing to each other, and may the love of God 
 be shed abroad in both your hearts !' " 
 
REV. LEGH BICHMO>'D. 
 
 305 
 
 " My dear friend, — Of all human connexions and projects, 
 none appears to be of more importance than that of marriage. 
 Whatever is valuable in private life, whatever is prosperous 
 in public life, whatever is scriptural in spiritual life, and what- 
 ever is momentous in eternal life, has a deep foundation laid, 
 in the economy of providence and grace, in marriage. It 
 should be built upon the purest principles of faith, hope, and 
 love. It unites two souls for time and eternity. It educates 
 souls for the church of God, It tbrms, or reforms, or deforms 
 character. It blesses or it curses. It makes happy or misera- 
 ble. It brings every precept of religion into active exercise. 
 Therefore, when rightly undertaken, ' marriage is honorable 
 in all.' You, my friend, I am persuaded, are convinced of these 
 truths, and I doubt not wish to prove it in the present instance. 
 
 " I trust the providence of God in the matter, and that 
 you and my dear child will be guided for the best in every 
 thing connected with the subject. My prayer is that grace 
 may reign throughout, and that you may prdVe helpmates 
 to each other in your pilgrimage through this to a better 
 world. 
 
 *' My heart often sinks within me, when I see how little 
 solid, sterling vital piety, manifests itself even amongst many 
 creditable Christians. I the more earnestly pray for myself, 
 and for all belonging to me, that we may walk circumspectly, 
 redeeming the time amidst evil days. How much more of the 
 Spirit's influence do we all need I When I look back upon a 
 half-century of rational existence, I blush and take shame to 
 myself. How much done which I might wish undone ; and 
 not do/ie, that ought to have been done. The Publican's 
 prayer is mine, and will alone suit me, even to my dying 
 hour. 
 
 . Farewell, for a short interval, and believe me affection, 
 ately yours, Legh RICH>lo^'D." 
 
 " Rev. John Ai/re, Turvey, Olney, Biicks.''^ 
 
 The marriage between Mr. Ayre and Mr. Richmond's 
 
 daughter H , took place in the beginning of July. The 
 
 affection displayed by the villagers on this occasion was truly 
 gratifying to the fellings of the family. When the party 
 arrived at the church, they found the walls decorated with 
 evergreens, and the pavement leading to the altar strewed 
 with flowers. Two hearts, formed with the heads of flowers, 
 and the words " May God bless you !" traced in the same 
 manner underneath, exhibited both the taste and the affection 
 
306 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 of the parish clerk. This rustic attempt at elegance, so 
 unsought for and unexpected, was a pleasing testimony to the 
 interest excited in the parish, by every event connected with 
 their beloved pastor. 
 
 Mr. Richmond did not suffer his daughter to leave her 
 paternal roof, without expressing his solicitude for her future 
 welfare, by addressing to her a series of admonitions, from 
 which we select the following. 
 
 1. Keep a devoted heart to God in the least and most 
 common transactions of every hour ; as well as in those 
 events which may seem to call the loudest for manifestation 
 of religious conscience and principle. 
 
 " 2. Pray regularly and frequently for the grace to live 
 and die by. 
 
 " 3. In every possible circumstance keep in mind that 
 God's eye is upon you. 
 
 " 4. Beware of forming hasty judgments of characters ; 
 and above all'of hastily uttering sentiments and remarks to 
 their disparagement. Be known for charity, forbearance, 
 and kindness. 
 
 '* 5. Keep Christ's golden rule in constant remembrance. 
 It is the panacea for most of the evils of this life, so far as 
 they are connected with social intercourse. 
 
 " 6. Avoid all prejudices against nations, churches, sects, 
 and parties. They are the bane of both public and private 
 charity and comfort ; and are directly contrary to the spirit 
 and letter of Christianity. You may and ought to have con- 
 scientious, well-grounded preferences, hut not one half-formed 
 ill -formed 'prejudice against any. 
 
 " 7. Be courteous to all, friendly with few, intimate with 
 fewer, still strictly confidential with fewest of all. 
 
 " 8. Choose female intimates, as opportunities may pre- 
 sent them, with circumspection. Many civil, hospitable, 
 agreeable people are, after all, not improving companions. 
 We may owe and pay them the debt of civility, kindness, and 
 gratitude, and yet not be obliged to give them too much of 
 our voluntary time and affection. Two or three truly Chris- 
 tian women comprise a circle of large and profitable friend- 
 ^ship — seek — and may you succeed in finding them. 
 
 " 9. Be not contented with any thing short of deep, de- 
 voted, diligent, decided seriousness. Make not the too nu- 
 merous half-hearted, and decent but dubious Christians 
 your pattern for imitation. Let your mark and standard be 
 very high, and your aim be steady and determinate. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 307 
 
 ** 10. If you and your husband happen to differ in opinion 
 and feeling upon any point, remember whom you have pro- 
 mised to love, honor, and obey. This will settle all things. 
 
 "11. I trust your heart is taught in the real school of 
 Christ. Inquire with much prayer into this, day by day. 
 Trust not to past privileges, education, or experience. Seek 
 for present evidences, such as would comfort you under sud- 
 den alarms and distresses, should they occur. Study your own 
 character and disposition, as drawn from a review of your 
 whole past life ; and often carry to the Lord, in prayer and 
 confession, what results from such self-examination. 
 
 " 12. Study and observe great simplicity and plainness in 
 dress. A clergyman's wife should be a pattern of simplicity 
 in that particular. It is a just outcry against too many pro- 
 fessing females, that they are much too showy and gay in 
 their outward apparel. — Remember the Apostle's injunction 
 on this important subject. 1 Peter iii, 1 — 6. 
 
 " 13. You are bidding farewell to your father's house, as 
 the home of your infancy, childhood, and youth. — Yet the 
 remembrance of that home will be dear to you for life, 
 wherever your new home may be situated. I repeal — re- 
 member the religious principles of your father's house, at all 
 times, and in all places ; may they prove a guide to you in 
 life, and a consolation in ^ealh. Christ has been freely and 
 fully made known to you. Let Christ be your all, now, 
 hereafter ; for ever !" 
 
 We have already mentioned the disappointment of Mr. 
 Richmond with respect to his eldest son Nugent, and the 
 choice made by the youth of a seafaring life. We now re- 
 sume the subject of his history. 
 
 He had been employed in. different merchant vessels, 
 sailing from Bencoolen, Calcutta, and other parts of India, to 
 the Isle of France and Gibraltar. From the latter place, he 
 wrote to his father in the years 1820 and 1821, strongly 
 urging a meeting betweea them. His letters had been ex- 
 presssive of much affection, contrition for the past, and sin- 
 cere desires of amendment. Several persons, who had op- 
 portunities of observing him, bore pleasing testimony to the 
 change of his character and conduct. Among these were Mr. 
 Chater, a missionary at Ceylon , Mr. Rees, another mission, 
 ary at Gibraltar; and Lieutenant Bailey, R. N. of the same 
 place, who gave a decisive proof of his confidence byjntrust-i 
 
9" 
 
 308 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 ing him with the care of his son. The officers under whom 
 he had served also spoke highly of his attention, and gene- 
 ral propriety of behavior. 
 
 The following interesting letter gives an afTecting de- 
 scription of a shipwreck which he suffered, and the state of 
 his feelings under those circumstances : — 
 
 " Calcutta, July 7, 1324. 
 
 My dear Father, 
 
 " We left Calcutta in May, and proceeded as far as 
 Saugur island, on the morning of the 26th, when the weather 
 began to look very unsettled. Another ship, and a large brig, 
 were in company with us. On the evening of the 27th, about 
 an hour before dark, the Oracabessa began to drive. A 
 perfect hurricane ensued, and such a sea got up, that the ship 
 was continually burying herself under water, which prevented 
 the people from working forward. We could now do nothing 
 farther — every thing having been attempted to avoid the 
 dreadful fate that seemed to await us. I seized this opportu- 
 nity to go down to my cabin, to pray to the Lord for his di- 
 vine assistance and protection. In the midst of my prayers 
 and tears, the ship struck on a sand at a quarter before nine 
 o'clock ; with such a shock, as to throw down several per- 
 sons, and make me stagger on my knees. 
 
 " Every thing was now in confusion, as the ship continued 
 striking very hard. There was nothing but one wild surf 
 around us, and a raging sea beating all over, — the wind 
 blowing a complete hurricane. However, in two hours an 
 excellent raft was made, capable of carrying from thirty to 
 forty people. As the flood. made, we again struck violently, 
 and the ship sprung a leak. But as every thing was now in 
 readiness to meet the worst, we anxiously waited for day- 
 light. 
 
 In the meantime, I again went below, and prayed with 
 heart and soul to Almighty God to save us. My prayers 
 were answered sooner than could be expected ; for a cer- 
 tain something, a kind of comfortable thought, seemed to arise 
 within me and say, * Thy life shall be saved !' And not all 
 the shocks, seas or wind, afterward, could make me think 
 or fear the contrary. Surely there never was a greater proof 
 of the Lord being with us ; it animated and comforted me, 
 and made me work and exert myself with double energy. 
 During a great part of this time it rained violently, with 
 thunder and lightning. 
 
EEV. LEGH RICHMOND. 309 
 
 " Long wished-for daylight at length came ; when, having 
 put a few small things into the boats, we abandoned the un- 
 fortunate ship, making our way through dreadful breakers ; 
 in which had the boat touched, we must inevitably have per- 
 ished." 
 
 In another letter, written about the same time, he re- 
 marks : — 
 
 " Oh ! my good father ! no one can conceive the horrors of 
 shipwreck, but those who have experienced them. Many 
 grateful and heartfelt thanks to that divine Providence, that 
 has again saved me from a watery grave ! 
 
 " In this unfortunate occurrence, 1 have lost every thing. 
 My loss in private speculation is 3500 rupees. My books, 
 furniture, and wearing apparel, together with ' The British 
 Encyclopedia,' are all gone, and amount to a considerable 
 sum. I saved nothing but a very small trunk, in which, pri- 
 or to my leaving the ship, I put my Bible and the ' Annals of 
 the Poor,' with two suits of clothes and my watch. How my 
 hopes and expectations are frustrated ! Oh, that all this may 
 be for my good ! I have now to begin the world again : and 
 hope to do so in reality, and in more respects than one." 
 
 Nugent arrived at Calcutta in a most destitute state. 
 Through the great kindness and benevolent exertions of the 
 Rev. 5lr. Thomason, to whom he made himself known, a 
 subscription was raised for him, out of respect to his father, 
 amounting to 100 guineas, by means of which, he was provi- 
 ded with necessary comforts. 
 
 This calamity was rendered the more distressing to him, 
 by its occasioning the suspension of his marriage with a young 
 lady at Calcutta, of pious character and principles, to whom 
 he was engaged. Anxious to repair his past misfortunes, 
 he obtained an eligible employment on board another vessel ; 
 and likewise a promise, on the part of the young lady, that 
 if his circumstances enabled him to marry, she would unite 
 herself to him on his return. 
 
 His new speculations having proved successful, he once 
 more returned to Calcutta, full of the image of the happiness 
 that awaited him, and disposed to forget the past, in the 
 brightening prospects of the future. But who shall describe 
 the bitter anguish of his mind, when, on presenting himself at 
 the well known house where he had left his intended bride, 
 he found the family in deep mourning, and received the meL 
 27 
 
310 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 ancholy intelligence of her death. She had been seized with 
 a fever, which carried her off a few days before his arrival ! 
 
 While Mr. Richmond was paying a second visit to the Isle 
 of Wtglit,.in Aug. 1825, to recover the shock which his health 
 and spirits had sustained from the death of his son Wilber- 
 force, some indistinct rumors reached him respecting that of 
 his son Nugent. He had received communications from him,, 
 stating his intention to revisit England ; and declaring that 
 the two happiest days of his life would be, " lirst, when he 
 should see again his dear parents, after so long an absence ; 
 and the second when he should be weaned from the danger 
 of temptation." Mr. Richmond was anticipating his return 
 with much delight, when he heard the report of his having 
 died on his voyage homeward. Every inquiry was made to 
 ascertain the truth of this rumor, and the father's heart was 
 again filled with the most anxious disquietude. 
 
 in this year Mr. Richmond went to Bristol, Gloucester, 
 Cheltenham, Worcester, and Hereford, to.be present at the 
 anniversaries of the Jewish Auxiliary Society. On his return 
 to Turvey, he wrote the following letter to his eldest daugh- 
 ter, in Scotland,^ — a child very dear to his heart, and one who 
 well knew how to 'sympathize with his sorrows, and to share 
 them with him. 
 
 " Turvei/, Oct 25, 1825. 
 
 " My dsarest Mary, — I have lately been present at an in. 
 teresting meeting of the Jewish Auxiliary Society, at Bristol. 
 You know my companions in this journey : I feel better for 
 it. My strength and spirits have been greatly affected for 
 a long time — indescribably so ; for it often does not much ap. 
 pear to others, at least not in its real extent. Notwithstanding 
 my supposed readiness of speech, and the overflow of tender 
 feelings, which plead for utterance, I am often thoughtful, 
 silent and constrained, when it might be better for me to com- 
 ..municate more of what passes within. 
 
 "Our visit to Mrs. Hannah More, was a high gratification. 
 
 " We have been kept in long suspense about poor dear 
 Nugent ; he was dangerously ill when I last heard of him. I 
 have reason to expect a speed}^ letter now arriving in Eng- 
 land. I have received rumors of his having died on his pas- 
 sage home, and am fully prepared for the worst ; but do not 
 notice what I say until you hear again, as it distresses your 
 dear mother greatly. I thank God, I have had many satis- 
 factory testimonies of his state of mind, and feel much com- 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 311 
 
 fort on that head. Henry and I were three weeks under the 
 roof of his intimate and very Christian friend, Lieutenant 
 Bailey, R. N., from Gibraltar, now at Cowes ; and collected 
 many interesting circumstances relating to him. I desire to 
 bow to the will of God, in this dispensation of his providence. 
 I saw one of his most intimate friends last week, who had just 
 come from the East, nnd had heard a report of his decease. 
 I mention these things to you, that, with me, you may l^ok' 
 up to God for a right state of mind, under all the designs and 
 decrees of his will. 
 
 I have had the satisfaction of obtaining likenesses, very 
 nicely executed, in the same style with those of your father 
 and mother (in the drawing-room,) of Fanny, Henry, Henri- 
 etta, and Legh. I wish for yours and Mr. Marshall's, by the 
 same hand. My feelings are strong on this subject, and the 
 irrecoverable loss of my dear Wilberforce, and probably of 
 Nugent, render them stronger. It is, I had almost said, a 
 blessed art, which can perpetuate to the eye, what affection- 
 ate memory does to the heart. In the midst of life we arc 
 in death, and who can tell what may occur ! I honor the art 
 of painting much, for the sake both of the dead and living. 
 I often look around my study, surrounded as I am by the re- 
 semblances of many loved and honored ancestors ; and their 
 forms on canvas realize not a few grateful recollections of 
 infancy, childhood, and youth. I can sigh and weep, and 
 smile too, in the solitude of my chamber, v. hen I am still, and 
 communing with my own heart. 
 
 "Just as I finish my letter, I cast my eye on Willy's 
 walking-stick. Oh ! how these relics strike to my soul's af- 
 fection? ! With our two sticks, alas ! he and I wandered 
 on the shores of Rothsay and the adjoining walks, and in 
 many another spot ; and now they stand side-by-side, in the 
 corner of my study. The partnership of the sticks is pre- 
 served On earth, but not that of their possessors : — we are 
 separated. Yet, oh ! that we may be re-united Medita- 
 tions on this subject often agitate, sometimes console, always 
 solemnize my mind. 
 
 " Farewell. Love to your fire-side." 
 
 After the lapse of a few weeks, a letter arrived from the 
 Rev. Mr. Thomason, of Calcutta, dated January 23d, 1825, 
 stating that Nugent had left that place in July 1824, in a 
 vessel bound to the Mauritius : — that he had been previously 
 seized with a fever, from which he was not perfectly recover- 
 
312 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 ed at the time of setting sail : — that afterwards, being exposed 
 to very severe weather, he experienced a relapse — was 
 occasionally delirious ; and at length, to the surprise of all 
 on board, was found dead one morning in his cabin. A little 
 nory box was discovered, containing a few jewels and gold 
 chains, which he had intended as presents to his brothers and 
 sisters. On the inside of the cover of this box, the folluw- 
 ?ng lines were written in his own hand, in pencil, appar- 
 ently a short time before his death : — 
 
 " Where vice hns held its empire long 
 'Twill not endure the least control; 
 None but a power divinely strong 
 Can turn the current of tlie soul. 
 
 " Great God ! I own tliy power divine, 
 That works to cliange this heart of mine ! 
 I would be formed anew, and bless 
 The wonders of renewing grace." 
 
 Such is the eventful history of Mr. Richmond's eldest son : 
 at once affording a salutary warning to the children of reli- 
 gious parents, and encouraging such parents to exercise un- 
 limited confidence in the promises of God. Let those who 
 trifle with their opportunities, and refuse to hearken to the 
 counsels of parental piety an(' affection, mark, in the blight- 
 ed prospects and repeated trials of this young man, an ex- 
 pression of the Divine displeasure. For though in the midst 
 of wrath God remembers mercy, yet in his inscrutable wisdom 
 he often makes a man " to possess the iniquities of his youth ;" 
 and in his sore chastisement, keeps alive the penitent recol- 
 lection of the sins which he has long since pardoned^ Let 
 pious parents while mourning over the wanderings of their 
 offspring, never cease from the holy importunity of prayer, 
 that God would meet the prodigal " in his ways," and turn 
 him into the paths of righteousness and truth ; that, like Mr. 
 Richmond, thev who have " sowed in tears, may reap in 
 
 joy." . ' 
 
 A tablet was erected by his father, in the Church of Tur- 
 vey, recording the manner of his death. The last four lines 
 of the above verses were introduced, together with the fol- 
 lowing appropriate passage from the Psalms — " Thou shalt 
 show us wonderful things in thy righteousness, O God of our 
 salvation, thou that art the hope of all the ends of the earth, 
 «nd of them that remain in the broad sea." — (Ps. Ixv, 5.) 
 
REV. LEGH KICltMOND. 
 
 313 
 
 In reference to the death of his son Nugent, he wrote the 
 following letters : — 
 
 To his daughter, Mrs. Marshall, Glasgow: 
 
 " Turvey, August 3, 1825. 
 
 " My ever dear Daughter, 
 
 Hi * ¥ * -:f: % :;c ^ + 
 
 " The circumstances attendant upon our dear Nugent's end 
 are few and simple. You are aware what a long series of 
 favorable accounts of his general behavior we have had from 
 a variety of quarters. You should know, that from at least 
 five religious friends I have received highly satisfactory testi- 
 monies of his religious feelings and principles, although he was 
 modest and reserved in speaking of himself. 1 had much infer- 
 mation while I was visiting his most intimate friend, Mr. Bai- 
 ley, in the Isle of Wight, (late of Gibraltar,) whose little babe 
 was christened Mercy Nugent Richmond. The time of his 
 shipwreck seemed to have been one of special prayer and im- 
 pression. He lost his all. He however recruited in some de- 
 gree ; and was engaged to be married to an amiable and pious 
 young lady. He took a short voyage, and on his return found 
 that she had died of a fever. His spirits never recovered that 
 shock. He was afterwards appointed commander of a vessel 
 to England. The day before she sailed, he fell out of a gig, 
 was confined to bed, and lost the opportunity. Twice after- 
 wards he was similarly disappointed. At length he sailed in 
 a ship bound for the Mauritius, from whence he intended to 
 have proceeded to England. 
 
 " Previously to this last voyage he had an attack of fever, 
 and went through a severe course of medicine. At the be- 
 ginning of the voyage, meeting with a heavy gale, he had 
 much laborious service. In the course of a very short time 
 he became ill, was not unfrequently delirious, but still did not 
 excite ideas of immediate danger. One night he went to 
 bed at twelve o'clock, and the next morning at six, to the 
 grief and surprise of all on board, was found dead in his cabin. 
 The ship prpceeded to the Mauritius ; and it was not until her 
 return to Calcutta that our excellent and kind friend, the 
 Rev. Mr. Thomason received the news, and his packages, 
 papers, &lc. He left out of the scanty store preserved from 
 the wreck of the Oracabessa, one hundred rupees to general 
 charitable purposes ; fifty to the Bible Society; fifty to the 
 Church Missionary Society ; fifty to the Society for promoting 
 27* 
 
314 
 
 MEM^IKS OF THE 
 
 Christian Knowledge ; and fifty to the Religious Tract So- 
 ciety. A rupee is about two shillings and six pence. His 
 affections for his relatives were very strong. His principles 
 of honorable conduct, integrity, pecuniary accuracy, official 
 diligence, kind manners, and moral deportment were exem- 
 plary. He lived in much esteem, and died much beloved. 
 Dear boy ! He was snatched from our embraces at the hour 
 of his returning to them. He is^buried in the depths of the 
 ocean. But the sea shall give up her dead, and I trust he 
 will then appear a living soul." 
 
 We suspend for a moment the course of this narrative to 
 indulge in a few brief reflection^. We have now seen Mr. 
 Richmond exercised by severe and successive afflictions, com- 
 mencing about the year 1814, and continuing, with only occa- 
 sional intervals, to the close of life itself. The coincidence 
 of these trials with his signal usefulness, is worthy of obser- 
 vation. We notice this fact, because it seems to us to illus- 
 trate the dealings of God's providence in the government of 
 his church and people. True Christians are seldom long ex- 
 empted from a state of trial ; and the history of the church of 
 Christ abounds with evidences in conformation of this remark. 
 Th6 year 1814 was the period of Mr. Richmond's great popu- 
 larity and extensive usefulness, which succeeding years rath- 
 er increased than diminished. It was also the period of painful 
 domestic anxiety, as it regarded his eldest son, Nugent, and 
 the dangerous illness of a beloved wife. After the interval of 
 a few years he is again exercised by the intelligence of his 
 eldest son's supposed loss and shipwreck. A short time elap- 
 ses, when his second son, Wiiberforce, a boy distinguished 
 by early grace and talents, to whom he fondly looked with the 
 most anxious expectation, declines in health and sinks into 
 the grave. Scarcely had a few short months expired, when 
 the rumor of his eldest son's death reaches him, a rumor soon 
 confirmed by the event. And yet in each case mercy rejoices 
 over judgment, and death is swallowed up in victory. What 
 then is the moral lesson conveyed by these dispensations ? ^^ e 
 learn that trial is usually allotted to extensive usefulness ; be- 
 cause such is the infirmity of our nature, that tor the most 
 oart success is not good for man ; and therefore, to restrain 
 the exuberances of pride, and of self-complacency, and to pro- 
 mote the growth of inward holiness, God in his wisdom sees 
 fit to send the necessary corrective, that no flesh may glory in 
 his sight ; that the instrument may be kept lowly and humble, 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 315 
 
 and its graces be preserved and augmented. — " Every branch 
 that heareth fruit he purgeih it, thai it may bring forth more 
 fniit.^^ John xv. 2. 
 
 Providence also sometimes sees fit to select those whom 
 he has distinguished by his favors, lo be the instruments 
 in whom he loves to show forth his own divine attributes, by 
 the character of the dispensations with which he exercises 
 their faith and graces. Thus in the Old Testament, as well as 
 in the New, the most eminent saints, and followers of Christ, 
 were visited by the most eminent trials. They were set apart, 
 as it were, to be a spectacle to men and to angels." It is by 
 dispensations like these that we obtain a deeper insight into 
 the divine dealings ; and that the church of Christ is taught, 
 by the eminency of the example, to adore the power, the wis- 
 dom, and glory of God. 
 
 How justly may we apply to Mr. Richmond, on this occa^ 
 sion, the following impressive remarks of Lord Bacon ; " O 
 Lord, my strength, I have since my youth met with thee in all 
 my ways, by thy fatherly ccompassions, by thy comfortable 
 chastisements, and by thy most visible providence. As thy 
 favors have increased upon me, so have thy corrections ; so 
 as thou hast been alwa5'S near me, O Lord ; and ever as my 
 worldly blessings were exalted, so secret darts from thee have 
 pierced me ; and when I have ascended before men, 1 have 
 descend in humiliation before thee. And now, when I thought 
 most of peace and honor, thy hand is heavy upon me, and 
 hath humbled me, according to thy former loving-kindness, 
 keeping me still in thy fatherly school, not as a bastard, but as 
 a child. Just are thy judgments upon me for my sins, which 
 are more in number than the sands of the sea, but have no 
 proportion to thy mercies ; for what are the sands of the sea, 
 earth, heavens ; all these are nothing to thy mercies. Be 
 merciful unto me, O Lord, for my Saviour's sake, and receive 
 me into thy bosom, or guide me in thy ways."* 
 
 We now resume our subject, and insert a letter to his friend, 
 the Rev. H. L Maddock.'t 
 
 *See Bacon's Works, vol. vii, p. 4. edited by Basil Montague, 1827. 
 
 t The name of this excellent man is mentioned in the journal of Mr. Rich- 
 mond's tour in the jear 1814. He \vas prematurely snaiched from a life of 
 usefulness and zeal, beloved and lamented. His end was approaching at the 
 time the above letter was addressed to him. Mr. Richmond did hot long surj 
 vive him. 
 
316 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 " Tunsey, December 3, 1825. 
 
 " My beloved Friend and esteemed Brother, Such you shall 
 be called, for such you are and long have been to me. 1 am 
 told how ill you are, and that you are, as it were, vibrating 
 between two worlds. The outward man is fast decaying, but 
 not so the inner man. Glory to God alone for the past, pre- 
 sent, and future. You know in whom you have trusted. He 
 cannot, will not forsake you. My heart yearns over many 
 pleasant recollections concerning you. The visions of the 
 past revive. O may they unite with those beyond the grave, 
 and may sovereign grace sanctify them both ! We have spent 
 many a happy hour together, cheerful and grave — we have 
 labored together in public and in private. We have, I think, 
 loved each other as brothers ; and when little, perhaps, was 
 written or spoken, we have had mutual thoughts of peace, and 
 regard for our god-children, our wives, and our little ones. 
 
 " 1 had pleased myself with the thought of visiting you for 
 a week at Matlock, next month ; but I fear we may never 
 meet again. But shall we not meet hereafter ? Lord, how 
 long ! 
 
 " When J last parted from you, I had a dear boy with me 
 — how dear, no one can tell ! You are hastening to the man- 
 sions where he dwells. It is not permitted me to send a mes- 
 sage, or it should be expressive of ten thousand emotions of 
 a father's heart. Bui Ch'ist is all ! And I have lost my 
 eldest boy — my sailor boy ! But God has found him, and all 
 is well there also. Forgive my ramblings. Give me a book, 
 some little book— one that contains your name, written in it 
 with your own hand. It shall be a cherished memorial — 
 pignus amicii 'mjucundissimce,. 
 
 " My regard for you, my brother, has not been of a com- 
 mon character. I fear you are not strong enough to give me 
 a few lines ; but perhaps your venerable and respected father 
 will do so. I this day saw your very dear friend, Mr. Allen. 
 The sight of him did me good, although he told me how ill 
 you were, beyond what I was aware of. 
 
 " And now, my beloved friend, I commend you to the tri- 
 une Jehovah — Father, Son, and Spirit — to united power, wis- 
 dom, and love ; to the consolations of promise, and the con- 
 summations of Omnipotence. Faithful is he that hath pro- 
 mised ; and he will perfect the thing that concerneth you. 
 What a stronghold is this ! While you can and may, cherish 
 a tender and prayerful feeling for your friend. Fanny shares 
 in all these fellings ! she can never speak of you but with 
 Christian affection. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOJfD. 
 
 317 
 
 " I desire to be most kindly remembered to all that belong 
 to you. May the God, whose consolations are neither few nor 
 small, overshadow you with his wing !" L. R." 
 
 The next letter is addressed to one of his youngest daugh- 
 ters, then at school > — 
 
 " Turvey, December 5, 1825. 
 
 My dear Child, — I am much pleased with your letter, the 
 more so as it contains some expressions which cherish the 
 hope, nearest to my heart, as to your spiritual thoughts and 
 feelings. Whilst 1 cannot but feel most tenderly affected by 
 the loss of my two elder sons, endeared to me by a thousand 
 recollections, and emotions, 1 become the more anxious for 
 the welfare of all my children, whom God yet spares to me. 
 I have, for a year and a half past, and especially dunng the last 
 year, undergone a great change in my spirits, and my whole 
 system has suffered ; but in the midst of all, the inexpressible 
 goodness of God has been manifested, and I trust that my 
 trials have been blessed to not a few. Many a rose has 
 sprung up around the grave of dear Wilberforce, and they 
 still blossom, and I trust- will do so, until they sh-all be trans- 
 ferred from the spiritual garden of Turvcy to the glorious Par- 
 adise of God. Our young friend C — : — manifests, in his nu- 
 raerous letters, a most decidedly spiritual mind. He writes 
 upon the subject of experimental and practical rehgion in a 
 truly delightful and satisfactory manner. And can I feel 
 « otherwise than anxious that my dear Catharine should add a 
 flower to my parochial and domestic shrubbery ? Are you to 
 arrive at your sixteenth year so soon, and not internally, as 
 well as externally, prove that the grace of Christ has not been 
 preached to you in vain? I trust not. Religion is not a mat- 
 ter of mere ceremonials, nor even morals, but the spiritual 
 application of divine truth to the heart, producing those devout 
 and moral principles of action, which distinguish the true 
 Christian from all others. But where, how, and when, does 
 this begin ? Not until you have deep, humbling, sincere, and 
 I anxious thoughts about sin, and yourself as a sinner in the 
 I sight of God. — Not until this conviction, by a kind of holy 
 violence compels you to flee to Christ as the only refuge from 
 the wrath to come. — Not until prayer becomes an action of 
 the inmost soul, and the study of God's word a real delight. 
 — Not until every other consideration j ields to that infinitely 
 important inquiry, ' What must I do to be saved?' — Not until 
 
318 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 the light, trifling, and thoughtless mind of the child of man 
 be converted, through grace, to the serious, conscientious, and 
 believing state of the real child of God. Now, has this been, 
 and is this the case with you 1 I speak as a Christian, a fa- 
 ther, a minister. What are your views of these all-impor- 
 tant subjects ?— I wish my child to be deeply in earnest. Life 
 flies apace — the period of the tomb advances. I have four 
 children there already. It is true I have eight still on earth 
 — but how long will there be eight here ? Who may be the 
 next to enter upon eternity? Think upon these things with de- 
 vout affection. You tremble a little even at the thought of 
 a school examination ; but what is that, compared with the 
 examination of an immortal soul before the judgment seat of 
 God ? Go, then, as a sinner to Christ ; he sends none empty 
 away. In him, and him alone, there is a rich provision for 
 every coming sinner. But let this coming be a surrender of 
 all you are, and all you have, to the Lord of grace and glory. 
 
 Be contented with nothing short of a reality in religion." 
 
 ***** 
 
 " To Miss C. Richmondy 
 
 We have few materials of public interest during the year 
 1826. Mr. Richmond declined in health, and was indisposed 
 for much exertion beyond the confines of his parish. We may, 
 however, fill up the chasm with his opinions on a few subjects 
 connected with the cause of true religion, but which we could 
 not notice at an earlier period without interrupting the narra- 
 tive, and departing from the order we had prescribed to our- 
 selves. 
 
 We advert with extreme reluctance, and v.ith the most 
 painful recollections, to the apocryphal controversy, which 
 unhappily for a long time divided and distracted the Christian 
 world. Mr. Richmond, with many other conscientious and 
 excellent men, at first approved the judgment of the com- 
 mittee of the Bible Society, in allowing the circulation of the 
 foreign editions of the Holy Scriptures. He considered the 
 fundamental law of the society, "without note or comment," 
 was not designed to exclude the authorised versions of the 
 Continent. He knew that the apocryphal books, though at- 
 tached to the canonical Scriptures, had fallen into contempt 
 in our own country ; and he was disposed to believe that in- 
 creased light and information, by the circulation of the word 
 of God in any form, would eventually illumine the darkness of 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 319 
 
 men's minds, and enable them to distinguish between truth 
 and error. 
 
 We abstain from entering on any unnecessary discussion 
 of this question. We confine our remarks to recording the 
 ultimate sentiments of the subject of this Memoir. 
 
 In the progress of this unhappy dispute, Mr. Richmond 
 saw reason to change his opinion ; and though the meekness 
 and humility of his spirit would not allow him to bocome a 
 violent partisan, he joined in the remonstrances which were 
 made to the parent committee, by the greater part of their 
 auxiliary societies. On this account he has been accused of 
 vacillation ; but in our judgment, the manliness which avows 
 an error, is much more commendable than the pertinacity 
 which defends and persists in it. 
 
 We are far from designing to censnre our brethren on either 
 side, or of either country, much less to connect the memory of 
 our friend with a controversy which has no parallel in the 
 history of modern polemics. He deeply lamented the separa- 
 tion of the two great Christian communities : *' the most 
 calamitous event," he used to say, " which has befallen the 
 church of God for the last century ; and 1 fear that feelings 
 have been excited between the nations, wjiich it will take 
 more than a century to allay." Let us indulge a hope, that 
 in this sad foreboding he was mistaken. There is an Almighty 
 power which can restrain the wrath of man ; and we hope the 
 readers of this Memoir will pardon our earnest entreaty, that, 
 considering this question to be now set at rest, by the pledge 
 so formally given for the future exclusion of the Apocrypha, 
 they would henceforth implore the Father of mercies to infuse 
 the dove-like spirit of peace and love into the minds of men ; 
 that they may put far av/ay " all bitterness, and wrath, and 
 anger, and evil speaking, with all malice ; and speak the 
 truth in love ; being kind one to another, in honor preferring 
 each other, esteeming others better than themselves, being 
 pitiful, kind, and tender-hearted ; forgiving one another, even 
 as God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven them." 
 
 The Society for promoting Christianity among the Jews 
 furnishes another subject for remark. A discussion had aris- 
 en in some of the periodicals, as to the most efficient mode of 
 preaching to the Jews ; whether t^ doctrine of the second 
 coming of Messiah in his kingdom find glory, and the future 
 exaltation, and national greatness of Israel, ought not to con- 
 stitute an indispensable and prominent feature in the mode of 
 addressing that people. 
 
320 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 In conversing with Mr. Richmond on this topic, the writer 
 one day submitted to him the following question; — 
 
 " What is the scriptural and right way to preach to the 
 Jews?" 
 
 I know of no scriptural way," he replied, " of preaching 
 to men, otherwise than us sinners ; and why the Jews, whose 
 sins are of so aggravated a nature, should be dealt with in a 
 different way, 1 do not see. I would address the Jew as I 
 would address any other man, — that is, as a sinner : and till 
 he is convinced of his sin, he will never believe in a Saviour. 
 * Christ crucified,' is declared to be * to the Greeks foolish- 
 ness, and to the Jews a stumbling-block ; but to them that 
 believe, the power of God and the wisdom of God.' No man 
 will ever feel the power of God, whether he be a Jew or 
 Gentile, till he learns it at the foot of the cross." 
 
 When speaking of the strong prejudices that existed among 
 many in our own church against several of the public institu- 
 tions, as contrasted with the expression of popular feeling in 
 their support, he observied — " I am fully convinced that noth- 
 ing is more likely to weaken the attachment of serious and 
 reflecting minds to the Church of England, than this standing 
 aloof from public feeling, as if we had some distinct interest, 
 and were insulated from that of the great mass of the com- 
 munity." He added, " In a period peculiarly marked by en- 
 larged ideas, and extended efforts for the cause of God, not to 
 participate in these views, nor to grow with the growth of 
 the times in which we live, renders us liable to the charge of 
 being unfit for the age to which we belong, as if we were men 
 ' born out of due time.' Some persons," he said, " think they 
 are building up the church by encouraging a spirit of hostility 
 to these great causes ; my own opinion is, that they are over- 
 turning it ; and that no position can be more dangerous to a 
 church, than that which exhibits it in avowed opposition to 
 the prevailing character and sentiments of the community in 
 which it is placed." 
 
 " Alluding to some modern religious controveries, I ask- 
 ed, " if he did not think that many readers became thereby 
 more confirmed in their prejudices ?" 
 
 " All are so," he replied, " who read only one side of the 
 question, which is generally the case with the majority of 
 readers, and especially oT prejudiced readers. They say to 
 
 each other, ' have you read the book of ? It is a most 
 
 able and triumphant work.' In the meantime, they never 
 read what is said in reply to it ; they consequently view the 
 
REV. LEGH EICHMOXD. 
 
 321 
 
 subject through a partial and distorted medium. But what 
 should we say of a judge who examined no witnesses except 
 those who were on the same side ? We should have no hesita- 
 tion in declaring that he perverted the administration of jus- 
 tice, and was unfit to discharge the duties of his office ; and yet 
 precisely the same thing is practised every day in theological 
 controversies. The great bane of our church," he observed, 
 *'is prejudice: many believe without evidence, and decide 
 without inquiry. Still, the spirit of improvement is percep- 
 tible, and religion considerably on the increase." 
 
 I asked him, " how we were to reconcile the increase of re- 
 ligion with the acknowledged growth of crime, as evinced in 
 our courts of justice ?" He answered, '* Both are true. Bad 
 men are becoming worse, and good men better. The first 
 are ripening for judgment, the latter for glory. The increase 
 of wickedness is, in this respect, a proof of the increase 
 of religion. 'The devil is wroth, knowing that his time is 
 short.' " 
 
 The reader will here probably wish to know what were his 
 views of the Millennium; and how far he concurred in some 
 modern interpretations of prophecy. On this subject he had 
 not come to any decided conclusion : he was merely accus- 
 tomed to observe, that in the first four centuries such a belief 
 was known to have prevailed. He was generally of opinion, 
 that the time of great judgments was at hand ; and that all 
 human institutions, both governments and churches, would 
 ^ have to undergo some great puritX-ing process ; — that what 
 was wrong in either must be rectified ; that much, probably, 
 would be accomplished, in the way of improvement, by the 
 advancing spirit of the age ; and that when this spirit was 
 resisted, a series of divine judgments (or God's controversy 
 with the nations,) would level all abuses in the dust ; when a 
 a new and better order of things would arise, and Christianity 
 become a dispensation of universal holiness and peace. 
 
 Some other remarks deserve to be recorded. 
 
 " What is the mode of proceeding," 1 said to him, which 
 is most likely to subserve the interests of our own church ?" 
 
 "That," he replied, "which is least calculated to lead 
 persons to secede from it." 
 
 " And what will best answer that description?" 
 
 " Preaching the Gospel." 
 
 Speaking on the subject of Sermons, " some preachers," he 
 observed, " are defective in one most essential part of a dis- 
 course. They insist with much earnestness on the necessity 
 28 
 
222 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 of holiness, of abstaining from sin, of loving God, &c. ike. ; 
 but they never tell their people hoiu all this is to be done. 
 They leave out the characteristic features of the Gospel. 
 They build, without jSnst laying the foundation. The doctrine 
 of the atonetucnt, and the operations of the Holy Spiririt, are 
 not clearly and proxninciitly stated. They do not unfold the 
 grand scheme of redemption in its sufficiency and fulness ; its 
 length, and breadth, and height, and depth. What is the con- 
 sequence ? The people derive no benefit from this kind of 
 preaching ; and then ministers wonder that their parishes are 
 entered by Methodists and Dissenters!" "How are they to 
 be led," I asked, " to see their error?" "It is the Spirit of 
 God alone," he said, " that can reveal the truth to us, when 
 we arc in error; but surely they should suspect that all is not 
 right, when they thus find their flock deserting them ; and that 
 a doctrine cannot be sound, which empties the Church, and 
 fills the meeting-house. A minister,, under these circum- 
 stances, if he be sincere and truly conscientious, will be sen- 
 sible that he cannot be in error, without involving others in 
 its fatal consequences ; and this conviction will lead him to 
 explore the higher and more authentic sources of information, 
 the works of Cranmer, Latimer, Jewell, Hooker, and others, 
 and to become more fully acquainted with the Articles and 
 Homilies of his own Church. To these he will not fail to add 
 the unceasing and earnest perusal of his Bible, accompanied 
 by fervent prayer that a merciful and gracious God will guide 
 him to correct and just views of divine truth, and open his 
 mind and heart to xeceiwe them. And no one," he continued, 
 " can be often on his bended knees, imploring the wisdom 
 from aboVe^; without being ultimately taught of God. He has 
 (iislinctlv pro^nised to " give his Holv Spirit to them that ask 
 Him." ' 
 
 In the summer of 1826, Mr. Richmond attended the Nor- 
 wich anniversaries; which were the last of his public labors ; 
 and to which a brief allusion is inade in the following letter 
 tp his son. 
 
 ^' Yaxham, August 15, 1826. 
 
 My ever ^ear H , — Th-e Jews' meeting was the 
 
 largest and most interesting of all the three; a«d the acces- 
 sion of regard and approbation from a great many who had 
 hitherto been less favorably disposed, was a gratifying event. 
 I h9,d on Saturday a most affecting sight of near eight hun- 
 4red girls, and one hundred ladies to address. It crowned 
 
REV. LEGH RICH3IG^*D. 
 
 323 
 
 the whole. Yesterday I preached at Welbouriiand Yexham. 
 To day we all dine at Mr. T.'s, to meet Miss C. G., and 
 thus will end the delightful fellowship fronn and at Earlham,'^- 
 for such indeed it has been to us all. Amongst the numerous 
 parties which I have met with, on such occasions, never have 
 I witnessed such a scene !" 
 
 As the son, to whom the above letter is addressed, was 
 shortly about to enter at the University, with a view to the 
 ministry, we avail ourselves of this mention of his name, to 
 exhibit the paternal solicitude of 3Ir. Richmond, with refer- 
 ence to that occasion. 
 
 " Cromer, iie-ptemher I, 182o, 
 
 My very dear Son, — The time for your destination is not 
 far oif, and the word of counsel becomes the more appropriate' 
 and needful. From tbe day' wherein you first communicated 
 to me your thoughts and wishes about entering into the sacred 
 j ministry, my eye, my heart, my head, m}' conscience, my ten- 
 ! derest affections have been steadily fixed upon you, and 
 your future prospects. Until that period, and while yotir dear 
 brother's health permitted the hope of his becoming a min- 
 ister, I had other thoughts and plans for you. Indeed I was 
 not, until then, aware that your mind had received that ira- 
 pression, which now forms my most anxious hope and desire 
 concerning you. For while I never v. ould or could give en. 
 couragement to prospects of the ministry, unless I thought I 
 discovered decided leadings and leanings of mind towards it, 
 so I can truly say that my first wish for each of my sons in sue. 
 cession has been, from their cradles, that God might fit them 
 for that arduous, responsible,, and eminent station, a minister 
 of the Gospel of Christ, in deed, and ^ truth. The coinci. 
 dence of your making your wish known to me at the very pe^ 
 riod when the lamp of life and hope began to fade, as it con- 
 cerned your brother, and his subsequent decease, struck me 
 as indicative of God's will respecting you. From that time I 
 have encouraged the prospect, and neglected nothing inten- 
 ! tionally which might f^jrther your education for that sacred of- 
 fice ; ever at the same time watching erttentively your gen- 
 eral disposition towards Christian experience, knowledge, and 
 conduct. For a man must first be a true Christian before he 
 can be a true minister. It v/as with this view that I requested 
 Mr. A. to give you a weekly religious exercise. From the day 
 
 * The residence of John Josepli Guroey, Esq., the well known scat of hos- 
 pitality, to all wiio are engaged m promoting the cau^e of divine truth. 
 
324 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 that a youth, on Christian principles, is devoted to the minis- 
 try, he ought to become a divinity student, and all his studies 
 should bend to the one grand object. However valuable in 
 their proper place and connexion, yet independently of that 
 connexion, classical, mathematical, philosophical, moral, logi- 
 cal, and belles-lettres, and literature, all sink to nothing, and 
 only wean the mind from God and" Christ. When the heart is 
 right in divine matters, then all other things will become so 
 likewise. The next thing to be considered in your case, was 
 the usual connexion between the clerical office and a univer- 
 sity residence and degree. This has presented a twofold dif- 
 ficulty to my consideration. The first is the doubt and fear, 
 lest the atmosphere of a college life, so unpropitious, alike in 
 its gay and its literary habits, to the formation and growth of 
 Christian piety, might endanger the simplicty and stability of 
 your Christian character. This is, however, in a measure 
 overruled by the hope connected with the influence of good 
 
 Mr. S 's ministry, and the number of serious young men, 
 
 from amongst whom, and amongst whom alone, I trust a few 
 confidential and profitable inmates would be chosen. No- 
 thing would induce me to send you to college, if I did not rely 
 on your maintaining, both outwardly and inwardly, a decided, 
 ly Christian walk and profession, regardless alike of the 
 sneers of the scoffer, and the dissipating influence of undecided 
 (however agreeable) companions. It should be observed that 
 my name stands in a peculiar and somewhat conspicuous point 
 of view ; and my son's name would be in several ways con- 
 nected with the publicity of his father's character. On these 
 subjects I should endeavor to give you hereafter more detailed 
 ?idvice, if you were to become a collegian. In that case I must 
 commit you to the grace of God, and pray for you night and 
 day to be preserved b'kimeless and pure. The second diffi- 
 
 culty connected with a college education has been its expense. 
 
 * * * * * • 
 
 " Remember that your religious attainments are my first 
 object, your literary my second. May both go safely hand 
 in hand together. 
 
 * % * :}£ :jc 
 
 " And now, take my blessing. You are three sons in one 
 to me. Accept a triple blessing, and may the great Three 
 in One confirm it. Your welfare lies very close to my heart 
 — your prospects in the ministry, if your life be spared, affect 
 me greatly. I would far sooner hear you preach a gospel ser- 
 mon from your heart, and visit the bead. side of a sick par- 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 325 
 
 ishioner, with the language of experimental consolaiion, than 
 see you senior wrangler and medallist, with a cold heart and 
 unconverted soul. Think not that I undervalue useful or or- 
 namental literature : for although I regret the monopoly of 
 time and labor, which an artificial and very partial sort of lit- 
 erary acquirements occasion, in our collegiate courses; and 
 while I still more regret the neHect of a theoloofical and re- 
 ligious education, as so prominent a blot in our university 
 plans ; yet I wish every clergyman to be a well-informed 
 man, having a mind stored with useful literature, every par- 
 ticle -of which should be consecrated to the study of the Bible 
 and the souls of men. It is a great comfort that, notwithstand- 
 ing the paralyzing influence of sensuality and idleness on the 
 one hand, and of mere human learning and books on the other, 
 God has a chosen people in the university, who are -^valking 
 in the narrow way that leads to eternal life. If you should 
 go to college, may you ever be found with such, and not with 
 those who bring their fathers' gray hairs with sorrow to the 
 grave ; for such would soon be my lot, if you, my loved son, 
 were to fall away from the earnest hopes which I have formed 
 concerning you. Be much in prayer — constantly study your 
 Bible. Read daily some experimental and devotional books. 
 Converse occasionally on the care and conduct of the soul. 
 Remember the poor Christians, and when you can, visit and 
 converse with them, as C. does. This is the tru« s<ihool of 
 divinity. It was mine before you : may it be^ yoar^ after 
 me." 
 
 ^ After the Norwich Anniversaries, Mr. Richmond proceeded 
 to Cromer, a bathing place in Norfolk, for the benefit of his 
 health. He had for some time labored under an affection of 
 the lungs, which no change of air or power of medicine had 
 hitherto succeeded in removing ; though he experienced a 
 temporary revival of strength and spirits by his excursion, 
 and returned home M'ith improved health. 
 
 But the scenes of his former afflictions renewed the de- 
 pression of his spirits. Amidst the affectionate welcomes of 
 his family, he seemed to feel yet more keenly the absence of 
 his departed son. He would say, No time nor succession 
 of events can wean my affections from the chancel vault.'' 
 Though increased tenderness marked his intercourse with his 
 remaining children, his heart still wept over his beloved Wil- 
 berforce. There was a visible change in his appearance, and 
 his family felt cause for alarm. He said little, but his mind 
 28* 
 
326 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 seemed to be greatly exercised. He sometimes repaired to 
 the grave of his son ; remaining long, absorbed in his own re- 
 flections. The silence and solitude of this hallowed spot 
 soothed and comforted his mind : " the waters of healing is- 
 sued from the sanctuary," and he probably delighted to con- 
 template the blessedness of the eternal world, in such imme- 
 diate connexion with his own dear child. On one occasion, 
 accompanied by his daughter, he sat nearly an hour in deep 
 musing, without lifting his eyes from the stone that cover- 
 ed the beloved remains. At length rising, he exclaimed — 
 '* Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory, through 
 our Lord Jesus Christ !" 
 
 The writer of this Memoir was requested by his family to 
 converse with him on the subject of his sorrows. After a few 
 expressions of cordial sympathy, "My dear friend," I said, 
 *' you are indulging a grief beyond its proper bounds, and 
 consuming all your strength ; you will unfit yourself both for 
 present and future usefulness. You are in danger of forget- 
 ting the living, by a mournful recollection of the dead. God 
 acts as a sovereign, he claims nothing but what is his own. 
 You are still surrounded by many mercies. The past dispensa- 
 tion has been peculiarly blest to your own family. You have 
 another son, who will occupy, both in your heart and in the 
 church of God, the place that is now made void. Your parish 
 loves you ; the cause of God prospers beyond former prece- 
 dent ; you have gained more than you have lost, and your 
 child is in glory, — would you wish to call him back again ?" 
 
 " All is well," he replied, " as it relates to these things ; 
 but there are times when we are led deeply to consider, not 
 merely the trial itself under which we labor, but how far it 
 has answered its appointed end. Whether it is sanctified to 
 our own souls ; — what is the reality of our own hope ; — the 
 foundation on which we ourselves stand ; — the evidence of a 
 renewed mind ; — and whether we can appeal to the great 
 searcher of hearts, that all is right within." 
 
 " But you have this hope," I said, " why then does it not 
 support you with its consolations ?" 
 
 God," he answered " is sifting me ; he is weighing me 
 in the balance of the sanctuary. I have been preaching all 
 my life to others^ — how far am I myself interested in these 
 great truths ? Yes, God is searching me, and proving me, 
 and seeing if there be any wicked way in me." 
 
 "He will do more," I said, '*than this, — he v/ill lead you 
 in the way everlasting." 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 327 
 
 God grant it," he replied ; " God grant I may have as as- 
 sured a hope for myselr", as I have for my beloved child." 
 The tears flowed down his cheeks during these few re- 
 II - marks, and his whole manner evinced the inward conflict and 
 I agitation of his mind. 
 
 The following interesting meditation, which was written 
 in the privacy of his study, to which he \vas confined by in- 
 disposition, will further disclose the state of his feelings : — 
 
 " I am this day staying at home, during divine service in 
 the afternoon, owing to a cold, — Mr. Ayre being here to as- 
 sist me. The last Sunday afternoon on which I was similarly 
 detained, was in December, 1824, with my dear Wilberforce ; 
 he was then within a few weeks of his decease. This day 
 twelvemonth was the day preceding his death. 
 
 " Dear blessed boy ! in the midst of our daily domestic 
 cheerfulness of spirits, now my heart moans and mourns in 
 tenderest recollections ! I see the dear child in all his debili- 
 ties of body ; 1 hear him speak, — I retrace the look of his eye, 
 — I hang upon his spiritual language — his affectionate expres- 
 sions, — his devotedness to God, — his faithful admonitions, — 
 his languid frame, — his sweet countenance, his willingness 
 to die. 
 
 1 "I lament my own want of more feeling : and yet I feel 
 - much. O blessed God ! help me ; strengthen me ; save me ! 
 ' Make his death to be a source of hfe to me, through the death 
 of Christ, — sanctifying his memory to my soul ! I want to see 
 more deep and solemn seriousness amongst my children at 
 this time : and yet I know they are not deficient in much good 
 feeling on this subject. Lord, help, bless, and save them also ! 
 
 " My Nugent, too, is since gone — or rather, I have since 
 heard it ; for he died some months before his brother, little 
 as we apprehended it, when Wilberforce was so beautifully 
 speaking about him, a few days previous to his own death. 
 
 " Oh, my dear boys ! your memorials are most dear to my 
 soul ! 
 
 " I tremble when I think how poorly I have profited by 
 these parental warnings ; yet I take some encouragement from 
 .the feelings which 1 am conscious I retain. Lord, increase 
 their influence ! In the midst of life I am in death. Who may 
 be taken away next ? I sometimes have fearful forebodings — 
 I look around my beloved little circle, and sigh. I check these 
 feelings again, and am ashamed of my weakness. Lord! 
 make Christ to be every thing to me — and then all will, all 
 
328 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 must be well. Oh ! keep my Fanny in a serious frame. Let 
 her not forget her past impressions ! Bless my Henry, and 
 preserve him in a steady mind, untainted by levities ! Cherish 
 my poor Legh, and let not my good hopes concerning him be 
 blighted.! Bless the little ones, and make them thine own for 
 ever ! 
 
 '* Pardon my we.akness, O God ! and bless this whole medi- 
 tation to my soul ! L. R." 
 
 " Turvey, Sunday. Jan. 15th, 1827." 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 Closing scene— Funeral — Remarks on his Character, &c. 
 
 We are now drawing to the cfose of the life and ministry of 
 this excellent man, whose labors were singularly attended 
 with the blessing of God to the end. The last two Sundays 
 on which he preached were in the beginning of March, 1827. 
 On the former of these occasions, a person attended the 
 chruchj'who, having taken some offence, had secretly made a 
 rash resolve never to enter it. He was both thoughtless and 
 dissolute, and a bitter persecutor of religion in those who 
 professed it ; but on this day was constrained, by circum- 
 stances that need not be mentioned, to alter his determination. 
 The text of the sermon was taken from Ps'alm li. 10, " Create 
 in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within, 
 me," Sharper than a two-edged sword is the word of God ; 
 and in its application by the power of the Spirit to this poor 
 man, it proved " to be the hammer that breaketh the rock in 
 pieces." He confessed that immediately on his return home, 
 he fell for the first time on his knees, and with crying and 
 tears poured forth the strong emotion of his heart in the lan- 
 guage of the publican, " God be merciful to me a sinner." 
 
 Should this record meet the eye or the ear of the individ- 
 ual so deeply interested in it, we would remind him of that 
 hour of divine mercy, and of the day when he bore to the grave 
 the body of him whose dying lips had conveyed the message 
 of life to his soul. We would remind him of his bitter anguish 
 when he descended the vault, and knelt, weeping, beside the 
 coffin. We would exhort him to cleave with full purpose of 
 heart to the Lord, and to continue faithful unto death ; that in 
 the day of Christ's appearing, he may be found among those 
 w^ho will be the crown and joy of him whose los* he now d'p- 
 plores. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMO>'D. 
 
 3-29 
 
 The next Sunday Mr. Richmond's sermons were particu- 
 larly solemn. In the morning he preached from Col. iii, 2 ; 
 *' Set your affections on things above." And this address 
 was directed to the true disciple for his comfort and confirma- 
 tion. In the afternoon he preached from Psalm cxix. 52, 53. 
 " I remembered thy judgments of old, O Lord, and have 
 comforted myself. Horror hath taken hold upon me, because 
 of the wicked that forsake thy law." This sermon was an 
 awful and solemn appeal to the consciences of unawakened 
 sinners. It was remarked by a person going out of church ; 
 '* this sounds as if it came from the lips of a dying man." 
 
 From this time the disorder of Mr. Richmond visibly in- 
 creased : He caught a fresh cold, and could only speak in a 
 whisper. It was nevertheless, with some* difficulty that he 
 was restrained from being carried to the church ; but he never 
 more left the house, and soon became sensible that his belov- 
 ed flock would " see his- face no more." A gloom of sorrow 
 overspread the parish, and " prayer was made without ceasing 
 of the church unto God," for his recovery. But the time was 
 come when he was to enter into his rest. Few of his brethren 
 had the privilege of conversing with him at this time, and the 
 editor being abroad, on a«count of his own health, had no 
 opportunity of any personal interview during the season of 
 his final illness. The last interview which he enjoyed with 
 his esteemed friend was in the preceding autumn. Little did 
 he think, at that time, that they parted to meet no more ! 
 The following letters supply the most ample and interesting 
 details on the closing scene of life. 
 
 *' My dear Friend, 
 
 " I unite with you and the neighborhood, in deeply la- 
 menting the decease of our much-valued friend, the late Mr. 
 Richmond. Every day and occasion v/iU remind us of our 
 loss. He was indeed a bond of union in all our meetings, 
 both public and private ; we bowed to his authority, for he had 
 an excellent judgment, and his fine temper never failed to 
 diffuse a kind and brotherly feeling amongst us. It was the 
 spontaneous remark of every one who had any acquaintance 
 with him, • You have onlv to know Legh Richmond to love 
 him.' 
 
 " My interview with him a few days before his death, con- 
 cerning which you desired to be informed, was highly interest- 
 ing, though I have but few particulars to communicate. 
 
 " Mr. Richmond had been declining in health for the last 
 
330 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 two years. A visible alteration took place in him after the 
 death of his son Wilberforce. The intenisity of his feelings 
 was at all times disproportionate to his strength ; and some 
 things, especially his dear boy's removal, seemed to lay hold 
 of him with a degree of poignancy which he himself, in 
 common with his friends, greatly regretted. He felt, and 
 expressed resignation and thankfulness in the event ; yet it 
 was evident to us all that hi^ frame had received an irrepa-s 
 rable injury. 
 
 " His brethren saw little of bim during the last few months 
 of his life. He continued the regalar performance of the 
 duties of his parish till within a few weeks of his death, and 
 we did not apprehend that he was so soon to be taken 
 from us. 
 
 In his confinement he shrunk frpm all intercourse beyond 
 the circle of his own family. 
 
 " After making repeated inquiries about his state of health, 
 and receiving very unsatisfactory answers, I consulted his 
 medical attendant, whose report determined me to lose no 
 time in seeking an interview. Of his spiritual state there 
 could be no doubt ; but I thought if, like his family, he felt 
 persuaded of his recovery, it might be important on many 
 accounts that he should be apprised of his approaching end. 
 
 " 1 wished, among other things, to induce him to use his 
 influence with the patron of the living in the appointment of a 
 suitable successor. We had a conversation of some length on 
 this subject, and which I regretted when I perceived how 
 greatly it exhausted his weak and shattered frame, and dis- 
 abled him from entering on matters of still deeper interest. 
 I was anxious to hear his dying testimony to the great truths 
 he had so long taught, and so strikingly exemplified by a con- 
 sistent and holy conduct. The idea too, that a friendship 
 which had sufiered no interruption for more than twenty years, 
 endeared by the remembrance of his judicious advice and 
 affectionate sampathy in my hours of trial and affliction, was 
 soon to be dissolved, gave a solemn and affecting interest 
 tos this interview, and I longed to express my gratitude, as 
 well as to be quickened and confirmed by his dying counsels. 
 
 " An opportunity offered, and I said, ' Dear brother, I owe 
 you much love, and am pained to be the messenger of evil 
 tidings. Still I cannot think it right to withhold from you my 
 apprehension of the dangerous nature of your disease.' ' I 
 know it, brother' he replied, ' seven months ago I was well 
 satisfied from whence this cough came ; that it was a messen- 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 331 
 
 ger from above, I knew what it meant — but I cannot talk : 
 F , do you talk.' 
 
 "I had scarcely resumed the conversation, with a remark 
 on the immense value and importance of our principles, when 
 he raised himself upright in his cl\air, and with great solemnity 
 of manner, said, ' Brother, we are only half awake — we are 
 none of us more than half awake,' He seemed unable to 
 proceed, for his febleness was extreme, and to relieve him I 
 began again ; but he made another effort. ' The enemy, as 
 our poor people would say,.h:is been very busy with me. I 
 have been in great darkness — a strange thought has passed 
 through my mind — it is all delusiv^n. Brother, brother, strong 
 evidences, nothing but strong evidences will do at such an 
 hour as this. I have looked here and looked there tor them — 
 all have failed me — and so I cast myself on the sovereign, 
 free, and full grace of God in the covenant by Christ Jesus ; 
 and there, brother (looking at me with a smile of tranquillity 
 quite indescribable, and which 1 shall never forget,) there I 
 have found peace.' 
 
 " I could utter nothing in reply. My heart was quite full. 
 I grasped his hand and left him, with a promise of a speedy 
 return, musing on the similarity of his experience with that 
 expressed by Hooker, a favorite with us both. ' To name 
 merits, tJien, is to lay their souls upon the rack, the memory 
 of their own deeds is loathsome to them, they forsake all things 
 icherein they have put any trust or confidence — no staff to lean 
 upon, no ease, no rest, no comfort then, hut only in Jesus 
 Christ.'* 
 
 " There are, doubtless many persons who would feel sur- 
 prise at the particulars which I have related, and might even 
 be disposed to ascribe our dear friend's distress of mind to a 
 cause very remote from the truth. Those who know nothing 
 of indwelling sin, whose standard is low, and whose apprehen- 
 sion of the law of God is far from spirijtual, cannot possibly 
 enter into the feelings of man, 
 
 ' who evil felt within, 
 And when he felt it, heaved a siglv, 
 A7id loathed the thought of sin.'' 
 
 " To me it appears that our friend's dispensation was pe- 
 culiarly fitted to preserve him from those feelings of self-corn, 
 placency to which his extensive usefulness, and the singular 
 
 * Hooker, in his Sermon on Justification, 
 
332 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 honor which God had put on his ministry, would" not fail to 
 expose him. 'I never knew,' said the late Mr. R. of York, 
 * more than one person who was not injured by success.* 
 Therefore we may esteem every dispensation merciful, how- 
 ever painful, which teaches.the salutary lesson, * Let no man 
 glory in men, but he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.' 
 
 " A conversation I had with Mrs. Richmond, after her 
 husband's decease, confirmed my views on this subject. 
 When I told her what had passed between us, she said, ' l ean 
 explain the meaning of these conflicts. I had latterly often 
 observed my beloved husband in 5eep thought. He seemed 
 to be very low and cheerless. I pressed him to unbosom his 
 feelings, that I might share his sorrows and sympathize with 
 him. For a long time he was unwiUing to enter on the sub- 
 ject, and usually replied, ' nothing, love, nothing. But at 
 last he told me that strange thoughts had been suggested to 
 his mind, such as had never entered it in his hours of health 
 — thoughts of his extensive usefulness in the church of God. 
 He said he knew them to be suggestions of Satan, but that 
 they overwhelmed him with deep and bitter anguish. Pride, 
 pride, hateful thing !' 
 
 Another idea has occurred to me with respect to this trial 
 of our dear friend. He had insisted much upon the free and 
 full sufficiency of the dispensation of grace to meet man's ex- 
 tremity. His darkness and distress of mind, as well as the 
 support he found in his own principles, seemed to me a practi- 
 cal illustration of the grand doctrine of the cross. It was for 
 him to prove the reality of what he taught. In Christ every 
 thing, — out af him nothing. He became an example, as he 
 had been a preacher, of the righteousness of faith. God 
 humbled his servant, magnified the riches of his own grace, 
 and made him a pattern to us all, of the necessity and suffi- 
 ciency of trust in Christ alone. • * 
 
 " But after all, there is much truth in John Newton's re- 
 mark ; ' tell me not how a man died, but how he lived.' The 
 weakness of a dying hour, and the ravages of disease, may 
 cloud the mind, depress the spirits, and disturb the sober ex- i 
 ercises of the judgment. One thing, however, my dear friend, ' 
 is evident ; it becomes us ' to set our house in order,' before 
 the approach of this trying hour. At that time we should 
 have nothing to settle with God. It is not a season to begiji 
 to turn to Christ, when we cannot turn in our bed. May 
 the thought be ever present to our recollection, * we are only 
 lialf awake.' The removal of our dear brother is a loud call 
 
REV. LEGH EICHMOXD. 
 
 333 
 
 *o us to trim our lamps and ' wait for our Lord,' that when 
 he Cometh and knocketh, we may open to him immediately. 
 
 " Believe me, my dear friend, I am yours very faithfully, 
 though most unworthily, T. F." 
 
 Letter to Mrs. F , in reference to ]Mr. Richmond's de- 
 
 cease. 
 
 3Iy dear Mrs. F. , — You wish nie to give you an ac- 
 
 count of the closing scene of my beloved parent's life. This 
 will be attended with some difficulty ; for though I was his 
 friend as well as his child, and the endeared companion of his 
 retired hours, — and though many events and conversations, 
 full of deep and aifecting interest, are indelibly engraved on 
 my memory, yet as I did not anticipate the mournful bereave- 
 ment, and omitted to make a memoranda at the time, I find 
 now that much of the detail is irrevocably lost, and I should 
 be afraid to write any thing which was not strictly and liter- 
 ally true. 
 
 " Yet the recollection of hours spent in my beloved father's 
 study, which was indeed a hallowed sanctuary of devotion, 
 keeps alive in my mind an abiding conviction of the reality 
 and happiness of experimental closet religion. When I feel 
 worldly influence stealing on me, and consequently, religious 
 duties losing their glow of interest, I have but to think of 
 my departed parent and of past times, and my heart is again 
 warmed, a new energy in the spiritual life seems imparted, 
 and thus my soul does indeed realize that * the memory of 
 the just is blessed.' 
 
 " I cannot express the veneration and love with which he 
 was regarded by every one of his children. With an under- 
 standing of the very first order, a mind elegantly refined and 
 polished, and feelings of the most delicate susceptibihty, he 
 had a heart overfiowing with intense afiection towards each 
 of them, which was shown by daily and hourly attention of 
 the most winning nature ; and they found in him not only a 
 counsellor and instructor, but a companion and bosom friend. 
 They clung to him, indeed, with an almost idolatrous fond- 
 ness. Each of my brothers and sisters will agree with me 
 in the sentiment of dear Wilberforce (it was one of my 
 brother's remarks a little before he closed his eyes upon his 
 weeping parent,) ' when my heart feels too cold to thank 
 God for any thing else, it can thank him for giving me such 
 a father.' He was the spiritual as well as the natural father 
 29 
 
334 
 
 MEMOIRS OF TUE 
 
 of that dear boy, and I trust others of his children are thus 
 bound to him by a tie strong and lasting as eternity itself. 
 Surely the world does not contain a spot of more sweet and 
 uninterrupted domestic happiness than Turvey rectory pre- 
 sented, before death entered that peaceful dwelling. It was 
 ever the first wish of my beloved father, that our liome should 
 be happy ; and he was never so pleased as when we were 
 all sitting around him. Both in our childhood and youth, 
 every innocent pleasure was resorted to, and all his varied 
 attainments brought into exercise to instruct and amuse us. 
 He was the sun of our little system, and from him seemed 
 to be derived the light and glow of domestic happiness. 
 Like the disciple, whose loving spirit I have often thought my 
 dear father's resembled, his motto was, ' little children, love 
 one another;' and he taught this more affectually by sympa- 
 thy than even by precept. Religion was unfolded to us in 
 its most attractive form. We saw that it was a happy thing 
 to be a Christian. He. was exempt from gloom and melan- 
 choly, and entered with life and cheerfulness into all our 
 sports. 
 
 " But we should not have been thus happy in domestic af- 
 fection, had not our beloved father so carefully trained us in 
 the religion of Jesus Christ. This was his chief concern, his 
 hourly endeavor. He did not talk much with us about reli- 
 gion ; but the books, studies, and even amusements to which 
 he directed us, showed that God was in all his thoughts, and 
 that his great aim was to prepare his children for heaven. 
 Religion was practically taught in all he said and did, and 
 recommended to us, in his lovely domestic character, more 
 powerfully than in any Other Avay. He had a thousand win- 
 ning ways to lead our infant minds to God, and explain to us 
 the love of the Saviour to little children. It was then our first 
 impressions were received ; and though for a time they were 
 obscured by youthful vanities, they were never totally erased ; 
 he lived to see them, in some instances, ripened into true con- 
 ^ version. It was his custom, when we were very young, to 
 pray with us alone ; he used to take us by turns into his study ; 
 and memory still recals the simple language and affecting 
 earnestness with which he pleaded for the conversion of his 
 child. 1 used to weep because he wept, though I understood 
 and felt little of his meaning ; but I saw it was all love, and 
 thus my earliest impression was associated with the idea, 
 that it was religion which made him love us so tenderly, 
 and that prayer was an expression of that love. I was led 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 335 
 
 in this way to pray for those who were kind to me, as dear- 
 papa did. 
 
 " In conversation, he did not often urge the subject of re- 
 ligion directly on our attention, or question us much as to our 
 personal experience of it. He has sometimes regretted this, 
 and called it his infirmity ; but I think he adopted a more 
 successful plan. He used to watch over us most cautiously, 
 and express his opinion in writing : we constantly found letters 
 left in our rooms, with directions to think and pray over them. 
 Reproof was always conveyed in this way ; and he also took 
 the same method of questioning us on experimental religion, 
 and of beseeching us to become more decided for God* Some- 
 times he required an answer, but generally his only request 
 was, that we would ' spread his letter before the Lord, and 
 think over it.' 
 
 " His reproofs were inexpressibly tender. He was never 
 angry with us ; but when we displeased him, he shewed it by 
 such a sad and mournful countenance, that it touched us to 
 the very heart, and produced rhore effect than any punish- 
 ment could have done, for we saw that it was our dear farher 
 who suffered the most. In this way he gained such an ascend- 
 ancy over our affections, that none of his children could feel 
 happy if his smile was withdrawn, and all regarded that smile 
 as a rich reward. 
 
 " The anniversaries of our birthdays were always seasons 
 of festivity amongst us. AVe were generally awakened with 
 his congratulations and blessing. ' He rose up early in the 
 morning, and offered sacrifice, according to the number of 
 them all : thus did he continually.'* I love to recal those 
 happy and innocent days, when our dear father, even in our 
 childish sports, was the main-spring of our joys, and the con- 
 triver of every amusement. We always found a birthday 
 present for us, often accompanied by an affectionate note. 
 
 "Though my dear father was naturally playful and lively, 
 his spirits were easily depressed ; and they appeared to under- 
 go a considerable change subsequent to the summer of 1824, 
 the period at which Wilberforce's health began to decline : 
 ' Wilberforce was most tenderly endeared to him ; and there 
 was a strong affinity in their characters. He was just begin- 
 ning to unfold a very fine understanding, and his intellectual 
 attainments were certainly superior for his age. His mind 
 had been cultivated with much care ; and the same elegance 
 
336 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 of taste and delicacy of feeling, so prominent in my father's 
 character, seemed likewise to mark that of his cherished boy. 
 He manifested the same inclination to the studies of natural 
 philosophy; and when the school lessons were finished, they 
 were constantly engaged together in these pursuits. While 
 the other boys were at play, Wilberforce generally occupied 
 himself in reading in the study, and trying experiments, <fec. 
 Mineralogy, in particular, was a favorite science with both ; 
 and in each instance it beguiled the hours of declining health. 
 Papa used to amuse himself with his minerals, when all his 
 other scientific pursuits failed to interest him; and poor Willy 
 found the same pleasure in this study ; for within a few days 
 of his death, he was searching to see how many different 
 kinds of stones might be enumerated. He had never been 
 absent from home, but was brought up under the immediate 
 eye of his parent, and watched with ceaseless care. He 
 was now preparing for college, and sanguine in the hope that 
 he might distinguish himself; and his father was looking 
 forward with deep interest to this period. 
 
 " In the summer of 1824, my brother ruptured a blood- 
 vessel, and began to spit blood. My dear father discovered 
 great anxiety and alarm, though we did not, for a long time, 
 know how deeply he was affected. He afterwards told mam- 
 ma, that on that morning, as he looked on Wilberforce, he 
 felt a shock, which seemed to shatter him to the ^'^ry soul, 
 and from which he never after recovered. He did indeed, to 
 use his own words, ' roll the troublous calamity on God,' but 
 nature sunk under the stroke. 
 
 "In June 1824, he took a journey to Scotland, to place 
 Wilberforce under the care of Dr. Stewart. I was their 
 companion in that journey, which I have a mournful pleasure 
 in retracing. 
 
 " It was very pleasant to travel with my father, he had such 
 an exquisite perception of the beauties of nature : and every 
 object of interest was pointed out to us with his own elegant 
 and devotional associations. Often has he wandered on 
 through the fine scenes of Scotland, both by daylight and 
 moonlight, with poor Willy and myself at his side ; and we 
 have sat down together on the sea-shore, or by the hedge-side, 
 while he shewed us the image of the Deity in the beauty of his 
 works : and whether he was contemplating the simple wild- 
 flower or the resplendent firmament, he would point to the 
 hand of Omnipotence in both. But his enjoyments at this 
 time greatly depended upon his dear boy's being able to par- 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOJID. ^ 337 
 
 ticipate in them : if Willy drooped, his spirits gone, 
 and nature lost its power to charm. I think he \^s gradu- 
 ally declining in his own health, though he did not complain. 
 He was watching the decay of his beloved son, while his 
 own frame was giving way. 
 
 We returned home in October, with no material benefit 
 to our dear invalid : and in January, 1825, after a happy and 
 even triumphant experience of the power of religion, my 
 brother breathed his last gentle sigh in the arms of his afflict- 
 ed father, who had been in God's hands, his sole teacher, 
 comforter, and supporter. He was ever at the dying pillow 
 of his suffering child, reading, praying, and comforting him, 
 by day and by night. Before us, he appeared composed and 
 tranquil ; but in his retired moments, I have heard him give 
 vent to his feelings, with strong ' crying and tears.' Ire- 
 member, on the evening of Wilberforce's death,, after he had 
 yielded to the first burst of grief, he clasped the inanimate 
 form to his heart, laid it down, dried his tears, and collecting 
 us together in the study, he knelt down, and uttered only the 
 language of praise and gratitude. For a little moment he 
 seemed not only to follow, but to realize his child's flight and 
 welcome to the realms of- glory. His whole conduct seem- 
 ed to express, " though I should see his hand lifted to slay 
 me, yet from that same hand will I look for salvation.^' 
 
 " He was much comforted, at this time, in his parish, and 
 in his own family. In the parish, there appeared a remarka- 
 ble revival of religion, particularly among the young people. 
 It might be truly said, ' there were added to the church daily, 
 such as should be saved.' This dear boy's death appeared 
 to be the life of many souls; and, in my dear father's own 
 language, ' they were the spiritual roses, blooming around 
 the grave of his Willy.' 
 
 "At this time, his character as a parish priest shone forth 
 most eminently. He was singularly blessed among his flock- 
 His heart was always in his work ; but more particularly did 
 he now preach the word, in season and out of season ; * re- 
 proving, rebuking, exhorting, with all long-sufiering and doc- 
 trine.' An increase, of religious inquiry and anxiety among 
 his people produced a corresponding increase of visiting and 
 teaching on his part. He regularly met a party of his pious 
 poor at a neighboring cottage, on Tuesdays ; frequently a 
 different set on Thursdays ; and on Sunday nights after his 
 fatiguing duties in the church, he met those who had been 
 newly awakened to ^spiritual life. His heart seemed partic- 
 29* 
 
338 
 
 JIEMOraS OF TH^r 
 
 alarly interested in this last little party, which he used to call 
 his ^spiritual nursery.^ I have^ looked at him with astonish, 
 ment when he came to us on Sunday nights. Unceasingly 
 occupied, from ten in the morning till ten at night, he met us 
 with his usual cheerfulness, and entered into animated and 
 interesting conversation, as if no fatigue was felt. On Sun- 
 day evenings, after the administration of the sacrament, he 
 met the communicants. On these occasions, he was happy 
 in being surrounded by his spiritual children, dearly loved 
 by him, and, on the whole, he could look on them with appro- 
 bation and confidence, as his ' glory and joy.' He was earn- 
 est in enforcing upon them consistency of -character, and 
 uprightness in temporal affairs : anxious that the enemies of 
 true religion should have no cause to blaspheme from the 
 inconsistency of its professors, but that his people should 
 adorn the doctrine of God their Saviour, and put to silence 
 the ignorance of foolish men ; shewing, that the ^ctrines of 
 grace are the doctrines of holiness.' 
 
 " But not in his parish alone v/as the death of his beloved 
 son rendered singularly useful ; his heart was yet more com- 
 forted by the hope of solid benefit to his own family. The 
 seed which had been sown with ntany prayers, and watered 
 with many tears, though it had hitherto lain dormant, begjan 
 at this time to spring up to the consolation of his bereaved 
 heart. With unspeakable tenderness he watched over the 
 signs of religious anxiety in his children, weeping over them 
 and praying for them with the mgst vehement affection. 
 
 *' It was a few days after Willy's death, that my own mind 
 was in a state of agitating anxiety- — thirsting for the knowl- 
 edge of God and his holiness, yet feeling so ignorant, dark 
 and helpless, that I knew not where to look for encourage- 
 ment or assistance. My ignoraace was my great burden. I 
 felt as if I never could understand religion, and with these 
 feelings I went into the study, where I found my beloved pa- 
 rent in deep meditation. He seemed to perceive at one^lance 
 what was the matter. In his engaging manner he took me 
 on his knee, and folding me to his heart, begged me to tell 
 him all I felt. This was the first time I had opened my mind 
 to him on the subject of religion. I tried to tell him my feel- 
 ings, dwelling particularly on my ignorance and total blind- 
 ness in spiritual things. With striking humility and conde- 
 scension, he replied, ' Well, my dear child, we will begin re- 
 ligion together. We will set out in the first step, for \ have 
 as much need as you to begin all again. We must go to Jesus 
 
BEV. LEGH EICHMO?n?, 
 
 339 
 
 Christ to be set right. We will ask to be taught the first les. 
 son in his religion, and wait in the ignorance of babes for his 
 instruction.' 
 
 " In the following winter, my dear father's failing spirits 
 sustained another severe shock. We were expecting every 
 week our eldest brother from India. He left home at the 
 age of fifteen, and eleven years had now elapsed since his 
 father had seen him. Many singular and affecting circum- 
 stances had occurred during this interval. He was thrice 
 shipwrecked ; and on one occasion, with only a few others he 
 got safe to shore. In his early youth he had been a source of 
 much sorrow to his parents, but in a far distant land his heart 
 was turned to the God of his father ; and we received the most 
 satisfactory testimonies to his conversion. 
 
 " My father's sensitive feelings were strained to the high- 
 est pitch in expectation of meeting his dear sailor-boy who was 
 on his return to visit us, and he was preparing to welcome the 
 * son who was lost and is found, was dead and is alive again,' 
 when the mournful tidings of his death reached us. 
 
 " Both the mind and body of my dear father were shattered 
 by this intelligence. But though suffering most acutely, he 
 was, as in the former bereavement, the comforter and stay of 
 his family ; — concealing his own feelings, to mitigate theirs. 
 
 " He used to be much at home at this time, communing with 
 his own heart, in his chamber, in silence, and no doubt it was 
 his fervent and frequent devotion which strengthened and en- 
 abled him ' to comlbrt those who were in trouble by the com- 
 fort wherewith he himself was comforted of God.' 
 
 " He had shut himself up for six weeks, and never appeared 
 in public, except on the sunday ; but when he heard of the 
 anxiety of the people to see him, and share the sorrows of 
 their beloved pastor, he desired them to assemble in the 
 schoolroom; and he went there to meet them. It was evi- 
 dently too trying and exciting for his weak frame. For some 
 time he could not speak ; but when he recovered himself, 
 his address was inexpressibly touching, and yet comforting. 
 The people wept with him, and felt his sorrows as their own. 
 He told them, that conscious of their interest in him, and of 
 their anxiety to know his state of mind under this afflicting 
 rod, he had come on purpose to tell them what God could do 
 for the soul that looked to him for help ; that they might 
 magnify the Lord with him, and exalt his name together. He 
 said, that while he had been shut up in the solitude of his 
 study, for the last six weeks, in silent communing with God, 
 
340 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 he had learnt to feel, *it is good for me that I have been af- 
 flicted,' — that the experience of his soul during that trying 
 season had been, * in the multitude of my thoughts within 
 me thy comforts have refreshed my s«ul.' 
 
 " He then expounded the 107th psalm, with reference to 
 poor Nugent's case ; and expressed himself with more than 
 ordinary energy and freedom. He had been tried, but he came 
 forth as gold. His heavenly Father seemed to say to him, 
 * My son, give me thine heart and the answer of his soul was 
 — ' There is none upon earth I desire in comparison of thee.' 
 While fainting beneath the heavy load of suffering, he tried 
 to say, like his blessed Master, ' the cup which my Father 
 hath given me, shall I not drink it V 
 
 " He now resumed his usual cottage meetings ; and though 
 his constiution was evidently sinking, and he was laboring far 
 beyond his strength, he could not be persuaded to relax 
 or lessen any of his pastoral engagements. We earnestly 
 pressed him to retire for a season from his duties ; but, con- 
 trary to his usual yielding temper, he remained inflexible-; 
 adding, either * it does not injure me ;' or ' I shall suffer more 
 in my mind, by giving them up, than in my body, by attending 
 to them.' The last year of his life he had a constant irrita- 
 ting cough which finally settled upon his lungs ; and was no 
 doubt much increased by such frequent talking and exposure 
 to the night air. 
 
 " I was his constant companion in his visits to the cottages ; 
 and he often looked so worn and fatigued, and his spirits 
 sometimes so much affected, apparently with thoughts which 
 he did not express, that I have turned away to weep, and felt 
 undefinable sensations of dread, as the idea crossed my mind 
 that he was meditating on the final separation. 
 
 " His public discourses at this time were particularly 
 awakening as well as confirming. While he warned his 
 flock, with deep solemnity, ' le&t any man fail of the grace of 
 God,' he enlarged on the divine promises, the glory of the 
 Saviour, and the blessedness of the redeemed. A poor wo- 
 man remarked to me — ' Your dear papa preaches as if he was 
 near home.' 
 
 " What he was in his family during the two last years 
 of his life, my pen can but faintly describe. Since Nugent's 
 and Willy's death, his affections were more concentrated on 
 those who were left : and he had also a more endearing tie, 
 for he could now look on some of his family as his spiritual 
 children. In conversation and reading, he could find cona- 
 
MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 341 
 
 panions in them. Very pleasant is' the recollection of the 
 happy and profitable hours spent in my father's study. He 
 used to awake me at six o'clock every morning, and I read 
 to him till breakfast. He was fond of this early hour, and 
 kept up the plan even through the last winter. But it was 
 injurious to him ; for when his cough was bad, and his health 
 sinking daily, he would still rise betore the servants were up, 
 call me and my brothers, and then light his own fire, that all 
 might be ready for the reading to commence. He made many 
 valuable remarks as we went on. The last winter months, 
 he wished me to read to him the Cripplegate Lectures. 
 Archbishop Leighton, who was a particular favorite with him, 
 was the last author we read together. Sacred is the memory 
 of those hours : his health was declining, but his soul was 
 ripening for glory ; and while listening with interest to the 
 deep experience and triumphant victories of these holy men, 
 he was probably anticipating the near apporach of that time 
 when he should join their company. 
 
 His mind was often for days peaceful and tranquil. At 
 such times he never spoke of Wilberforce's death, but in terms 
 of gratitude and praise for his happy end : but at other times,, 
 the vivid remembrances of his bereavements seemed to 
 overwhelm him, and to occasion new conflicts. I have heard 
 his convulsive sobs and his heart-touching prayers, as I sat 
 in the room beneath the study. I remember on one day in 
 particular, he had been a long time alone, wishing to be un- 
 disturbed ; and when I went to him, I found him in deep sor- 
 row. Willy's papers v. ere lying before him, and be appeared 
 in great agitation of mind. In what followed, I was struck 
 with the deep humility of his feelings. He said, 'it was not 
 unmingled grief for Wilberforce which was then uppermost ; 
 he knew he was sate in heaven, and that to him death had 
 been victory : but that the thought painfully harassed him — - 
 shall / ever meet him in heaven ? shall / indeed ever get 
 there ? Friends try to comfort me, by saying, (as if they took 
 it" for granted,) that sorrow is unnecessary ; for the separation 
 is \eTy short, and we shall soon meet again in heaven. But, 
 alas ! there is that inward consciousness of sin, and that 
 perplexing conflict, that / cannot take it for granted : and the 
 thought is now sinking me in the very dust, shall I indeed 
 meet him in heaven ? — am I sure eternity will unite us ? And 
 I often shudder, and fall down confounded, at the possibility 
 that, after all, I may come short, and our separation be eter- 
 nal.' 
 
342 
 
 REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 This was an affecting and important lesson. I saw that 
 the most holy and established Christian is still a sinner, and 
 feeis himself such ; that, however high his spiritual attain- 
 ments in this life, the flesh still weighs doVn the spirit. I 
 had heard and seen my dear father so strong in faith, that 
 heaven seemed realized, and victory. obtained ; and \ fancied 
 he could never have a doubt of his salvation. But I found 
 that the father in Christ could weep and tremble like the 
 .babe, because of the sin that dwelleth in him. 
 
 My dear father's cough continued, and he became very 
 thin ; and every one remarked how ill he looked. But he 
 appeared not to notice it, and we thought he did not apprehend 
 danger : we have since found that we were mistaken, and that 
 he ' always looked on the cough as a summons from above.' 
 
 He abated nothing of his work, and still continued his visits 
 to the poor. It was in the cottage of sorrow, and by the bed 
 of the dying, that my beloved parent's character appeared the 
 brightest. He was the father as well as the minister of his 
 people ; and they brought all their difficulties and troubles to 
 him, and ever found in him a tender and judicious adviser. 
 He had particular pleasure in conversing with the pious poor, 
 and said he had learnt some of his best lessons from them ; 
 that the religion of the poor in general was more spiritual and 
 sincere than that of the rich ; that they lived more simply the 
 life of faith on the Son of God. I have seen my beloved 
 father in public, when the gaze of admiration was fixed on 
 him, and in the private drawing-room 1 have beheld him the 
 delight and entertainment of the company, and my heart has 
 exulted in him; but it was when smoothing the pillow of pov- 
 erty and death, that I most loved and venerated him ; and dis- 
 covered the image of that Saviour ' who went about doing 
 good.' 
 
 In the month of February he went to Cambridge for a 
 fortnight, to enter Henry. This was another subject of great 
 anxiety to his mind : he dreaded the temptations of a college 
 life ; and expressed much solicitude lest his dear inexperi- 
 enced boy should be corrupted, and his religion injured. 
 
 " When he returned from Cambridge, we thought he looked 
 better. He had been among friends he loved, and he derived 
 great pleasure from his visit, and appeared more cheerful and 
 lively than we had known him for the last two years. He 
 entered into conversation with spirit, and even amused and 
 entertained us in his engaging manner. We spent one week 
 with him in this improved state of health and spirit ; but he 
 soon relapsed into his former thoughtful silence. The next 
 
REV. LEGH RICH:-I0XD. 
 
 343 
 
 week he caught a fresh cold, and his cough returned with 
 greater violence : yet he would have preached on the follow- 
 ing Sunday, if his voice had not entirely failed him. I do not 
 think he imagined that \}e had seen his people for the last 
 time, but that he anticipated a temporary amendment, suffi- 
 cient to enable him to go amongst them again. But his min- 
 istry was closed ; and he was to meet them no more till they 
 met at the judgment seat of Christ ! 
 
 " To prevent increase of cold, he kept entirely to his study, 
 and never came down stairs after that Sunday ; yet he read 
 and wrote as usual. 
 
 " It may seem extraordinary that he never spoke to us on 
 the subject of his death, but those can understand it who 
 knew the exquisite tenderness and susceptibility of his feel- 
 ings. His affection indeed was almost his affliction. He 
 could not bear to witness the sorrow which would have filled 
 our hearts in the certain and near prospect of separation. 
 He wished us, I think, to understand his situation and to ob- 
 serve in silence. 
 
 " There were no violent symptoms to mark the approach of 
 death, but a orradual decav of strength. He sat with us as 
 usual in his study-chair to the very last day, — almost to the 
 last hour. I recollect many things which 1 did not then un- 
 derstand, but which how show me that he was preparing for 
 death : wuth surprising calmness he set his house in order. 
 He made a catalogue of his principal books, with memoranda 
 how they were to be disposed of ; also of his minerals and 
 philosophical apparatus ; he emptied all the cupboards round 
 the room which had not been done for many years ; he burnt 
 every book which he thought 9f an injurious tendency. All 
 this was done for the most part in silence, it being painful for 
 him to speak, even in a whisper. I have seen him sit for an 
 hour together in the deepest abstraction of thought — then he 
 would raise his eyes, the tears streaming down his pale cheeks, 
 clasping his hands, as if in the fervency of importunate prayer 
 — and again all was composure, and he looked peaceful and 
 happy- He seemed to be maintaining a constant communion 
 with God. I know he felt deeply for his children, whom he 
 was about to leave young and inexperienced — exposed to a 
 world of sin and temptation. My brother and I have frequent- 
 ly heard him break forth in prayer for us when we had scarce- 
 ly closed his door. The sounds were faint and broken, but we 
 understood their import ; and the unutterable tenderness of his 
 manner towards us is even now too affecting to 4well upon. 
 
344 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 He would sometimes open his arms for me to come to him, 
 and laying his head upon my shoulder would fall again into 
 deep thought. His parish also was always upon his mind. 
 He was continually inquiring about the people, and sending 
 me with messages to them ; and he' listened with much inte- 
 rest to the report I made of them. 
 
 " One of his converts, a young girl of nineteen, was at this 
 time on the bed of death, and my dear father regretted much 
 he could not visit her ; but he was very anxious to comfort and 
 instruct her through me. She survived him two months, and 
 died in the same peace, perhaps with more triumph. She 
 said, just before her death, ' she longed yet more for heaven, 
 because her dear minister vvas there to welcome her.' I know 
 that he was full of anxiety for a suitable successor, and the 
 idea of his flock being dispersed hung heavy upon his spirits. 
 One morning, when I was sitting near him, he burst into tears 
 and said, ' Oh ! my parish ! my poor parish ! I feel as if I had 
 done nothing for it, as if it had been so much neglected. I 
 have not done half that I ought.' It was more than I could 
 bear to hear him speak in this way ; for I had seen him in 
 weariness, and painfulness, and watchings, spending and be- 
 ing spent, if by any means he might win souls to Christ. I 
 suggested to him his labors, and the singular usefulness of his 
 ministry, especially within the last two'years : he would still 
 reply, ' no thanks to me, no thanks to me. I see it so diffe- 
 rent now, as if I had done just nothing. I see nothing but 
 neglect and duties left undone.' I could not help reflecting on 
 the different aspect things must have when eternity is opening 
 upon us. 
 
 " He was considerably cheered soon after this by the pros- 
 
 pect of Mr. H becoming his curate ; it seemed to revive 
 
 him ; he lost sight of other troubles in the thought that his 
 church would be well supplied. 
 
 " He often recurred to Henry's residence at college, and 
 talked of his fears for his dear boy till he was quite spent. 
 He would say " I have seen the ruin of so many promising 
 youths by a college life, and those apparently as amiable and 
 pious as my own dear child. I know the difficulty of main- 
 taining spiritual religion at Cambridge. Even studies which 
 are in themselves lawful, and which he ought to pursue, have 
 a tendency to weaken piety, and interrupt private devotion. 
 Christ has often been crucified between classics and mathema- 
 tics, I wish him to be diligent in his studies, but the Bible is 
 the proper library for a young man entering into the church. 
 
EDV. LEGH EICHMOND. 
 
 345 
 
 If. he does but understand the Bible experimentally, I shall be 
 content, ijid him, F — , to bo very careful of his companions, 
 that they be i'ew, and more advanced in religion than liimself; 
 and particularly that he attends Mr. S— 's ministry. It cheers 
 my heart, that there is such a ministry at Cambridge. Be 
 sure you talk to him about these things. Warn him of declen- 
 sions, and against sacrificing religion to the desire of distinc- 
 lion. That dear boy, and his approaching trials, are never 
 out of my thoughs; I think of him by day, and dream of 
 him by night.' 
 
 " We found in his desk a sheet of paper on which was 
 written • Cambridge documents.' These were directions for 
 Henry, but not finished. He had often expressed a great de. 
 sire to see a son in the church, ready to take his place. * If I 
 might but hear a true gospel sermon from one of my children, 
 I should die in peace.' On another occasion, he expressed 
 great delight that his young friend C. H — visited the poor, 
 and said, ' you must recommend this to Henry, as the very 
 best preparation for the ministry. Try, my dear F — , to keep 
 him up to it. Tell him his poor father learnt his most valua- 
 ble lessons for the ministry, and his most useful espehence in 
 religion, in the poor man's cottage.' 
 
 •'The last time he spoke to me on personal religion he en- 
 deavored to establish my mind in the doctrine of assurance, 
 and enlarged on its importance, and its tendency to promote 
 both comfort and obedience. He pointed to Archbishop 
 Leighton as my pattern : ^ See how holily and lovingly that 
 man walked with God, because he believed that his salvation 
 was safe and settled, that he was chosen in Christ. Try, my 
 dear child, to expand your views ; look at the magnificent 
 scheme of salvation — the contract between the Father and 
 his eternal Son. How much better to look out of self, and 
 see all perfected in Christ. You will never be happy and 
 strong, till you grasp the covenant plan of redemption. You 
 live upon self too much : you will get misery and despair, but 
 nothing else, by looking to yourself. Live upon Christ ; he 
 has done all for you, if you could but believe it.' 
 
 " Of the last sermons I read to him, one was entitled, 
 *Hope amidst Billows,' the other 'The Believer a Hero.' 
 This last I read twice to him ; and he expressed much delight 
 in listening to it. It seemed to suit the state of his mind, and 
 corresponded with his own sentiments. At one part of the 
 sermon he stopped me that he might meditate on what/iie 
 heard, and then he said, ' Read it again.' It seemed to cheer 
 30 
 
346 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 his mind. When I had finished it, *This,' said he, ' exactly 
 expresses what I would say to you ; that is just my senti- 
 ment ;' and he told me to turn down the leaf, that he might 
 show it to mamma. I have copied tiie passage ; it appears to 
 me very beautiful, and is greatly endeared to me, as having 
 comforted my dear father a few days only before his death. 
 
 " ' The fear of God is not a perplexing, doubting, and dis- 
 trust of his love : on the contrary, it is a fixed resting and 
 trust in liis love. Many who have some truth of grace,* are, 
 through weakness, filled with disquieting fears ; but, possibly 
 though they preceive it not, it may be in some a point ofwilful- 
 ness, a little latent undiscerned afi'ectation of scrupling and 
 doubting, placing much of religion in it. True, where the 
 soul is really solicitous about its interest in God, that argues 
 Fome grace ; but being vexingiy anxious about it, argues that 
 grace is v>'eak and low. A spark there is, even discovered 
 by that smoke ; but the great smoke still continuing, and no- 
 thing seen but it, argues there is little fire, little faith, little 
 love. And this as it is unpleasant to thyself, so it is to God, 
 as smoke to the eyes. VVhat if one should be always ques. 
 tioning with a friend, whether he loved him or not, and upon 
 every little occasion were ready to think he doth not, how 
 would they disrelish their society together, though truly lov- 
 ing each other. The far more excellent way, and more plea- 
 sing both to ourselves and to God, wc:e to resolve on humble 
 trust, reverence, and confidence, being most afraid to offend, 
 delighting to walk in his ways, loving him and his will in all ; 
 and then resting persuaded of his love, though he chastise us, 
 And even though we offend him, and see our offences in our 
 chastisements, yet he is good, plenteous in redemption, ready 
 to forgive ; therefore let Israel hope and trust. Let my soul 
 roll itself on him, and adventure there all its weight. He 
 bears greater matters, upholding the frame of heaven and 
 earth, and is not troubled nor burdened with it.' 
 
 ^' Three days after, he asked me to read one of Newton's 
 letters, from the volume entitled ' The Aged Pilgrim's Tri- 
 umph.' He listened to me with interest, but did not speak, 
 except to thank me. 
 
 " When his meals were brought to him, he used to clasp 
 his wasted hands, and ask a blessing. ' I thank thee, heavenly 
 I'ather, for these undeserved mercies to such an unworthy sin- 
 
 **'liis is tlie expression used in tlie ori2;iiial. It is equivalent to saying, — 
 "Mtiny who are not without a measure of true grace," &c. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 347 
 
 ner.' There may be nothing more in the words than any 
 other Christian would utter ; but the humility and reverence 
 of his manner deeply affected us. 
 
 "Nearly the whole of Good Friday he sat in a solemn 
 prayerful meditation, with that exquisite print of Guido's be- 
 fore him, the head of our Saviour crowned with thorns. His 
 attention seemed riveted on it, but he said nothing. 
 
 " On Easter Sunday the sacrament was administered at 
 the church. This day he regarded with peculiar reverence, 
 and some new converts generally partook of the sacred ordi- 
 nance at this time, whom he had been preparing during the 
 past year. The delight with which he gave them these'em- 
 blems of the bodv and blood of Christ was ver\- uncommon. It 
 would cheer his spirits for weeks. This was the first Easter 
 Sunday during his residence at Turvey that he had been pre- 
 vented from joining his church, and commemorating the re- 
 surrection of our blessed Redeemer, and he seemed to feel the 
 privation deeply. Betbre v, e went to church, he told us to re- 
 member him at the table, and he would join the communion of 
 the saints in his study. He said, ' I shall look at my watch, 
 and mark the exact time and read the service, that I may be 
 one with you in the fellowship of the redeemed.' On our re- 
 turn we saw the prayer-book open before him, and he was 
 still intent on the communion service. He looked up with 
 great composure in his countenance, and said, ' I have fol- 
 lowed you in every sentence, and I think I may say, I have 
 indeed been with you and enjoyed a su eet communion.' 
 
 " He had a great dislike to keep his bed ; and I cannot 
 but acknowledge the goodness of God, that it was not neces- 
 sary. He rose every day, to the last, and sat as usual in 
 his study : only getting up a little later, and going to bed 
 earlier, as his strength gradually failed him. The last fort- 
 night he was very silent, and appeared constantly in prayer 
 and meditation — waiting his dismissal, and the end of his 
 earthly pilgrimage. At this time nothing seemed to disturb 
 him, and he appeared to realize the full import of that blessed 
 promise, 'Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind 
 is stayed on thee.' I have often thought he exemplified the 
 faith his favourite Leighton commends — ' Let thy soul roll it- 
 self on God, and adventure there all its weight.' It was indeed 
 an unspeakable delight to us to observe the unruffled calm of 
 his soul ; and it confirmed our minds in the truth and value 
 of the doctrines he had taught for thirty years. We had 
 seen our beloved father prostrate in soul before God, under 
 
348 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 a consciousness of iniiwellingsin ; we had heard him beiriQan- 
 ing himself, after a long life of usefulness, as an unprofitable 
 servant, renouncing again and again all hope of salvation by 
 his own goodness, and fleeing to Jesus as his only refuge. To 
 
 use his words to C. H , ' It is only by coming to Chijet 
 
 as a little child, and as for tlie first time, that I can get peace.' 
 Yet, though for a time perplexed, he was not forsaken. We 
 saw him comforted of God, and proving v.'hat he had often 
 said to me — * Christ has firm hold of you, however feeble j^our 
 grasp of him ;' and now we saw him strong in faith, and in 
 the last hour of dissolving nature, rejoice in the sure and cer- 
 tain hope of the glory of God. He did indeed find, to use the 
 dying words of my beloved brother, 'the rest that Christ gives 
 is sweet.' He was sileat, hut it w^as a most expressive si- 
 lence, and revealed emotions of joy and praise not to be de- 
 scribed. Many touching circumstances occurred, which 
 showed both the man and the Christian ; but they are of too 
 delicate a nature to be communicated beyond the circle of his 
 own family. 
 
 " Two days before his death, he received a letter, mention- 
 ing the conversion 6f two persons (one of whom was a clergy, 
 man,) by the perusal of his tract, ' The Dairyman's Daughter.* 
 When the letter was given hi?n he seemed too feeble to open 
 it himself, and desired Henry to«re?.d it to him. The con- 
 tents deeply interested him. He raised himself in his.chair, 
 lifted up his hand, and then let it fall down again, while he 
 repeatedly shook his head. His manner spoke the greatest 
 hum.iliiy, as if he would say — * How unworthy of such ho- 
 nor !' For a few minutes it seemed to administer a cordial to 
 his fainting spirit, and led our minds, in reference to our dear 
 father, to contemplate Xhc near fulfilment of that promise, 
 ' They that turn many to righteousness, shall shine as the 
 stars forever and ever.' 
 
 " On Tuesday, the 8th of May, he rose later than usual : 
 I think it was twelve before he got into the study ; and he 
 was so weak, that he had great dilTiculty m walking there 
 from his bed. room. His breath was short, and he looked 
 verv pale, but he said he felt no pain. He sat on his read- 
 ing. chair, with his head resting on a pillow : his countenance 
 and manner were ealm and peaceful. In the afternoon he 
 could scarcely support himself ; and' I kneeled on a chair be- 
 hind him, and he laid his head on my shoulder. Once he 
 seemed to be fainting, but he soon revived ; and looking 
 calmly at me he said, * Better now, lave/ 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 " Mamma could no longer stay in the room, and I was left 
 alone with him till five. He still said nothing, except to 
 assure me he felt no pain. To the very last, it appeared 
 to be his great desire to spare our teelings. We now per- 
 suaded him to go to bed, but we little thought death was so 
 near. He could not walk, and we were going to ring for a 
 servant to assist him ; but he said, • I should like Henry to 
 carry me.' He was wasted to a skeleton : Henry took him 
 up with great ease, and we all followed. I shall never forget 
 this most affecting moment : if was a moment of anguish to 
 me, more than the last scene. He seemed to know that he 
 was leaving the study, never to return to it ; his look told me 
 that he knew it. This was his favorite room, where for more 
 than twenty years he had constantly carried on his pursuits. 
 There he had written his books — studied his sermons — in- 
 structed his children — conversed with his flock, and otfered 
 daily sacrifice of praise and prayer. I watched him, as Henr\- 
 carried him out : his countenance preserved the same look ot^ 
 fixed composure. He raised his head and gave one search- 
 ing look round the room, on his books — his table — his chair 
 — his wife — his children ; — and then the door closed on him 
 for ever ! He gave the same look round the gallery through 
 which we passed, as if he was bidding farewdl to every thing. 
 There was a peculiar expression in his countenance, which I 
 cannot describe ; it seemed to say, ' Behold I die, but God will 
 be with you !* Henry seated him in a chair, and he sat to 
 be undressed, like a little dependent chiid, in deep silence, 
 but without the ruifling of a feature. 
 
 *' About nine, he seemed rather wandering, and made an 
 effort to speak, but we could not make out his meaning : only 
 we perceived he was thinking of his church, for we heard 
 him say several times, ' It will be all confusion !* Mamma ask- 
 ed him what would be cont^usion. ' The church I There will 
 be such confusion in my church !' 
 
 " About ten o'clock, he signified to mamma, in the gen- 
 tlest whisper, that he wished to be left alone — to send us all 
 away, and draw the curtains round him ! 
 
 *' About half past ten, Mrs. G., the kind and taithful nurse 
 of Willy, tapped at my door. I was reading the Bible, and had 
 just reached that verse, ' That ye be not slothful, but followers 
 of them who through taith and patience inherit the promises. 
 I have thought the coincidence remarkable, at least I trust 
 it will ever give a quickening influence to that passage, when 
 I read it. She told me to come and look at mv father. She 
 30^ 
 
350 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 said, she could hardly tell whether there w&b any change or 
 not. J hurried to him. He raised hia eyes to heaven, and 
 then closed them. I put my cheek upon his ; and 1 believe 
 at that instant I felt, for I could not hear, his dying sigh. I 
 thought he was sleeping, and continued looking at him, till 
 Hannah said, ' Your dear papa is in heaven.' I did not think 
 him dead ; and I rubbed his still warm hands, and kissed his 
 pale cheek, and entreated him to speak one word to me ; but 
 I soon found it was the silence of death. All turned to poor 
 mamma, who was insensible ; and I was thus left alone with 
 my dear father, kneeling beside him, with his hand in mine- 
 The same holy calm sat on his countenance, and seemed to 
 say — ' Thanks be to God, who hath given me the victory '/ 
 " The scene that followed was truly afJlictive, The grief 
 of the widow and the fatherless was unchecked : for he who 
 had always comforted thenx, and bid them kiss the rod, wnf^ 
 no longer with them. The contrast between the after-scene 
 of Wilberforce's and our beloved parent's death was peculiv- 
 iy affecting to me. When my brother died, my father assem- 
 bled us together, to implore resignation and offer praise, 
 but when he himself departed,, all seemed gone. There was- 
 noone to collect us; and we were scattered in wild sorrowv 
 with a feeling of* desolation which was quite unutterable. 
 
 We cannot, we ought not to forget such a father. Yea.. 
 I would add, ' when 1 forget thee, may my right hand forget 
 her cunning.' 
 
 " The hand of God has gone out against us — yet * the seed 
 of the righteous is not forsaken.' He has cut off the * stream 
 which made us glad,' — but praised be his name, he invites 
 us to the ' living fountain,' where our souls may drink and be 
 satisfied. Believe me, my dear Mrs. F., yoiir verv alfection.^ 
 ate, " ' F. R." 
 
 Mt. Richmond departed, Tuesday, May 8, 1827. The 
 Editor arrived from abroad four days after the above event. 
 If is impossible to express the shock inflicted on his feeling? 
 by this painful intelligence, which v/as the more distressing 
 as it was wholly unexpected, and unmitigated by a parting 
 interview. It seemed as if he had just returned to perform 
 the last solemn duty ! 
 
 Mr. Richmond was buried in the church of Turvey, and 
 in the same vault which contained the remains of his beloved 
 Wilberforce, and of two infant, sons. The affecting circum^ 
 
REV. LEGII RICHMOND, 
 
 351 
 
 stances of the funeral are thus described by a friend, who was 
 a spec}ator of the mournful scene : — 
 
 I was hastening to witness the sad obsequies of this ex* 
 cellent man ; the bell tolled heavily, and seemed to smite on 
 my ear with more than ordinary solemnity. Sorrow was de- 
 picted on every countenance, and the mourners crossed my 
 path at every step. Even the aged and the sick, who had 
 long heard trom his lips the glad tidings of salvation, crept 
 out of their cottages, resting on their crutches, or leaning on 
 the arm of friendship, to gaze on the mournful cavalcade, 
 and weep over their melancholy bereavement. 
 
 " Every eye exhibited the struggle of feeling, and spoke 
 more for the memory of the deceased than volumes written in 
 his praise. Multitudes from the neighboring villages, and 
 many from remoter places, were attracted to (he spot, and 
 came to pay their tribute of affection to the memory of one 
 with v, hose name they had long associated feelings of re- 
 spect and esteem. The members of the men's club established 
 by Mr. Richmond at Turvey, had assembled with their long 
 wands, clothed in mourning, and formed a double line from 
 the rectory to the church porch. Through this avenue' the 
 body was borne, without interruption from the crowds of 
 spectators. It was carried by six bearers, and the pall was 
 held by llie same number of clergymen from the neighbor- 
 hood, whose countenances, marked with profound sorrow, 
 seemed to say, 'alas! my brother!' There followed as 
 mourners, the family — the more respectable of the parishion- 
 ers — the communicants — the friendly societies of yourig and 
 old — the Sunday and day schools — and a long train of the 
 poor, n ith many strangers who were present on the occasion. 
 The men's club joined the procession as it passed along ; and 
 the whole presented to my eye the most affecting picture of 
 deep and sincere sorrow I ever witnessed.' 
 
 "•The service was read, at the request of the famil}^, by 
 Mr. Grimshawe, who delivered an address at the conclusion 
 of the funeral, in compliance with the wishes of the parish- 
 ioners, and in accordance with the custom of the deceased 
 rector." 
 
 The following Sunday, a sermon was preached at Turvey 
 church, on the occasion, by the Rev. T. Fry, rector of Em- 
 berton, to an overflowing congregation. So great was the 
 number of persons that attended, that many went away, un- 
 able to procure admittance. Not only was every space in the 
 
352 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 church and the chancels occupied, but the marble monuments 
 were covered with people, and even the large beams which 
 supported the roof. Mr. Richmond, some years before his de- 
 cease, had selected a passage of Scripture ; and Mr. Fry, in 
 compliance with the wishes of his friend, took his text from 
 Ro?nans vii, 24, 25. ' O wretched man that I am ! who shall 
 deliver me from the body of this death ? I thank God, 
 through Jesus Christ our Lord.'* 
 
 The following testimony, from Mrs. Richmond to the do- 
 mestic character and virtues of her excellent husband, is too 
 honorable to both parties not to excite the interest of the 
 r'eader by its insertion. 
 
 " Dear Sir, — Allow me to assure you of the unfeigned sa- 
 tisfaction which I feel in addressing you as the biographer of 
 my late most dear and lamented husband. 
 
 " That tiie task has devolved on you, who were better ac- 
 quainted than most others with the qualities of him whom you 
 so justly loved and valued, is a melancholy pleasure, connect- 
 ed with my afflictive bereavement. 
 
 " The confidential and affectionate intercourse, which for 
 so many years subsisted between you, afforded numerous and 
 varied opportunities for making a just estimate of his charac- 
 ter : and I feel full confidence that you will be faithful in your 
 own observations on this honored servant of the sanctuary. 
 
 " To hi?n indeed, it is a thing of nought ; — his witness is in 
 heaven, and his record is on high. But to those whom he has 
 left behind in this vale of tears, it is, I think, a lawful source 
 of anxiety and interest, that 'his name should be had in re- 
 membrance.' 
 
 His public character you had more frequent and diversi- 
 fied means of appreciating than I had. But in the private 
 and family circle, it may naturally be supposed that to myself 
 he was best known. 
 
 " In the endeared relations of husband and father, those 
 only knew his value who are now left to deplore his loss. The 
 honored but unworthy partner of his weal and wo can bear 
 grateful testimony how truly he fulfilled the apostolic injunc- 
 tion of loving his wife : how patiently he bore with her infir- 
 mities, and with what tenderness of mind and refinement of 
 feeling, he manifested the daily recurring instances of his af- 
 fectionate and devoted attachment. 
 
 * Sermons were preached in the neighborhood by the editor and other cler- 
 gymen the succeeding Sunday. 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 353 
 
 " The subject is sacred and delicate, and my pencil might 
 be thought to color too highly ; but on my own heart is inde- 
 libly impressed the fond remembrance of what he was to me — 
 a remembrance which death only can efface ; and which I 
 humbly hope will be renewed, with increased powers of re- 
 collection, when I shall have come out of this great tribula- 
 tion, washed in the blood of the Lamb, and made meet for 
 the inheritance of the saints in light. 
 
 *' Nevertheless, I feel myself called upon to offer the tri- 
 bute of my heart's best effusions of gratitude, for a continued 
 course of connubial felicity, enjoyed by few to the same ex- 
 tent. To him I was indebted for thirty years of domestic 
 happiness, from the recollections of Avhich, * visions of past 
 enjoyment rise, in long and bright array ;' while I am pain- 
 fully reminded that they are joys departed; for, ' in the for- 
 saken tomb, the form beloved is laid !' 
 
 " In how many instances did he cast the mantle of love 
 over my deficiencies and short-cominffs ! and when he might 
 have been ' much bold in Christ, to enjoin me that which is 
 convenient ; yet, for love's sake he rather besought me.' 
 
 " But it is as a candidate for heaven that I supremely feel 
 my obligations to my departed husband. Here the dispenser 
 and the possessor of all earthly joys must have their close; — 
 Here all sublunary bliss must cease f But there, mortality 
 shall- put on immortality ; and the pleasures at God's right 
 hand are for evermore. To his instrumentality I owe the 
 hope never-ending happiness ; and I rejoice in the blessed 
 prospect, that from having been fellow-pilgrims on earth, we 
 shall be fellow-heirs of glory in heaven. And if celestial 
 happiness can be increased by the reunion of terrestrial ob- 
 jects of atfeclion, mine must receive addition trom again be- 
 holding him. The anticipation cheers my widowed heart. 
 Oh ! that we may again meet, * with our old and with our 
 young, with our sons and with our daughters.' 
 
 As a father, he possessed a tenderness and sweetness of 
 affection almost peculiar to himself. How does my heart now 
 thrill, while I recall the affectionate and parental emotions 
 with which he took each new-born babe in his arms ; and like 
 Simeon of old, blessed it ! Those prayers were registered 
 in heaven, they have descended in blessings on his children, 
 and they are yet 'the portion and inheritance for them, in their 
 Father's house:' a bequest more precious than silver and gold, 
 I doubt not that those prayers were accepted for the Saviour's 
 sake; and the surviving parent adds her petition — ' Therefore, 
 
354 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that 
 it may continue for ever before thee : with thy blessing let 
 the house of thy servant be blessed for ever.' 
 
 " In portraying the general character of my dear husband, 
 his peculiarly prominent feature of henevolence shonX^ be 
 specially noticed ; for he possessed it in the most extended 
 and comprehensive meaning of the word. 
 
 "It was a universal kindness and good-will, best described 
 by the charity which ' beareth all things, believeth all things, 
 hopeth all things, endureth all things. A charity which never 
 failed.' There were occasions when, according to man's 
 wisdom, this virtue might have been and was thought to par- 
 take of the works of supererogation. And certain it is, that 
 in some instances, the unsuspecting simplicity of his dispo- 
 sition subjected him to consequences which fully proved that 
 the children of this world are wiser in their generation than 
 the children of light! 
 
 " But he was ever mindful of the admonition, ' never inir 
 pute a bad motive to any one, while you can find a good one.' 
 
 " The motto which encircled his heart was, ' glory to God 
 in the highest, on earth peace, good will towards men.' 
 
 " This was his Christian badge ; nor can I recollect a sin- 
 gle instance in which he ever laid it aside. ' Speak not evil 
 one of another,' was a very remarkable characteristic of my 
 beloved husband. With David he said, 'I will take heed to 
 my ways, that I sin not with my tongue.' He appeared 
 never to lose sight of this caution, nor did he ever fail to 
 check the forgetfulness of it in others when occasion required. 
 
 " His dw7i breast was the sacred depository of any event, 
 circumstances, or communication which cast reproach upon 
 the church, or on individuals. And that with a conviction, 
 founded upon the sure word of God, that * the tongue is an 
 unruly evil.' 
 
 "You, dear sir, need not be informed of his unwearied 
 labors of love, when publicly engaged in the cause of God. 
 You well know that he counted no personal sacrifice too dear, 
 so that he might win souls to Christ. 
 
 " Were any tempted to think that he robbed his own to 
 enrich others, and that enthusiasm carried him too often and 
 too far from kindred ties, and from the appointed flock over 
 which God had made him overseer ? Let wife, children, and 
 flock, separately and unitedly declare, without partiality and 
 without hypocrisy, what was the spirit in which he returned 
 among them. Was it not invariably * in the fulness of the 
 
REV. LEGII RICHMOND. 
 
 355 
 
 gospel of peace,' replenished with fresh arguments for eacli, 
 that ' laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, 
 and envying, and all evil-speakings ; denying ungodliness and 
 worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly 
 in this" present evil world ; laying up in store a good founda- 
 tion against the time to come.' How animating were the 
 details which he gave of his progress through the varied 
 scenes of his pilgrimage, and how calculated to impress the 
 conviction, that the love of Christ constrained him ! 
 
 "Nor let it be supposed that the breath of fame kindled in 
 his bosom any desires at variance with the duties of that more 
 confined sphere in whjch he was permanently stationed. I 
 always considered his missionary labors as productive of fresh 
 energies for the discharge of his parochial duties. 
 
 " Instant in season, out of season, he preached the word 
 with invigorating power and demonstration of the spirit. 
 Giving all diligence to add to his faith virtue, and to virtue 
 knowledge, ar.d to knowledge temperance, and to temperance 
 patience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness brother- 
 ly kindness, and to brotherly kindness charity.' These things 
 being in him, and abounding, they made him, that he v/as 
 'neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord 
 Jesus Christ.' 
 
 " But his days are accomplished : he rests from his labors. 
 He is now become a citizen of Zion, ansv.'erable to the de- 
 scription of David, ' Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle ? 
 Who shall dwell in thy holy hill ? He that walketh uprightly, 
 and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth from his 
 heart.' And having joined the hundred forty and four thou- 
 sand, in concert he proclaims, ' not by works of righteousness 
 which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, 
 by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy 
 Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ.' 
 
 "It might naturally have been expected, that the horizon 
 around this setting sun would have been gilded with many a 
 bright, though departing ray ; and that he would have winged 
 his flight to glory, commencing the hallelujahs on earth, so 
 soon to be attuned to harps of gold in heaven : — that finding 
 the end of all things was at hand, he would have spoken ' as 
 the oracles of God, — declaring that he had not followed cun- 
 ningly devised fables, when he made known the power of our 
 Lord Jesus Christ.' That such was not the case, can, I think, 
 be best accounted for by those who have most cause to mourn 
 the deprivation. 
 
MKIdOlRS OF TEia 
 
 " The feelings of ihe husband and the jfaf^r were ioo sen ^ 
 silive for the weakened frame, which shrunk from llie excite- 
 ment to be apprehended from any . direct allusion to the 
 mournful event which was about lo rend asunder a link so 
 strongly uniting the family chain. This was the bitterness 
 of death. For his own soul,- he had long committed it to the 
 keeping of God, in well-doing, as unto a faithful Creator; 
 but he would no! hazard an interruption to the peaceful calm 
 with which he anticipated his dismissal from the body. He 
 saw the restrained anguish of my heart, and forbore to probe ^ 
 the wound, which ]ie }inew was rankling. This it .was that 
 imposed silence. . , • • # 
 
 A more tranquil departure could neither have been wished 
 nor granted. Every tumult was hushed. — all was serene, — 
 death had lost its sting, for he had gained the victory through 
 our Lord Jesus Christ. With the utmost composure, he put 
 his house in order, feeling that he must die, and not live. Th€ 
 placidity of his " countenance expressed the peace within, 
 speaking more than words could have done ; ' and now, Lord, 
 what wait I for ? truly my hope is even in thee.' Can I ever 
 forget the morning of that day which closed upon me as a 
 widow (oh! word of sorrow) and desolate? With what pjBj^ 
 phetic earnestness did he pronounce the assurance, * God will 
 never leave you, nor forsake you ! It is impossible P 
 
 " This may be said to have been his parting benediction. 
 For though some lew hours more did elapse, before the de- 
 parture of the spirit to God who gave it, yet the. powers of 
 nature were so exhausted, that briefly reminding me ' how 
 merciful the Lord has been to us for many years,' and with a 
 short exhortation to resignation, he continued in silent com- 
 posure, waiting the arrival of the heavenly convoy, to be ush- 
 ered into the presence of Him whom, not haying seen, he 
 ioved— ^and whom now beholding, and knowing even as he 
 is known, he falls down and worships ; uniting with the in- 
 numerable company of angels, the spirits of just nien made 
 perfect, and the multitude which no man can number, in sing, 
 ing the song of Moses and the Lamb. ' Mark the upright man, 
 and behold the perfect ; for the end of that man is peace.* 
 
 *' Such was my beloved husband, in life and in death. 
 What he is in glory, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nei- 
 Uicr hath entered into the heart to conceive. 
 
 'Tliu? much {a.id is all) we know, — 
 
 He issiiprpinely hleft; 
 Has (lone wiili siii, aiid care, and wo, 
 Aud willi his (Saviour r.sts.' 
 
REV. LEGH RICHXOXD. 
 
 357 
 
 *• In giving this transcript, dear sir, of thoughts so deeply 
 engraven on mv heart, many a pang has been revived. Me- 
 mory retraces joys and sorrows, each in their turn a source of 
 grief. I am painfully reminded that God ' hath stripped me 
 of ray glory, and taken the crown trom my head.' I see my- 
 self surrounded by the pledges of an ardent attachment, and 
 I remember that my children *are orphans and iatherless — 
 their mother is a widow.' They must set sail on the ocean of 
 life, exposed to the chilling blasts of this inhospitable clime, 
 without a pilot to warn them of the rocks and quicksands to 
 which they will be exposed. The guide of their youth, he 
 who would have given to the young man knowledge and dis- 
 cretion is separated from them. How often v, ill they have 
 need to cry out, ' My father, my father I' 
 
 For myself, I am left to travel the remainder of my pil- 
 grimage solitary and alone. The bosom upon v.hich I was 
 wont to recline, no longer beats with affectionate sympathy, 
 responsive to my joys and sorrows. The evening of my days 
 must close in cheerless solitude ; but the voice of God is in 
 this dispensation, and it becomes me to hearken unto it. He 
 doth not willingly grieve, but says, 'turn you at my reproof.' 
 
 " May the Lord ' make me to know my transgression and 
 sin. May my soul keep it still in remembrance, and be hum- 
 bled in me.' 
 
 " ' Who is wise, and he shall understand these things ? Pru- 
 dent, and he shall know them ? For the ways of the Lord are 
 right, and the just shall walk in them.' I am, my dear sir, 
 yours, very truly, Maey Richmond." 
 
 We ieel extremely reluctant to trespass on this holy 
 ground, or interrupt the train of solemn thought and feeling 
 which these interesting letters of a beloved wife and an affec- 
 tionate child must have inspired in the minds of our readers. 
 Yet we cannot close this Memoir with satisfaction to our- 
 selves, or justice to our esteemed friend, without noticing a 
 few of those qualities for which he appears to us, and to all 
 who knew him, to have been eminently distinguished. 
 
 The following testimonies from those who possessed ample 
 opportunities of forming a just estimate of his character, are 
 at once a faithful and honorable record both of his public 
 and private virtues. They will not be less acceptable for 
 being offered for the most part by men w iose names are as- 
 sociated with the distinguished institUiuns that adorn the 
 times in which we live. 
 31 
 
358 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 " I not only witnessed," says Dr. Steinkopff, " the ability 
 with which he publicly advocated the cause of the Bible So- 
 ciety, and the powerful and beneficial impression which his 
 addresses produced on numerous and highly respectable audi- 
 ences, but I also felt delighted with his Christian conversa- 
 tion. I saw him devoutly perusing those sacred pages which 
 he so effectively recommended to the attention of others, and 
 heard many an edifying remark dropping from his lips. 
 
 " Instead of living to himself, he felt an ardent desire to 
 live to the honor and glory of Him who died for him, and rose 
 again. He closely watched his own heart, temper, and dis- 
 position ; and often expressed himself in terms of the most 
 unfeigned humility and self-abasement, — renouncing all de- 
 pendence on what he had done, and relying exclusively on the 
 free grace of God and the merits of his adorable Redeemer. 
 In all my interviews with him, I witnessed a serenity of mind, 
 and cheerfulness of temper, peculiarly calculated to recom- 
 mend the religion of Christ." 
 
 " By his fine imagination," observes the Rev. Mr. Bick- 
 ersteth, his devotional spirit, his full and copious flow of ex- 
 pression, and his rich exhibition of the good tidings of redeem- 
 ing grace, he interested, in a very uncommon degree, the 
 large assemblies he was accustomed to address. Some of his 
 most extemporaneous addresses had a beauty of conception, 
 and a glow of feeling quite irresistible. Very many in our 
 own country can testify, that through his labors they not only 
 first became sensible of the importance of missions, but of the 
 value of their own souls, and the infinite price at which they 
 were redeemed." 
 
 In allusion to his exertions in behalf of the Jews, the Rev. 
 Mr. Hawtry remarks : — 
 
 " There was something in the cause of poor benighted and 
 outcast Israel, which seemed peculiarly congenial with his af- 
 fectionate and sympathizing spirit. To exhibit their wrongs, 
 and paint their sorrows, was a work in which he delighted to 
 be engaged ; and he did so with such genuine feeling and pa- 
 thetic eloquence, that few could resist his appeals ; and it 
 would not be easy to define how much, under God, that now 
 widely diff'used compassion for this interesting, but long-neg- 
 lected people, is to be attributed to his pious and able exer- 
 tions in their behalf." 
 
REV. LEGH RICHMO>D. 
 
 359 
 
 " Enough has been witnessed by me.'' says the Rev. Mr. 
 Hughes, " on the road, in famiUes, and at pubHc meetings, 
 to furnish the materials of an ample testimony in favor of that 
 excellent and extraordinary man. To a sound understand- 
 ing, a full command of thoughts and language, a free and 
 graceful utterance, and an exuberant imagination, he added 
 those qualities of the heart, which endeared him to the whole 
 of that large circle in which he moved. Piety, candor, cour- 
 tesy, and Christian kindness were embodied in all his de- 
 meanor. Who that knew him could ever be reminded of the 
 gall of bitterness, except by the perfect contrast of his own 
 admirable dispositions ? 
 
 "If all the professed ministers and disciples of our Lord 
 shone with a radiance so mild, and exemplified a zeal so pious 
 and affectionate, then would the church embody her argu- 
 ments and persuasions in their most etfective and impressive 
 form." 
 
 The Rev. Mr. Jones, of Creaton, one of his oldest and 
 most esteemed friends, thus writes : — 
 
 " He was no common man, whether considered as a writer, 
 a speaker, a pastor, a parent, or a friend. I always felt it 
 my honor and happiness to have the benefit of his acquaint- 
 ance, and a share in his affections, which I happily enjoj-ed 
 without interruption, from the time he came to reside at Tur- 
 vey, to the day he entered his eternal rest. And I can now 
 declare, with the greatest truth, that the nearer I came to 
 him, and the more opportunities I had of entering into his 
 real character, principles, and disposition, the more I loved 
 and esteemed him." 
 
 " I admit," remarks the Rev. Mr. Fry, " that the best of 
 men are men at the best ; and that religion has sustained no 
 small injury from the unmeasured and injudicious encomiums 
 bestowed on its professors, by friends and partisans. Legh 
 Richmond might have his weakness as well as others, but his 
 faults were the excesses of his virtues. After a very inti- 
 mate and confidential intercourse with him for more than 
 twenty years, I may aver, in the perfect integrity of truth, that 
 in my judgment he was equalled by few, and excelled by none. 
 Although there is a considerable affinity of character in the 
 general attainments and labors of the distinguished servants 
 of God, there were some qualities in him which might be 
 more peculiarly called his own. 
 
360 
 
 -MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 " Harmony is the perfection of character, and Legh Rich- 
 mond exhibited a beautiful combination ofvaried excellencies. 
 With an acknowledged superiority of talents and acquire, 
 ments, and with a tide of popularity and usefulness, which 
 might have induced a train of fearful temptations, he possessed 
 a deep consciousness of his own unworthiness, and his conduct 
 was marked with a most unfeigned meekness and humility : 
 no one could be more exempt from display. His rich stores of 
 material were always at hand, but they were never brought 
 forward till the occasion called for them. It is often seen, 
 that men of commanding minds are careless of the feelings of 
 others, and unwilling to stoop to the infirmities of the weak. 
 In Legh Richmond were united strength and sweetness ; he 
 had a ' head of intellect, and a heart of love,' as was expres- 
 sively observed by my friend Mr. Garrard. He possessed 
 powers to grapple with a giant, and sensibility that would 
 not trample on a worm ; tenderness, forbearance, and sym- 
 pathy characterized his intercourse with every one. 
 
 " Men of fine taste and delicate perceptions are frequently 
 betrayed into fastidiousness; and are apt to be offended with 
 the coarseness and peculiarity which sometimes disfigures a 
 sincere and genuine profession of religion ; but Mr. Rich- 
 mond kept his eye fixed on the jewel, however rough and un- 
 sightly the casket which contained it. 
 
 " His largeness of heart embraced every part of the church 
 of Christ, and the kindness and cordiality of his manner en- 
 deared him to all. 
 
 " From his connexion and correspondence with good men, 
 of every denomination, he was suspected by some of indiffer- 
 ence and laxity towards the principles of his own community. 
 
 " But if he be the best churchman, the purity of whose doc- 
 trine, and the fidelity of whose labors have the most direct 
 tendency to check the progress of dissent, and to attract nu- 
 merous worshippers within the walls of our own Zion, no man 
 ever possessed ajuster claim to this title than the subject oi 
 the present Memoir. 
 
 " He was conscientiously and firmly attached to the disci- 
 pline as well as to the doctrine of the establishment, and 
 never shrunk from its defence, when he thought himself call- 
 ed upon to advocate its cause. 
 
 " He was remarkable for his disinterestedness, and when- 
 ever he asked a favor, it was for others, and not for himself. 
 Perhaps I cannot better illustrate this part of his character 
 than by relating an anecdote of Mr. Howe, (one of Oliver 
 
ILEV. LEGH RICHMOND. , 
 
 361 
 
 Cromwell's chaplains,) to whom, in many points, Legh Rich- 
 mond bore a strong resemblance. Mr. Howe was applied to 
 ^ for protection, by men of all parties, in those eventful times ; 
 ft audit is said of him, that he never refused his assistance to 
 IB any person who was a ' worthy man,' whatever might be his 
 IP religious tenets. ' Mr. Howe,' (said the Protector to his 
 chaplain,) *you have asked favors for every body beside your- 
 self, pray when does your turn come V ' My turn, my lord 
 Protector,' said Mr. Howe, ' is always come when I can serve 
 another.' 
 
 *' He had a great abhorrence of slander in any form, or 
 on any occasion : he shrunk from its foul breath, as if he 
 feared his own soul would be polluted by it. It vv^as a maxim 
 with him, ' never impute a had motive where you can find a 
 good one ; nor repeat a thing to the disadvantage of another, 
 where imperious necessity does not require it.' 
 
 " It is no small praise to say to any man, * they loved him 
 best, who knew him most.' Legh Richmond had not an in- 
 mate of his family, whether wife, child, or servant, perhaps 
 scarcely a parishioner, who can even now hear his name 
 without emotion. 
 
 It is little to say, that I truly loved him, and shall ever 
 cherish his memory with affectionate veneration. 
 
 " You, my dear friend, have a difficult task imposed on 
 you, and much less time allowed than is needful, to satisfy the 
 public or yourself, in the execution of a work which is intend- 
 ed to exhibit the character of oae ^ who was both a good and a 
 great man, in every person's estimation but his owm.' " 
 
 We merely add one more short testimony, from the Rev. 
 Mr. Gauntlett, the vicar of Olney. 
 
 *' Thousands, and tens of thousands who have hung with 
 admiration, affection, and interest on his eloquent addresses 
 from the pulpit and the platform, will unite in the sentiment 
 that ' a great man is fallen.' The sermons of Legh Richmond 
 1 were characterized not only by a depth of piety, and a sound 
 I orthodoxy, in strict'conformity with the Scriptures, and with 
 the fathers of the English Church, but likewise by the most 
 pathetic and affectionate appeals to his auditors on the subject 
 of personal religion. — His addresses on public occasions, in 
 behalf of many of the religious societies, were marked by ex- 
 ; traordinary powers of description ; by a pathos which deeply 
 interested and affected his audience ; by felicitous and appro- 
 31* 
 
362 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 priate references to present circumstances, arising fronn the 
 occasion ; and by an eloquence peculiar tohimself, which must 
 have been witnessed to be duly appreciated. Mr. Richmond 
 was strictly an extemporaneous speaker. The remarks of 
 his brethren, and others on the platform, were frequently 
 made the occasions on which he formed the most judicious 
 comments, gratifying to their authors, illustrative of the sub- 
 ject, and which, while they delighted, at the same time in- 
 structed and edified his auditors." 
 
 We intended to have drawn a summary of the character of 
 Mr. Richmond, founded on recollections of nearly twenty 
 years' continuance; but our anxiety to afford room for the 
 contributions of others, leaves little space for our own. 
 
 In the few remarks which we shall have occasion to offer, 
 it is as a minister of the Gos-pel, and in the infuencc of his ex- 
 ample and labors on the age in which he livedo that we 
 shall principally consider him. In the happy union of minis- 
 terial qualifications ; in the soundness of his doctrines, and 
 their close approximation to those of the Reformation, we con- 
 sider him to have been excelled by no man ; and to have been 
 a prominent instrument in reviving that sense of their value, 
 and demand for their delivery which is now become so percep- 
 tible to every observer. With powers of mind fiir beyond the 
 common standard, it vi^as his peculiar advantage to be born in 
 a period singularly suited to their developement. The Bible, 
 the Missionary, and the Jewish cause, were fit themes for a 
 mind like his, and afforded ample scope for expatiating on the 
 sublime truths and adorable mercies of the Christian revela- 
 tion, and the unchangeable faithfulness, power, and love of 
 their divine Author, Some men follow the impression of the 
 times in which the providence of God has placed them. It was 
 his lot to be one of the first and foremost in awakening and 
 imparting it. He was evidently raised up for the age in which 
 he lived, and one of the instruments chosen of God to give to 
 it its form and fashion. With a persevering energy, which 
 no labor could weary, he advocated the cause of the various 
 religious societies to crowded and delighted auditories ; and 
 roused the public feeling in almost every part of the kingdom. 
 We willingly allow to others their share of fellowship in this 
 great work ; but no one can review, with holy gratitude and 
 love, the present extent and diffusion of this spirit, without 
 exclaiming, " we owe much of this enlarged and noble feel- 
 ing to the zeal and labors of Legh Richmond." 
 
EEV. LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 363 
 
 With respect to the style and manner of his preachincr, 
 after what has been already observed, little remains to be ad- 
 ded. His views of a subject were powerful and comprehen- 
 sive. He could present the same idea under different forms; 
 communicate to others the fervor of his own conceptions ; as- 
 tonish by rapidity, and please by variety. He delighted to 
 lead the penitent sinner to repose on the promises and mer- 
 cies of the Gospel ; or he could awe the conscience, by de- 
 picting the solemnities of death and judgment. He was not 
 always equal, and required excitement ; but on occasions that 
 demanded the exercise of deep thought, and the capacity to 
 interest, to inform, and edify, he seldom disappointed expecta- 
 tion. If his labours had not been so extensively blest at Tur- 
 vey, we should have said that a more public sphere would 
 have been better adapted to the character and powers of his 
 mind. But the Lord knows best how to appoint our portion. 
 St. John, even in the retirement at Patmos, was not preclud- 
 ed from eminently serving the cause of divine truth ; and in 
 his prophetic page, unfolded events, embracing the interests 
 of the church of Christ, till its final consummation in eternity. 
 
 As a public speaker, he possessed a felicity of idea and 
 expression peculiar to himself. His thoughts were natural 
 and simple. They seemed to flow without effort, and to be 
 the spontaneous production of his mind ; but his imagination 
 cloliied them in a form that resembled the varied tints, the 
 brilliant glow, and the harmonious coloring of the rainbow. 
 His images were frequently borrowed from the scenes of 
 nature, which were made to illustrate some instructive and 
 spiritual truth. The lofry mountain and the verdant vale, 
 the tranquil rivulet, or broad expanse of ocean, all became 
 tributary to his imagination, and supplied materials to his 
 creative fancy. He could affect the heart by touches the 
 most natural, and by appeals the most pathetic. He could 
 restore the spirit of a meeting when it was cold or languid ; 
 could speak early or late ; could select his topics from the ideas 
 of preceding speakers, or invent them for himself, while his 
 delighted auditors would listen with a smile on the counte- 
 nance, and with a sensation of joy in the heart, that seemed 
 to take from lime its flight, and from fatigue its weariness. If 
 it be said that this style is less adapted to religious subjects, 
 and must have possessed more of taste than solidity, more 
 of what was interesting to the imagination, than edifying to 
 the mind, or awakening to the conscience ; truth and justice 
 require us to remark, that he never forgot the spiritual im. 
 
364 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 provement of his hearers. As a speaker, he produced the ef- 
 fect excited by contemplating a landscape of Claude ; but, as 
 in the productions of that artist, amidst scenes the most pictu- 
 resque and lovely, the rivers or waters of the ocean always 
 form a leading and prominent feature, so in the addresses of 
 Legh Richmond, " the river of the water of life" was the one 
 great subject that called forth every energy of his mind, every 
 creation of his imagination, and every warm emotion of his 
 heart. 
 
 His conversational powers deserve also to be noticed. 
 
 He was usually silent, till called into discussion : but when 
 once engaged in it, by minds kindred with his own, and on 
 topics endeared to his feelings, he was peculiarly instructive 
 and interesting. From the stores of his rich and highly cul- 
 tivated understanding, he would pour forth a mass of valuable 
 and solid information, that surprised by its extent and excel- 
 lence. As he pursued the inquiry, new views and conceptions 
 succeeded each other in rapid succession, like the traveller 
 who extends his horizon as he scales the summit of the moun- 
 tain. His reflections showed the fertility of his intellect, and 
 the benignity of his heart. He was eloquent, because his 
 mind was ardent ; and persuasive, because truth was his aim 
 and object. These qualifications gave to the hours of social 
 converse a charm which refreshed the spirit, and warmed and 
 purified the heart. And if conversation were but more im- 
 proved to these ends ; if it^were considered, not as the mere 
 act of friendly and social intercourse, but as the interchange 
 of kind and affectionate feeling, and the occasion of mutual 
 edification, it would then 'answer the important design pre- 
 scribed in the greatest of all standards.* It would be a 
 means of grace ; and while the stream itself might lead to the 
 living fountain, the bond of social union would be strengthen- 
 ed, the affections of the soul be developed, and sorrows lose 
 half their bitterness, by the sweetness of Christian solace and 
 participation. 
 
 In this humble endeavor to delineate his character, how 
 strongly does his image present itself to the mind of the writer ! 
 Recollections of the past rise up in quick and affecting succes- 
 sion. Hours, once enlivened by edifying and delightful inter- 
 course, are gone by for ever, embittered by the regret, that 
 the profit they were calculated to aff"ord was not more highly 
 appreciated. Yet to memory they are ever dear. And so 
 
 * " Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt." — Coloss. 
 it. 6. 
 
BEV. LEGH EICHMOND. 
 
 365 
 
 long as affection shall glow in the heart, and cnr{hl5\friend- 
 ship, founded on the principles of the Gospel, be justly con- 
 sidered as one of the sources of pure and exalted enjoyment, 
 he will ever enumerate it as one of the causes of deep-felt 
 gratitude to God, that he was honored by the friendshrip of 
 Legh Richmond. 
 
 If it be said, that in the above outline there is a faithful 
 enumeration of what is excellent in the character of Legh 
 Richmond, and that what now remains is with equal fidelity to 
 record what is defective ; painful as it is at all times to ex- 
 ercise so ungrateful an office, we are nevertheless supported 
 by the conviction that we can record no blemish that affected 
 the loveliness of the Christian, or the estimation of the man. 
 The vulnerable part of his character ha" been considered to 
 be his supposed neglect of his family and parish. But we 
 confidently appeal, to the numerous letters inserted in this 
 Memoir, exhibiting the most unequivocal proofs of pious soli- 
 citude for their religious principles and conduct ; we appeal 
 to the testimonies borne by his wife, and by one of his own 
 children, whether this charge is not most successfully refu- 
 ted ; and whether the parental and dornestrc virtues do not 
 form that portion of his character on which the heart reposes 
 with delight and admiration ? In reference to iiis parish, let his 
 pastoral letters, let his school, his communicants, his converts, 
 and the tears and benedictions of his bereaved parishioners 
 be his witnesses before men, as they are his record before 
 God. In pursuing our inquir}', it will, perhaps, awaken the 
 astonishment of the reader, who has been contemplating the 
 laborious career of his life, to be told that indolence was jiaiu- 
 rally his hesetting sin, 'the thorn in the flesh,' against which 
 he had unceasingly to contend. It will be remembered that 
 in his diary, the following remarkable words occur ; ' sloth, 
 detested sloth, how does it injure my advancement ;' and 
 again, * what methods shall I take to cure my spiritual sloth- 
 fulness ? There must be a struggle and agony — heaven must 
 be taken with violence.'* We more particularly mention this 
 fact, that we may magnify that grace which could thus con- 
 vert indolence into activity, and supineness into zeal, till life 
 itself became the sacrifice of his exertions, and he died liter- 
 ally spent in his Master's service. f 
 
 * See pRge 42. 
 
 t It was stated by Dr Thackeray, n well-known and hij^lily respectable 
 physician in Bedfordshire, wlio attended him in iiis last illness, that he fell a 
 martyr to his niini>terial labors, — that the death of his son might have hasten- 
 ed the eveut, but that his frame had been sinking for the last two years. 
 
366 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Let the reader improve the knowledge of this circumstance 
 to his own personal edification, and reflect that natural infirm- 
 ities aflTord no justification for their indulgence ; that they are 
 not only to be resisted, but may be subdued ; that God's 
 strength is perfected in man's weakness, and that divine truth 
 has declared for our encouragement, "My grace is sufficient 
 for thee." 
 
 There was also an excess of sensibility in Mr. Richmond's 
 character, often injurious to his inward serenity and comfort, 
 and which placed his feelings too much under the dominion of 
 others. His tender spirit could not bear an unkind word, and 
 still less an uncharitable act ; and in the hours of confidential 
 intercourse, he would deeply mourn over a tendency, even in 
 what is called the religious world, to exercise a censorious 
 spirit incompatible with Christian charity, and with the mild 
 precepts of the Gospel of peace. Latterly the events of life 
 powerfully afiected him. The editor could not avoid contrast- 
 ing his friend's feelings at this period, with the calm serenity 
 which he manifested in the supposed last moments of his dy- 
 ing wife. Nor can he reject the conviction that men feel and 
 act differently in different periods and circumstances of life. 
 The vigor of faith, so far as it is a gracious principle, may 
 and ought to triumph over the ills attendant on mortality. But 
 diminished health and \veakened nerves frequently exercise 
 their effect on the energies of our Christian graces ; and sen- 
 sibility is often in danger of becoming too acute from ac- 
 cumulated trials. No character indeed excites much inte- 
 rest that is deficient in sensibility, and the powers of refined 
 taste, the rich imagination, and the capacity to enjoy and to 
 impart aflTectionate emotions, are intimately allied to this 
 qualification. But if not duly regulated, sensitiveness of feel- 
 ing preys upon the heart, and undermines the strength ; and 
 the body may become the shattered vic-tim of its inroads, and 
 sink into premature decay. 
 
 We have already alluded to his unfitness for the secular 
 concerns and business of common life. It might be that his 
 mind was absorbed with higher contemplations, and that he 
 forgot the perishing dust of this earth, in his pursuit after the 
 imperishable riches of heaven. His excellent wife amply 
 supplied the omission ; and the manner in which his children 
 have been brought up, and educated, to the period of his de- 
 cease, is the best commentary on the subject. 
 
 We are not aware that we are either called upon or able 
 to enumerate any thing further. And yet, if we knew of any 
 
REV. LEGH BICHMOND. 
 
 367 
 
 unfavourable circumstance, that might operate as a warning 
 to others, though at the expense even of our revered friend, 
 we assure the reader that such is our strict regard for truth, 
 and our desire to fulfil the ends of impartial justice, that we 
 should not feel justified in withholding it. We wish to assign 
 to him no virtues which he did not possess — to impute to him 
 no defects with which he is not justly chargeable. The first 
 would have wounded his humility when living, and could re- 
 fleet no real honor on his memory, now that he is dead. The 
 latter would equally violate both truth and friendship. We 
 are convinced that his own estimation of himself would be 
 best expressed in the language of the publican — " God be 
 merciful to me a sinner !" 
 
 But let us raise our thoughts beyond the tribunal of erring 
 mortals. To Legh Richmond the judgment of man must now 
 be a matter of profound indifference. Praise the most eleva- 
 ted can add nothing to the enjoyments of that scene on which 
 he has entered ; censure the most severe can detract nothing 
 from its blessedness. Let it rather be our inquiry, how we 
 may best imitate the virtues that have been recorded, and 
 learn those moral truths with which his history is connected. 
 
 Let those who have been accustomed to view characters 
 like Mr. Richmond through an unfavourable medium, here 
 recognise their error, and acknowledge how prejudice dis- 
 torts the judgment, and vitiates the feelings of the heart. 
 One benefit which the writer humbly anticipates from the 
 present undertaking is, that prejudices may be removed or 
 softened, and a more just estimate be formed of the doctrines, 
 principles, and system of conduct, which have been brought 
 under the contemplation of the reader. Let their correctness 
 be determined not by preconceived notions, but by a reference 
 to the Bible, as the works of the Reformers, and the Articles 
 and Homilies of the Church of England. The conviction, he 
 trusts, will not fail to follow, in the mind of every candid 
 reader, that il is only in proportion as men like Mr. Richmond 
 are raised up and multiplied, that the piety and interests of 
 our own church, and those of our common Christianity, can 
 be effectually upheld and promoted. 
 
 While the admirer of the works of Providence, the bus- 
 band, the father, and the Christian may derive important in- 
 struction from the example and writings of Legh Richmond, 
 it is to the ministers of the sanctuary that he pre-eminently 
 holds forth a most profitable subject for contemplation. The 
 prominent feature in his character is his laborious usefulness. 
 
368 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 In endeavoii. "ng to trace the causes of this fact, we should 
 derogate from the grace of God, if we ascribed too much to 
 the nature of his endowments, to the elegance of his taste, or 
 the richness of his imagination. These qualilications may 
 command admiration, but they are not accessaiiiy associated 
 with usefulness. Instances, alas! might be multiplied in proof 
 of this assertion In his case, it was their application that 
 ennobled their character, by elevating their object and ten- 
 dency. All the faculties of Legh Richmond were consecrated 
 to the glory of their divine Author. In inquiring more mi- 
 nutely into the causes of his success, we may observe, that 
 he possessed the three important qualifications specified by 
 Luther as essential to constitute a good preacher, '• prayer, 
 study, and temptations,^^ Prayer brought from above the de- 
 scending Spirit, study furnished the materials for thought, 
 and outward trials and inward conflicts perfected the work of 
 ministerial fitness. The purity of his doctrine was a farther 
 influential cause. He was "in doctrine uncorrupt." His di- 
 vinity was not diluted with earthly mixtures, but flowed I'rom 
 the rock ; and that rock was Christ. The Saviour was ex- 
 hibited in all his various offices, as Prophet, Priest, and Xing, 
 and embodied in every precept and promise. 
 
 His affectionate manner of address was another concurring 
 cause. It has been observed that some ministers prea«;h as 
 if they were "scolding their people."* It was Mr. Rich- 
 mond's uniform aim to win by affection. No preacher more 
 fully verified the remark, " speaking the truth in love." 
 
 He was singularly adapted to the age in which he lived. 
 He might truly be said to be born for the times, and to pos- 
 sess the very qualifications which the character of tiie age 
 most demanded. 
 
 His zeal was also a distinguishing characterislic. His 
 heart was in his work. He was " fervent in spirit, serving 
 the Lord." In every ivork that he began in the sercice of the 
 house of God, and in the law, and the command me nis, to seek 
 his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.''^ 2 Chroa. 
 xxxi, 21. 
 
 The union of these qualifications will generally be found 
 to be the best pledges of ministerial success. 
 
 But we hasten to bring these remarks to a close. 
 
 It must be no small source of satisfaction to that venerated 
 individual, whose endeared name is associated with one of the 
 
 * We believe lliis remark Is atjribulcd to the late Mr. Scott. 
 
REV, LEGH RICHMOND. 
 
 369 
 
 brightest triumphs of humanity,* that he was the instrument, 
 chosen of God, first to awaken the mind of Legh Richmond 
 to clear and saving views of divine truth ; and, from the peri- 
 od when these impressions of divine grace were productive of 
 so great a change, that his course was marked by such extra- 
 ordinary usefulness, till death, terminating his labors, put its 
 seal of consecration on his memory. At the close of a life, 
 distinguished not less by length of years, than by virtues, and 
 by a series of eminent services, that must ever enrol the 
 n^me of Wilberforce, among the friends and benefactors of 
 mankind, may the above recollection furnish one more cause 
 for pious gratitude to the Author of all his mercies. May 
 his excellent and well. known work on " Practical Christianity 
 be read with increasing profit by the present and by succeed- 
 ing generationsj; and may his declining days be so sheered 
 by the peace, and joy, and hopes of the Gospel, as to resem- 
 ble the glowing beauties of a setting sun, which brightening 
 the horizon with the splendor of its rays, expires amidst a 
 flood of light and of glory. 
 
 May too the providence and grace of God raise »p among 
 us ministers like-minded with Legh Richmond,-^men suited 
 to the character of the age in which thev live, — whose minds 
 are as expanded as their hearts are accessible to all the sym- 
 pathies of Christian charity, — eminent in piety, zeal, en- 
 dowments, and usefulness, — willing to " spend and be spent" 
 in their Master's service, — who " serve the Lord Christ," — 
 " pastors after his own heart, who shall feed the people with 
 knowledge and understanding." May this wish be the more 
 ardently felt and offered up from the conviction that no na- 
 tional reformation is ever likely to take place among us, that 
 is not first preceded by a reformation, as wide as it shall be 
 effective, among our National Clergy. Ma}^ the conscious- 
 ness that many are already departed in the Lord, who were 
 distinguished by this spirit, and that many still survive who 
 are drinking of the same fountain, encourage us to hope that 
 this period is fast approaching, and that the quality of the first 
 fruits is the best pledge of an abundant and glorious harvest ; 
 and while we pause over the graves of a Cecil, a Robinson, a 
 Martyn, a Scott, and a Richmond, let us listen to the whisper- 
 ings of that warning voice which tells us, " Be ye followers of 
 them, who through faith and patience have inherited the pro. 
 raises." 
 
 AT''®,.^r^?'''*°" Slave Trade, accomplished by tlie persevering efforls 
 
 of Mr. Wilberforce. 
 
 32 
 
370 
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 If too our Brethren will pardon the solicitude which prompts 
 the appeal, we would respectfully address them in the impres- 
 sive words of Bishop Taylor. 
 
 " God gives of his Spirit to all men, but you he hath made 
 the ministers of his Spirit. You are, and are to be respec- 
 tively, that considerable part of mankind, by whom God in- 
 tends to plant holiness in the world ; by you God means to 
 reign in the hearts of men ; and therefore you are to be first 
 in this kind, and consequently the measure of all the rest. 
 You are the choicest of his choice, the elect of his election, 
 a church picked out of the church. They are to be exam- 
 ples of good life to one another ; but you are to be examples 
 even of the examples themselves. You may be innocent, and 
 yet not < zealous of good works but if you be not this ; you 
 are not good ministers of Jesus Christ. You must be excellent, 
 not Hanquam unus de populo,^ but Uanquam homo Dei not 
 after the common manner of men, but ' after God's own heart 
 not only pure, but shining ; not only blameless, but didactic, 
 in your lives ; that as by your sermons you preach in season, 
 so by your lives you may preach out of season ; that is, at all 
 seasons, and to all men ; that they, seeing your good works, 
 may glorify God on your behalf, and on their own."* 
 
 And oh ! how great and transcendent will be the reward of 
 Ihe Christian pastor who has labored with patience, and has 
 not fainted, and who shall at length reap the harvest of an 
 eternal blessedness ! His trials may, in numerous instances, 
 be signal, as in the case of Legh Richmond ; and successive 
 purifying dispensations may be the ordained messengers of 
 God's providence, and necessary to accomplish the mysteri- 
 ous purposes of his grace ; but the days of mourning shall 
 have an end, and the year of recompense is at hand. And 
 then how justly may we apply the animating language recor- 
 ded in the Volume of inspiration : " Who are these which are 
 arrayed in white robes ? And whence came they ? And I said 
 unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are 
 they who came out of great tribulation, and have washed 
 their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 
 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him 
 day and night in his temple : and he that sitteth on the throne 
 
 * See Bishop Taylor's Sermon, entilled ' The Minister's Duty in Life and 
 Doctrine.' 
 
EEV. LEGH RICHMOND. 371 
 
 shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither 
 thirst any more ; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any 
 heat. For the Lamb, which is in the midst of the throne, 
 shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of 
 waters ; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."* 
 
 *Rev. Tii, 13—17. 
 
 THE END.