UCSB LIBRARY 
 

 
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 REV. JOHJV TOWJVSEIVD, 
 
 FOUNDER OF 
 
 THE ASYLUM FOR THE DEAF AND DUMB, 
 
 THE CONGREGATIONAL SCHOOL. 
 
 "A Christian is the highest style of man." 
 
 JFtrst Shnerfcan ZHrttfon. 
 
 BOSTON: 
 
 PUBLISHED BY CROCKER & BREWSTER, 
 
 47, Washington Street: 
 
 NEW-YORK: J. LEAVITT, 
 
 182, Broadway. 
 
 1831.
 
 ADVERTISEMENT to the London Edition Circumstances over 
 
 which Mr. Townsend's family had no control, have caused a delay in 
 the publication of this volume, which has been to them a source of pain 
 and regret. During- his last illness, Mr. Townsend intended to consign 
 his papers to the flames, but the voice of affection pleaded for their pre- 
 servation. 
 
 These pages are humble in their pretensions, like the honored subject 
 of them: his aim, was to improve and benefit mankind. ...theirs, is to excite 
 young Ministers to the same patient Industry, indefatigable Zeal, and 
 honorable Emulation, which marked his career. To the more private 
 Christian, their perusal, it is hoped, will be soothing in the hour of afflic- 
 tion, and cheering in the prospect of death.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Page 
 Mr. Townsend's Birth, Education, and Conversion, 9 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 From his Conversion, in 1774, to his final Settlement 
 at Bermondsey, in 1784, 17 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 From the latter Period to the Formation of the Deaf 
 and Dumb Asylum, in 1792, 29 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 The Institution and Progress of the Deaf and Dumb 
 Asylum, 35 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Formation of the London Missionary Society, &c. 48 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Formation of the Congregational School, - 67 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Publication of Claude's Defence of the Reformation, 75 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Establishment of a Fund for the Relief of Aged Min- 
 isters, 94
 
 IV CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Severe Illness Domestic Trials, - 99 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Exertions in behalf of the Irish Evangelical Soci- 
 ety, &c. Ill 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Conduct in the Prospect of speedy Dissolution His 
 Death, - - 131 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Reflections on Mr. Townsend's most prominent Char- 
 acteristics, - - 138 
 
 Extracts from his Diary, - - - 150 
 
 Extracts from Letters, Original Essays, &c. 182
 
 REV. JOHN TOWINSEND. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 MR. TOWNSEND'S BIRTH, EDUCATION, A.ND CONVER- 
 SION. 
 
 THE objects of biography, in general, are instruction 
 and example; but religious biography has another and 
 a higher aim, namely, to "magnify the grace of God" 
 in the subject of the narration: it is to concur in the 
 great design of Jehovah himself, who said concerning 
 Israel, "This people have I formed for myself; they 
 shall show forth my praise."* Men of the world, in 
 writing their own memoirs, have uniformly an eye to 
 the advancement and display of their character and 
 talents; and even when they admit their failings and 
 indiscretions, (as they call them,) it is only with a view 
 to set off their supposed virtues. Not so Mr. Towns- 
 end; the facts and circumstances which he records, and 
 especially his reflections on them, which are numerous, 
 have a direct tendency to self-abasement, and at the 
 same time to glorify God by the acknowledgment of his 
 providence and grace. His language uniformly corres- 
 ponded with that of the Psalmist, "Not unto us, O Lord, 
 
 * Isa. xliii. 21.
 
 10 MEMOIR OF 
 
 but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for 
 thy truth's sake."* 
 
 Such being the object of the original papers before 
 us, in preparing this narrative for the religious public, 
 our duty will be -to pursue the same design; and to 
 show how much persons, neither elevated in rank, nor 
 endowed with extraordinary genius, may yet effect, by 
 God's assistance, for the advancement of his honor, and 
 the benefit of their fellow creatures. 
 
 Mr. John Townsend was born March 24, 1757, in 
 the parish of Whitechapel, and baptized by the curate 
 of that church. He had not, indeed, to boast of a 
 noble or rich ancestry, but his father had received his 
 education from a respectable clergyman in Yorkshire, 
 under whom he attained a considerable acquaintance 
 with the Latin tongue. In early life he settled in Lon- 
 don, in a family where the late Mr. Whitefield, of pious 
 memory, used to visit, and was so much charmed with 
 his vivacity, and the interesting nature of his conversa- 
 tion, that he was led to hear him preach; first at All- 
 hallow's church, and afterwards at the Tabernacle, near 
 Moorfields, of which congregation he became eventu- 
 ally a stated member. This, however, so degraded him 
 in the estimation of his father's family, that he was 
 menaced with loss of station and property. His god- 
 mother, a rich aunt, promised to make him her sole 
 heir, if he would forsake "that enthusiast;" a whole 
 night was passed in entreaties and discussions, but con- 
 science or principle prevailed over human pride and 
 policy. The treasures of Egypt were renounced, the 
 humble path of poverty chosen, and things eternal 
 estimated more highly than things temporal. 
 
 On this circumstance Mr. Townsend himself remarks, 
 "It is a greater mercy to be the child of providence 
 than the child of fortune. How many have I seen left 
 by their parents in affluence, but it %iade to itself wings 
 
 * Psal. cxv. 1.
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 1 1 
 
 and flew away.' I am perhaps placed in easier cir- 
 cumstances than some of those who inherited the prop- 
 erty referred to. It is an honor to descend from those 
 who suffer for righteousness sake." 
 
 "I owe much (says our deceased friend) to the love 
 and care of an affectionate mother, not only for her 
 regard to my personal safety, but also for her instruc- 
 tion and admonitions. Well do I remember standing 
 at her knees to repeat Dr. Watts's hymns, and kneel- 
 ing to say my prayers, which was often very irksome to 
 me, and which I therefore tried to evade by the most 
 frivolous excuses. As a proof of her regard to my 
 religious interests, I recollect that on one occasion, when 
 I had committed a great fault, and then told a falsehood 
 to conceal it, (having the strongest possible conviction 
 of my guilt,) she kept me fasting in my chamber till 
 I confessed my sin." This to some may appear as a 
 trivial circumstance; but as Mr. T. doubtless recorded 
 it by way of admonition to his own family in the first 
 instance, so we retain the fact as an admonition to 
 parents in general, never to trifle with the truth, nor to 
 pass over a falsehood, as a slight and venial fault: noth- 
 ing, indeed, was more conspicuous or admirable in Mr. 
 Townsend's character, than his sacred regard to truth 
 in all his conversation. 
 
 It is a trite remark, the truth of which is often veri- 
 fied, that a particular providence attends on children. 
 The subject of this memoir experienced much of that 
 superintending care; some years afterwards, referring to 
 recovery from a malignant disease, he writes, "God has 
 protracted my journey in the wilderness to see new 
 mercies, and to experience new deliverances, both in 
 providence and grace." 
 
 Mr. Townsend received the first rudiments of his 
 education, as most of the first scholars in the world have 
 done, from "a good old lady, for whom he always en- 
 tertained a strong recollection of esteem;" in which he 
 may put many of us to the blush, who generally under-
 
 12 MEMOIR OF 
 
 value the pains and patience required to instil into young 
 minds that A, B, c, which is the foundation of all liter- 
 ature. From this tuition he was put successively to 
 two boys' schools, where he made but little progres^g 
 and his mother, anxious that he might have a good edu- 
 cation, and finding the expense likely to be inconvenient, 
 by means of one of his father's more wealthy broth- 
 ers, procured him a presentation to Christ's Hospital. 
 This was in the year 1774. 
 
 During the five years of his continuance in this ex- 
 cellent school, Mr. T., who suffered no event to pass 
 unobserved, records many juvenile circumstances, which 
 it might be tedious to our readers to detail; but the fol- 
 lowing are judged worth preserving. The first is much 
 in honor of the establishment just named. "Its mas- 
 ters," he remarks, "possessed first-rate talents: the dis- 
 cipline of the school (so far as discipline in large schools 
 can be maintained) was good. The steward, Mr. 
 Perry, was a rigid and vigilant disciplinarian, and the 
 slightest deviation from order and morals was reproved 
 and punished; and no age or connection could save the 
 delinquents. I had a proof of this in my own experi- 
 ence. Playing in the cloisters one day, I profaned the 
 name of God, and having been overheard by a gov- 
 ernor, he reproved me for the sin. I felt conviction 
 and shame, but hoped nothing further would be said 
 about it." His fault, however, was reported to the 
 steward, and he was placed at the stone* with 
 another juvenile offender. Next morning, before his 
 punishment was decided, Mr. Boyer, the grammar- 
 master, with whom he appears to have been rather a 
 favorite, inquired as to his offence, and finding him pen- 
 itent, and determined not to repeat his crime, procured 
 a remission of his corporal punishment, though he suf- 
 fered the loss of some privileges, which was at that 
 time a severe trial. ; . 
 
 * The stone stands nearly in the centre of the dining-hall, at which all 
 who were guiltv of offences stood during the time the boys were at din-. 
 ner, preparatory to their being punished on some future day.
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 13 
 
 About the same period a most afflictive circumstance 
 occurred in the ward to which young Townsend be- 
 longed. A boy in climbing fell, and was so dangerously 
 wounded that he died soon after. On this occasion, 
 according to established custom, the boys followed 
 the corpse round the hospital, singing the funeral an- 
 them. The procession did not begin to move till after 
 the gates were shut. The stillness of the walks com- 
 pared with the buzz of the play-hours; the darkness of 
 the night, illumined only by lamps and flambeaus; the 
 sweet and solemn music of the anthem sung on this 
 occasion; all these circumstances conspired to promote 
 reflection, and encourage the most serious thoughts. 
 "This service (says Mr. T.) made a deep impression 
 on my mind. I felt some alarm for myself; the sins of 
 my youth lay with weight upon my conscience, I was 
 perplexed about the way of remission and pardon; but 
 I solved it in this way to myself; that those who had 
 not sinned so much as others were forgiven, and the 
 more wicked punished. The good and pious instruc- 
 tions I had received under the paternal roof, were al- 
 most forgotten. During the five years of my attend- 
 ance at church, while at school, I remember only one 
 text and sermon that excited my attention. That ser- 
 mon was preached against the Methodists, from the 
 words of Jude, (ver. 19) Sensual, having not the Spirit. 
 Knowing my father to be a hearer of Mr. Whitefield, 
 and of course involved in this erroneous application of 
 the text, I was roused, and felt some indignation against 
 the preacher.'' 
 
 The hymns and prayers which his pious mother had 
 taught him, were brought to his recollection by a singu- 
 lar providence. The Rev. Mr. Pentycross, afterwards 
 for many years the laborious and useful Rector of 
 Wallingford, was then a scholar in the same ward with 
 him. During the first part of that time, he was ex- 
 tremely fond of theatrical amusements; and used, on 
 the summer mornings, to call up the boys in that ward, 
 *2
 
 14 MEMOIR or 
 
 to recite and act certain parts of the plays which were" 
 then in a course of representation at the London thea- 
 tres; and to this the nurse made no objection.* In a 
 short time, however, the mind of young Pentycross un- 
 derwent a surprising change; and became as deeply 
 "imbued with the truth and spirit of the scriptures," 
 as it had been with the genius and sentiments of Shak- 
 speare. The nurse was now most dreadfully alarmed, 
 and tried to persuade the boys not to attend to his 
 preachments, as she called them; but they were pleased 
 with the novelty of the thing, and found it so much 
 more interesting than sitting still on the sabbath even- 
 ings, that they persevered in their attentions, and the 
 old lady was induced to make a regular complaint. 
 Upon this, the monitor (Pentycross) was called up, and 
 the steward (Mr. Perry) heard his explanation. He 
 stated, that the exercises complained of consisted, prin- 
 cipally, in hearing the boys repeat their catechism, in 
 asking them questions on their different answers, and 
 in showing them the importance of what they were en- 
 gaged in. Upon this the steward dismissed the com- 
 plaint, observing, that as Pentycross was a Grecian, and 
 monitor of the ward, he employed his time usefully, 
 and begged the nurse no more to interfere. 
 
 These sabbath-evening exercises Mr. T. considered 
 as useful to him, in bringing to his recollection what he 
 had heard, both in the public ministry of the word, and 
 the pious exhortations of his parents. His early con- 
 victions of the evil of sin were also revived and 
 strengthened. 
 
 The moment now arrived for another conflict betwixt 
 worldly interest and conscientious scruples. Mr. T.'s 
 uncle wished him to remain at Christ's school, that he 
 
 * This circumstance is more fully related in a Memoir of Mr. Penty- 
 cross. inserted in the Evangelical Magazine for 1808, (p. 454;) and we 
 learn from one of Mr. Townsend's MS. notes thai he communicated the 
 materials of that life to the writer, whose signature was K , and who, as 
 the Editor is confident, was at that time minister of the Independent con- 
 gregation in that town.
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 15 
 
 might be sent to college on the foundation; but his 
 father seeing in the son no indications of that fitness 
 which is required in ambassadors from God to men, 
 decided against the plan. An offer was then made to 
 place him in a public office, but that also was declined 
 by his excellent parent, who feared his child might not 
 resist the ensnaring temptations of the world. Thus, 
 apparently destined for obscurity, the future philanthro- 
 pist and useful minister was placed as an apprentice to 
 his father, who rejoiced in the power thus given him, 
 of introducing his son to the circle of friends from 
 whose society and conversation his own happiness was 
 derived. But youthful passions for sometime destroyed 
 the hopes of the pious father, who with grief saw the 
 child of many prayers, acting in opposition to the pre- 
 cepts inculcated by the ministers he attended. Allud- 
 ing to this period, Mr. Townsend himself says: "It 
 was impossible to hear such preachers as Messrs. Hill, 
 Berridge, Edwards, &c. without some light and con- 
 viction flashing upon my conscience. I could plainly 
 perceive that my life was utterly inconsistent with the 
 doctrines and precepts of the Bible; and so deep was 
 the distress which I sometimes felt under faithful and 
 searching discourses, that I could not avoid shedding 
 tears. These impressions led me to make many vows 
 and resolutions, that T would give myself up to the ser- 
 vice of God. But alas! my efforts often proved like 
 the green withes which bound Samson!* Though I 
 was sometimes terrified by the awful denunciations of 
 Sinai, yet my sins appeared most hateful, and my re- 
 lentings most deep and abiding, under those discourses 
 which set forth the infinite riches of God's grace, and 
 the value of that blood which cleanseth from all sin." 
 About this time, many excellent Christians used to 
 assemble at seven o'clock on the Sunday mornings to 
 receive the Sacrament at Tottenham-Court chapel; 
 
 * Judges xv\, 8, 9.
 
 16 MEMOIR OF 
 
 and as several of them came from a considerable dis- 
 tance, they used afterwards to breakfast in the vestry; 
 and as the subject of our memoir was the son of one 
 of Mr. Whitefield's oldest friends, he was admitted to 
 breakfast with them, and was much impressed by their 
 serious deportment and edifying conversation. Mr. 
 Smith, the governor of Tothill-fields Bridewell; some- 
 times invited him home to dinner, and in the afternoon 
 he took him into the prison chapel with him. He 
 read the church service with great solemnity, and then 
 expounded a part of a chapter in a most serious and 
 affectionate manner. Some of the prisoners were very 
 attentive; and it is clear, from the sequel of our friend's 
 narrative, that he considered Mr. Smith an eminent 
 Christian, and his friendly advice had, in consequence, 
 a great influence upon his mind. The scenes, also, 
 which he witnessed in that prison, served to deepen his 
 conviction of the evil and danger of sin in general. 
 
 Among the many sermons which Mr. Townsend now 
 heard, that which most deeply impressed his mind, and 
 which he reckoned most effectual in his conversion to 
 God, was one preached at Tottenham-Court chapel 
 by Mr. (afterwards Dr.) Peckwell, from Psalm ciii, 
 13 "As a father pitieth his children, so the Lord piti- 
 eth them that fear him." Alluding to this circumstance 
 many years afterwards (in 1816,) when himself preach- 
 ing in the same chapel on behalf of the Missionary 
 Society, Mr. T. thus expressed himself "It was in 
 this house of God that the Gospel came home to my 
 rebellious heart with a saving power. I have in my 
 immediate view the spot where I sat, when, with a mind 
 deeply impressed, and eyes streaming with tears, I im- 
 plored the mercy of heaven. Nor can I say, whether 
 I wept most tears of sorrow, because I found myself a 
 lost sinner; or tears of joy, because I perceived the 
 fulness and the freeness of that salvation, which I have 
 long been, and am still, privileged to preach to others."
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 17 
 
 The Christian life was now commenced in spirit and 
 practice, self-indulgence was resigned, and the pure 
 principles of our holy religion acted on, and evidenced 
 in every part of the subsequent conduct. No time, no 
 effort was hereafter considered too great to be devoted 
 to the glory of God, and the good of man. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 FROM MR. TOWNSEND'S CONVERSION, 1774, TO HIS 
 FINAL SETTLEMENT AT BERMONDSEY, 1784. 
 
 THE humility which characterised the eminent sub- 
 ject of this memoir, even when he had become the ob- 
 ject of universal esteem and love, is conspicuous in the 
 circumstances which attended his progress towards the 
 ministry. With the consciousness that he had neither 
 education nor talents for this important office, his read- 
 ing and his friendship were yet insensibly leading him 
 to a public station. Theological studies he pursued 
 with avidity, sermons were treasured up in his memory, 
 and afterwards committed to paper. To strengthen 
 his religious principles, he decided on becoming a mem- 
 ber of the Tabernacle. The examination he passed 
 before one of the ministers of that connection, seems to 
 have been remembered long after, and to have given 
 him unusual tenderness on receiving candidates for ad- 
 mission into his own church. Regular meetings for 
 prayer and conversation were attended, and at these 
 some of the young men attempted to expound a pas- 
 sage of Scripture, that their knowledge might be increas- 
 ed, and a facility of speaking acquired. Mr. T.'s 
 most intimate friends were Mr. Bryson, Mr. Richard- 
 son, and Mr. Green, with the latter a sincere attach- 
 ment appears to have been formed.
 
 18 MEMOIR OF 
 
 The Rev. George T., elder brother to Mr. T. who 
 had been educated at St. Paul's school, having entered 
 the ministry under the patronage of the Countess of 
 Huntingdon, had given an exhortation which appears 
 strongly to have impressed the mind of the subject of 
 this memoir; who, delighted with the talents and piety 
 of his brother, was equally charmed with the respect 
 and attachment he appears to have elicited from his 
 hearers. 
 
 On Mr. George Townsend's leaving London for 
 Trevecca, accompanied by the friends above-named, 
 Mr. T. formed a strong friendship with Mr. Beck, to 
 whom he acknowledged himself deeply indebted as his 
 counsellor and guide; indeed it is evident that his per- 
 severing advice first overcame the timid reluctance of 
 Mr. T. to engage in public services. The latter fre- 
 quently accompanied his friend to the various places 
 round London, where he was accustomed to preach. 
 On one of these occasions, Mr. B. being indisposed de- 
 clined the afternoon service, and requested the subject 
 of this memoir to take his place. After enduring much 
 distress and anxiety of mind, and fearing to disappoint 
 the people, he consented, and gave an exhortation, 
 urging the necessity of religion to promote the happi- 
 ness of man, whether in this world or the next. Re- 
 ferring to this circumstance in his journal, Mr. T. re- 
 marks, "I had no wish to intrude into the ministry: had 
 I consulted my own family, I should probably have been 
 discouraged, as they had no idea I possessed talents 
 for so important a station. Providence effected it in a 
 gradual and silent manner, most congenial to my own 
 feelings and habits. I continued my visits to Mitcham, 
 praying and occasionally exhorting in the little chapel, 
 when owing to a sudden indisposition Mr. B. insisted 
 on my preaching. In the most candid manner I ex- 
 pressed dislike, urging my insufficiency and unprepar- 
 edness, which would increase my diffidence and fear. 
 It seemed impossible to enter the pulpit before I had
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 19 
 
 obtained a more full and accurate acquaintance with 
 divinity, and till I had studied at some college. My 
 friend now endeavored to convince me, that the various 
 exhortations I had given, had afforded considerable 
 satisfaction, and that whatever was my ultimate destina- 
 tion, I ought to exercise my "talent" till some arrange- 
 ment could be made, as proofs had already been given 
 of my acceptance and usefulness. The conversation 
 was closed by an assurance, that as illness prevented 
 his preaching, I must be responsible for the disappoint- 
 ment of the people. This threw my mind into a state 
 of much perplexity and agitation, its reasonings and 
 fears were beyond any thing I can describe; a sense of 
 duty decided me to overcome my reluctance, and as 
 some hours intervened, I prepared the skeleton of a 
 sermon; selecting that easy and familiar text, from 
 Luke xii. 32 "Fear not, little flock," fee. 
 
 My distress of mind on riding to Mitcham was so 
 great, that I thought I must have returned; on my arri- 
 val, anxious to find an apology to the manager of the 
 chapel for my apparent intrusion, I said, It is a week- 
 night, and an emergency. My fear and trembling were 
 great, but I looked to God for strength and assistance, 
 and found them; yet such was my terror that the pulpit 
 shook beneath me. I had made rather a long plan, 
 and if ever I cried to the Lord for help, it was at this 
 time. When I had read the text, my fear so far sub- 
 sided that I was enabled to forget every thing but my 
 subject, and I found tolerable ease of expression. After 
 the lapse of an hour, finding I had not proceeded more 
 than half through my subject, I left off abruptly. On 
 entering the vestry, many individuals came forward to 
 express approbation and pleasure. Among the num- 
 ber were a lady and gentleman, the sight of whom had 
 increased my distress, as I knew they were accustomed 
 to hear Mr. Romaine, and Mr. Foster. The lady, who 
 on first seeing me had objected to my youth, said this 
 young man would be acceptable for one Sabbath at
 
 20 MEMOIR OF 
 
 Kingston. The gentleman, Mr. Whitver, of the Ord- 
 nance Office, now pressed my consent to this; but I 
 refused, on which he replied, God has given you talents, 
 and you must use them. I returned home with very 
 different feelings. "The Lord, (as it were,) turned my 
 captivity, and I was like them that dream" It was a 
 night long to be remembered. To this hour, when I 
 look back to it, and review all the circumstances of the 
 case, rny reluctance to engage, and my fear and agita- 
 tion, I think it was obvious to the people that I was 
 oppressed in spirit; and this, under the divine blessing, 
 disarmed them of their prejudices, created their sympa- 
 thy, and constrained them to pray for me; and their 
 prayer seemed to return into their own bosoms, for 
 they not only came to me and expressed kindness and 
 good wishes, but they seemed to have sat under the 
 shadow of the tree of life, and found its fruit sweet to 
 their taste. Oh, how wonderful that the feeble efforts 
 of an instrument so weak and insignificant should be 
 effectual, in the hand of the Most High, of good to 
 souls; but I recollect where it is said, We have this 
 treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the 
 power may be of God, and not of us. 2 Cor. iv. 7. 
 Still I have often looked back with feelings of anxiety 
 and regret, and feared lest I did wrong. I have not 
 only felt, but mourned the want of those advantages 
 which I might have had, if I had resolutely persevered 
 in my first intention of going to some academical insti- 
 tution before I commenced preaching; for it will be 
 seen that this first sermon led to the abandonment of 
 the plan of going to college, and became the step to 
 all that series of services which followed, and to that 
 chain of connections into which I have been insensibly 
 conducted. On the other hand, when I call to mind 
 the goodness and mercy which have accompanied me 
 in my progress, how much acceptance and success have 
 attended my ministerial labors, I am overwhelmed with 
 surprise, and hope I feel both humility and gratitude."
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 21 
 
 Upon his return home our young friend visited Mr. 
 Beck, and told him of the invitation he had received to 
 Kingston, which the latter advised him to accept. When 
 he pleaded his deficiency in theological knowledge, Mr. 
 B. recommended to him the study of the Scriptures, 
 the use of the Concordance and other works, giving 
 him the Thesaurus Biblicus of Bernard. Some days 
 afterwards a letter was received from Mr. Whitver, re- 
 newing with earnestness the invitation. With reluct- 
 ance it was accepted, Mr. Townsend candidly saying, 
 he had so little knowledge and experience in divine 
 things, that he could not enter the vineyard without that 
 course of study, which would enable him to become an 
 acceptable and useful laborer. 
 
 Preparation for the services at Kingston was now 
 requisite, and the sermon preached at Mitcham, was 
 divided into two, and re-written. On his arrival at the 
 former place, his juvenile appearance struck the man- 
 ager with surprise, who expressed apprehension that 
 the importance of pulpit duties had not been sufficiently 
 considered. To this, Mr. Townsend replied, that he 
 had yielded very reluctantly to Mr. Whitver's solicita- 
 tions. After the services of the day were concluded, 
 many thanks were offered, with an expression of general 
 approbation, and a request that the visit might be re- 
 newed. This was promised, and he preached a sec- 
 ond Sabbath at Kingston. 
 
 Arrangements were now made, with the consent of 
 the managers of the Tabernacle, for his preaching at 
 various places in the vicinity of London. At this period 
 much caution and diligence was used in preparing the, 
 skeletons of his sermons, and he was gradually being 
 trained for more permanent situations. Shortly after, 
 he was sent for six weeks to Lewes; where the public 
 services were twice on the Sabbath, once in the week, 
 and occasionally in the surrounding villages. The 
 members of the family in which he resided were excel- 
 lent and amiable, and he met with universal cordiality 
 3
 
 22 MEMOIR OF 
 
 and kindness. An accident discovered to him some 
 boxes filled with works of the Puritans; these gratified 
 his taste for divinity, and supplied him with materials 
 for future years. Here he became acquainted with Mr. 
 Cecil, with whose preaching he was much delighted: 
 Mr. C.'s sermons were expository, and his critical re- 
 marks important, as he was going through the historical 
 parts of the Old Testament. 
 
 The congregation becoming much attached to their 
 young supply, application was made to the managers of 
 the Tabernacle for his longer continuance. To this 
 they assented, but, shortly afterwards, Mr. To\vnsend 
 was seized with a serious illness, on which the physician 
 recommended him to resign preaching entirely. This 
 he declined, and, with the aid of medicine, and the 
 kind nursing of his hostess, soon recovered. 
 
 At this period, he obtained Claude's Essay, and De 
 Laune's Plea for the Nonconformists; these authors 
 appear to have decided him in favor of dissenting prin- 
 ciples, as he writes thus in his journal. "When I had 
 read these works, I saw the propriety and justice of the 
 principles and practices, both of ancient and modern 
 Nonconformists, and became settled in my determina- 
 tion to cast in my lot among them. I was much inter- 
 ested in Robinson's attack on the errors of Laud, &c.; 
 and the persecuting spirit of the high church party in 
 the time of Charles II. made me more anxious to be- 
 come acquainted with the writings of those excellent 
 men, the sternness of whose honesty, and the value and 
 importance of whose principles, had induced them to 
 forego all connection with a church whose honors and 
 emoluments were as open to them as to others." 
 
 A country life was new to him, and its simplicity 
 and quiet appear to have suited his taste. One of his 
 most pleasing excursions was to Heathfield, where re- 
 sided a man eminent for religion and usefulness. This 
 was Mr. Gilbert, who, after having served his country 
 under Prince Ferdinand, and the Marquis of Granby,
 
 KEV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 23 
 
 retired to a country village, and devoted himself to the 
 service of the King of kings. His resources were slender, 
 but his energies were mighty; the former were assisted 
 by a society in London. The reading of the Scrip- 
 tures to a few individuals was the commencement of his 
 labors; then succeeded the reading of sermons, and, 
 finally, an entrance into the ministry. This excellent 
 man died in 1826, after having beevi the instrument of 
 introducing the Gospel into nearly sixty villages, in 
 many of which chapels have been erected, and stated 
 pastors settled. How faithful is that God, who has 
 promised to bless even the feeblest efforts in his cause! 
 
 After a happy residence at Lewes, of eight months, 
 Mr. Townsend was summoned to London. The feel- 
 ing of regret, at parting, was mutual between minister 
 and people. His kind host presented him with many 
 oft the books which he had read with unceasing pleas- 
 ure. Of this worthy man and his amiable wife, Mr. T. 
 ever retained an affectionate recollection. Recording 
 his return to his paternal roof at this time, he writes 
 "It is impossible for me to express the delightful feel- 
 ings which occupied my bosom as I approached the 
 humble dwelling in which T was born, and where still 
 resided the dearest objects of my natural affection." 
 
 Here Mr. Townsend pauses to make the following 
 reflections. "I cannot review this first year of my 
 ministerial career without stopping to acknowledge the 
 great goodness of God, and giving Him the praise of 
 all. I went out from my father's house, from my ac- 
 quaintance and friends, without knowing whither I went, 
 and, at the same time, worse furnished for the duties I 
 had to perform, and the difficulties and dangers which I 
 had to encounter, than, perhaps, any young man who 
 ever entered into the Christian ministry. But He who 
 numbers the hairs of our heads, and suffers not a spar- 
 row to fall to the ground without his notice, gave me 
 his gracious assistance, preserved me from the evils into 
 which the carelessness of youth, and the inexperience
 
 24 MEMOIR OF 
 
 consequent upon it, have hurried many a promising 
 young minister; and gave me an unexpected, and I may 
 add, undeserved acceptance in the eyes of the people. 
 I went out empty and returned comparatively full. I 
 went out into the ministerial field of labor, with only 
 one talent in knowledge and gifts; but now, through the 
 diligent use of reading, meditation, and prayer, and the 
 blessing of the great Head of the church, that one tal- 
 ent has increased to five. For it is with humility and 
 gratitude, and to the praise and glory of 'the Father of 
 lights, from whom cometh every good and perfect gift,' 
 that I venture to say my capacity for acceptable and 
 useful preaching, when I returned from Lewes, com- 
 pared with what it was when I went there, was in the 
 full proportion of five to one. I had not only acquired 
 more knowledge, by reading and study, but I had dis- 
 covered, through an acquaintance with 'Claude's Es- 
 say,' some glaring inconsistencies in my composition, 
 especially the practice of accommodating texts. This 
 determined me to make it my first object to discover 
 the true meaning of the words, by a careful perusal of 
 the whole paragraph with which they were connected, 
 as well as by a reference to the principal characters and 
 circumstances to which they stood related. I acquired, 
 also, more order and regularity in the disposition of the 
 matter I intended to deliver, more skill in the choice of 
 words, more self-possession in my delivery, and greater 
 ease and dexterity in the use of my notes, to which I 
 closely adhered." 
 
 On Mr. Townsend's arrival in London, he found 
 himself appointed to the station at Kingston; many of 
 the leading persons there, having been delighted with 
 his plain and unadorned sermons. The reception he 
 met with, was kind and affectionate, and arrangements 
 were finally made for his settlement. The salary was 
 small, not more than sixty pounds a year, and, of that 
 sum, one individual gave twelve guineas.
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 25 
 
 Fixed in this situation, he commenced Greek and 
 Hebrew, which he soon laid aside that he might devote 
 his whole time to theology, in the study of which, he 
 passed fourteen, and sometimes sixteen hours a day. 
 His aim was not to shine as a speaker to preach use- 
 ful and instructive sermons was his highest ambition. 
 It may not be unprofitable to the reader, to young min- 
 isters especially, to trace the probable progress which 
 the subject of this memoir made, to the honorable and 
 influential station which he afterwards filled in society. 
 Humility, and a deep sense of his own insufficiency and 
 weakness, were the basis of future influence and useful- 
 ness. Conscious of the necessity of extraordinary dili- 
 gence, he seized every opportunity of increasing his lim- 
 ited knowledge of scriptural and experimental theology. 
 That he might collect a store of excellent and inter- 
 esting materials for ministerial use, he adopted the fol- 
 lowing plan, which is given in his own words. "Method 
 being necessary, I procured three quarto books, con- 
 sisting of four hundred pages. One of these, I appro- 
 priated for the Old, another for the New Testament, 
 and the third, for a body of divinity alphabetically ar- 
 ranged. If any text, either in private or family reading, 
 impressed my mind, I indulged the feeling, and wrote 
 all that was freely suggested in its proper place. The 
 first train of thought sometimes branched into so many 
 parts, and with such facility, that in a few minutes I had 
 formed a plan for an hour in preaching. On reading 
 a well written-book, or on conversing with well-instruct- 
 ed Christians, I marked every thing new and important, 
 treasuring it up in my memory, till I had an opportunity 
 of committing it to paper. Somewhat resembling the 
 industrious bee, I strove to make the flowers of every 
 garden contribute to increase the stock of my (as yet) 
 ill furnished hive." This practice so enlarged his 
 treasures in divinity, that his books were soon filled, 
 and to these was added a large store of materials, writ- 
 ten on loose pieces of paper, as he never walked in the 
 *3
 
 26 MEMOIR Of 
 
 country without providing himself with the latter, and a 
 pencil, that some meditation or remark from the work 
 he was reading might be preserved. This habit gave 
 him such facility in writing, and induced such a power 
 of abstraction, that when he afterwards became so fully 
 occupied in committees, he could write during the pro- 
 gress of speeches to which he intended a reply, and 
 yet take up every point of discussion in the clearest and 
 most perspicuous manner. . The contemplations of 
 Bishop Hall were a source of rich instruction and en- 
 tertainment. So enraptured was he with their beauty, 
 and so charmed with the light which they threw on the 
 Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament, that 
 he would scarcely allow himself time for food or rest. 
 Gurnall's Christian Armor was also a favorite work at 
 this period. Through the influence of a friend he re- 
 ceived a large box of books from the late John Thorn- 
 ton, Esq., among which was Brown's Self-interpreting 
 Bible, and his Dictionary. These made a good addi- 
 tion to his yet small, but, to him, valuable, library. 
 "Among the many ways (remarks Mr. T.) in which 
 rich Christians may do much good, one is to give a few 
 standard books in divinity to poor students, who have 
 not the means of procuring them, and to whom, if I 
 may speak from experience, they would be more pre- 
 cious than gold." 
 
 On the 1st of June 1781, Mr. Townsend was ordain- 
 ed Pastor of the Independent Church at Kingston; hav- 
 ing the consent of the Society to model it according to 
 the usual order of that denomination. In the same 
 month he was united in marriage to Miss Cordelia Ca- 
 husac; concerning whom, he thus writes in his diary 
 several years after, (but without date:) "Her person, 
 her piety, her prudence, her industry, her economy, 
 have been all that a Christian could expect or desire. 
 She has been a help-meet in reality. In our lives we 
 have been pleasant to each other; and our parting will 
 be truly painful. But oh! the blessedness of a good
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 27 
 
 hope through grace. Our friendship will be renewed 
 and perfected, and will become unfading in the king- 
 dom of glory." To meet the increase of family ex- 
 penses, Mrs. T. in 1783 commenced a boarding school. 
 Many anecdotes are left on record, of the effects pro- 
 duced on the minds of the young people, by the amiable 
 and blameless conduct of her husband, whose example 
 influenced, even more than his precepts. 
 
 Kingston was a barren and unpromising soil; religion 
 was much neglected. Like Gallio of old, the higher 
 classes cared for none of these things, and the lower 
 were so irreligious and brutal, that they sometimes as- 
 saulted those who attended at the meeting. The minis- 
 ter having incurred a risk of personal injury, had the 
 ringleaders secured and brought before the magistrates, 
 who committed them to Bridewell. The offenders were, 
 however, liberated, on giving security for future good be- 
 havior; as prevention of the evil, not revenge, was the 
 only remedy sought. On referring to this period in his 
 journal, he writes, "I can say I was not much depressed 
 by the reproaches or persecutions of the world. These 
 things were to be looked for, in such days of darkness 
 and prejudice. But I began to feel some of the cares 
 and difficulties of a settled minister. The vile and de- 
 testable heresy of antinomianism began now to spread 
 through the whole vicinity of Kingston, Mr. Hunting- 
 ton's place of residence. Weekly sermons were preach- 
 ed by him at Thames, Ditton and Richmond. Though 
 he spent his Sabbaths and most of his days in London, 
 yet these weekly services constituted a rallying point, 
 not only for such as had imbibed the poison so artfully 
 blended in his writings, with the great doctrines of the 
 holy gospel of Christ; but, also, for all that were con- 
 stitutionally fickle, or of a rugged and restless temper 
 of mind. Every effort was made by the party that 
 could be devised, to inoculate the whole church and 
 congregation with their unscriptural sentiments, and with 
 their more mischievous temper. Every new book writ-
 
 28 MEMOIR OF 
 
 ten by their oracle, Mr. H., was circulated with the 
 utmost avidity, and the most uncandid and illiberal con- 
 struction was put upon every sermon I preached; and 
 some even of the most eminent of my hearers in seri- 
 ousness of spirit and holiness of life, were maligned as 
 Arminians and enemies of the gospel." Circumstances 
 like these necessarily pain and discourage dissenting 
 ministers; but they are of little weight, compared to 
 those trials which arise from the irregular and unholy 
 conduct of others, who appear attached to the minister, 
 and for whom he, in return, feels a pastoral affection. 
 Such cases, however, will occur, notwithstanding the 
 utmost care in the admission of members; one of this 
 nature now called forth Mr. Tovvnsend's firmness and 
 fidelity. The member whose conduct demanded ex- 
 pulsion, was connected with an intimate friend; but 
 church discipline, and a holy jealousy for the cause of 
 God, triumphed over private feeling. 
 
 Antinomianism at Kingston produced that at which 
 it ever aims, the removal of a minister, who preaches 
 the necessity of faith, and yet exhibits the moral law 
 as the rule of life. Mr. T., though much beloved by 
 the respectable part of his congregation, thought it a 
 duty to resign his charge, and communicated his inten- 
 tion to some friends in London. One of these was the 
 Rev. Anthony Crole, on whom deputies from the con- 
 gregation in Jamaica Row, Bermondsey, had waited, 
 to consult him on the choice of a minister. Arrange- 
 ments were subsequently made for Mr. T.'s stated la- 
 bors among them, which commenced on the Sabbath 
 after Midsummer Day, 1784. 
 
 To some of the little flock at Kingston, he felt a 
 strong attachment. There were individuals to whom 
 his ministry had been made useful; two of these after- 
 wards became pastors of Baptist Churches. One strik- 
 ing fact occurred, which appears worth recording. A 
 youth, who projected a crime of great magnitude, at- 
 tracted one evening by the light, strolled to the little
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 29 
 
 chapel, at the moment the minister \*ks reading the text 
 from Numbers xxxii. 23. Be sure thy sin will find 
 thee out. Conscience became alarmed, the violated 
 law of God with its consequences was portrayed, and 
 bore a terrifying aspect to the listening sinner, who be- 
 lieved detection must ensue, if the intended sin were 
 committed. The impression remained, and a holy and 
 consistent life has been the result. 
 
 CHAPTER ffl. 
 
 FROM MR. TOWNSEND'S SETTLEMENT AT BERMONDSEV, 
 IN 1784, TO THE FORMATION OF THE DEAF AND 
 DUMB ASYLUM, IN 1792. 
 
 THE congregation at Jamaica Row consisted of almost 
 every denomination of Christians, among whom were 
 Arians, the remains of Dr. Flaxman's hearers. Mr. 
 Townsend's first object was, to form a church on the 
 model of congregational dissenters. Introductory to 
 this, he preached on the principles, duties, and charac- 
 ter of church members, taking the holy Scriptures as 
 he basis of faith and practice. The faith and conduct 
 of every member were to be subjected to Christian in- 
 spection; it was intended to exclude those, who were 
 uninfluenced by the power and purity of religion, and 
 to admit those, who were renewed in the spirit of their 
 minds and who were holy and unblameable. 
 
 Mr. Townsend was set apart over the church and con- 
 gregation, Oct. 28, 1784. On this occasion, the Rev. 
 Mr. Crole delivered the charge from 2 Timothy iv. 2. 
 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; 
 reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and doc- 
 trine. The Rev. Dr. Addington preached from Phil, i, 
 27. Let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel 
 of Christ.
 
 30 MEMOIR OF 
 
 The peace of thp infant church was broken by the in- 
 troduction of Mr. Huntington's sentiments into the neigh- 
 borhood; the moral poison of which infected some of the 
 members, fourteen of whom were desired to withdraw. 
 During a long ministerial life, our deceased friend's 
 tranquillity as a pastor was never again interrupted. 
 
 Being now settled in the vicinity of London, he fre- 
 quently went to hear the Rev. William .Romaine, and 
 the Rev. Henry Foster. He hoped to derive much 
 advantage from frequent intercourse with the independ- 
 ent ministers of the metropolis, but in this he was disap- 
 pointed, as he received nothing more than cold civility. 
 Conversing with his friend, the Rev. Mr. Crole, on 
 the subject, they both lamented the want of a more 
 close and intimate friendship with the ministers of the 
 congregational denomination. As the pastors of the 
 regular churches (as they were called,) thus stood 
 aloof, those men who wished to act upon more enlight- 
 ened and liberal principles; who felt that a diffusive 
 spirit ought to mark the servants of God, determined, 
 if possible, to form an union of such ministers as were 
 unconnected with the Board. A meeting was called 
 to carry this plan into effect; and the following minis- 
 ters entered into the union: The Rev. Messrs. Crole, 
 Cottingham, Morton, Humphreys, Myers, J. Towers, 
 T. Bryson, J. Townsend and T. Williams. 
 
 At this interview it was unanimously resolved, that 
 two objects should be embraced; a monthly meeting of 
 the ministers for the discussion of theological subjects; 
 and another for prayer and a sermon. This union was 
 denominated the Evangelical Association; and the 
 monthly meeting of ministers connected with it was 
 held in Pinner's Hall vestry. "They were to me 
 (observes Mr. Townsend) seasons of great pleasure, 
 and, I hope, of much profit. We were all, I believe, 
 younger men than Mr. Crole, and esteemed him as 
 our monitor. His affable and unassuming manners, 
 united to a sound understanding, and a comprehensive
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 31 
 
 and familiar acquaintance with theology, rendered him 
 the object of our veneration and love." 
 
 A list of subjects was printed, and the lectures were 
 well attended. To render the association useful, they 
 connected with it preaching in the villages round Lon- 
 don. Three places were regularly supplied by them 
 in rotation, viz. Wimbledon, Poplar, and Lambeth. 
 
 Not many months after the formation of this so- 
 ciety, Mr. Townsend became more intimately acquaint- 
 ed with several ministers of the Board; some of whom 
 wished him to become a member, but this he de- 
 clined, as he was already united to a very pleas- 
 ant association. Notwithstanding this refusal, he 
 had reason to believe that he was proposed at a 
 general meeting, but that the proposal was with- 
 drawn, on account of the opposition made to it by 
 onf individual, whose spirit was not imbued with that 
 love, which at present pervades every class of Chris- 
 tians. "If I judge correctly, says Mr. Townsend, there 
 were two grounds of prejudice against me in the mind 
 of this sensible and worthy gentleman (for so he un- 
 questionably was, notwithstanding the narrowness of his 
 mind;) the one, that I had not had what he esteemed a 
 regular introduction into the Christian ministry; and 
 the other, that I often preached in places where the lit- 
 urgy of the Church was read." 
 
 The poor of Rotherhithe being in a sad state of 
 irreligion and ignorance, some of the parish officers re- 
 quested him to attend the poor-house, and preach gra- 
 tuitously. To this he consented, though his ordinary 
 engagements were five sermons in the week. The first 
 text was from the 1 Cor. ii. 2. For I determined to 
 know nothing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him 
 crucified. One of the churchwardens, a zealous and 
 ardent churchman, wrote a letter, containing expressions 
 of disapprobation that a dissenter should preach to the 
 ignorant paupers; intimating that evil consequences must 
 arise from such an anti-episcopal service. After this
 
 32 MEMOIR OF 
 
 opposition Mr. T. withdrew from the post of gratuitous 
 chaplain to these poor people. 
 
 The year 1787 introduced him to an extended sphere 
 of ministerial usefulness. Many are the jewels which 
 will adorn his crown of rejoicing in the great day of 
 account, from his introduction to Orange-street chapel.* 
 When this place was opened under the Act of Tol- 
 eration, he preached on the first sabbath. f The im- 
 pression made on the trustees, induced them to re- 
 quest a permanent arrangement for four sermons in a 
 month. To this assent was given, and the pulpit labors 
 of thirty-nine years, have left on record numerous in- 
 teresting facts of persons in various ranks of life, who 
 there heard the tidings, first proclaimed by the shep- 
 herds on the plains of Bethlehem. As a dissenter, Mr. 
 T. was censured by some who were more rigidly at- 
 tached to systems than himself, and the following re- 
 marks appear in his journal. 
 
 Dining with a friend, the conversation turned on the 
 order and consistency, which should be preserved by 
 dissenting ministers; and it was said that, for the latter 
 to preach in chapels, where the Liturgy of the church 
 was read, marked a dereliction of principle. "I affirm- 
 ed," says Mr. T. "that it was the duty of the Christian 
 minister, to preach the Gospel when and where oppor- 
 tunity offered; that this was acting on the extensive and 
 unlimited nature of the first commission: Go ye into 
 all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature; 
 
 * This chapel belonged originally to the French Refugees in the reign 
 of Charles II. and was occupied by their successors till the year 1776, 
 when the Rev. A. M. Toplady engaged to occupy it on Sunday and 
 Wednesday evenings, and there closed his life and labors in 1776. It 
 was then occupied by the Rev. Messrs. Cecil and Foster, till they remov- 
 ed to Long Acre Chapel, after which it was licensed, and came into the 
 hands above-mentioned. See Wilson's Dissenting Churches, vol. iv. 
 p. 22. 
 
 t His text was Ephes. i. 7. In whom we have redemption through hit 
 blood, &c. This first sermon, Mr. Townsend notes, was blessed to the 
 conversion of a niece of the Rev. Mr. K. who went expecting to hear the 
 Rev. Rowland Hill; she afterwards joined Mr. T.'s church, of which 
 she was an honorable member.
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 33 
 
 that the Apostles and early ministers of the New Tes- 
 tament, proclaimed the whole counsel of God in private 
 houses, market places, Jewish synagogues, heathen tem- 
 ples, &c. To come nearer our own times, the eminent 
 men ejected by the Act of Uniformity, would have 
 exercised ministerial duties in churches, could they have 
 so done without wearing the surplice, and conforming 
 in other contested points; that if to preach in chapels 
 was to be vile, I would be still viler, for, could permis- 
 sion be obtained from Romish priests, I would stand on 
 the altar after mass had been performed, and proclaim 
 to the erring disciples of popery, the power and the 
 grace of that Savior whose gospel they have perverted, 
 and whose ministers they have persecuted." 
 
 The amiable spirit which began at this period to steal 
 over the Christian world, may be considered as the 
 davfn of that glorious era, which has since witnessed 
 the union of churchmen and dissenters, when the great 
 interests of their common faith required their co-opera- 
 tion. The principalities and powers of darkness had, 
 by the universal bigotry of Christians, brought back the 
 dark ages, even in the reformed churches of the 
 eighteenth century. 
 
 In the autumn of this year died the Rev. Dr. Peck- 
 well, and as he had been well known to most of the 
 congregation at Orange-street chapel, Mr. Townsend 
 was requested to preach a funeral sermon for him, which 
 he did from 2 Sam. iii. 33. Know ye not that there is 
 a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel^ 
 
 On the day which ushered Dr. Peckwell into the 
 world of spirits, the excellent and affectionate mother 
 of Mr. Townsend closed her eyes on the cares and en- 
 joyments of life. Her loss gave rise to the following 
 reflections, which must be given in the words of her 
 son: "Peace to thy memory, thou tender, affectionate, 
 and faithful guardian of my youthful years! To thee, 
 I owe, under God, the education I have obtained, and, 
 consequently, the honorable station I fill, and the use- 
 4
 
 34 MEMOIR OF 
 
 ful, though not splendid, services I have been enabled 
 to render to the church and to the world, for a long and 
 happy course of years. Thy sterling worth, my en- 
 deared and departed parent, is now imprinted so deeply 
 on rny heart, that scarcely one day passes without pay- 
 ing to thee, in the recollections of my mind, some hom- 
 age of esteem and affection. While my eyes were 
 blessed with the sight of thee on earth, I had not fully 
 learned thy excellence, nor felt thy intrinsic worth!" 
 
 "Take, young people," proceeds Mr. Townsend, "a 
 lesson of instruction, and appreciate more carefully the 
 inestimable value of wise and affectionate parents, whilst 
 they live. Let them have the full and overflowing grat- 
 itude of your heart, and suffer not any of their sighs 
 and tears to originate in your thoughtlessness or your 
 disobedience; and, as much as possible, contribute to 
 soothe their anxious minds, to alleviate their growing 
 infirmities, and, if needful, to relieve their temporal 
 necessities." 
 
 "And you, fond and anxious parents, who have sac- 
 rificed your ease, your rest, your worldly property, your 
 health, your all, for the comfort and prosperity of your 
 offspring; perhaps, too, for unfortunate, for disobedient, 
 yea, even for cruel children; it may be you have wept, 
 you have prayed over them, you have waited and long- 
 ed for their return to the paths of righteousness; but 
 all is still unpromising and dark; you refuse to be com- 
 forted, fearful that your grey hairs may go down to the 
 grave with sorrow. Be not cast down, there is yet 
 hope. Continue to wrestle for the blessing; God is 
 all-powerful and gracious. Prayer and faith may yet 
 do wonders. Those children over whom you now 
 weep, may, by and by, weep over your tomb, and re- 
 pent of all the wrong they have done to fond and afflict- 
 ed parents, and go, perhaps, from your grave to the 
 footstool of the throne of grace, crying, Father, we have 
 sinned against heaven and before thee. Remember He 
 is faithful who has promised. For myself, I will hope
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 35 
 
 even against hope. I' cannot well do otherwise, because 
 I have seen so many instances in which a parent's influ- 
 ence has been felt after he has passed into the world of 
 spirits. Scarcely has he ceased to breathe, when the 
 blessing has descended in copious streams. Perhaps 
 the very departure of a praying parent has been the ar- 
 row that penetrated the thoughtless heart of the way- 
 ward child, the wanderer from the paths of righteous- 
 ness. Surely in such cases, parents, who have departed 
 n the faith will share the joy which is in heaven on the 
 return of the repentant prodigal." 
 
 The year 1788, being the centenary of the glorious 
 Revolution, to which England owes her civil and reli- 
 gious liberties, a considerable feeling was excited among 
 the Dissenters, and several sermons were preached to 
 commemorate it in different parts of the kingdom. 
 Higjbly as Mr. T. estimated that event, he so entirely 
 disapproved of political sermons, that, when invited to 
 preach on that day for the Middlesex Charity School, 
 he stipulated that no allusion even should be made to 
 the centenary. His text was Honor the Lord with 
 thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thy in- 
 crease. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE INSTITUTION AND PROGRESS OF THE DEAF AND 
 DUMB ASYLUM. 
 
 IF the glory of England consist much in the abounding 
 charities that spread over her land if to relieve phys- 
 ical evil, be the honor of man, how much greater must 
 be that of the philanthropist, who combines moral and 
 religious relief with intellectual improvement; who raises 
 a human being from a state of mental vacuity, to the 
 enjoyment of the best feelings and faculties of our na-
 
 36 MEMOIR OF 
 
 ture; who gives to destitute beings a power, by which 
 they are raised from dark and dreary ignorance, to be- 
 come useful members of society. 
 
 A Benedictine monk in Spain, towards the close of 
 the sixteenth century, first made the essay to instruct 
 the deaf and dumb. Our own countryman, Dr. Wallis, 
 succeeded in the seventeenth, and about the same pe- 
 riod, Ammon, a Swiss physician, published a treatise 
 on the subject. These all exerted their energies to 
 relieve the children of the rich; the benevolent mind of 
 John Townsend aimed to extend the blessing to the 
 poor. About fifty years since, a few inefficient efforts 
 were made to found a similar Institution, and his majes- 
 ty, George the Third, gave 100 guineas towards carry- 
 ing it into effect; but neither royal munificence, nor fee- 
 ble wishes could accomplish so mighty an undertaking. 
 It was left to the persevering, arduous, indefatigable 
 exertions of an humble individual, whose heart beat 
 with love for the human race, to devote himself, and 
 engage others, in this majestic work, till it rose in his 
 own life-time, a monument of British generosity, and 
 British sympathy. 
 
 In his ministerial relation, Mr. Townsend became 
 acquainted with a lady, whose son was deaf and dumb, 
 and who had been a pupil of Mr. Braidwood's almost 
 ten years. The youth evinced an intellectual capacity 
 which caused delight and surprise to the good pastor, 
 who was astonished at the facility and accuracy, with 
 which ideas were received and communicated. Mrs. 
 C., the lady referred to, sympathising with, those moth- 
 ers whose circumstances precluded their incurring the 
 expense of 1500., (which was the sum paid by her- 
 self,) pleaded the cause of those afflicted and destitute 
 outcasts of society, until Mr. T. entered into her feel- 
 ings of commiseration, and decided with her on the 
 necessity and practicability of having a charitable Insti- 
 tution for the deaf and dumb children of the poor.
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 37 
 
 On the Sabbath day, June 1st, 1792, were com- 
 menced the subscriptions, which were to receive addi- 
 tions little calculated on, by the small band who gave 
 their first offering to induce their excellent pastor to 
 begin this noble work of mercy. Three friends con- 
 tributed one guinea each; Mr. Townsend gave the 
 fourth. This was, apparently, a feeble foundation on 
 which to commence an undertaking which, even on the 
 most contracted scale, required hundreds; but energy 
 and perseverance can accomplish much, when the heart 
 is under the influence of Him who said, Be merciful 
 as your Father in heaven is merciful. 
 
 The next morning he waited on Mr. Henry Thorn- 
 ton, who discovered that urbanity of manners and that 
 philanthropy of heart, for which he was so highly dis- 
 tinguished; but as he had never seen a deaf and dumb 
 ch|ld, he thought the number would be too small to 
 form the projected institution. To this was urged the 
 assurance given by Mrs. C., that she knew several, 
 and had heard of many: Mr. Thornton then promised 
 his support, and his banking house was named, with 
 several others, to receive subscriptions. A prospectus 
 was sent to the Times and Morning Chronicle, the cir- 
 culation of which brought many applications from the 
 poor, and, what was still more important, a visit from 
 Dr. Watson, who offered himself as tutor, which station 
 he still occupies with honor to himself, and advantage 
 to the establishment. To prove the activity of Mr. 
 Townsend, a letter from a poor fisherman, soliciting 
 attention to his afflicted child, and dated so early as 
 June llth 1792, was found among his papers. At this 
 period Mr. T. was going to visit his brother at Rams- 
 gate; on the route he distributed the printed notices in 
 the different towns and villages, and gave them to the 
 innkeepers, that travellers might see them. 
 
 After his return from Ramsgate, where a few sub- 
 scribers were procured, he took some of the hand-bills 
 to the Rev. Henry Cox Mason, then minister of Ber- 
 *4
 
 38 MEMOIR OP 
 
 mondsey, who at first seemed indifferent to the object, 
 and smiled at the undertaking as romantic. In a few 
 days, however, on Mr. Townsend again seeing him, he 
 gave his name as a subscriber, offering to distribute the 
 printed notices among his friends. This delighted Mr. 
 T., who knew he had an extensive acquaintance, and 
 that, from his natural activity and energy of mind, if he 
 entered into the object, "he would be a host." The 
 subscribers now became numerous, as the result of uni- 
 ted and individual exertion; and, to form an extended 
 and effective plan, a list was drawn out of different per- 
 sons known to each, and Mr. T. says, "Many a labo- 
 rious day did we spend together in this work of faith and 
 labor of love. My friend, from his flow of spirits, his 
 smart and ready way of stating the case, and the facil- 
 ity with which he rebutted objections, and overthew 
 frivolous excuses, was wonderfully fitted for the under- 
 taking. In all our peregrinations, I give him full credit 
 for being the Aaron in this exploit. I do not say we 
 met with any whose hearts were altogether as hard as 
 Pharaoh's; but we did meet with some, who, not only 
 refused to help us, though well able, but also insulted 
 us. One instance of this I cannot help reciting: we 
 had on our list the name of a wealthy surgeon; he be- 
 longed to an institution to which was attached a chapel, 
 at which my friend had often preached; and, of course, 
 we believed that this would prove a successful visit. 
 We were ushered into a splendid room, where the gen- 
 tleman was sitting at a late breakfast, with a footman on 
 each side of his chair. My companion opened his brief 
 in his best style; but, before he could finish the first 
 paragraph, of his story, he had said enough to indicate 
 it was a case of charity; and this lordly son of Galen in- 
 stantly exclaimed, 'Sir, I shall not give you any thing.' 
 My zealous friend would fain have proceeded, but he 
 was cut short by a rejoinder, in a more angry tone than 
 at first: 'Sir, I shall not give you any thing. John, open 
 the door, and let the gentleman out.' It was done in-
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 39 
 
 stantly, and we made our bow, happy to escape from 
 so much pride and consequence." 
 
 In the month of August 1792, the- first general meet- 
 ing of the subscribers was called. Mr. Henry Thorn- 
 ton was appointed treasurer, and the Rev. Mr. Mason, 
 secretary. A committee was appointed, consisting of 
 churchmen and dissenters. A suitable house was then 
 taken in the Grange Road, Bermondsey, and Dr. Wat- 
 son was engaged as tutor. On the 14th of Nov. the 
 first election took place, four children were admitted, 
 and two more in the course of the year. 
 
 The Asylum was now founded. Providence smiled 
 on these works of charity, subscribers increased, and 
 .the number of admissions augmented. Churches and 
 chapels were obtained, that collection sermons might be 
 preached, and on these occasions a boy repeated the 
 LoYd's Prayer. 
 
 So melancholy were the lists of candidates at the half 
 yearly admissions, that the public began to see the ex- 
 tent of a malady till then almost unknown. In some 
 families the whole number of children were deaf and 
 dumb, in others half were thus afflicted; cases were 
 numerous of five out of six, and it was ascertained that 
 in twenty families, containing one hundred and fifty -five 
 children, there were no fewer than seventy-eight deaf 
 and dumb. 
 
 Eight years had scarcely elapsed, before the infant 
 institution was recognized as a great national charity; 
 legacies, generous private contributions, subscriptions, 
 all marked the support of a Christian and generous peo- 
 ple; yet, such was the increased number of applicants, 
 that it was believed an imperative duty to make further 
 exertions, and the residence then occupied being too 
 small, vigorous efforts were made by the committee to 
 raise a fund for erecting a larger and more commodious 
 building, leaving the annual supplies untouched. Mr. 
 Townsend and Mr. Mason preached several collection 
 sermons at this period, in London and its neighborhood,
 
 40 MEMOIR OF 
 
 but the latter did not live to see the noble work begun, 
 as he was called to his reward in the prime of life, and 
 in the midst of his usefulness, in February 1804. He 
 was the firm friend and ardent advocate of this in- 
 teresting charity, and still lives in the recollection of 
 the earliest friends of the Deaf and Dumb Asylum. 
 
 July 11, J807, the first stone of the new Asylum was 
 laid by his royal highness the duke of Gloucester. The 
 ceremony was attended by some of the nobility, and a 
 numerous concourse of people. 
 
 On the first stone was the following inscription: 
 
 A SOCIETY 
 TO PROVIDE EDUCATION FOR THE 
 
 DEAF AND DUMB 
 
 CHILDREN OF INDIGENT PARENTS, 
 
 WAS FIRST PROJECTED AND ESTABLISHED j 
 
 IN LONDON, A.D. 1792, BY 
 
 THE REV. JOHN TOWNSEND 
 
 AND 
 THE REV. HENRY COX MASON. 
 
 AND 
 
 THIS FIRST STONE 
 
 OF A NEW ASYLUM, 
 
 BUILT BY VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS, 
 
 WAS LAID ON THE 
 lllH OF JULY, IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1807, 
 
 AND THE 47TH OF THE REIGN OF 
 
 KING GEORGE III., 
 
 BY HIS MAJESTY'S NEPHEW, 
 
 HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE WILLIAM, 
 
 DUKE OF GLOUCESTER. 
 
 As soon as the duke had placed the stone, the Rev. 
 Dr. Yates, of Chelsea College, the secretary, read a 
 .suitable and devotional prayer, for a divine blessing to 
 rest upon the institution, and upon all those who were 
 engaged in this work of faith and labor of love. Mr.
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 41 
 
 Townsend then addressed the vast multitude assem- 
 bled on the occasion. At first he was much agitated, 
 but soon became more composed, and delivered a 
 speech, the substance of which is comprised in the fol- 
 lowing words. 
 
 '"Previous to the introduction of moral evil, man was 
 not only a holy and happy being, but he was exempt 
 from disease and imperfections. The introduction of 
 sin has not only poisoned or (Vied up all the springs of 
 mental delight, but it has entailed on the inhabitants of 
 this lower world an innumerable multitude of bodily dis- 
 eases, which carry in their train excruciating pain, dis- 
 tressing debility, and hideous deformities diseases,many 
 of which exclude the subjects of them from that sweet 
 and social intercourse which is the balm of human life." 
 He then argued the necessity of such institutions as the 
 Deaf and Dumb Asylum; and concluded with an ur- 
 gent appeal on its behalf. 
 
 A new era was commenced for our institution. No 
 longer struggling into notice, it received the patronage 
 of the noble and the rich. The duke of Gloucester 
 was its avowed patron, and the marquis of Bucking- 
 ham, its president. His royal highness has since shown 
 the most ardent and persevering zeal; always presiding 
 at its anniversaries, and in every way endeavoring to 
 promote its success. 
 
 If friends increased, so did the mute supplicants for 
 admission, and it became evident to the committee, 
 that there must be active and energetic exertions to pro- 
 cure still further supplies. The new building, original- 
 ly constructed for the reception of 1 50 children, was 
 enlarged to receive 180, and subsequently 200, and 
 many generous minds felt with the illustrious patron, 
 who said, "That it ought to know no limit until every 
 supplicating object in the United Kingdom could par- 
 ticipate in the blessings conferred by so truly Christian 
 an institution."
 
 42 MEMOIR OF 
 
 In the course of the summer of 1 807, Mr. Townsend 
 went to Bristol, and whilst there, determined to collect 
 something for the object so dear to his heart, or, as he 
 sometimes styled it, "His darling child." He therefore 
 preached at the Rev. S. Lowell's where he collected 
 44Z., and hefore his return to London, obtained several 
 subscriptions and donations. This success suggested 
 to him the idea of travelling; and having laid a plan be- 
 fore the committee, they assented to the printing of a 
 circular letter, which was to be addressed to the nobil- 
 ity, gentry, and other benevolent individuals, soliciting 
 subscriptions and donations. The wisdom of this proj- 
 ect was ultimately proved. 
 
 In the summer of 1808, he went into the west. 
 The result of the journey appears to have been highly 
 gratifying, as the collections and subscriptions amounted 
 to a much larger sum than he had anticipated. At 
 Fareham, a lady was so powerfully impressed with the 
 interesting nature of the object pleaded for by the min- 
 ister, that she left her trinkets in the plate. 
 
 At this place, he was introduced to a family of eight 
 children five of whom were deaf and dumb. Some of 
 them were nearly twenty years of age, and had receiv- 
 ed no instruction. At Southampton, a little girl was 
 brought to him, who had been at the Asylum, and had 
 there received every advantage proposed. At Rurn- 
 sey a company of performers postponed the play ad- 
 rertised for the evening, when they heard of the in- 
 tended, sermon for the deaf and dumb. It was said, 
 that some of the party were there, and contributed to 
 the collection. 
 
 The extent of this journey was to Exeter, and such 
 was his anxiety to secure every pulpit, that he frequent- 
 ly travelled all night. The earl of Cork having heard 
 of the sermon he had preached at Frome, requested to 
 see him the following morning. Mr. T. was much 
 pleased with his lordship, who has ever since been a 
 steady friend to the institution, and the pastor's frugal
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 43 
 
 lable was frequently graced with some of the winged 
 and four-footed tribes, which had roamed in the lovely 
 park at Marston. 
 
 On his return from this tour, Mr. Townsend writes 
 thus in his journal: "I desire to feel much gratitude 
 to the great Benefactor of mankind, who has preserved 
 jne whilst travelling many hundred miles, and hope 
 that, through his blessing, the many sermons I have 
 preached will be remembered in the last day. On en- 
 tering upon this journey for the deaf and dumb, I deter- 
 mined to make them subservient to the edification and 
 salvation of those, who might be attracted to hear by 
 the novelty of the subject. To effect this, my texts 
 have been such as enabled me to exhibit a full and ex- 
 plicit representation of the excellency, the glory and the 
 suitableness of Christ, who came to deliver us from 
 moral disease and misery; from thence deducing the nat- 
 ural conclusion, that, as Christ compassionated our mis- 
 erable condition, we ought to sympathise with, and help 
 those who were in the unfortunate and distressing cir- 
 cumstances of the children for whom I was appointed 
 to plead." 
 
 In April 1809, he went into Essex, where he was 
 again very successful, and, in the summer of the same 
 year he travelled through the eastern counties. At 
 Bury St. Edmunds, he met with Mr. M'Kenzie, the 
 rector of Thetford, who not only became an ardent 
 friend to the Institution, but interested the Bishop of 
 Norwich in the same cause. In his own parish the 
 worthy rector procured many annual subscriptions and 
 donations, and obtained the use of the Wesleyan chapel 
 for Mr. Townsend, who remembered till death the 
 personal kindness and attention shown to him at the 
 rectory. The latter being obliged to resume his jour- 
 ney at four o'clock in the morning, his kind host rose 
 at that early hour to testify his respect and esteem. 
 
 On alighting at the inn at Norwich, an interesting 
 youth fixed his eyes most intently on him, and, wait-
 
 44 MEMOIR OF 
 
 ing for some time, at length followed him to the 
 house where he was to lodge. On the following day 
 the young man was introduced, and found to be one of 
 those who had been at the Asylum. He was appren- 
 tice to a statuary, who spoke highly of his talents and 
 character. 
 
 On this tour, he collected in one day, as the pro- 
 ceeds of three sermons at different towns, the sum of 
 150/., besides obtaining annual subscriptions and dona- 
 tions. 
 
 In October 1809, he made a short tour into Kent, 
 when he preached several sermons, and by these, and 
 life and annual subscriptions, obtained nearly 600/. 
 
 There still being a debt on the building fund, Mr. 
 Townsend made another tour to assist the liquidation 
 in 1810. It appears that, in this and the two preced- 
 ing years, he was the instrument of adding no less a 
 sum than GOOO/. to the funds of the Society.* 
 
 The committee of the Institution for which he trav- 
 elled, were not insensible to his exertions, and a letter 
 expressive of their approbation, was transmitted to him 
 by the secretary. 
 
 But, gratifying as this might be, higher sources of 
 delight awaited him, as he lived to see "this darling 
 child" become the parent of many fair daughters. 
 The combination of effort, system and perseverance 
 that had marked her progress, had instigated many be- 
 nevolent minds to similar exertion in England, Scotland 
 and Ireland. The latter country, Mr. T. visited in the 
 year 1822, and there learnt that three thousand chil- 
 dren were afflicted with this malady in the Sister King- 
 dom. 
 
 When Her Majesty Queen Charlotte, and the Princess Elizabeth 
 came to see the Asylum, the Duke of Gloucester introduced Mr. T. as 
 she Founder of the Charity, when her Majesty said, "I am glad to see 
 you Mr. Townsend, it must be a great satisfaction to you to see so many 
 children made happy." The Princess said, "I have often heard of you 
 Mr. Townsend, and I am very glad to see you to-day." The Queen 
 presented the Institution, with fifty guineas, and the Princess Elizabeth. 
 with twenty.
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 45 
 
 A pamphlet, published anonymously, greatly assisted 
 at this period, to give that increased impulse of exer- 
 tion, to which Ireland owes the prosperity of her rising 
 Institution. The following quotation marks the fervor 
 which characterised the writer. "The total want of 
 all knowledge, would, if there were nothing more, be 
 in itself an incalculable evil. For a reasoning being to 
 be deprived of all the materials with which to exercise 
 reason for a social being to be deprived of all the conso- 
 lations of social intercourse; this alone would be a state of 
 privation, calculated to call forth in his behalf the warm- 
 est sympathies of benevolence. And none can surely 
 comprehend better than the intelligent and the kind- 
 hearted, how lonely, how cheerless, how desolate the 
 lot what a wilderness of faces, and solitude of hearts, 
 must this world be, to a deaf-mute uneducated. But 
 thete is another and a more serious privation. A being 
 endowed with an immortal soul, a responsible creature, 
 is living without God in the world. To him the sacred 
 book of Revelation is opened in vain; to him the re- 
 straints and the consolations of religion are equally un- 
 known. His heart was never humbled by a sense of 
 its own corrupt nature; never was lifted up in gratitude 
 to a merciful Redeemer; never communed in prayer 
 with the searcher of all hearts, the sole fountain of puri- 
 fication but he stalks upon the earth, with the port in- 
 deed and external appearance of man, deprived of 
 every thing essential to him as a moral agent alike 
 ignorant of his nature, his destiny, and his God. Pre- 
 cluded as he is in this state, however, from the knowl- 
 edge of what is good, he is unfortunately not equally 
 protected against the admission of evil. If he is ex<- 
 eluded from the intellectual world, the material world 
 is still open to his view, and exerts all its pernicious in- 
 fluence over his senses. His mind does not remain, 
 like a sheet of white paper, upon which nothing has 
 been written; the passions have scrawled upon it their 
 grim and frishtful characters; in that wide moral waste 
 5
 
 46 MEMOIR OF 
 
 where no seed has been sown, no fruit ripens: the 
 barren bramble and the deadly night-shade flourish 
 there in rank luxuriance, and the serpent reigns uncon- 
 trolled in the dominions of the dove. Hence it is, that 
 low and sordid vices usurp the place of sublime and 
 noble virtues; that cunning is substituted for wisdom; 
 and that the faculties act with a perverted force in pro- 
 portion as their range is limited. Such is the state 
 from which we are called upon to rescue these unfor- 
 tunates, and to become the humble instruments, under 
 God, of substituting industry, morals, and religion, for 
 idleness, depravity, and vice." 
 
 When St. Augustine wrote, the learned believed that 
 those born deaf and dumb, could never be led to a 
 knowledge and belief of that which was contained in 
 revelation. The following answers to questions pro- 
 posed, with the anecdote given, would have astonished 
 and delighted this father of the Christian church. 
 Q. What book is that? 
 A. The holy Bible. 
 
 <j). Why do you call that book the Holy Bible? 
 A. Because it was written by divine inspiration. 
 Q. Why do you call God "our Father?" 
 A. Because He made us, preserves us, and gives us 
 all good things. 
 
 Q. Who is in heaven? 
 
 A. In heaven, there are Jesus Christ, holy angels, and 
 the souls of good men. 
 
 Q. Why are you deaf and dumb, and other people 
 not? 
 
 A. Because it pleases God. 
 
 A child from Ashford in Kent, about a twelvemonth 
 after she had left the Asylum, was seized with a disease 
 which proved fatal. During the last stage of her illness, 
 her father was sitting by her bed, with a book which 
 he held in his hand. She wrote on a slate, I shall 
 soon die, then taking the book, pointed to several vers- 
 es, repeating many times, the word good, clearly inti-
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 47 
 
 mating her approbation of them, as expressive of pleas- 
 ing emotions, founded on Christian expectation of a 
 future state. 
 
 A heathen poet thought that: 
 
 "To instruct the deaf, no art could ever reach. 
 No care improve them, and no wisdom teach. 7 ' 
 
 It is now, however, proved that those afflicted objects 
 of our sympathy, are not only capable of being taught, 
 but of conveying instruction to others. The writer of 
 the following letter is an assistant in that Asylum, where 
 he was formerly a pupil: 
 
 TO DOCTOR WATSON. 
 
 'Asylum, Kent-road, April 10. 
 
 'S*, Last Monday we went to the city of London Tavern, to attend 
 the anniversary dinner. It was a circumstance of great regret among 
 the friends of this institution, that his royal highness the duke of Glouces- 
 ter was unable to take the chair on account of severe indisposition, and 
 Sir C. Stephen Hunter. Bart, was invited to take it, in the absence of 
 the valuable patron. The duke is a great friend to this institution, and 
 has, for sixteen years past, been so kind as to attend the anniversary din- 
 ner regularly. I suppose there were upwards of one hundred gentlemen 
 aal down to dinner, and that the collection made was 600/., but I have not 
 been told the exact number nor amount. Several of the scholars were 
 introduced to the company, after dinner, to whom they showed their 
 writing, cyphering', and exercise books, and answered such questions as 
 were put to them, both by writing and speaking. Afterwards three of 
 them recited verses to the company, who seemed much pleased, and to 
 understand them perfectly, for I observed that they applauded very much 
 when the last speaker concluded. When I was a pupil, I remember to 
 have recited verses to large companies, on similar occasions, and to have 
 been much pleased when they gave me applause. I feel much gratitude 
 and delight when I see a meeting 1 of the friends and supporters of the 
 asylum, because I experience the advantages I myself have derived 
 from their benevolence, and rejoice to see them extending it to others 
 laboring under the same misfortune as I did, when admitted a pupil in 
 1303. 
 
 'I am, Sir, 
 
 'Your faithful assistant and grateful pupil, 
 
 'Jons HAMILTON. " ' 
 
 That the deaf and dumb are not incapable of the pleas- 
 ures of taste, is proved by some of them, becoming dis- 
 tinguished artists.
 
 48 MEMOIR OF 
 
 At the period when the subject of this memoir was 
 called to his final reward, the number resident in the 
 Asylum, was two hundred and twenty, and the amount 
 of admissions had been nearly nine hundred. 
 
 If, as a philanthropist, he could rejoice in having 
 been the primary mover of an establishment, which has 
 raised so many forlorn, and helpless, and suffering be- 
 ings, to feel a communion of interests, a participation 
 of enjoyments, a power of becoming useful citizens 
 what must have been his delight as a Christian on see- 
 ing their spiritual faculties developed, by a knowledge 
 of that holy book, which tells them of sins pardoned 
 by a Mediator's sacrifice, of affections purified by the 
 Spirit's influences, and of those enjoyments of a higher 
 existence, which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nei- 
 ther hath it entered into the heart of man to con- 
 ceive. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 FORMATION OF THE LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY, &C. 
 
 WE are now entering on a new era of the Christian 
 world; the servants of a common Master began to feel 
 that principles were more valuable, than systems and 
 forms of worship. Churchman and dissenter, laid 
 aside the animosities which had so long existed in op- 
 position to every precept of Him, whom they mutually 
 addressed as "Our Father." 
 
 The year 1793, witnessed an union, which proved 
 the germ of that fruit, which has since refreshed our 
 own, as well as heathen lands. A catholic spirit was 
 evidenced in the meeting of twenty-four ministers be- 
 longing to different parties, to establish a periodical 
 work on a plan, which was intended to meet the ap-
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 49 
 
 probation of orthodox members of the established 
 Church, as well as that of orthodox Dissenters. Mr. 
 Townsend was one of this number, and, ever ready 
 with his pen, as with personal exertions, to promote the 
 cause of God, was an early contributor of essays, 
 anecdotes, memoirs, obituaries, and sometimes of 
 poetry. This periodical was the Evangelical Maga- 
 zine. The profits were to be distributed among 
 widows of deceased ministers, and for other charitable 
 purposes, and 16,000/. have been thus applied. 
 
 Referring to this journal some years afterwards, Mr. 
 Townsend remarks, "Notwithstanding the contempt of 
 some, and the opposition of others, it has been the in- 
 strument of incalculable good. It should ever be re- 
 membered that it was intended by its founders as a 
 miscellaneous collection of good and useful things, some 
 of greater and some of lesser importance; but all cal- 
 culated to serve as a vehicle of religious information, 
 and by their combined influence, to become powerful 
 engines for the promotion of the general interests of 
 religion; and I doubt not that the work will continue to 
 be so, when the heads of all those who originally pro- 
 moted its interests, shall have been laid in the silent 
 grave." 
 
 The forcible and inspiring letters of Melville Home 
 on Missions, which appeared in 1794, produced a 
 strong effect on the mind of Mr. T., who felt "power- 
 fully stimulated to desire that some measure might be 
 adopted to procure a simultaneous movement of British 
 Christians in this honorable service." Go ye into all 
 the world and preach the Gospel to every creature, 
 seemed felt in its fullest import; and therefore, when Dr. 
 Bogue met with the subject of our present memoir, he 
 found an ardent co-operator in his missionary plans. 
 The former invited him to meet a few ministers at 
 Baker's Coffee House, November 5, 1794, to consult 
 measures for the formation of a Missionary Society, to 
 be composed of episcopalians and nonconformists. 
 *5
 
 50 MEMOIR OP 
 
 Those present were the Rev. Dr. Bogue, Rev. M, 
 Wilks, Rev. John Eyre, Rev. J. Stevens, Rev. J. 
 Love, Rev. J. Reynolds, Rev. J. Brooksbank, and 
 the Rev J. Townsend. The principle of the Society 
 was agreed upon, and it was resolved to invite the co- 
 operation of the country ministers and churches, by in- 
 serting an outline of its plans in the Evangelical Maga- 
 zine. It was proposed to have meetings for prayer, 
 and for reading such portions of Scripture as related 
 to the spread of the Gospel; that they might stir up 
 their mutual faith and zeal in the promotion of an un- 
 dertaking so grand and benevolent. 
 
 In the discussions that took place on the nature and 
 extent of its operations, Mr. Townsend wished that 
 France and other countries under the dominion of the 
 Papal See, should partake of the intended benefits. 
 This proposal was overruled, and the Society confined 
 itself to send Missions to the heathen only. 
 
 This rising Society meeting with much opposition 
 from both churchmen and dissenters, he remarks, 
 "Time and truth will ultimately raise a suitable and 
 lasting monument, which shall tell the world and the 
 churches of Christ in ages to come, what extended, 
 what wonderful events the great Head of the Church 
 was pleased to accomplish by the instrumentality of 
 this despised, reproached and persecuted Society." 
 
 When almost universal consternation spread amongst 
 the friends of missions, by the capture of the ship 
 Duff, Mr. T. proved himself to be one of those, who 
 estimated missionary operations as involving a solemn 
 and imperious duty. The firmness of his mind, and 
 the high tone of his Christian principles, induced in- 
 creasing ardor and more determined zeal; he, therefore, 
 immediately preached a sermon, from the words of Je- 
 hovah to Moses, Speak to the children of Israel that 
 they go forward. This produced the desired effect, as 
 it not only gave new courage to the timid and doubt- 
 ful, but so impressed the minds of those who heard,
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 51 
 
 that large and generous donations were presented to 
 Mr. T., before he left the chapels where he had 
 officiated. 
 
 On the first Sabbath in 1797, Mr. Townsend preach- 
 ed three sermons to the old, the middle-aged, and the 
 young. The request was universal, that they might 
 be printed; this was complied with, and 1000 copies 
 were sold immediately. In the following year were 
 published the sermons on prayer. A. passage selected 
 from the preface will explain the circumstances which 
 gave birth to this volume. "These very plain discour- 
 ses, upon one of the most important branches of religion, 
 derive their origin from a social conversation which took 
 place upon the subject, at the author's fire-side. Fully 
 to answer the inquiries of some of his family, and, 
 if possible, to aid them in the devotional exercise of 
 prayer, he determined to preach two or three sermons 
 upon the subject. As he proceeded in his design, he 
 perceived it admitted, and was truly worthy, of a more 
 extensive discussion than he at first designed to give it; 
 and he was insensibly led from one branch to another, 
 till he had preached eight sermons; when, fearing that 
 by further enlargement he should rather fatigue and 
 weary, than edify and instruct, he determined to con- 
 clude them with a sermon upon the prevalence of Christ's 
 intercession for his praying people." These discourses 
 were published by subscription, and the many testimo- 
 nies he received of their usefulness, inspired him with 
 gratitude to that God, who chooses in his sovereignty, 
 the foolish things of the ivorld to confound the wise, and 
 the weak things of the world to confound the things 
 which are mighty. 
 
 In 1799, he engaged in a work, which, though it gave 
 him much anxiety and fatigue, and stole many a mid- 
 night hour from sleep, was productive of much pleas- 
 ure and improvement, as it constrained him to read the 
 sacred volume with a closer attention than formerly, and 
 impressed many of its minuter parts more deeply on
 
 52 MEMOIR OF 
 
 his memory; while at the same time it imparted more 
 correct views of its connection and spirit. 
 
 The following statement is given by Mr. Townsend. 
 "Mr. Mason and myself had, from our union in the 
 interests of the Deaf and Dumb Asylum, formed a 
 great intimacy, and frequently visited each other. On 
 one occasion, he told me he had received a proposal 
 from a bookseller to furnish some short notes for a new 
 quarto Bible, to which he had replied that he was too 
 little accustomed to this kind of work to venture upon 
 it by himself; but that he had a friend, who, he thought, 
 might be induced to join in such an undertaking, and 
 that he would cheerfully communicate the proposal to 
 him. I was the friend to whom he referred; and, con- 
 senting to write with him, it was agreed between us that 
 I should select the passage for annotation, compose the 
 outline of thought upon it, and then send it to him for 
 correction, addition, or abridgment, with this proviso, 
 that nothing was ultimately to appear which did not ac- 
 cord with my known sentiments. Before the work ac- 
 tually commenced, the bookseller suggested that it 
 would be best to have but one name; and, as Mr. Mason 
 was a clergyman, his was supposed to have the most 
 weight. I felt at first some scruples about it, but my 
 friend having no objection, I complied. If the notes 
 have nothing to call forth much praise, there is nothing 
 in them injurious. They are plain and scriptural, and 
 some have read them with pleasure perhaps profit." 
 
 It was in May 1799, that at a general meeting of the 
 London Missionary Society, some of its members form- 
 ed the plan of the Religious Tract Society. Mr. T. 
 had no immediate share in its formation, but he soon 
 fell into the ranks of its supporters, and was introduced 
 into the committee. He assisted in reading and pre- 
 paring tracts for publication, and several were written 
 by hiroself, amongst which were the following: "Scrip- 
 ture Extracts, Parental Duties, Filial Duties, To the 
 Aged, On Late Attendance at Public Worship, Import-
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 53 
 
 ant Questions." Various interesting anecdotes might 
 be given connected with the above tracts, which have 
 been translated into all the European languages; but Mr. 
 Townsend has recorded his gratitude for the astonish- 
 ing success of "Scripture Extracts." Of this useful 
 tract, four thousand were circulated in Ireland, and it 
 has been translated into Bengalee, Hindostanee, Sans- 
 crit, &;c. &c. It was particularly selected by an Eng- 
 lish officer in the Spanish service, who had witnessed 
 its utility, and ordered a large number to be sent to 
 Malaga. A minister in the Highlands of Scotland 
 writes, "The 'Scripture Extracts,' I gave to the chil- 
 dren of the Sabbath-schools in this neighborhood, and 
 a portion of them became their weekly task, so that 
 in about three months every child that received a tract, 
 could repeat the whole of it." 
 
 When Mr. Townsend's health gradually declined, 
 and he could no longer attend the committee, he wrote 
 and published the following: "Good and Bad Servants, 
 Good and Bad Masters and Mistresses, A Dialogue be- 
 tween a Manager of a School and the Mother of one 
 of the Scholars, An Admonition to those who live in 
 the habitual neglect of the Lord's Supper, a New Year's 
 Gift, An Address to Lying-in Women." Some of these 
 will be found in the Evangelical Magazine, written in 
 the form of essays or letters: he wrote also an address 
 to the Jews, of which some hundreds were distributed 
 among that people. 
 
 In 1800, Mr. Townsend went for six weeks to Ed- 
 inburg. The party-spirit that prevailed in Scotland, 
 "caused no small regret to a man who was willing to 
 make every lawful sacrifice to prevent unholy conten- 
 tions and jealousies." 
 
 In 1801, Dr. Horseley, the Bishop of Rochester, in 
 a charge to the clergy of his diocese, violently attacked 
 Sunday-schools and itinerant preaching. The former, 
 his lordship said, were "schools of atheism and disloy- 
 alty; that the children were there taught to despise re-
 
 54 
 
 ligion, the laws and all subordination." Mr. Towns- 
 end, who felt the amazing difference between himself 
 and the mental powers and literary accomplishments of 
 Dr. Horsley, still thought it a duty to reply to accusa- 
 tions, founded on error and prejudice. It had become 
 fashionable to declaim loudly against French philoso- 
 phers, English sectarianism and Sunday-schools. With 
 the former, the dissenting minister was inclined to wage 
 a warfare, equally persevering as the Bishop; but, being 
 intimately acquainted with the two proscribed modes of 
 religious instruction, he could not be silent, whilst they 
 were so aspersed. Many of the schools he patronised, 
 and knew they were conducted by prudent, peaceable 
 and religious persons, possessing the fairest characters 
 and the sounded principles, both political and Christian. 
 They might be dissenters, but "truth, especially relig- 
 ious truth, may be conveyed by different channels, and 
 by persons between whom, there are a thousand shades 
 of difference in those things which are neither essential 
 to our being real Christians, or to our obtaining eternal 
 glory." 
 
 Mr. Townsend assures the Bishop that the books 
 used are, "Brown's Catechism," and "Dr. Watts's Di- 
 vine Songs for Children," that these contain all the 
 "atheism and sedition taught in dissenting schools. The 
 doctrines inculcated are those of 'the Articles, Prayers 
 and Homilies of the Established Church,' teaching the 
 total depravity and sinfulness of human nature, pardon 
 and redemption by the obedience and death of Christ, 
 and the vast importance of sanctification and holiness, 
 together with the necessary assistance of the Holy Spirit, 
 to enlighten, renew, and comfort the soul. Here also is 
 taught the whole range of Christian and moral duties, 
 especially those which respect superiors, inferiors, and 
 equals." 
 
 In 1800, the Sunday-school Society had distributed 
 31,398 Testaments, and 6,244 Bibles. This alone was 
 a guarantee for the instruction of 156,826 children,
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 55 
 
 and might prove that the attempt made to produce 
 moral reformation, was based upon religious princi- 
 ple. 
 
 In pleading the cause of itinerant preaching, Mr. 
 Townsend does not attempt to justify those who, desti- 
 tute of character and prudence as of talent, "disgrace 
 that scriptural line of service;" but he became the advo- 
 cate of those who, actuated by the highest motives, sought 
 neither affluence nor ease, who believed, loved, and 
 preached the doctrinal part of that creed, to which his 
 lordship had subscribed. Mr. T. reasons as follows: 
 "It is thought no disgrace in a judge to travel from 
 place to place to administer justice, nor for a philoso- 
 pher to navigate dangerous seas, and explore distant 
 and inhospitable climes, to collect new and curious plants 
 and fossils: why then should we treat with contempt 
 the man who, feeling the worth of immortal souls, and 
 fired with love to the Redeemer who died to save him, 
 aspires to the honor of making known the glory of His 
 name, the power and virtue of His atonement, and 
 the "unsearchable riches of His grace." 
 
 In every age of the Christian church, there have been 
 itinerant preachers, and our own Bishop Latimer set the 
 example to his clergy, as one writer, speaking of him 
 says, "Old Latimer, in a coarse frieze gown, trudged 
 afoot; his Testament hanging at one end of his leathern 
 girdle, and his spectacles at the other, and, without 
 ceremony, instructed people in a rustic style from a 
 hollow tree." 
 
 Mr. Townsend concluded his address to Dr. Hors- 
 ley, by asserting, that such a charge as his lordship's 
 must have a pernicious tendency, as "atheism and in- 
 fidelity are common enemies to truth and righteousness, 
 and have always derived more advantage from the di- 
 visions and contentions among Christians, than from any 
 wisdom or strength of their own, This is demonstrated 
 by the history of ages: draw then, from this fact, my 
 Lord, an argument of forbearance towards every class
 
 56 MEMOIR OF 
 
 of dissenters, and especially those who believe and 
 preach the doctrines which your clergy subscribe." 
 
 "Finally, my Lord; let me assure you, that the nu- 
 merous and ardent friends of these Institutions, are 
 neither discouraged nor inflamed by the cruel and un- 
 just things, of which their adversaries have accused 
 them. They are as ready as they are able to prove 
 their own innocence, whenever and wherever they have 
 opportunity; and, if they are neither heard nor justi- 
 fied at the bar of public opinion upon earth, they re- 
 joice that shortly they shall appear, together with their 
 enemies, before the bar of God. The Prince and the 
 Peasant, the Bishop and the Itinerant, the Accuser 
 and the Accused, shall there be heard, and a right- 
 eous award will be given. O may our thoughts, our 
 words, and our actions, be regulated by this solemn con- 
 sideration! May it correct our prejudices, calm our 
 passions, and inspire us with religious and moral fidel- 
 ity; and, when we have passed beyond the reach of 
 those infirmities and mistakes to which we are now lia- 
 ble, may each of us be found in the 'wedding gar- 
 ment,' and hear the Master say, Well done, good and 
 faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. 
 Matt. xxv. 21." 
 
 In the commencement of 1802,' Mr. Townsend had 
 a dangerous illness, which so alarmed his friends, that, 
 on his recovery, they made an united and efficient 
 effort, to provide a permanent addition to his income; 
 as they believed pulpit and other exertions had induced 
 the malady. In this year, the Friendly Female Society 
 was instituted, the object of which was to relieve poor, 
 infirm, and aged women of good character. Mr. T. 
 was one of its earliest supporters, and subsequently 
 became an active trustee. 
 
 The year 1804 was marked by the origination of that 
 Society, which, from a small and humble commence- 
 ment, was destined to include within its ranks the most 
 revered of our bishops, the most honored of our nobil-
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 57 
 
 ity, the most distinguished of our philanthropists. The 
 seed planted has sprung up to a mighty tree, which has 
 overshadowed the earth, and whose leaves are for the 
 healing of the nations. What may not the Bible So- 
 ciety have done for the nineteenth century? A century 
 marked by more discoveries in sciences and the arts, 
 than any former period. May not the impetus given 
 in every department of natural and experimental philos- 
 ophy, be greatly owing to a development of faculties 
 which may have originated in a more extended knowl- 
 edge of the Bible? But if this be not the case, the 
 beautiful exhibition of union among Christians, who then 
 began to obey the long forgotten command of their 
 Master to "love one another" this alone would have 
 marked its divine origin. That effects so heavenly 
 were produced, is evident. Men were seen, who, merg- 
 ing all distinctions of names and sects, in a holy wish 
 to act in the spirit and letter of the New Testament, 
 first founded this benign Institution, and when it became 
 identified with the rich and noble, retired to humbler 
 posts of labor.* Among this honored band was John 
 Townsend. 
 
 As one of the committee of the Tract Society,f he 
 was present when the Rev. Mr. Charles, of Bala, made 
 
 * "Those who prepared the original draught of this Institution, avoided 
 every thing which could jbe construed into an exhibition of themselves, 
 and an assertion of that influence to which they might have advanced 
 unquestionable pretensions. Resigning the fore-ground of the Society 
 to those whom they thought most likely to advance its general interests, 
 :hey contentedly occupied less conspicuous stations; and seemed to think 
 themselves sufficiently honored by the privilege of laboring in its ser- 
 vice, and recompensed by the satisfaction of witnessing its success." 
 Owen's History of the Bible Society. 
 
 t This committee were accustomed to hold their meetings at Mr. Hard- 
 castle's counting-house. In a note prefixed to the address delivered at 
 Mr. H.'s interment, Mr. Townsend writes: "I scarcely ever pass ovy 
 London Bridge, without glancing my eyes towards those highly-favored 
 rooms appertaining to our departed friend, and feeling a glow of pleas- 
 ure at the recollection, that there the London Missionary Society, the 
 Rf.ligimis Tract Society, the Hibernian Society, &c. formed those plans 
 of Christian benevolence on which Divine Providence has so signally 
 smiled. This pleasure is greatly heightened, when I also recollect, that 
 in thobe favored rooms was brought forth that gigantic agent of moral 
 
 6
 
 58 MEMOIR OF 
 
 application for Welsh Testaments to supply the wants 
 of the Principality. Discussion on this request, elicited 
 the fact, that many parts of England were destitute of 
 the Bible. Mr. Hughes then proposed an address to 
 the public, requesting aid in the general dispersion of 
 the Scriptures. This receiving unanimous assent, a 
 circular address was issued, with the following title: 
 "The importance of a further distribution of Bibles." 
 
 It being proved that societies already in existence 
 were insufficient to supply the demand for Bibles, the 
 excellent and venerable bishops of London and Dur- 
 ham sanctioned the infant Institution, whose comprehen- 
 sive provisions embraced all classes of Christians. The 
 churchman and the dissenter who loved the Bible as 
 the foundation of their faith and hope, united to give a 
 more general circulation to that book, which is the 
 fountain of knowledge, and the gift of Him, from whom 
 proceeds all that is good and perfect. 
 
 From his constant attendance in the committee, and 
 his activity in the formation of several Auxiliary Socie- 
 ties, Mr. Townsend was made an honorary life member. 
 
 Being very anxious that an Auxiliary Bible Society 
 should be formed in Westminster, he pointed out the 
 duty of such an effort to an individual resident there, 
 who afterwards, acting on his suggestions, interested 
 those in its favor, who gave form and consistency to the 
 object. The first public meeting was held in Willis's 
 Rooms, on the 17th of December, 1812, when Mr. 
 Townsend spoke as follows: 
 
 "In rising to address this large and respectable as- 
 sembly, I feel myself oppressed by a great contrariety 
 of feelings. I recollect that I am surrounded by peers 
 of the realm by those whose thundering eloquence 
 has made the Commons House of Parliament even 
 ring with admiration and applause; I recollect the pleas- 
 
 and spiritual good the British and Foi-eign Bible Society. These rooms, 
 in my judgment, are second to none but that in which the disciples met 
 after their Master's ascension, and from whence they went forth to en- 
 lighten and to bless a dark and guilty world."
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 59 
 
 ing and interesting manner in which these honorable 
 persons have held forth entertainment and instruction 
 to this assembly, and feel anxious in rising to address 
 you after them, because what they have offered to your 
 acceptance at this mental feast, they have presented in 
 golden cups, embossed and enamelled with the finest 
 tints of human eloquence. But on the other hand, I 
 am relieved and comforted with the thought that those 
 plain men who cannot enchant by eloquent or fine and 
 sublime figures of allusion, may be equally zealous in 
 the cause and as anxious and successful in their 
 endeavors to promote and extend it. 
 
 "I have the privilege of saying, that I was one of 
 those who stood among the small circle that witnessed 
 the opening of the spring head of this Institution, but it 
 yielded only drops; we all felt anxiety lest it should 
 never become a stream, but lo! it has become a broad, 
 a deep, and a rapid river; it not only rolls on with ma- 
 jestic force, but is divided into a thousand, yea, into ten 
 thousand rivulets, of which it may be truly said, the 
 wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them, 
 and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose. It 
 shall blossom abundantly; and rejoice even with joy 
 and singing. But great as is its prosperity, yet it must 
 not be expected that it will meet with no resistance. I 
 hold in my hand a translation of an edict of the emperor 
 of China, aiming to interdict the introduction of that 
 sacred volume into bis dominions, and making the pen- 
 alty of such an attempt, no less than death itself. How 
 vast the contrast between the policy and the judgment 
 of those who there stand at the head of empire, and of 
 those wise and enlightened men whom we behold as- 
 sembled among us to day, to befriend the world by the 
 diffusion of sacred light. 
 
 "My worthy friend who sits near me, (and I feel honor 
 and pleasure in being permitted to call him so,) you 
 will know him best as the LIBERATOR OF AFRICA 
 he has, with great elegance and propriety, compared
 
 60 
 
 MEMOIR OF 
 
 the circulation of the sacred Scriptures to the diffusion 
 of light. And is there that emperor in the world who 
 shall lift up his hand before the rising sun, and say, 
 'thy light shall not extend over my dominions?' It may 
 be so, but it is not possible that such opposition should 
 succeed. The Star has already arisen in the east, and 
 not long hence, peradventure, the Sun of righteousness 
 shall arise in all its meridian glory. I do not possess, 
 and I would not profess to have, the least particle of the 
 spirit of prophecy; yet I do not hesitate to say, I cher- 
 ish the hope that the time will come, when the sacred 
 Scriptures shall not only penetrate into the empire of 
 China, but also when Pekin itself, the capital of that 
 vast and populous empire, shall have a Bible Society, 
 and some future emperor become its patron. I do not 
 speak merely upon hypothesis, I reason from facts. 
 
 "It is well known that the late Frederic the Great 
 was an enemy to divine revelation. His infidel princi- 
 ples were fed and nourished by Voltaire, the most artful 
 and vehement of the enemies of Christianity, and they 
 cherished the fond delusion, that the Holy Scriptures 
 would sink and go into oblivion, and that the visions of 
 their corrupt minds, would outlive the volume of reve- 
 lation? But what is the state of the question? Berlin 
 has now its Bible Society, and the patron of that^j Bible 
 Society, is the successor of that very Frederic, who 
 treated the Bible with such contempt. I argue then 
 from this fact, that if, in that very capital where in- 
 fidelity was publicly avowed by its monarch, the Bible 
 has not only maintained its ground, but also that a 
 Bible Society has been formed, and the ruler of that 
 kingdom has become the patron of it we may hope 
 that ourselves or our descendants will witness the same 
 in China, or any other part of the world, which may at 
 present show hostility to it: surely the work is of God, 
 and it shall proceed. I have been often struck with 
 a circumstance that occurs in the sacred pages, that 
 while the emperors at Rome were forming edicts to
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 61 
 
 suppress the Scriptures of divine truth, and the Gospel 
 of our Lord Jesus Christ, Paul, a prisoner in that city, 
 writing to the Christians at Philippi, has this remark: 
 Ml the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Ce- 
 sar's household. The Bible then had penetrated with 
 all its saving light, into that very palace where the 
 edicts were formed to suppress it. 
 
 "We have heard lately of the great nation; but has it 
 been ascertained what is the legitimate criterion of a 
 great nation? Is it the extent of its commercial rela- 
 tions, or the fidelity with which its mercantile engage- 
 ments are executed? Is it the extent and depth of its 
 scientific researches? Is it that its civil and religious 
 liberties rest upon a broad and deep foundation? Is it 
 the courage and fortitude of the defenders of that nation 
 by land and sea? If any one of these were the crite- 
 rion, my native country has nothing to fear from a com- 
 panion with any nation under heaven. But I dispute 
 the premises; these are not the criteria of a great na- 
 tion; it is my fixed and decided opinion, that a great 
 nation is that, which concentrates within its own bosom 
 the most energetic principles, and the largest measure 
 of moral, social, and religious good; and which, from 
 the abundance of its good-will toward man, is aiming 
 to carry the same blessings to the very ends of the earth. 
 If this is the criterion of a great nation, we this day 
 witness that it eminently applies to our own country. 
 We possess the Bible, the very fountain of moral, so- 
 cial, and religious good, but we are unwilling to possess 
 it alone, we would send it to every nation of the world 
 nay, I am happy this day in recognising the fact, that 
 we are fulfilling the instructions of the book itself, which 
 says, if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, 
 give him drink; if he is naked, clothe him. We have 
 done all this in its literal construction, but we are aim- 
 ing to do it this day in a spiritual sense; to give our 
 enemies the bread of life, which cometh down from 
 heaven to clothe their minds with the garments of sal- 
 *6
 
 62 MEMOIR OF 
 
 vation, and to send them those spiritual waters, which 
 not only allay their thirst, but which shall give life and 
 health to their souls. It has been, and is still, the 
 desire of this Society, to extend its beneficial effects to 
 all the prisoners of war amongst us, and they are reap- 
 ing the benefit: at the very moment that we are strug- 
 gling for our existence as a nation, we are willing to 
 impart, even to those who have lifted up their hand 
 against us, the blessings we ourselves enjpy." 
 
 Mr. Townsend in his ministerial capacity, generally 
 noticed from the pulpit any national event which much 
 attracted public attention. This was the case on oc- 
 casion of the funeral of lord Nelson,, when he preached 
 a sermon, which was never designed for publication; 
 but on his friends requesting it, he readily complied 
 with their wish. ' 
 
 The following is a brief extract from this discourse. 
 "If an ordinary funeral speaks to the eye, and to the 
 hearts of the spectators, how much more weighty how 
 much more instructive is the funeral of such a man as 
 Nelson! A man who, by the smiles of Providence on 
 his professional skill and activity, had risen out of com- 
 parative obscurity and indigence, to the proud enjoy- 
 ment of riches, and honors, and fame and who, if he 
 had survived the action in which he so honorably fell, 
 would have reaped a more extended, and a more splen- 
 did, proportion of all those rewards of valor, which are 
 so fascinating to the eyes of the men of the world. To 
 see such a man just on the eve of concluding a long ca- 
 reer of splendid exploits -ju st on tne point of returning 
 to his family and country, loaded with riches and honors, 
 yea admired, and praised, and loved almost to idolatry; 
 to see, I say, such a successful warrior carried a life- 
 less, a mangled, an emaciated corpse to the tomb, what 
 an humbling what a mortifying lesson! How could 
 one recollect this last point, and carefully notice the 
 proofs and emblems of mortality on the one hand, and 
 then observe the pomp and splendor which were inter- 
 mingled with these on the other, and not be struck with
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 63 
 
 the vanity, with the uncertainty of all human expecta- 
 tions, and all worldly glory? 
 
 "What a rich source of solid instruction was here 
 opened, especially to the princes, nobility, and gentry 
 of every description, who attended, or beheld the 
 mournful procession! It was even told them, who are 
 so accustomed to forget death themselves, and to have it 
 carefully kept out of their sight it was loudly enforced 
 even upon them that though rich and great, they were 
 mortal that they must quit their spacious and splendid 
 mansions that they must lay aside all their state and 
 glory, and, like Nelson, go to the house appointed for 
 all living. 
 
 'All ends in "Here he lies!" 
 
 And "dust to dust," concludes the noblest song.'" 
 
 On the first of January, 1807, the London Female 
 Penitentiary was founded. To this Institution he be- 
 came a decided friend and warm advocate. Many 
 facts coming to his knowledge of the demoralized state 
 of the metropolis, he published a letter to the Bishop 
 of London, entreating his lordship's attention to the 
 state of the public and populous streets of London, 
 where scenes of unblushing vice were exhibited that 
 would disgrace a continental city. "A moral disease,'* 
 he remarks, "a disease of the most infectious nature 
 and malignant complexion, exists in the very heart of 
 the body politic, and is making such rapid progress, as 
 threatens nothing less than the destruction of the vital 
 purity and strength of the country; ruining for both 
 worlds an immense multitude of our citizens, especially 
 of the rising generation. Yea, such is the gigantic as- 
 pect of this moral disease; such is the progress it has 
 made, is making, and bids fair still to make, that unless 
 some immediate, some effective measures, are vigorous- 
 ly applied, it threatens the contamination of all the 
 springs of moral virtue; and in the proportion that it 
 does this, it weakens and debilitates the general strength 
 of the country.
 
 64 MEMOIR OF 
 
 "You are, ray lord, already far sunk into the vale of 
 years; your course is nearly run; your labors are almost 
 finished; but one more work of mercy towards the dio- 
 cese of London may be still within your reach. Suffer 
 me to entreat your lordship to exert your influence, that 
 every engine may be set in motion, to rescue its wealthy 
 and populous city from the disgraceful and scandalous 
 scenes which are every night exhibited in its streets. 
 This desirable service will not be unacceptable to Him, 
 who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity." 
 
 In the following year, Mr. Townsend preached a 
 sermon, which entirely refutes the charge levelled at 
 sectaries, that they preach faith as being all that is es- 
 sential for salvation, and do not inculcate the necessity 
 of good works, and of that spirit of love, which must 
 be united to form the character of a true Christian. 
 The occasion that called for this sermon, was the pub- 
 lic recognition of Mr. Chapman, as pastor of the chapel 
 at Greenwich. 
 
 That there is a class of men, who, calling themselves 
 Christians, act and preach in direct opposition to the 
 precepts of the moral law, and the gentle spirit of the 
 new commandment given by our Savior, dissenters 
 regret equally with churchmen. Referring to such, 
 Mr. T. says, "Let us examine not only the spirit which 
 they cultivate, but their conduct, which may be consid- 
 ered as a fair and indisputable exposition of the nature 
 and tendency of their principles. When examined by 
 the Holy Scriptures, and the conduct practised by the 
 Old and New Testament saints, it is evident that those 
 perons who talk exclusively about grace, election, ever- 
 lasting love, justification by Christ, and the assurance 
 of eternal life, have not felt the powerful, the holy influ- 
 ence of those divine and heavenly truths, in which they 
 affect to be better instructed, and to glory above all 
 other men. I am persuaded, from the representation 
 made of these truths in the Holy Scriptures, and from 
 what I have felt of them upon my own heart, that 5n
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 65 
 
 proportion as they are clearly understood, firmly be- 
 lieved, and powerfully experienced, in that proportion 
 they will not only warm the heart with love and grati- 
 tude to God, and fill the mind with an habitual and ar- 
 dent hatred to sin, but their influence and effect on all 
 who know them by the Holy Spirit's teaching and power, 
 will be a serious and devout observance of the Lord's 
 day, a regular and humble attendance upon religious 
 ordinances, a tender and affectionate concern for the 
 souls of their friends and relatives, and an humble and 
 holy conduct before the world, lest the blessed name by 
 which they are called should be evil spoken of. 
 
 "But wherein does the prosperity of Christian socie- 
 ties consist? Not in the great multitude of persons of 
 which they are composed; for the most numerous socie- 
 ties are sometimes the most corrupt, both in doctrine 
 and t practice. Not in their riches; for where these 
 abound, there is sometimes a great conformity to the 
 spirit and manners of the world. Not in the variety or 
 greatness of knowledge and gifts. Few of the primi- 
 tive churches equalled that of Corinth in these; but 
 they were not of a sanctified kind, for their conduct 
 was unholy, and they were so given up to internal con- 
 tention and discord, and that about such unsuitable and 
 trifling things, that the apostle could scarce tell whether 
 he should reckon them spiritual or carnal persons. The 
 prosperity of churches does not consist in the abund- 
 ance of their liberality, or the ardor of their zeal; there 
 must be something more spiritual, more substantial, and 
 more abiding, to constitute real prosperity." 
 
 A Christian society prospers, when its members grow 
 in sound and scriptural knowledge; not merely in an 
 acquaintance with one or two leading points of doctrine, 
 but of the whole truth as it is in Christ. That society 
 is not likely really and effectually to prosper, which is 
 not as thoroughly enlightened in the knowledge of the 
 experimental and practical part of religion, as of the 
 doctrinal. Indeed, spiritual knowledge is nothing, unless
 
 66 MEMOIR OF 
 
 it powerfully influences the heart, and induces a life of 
 holiness. Christian societies flourish, when the mem- 
 bers of which they are constituted, abound in all the 
 fruits of the Holy Spirit when they consecrate their 
 time, their wealth, their talents, their influence, to the 
 glory of God, and to the good of mankind. A Chris- 
 tian society should resemble a fountain in a desert and 
 barren place; and channels should be opened in every 
 direction, that its waters may go forth to heal and 
 cleanse all around. 
 
 There can be neither prosperity nor peace in Chris- 
 tian communities, without the assistance and blessing of 
 God. "Let us remember, says Mr. T., that Jesus has 
 given his Holy Spirit to abide with the Church, and, by 
 his operations, produce his own dove-like temper; yea, 
 that he should mould the spirit of genuine Christians 
 into the very mind of their blessed Redeemer, who 
 has said, Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; 
 for I am meek and lowly in heart. This Spirit not 
 only new models the mind, but sheds abroad his 
 heavenly fruit, which is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, 
 gentleness, fyc. 
 
 Speaking of ministerial duties, Mr. Townsend re- 
 marks, The ministry which is best calulated to advance 
 peacej and prosperity, is that which is faithful and dis- 
 creet. Jesus said to his disciples, when he sent them 
 forth to preach, Be wise as serpents, and harmless as 
 doves. Our responsibility is truly great we speak in 
 the name of our Master, and must give account of our 
 ministry at the last day. Let us then take heed to the 
 matter, the spirit, and the manner of it; let us see that 
 we fulfil it. If we are faithful without prudence, we 
 become impertinent, and fall into personalities; and if 
 we are prudent and discreet without faithfulness, we fall 
 under the influence of the fear of man, which bringeth 
 a snare.
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 67 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 FORMATION OF THE CONGREGATIONAL SCHOOL. 
 
 EIGHTEEN years had elapsed from the first commence- 
 ment of the Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb; during 
 which period, the benevolent subject of this memoir had, 
 with few exceptions, been associated with all the societies, 
 that had been formed for the religious and physical re- 
 lief of suffering man. His ardor and energy, with the 
 enlarged views which characterised him as a member of 
 the universal church, had placed him on most of the 
 committees, where he was distinguished for an excel- 
 lent judgment, united with singular mildness. Feeling 
 all the value and importance of societies now in opera- 
 tic^, there was one subject which had much occupied 
 his thoughts, and interested his heart. 
 
 A dissenter upon principle a dissenting minister en- 
 joying competency, influence and respect, he thought 
 long and deeply on the necessities of men, who, like 
 himself, had their commission from heaven men, who, 
 by faithful preaching and holy conduct, were making 
 many rich towards God. 
 
 Mr. Townsend contemplated with pain many churches 
 which, like the rich Corinthians, allowed their ministers 
 to labor, with little consideration either of their temporal 
 necessities or spiritual anxieties; remaining cold to, or 
 careless of, their sufferings and wants, and, in the ful- 
 ness of their own sufficiency, forgetting that a devoted 
 Christian minister takes for his motto, Not yours but 
 you. Whilst Mr. Townsend saw rising around him in- 
 stitutions to meet every species of suffering to which 
 our common nature is liable, he knew one class of men 
 who, serving a spiritual Master, wished only to have 
 temporal wants supplied, that their whole time and in- 
 tellect might be devoted to His service, and that, disen- 
 tangled from the low affairs of this life, their thoughts
 
 68 MEMOIR OF 
 
 and affections might lead them to the high contempla- 
 tions of another. To relieve the cares that oppressed 
 such men to provide for, and educate their children, 
 and to secure an Asylum for their advanced age, he 
 proposed to himself hopes which were never realized, 
 and formed plans too mighty for his feeble resources to 
 execute. That God who had given him the benevolent 
 spirit of a Sutton, had denied him the affluence. The 
 Charter House was the model he had in view, but the 
 dissenting world were not inclined to follow so munifi- 
 cent a plan. It is indeed singular, that Christians living 
 under the mild precepts of the New Testament, should 
 forget the merciful provisions in the Old, for the Levite 
 who ministered before the Lord in holy things. If the 
 glory and beauty which attended the sons of Aaron are 
 not to be the destiny of our more spiritual priesthood, 
 surely we are not to inflict on them that moral martyr- 
 dom, which depressed circumstances must ever bring to 
 the upright and honorable mind. Dissenting ministers 
 willingly take the humble station of servants to the 
 church of Christ they wish for neither the certainty 
 nor the perpetuity that marks the Established church; 
 but their devotedness and their zeal deserve a higher 
 reward from their people, than a pittance grudgingly 
 given, or withdrawn when the whitened locks of age 
 mark the decay of the outward man, and of that intel- 
 lect whose fire and energies were employed, with un- 
 wearied ardor and unabating zeal, for a period of thirty 
 nay perchance forty years. Was it not to prevent 
 such evils, that the Apostle commanded that those who 
 minister in spiritual things should receive of temporal? 
 Unless he had believed that, in after ages of the Chris- 
 tian church, this precept would be acted on, would he 
 have given the useless advice to youthful pastors, To be 
 lovers of hospitality. Tit. i. 8. To be given to hos- 
 pitality. 1 Tim. iii. 2. 
 
 The following address to the ministers and laity of 
 congregational dissenters, will show the nature and
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 69 
 
 extent of Mr. Townsend's plans, as laid before the 
 public. 
 
 "It has been allotted to us to live in a day in which 
 the activity and zeal of our churches have been called 
 forth with an energy, and to an extent never before 
 witnessed. Who, that loves the souls of men, and sin- 
 cerely desires to see the extension and establishment of 
 the Redeemer's kingdom, can look back upon the few 
 last years, and not rejoice in the highly beneficial efforts 
 which have been used to disseminate the Bible, and 
 enlighten the heathen nations abroad, and also to pro- 
 mote Sunday schools and itinerant preaching at home? 
 
 "The writer of this paper would most sincerely re- 
 gret if he were to say or do any thing that should, in 
 the smallest degree, tend to the injury of these truly 
 important operations. It is, however, needful to be on 
 ourjguard, that, whilst we are suitably occupied with 
 these great objects, we do not forget other duties, which, 
 though of much less magnitude, are in some measure 
 connected with them; and in regard to which it may be 
 said These ought ye to have done, and not to have 
 left the other undone. While pur ministers have taken 
 a most active and liberal share in these works of faith 
 and labors of love, and some even beyond their ability; 
 it is evident to the writer, that something is needful to 
 be done towards supplying their necessities and lighten- 
 ing their cares. Many of them have already spent, 
 and others are cheerfully and laboriously spending, their 
 time, their strength, and their talents, for the cause of 
 God and the advantage of their fellow men, whilst the 
 interests of their own families are not adequately pro- 
 vided for. 
 
 "The advocate of this new object has long had his 
 eye and his heart fixed upon this work of mercy; but 
 the time and labor required to nourish and bring to ma- 
 turity his first and darling child have hitherto prevented. 
 Providence having now accomplished that object far 
 beyondhis most sanguine expectation, he has determin- 
 7
 
 70 MEMOIR OP 
 
 ed, by the assistance of the Almighty, to devote all the 
 time and strength which can be spared from other neces- 
 sary and important avocations, to the formation of an 
 institution to be denominated the Congregational Asy- 
 lum: to embrace, first, the educating and boarding (and 
 clothing, if possible,) of eighty or one hundred chil- 
 dren of ministers of the above denomination; and, sec- 
 ondly, to provide a comfortable retreat for ten or twelve 
 aged ministers, worn out in the honorable and arduous 
 service of the Christian sanctuary. 
 
 "In proportion as the exertions in favor of religion 
 increase and prosper, and the churches of course are 
 multiplied, the number of our public teachers must also 
 increase; and it is a fact too well known, that the pecu- 
 niary circumstances of the generality of our ministers 
 are such as to give them no surplus to lay by, to meet 
 the peculiar necessities of old age, or decently educate 
 their children. 
 
 "The children of dissenting ministers are shut out 
 from all those schools which are under the influence of 
 the Establishment. Is it not then much to be regret- 
 ted, that as yet there has been no better provision made 
 for them among their own denominations? As to dis- 
 senting ministers teaching their children themselves, that 
 is impossible, owing to the multitude and variety of their 
 avocations: and to provide them with suitable private 
 schools is nearly as difficult, arising, in general, from 
 the smallness of their incomes. 
 
 "Although the individual, who, in an humble depend- 
 ance upon God, has taken upon himself the laborious 
 task of raising and establishing this temple of mercy, 
 and on whose exertions and zeal it must materially de- 
 pend, at least for some time, is a minister of that de- 
 nomination for whose advantage it is formed; yet he 
 feels great satisfaction in being able to say that Provi- 
 dence has placed him out of the reach of deriving any 
 advantage from it himself, either now or in future: he is 
 of course necessarily exonerated from even the suspi-
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 71 
 
 cion of having any interested motive in devoting him- 
 self to this needful and important service. 
 
 "In making this appeal to the liberality of Christians, 
 the writer thinks he may especially and most confidently 
 reckon upon the zealous co-operation, not only of the 
 ministers and officers of congregational societies, but he 
 also hopes that the rich and affluent among the laity in 
 general will show a prompt zeal, (as they have done 
 upon so many other occasions,) not merely by their own 
 individual subscriptions, but by endeavoring to influence 
 all within their neighborhood, to whom Providence has 
 afforded the means of doing good. What may be done 
 by strenuous exertion and persevering application, and 
 that in a short period of time, has been so abundantly 
 demonstrated to the writer, in the case of the Asylum 
 for the Deaf and Dumb, that he feels no hesitation in 
 perluading himself that ample and growing success will 
 attend this work also. JOHN TOWNSEND." 
 
 Jamaica Row, Bermondsey, 
 September 25, 1810. 
 
 A thousand copies of the above, were printed and 
 circulated in London and in the country. The result 
 of such circulation did not equal the wishes and expec- 
 tations of Mr. Townsend, whose sympathising nature 
 was distressed by the receipt of letters from numerous 
 and respectable men, suffering under the chill grasp of 
 poverty, whilst, from the affluent, he received little en- 
 couragement of success. To urge on the rich and 
 wealthy, the necessity of the projected Institution, he 
 published some of these letters* with one he had re- 
 ceived from a minister, who was anxious to contribute 
 his mite, though his congregation and income were 
 small. 
 
 * One minister stated his income to be 501. per annum, and the number 
 of his children 5: another, with the same sum, had to bring up and edu- 
 cate 8 children, 6 of whom were sons: a third individual wrote, that he 
 had 6 children under 1 1 years of age!
 
 72 MEMOIR OF 
 
 TO THE REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 
 
 "Dear Sir, So cordially do I approve of the benevolent object which 
 occupies your time and your thoughts to a very great extent, that with 
 my whole heart, I wish you success; and I will, from this day, pray that 
 the hand of God may be upon you; and that he may prosper, beyond 
 the largest desire of your enlarged mind, this pious and laudable under- 
 taking. That I may not seem like those who say to a destitute brother 
 Be ye warmed and Jilted, without supplying his necessities, I have en- 
 closed a one pound note, which may perhaps, purchase one stone. Could 
 I send you enough to purchase one hundred, I am sure it should be done 
 as cheerfully. 
 
 I am, Dear Sir, Yours, very respectfully." 
 
 Tn the Evangelical Magazine of February, 1811, Mr. 
 Townsend gave notice of his intention to call a general 
 meeting of those persons who had given him their names 
 as friends to this new object, from whom he hoped a 
 committee might be formed, and such laws and regula- 
 tions proposed, as should be likely to promote the good 
 government and permanent prosperity of the Institution. 
 On the 18th of April this general meeting was held, 
 when it was not found practicable to unite the two 
 objects, as contemplated by Mr. Townsend. The 
 Asylum for Aged Ministers was for the present laid 
 aside, and it was proposed, that children belonging to 
 other denominations should be received; this was also 
 negatived, as being too extended and indefinite. 
 
 Various resolutions were discussed and modified; 
 the final result of which was, a decision to elect six 
 children, and place them for tuition with a respectable 
 minister, till funds should be secured for a more effi- 
 cient plan. 
 
 Our friend, seeing the machine put into motion, 
 placed his shoulder to the wheel, to accelerate the 
 movement; which, alas! was slow and heavy. He trav- 
 elled and preached, soliciting others to like exer- 
 tions. Many ministers kindly assisted him, and the fol- 
 lowing letter, similar to several received at this period, 
 will attest the feelings excited.
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 73 
 
 TO THE REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 
 
 -, Nov. 7,1811. 
 
 "My dear Sir, I lose no time in replying to a letter, which, by this 
 day's post, I have received from you, on the subject of the Congrega- 
 tional School. 
 
 The institution has my most cordial wishes for its increasing support 
 and prosperity. Through the overflowing goodness of God, I am placed 
 in circumstances which render me happily independent of the benefits of 
 this most laudable Institution; but shall I, on this account, have no feeling 
 of compassion towards those for whom such advantages are so desirable? 
 God forbid! Ever since I first heard of your plan, I have watched its 
 progress with considerable interest, and have felt much painful apprehen- 
 sion, lest, in an age when such frequent appeals are made to the benevo- 
 lence of the public, it should not receive adequate support. I will, there- 
 fore, at some period not very distant, call the attention of my congrega- 
 tion to this subject. Wishing you increasing success, 
 
 'I remain, Dear Sir, 
 
 'Yours, respectfully." 
 
 In 1815, the number of children under private tuition 
 amounting to twenty, the committee thought it advisable 
 to procure a house, and provide a master, who would 
 be gander their own immediate superintendence and 
 control. A house was therefore purchased at Lewis- 
 ham, capable of containing fifty or sixty boys, and 
 many exertions were made by the committee to meet 
 the increased expenditure. To aid the funds, Mr. 
 Townsend took a journey into Yorkshire, and appears 
 to have been tolerably successful; but several remarks 
 in his diary prove that the slow progress of this Institu- 
 tion, and the trifling support it received, much grieved 
 and distressed him. In January, 1818, he thus writes 
 "To day walked from Tottenham Court to the Poul- 
 try, to meet the committee of the Congregational School. 
 How discouraging is the state of things in this Institu- 
 tion; there is not money enough to pay the quarter's 
 bills, and there are no collections or donations in pros- 
 pect. This second child of mine will never reach the 
 healthy state of the first; yet, that was nursed by the 
 world, this by the Church." 
 
 Amidst increasing infirmities, Mr. Townsend did not 
 
 relax his exertions. This Institution lay very near his 
 
 heart, and to the termination of life it was a principal 
 
 object of interest. He writes in April 3, 1822 "Went 
 
 *7
 
 74 MEMOIR OF 
 
 to meet the committee of the Congregational School: I 
 tremble for the fate of this Institution; not any money 
 in hand sixty pounds due to the master. I am almost 
 ready to say, the strength of the bearer of burdens fail- 
 eth. But is not the earth the Lord's, and the fulness 
 thereof? Does He not say that the gold and the silver 
 are His, and that all hearts are in His hand? Enough, 
 then: I will, in the strength of the Lord, go forward; 
 try to procure collections and subscriptions; and influ- 
 ence richer Christians, if possible, to similar exertions." 
 With delight he hailed a brighter day, in the reports 
 of 1824 and 1825. From the former, we give the 
 following quotation: "Some of the boys have exhibited 
 pleasing appearances of piety, by associating daily for 
 the purposes of reading the Scriptures and other relig- 
 ious books. In reference to some of them, I have 
 reason to hope that those holy principles are taking firm 
 hold of their minds, which will, ere long, result in holy 
 conduct, that those seeds of a holy and devoted life 
 are taking deep root in their hearts, which, watered by 
 the genial dews of heaven, will ultimately yield plentiful 
 and refreshing fruits. When I reflect, that it has been 
 the subject of our daily prayers, in the domestic and 
 family circle, that God would pour out upon these 
 youths the spirit of grace and supplication of wisdom 
 and the fear of God, I am encouraged to regard these 
 indications of piety as a token for good." And such 
 they have proved. Five of the youths educated in the 
 school have entered the ministry, and one, who had 
 commenced his studies for the same honorable work, 
 has met, in a better world, his benefactor in this. Some 
 of the youths are settled as medical practitioners; and 
 most of them are entering life with mental acquire- 
 ments, that will ffit them for a rank in society which 
 their descent will not degrade.
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 75 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 PUBLICATION OF CLAUDE'S DEFENCE, &C. 
 
 IN the year 1813, Mr. Townsend made a tour for the 
 Hibernian Society, to which he had belonged from its 
 commencement in 1806. Lutterworth being in his 
 route, he visited, with true Protestant feelings, the church 
 where the good old Reformer, Wickliffe, had preached, 
 and the little brook, into which his ashes had been 
 thrown after his exhumation and subsequent burning by 
 his enemies. How much was England indebted to this 
 translator of the Holy Scriptures, which, as Mr. Towns- 
 end writes, "are to the moral world what the sun is to 
 the natural world he who would extinguish or obstruct 
 thetiight of either, must be considered as the enemy of 
 man." It occasioned inexpressible mortification to a 
 bigoted priesthood, that Wickliffe and other learned 
 and holy men, who loved light rather than darkness, 
 should give the inspired volume to the people in the 
 vernacular tongue. The great body of Reformers on 
 the continent imitated their pious example. Alas! how 
 soon did the zeal of Protestant churches cool: occupied 
 in local controversies and divisions, the general inter- 
 ests of religion declined; the reading of the Bible was 
 dreadfully neglected, and ministers and churches sunk 
 into a cold and lifeless state. But indolence and apa- 
 thy have passed away times of refreshing and revival 
 have come from the presence of the Lord the Bible 
 is making a rapid progress through the world, whilst 
 the feeble opposition of its foes seems to increase the 
 steadiness and the velocity of its movements. 
 
 In 1815, Mr. Townsend published a new edition of 
 Claude's celebrated defence of the Reformation. He 
 had long viewed with a suspicious eye the increase Ro- 
 manism had made, not only in the mother country, but 
 in her colonies. He deprecated the rising order of the
 
 76 MEMOIR OF 
 
 Jesuits, and, with prophetic vision, deplored the indif- 
 ference manifested by Protestant statesmen and Protes- 
 tant ministers. He knew, and knew with regret, that 
 English Protestants had much admired a recent popu- 
 lar Roman Catholic writer, who had speciously attacked 
 Claude, and defended Bossuet; that Monsieur Gregoire 
 had just published a work, in which he had charged the 
 Reformation with having produced socinianism and de- 
 ism. The Ex-Bishop of Blois there denied that the 
 Roman Catholic clergy had sanctioned the massacres 
 of St. Bartholomew.* A spirit of proselytism was 
 rapidly spreading on the one hand, and a spirit of relig- 
 ious indifference was gaining ground on the other. Mr. 
 Townsend did not believe the character of the church 
 of Rome changed; he saw, in the nineteenth cen- 
 tury, not merely the same idolatry, but the same cruelty, 
 as in the dark ages. Historians, poets, statesmen, wrote 
 and reasoned as if Romanism had laid aside all its char- 
 acteristic features, and was becoming mild and gentle 
 inquiring and forbearing. A tolerant Pope and his 
 enlightened minister, led many an unsuspecting Protest- 
 ant to believe that the Vatican would never again ful- 
 minate Bulls against Bible Societies and Lancasterian 
 schools. Our friend thought differently he predicted 
 that the Jesuits would again become formidable; that a 
 spirit would again arise in Catholic countries that would 
 aim at the suppression of all most dear to Protestant 
 Christians. Thirteen years have elapsed since the re- 
 publication of Claude, and, during that time, such rapid 
 strides have been made by the Jesuits to recover their 
 former influence and power, that they are filling almost 
 all the professors' chairs in France, and will probably 
 soon gain the entire education of youth. Convents 
 have increased, and now amount to an incredible num- 
 
 * Singular affirmation! when history has recorded that the Pope, with 
 his Cardinals, on receiving the news of the massacre, went to church, 
 where the}' offered thanks that so great a blessing had been conferred on 
 the see of Rome and the Christian world.
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 77 
 
 her. Another Pope has arisen, who has denounced the 
 Bible as a book to be read only by the learned Lan- 
 casterian schools have been suppressed, and all works 
 prohibited that can enlighten the human mind, or teach 
 the way of salvation purely and spiritually. With such 
 sentiments, and under such impressions, Mr. Townsend 
 published Claude, and in a sketch of his life, made some 
 spirited observations on the influence of Popery. 
 
 From the dedication, which was to his royal highness 
 the duke of Gloucester, we quote the following passage. 
 "Our present blessings, under the favor of divine Prov- 
 idence, have been procured through the medium of long- 
 continued sufferings, and strenuous and persevering 
 conflicts with religious intolerance and political despot- 
 ism. The recollection of these endears them to every 
 bosom truly British. I am satisfied that it will not be 
 forgotten by your royal highness, or by the other princes 
 of your family, that as the Reformation itself, and the 
 zeal of the English Protestants in its defence, led ulti- 
 mately to the Hanoverian succession, so it is the gen- 
 uine, the unbending, and the steady principles of our 
 Protestant communities, and their unshaken attachment 
 to the Reformation, which still form the most natural, 
 the most invulnerable, and the only legitimate rampart 
 round the throne, the constitution, the Bibles, and the 
 altars of our beloved country." 
 
 We hope our readers will not find the following pas- 
 sages from the life of Claude dull and uninteresting. 
 They embody so many of Mr. Townsend's sentiments 
 on Romanism, that we should not be faithful biogra- 
 phers, were we not to allow his firm attachment to the 
 Protestant faith to be a prominent part of this memoir. 
 "Men of education and taste have their partialities 
 with respect to articles of biography. Some are only 
 captivated with accounts of the warrior and the hero, 
 and are never tired with gazing at the exploits, and 
 tracing the triumphant progress, of those who have trav- 
 ersed the martial field. Others are gratified by viewing
 
 78 MEMOIR OF 
 
 the characters, and inspecting the labors, of men of sci- 
 ence, who, by lessons of useful instruction, have diffused 
 knowledge promoted industrious and social habits 
 extended civilization and domestic happiness and pro- 
 cured to themselves the honorable title of the benefac- 
 tors of mankind. A third class read, with equal ad- 
 miration, the lives of celebrated politicians, the thunder 
 of whose eloquence has astonished and electrified 
 crowded and applauding senates, while the wisdom 
 and energy of their measures have immortalized them 
 as the saviors of their country. 
 
 "Entertaining and interesting as these several species 
 of biography may be to readers in general, one class 
 still remains to be mentioned, which, in the estimation 
 of an enlightened and zealous Christian, excels them 
 all. He delights to pore over the pages on which are 
 drawn the intellectual and moral portraits of those wise, 
 disinterested, and holy men, who, duly appreciating the 
 value of civil and religious liberty, whilst surrounded 
 on every side by darkness, superstition, and intolerance, 
 have discovered an ardent attachment to Protestant 
 principles, openly and successfully pleading for them; 
 and also cheerfully and patiently enduring a great fight 
 of affliction on their behalf. These truly honorable 
 men might say to us, Other men have labored, and ye 
 have entered into their labors. To those who venerate 
 such characters, and who justly estimate their worth, 
 the editor of this new edition of Claude's Defence of 
 the Reformation, encourages a hope that this sketch of 
 the life of its author will yield satisfaction and instruc- 
 tion. 
 
 "The intolerant spirit and the cruel persecutions of 
 the Romish church, have, for many ages filled the world 
 with lamentation and horror. The history of almost 
 every age and every country is stained and disfigured 
 with the black and hideous catalogue of her infamous 
 crimes. The bigoted and interested advocates of her 
 communion, and the vindictive ministers of her unright-
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 79 
 
 eous vengeance, have impoverished, imprisoned, and 
 murdered thousands, even of their own countrymen, to 
 force the remainder to bow down to the idol of their 
 prejudice, and pronounce that unscriptural and barbar- 
 ous shibboleth, which they have impiously set up as the 
 only passport to life eternal. Some may think I speak 
 too strongly; let then their own language, and their own 
 actions, decide what kind of spirit the enemies of the 
 Reformation exhibited in the ages which preceded 
 Claude; his own life and experience will show what 
 it was in his time. 
 
 "The Christian minister, whose mind is embued with 
 the love of God and the love of his neighbor, will at all 
 times fill his post, and discharge the duties of his sta- 
 tion, with fidelity and firmness, and, by his well-timed 
 instructions and powerful example, diffuse moral and 
 spiritual blessings all around him. His character, how- 
 ever, is most advantageously developed, and his value 
 best ascertained, when the church is surrounded with 
 dark clouds; when the pitiless storm rages with fury; 
 when all is danger, confusion, and distress then he 
 rises out of obscurity, places himself in the foremost 
 point of difficulty and danger, and, by his counsel and 
 energy, encourages the hearts, and strengthens the 
 hands, of the true friends of religion; while, at the same 
 time, he confounds the most artful, and appals the most 
 confident and furious of his enemies. Such a man 
 was John Claude, the subject of this memoir. 
 
 "In any period of the Church, such a champion 
 must have held an honorable station, and have obtained 
 the unanimous and grateful suffrages of his fellow 
 Christians, for his acceptable and useful labors in be- 
 half of our common Christianity. But it pleased the 
 great Head of the Church, that he should exist at such 
 a time, and be placed in such a sphere of action, as 
 should render his character, his talents, his influence, 
 and his zeal, not only more conspicuous, but abundantly 
 more subservient to the great interests of the Protestant
 
 80 MEMOIR OF 
 
 cause, than they could possibly have been in any other 
 age, in any other place, or under any other circum- 
 stances. 
 
 "The true ground of Claude's eminence as a minis- 
 ter among the Protestants was this: he discharged the 
 duties of his office, in a manner, and with a spirit, 
 which made it evident that he was not a time-serving 
 teacher not one that sought his own honor or interest, 
 but a genuine pastor, who felt his own responsibility to 
 Jesus Christ, and studied those impressive charges given 
 to pastors and teachers in the 3d and 33d chapters of 
 Ezekiel's Prophecies by Jesus Christ to his disciples, 
 Matt. 10 and by the great apostle of the Gentiles to 
 Timothy and Titus; he made full proof of 'his ministry, 
 he labored in season and out of season, he discharged 
 most punctually the duties of a watchman on the walls 
 of our Protestant Zion. As a spiritual shepherd, he 
 watched well over the flock, nor did he suffer any rav- 
 ening wolves, although habited in sheeps clothing, either 
 to enter the fold or to hover round its precincts, with- 
 out giving the alarm. In his hand the trumpet of the 
 Gospel gave a loud and a certain sound: and he might 
 justly have applied to himself that appropriate declara- 
 tion of the Apostle Paul, in which, characterising his 
 own ministry, he said, I am set for the defence of the 
 Gospel. Indeed, in many things, Claude resembled 
 that great servant of Jesus Christ; especially in his reso- 
 lute and persevering opposition to superstition and idola- 
 try, and in the persecutions and reproaches which he 
 had to endure from bigoted and intolerant priests." 
 
 While Claude was pastor and teacher at Nismes, he 
 was chosen Moderator of the Synod of Lower Lang- 
 uedoc. This was a moment when the post of honor 
 was that of danger, and to susain both, requires a man of 
 superior and varied powers. Speaking of this appoint- 
 ment, Mr. Townsend says "His comprehensive knowl- 
 edge and experience, his discernment and penetration, 
 his remarkable equanimity of temper, together with the
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 81 
 
 watchfulness and jealousy which he uniformly exercis- 
 ed over the safety and prosperity of the Protestant 
 Churches, admirably fitted him for this honorable and 
 arduous post. His presence, influence, and counsel, 
 animated the zeal and confidence of, and became the 
 bond of union and strength to, the pastors and churches 
 of this district, and evidently tended to increase their 
 numbers as well as their prosperity. Their enemies 
 were not idle spectators of what was passing; they saw 
 the wisdom and the energy of the measures pursued, 
 and naturally reasoned with themselves, that if the 
 Protestants were not counteracted either by measures 
 of policy or open force, their cause would gain ground, 
 their principles spread, if they did not finally triumph. 
 With their usual ability, therefore, they plotted against 
 ihem in the dark, and too successfully, in many cases, 
 carried their point. 
 
 "In the progress of the Reformation, there were 
 some moments when the most determined enemies of 
 Claude and of the Protestants, either felt, or at least 
 affected to feel, great concern at the mischiefs which 
 resulted from the divided and hostile state of the two 
 great bodies of professing Christians. While they 
 blamed the Protestants for their tenacious and obstinate 
 adherence to their separation, they yet professed to 
 commiserate with them in the hardships and sufferings 
 in which it involved them; and affecting to rise above 
 the intolerant spirit of their own religion, they intimated 
 a desire that this state of calamitous warfare might be 
 altogether removed, that harmony and good-will might 
 be restored, and that Protestants and Catholics, again 
 becoming one great community, might direct their 
 mutual operations to the welfare of their common coun- 
 try. If those who breathed this gentle spirit, and ut- 
 tered such soft and alluring sentiments, were indeed 
 the sincere and well-meaning persons they appeared 
 to be, yet they were altogether inattentive to the nature 
 of the question. They either did not, or they would 
 8
 
 82 MEMOIR OF 
 
 not, see that the evil, and all the complicated mischiefs 
 which it produced, were not to be attributed either to 
 the opinions, or to the obstinacy of the Reformed, but 
 to the spirit and the persecuting measures of the ruling 
 party. The only legitimate and effectual measure 
 which could reach the extremity of the case, was to 
 grant full liberty of conscience in matters of religion; 
 but, unfortunately for the Church and the world, this is 
 a measure to which the whole genius of Popery has 
 ever been opposed, and to which the sovereign Pontiff 
 and his coadjutors never will submit, while they pos- 
 sess power to prevent it. That this is the easiest and 
 the most advantageous method of suppressing discord 
 and civil war, and uniting persons of discordant opin- 
 ions in one great national compact, has been clearly 
 proved in argument, and demonstrated by experience. 
 The governments which act upon this broad and heal- 
 ing principle, adopt the soundest policy, secure a prompt, 
 a universal, and a permanent attachment to themselves, 
 a cordial obedience to magistrates and to the laws, and 
 diffuse peace and satisfaction through the whole coun- 
 try.* 
 
 "Instead of recommending and adopting this easy 
 and expeditious mode of adjusting the great question, 
 either in France or any other country, where the spirit 
 of popery predominated, powerful princes and learned 
 prelates busied and amused themselves with schemes of 
 comprehension and union: they did not perceive that 
 the thing was impracticable, unless the heads of the 
 Romish communion were prepared to give up those un- 
 scriptural and odious things which constituted the basis 
 of the separation which the Reformed had already made, 
 
 * The tendency and beneficial influence of this principle were strenu- 
 ously contended for by the Chancellor FHopital, and, to a certain degree, 
 acted upon in his time. If the opinions of this gfreat man had been list- 
 ened to, and his conciliatory principles uniformly acted upon and estab- 
 lished, the honor and the streng-th of France had not been so shamefully 
 sported with, and diminished, by the persecutions which spread confis- 
 cation, banishment, and murder, from one extremity of the kingdom to 
 another.
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 83 
 
 and of the propriety and justice of which they were 
 so deeply convinced, that the most alluring promises 
 would not seduce, nor the most cruel persecutions drive, 
 them from their adherence to it. Their opposers did not 
 understand the true ground of action among Protest- 
 ants. ' Had it been humor, or ease and interest, or mere 
 matter of opinion, they might have yielded to a com- 
 promise: but they were impelled by what is far beyond 
 all these. They were governed by the power of con- 
 science the light had broken in upon them they saw 
 by the aid of the Scriptures, that they had wandered 
 from the narrow way which leadeth to life; they had no 
 alternative they were obliged to separate; they were 
 unable any longer to endure the superstition, the impu- 
 rity, and the idolatry, of the church of Rome. All 
 hope of reform, from either Popes or councils, had 
 vanished; and those who searched the Scriptures, heard 
 them directly say, Come out of her, my people, that ye 
 partake not of her sins. They believed that the salva- 
 tion of their souls depended on their obedience; and, 
 of course, that their worldly interest, their social com- 
 forts, yea, even life itself, ought to be sacrificed rather 
 than renounce their allegiance to God. Against such 
 views and such impressions of mind it was in vain to 
 argue; and it was equally futile to attempt their subver- 
 sion, by artifice, or their subjugation, by force." 
 
 From its avowed and insidious enemies, the reformed 
 Faith in France had little repose, and its faithful pastors 
 were the peculiar objects of hatred. The eminent 
 Claude, driven from Languedoc to Montauban, and 
 from Montauban to Paris, was the head of this perse- 
 cuted church. Equally qualified for this new scene 
 of difficulty, the pastor, tutor, and moderator of the 
 provincial churches, displayed a cool firmness, and an 
 unwavering rectitude, which stamped him as one able 
 to brave the storm in its utmost fury. Referring to this 
 removal to Charenton, Mr. Townsend thus writes: "We
 
 84 MEMOIR OF 
 
 here see the wisdom and power of that overruling Prov- 
 idence, which takes under its protection the interests 
 and prosperity of the church. The very things which 
 its persecutors did to undermine its prosperity, turned 
 out contrary to their expectations, and finally strength- 
 ened and extended the cause which they were intended 
 to destroy. It was so in the first age of the Christian 
 Church: / would that ye should understand, brethren, 
 says the apostle Paul, that the things which happened 
 to me have fallen out rather for the furtherance of the 
 Gospel. The light of the mid-day is not more offen- 
 sive and intolerable to the owl, than the luminous and 
 powerful preaching of the pure gospel was, to the ignor- 
 ant and vicious part of the Roman Catholic hierarchy 
 at Paris. The nearer such a man as Claude approach- 
 ed to them, the greater their enmity to the Reforma- 
 tion; and they consequently became more impatient of 
 delaying their grand effort for the extirpation of this 
 supposed heresy. The slow and uncertain process of 
 reasoning it down by fair argument, through the medium 
 of the pulpit and the press, they were fully satisfied 
 would be an unavailing attempt; it had been tried with 
 every advantage on their side, and had not succeeded. 
 They therefore determined to adopt measures more 
 expeditious in their progress, and far more efficacious 
 in their result, and which naturally harmonize more 
 with the spirit of popery, and the well-known character 
 of the court of Rome. Nor is it too much to say, that 
 these are the only measures by which popery will ever 
 triumph over the sound and scriptural arguments by 
 which Protestantism is upheld and extended. Allow 
 the population of Catholic countries the privilege of rea- 
 sonable creatures let them think and examine for 
 themselves let them search the Scriptures, as Christ 
 commanded, and the effect will be similar to that which 
 was produced upon the minds of the Bereans, who are 
 commended for not giving credit even to the apostle's 
 testimony, till they had searched the Scriptures, to see
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 85 
 
 if these things were so. The effect would be what it 
 has been in England, Scotland, and other countries, 
 where the darkness and superstitions of popery once 
 reigned as triumphant as in most other Catholic coun- 
 tries." 
 
 Mr. Eustace, in his Classical Tour, speaking of the 
 religious wars in France, introduces some remarks on 
 the celebrated conference between Claude and Bos- 
 suet: these are given, that Mr. Townsend's opinion may 
 be perfectly understood. 
 
 "During more than a century, war and controversy 
 raged with equal fury; and whatever the opinion of the 
 reader may be upon the subject in debate, he will pro- 
 bably agree with me, that Calvinism, defeated alike in 
 the field of battle and in the nobler contest of argu- 
 ment, was compelled to resign the double palm of vic- 
 tory to the genius of her adversary. Jn the course of 
 the 1 debate, and particularly towards its close, great tal- 
 ents appeared, and much ingenuity and learning were 
 displayed on both sides, till the respective parties seem- 
 ed to unite all their powers in the persons of two cham- 
 pions, Claude and Bossuet. Though nature had been 
 liberal in intellectual endowments to both the disputants, 
 and though all the means of art had been employed to 
 improve the gifts of nature, yet the contest was by no 
 means equal between them; and afte^Jiaving been 
 worsted in every onset, the elder at lene^Psunk under 
 the superiority of the prelate. But if the victim can 
 derive any credit from the hand that fells it, Claude 
 and Calvinism may boast that the illustrious Bossuet 
 was alone capable, and alone worthy, to give the fatal 
 blow that put an end at once to the glory, and almost to 
 the existence of the party in France." 
 
 "The first part of the above passage," observes Mr. 
 Townsend, "respects the subjugation of the Protest- 
 ants in the field of battle they were certainly some- 
 times unfortunate, but never from the want either of 
 zeal or courage. The defeats were, in many cases, the 
 *8
 
 86 MEMOIR or 
 
 result of intrigue and treachery on the part of either 
 the faithless ones among themselves, or of those arts of 
 dissimulation which their enemies had the power of ap- 
 plying, and did so most successfully in some cases. 
 There are always some in such a cause, who are vul- 
 nerable, and who may be bought off, if a price suffi- 
 ciently high can be offered: an appeal, sometimes to the 
 covetous and mercenary, and at other times to the proud 
 and ambitious, feelings of man, has wrought greater 
 advantages than either the bravery, the skill, or the 
 numbers of the best disciplined troops. The prodigies 
 of valor manifested at Rochelle and many other places, 
 afford ample testimony to the zeal and courage which 
 the French Protestants displayed in defence of their 
 civil and religious liberties; and if they had not been in 
 many instances abandoned and betrayed by their pro- 
 fessed friends, their armies would have succeeded as 
 well in the martial field, as their writers did, in that of 
 polemic warfare. 
 
 "What reasonable man, unacquainted with the history 
 of the Protestant ministers and churches in France, 
 would not be induced to conclude from this wily state- 
 ment, from this exulting language, that the Catholic and 
 Protestant ministers had been allowed an open and un- 
 restrained discussion of the great questions in dispute 
 between then^ and that the former had vanquished the 
 latter in the^Tr field of argument that they had given 
 up the contest retired in disgrace; and that, as a nat- 
 ural consequence, the general cause of the Reformed 
 had been deeply wounded, and gradually sunk into 
 decay and oblivion, from which the talents and zeal ot 
 their ministers were utterly incapable of recovering it. 
 
 "Instead of this being the case, Claude and the pha- 
 lanx of enlightened and honest men who shared the 
 labors and the dangers of thie eventful period, remained 
 on the field of battle not only unsubdued but undis- 
 mayed, and were fully prepared to renew the conflict 
 with invigorated courage and ardor, and with the fair-
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 87 
 
 est prospect of success, if their enemies had not resort- 
 ed, in the most dishonorable manner, to agents and 
 means which always have been, and ever will be, a dis- 
 grace to the cause in which they are employed. Claude 
 and his companions were subdued subdued did I say? 
 No! they were not; they never would have been sub- 
 dued in the field of controversial warfare, if their ene- 
 mies had continued to use lawful weapons, and had al- 
 lowed them common justice; but the free use of the 
 press was denied them: I might therefore rather say, 
 that their hands were first tied by their oppressors, and 
 they were then driven, in the most forcible manner, 
 from the field of battle, by the strong and irresistible 
 arm of intolerance and despotism. 
 
 "While the Protestant ministers were allowed to 
 write and preach freely, while their colleges were kept 
 open, and their churches possessed the entire freedom 
 of Veligious worship, their whole body was full of cour- 
 age and zeal; they prospered, and would have done so 
 more and more; but, Behold the tears of such as were 
 oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side 
 of their oppressors there was power. The king, the 
 nobles, the whole hierarchy were against them, and 
 never ceased to oppress and injure them by every pos- 
 sible means murdering some, banishing others, and 
 either imprisoning the remainder, or compelling them 
 to abjure their religion, do violence to their conscien- 
 ces, and act hypocritically before God and men." 
 
 Claude belongs to the Protestant church, whether of 
 France or of England we will not therefore give even 
 a summary of his life, whose every action must be well 
 known, and whose zeal, courage, and disinterestedness 
 have made him a bright example to after ages. The 
 storm which had been long gathering, burst upon the 
 Reformed Church in 1685. The pastors were ex- 
 pelled, and Claude allowed only twenty-fours to leave 
 a kingdom, where he had suffered injuries and made 
 sacrifices, that none but a persecuting church would
 
 88 MEMOIR OF 
 
 have exacted. With Mr. Townsend's remarks on the 
 revocation of the edict of Nantz, and its general results, 
 we shall conclude. 
 
 "The commercial and manufacturing interests of 
 France were dreadfully injured, civil and ecclesiastical 
 tyranny were consolidated, and the whole population 
 sunk most completely into ignorance and contempt of 
 pure and undefiled religion. The priests, the nobles, 
 and the court, became more superstitious and profane; 
 and the whole train of effects moved on from year to 
 year, though gradually, yet effectually, preparing the 
 soil for scepticism and revolution for that revolution, 
 which in a most tremendous manner swept away the 
 lofty throne of one of the most despotic governments 
 upon earth. With the throne went the splendid altars, 
 the sacred and costly relics, and nearly the whole priest- 
 hood of one of the most wealthy, intolerant, and pow- 
 erful churches in Europe. Nay, the sovereign pontiff 
 himself was driven from his throne, his person carried 
 into captivity, and there constrained to crown the ambi- 
 tious rival of the Bourbons. 
 
 "What luminous, what admonitory lessons have all 
 these events read in the ears of the surviving advocates 
 of intolerance; but with what little effect, let the recent 
 occurrences in Spain and in Rome say. The Inquisitors 
 and the Jesuits (worthy coadjutors) are revived, and 
 their iniquitous operations have commenced, and not one 
 Protestant government has entered a protest; nay, the 
 measure of reviving the order of Jesuits has been defend- 
 ed and eulogized in some of our Protestant newspapers. 
 Ought not the enlightened and liberal-minded part of 
 the Romish church, who are so loud and so strenuous 
 in their commendation of candor and tolerance, to la- 
 ment over and condemn the measures which the pontiff 
 and his colleagues are reviving? Ought they not earn- 
 estly to appeal to him for that reformation which has 
 been so long demanded, and of which their own con- 
 cessions admit the necessity? Should they not solicit
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 89 
 
 from him the same toleration and indulgence for their 
 Protestant brethren in Catholic countries, which they, 
 as Catholics, so abundantly enjoy in Protestant ones? 
 Should they not condemn, in the most direct and glow- 
 ing terms, that prejudice, that bigotry, and that intoler- 
 ance, which is still displayed in Spain, in Italy, in Por- 
 tugal, and even in some parts of France? If they, 
 however, will not expose or condemn the evil princi- 
 ples and the bad conduct of their own community, let 
 them at least tolerate the well-meant efforts of Protest- 
 ants to defend their own cause, and to prevent the res- 
 toration of principles and practices, which in past ages 
 entailed upon the country such widely-extended and 
 long-continued disasters. 
 
 "Distressing and mysterious as were the dispensa- 
 tions of Providence towards the Protestant churches of 
 France, by the dispersion of such a numerous and val- 
 uable body of ministers, together with the thousands of 
 pious and industrious private Christians, yet it was mer- 
 cifully over-ruled for good to others. England, Hol- 
 land, and the Protestant parts of Switzerland and Ger- 
 many, into which the persecuted and afflicted refugees 
 entered, received a deep conviction of the injustice, 
 cruelty, and despotism, which had combined to produce 
 such a train of mischiefs to the Protestants themselves, 
 and to the country from which they had been so wan- 
 tonly and so infamously driven. When these Protest- 
 ant states saw that the deeds perpetrated in France were 
 commended and exulted in by the Pope, the cardinals, 
 and other men high in the confidence of the Romish 
 church, as services truly meritorious in themselves, and 
 highly acceptable to God when they saw such men 
 as Bossuet, Fenelon, and Fletchier, (who in all the com- 
 mon walks of human life were estimated as enlightened 
 and humane men,) either conniving at, or having no 
 influence to prevent or diminish, those impolitic, those 
 frantic, those murderous measures of the civil, ecclesi- 
 astical, and military despotism, which stalked through
 
 90 MEMOIR OF 
 
 the land, eclipsing its true glory, and diminishing its 
 physical and moral strength when they saw that popish 
 rulers did not scruple to extend the population, increase 
 the trade, and greatly promote the wealth and political 
 strength of rival nations, provided they could annihilate 
 Protestantism and toleration at home when, I say, the 
 Protestants saw these things, their hatred to popery was 
 strengthened, their union and attachment to each other 
 became more close, as a means of common safety. It 
 also induced them to discountenance every political 
 measure, and every class of men, from whence it was 
 likely the interests of the church of Rome would derive 
 the slightest advantage. England and Holland, espec- 
 ially, became more united, and more jealous for the 
 safety of their Protestant communities; and the glorious 
 Revolution was hastened, matured, and consolidated, 
 by the serious impressions which the ruin of the Pro- 
 testants in France had produced. 
 
 "It is likely I may be censured by some, for the re- 
 marks I have made on the spirit of popery. They 
 may think it is the result of an indiscreet zeal for the 
 Protestant cause that I have not given due attention 
 to the nature of the times, or carefully watched the 
 spirit and language of modern Roman Catholics, who 
 are much more enlightened than their forefathers, and 
 have also discovered much more mildness and liberality 
 in their writings; and that this indicates a new and in- 
 teresting era in the opinions and feelings of the Catholic 
 body. I wish the reader to know, that it is not the re- 
 sult of ignorance, or inattention to these points, which has 
 led me to speak as I have, but that it is the knowledge of 
 facts which has impelled me to pursue the course I have 
 taken. I have watched the spirit and language of the 
 moderate, candid, and liberal part of the Catholic body 
 with the greatest satisfaction; and I hope that this spirit 
 and temper will widely spread, and powerfully operate 
 to bring the two great bodies of Protestants and Catho- 
 lics closer together, at least as to mutual expressions of
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 91 
 
 good will, and to a co-operation in measures of general 
 utility. But I own my apprehension that this spirit is 
 very limited, and also that it is calculated to produce the 
 false notion that Popery itself is altered, that it is not so in- 
 imical to Protestanism as formerly, and that there is no 
 need for any caution or jealousy for the interests of the 
 latter. The impression on my mind is different; and 
 therefore I have freely expressed it: but I hope I have 
 not discovered any illiberality of sentiment, or used any 
 expression incompatible with the mild and gentle spirit 
 of the religion of the meek and lowly Jesus. Where 
 I have spoken harshly, it is not against the persons, but 
 against the spirit of their religion, and the measures 
 which that spirit has produced. 
 
 "The modern advocates of Popery are, some of 
 them, of a very different stamp from the ancient ones, 
 whose mode of attack was so rude and coarse, so full 
 of wrath and destruction, that it carried its own remedy 
 with it. But the modern Catholics, at least in Eng- 
 land, are enlightened, cool, and reflecting men; they 
 preach up candor and charity at the moment in which 
 they are instilling the praises and principles of Popery 
 into publications, where we are so fascinated with the 
 talents of the writers, and the brilliancy of their style and 
 manner, that we forget, when reading of the majesty, 
 the purity, the amiableness, and the loveliness of relig- 
 ion, that it is not that described in the Holy Scriptures 
 in its own simplicity and beauty, or in our Protestant 
 churches, but that it is religion degraded and distorted 
 in the pompous ceremonies at Rome, and the gaudy 
 show which is exhibited when the Pontiff is perform- 
 ing high mass. If these friends to the 'religion of 
 Rome are thus active, and force their views of the 
 popish religion upon the Protestant eye by such various 
 and favorable mediums, surely one Protestant minister 
 will be forgiven for a well-meant endeavor to guard his 
 fellow Christians against the danger of deception, and 
 for endeavoring, though feebly, to show Popery as it
 
 92 MEMOIR OF 
 
 has always been, as it still is, and always will be, in its 
 own nature, a superstitious, an idolatrous, an intolerant, 
 and a cruel religion. I am no friend to persecution; I 
 would extend religious liberty and the rights of con- 
 science, in their fullest measure, to the Roman Catho- 
 lics. But I would also have Protestants steady and 
 zealous in their attachment to the Protestant cause; I 
 would have them strain every nerve in the use of legiti- 
 mate and honorable means to obstruct the increase of 
 Popery, and to prevent the Protestant population of the 
 United Kingdom from going back to that unscriptural 
 and odious religion. 
 
 "It is very evident that too many Protestants have 
 lost their abhorrence of popery; that Protestant gov- 
 ernments have not used any exertions to remove or to 
 restrain its unfounded and insolent claims, or to procure 
 toleration for Protestants in Catholic countries; that a 
 great number of Roman Catholic institutions have been 
 formed, and have been permitted to spread the doc- 
 trines and discipline of that church; that a great many 
 converts, children and grown persons, have been made 
 from the Protestant faith both in England and Ireland. 
 Let it also be remembered, that the Roman Catholics 
 of the old school have not utterly abandoned the hope 
 of Great Britain once more being brought under the 
 influence of a Catholic king, and of course to a con- 
 nection with Rome. A striking proof of this, is afforded 
 us by the conduct of* the late cardinal York, who, after 
 having for many years received a pension from his pres- 
 ent majesty, actually bequeathed his supposed right and 
 interest in the crown of Great Britain to a foreign Ro- 
 man Catholic prince. The Pope also claims a power 
 over all the Catholic subjects of even Protestant gov- 
 ernments, to which I cannot help thinking conscientious 
 English Roman Catholics are bound to submit; and, if 
 so, their religion is incompatible with their allegiance to 
 their sovereign.
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 93 
 
 "Although it has been admitted, that the language 
 and spirit of some of the modern advocates of popery 
 differ widely from what they have usually been, still I 
 cannot help repeating to myself the words of good old 
 Isaac, The voice is JacoVs voice, but the hands are the 
 hands of Esau. There is such a leaning toward the 
 light and liberality of Protestantism on the one side, 
 and yet such a cleaving to the darkness and tyranny of 
 popery on the other, that one is constrained to say, 
 Why halt ye between two opinions'? 
 
 "If the reader is inclined to think that too much se- 
 verity, and too much apprehension, have been discov- 
 ered in regard to popery, he must recollect, that the 
 Editor of this new edition of Claude's Defence, in trac- 
 ing out a sketch of the author's life, has been con- 
 strained to walk over the desolations of the Protestant 
 chinches of France, to behold the smoking ruins of 
 their colleges and churches, to hear the cry of their 
 widows and orphans, and witness the poverty and dis- 
 tress of those thousands of fugitives who fled from their 
 native homes into foreign lands; and that, after taking 
 a retrospect of these scenes, he has looked into futurity, 
 and calculated what would be the result, if that crown 
 which cardinal York has bequeathed to a Roman Cath- 
 olic prince, should ever be placed on such a head? It is 
 enough for my argument, that the thing is even possi- 
 ble. What, then, would be the result? It would issue 
 in the ruin of our Protestant colleges and academies, 
 the shutting up or demolition of our Christian tem- 
 ples, the proscription of our Bibles, in short, impris- 
 onment, banishment, and death, would again desolate 
 our land; nor would the change be less extensive, or 
 less tremendous, than that which befel the Jewish church 
 of old. Let Protestants look at, and ponder over, the 
 awful fact. In the days of her prosperity, David said, 
 Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the 
 towers thereof, mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her 
 palaces, that ye may tell it to the generations following: 
 9
 
 94 MEMOIR OF 
 
 such is the present glory and moral strength of our 
 British Zion. Pass to the contemplation of the same 
 church in the days of Jeremiah: Ml that pass by clap 
 their hands at thee; they hiss and wag their head at the 
 daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city that men 
 call 4he perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole earth 1 ? 
 All thine enemies have opened their mouths against 
 thee: they hiss and gnash the teeth: they say, We have 
 swallowed her up, certainly this is the day that we look- 
 ed for, we have found, we have seen it. Such would 
 be the desolation of our churches, and the exulting 
 language of our enemies, if ever the throne of Great 
 Britain should be re-occupied by a Roman Catholic 
 prince. Improbable as is this danger, and far as I 
 would fain hope it will ever be kept, yet we ought, as 
 Protestants, to watch against the smallest degree of evil; 
 and, in respect to our British Zion, we ought to indulge 
 the sentiments and language of holy writ, Peace be 
 within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces." 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 ESTABLISHMENT OF A FUND FOR THE RELIEF OF 
 AGED MINISTERS. 
 
 IN the early part of 1816, Mr. Townsend was deeply 
 afflicted by the loss of his youngest son, who died in 
 :he West Indies. The intelligence was conveyed to 
 him while on a committee for assisting the persecuted 
 Protestants in the south of France. The friend who 
 gave him the letter containing the melancholy news, 
 said, "More room for faith and patience." So touch- 
 ing are the remarks in Mr. T.'s journal, that we give 
 them as written at die period. 
 
 January 4, 1816. "This was a day of deep distress 
 to me, and mine; but I hope I felt as a Christian ought
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 95 
 
 iofcel, and spoke as a Christian ought to speak. I hast- 
 ened to my family to mingle my tears with theirs, and 
 weep over the loss of one whom we all loved and pitied. 
 Never until now could I so well understand the meaning, 
 of David's words, or so fully enter into his feelings, 
 when he exclaimed, O Absalom, my son, my son! I 
 have often thought that some texts resemble pictures; 
 if you would see them to advantage, you must stand in 
 one particular position: in that position I then stood, I 
 had lost an open-hearted, a generous, but an unfortun- 
 ate son." On this occasion, the bereaved parent de- 
 livered a sermon from the following text. And Aaron 
 held his peace. Lev. x. 3. 
 
 During this year, and that of 1817, Mr. Townsend 
 appears to have suffered much from delicate health: his 
 lungs were frequently menaced with attacks that were 
 always alarming often dangerous; but, of abatement 
 in exertion, there was none; early and late he was at- 
 tending committees, or preaching, and performing the 
 private duties of a pastor. 
 
 On the 1st of January, 1818, he says, "I have now 
 passed my sixtieth year, and feel many growing infirm- 
 ities, and see my contemporaries dropping, one after 
 another, into the grave. Each one, as he departs, seems 
 to say to me, Be ye also ready." 
 
 On the 13th of the same month, we find the follow- 
 ing entry. "Yesterday was the Deaf and Dumb elec- 
 tion; I was extremely unwell the whole day, and was 
 glad that the plan of taking the poll was so managed, 
 as to allow of my getting home early. My frame often 
 shakes, and will soon be dissolved. May I not only ob- 
 tain the house which is from above, but feel the joy and 
 bliss of that expectation, which the apostle so happily 
 experienced!" 
 
 In this year was commenced a fund for the relief of 
 Aged and Infirm Ministers. It had been with much 
 regret that Mr. Townsend had seen his efforts to pro- 
 vide an asylum for them fruitless. The Congregational
 
 96 MEMOIR OF 
 
 School was in a languishing state, and no hope remained 
 as to the establishment of the former. His appeal to 
 the public in 1811, had produced a bequest to Mr. T. 
 from a benevolent lady in Bristol of 500, which was 
 to be appropriated for the use of aged and decayed dis- 
 senting ministers. The interest of this sum, since that 
 period, had been distributed according to the wishes of 
 the testatrix.* But a more permanent provision for 
 this benevolent purpose was opened January 22, 1818, 
 by a meeting of the gentlemen of Mr. Coward's trust, 
 and Mr. T.; at which it was proposed to form a Soci- 
 ety for Aged Ministers belonging to the three denomin- 
 ations. The commencement of the funds was to be 
 1000, advanced by the above trustees, and the 500 
 bequeathed to Mr. T. in 1811. A resolution and an 
 address were prepared, but the ministers of the Inde- 
 pendent class generally disapproved of the union, not 
 choosing to connect themselves with the Unitarians. 
 Mr. Townsend wished the object to be carried into 
 effect, either conjointly, or separately: his preference 
 would have been for separation; but he did not think 
 that the union involved any compromise of religious 
 principle. How much his peaceful spirit dreaded un- 
 necessary discussion, is evident from the following 
 letter. 
 
 "Feb.'t, 1818. 
 
 "My dear Friend, I am sorry to say, the further we advance in our 
 endeavor to form a society for aged ministers, the more enlarged, the 
 more indefinite, and the more determinate, are the dislike and the oppo- 
 sition. 
 
 "I see no utility in going into the union, if the whole of our denomina- 
 tion hold hack; and it has even been intimated, that if the question be 
 carried, a public protest would be not only made, but published. Surely 
 then, strife, division, and heart-burnings, will be the result of persever- 
 ance. Would it not be best to prevent all these, by abandoning the ob- 
 ject, and proposing an adjournment? 
 
 'Yours, most sincerely, JOHN TOWNSEND." 
 
 On the 10th of February, the general meeting was 
 held, when the Rev. Mr. Taylor introduced the busi- 
 
 * Mr. Townsend had associated Dr. Collyer with himself, as joint trus- 
 tee for this 500/.
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 97 
 
 ness of the day, by proposing that a society should be 
 formed for the relief of aged and Infirm Ministers, who 
 had imperative claims upon them, and upon the whole 
 circle of Christians. It was his opinion, that funds 
 might be raised upon the basis of an union, which would 
 include the three denominations, as the claims of hu- 
 manity were not connected with a difference in religious 
 sentiments. 
 
 On the resolution having been read by the secretary, 
 Mr. Townsend offered himself to the notice of the chair, 
 and proposed an immediate adjournment; but it was 
 impossible to prevent discussion, *nd orthodoxy and 
 heterodoxy, heresy and schism, were terms frequently 
 introduced. After a debate of some length, Mr. Taylor 
 withdrew his motion, and the question was disposed of 
 for that time. 
 
 In the June following, this society was formed on the 
 plan of union Mr. Taylor advancing the 1000, from 
 Mr. Coward's trustees, and Mr. Townsend the 500, 
 which had been left to his optional disposal amongst 
 poor ministers. 
 
 The year 1819 was stamped with the same charac- 
 teristic features as the preceding. Much exertion 
 much suffering. Every duty, whether that of a phi- 
 lanthropist or pastor, was fulfilled with the energy of 
 health, rather than the languor of disease. A quotation 
 from Mr. T.'s journal will best verify this assertion. 
 
 Feb. 14. "Yesterday was a day of trial as I feared 
 a suspension of my usual labors. In the morning, 
 passed a short time with my friend Mrs. C-, one of 
 those members of my church in whom I find much 
 pleasure. In health, she exhibited the temper and con- 
 versation of a Christian; and in affliction, she discover- 
 ed the submission and calmness of one who believed 
 that all things work together for good to those who love 
 God. Attended the Missionary Society at eleven the 
 Bible Society at twelve Missionary Society again at 
 
 four went to see the wife of Captain , who was ill, 
 
 *9
 
 98 MEMOIR OF 
 
 and returned to meet the Bermondsey and Rotherhitbe 
 Bible Society. 
 
 In the March of this year, Mr. Townsend's spirits 
 were much depressed by the loss of his long-esteemed 
 friend, Mr. Hardcastle a man, who, eminently dear to 
 Christians in general, was tenderly beloved by all who 
 were favored with his friendship. For many years the 
 tie of pastor had been productive of spiritual commun- 
 ion between these kindred minds, who were not dissim- 
 ilar in the leading features of their character. Mr. T.'s 
 impressions, on visiting Hatcham House after the de- 
 cease of this excellfnt man, are given in the following 
 passage. "The tears started to my eyes a gloom 
 seized my spirits the trees the favorite dog the 
 closed windows all seemed to say, He is gone yes, 
 he is gone! The darkness the silence that reigned in 
 every room, completed the melancholy tale. The sad- 
 ness and tears of the servants, silently, but eloquently r 
 proclaimed the worth and excellency of the master they 
 bad lost. Mr. H. died, as he had lived, tranquil and 
 devout. We shall meet no more till I see him in the 
 world of light and happiness above." 
 
 Mr. Townsend's chapel having undergone extensive 
 repairs and alterations in this year, he felt some anxiety 
 that the debt should be liquidated before his death- 
 The congregation acted liberally, but he collected from 
 his private friends 450 to complete this object. On 
 this occasion, he thus writes. "How pleased am I that 
 my successor will come into the connection under 
 auspicious circumstances. Oh! that a large portion of 
 the Holy Spirit may rest upon him, and may he see the 
 seed which I have sown, spring up,, and bear much fruit. 
 May peace and union reign through the church and con- 
 gregation, exhibiting the effect of those truths which I 
 have taught them from the pages of inspiration.
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 99 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 SEVERE ILLNESS. DOMESTIC TRIALS. 
 
 JANUARY 1, 1820. "I have this day entered upon a 
 new year, and when I reflect upon all the way which 
 the Lord my God has ld me these more than forty 
 years in the wilderness, with what humility and self- 
 abasement should I confess my numerous failures in 
 duty, my backslid ings, and multiplied imperfections. 
 Yet, while mourning over my sins, what reason is fur- 
 nished for thankfulness and gratitude to God, for His 
 abundant goodness. The streams of mercy have flowed 
 towards me, in a broader and deeper channel than dur- 
 ing any preceding year of my life." 
 
 Such was the record in the commencement of 1820, 
 from which date Mr. Townsend appears to have kept a 
 more regular journal. While engaged in selecting from 
 this most interesting source, his biographer has been as- 
 tonished st the piety, humility, ardor, and perseverance 
 that enabled the subject of this memoir, to triumph over 
 a disease threatening him with immediate death. Sleep- 
 less by night, indefatigable by day, what powers are 
 equal to the sketching, even of the features of a por- 
 trait, that must, if sketched faithfully, appear exagger- 
 ated; the moral and Christian portrait cannot be filled 
 up. To his course, the words of the inspired writer are 
 applicable. The path of the just is as the shining 
 light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect 
 day. 
 
 Mr. Townsend commenced the year with much in- 
 disposition: the cold sensibly affected his health, and, 
 when attending early committees, he would make sev- 
 eral efforts to leave home before he could accomplish 
 k; but, neither failing health, nor that which operated 
 on it so unfavorably, the inclemency of the weather,
 
 100 MEMOIR OF 
 
 could prevent him from engaging in societies, whose 
 object was to promote the glory of God and the good 
 of man. 
 
 On one occasion, he thus writes: "these delightful 
 occupations, in which I have been for so many years 
 engaged, will soon cease; my study has attractions so 
 powerful, that I should spend my time there, did not a 
 sense of duty render my personal attendance necessary, 
 where I must assist in the extension of the Gospel, the 
 dispersion of the Bible, and the education of children. 
 How gladly would I renounce my connection with the 
 committees, and devote my days to study; but, the words 
 of our Lord are imperative, This ought ye to have done, 
 and not to have left the other undone. Lord Jesus, 
 give me grace and wisdom to serve Thee more fully; 
 may I aim at nothing but Thy glory, and the salvation 
 of my fellow men. Time becomes every day more 
 precious; two must be made out of one, and, to secure 
 hours for more study and writing, I must rise earlier, 
 sit up later, and improve every moment. Never let 
 me forget my dear brother's motto, that 'this is the 
 world for employment,- heaven for enjoyment.' But 
 this is anticipation; I may not live till the summer, for 
 niy feebleness tells me that I am mortal. 
 
 'Teach me the measure of my days, 
 Thou maker of my frame.' " 
 
 There seems to have been no relaxation from labor 
 till the commencement of April, when symptoms of an 
 alarming illness appeared. Fever pain in the side 
 loss of strength, were followed by the rupture of a 
 vessel on the lungs. This brought Mr. Townsend un- 
 der medical care; and not only was he forbidden to at- 
 tend to those objects so dear to his heart, but he was not 
 allowed to converse. At this period, his mind appears 
 to have been perfectly tranquil and composed. He 
 writes, "Let me not repine, but leave all to the wisdom 
 and goodness of God. How kind has He been to me;
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 101 
 
 yet His mercies and corrections leave me far from that 
 humble, holy, zealous frame of mind which a Christian 
 ought to possess. How clear is the way of salvation, 
 how rich the blessings it contains; yet, alas! I do not 
 enjoy that personal assurance of my own interest, or 
 feel it elevate my soul to God with that devout pleasure 
 I see some enjoy. If, however, my days are to be 
 marked by a less devoted joy, and by a weaker confi- 
 dence, I hope to reap, from my affliction, more hum- 
 bling views of myself, more dominion over the world 
 and my own heart, and to increase more in knowledge, 
 grace, and holiness. CKthat the Lord may cheer me 
 with a sense of His forgiving love, and a foretaste of 
 glory; then I shall say, To live is Christ: and to die is 
 gain. The complaint increasing, Mr. Townsend went 
 to Hastings, and here it seemed to baffle medical skill. 
 Excessive depletion reduced his strength, and in this 
 state of personal suffering, he experienced that sorrows 
 come not singly. Apparently on the borders of the 
 grave himself, he was called on to sympathize with a 
 daughter-in law, to whom he was tenderly attached, 
 and who was dying with a cruel and fatal malady. At 
 this mournful moment, a stroke awaited him, still more 
 severe in its nature; for death had pointed his dart too 
 successfully at the sweetest of his grand-children, after 
 an illness, so rapid, that her danger was only perceived 
 a few hours before the stroke was fatal and final. 
 Beautiful in person, amiable in character, she promised 
 to bless his age by her atatchment and her worth. On 
 this occasion, he wrote the following letter: 
 
 Hastings, May , 1820. 
 
 "My dear Children, after many painful and agonizing feelings, I have 
 determined to break the mournful silence, which affliction and bereave- 
 ment have so long imposed. When I recollect that neither chance nor 
 fate, is the source of these events, but, that the hairs of our heads are all 
 numbered, and that no sorrow comes without the appointment of tho 
 Father of fllercies, I feel an imperious obligation to say, It is the Lord, 
 let Him do what seemeth Him good. 
 
 'This providence speaks to us, with a loud voice, to love less the 
 things of lime and sense, and to fix our hearts more habitually, and more
 
 102 MEMOIR OF 
 
 intensely, upon the tilings which are spiritual and eternal; these have a 
 solidity and a permaneHcy, rendering them worthy of our warmest afi'ec- 
 tions. I find myself too fondly attached to the endearing ties of life, too 
 prone to draw my daily pleasure from these broken cisterns, while I neg- 
 lect that fountain of living water, whose refreshing and healing virtues, 
 constitute the only effectual remedy against the maladies and sorrows of 
 human life. 
 
 "When the tidings of your deep affliction reached us, I was standing 
 on the verge of the grave, not knowing how soon I might descend thither. 
 How little had we thought of the last enemy making such a sudden and 
 cruel seizure on the loveliest flower in our domestic paradise. Oh! how 
 unfathomable are the ways of God. Darkness and clouds are indeed 
 round about him, but, nevertheless, we are sure He is wise, just and mer- 
 ciful, and, in eternity, we shall know, why the Lord has dealt thus with us. 
 She was not more lovely in your eyes than in ours, and had we been, by 
 divine Providence, permitted to say which of your dear group we should 
 have selected to have been the future blessing of our *ge, our reply would 
 
 have been, spare but He who hath taken her to Himself, is worthy of 
 
 the best, and who shall say unto Him, What doest tJwu? 
 
 "How deeply we have felt and sympathized with you, my dear chil- 
 dren, I cannot tell may we all reap some spiritual advantage from the 
 many strokes of affliction, with which our heavenly Father visits us. May 
 the young ones be induced to remember their Creator in the days of their 
 youth; and may we, who are approaching the house appointed for all liv- 
 ing, ripen in knowledge, experience, and purity: when summoned, may 
 we cheerfully say, farewell to earth, and the dear connections which have 
 so long and so powerfully chained our affections here below * 
 
 "I remain, my dear children, 
 
 "Your affectionate father, 
 
 "JOHN TOWNSKND." 
 
 Amidst this sea of sorrow, the spirits of our invalid 
 were much cheered by the numerous letters from ex- 
 cellent and distinguished persons who regretted his ab- 
 sence, and longed for his return. Many, believing he 
 was near his entrance to the world of spirits informed 
 him of sermons and conversation, which had been the 
 means employed to rescue them from their slavery to 
 the prince of darkness, and had brought them under the 
 dominion of the Lord of life and glory. One gentle- 
 man, who writes that he had recently lost his only child, 
 says, "May God prolong a life so valuable. How has 
 He honored you, by making you the founder and pro- 
 moter of so many institutions, whose object was the 
 spiritual and temporal relief of man. You, my dear 
 sir, will never know the extent of your pulpit useful- 
 ness, till your arrival in another and a better world. A
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 103 
 
 crown of rejoicing awaits you above, adorned with many 
 a gem you are little aware of." The writer proceeds 
 to name a sermon, that had been preached many years 
 before. On this incident, Mr. T. remarks, "Here is 
 another proof that God has made that sermon useful; 
 and shall I be proud and vain-glorious? No, rather let 
 humility and gratitude be the result; let it make me 
 more diligent, more prayerful, and more dependent on 
 God's Holy Spirit for, Paul may plant, and JLpollos 
 ivater, but God alone can give the increase. 
 
 Much apprehension being excited for the life of Mr. 
 Townsend's eldest daughter, who was the mother of a 
 large family and of the grand-child he had so recently 
 lost, he writes May 9. "All things are in the hands 
 of God; let me be quiet and submissive, committing my 
 sorrows to a wise and tender Father. Prepare me, 
 Lor^l, for all that Thou hast appointed; rebuke our 
 fears, give us faith and patience, and, if we are to have 
 more breaches made in our domestic, our happy, our 
 united circle, let each say from the heart, The will of 
 the Lord be done. 
 
 "From these anxieties, let me turn to a more pleas- 
 ing subject. The first public missionary service is now 
 commencing Lord, be in the midst of this assembly! 
 O let thy light and presence, thy blessing and power, 
 be manifested. May this season be the most glorious 
 and impressive that our useful society has ever witness- 
 ed. I am not a willing absentee; my soul loves the 
 cause, and will ever pray for its prosperity, and for 
 those who are sent out to carry the everlasting Gospel 
 to the heathen, that they may be imbued with the sim- 
 ple, humble, and sanctified temper of that great mis- 
 sionary, Paul of Tarsus." 
 
 May 13. "Awoke this morning with oppression at 
 the chest, and difficulty of breathing. During the sleep- 
 less hours of last night, I endeavored to derive instruc- 
 tion and consolation from the hymn, 'Come, let us join 
 our cheerful songs.' Our favorite poet must have
 
 104 MEMOIR OF 
 
 founded it upon the celestial anthem, Worthy is the 
 Lamb that was slain. What subject more suitable for 
 meditation! Can we be Christians, can we believe, and 
 hope, that Jesus died for us, and not feel a more deep 
 toned, and more extatic joy? Ah, surely this is the point 
 on which we fail; we do not make that believing, that 
 personal, that assured appropriation of Christ crucified, 
 to ourselves. Lord, help me, and my dear children, 
 if they ever read these reflections of their parent help 
 each of them, to say of the slain Lamb of God, Who 
 loved me, and gave Himself for me!" 
 
 The air, and retirement at the sea side, gradually re- 
 storing Mr. Townsend to comparative health, he writes, 
 "How wonderfully has God restrained the progress of 
 my complaint! To-morrow I shall have the privilege of 
 going up to the house of the Lord; let me enter into 
 His courts with praise. Forbidden public duties, may 
 I be thankful that I am permitted to be a hearer, and 
 may I go with an humble and teachable spirit; not to 
 criticise, but to sit at the feet of Jesus, and to be in- 
 structed through the instrumentality of his young minis- 
 ter. If I am not allowed to convey blessings, O Lord, 
 grant that I may receive them; and let my knowledge, 
 experience, and obedience, be enlarged and confirmed. 
 Let thy Spirit rest upon my church and congregation 
 rather would I pray that thy blessing may rest upon all 
 the ministers and churches of Christ throughout the 
 world. May many souls be converted, and many saints 
 be edified and built up in thy most holy faith." 
 
 While Mr. T. was residing at Hastings, he was much 
 in the sick room of one who suffered as a Christian, and 
 displayed the supports derived from a knowledge, that 
 God was her Father, and that a mansion was prepared 
 for her in the regions where neither pain nor sin can 
 enter. As the shadows dispersed, faith and joy bright- 
 ened; the darkness of the valley presented nothing ter- 
 rific. Young, and the mother of an only and beloved 
 child, she presented, even to the aged and experienced
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 105 
 
 minister, an Interesting and instructive example. Her 
 disease was of the most painful and lingering nature; 
 but patience had its perfect work. On the evening pre- 
 vious to his leaving the country, he writes, "I have 
 
 had the last interview with my dear S . We joined 
 
 in prayer, or rather praise, to God; for she is more the 
 object of envy, than of pity. With what confidence 
 does she repose her soul upon the promises and grace 
 of her Redeemer! with what pleasure does she antici- 
 pate her entrance into glory! May I derive benefit from 
 such a scene; may I learn more of the excellency of 
 those promises, which produce in her soul that heavenly 
 frame, that cheerful resignation, and that desire to de- 
 part and be with Christ! O that my last hours may 
 be equally calm, equally cheerful, equally elevated 
 above the fear of death, and the entangling influence of 
 thdfee ties which chain me to the present life, and tend 
 to reconcile me to an absence from the purity and sub- 
 lime enjoyments of the heavenly world!" 
 
 The circle of Mr. Townsend's home duties and 
 those connected with the great objects of humanity, 
 were dear and necessary as the air he breathed. Deep 
 and severe had been his afflictions; they had tried the 
 faith of the Christian, and the tenderness of the man; but 
 the graces of the former appear to have been in con- 
 stant exercise, and the retirement of sickness had fur- 
 nished fresh sources of grateful love, and renewed 
 motives for exertion. Urged by his medical attendants 
 to remain longer by the sea-side, he resisted all their 
 solicitations, and returned to London before his health 
 was sufficiently established. The day after his arrival, 
 he says, "God has mercifully brought us home in peace, 
 and again am I seated in my beloved study. O that I 
 may here find more of the divine presence, and have 
 closer communion with my God! Here, by devout 
 meditation and prayer, may I find greater preparation 
 for my ministerial duties! I have met the branches of 
 my afflicted family, and wept with them at the recollec- 
 10
 
 106 MEMOIR OF 
 
 tion of that bereavement which has taken from me the 
 eldest of my grand-children, a lovely and pleasant 
 flower, who promised to be a joy and blessing. Once 
 more have I been permitted to meet my dear and af- 
 fectionate brother, with some of my kind and attentive 
 flock, whose congratulations have been numerous, on 
 my recovery and safe arrival among them. How pleas- 
 ing, after thirty-six years of pastoral duties, to find that 
 I am still loved and honored! This mercy comes from 
 thee, O my God! and let a sense of it, stimulate me to 
 labor more cheerfully, to promote their growth in grace. 
 How varied have been the deliverances and the sup- 
 plies which God has bestowed upon me! What unfeign- 
 ed humility ought to fill my heart for its multiplied im- 
 perfections! The iniquity of my holy things would over- 
 whelm me with despair, if it were not that I have an 
 Advocate with the Father, even that Jesus who is the 
 propitiation for sin. There is all my trust, and thence 
 I draw all my help and all my hope." 
 
 The aim of every quotation given in these pages, is, 
 that the soul, with its feelings, may be developed; that 
 springs of action may be rendered visible, and that hid- 
 den principles may be traced to their source. The 
 only introduction to the following remarks, is, that, at 
 :he period they were made, the writer was in a state of 
 health which alarmed all to whom he was dear. 
 
 "Have been to the committee of the Bible Society, 
 where I met with many of my old colleagues and dear 
 friends. The intelligence from Leander Van Ess, &tc., 
 was most reviving. What hath God wrought! Let 
 the enemies of the Bible, and of Bible Institutions, con- 
 5'inue to oppose our faith, our hope, our joy, are fully 
 justified by the divine declaration in Isaiah, Iv. 11, 12. 
 I longed to pay my first visit to the Missionary Rooms, 
 to meet the South African Committee; but prudence 
 pleaded delicate health. On reading, in the evening, 
 Mr. Grattan's letter to the Catholics, I suspected that 
 cowardice and unsuitable caution had prevailed to keep
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 107 
 
 me from my duty. Mr. G. stated, that, 'though suffer- 
 ing from great indisposition and debility, he was resolved 
 to go to London, that he might move the Catholic ques- 
 tion.' Shall politicians, shall merchants, shall those who 
 fight for their country, hazard health and life in their 
 professional duties, and shall Christian ministers, who 
 bear the standard of the cross, under the great Captain 
 of salvation, retreat from their posts through timidity 
 and fear of danger? How ought those who are engaged 
 in efforts favorable to the best interests of a benighted 
 world, to feel honored in the service, and to be constant 
 in the duty! 
 
 May 21. "After a severe and dangerous illness, I 
 have, to-day, entered on a new course of ministerial 
 duties. May I be enabled to make full proof of my 
 ministry, and win many souls to Christ, consecrating 
 myself more unreservedly to the service and glory of 
 my Redeemer! My text was, Psalm Ixviii, 19, 20. I 
 have endeavored to impress upon the minds of my af- 
 fectionate people a strong sense of the mutual obligation 
 God has laid us under, to live nearer to Him, to be 
 more firmly united in Christian love, and to be more 
 diligent and constant in the ordinances of the sanctuary. 
 O Lord! forgive, assist, and bless; let a spirit of prayer 
 be poured out upon the pastor and people: and let the 
 tears of joy which have .been shed to-day, on our meet- 
 ing at the footstool of divine mercy, be followed by a 
 plentiful harvest of holy obedience!" 
 
 22. "Attended this day the committee of examina- 
 tion at the Missionary Rooms, and met the directors in 
 the evening. My spirits were much affected at the 
 kind and earnest manner in which both ministers and 
 laymen greeted me on my return among them. It is, 
 indeed, a blessing to enjoy the friendship and the society 
 of the disciples of Jesus. May it be my happiness and 
 honor to spend a blissful eternity, with the spirits of 
 just men made perfect in the General Assembly and 
 Church of the first-born "
 
 108 MEMOIR OF 
 
 June. Yesterday evening, had the pleasure of hearing 
 my dear brother preach in my pulpit; it may be the last 
 sermon I may be permitted to hear. It was faithful, ani- 
 mating, and consolatory, and supplied me with materials 
 for meditation and prayer in my wakeful hours. This 
 dear friend is going to leave me. May the good will of 
 Him who dwelt in the bush, protect, guide, and bless him! 
 Never was there a more sincere, devoted, and cheerful 
 Christian, a more kind and benevolent heart, a more 
 faithful, animated, and disinterested laborer in the min- 
 istry, than George Townsend. .May I not record, with 
 peculiar delight, the strong and undeviating affection 
 which he has shown to me as a brother? His solicitude 
 during my illness, the constancy and ardor of his 
 prayers for my recovery, and his unbounded joy at its 
 accomplishment, show, in lively characters, his fraternal 
 love. Blessed be God, that our mutual affection will 
 be matured and eternized in the heavenly world! And 
 can I, who am so much his inferior in grace and consola- 
 tion, speak so confidently of shining with him in the 
 glory of that world, to which his spirit is so much more 
 assimilated than mine? How far does he surpass me 
 and many others, in resignation to God, when storms 
 of affliction assail him! I shall never forget either his 
 attitude, countenance, or expressions, after his last ser- 
 mon, when, to use his own words, he spoke of the 'di- 
 vine philosophy of the Bible.' >: 
 
 Mr. Townsend continued his labors, with very little 
 relaxation from suffering. Nature seems to have been 
 frequently oppressed; but it was evident to all around 
 him, that the spiritual triumphed over the material. On 
 Saturday, June 24, he writes, "I tremble in the pros- 
 pect of the labors to-morrow will bring; but the Lord 
 has helped me in times past." On the following day, 
 when inclined to sleep after six o'clock, he was roused 
 by that passage, What meanest thou, O sleeper 1 ? arise, 
 and call upon thy God. The injunction was obeyed, 
 and the effect that early morning produced on his sJiat-
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 109 
 
 tered frame, is thus described; "How beautiful are 
 yonder hills! how gratefully are the birds chanting the 
 praises of their Creator and Benefactor! The new- 
 mown hay, the shrubs, the flowers, are uniting their 
 fragrance to delight man, the master of all. But these 
 are temporal blessings; let me enter into the enjoyment 
 of those that are spiritual, by taking a view of the heav- 
 enly paradise. I will approach the tree of life, and sit 
 down under the shade. O Lord, give me faith to pluck 
 the rich and satisfying fruit, that I may be strengthened 
 and refreshed thereby! Has not the Lord of the gar- 
 den said, in the most kind and condescending way, 
 Eat, O friends, $-c." 
 
 In the autumn of this year, Mr. Townsend was men- 
 aced with an attack on the lungs, similar to that in the 
 spring. The sea-side was recommended, and, in Sep- 
 tember, he went to Hastings, where quiet and retire- 
 r&ent partially restored him. On his return to London, 
 we find him pursuing the grand objects of his life, with 
 the consciousness of one who feels the sentence of 
 death within him. He writes, "Still very ill, unable to 
 walk. I long to pass this day in my beloved study; 
 but the widow, the fatherless, and the afflicted demand 
 my time. How this weak, disordered body hinders 
 the soul in its operations! Apprehensive that my work 
 is nearly finished, I am amazed that I am not more 
 deeply impressed by a consciousness of my responsibil- 
 ity; that I am not more ardent in my addresses to the 
 consciences of both saints and sinners. When I enter 
 the celestial world, shall I not be ready to exclaim, 
 Why me, O Lord, why we?" 
 
 The trifling support the Congregational School re- 
 ceived, appears to have been a source of much anxiety; 
 and, as he found nature sinking, the fear of its being 
 resigned for want of funds, was very painful. A new 
 object, in the November of this year, engaged his at- 
 tention. In his journal is the following entry: "At- 
 tended the committee of examination, at the Missionary 
 *10
 
 110 MEMOIR OF 
 
 Rooms. Another valuable missionary is gone to his re- 
 ward: he leaves a widow and fo.ur children. Cannot I 
 do something for their relief? Inspire me, O my Godl 
 with wisdom and courage to commence and digest a 
 plan, adapted to this object, which would relieve the 
 funds of the Parent Society, allay the fears and anxie- 
 ties of our missionaries respecting the future circum- 
 stances of their widows and children, and lead to the 
 training of their sons for that glorious work, in which 
 their pious fathers sacrificed health and life. 
 
 We shall close this year of suffering and discipline, 
 with the following remarks: 
 
 Dec. 31, 1820. "This world is indeed a barren 
 wilderness, yielding no refreshing fruit, or springs of 
 living comfort. Had not our God promised to guide 
 and take care of us, we should have lost our way, and 
 fainted under the pressure of affliction and temptation; 
 but, the eternal God is our refuge, and His everlasting 
 arms are underneath us. We have our bread from 
 heaven, and our water is sure. In those streams 
 of living water, we may wash and be clean; of this 
 bread, we may eat every day and be satisfied. Be- 
 sides the bread and water of life for our supply, we 
 have, in the wilderness, the pillar of cloud by day, and 
 the pillar of fire by night. What these were to the 
 Jews of old, the Word and Spirit are to the Christian 
 pilgrim. Thus has the Lord led me, and once more 
 would I say, Ebenezer! I have been near to Jordan, 
 and must soon pass over; my passage is still delayed, 
 but I am sure the message will come: it may be soon; 
 it may be suddenly. Whether I shall find the waters 
 deep or shallow, agitated or tranquil, I know not. 
 Help me, O Lord, to say, when 1 step in, This God 
 is our God for ever and ever! Let me not, then, 
 think so much of the passage over the river, as of the 
 glorious things which are beyond it. There stands the 
 New Jerusalem, the city of the living God; there I 
 shall join the spirits of the just men made perfect; there
 
 . JOHN TOWNSEND. Ill 
 
 is the new paradise, in which stands the tree of life. 
 Why, then, do I mind these terrestial things? Why 
 do I still cleave to this land of darkness and vanity? 
 
 'O for the wings of faith to rise!' and, in the blest 
 anticipation of all this glory, let me cry, Why are thy 
 chariot ivheels so long in coming 1 ! O Death, where is 
 thy sting? O Grave, where is thy victory? Yes! Death 
 shall be swallowed up in victory. This mortal shall 
 pfitf'on immortality; this corruption shall put on incor- 
 r'uption." 
 
 The foe, which had attacked the citadel, and had 
 been repulsed, did not relinquish his purpose, but pur- 
 sued the soul through every avenue of life, till he suc- 
 ceeded in laying low the venerable structure which bent 
 to fall. The illness of this year was never recovered; 
 but the mind rose in its energies, and heavenly princi- 
 ples triumphed over the pains of mortality, and the 
 feebleness of sinking nature. For a few quotations 
 from the diary, in proof of these assertions, the reader 
 is referred to the next chapter. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 EXERTIONS IN BEHALF OF THE IRISH EVANGELI- 
 CAL SOCIETY, &EC. 
 
 January 1, 1821. "On this day commences another 
 portion of my time. Ought I to allow it to pass with- 
 out recording the goodness of my God to me and mine 
 during the past year? Blessings and sufferings have 
 been ours; bereavements, sickness, recovery. Shall 
 we not, with David, sing of mercy and judgment? 
 Shall I not recal the interposition of that God, who 
 heals our diseases, and who has restored me to health, 
 at least, hra degree sufficient to enable me to prosecute 
 my delightful employ of publishing to others the power
 
 112 MEMOIR OF 
 
 and the grace of our Savior? During my illness, I 
 was favored with the knowledge that my ministry had 
 been useful. I must continne to preach the same truths, 
 to look up to God for his blessing, and to press upon 
 my own recollection, and on that of my dear people, 
 the absolute necessity of the Spirit's agency, to render 
 sermons useful and effectual for salvation. Mine, hon- 
 ored by God as they have been, are destitute of all in- 
 genuity and external ornament. One feature only to 
 recommend them they consist of Scripture truths, 
 expressed and urged with freedom and warmth. Yes, I 
 am more and more convinced, that it is the naked sword 
 of the Spirit, which pierces the heart. The sword 
 may be decorated and ornamented with the trappings 
 . of human oratory, and may thus be more pleasing to 
 the intelligent and refined parts of society, but these 
 accompaniments will add nothing to its power. Let 
 me then continue as long as I am able, to study, to pray ? 
 and to preach, and leave the issue to Him, who does 
 more for us than we can either ask or think." 
 
 "Some excellent remarks, in a recent discussion upon 
 diaries, have made me carefully review my motives for 
 continuing this journal. Having so done, I have de- 
 cided to perpetuate, for the benefit of my children and 
 grand-children, a memorial of the goodness of God. I 
 find also, that a daily record of particular events, and 
 active duties, induces gratitude and watchfulness; while, 
 from communion with my own heart, I obtain humbling 
 views of myself, and a deeper sense of the purity and 
 holiness of an omniscient God." 
 
 Jan. 3. "Indisposed, and would gladly have remain- 
 ed in my beloved study, but was obliged to go to Lon- 
 don to attend a special committee of the directors of 
 the Missionary Society, to arrange the plan of schools, 
 at the Cape and in India, for the children of missiona- 
 ries. In the evening, met, in my own vestry, the gen- 
 tlemen who were to balance the accounts for repairs. 
 Great was our joy and gratitude on finding that we had
 
 RKT. JOHN TOWNSEND. 113 
 
 succeeded to raise nearly 1200 in less than two. 
 years." 
 
 Jan. 7. "Yesterday was a trying day, but was able 
 to preach three sermons and administer the Lord's 
 Supper. The unchangeable priesthood of our Savior 
 was my theme. The glory, the efficacy, and the per- 
 petuity of the priesthood of Jesus Christ, is the glory 
 of Scripture, the ground of salvaiion, and the hope of 
 eternal life to perishing sinners." 
 
 10. "Rose this morning languid and ill; sent for a 
 coach, being unable to go by stage; went to the Deaf 
 and Dumb election; the day was fatiguing. Returned 
 home earlier than usual, filled with gratitude that I was 
 able to render some little assistance to that valuable and 
 useful Institution. Two of my early and zealous coad- 
 jutors in that good cause, have in the last year finished 
 th^ir labor, and gone to their rest. I must soon follow; 
 but I desire to work whilst it is day, knowing that the 
 night cometh, in which no man can work. My gracious 
 Benefactor has done much for me; all I can do for 
 Him, for His cause, and for His poor, is much too 
 little." 
 
 1 1 . "Went yesterday morning to London, to obtain 
 the pension of a poor widow from the India House. 
 Returned, and commenced my weekly visits among the 
 sick and poor members of my church. In the even- 
 ing, preached the weekly lecture. My mind was anx- 
 ious for the welfare of souls wandering from the paths 
 of truth and holiness, but I had little pleasure in speak- 
 ing. Feelings, however, are not the proper criteria of 
 usefulness; pain and restlessness, the preceding night, 
 had produced much debility in body, and weariness in 
 spirit." 
 
 Jan. 12. "Rose with less pain and difficulty in 
 breathing. After the devotional exercises of the morn- 
 ing, wrote letters, and went to the bank to receive div- 
 idends for the Deaf and Dumb; from thence to Homer- 
 ton, to attend the committee of the Old College. As-
 
 1 14 MEMOIR OF 
 
 sisted at the examination of two candidates for admis- 
 sion. They appear promising young men. May they 
 prove learned and faithful ministers of Christ! Return- 
 ed home to prayer-meeting, and afterwards visited a 
 sick friend. 
 
 25. "Called to-day on a friend, to converse on the 
 state of the Widows' Fund. We discussed some im- 
 portant topics, with a view to increase its revenue, and 
 to extend its usefulness, and are to meet again respect- 
 ing this important subject, which 1 long to assist before 
 my season of labor finally closes. This, I have reason 
 to think, will be soon; and yet, thinking so, may I not 
 exclaim, 
 
 'Why is my heart so far from thee, 
 
 My God, my chief delight? 
 Why are my thoughts no more by day 
 
 With thee, no more by night? 7 
 
 In the evening, preached at Orange-Street. A letter 
 
 from Mr. G informed me of his child's death. I 
 
 sympathized with him, well remembering my own feel- 
 ings when I lost my dear ; but I have had reason 
 
 to be thankful, and to acknowledge the mercy, that 
 removed my little lamb to the fold above." 
 
 Jan. 28. "Blessed be God for the preservation of 
 the past night, and for the light of a day sacred to the 
 interests of the soul, and the things of a better world. 
 May all my thoughts and all my desires harmonize with 
 the holy character of this holy day; and whilst I preach 
 to others, may I grow in grace, and make progress to- 
 wards the New Jerusalem! I desire to be more fully 
 acquainted with its glory, more powerfully assured of 
 my interest in it, and more desirous of entering into the 
 possession of it." 
 
 Feb. 2. "Rose with pain in the side, and consider- 
 able oppression in the chest. In the morning, prepared 
 tracts and essays for publication; in the afternoon, vis- 
 ited the sick and dying; in the evening, attended the ' 
 prayer-meeting."
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 115 
 
 3. "Another Sabbath is gone, and I have preached 
 three sermons. Grant, O Lord, that I may be thank- 
 ful for the assistance thou hast afforded thy unworthy 
 servant, and that thy Spirit and blessing may attend thy 
 ministers and thy churches!" 
 
 4. "Attended the printing committee of the British 
 and Foreign Bible Society, and the general committee 
 at twelve. Some of the letters read were of the most 
 encouraging description. This glorious object is taking 
 possession, with renewed vigor, of the understandings 
 and the consciences of the wise and good. New trans- 
 lations into languages in which the Holy Scriptures have 
 never been printed, are fast increasing; and the day, we 
 hope, is not far distant, when the Christian world shall 
 hail their distribution in every country under the canopy 
 of heaven. In the evening, attended the missionary 
 player-meeting in Union-Street. Grieved was I to find 
 so small an attendance: twelve ministers in the district, 
 and only five attended at this post of duty. 
 
 5. "Last night very restless; cough and breath 
 worse than usual. Was desirous of calling to recollec- 
 tion some spiritual subjects, but found wanderings and 
 stupor pervade my mind. The following lines, how- 
 ever, opened a train of thought and feeling, suited to 
 the hour of pain and restlessness: 
 
 'In darkest watches of the night, 
 
 I'll count thy mercies o'er, 
 I'll praise thy name, for mercies past, 
 
 And humbly sue for more.' " 
 
 April 2. "Had yesterday a severe day's service: 
 preached three times, and administered the Lord's 
 Supper. Determined my sermons should be short; but 
 my prudence and resolution were overcome by my 
 anxiety to give a full statement on the three following 
 texts: Col. i. 2; 1 John i. 7; Ephes. ii. 8, 9. I was 
 extremely fatigued, and my chest painful; but can we 
 spend health and life in a more honorable or useful em- 
 ploy, than that of endeavoring to exalt the Redeemer?
 
 116 MEMOIR OF 
 
 It is delightful to meditate on, and speak of, the con- 
 cerns of His kingdom." 
 
 16. "This day has been passed in London. Went 
 to the Missionary Society at eleven; to the Audit of the 
 Deaf and Dumb at one; and to the committee of the 
 Congregational School at five. Returned at seven, 
 and visited some members of the church. Much pain 
 in the side, and general debility: arn strongly admon- 
 ished of the approach of the last enemy; the whole tab- 
 ernacle totters to its foundation, and is hastening to the 
 decay exhibited in the 12th chapter of Ecclesiastes. I 
 long to think, feel, and act as one just stepping into 
 eternity." 
 
 June 6. "Had a sad night, but determined to fight 
 against languor and weakness. Went to London to 
 meet the auditors of the Evangelical Magazine; from 
 thence to Lewisham, to meet the sub-committee of the 
 Congregational School." 
 
 July 9. "This is the day of our half-yearly election 
 for the Deaf and Dumb. If I listen to the voice of 
 prudence and affection, I should absent myself from 
 the bustle and anxiety necessarily produced; but I can- 
 not resist the call of friends, to assist them in the elec- 
 tion of children, for whom they are much interested. 
 
 Evening. "Have passed through the fatigues of (he 
 election much better than I expected, considering the 
 inflamed state of the arm in which I was bled. After 
 obtaining the list of successful candidates, returned 
 home, weary in body, but cheerful in spirit, and, I 
 hope, thankful to see how wonderfully God has pros- 
 pered that Institution, which was begun with three 
 names as annual subscribers. It has now nearly 8000 
 on the books; some of the candidates had more than 
 5000 votes." 
 
 The above selections have been given from Mr. 
 Townsend's diary; but they present a very imperfect 
 view of his labors, which still continued, notwithstand- 
 ing the entreaties of friends, and the injunctions of his
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 117 
 
 medical attendant. In July he went to Hastings, where 
 he derived some benefit, but his complaints were never 
 subdued, they were only mitigated. 
 
 Aug. 17. "Had a restless night, and feel some fore- 
 bodings of my malady increasing, and that faith and 
 patience will be tried by pain and debility; but let me 
 remember it is the hand of God, and pray for grace to 
 suffer, and do, all that the Lord shall please to appoint. 
 It will be a blessing if my complaint should be so far 
 moderated, as to admit of a continuance of ministerial 
 labors, and attendance upon the institutions with which 
 I am connected, and I am also anxious to finish some 
 of the numerous essays, and religious tracts, which I 
 have begun, and which require little more than tran- 
 scribing and arranging. The greater part of the mate- 
 rials is completed, and if finished, they might be useful, 
 wtien my head is laid in the silent grave." 
 
 Oct. 5. "Considerable pain in my chest, with an 
 overwhelming lassitude, but having several sick and 
 aged persons to visit, must rouse myself. O Lord, give 
 me strength and spirits for every day's duties and trials: 
 alas! why should I talk of trials? I have none; all is 
 mercy and kindness; my cup is full as to earthly com- 
 forts; my trials are an infirm debilitated body, and a 
 mind that cannot reach the high attainments of abstract- 
 edness from earthly objects, but cannot I say? 
 
 'Our God how firm his promise stands, 
 
 E'en when he hides his face; 
 He trusts in our Redeemer's hands 
 
 His glory and his grace.' 
 
 "The stability of God's covenant, and the truth and 
 certainty of God's promise, form the only solid ground 
 of the Christian's peace and comfort; his own feelings 
 vary and fluctuate so much, that no dependence can 
 be placed upon them. Light and darkness, joy and 
 sorrow, succeed each other, and the mind can rest only 
 in the covenant and promises of the Mediator." 
 
 11
 
 118 MEMOIR OF 
 
 Oct. 30. "Scarcely able to walk, from debility and 
 oppression in the chest. Attended the printing com- 
 mittee of the Bible Society, and the committee of the 
 Missionary Society; also the committee of the Protest- 
 ant Society, to consider the principles and provisions of 
 Mr. Brougham's Education Bill." 
 
 In the spring and summer of 1822, the health of our 
 valuable friend was free from the violent attacks of the 
 two preceding years, and its improvement induced him, 
 in the autumn, to form part of a deputation to Ireland. 
 His family much opposed this exertion, as they feared 
 not only the effects of travelling, but anticipated that, 
 in crossing the Irish channel, he might rupture a vessel 
 on the lungs; but duty seemed to call him to this ser- 
 vice, and he could not resist the summons. In the Irish 
 Evangelical Society, he had taken a deep interest from 
 its commencement, and circumstances had arisen which 
 required energy and zeal. Two veterans were selected 
 on this occasion, the Rev. M. Wilks, and the Rev. 
 .T. Townsend, who were to be accompanied by Mr. 
 Walker, the treasurer of the society. A quotation from 
 the diary, will prove the characteristic warmth and ac- 
 tivity, which existed before the decision was made. 
 
 August 6. "What reason have I to be thankful to 
 God, that my ministry is still acceptable and useful. 
 To be useful is the highest privilege and blessing; popu- 
 larity, honor, wealth, are all nothing; but to win souls 
 to Christ, and train them up for heaven, is a service 
 which angels would deem honorable. Is it not, how- 
 ever, necessary that I should relinquish travelling for 
 public societies, and, as much as possible, confine my- 
 self to light and home duty? Yet I cannot lay aside 
 the most honorable and delightful service, in which a 
 human being can suffer. It is the cause of God; and 
 it is for the salvation of immortal souls; it is that cause 
 in which many eminent reformers and martyrs willingly 
 died, not counting their lives dear to them, that they
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 119 
 
 might finish their course with joy, and the ministry 
 which they had received of the Lord Jesus Christ." 
 
 A few extracts from letters written during a rapid 
 journey of eleven days, may not be uninteresting to 
 the reader. 
 
 "Birmingham, Sept. 10, 1822. 
 "My very dear C 
 
 "We arrived here at eight o'clock ihis evening, my fatigue not so great 
 as I had feared. The coach passed through Leamington and Warwick, 
 and it was with pleasure I contemplated the interesting scenes through 
 which our dear E had recently wandered. Mr. Wilks being en- 
 gaged to preach for the Missionary Society to-morrow evening, I think it 
 probable that Mr. Walker and myself will proceed. 
 
 "Sept. 11. When 1 returned last night to my solitary room, all seemed 
 cold and dreary; I heard a whisper of 'Sweet Home, Sweet Home!' 
 however, I was much consoled by the recollection that you were in the 
 company of old and kind friends, whom you love, and who would, by 
 their solicitude, mitigate your grief at our temporary separation. After 
 committing your dear self and family to the care and blessing of God, I 
 retired to bed, and had a tolerable night's rest. 
 
 "Rose this morning at six; was disposed to sleep longer, but the lines of 
 the poet determined me to resist the inclination; 
 
 'Rise, my soul, and stretch thy wings, 
 
 Thy better portion trace; 
 Rise from transitory things. 
 
 Towards Heav'n thy native place.' 
 
 "Left my room at seven, intending to purchase an inkstand, but on en- 
 tering tin- first street from the inn, came to a spacious and handsome 
 chapel, which I thought might probably be one of the new churches; 
 finding it open, I entered and saw a platform already raised, with one 
 solitary individual on it, and fearing he was left to bear Uie burden of the 
 service, I felt it a duty to volunteer my assistance. An excellent and de- 
 vout prayer was offered hy Mr. Brook, who wrote the lives of the Puri- 
 tans. He requested me to give an exhortation, and to conclude in prayer, 
 to which I consented, and at the breaking up of the meeting, 1 was sur- 
 rounded by a little host of ministers and friends. Invitations to breakfast 
 followed, but supposing Mr. W would wonder at my absence, I re- 
 turned to the inn, and so completely lost myself in Missionary subjects, 
 that I forgot to purchase an inkstand, which had been my object in this 
 
 early walk. Mr. W is come, and, laughing at my letter, says, 
 
 'You are writing very soon.' At eleven o'clock we leave here for Shrews- 
 bury, except a kind of press-warrant should forcibly detain us, of which 
 I have my fears, but shall do my utmost to escape, as my strength will 
 not allow of travelling to-morrow night." 
 
 "Shrewsbury, Wednesday Night. 
 
 "Just arrived from Birmingham, and, as we start to-morrow rooming 
 at 5 o'clock, I write to prevent any anxiety.
 
 120 MEMOIR OF 
 
 "I left Birmingham without seeing Mr. and Mrs. J being unable 
 
 to reach their house: some expressed surprise at my leaving, but I felt 
 satisfied it was my duty. 
 
 "We travelled with an Irish lady and gentleman, who were friends of 
 Bible Societies, Religious Tract Societies, and especially of the Hiber- 
 nian School Society. Of the poor Irish Evangelical Academy, they knew 
 nothing. To me, this is a strong proof that little or no efforts are made 
 on the other side, to make it known or to extend its benefits; of course it 
 is time that it was either given up, or made more efficient and useful." 
 
 "Holyhead, Thursday, 9 o'clock. 
 
 "Being yet without pen and ink, must correspond in pencil. 1 have 
 retired to converse with you, my dearest earthly object, and also with 
 Him, who is, I hope, dear to us both, committing myself, you, and all our 
 beloved circle, to His protection, who has dealt so mercifully with us 
 and ours through so many years. Let us often call upon our souls, and 
 all that is within us, to praise His holy name. 
 
 "I have been delighted to day with my journey. The scenes of ro- 
 mantic grandeur falls of water over rocks of the most picturesque kind, 
 immense hills, beautiful vallies, especially those through which rapid 
 streams of water meander among the broken rocks, the white surf, visi- 
 ble through the various trees which grow upon the banks, while the sound 
 wnich falls upon the ear, is more enchanting to me than the finest music. 
 
 "We crossed the Bangor Ferry in about ton minutes, and rode through 
 the Isle of Anglesea, which is as flat and dull, as North Wales is delight- 
 ful and enchanting 
 
 "I am fatigued, but my health not worse than when I left home. The 
 wind is fair, and the weather promising, but these and all earthly things 
 are precarious; not so the things which are spiritual and heavenly; they 
 are eternal, the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever." 
 
 "Dublin, Friday, 4 o'clock. 
 
 "Just arrived, after a pleasant passage of seven hours and a half. 
 Breeze only sufficient to facilitate our crossing, without any degree of in- 
 convenience from the motion of the vessel: this was favorable to so indif- 
 ferent a sailor as myself. 
 
 "Lord and lady D were among" the passengers. It was pleasant 
 
 to see the kind attention the former paid to his lady and family: what a 
 blessing would it be, if all the nobility were of the same domestic char- 
 acter! 
 
 "The scenes around me are of the most novel kind splendid buildings, 
 spacious streets; but, alas! what poverty, what rags, meet the eye in 
 every direction; and the destitution of clothing is terrible. On entering 
 the hotel in Sackville-slreet, I was much disappointed at not receiving a 
 letter from you. We have already had invitations, but shall have no 
 ime to spare. I am fixed for three sermons." 
 
 "Dublin, Sept. 14. 
 
 "I have had a tranquil night, and risen much refreshed and invigorated. 
 O that the strength I have, may be spent in the service of God, and for 
 the good of immortal souls. Time is short: I would that every inch of it 
 might be employed in the spread of divine truth. Blessed Jesus, take 
 to thyself thy great power, and reign over all worlds, and in all hearts, 
 and especially in mine; let every thought and purpose be sacred to thee!
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 121 
 
 "We have received many invitations, and all here unite in condemning 
 my hasty return; but the business done for the Irish Evangelical Society, 
 and I delay no longer. The necessity of our coming is evident, and I 
 hope the result will prove highly beneficial to the Institution, and ulti- 
 mately tend to the increase of pure religion in this dark benighted coun- 
 try, where darkness and superstition reign, in all their horrors. O may 
 the light and power of the Spirit be effectual in their dispersion!" 
 
 "Dublin, Sept. 15. 
 
 "Weary and tired with the labors of the day, I write hastily to say thai 
 this will be my last letter from hence, and that I hope to be with you at 
 
 Reading on the 21st, and also to fulfil my pulpit engagements for the fol- 
 lowing day. Again no letter from you. What can be the reason? I con- 
 sole myself with the recollection that hope deferred makes the heart sick, 
 
 yet when the desired good comes, it is the sweeter. 
 
 "I shall leave Ireland, with feelings of gratitude that my lot is cast in 
 England; but this sentiment will, I hope, induce deeper sympathy with 
 this benighted land. I long much to see you again: how many days will 
 elapse? only six. How soon will these be gone! Ah! how soon will the 
 whole of our days be numbered, when the place that knew us shall know 
 us no more for ever. Well, let these days of mortality fly away; are they 
 not dull, dark, and winterly days? And will they not be succeeded by one 
 long, one bright, one peaceful day; a day without clouds or storms; a day, 
 o\jK which the shades of night shall no more be drawn? 
 
 "Yours till death." 
 
 On the 1st of October, Mr. Townsend was inform- 
 ed, by letter, of Mr. Owen's death. The sentiment 
 produced was deep and solemn. Not only was the 
 invaluable and laborious secretary deplored, but the 
 friend of fifty years; with whom associations of early 
 life had been mingled, which had given, to the more 
 solid attachment of after years, a tenderness ever in- 
 creasing by the worth of its object. In the diary are 
 the remarks which follow: 
 
 "How mysterious are the ways of Providence! The 
 Bible Society hast lost the most important and useful of 
 its agents; but we must indulge no murmuring, there 
 must be no questioning either the wisdom, the goodness, 
 or the justice of the divine government in the manage- 
 ment of the great concerns of the Redeemer's king- 
 dom. All power in heaven, and on earth, is His. We 
 may say with the prophet, 'My father, my father, the 
 chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof,' but the 
 great work in which we are engaged, in the cause of God
 
 122 MEMOIR OF 
 
 and of truth, is under the direction and influence of His 
 Holy Spirit, and must, and will, prosper. Never was there 
 an agent more calculated for the work in which he was 
 engaged than the much lamented John Owen; but the 
 God who gave him his intellect and energy, has the 
 residue of the Spirit. May the committee be guided 
 in the selection of a successor! Many who are most 
 desirable and suitable, will shrink from the arduous ser- 
 vices the station demands, and the deep responsibility 
 which it involves. Physical and mental strength are 
 essentially necessary, and the temper must be the most 
 cool and placid. The great man we have lost, fell a 
 victim to the intense ardor of his gigantic mind, which 
 was too powerful for his frame. Fifty years have pass- 
 ed away, since Mr. Owen and myself were led by our 
 excellent fathers, to worship under the roof of the de- 
 spised Tabernacle, where we sat near each other. May 
 we not have been greatly indebted to that Whiten" eld, 
 whose glorious and successful labors still leave an im- 
 pression of their power and extent?" 
 
 On the 7th of October, Mr. Townsend preached a 
 sermon for Cheshunt College; he esteemed every insti- 
 tution of this kind, as a fountain from whence flowed 
 the pure streams of sound learning, with a knowledge 
 of scriptural theology, sending to the world, not merely 
 classical scholars, but able ministers. These schools of 
 the Prophets ever came within the objects of his duty. 
 Half the night appears to have been devoted to the 
 preparation of this discourse, which was from 1 Tim. 
 iii. 1. Mr. T. thought that this college did not receive 
 sufficient assistance from the wealthy members of the 
 connection to which it belonged, who seemed to forget 
 that the reputation, growth, and stability of a large por- 
 tion of the community, were dependent on the pros- 
 perity of this establishment. He endeavored to im- 
 press on the minds of his hearers, the claims of Him, 
 who, giving the blessing of both worlds to them, de- 
 manded in return the sacrifice of their personal and
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 123 
 
 domestic comforts, if necessary, to the promotion of 
 His universal dominion. On the day following this 
 exertion, Mr. T. was menaced with a return of his 
 former complaint, which induced the resolution of de- 
 clining any extra service during the ensuing winter. 
 He writes "Cough returned, with pain in the side; my 
 frame languishes, and will ere long be dissolved; time 
 shortens, and he on the pale horse will soon be at my 
 door. I would be ready I would be watching; above 
 all, I would be working, as one who must give an ac- 
 count of his stewardship." 
 
 November 7th, we find the following entry: "Went 
 yesterday afternoon to the Sunday School Tract Soci- 
 ety, of Orange-street. The annual report detailed the 
 extent and energy which attended the operations of this 
 committee, and excited universal surprise. They have 
 vklited between three and four thousand families; the 
 jails, hospitals, workhouses, and barracks in the neigh- 
 borhood. Rarely has so much good seed been sown 
 by so few hands, and in so short a time. It having 
 been widely circulated, and as generally believed, that 
 the Religious Tract Society originated in the Bible 
 Society, I will here leave for my children, a statement 
 of the true and legitimate descent of the most import- 
 ant institutions of these times. 
 
 1st. The London Missionary Society. 
 
 2ndly. The Religious Tract Society. 
 
 3rdly. The British and Foreign Bible Society. 
 From the London Missionary Society also sprang, 
 
 1st. The Hibernian Society. 
 
 2ndly. The Irish Evangelical Society. 
 
 ordly. The Society for the Conversion of the 
 Jews. 
 
 4thly. The Church Missionary Society. 
 
 "Unworthy as I am of being so distinguished, may I 
 never cease to be grateful to God that I have had the 
 honor and felicity of taking part in the origin, progress, 
 and final success of these great and prosperous Institu-
 
 124 MEMOIR OP 
 
 tions.* Their utility and prosperity are the subjects of 
 admiration and praise, even to those who have censured 
 agents in them, for devoting themselves too much to 
 Public Societies. O that my children, and my chil- 
 dren's children, may ever befriend the cause of mis- 
 sions! God greatly honored your grandfather by per- 
 mitting him to be one of the nine ministers who first 
 met to form the London Missionary Society, and may 
 none of his descendants forsake or slight it! When I 
 look at my numerous grandchildren, and think how 
 variously they may be situated in life, the prayer of the 
 Psalmist for the youth of Israel is mine for them. That 
 our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth, 
 that our daughters may be as corner stones polished 
 after the similitude of a palace. I wish them to know 
 and remember this, when I am laid in the silent grave, 
 may they become sincere Christians, that we may 
 meet in our Father's house above!" 
 
 Mr. Townsend having preached a sermon for a school 
 of Industry in the vicinity of London, from 2 Cor. viii. 
 9, For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
 that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became 
 poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich, re- 
 ceived the following short, but impressive letter, con- 
 taining an anonymous donation: 
 
 "Ah! for my sake He became poor, that I, through His poverty, might 
 he made rich. My silver and gold shall be His; and what give I but of 
 His own." 
 
 The year 1823 was marked by the same alternations 
 as the preceding; but, in its last three months, our 
 friend's health and spirits were much shaken by his 
 efforts to rescue an innocent and important character, 
 from the effects of slanderous and malevolent reports. 
 His native sense of justice induced him to proceed in 
 this matter upon the great maxim, so essential an ele- 
 ment in our laws, "never to believe a man guilty of a 
 
 * The Church Missionary Society excepted.
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 125 
 
 crime till convicted upon the clearest evidence." Act- 
 ing on this principle, he brought all the vigor of his 
 mind, and exerted his constitutional firmness, to aid one, 
 whom he believed much injured. Wearisome days, 
 and sleepless nights, were the effects of this exertion; 
 and, though frequently fearing his health would sink 
 under such painful anxieties, he still persevered, till a 
 long investigation had established the complete inno- 
 cence of the injured individual. In the course of this 
 affair, he writes, 
 
 December. "Had a good night's rest, compared 
 with many of late. I believe it has arisen from my 
 mind being more composed, hoping, as I do, that the 
 
 business of will end favorably, and that he will 
 
 be restored to peace in his own mind, and to the confi- 
 dence and good opinion of others." 
 
 .{The year 1824 was ushered in with much indisposi- 
 tion. Mr. Townsend says, "My mind and body both 
 feel the chilling influence of winter. O that I could 
 feel the higher enjoyments of religion in a larger meas- 
 ure, and could obtain more lively communion with God! 
 A small addition to my present maladies, will break the 
 golden bowl, and loose the silver cord." But the thread 
 of life was not yet to snap, more suffering, more duty, 
 more patience, were to be exemplified in this eminent 
 Christian. The feeble body was not yet to be gathered 
 to his fathers; the spirit was to be trained for a still 
 more glorious mansion in the realms of light. Who 
 can tell what may have been the effect of sermons, 
 preached under the influence of pain and disease, and 
 with an impression that the realities of the eternal world 
 might open on his spirit before the close? And such 
 were all his later discourses. 
 
 The diary annexed to this sketch will be the best 
 portraiture of both external duty and internal feeling 
 but even there we fail, as the half yet remains to be 
 told. The duty was daily it was monotonous and 
 the reader would weary in its sameness, though he
 
 126 MEMOIR OF 
 
 might be edefied by the exhibition of the holy princi- 
 ples, which induced the unwearied zeal that braved 
 weather the most trying to his infirmities, and overcame 
 every obstacle that impeded his benevolent wishes. 
 
 In July we find him at Reading, whither he had 
 gone to preach on three Sabbaths. To this town he 
 was much attached, from the peculiar friendliness of 
 the residents. While there, he was seized with an 
 acute and alarming disease, and on the morning of the 
 Sunday found himself very ill, but was determined to 
 conceal his bodily anguish. Aware of the dangerous 
 nature of the malady, he summoned no medical at- 
 tendant till after his last sermon; when, hastening 
 quickly home, he sent for a surgeon, who found him in 
 much danger, and who could scarcely believe that the 
 sufferer he was called in to relieve, was the minister 
 who had delivered a sermon of an hour's length. But 
 if the indifferent spectator had been thus deceived, the 
 watchful eye of affection had sen the pallid cheek, 
 and remarked the sinking form as it fell back, almost 
 fainting, after the work was accomplished. We will 
 give the details as written, to record the goodness of 
 Him who preserved in that time also. 
 
 "Yesterday was a day never to be forgotten. Dis- 
 ease had been gradually increasing, and after my morn- 
 ing sermon I was very ill, and pain became great; but 
 I knew that if medical advice were called in, preaching 
 would be prohibited. In the afternoon I again perform- 
 ed pulpit duty, and had a deeper sense of obligation to 
 a Redeemer, more love to His person, and greater fer- 
 vor in proclaiming His Glory, His love, and His suffer- 
 ings for guilty man. Thinking I should soon give an 
 account of my labors to God, I was resolved to make 
 a last effort in the Savior's cause, and in the evening 
 should have taken the text, There is but a step be- 
 tween me and death, but my wife and daughter were 
 present, and I feared the effect on them. My pain and 
 torture were such, that I could scarcely keep up my
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 127 
 
 recollection. On my return home the agony became 
 excruciating, and I was stupified with pain." 
 
 To the active skill, the unremitting attention, the kind 
 solicitude, of the medical friend who subdued the 
 malady under which Mr. Townsend then suffered, his 
 family here pay their tribute of grateful and continued 
 remembrance. 
 
 As time shortened, and eternity advanced, our venera- 
 ble friend felt all his responsibilities increasing. Heaven 
 was the object full in view, and thither he wished to 
 conduct souls, whose value he daily estimated at a 
 higher price. Thus we find him in the pulpit, and at 
 committees, when a less ardent spirit would have yield- 
 ed to the commands of the physician, the solicitations 
 of friends, and the exhaustions of nature. A few pas- 
 sages from the diary, in this his last year of duty and ser- 
 vi^e, may not be uninteresting to those who knew him. 
 
 January 17, 1825. "Preached three times yester- 
 day: a tranquil night enabled me to meet the duty and 
 pleasure of attending the Bible Committee this morn- 
 ing. At four o'clock went to the Missionary committee 
 of tours, to express my desire of being released from 
 an engagement to visit Plymouth, Cornwall, &c.; plead- 
 ing the bad state of my health: at five attended the 
 meeting of the directors; went from thence, at six, to 
 the committee of the Congregational School." 
 
 January 31st. "Yesterday, preached three times: 
 in the evening my sermon exceeded the hour; forgot 
 to watch the clock. But, really, how can we count 
 minutes, and mark the hand of a time-piece, when we 
 are anxious to awaken souls from sin and death, and 
 persuade them to come to a Savior, for salvation and 
 eternal life. If we had the Apostle's spirit and temper, 
 we should rise more above the cold and chilling influ- 
 ence of prudence and self-preservation. I would be 
 willing to devote the last atom of my strength to the 
 publication of the Gospel, and pray to be more imbued 
 with the love of immortal souls. O Lord! arise; shine
 
 128 MEMOIR OF 
 
 upon every department of Thy church, and let there 
 be great joy in heaven and on earth, for the conversion 
 of sinners and the prosperity of Thy redeemed people. 
 
 February 26th. "To-morrow's duties are heavy; 
 but I will retire to rest, hoping to find refreshing sleep, 
 that my strength may be renewed. O Lord! merci- 
 fully grant that, out of my weakness, Thy strength may 
 be perfected. Let the services of the ensuing Sabbath 
 be greatly blessed; and if this pain and weakness are 
 the precursors to a closing of my ministerial labors, for- 
 give all my past infirmities, and help me, as I pass over 
 Jordan, to say, O death, where is thy sting! O grave, 
 where is thy victory! But, if the triumph of faith is 
 not to be mine, let me lean on Thy mighty arm, and 
 feel the support Thou hast promised to those who love 
 and trust Thee." 
 
 March 24th. "I have this day reached the age of 
 sixty-eight. With what seriousness of spirit, and with 
 what feelings of humility and regret, do I call to re- 
 membrance my many and great offences against the 
 God of my father, the God of my mercies, the God 
 whose protection and goodness have followed me for so 
 many years. I have been indulged by divine Provi- 
 dence far beyond all my expectations; but, oh! the in- 
 sensibility, the forgetfulness, and the ingratitude of my 
 heart! O that I could recover time and wasted seasons! 
 Opportunities of doing good have been too much 
 slighted; and my soul has lived at a distance from God, 
 forgetting the blessings He has bestowed on me. O 
 that I might have more zeal, more usefulness, more faith, 
 and more love. If eternal life rested upon my innate vir- 
 tue, or any works of righteousness which 1 have done, 
 I should utterly despair. I know it is the gift of 
 God through the blessed Redeemer, discovered and 
 appropriated by the Holy Spirit working faith in the 
 soul. I entreat for that faith, I pray to be prepared, 
 and desire to hail the hour of my departure with con- 
 fidence and joy; yet I feel nature recoiling, the weak-
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 129 
 
 ness of faith very prevailing. There are times when 
 my soul is so deeply penetrated with a sense of the ho- 
 liness and majesty of God, and with the mysterious and 
 solemn aspect of the eternal world, that I am ready to 
 exclaim with the prophet, Woe is me! for I am un- 
 done; because lama man of unclean lips. Isaiah vi. 5; 
 and with Job, xlii. 5 and 6, / have heard of thee by 
 the hearing of the ear; but now mine eye seeth thee. 
 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. 
 Quicken me, O Lord, according to thy word', for my 
 soul cleaveth to the dust. Lead my thoughts more to 
 death and eternity. May 1 join the happy society of 
 those dear parents, whose excellent instructions, and 
 earnest prayers to God for my salvation, have laid me 
 under obligations never to be cancelled." 
 
 May 1 1 . "Another general meeting of the Mission- 
 arytSociety has gladdened my heart, and I would say, 
 surely the time, the set time to favor Zion is come; fa- 
 cilities for spreading the Gospel have increased, with an 
 eagerness to receive instruction. Never did the field 
 of the world wear a more pleasing and inviting aspect. 
 The heathen, the Mahometan, and the Roman Catho- 
 lic countries seem to cry, Come over and help us. I 
 have seen the return of this meeting of the tribes with 
 gratitude; probably this will be the last at which I shall 
 assist. Daily am I expecting some powerful attack will 
 carry me into eternity. Father of rny spirit! enlighten, 
 warm, purify, this cold and wretched heart of mine: fill 
 it with heavenly desires; help me to set my affections 
 more upon Thee and on eternal things!" 
 
 19. "Left London for Newport Pagnell, where I 
 was to preach the anniversary sermon for the Academy. 
 With great kindness my friends there received my fee- 
 ble efforts, and mentioned with pleasure a discourse I 
 had delivered twelve years since. They wished to 
 have it printed, and would have guaranteed me from all 
 expense; but to this I could not consent." 
 12
 
 130 MEMOIR OF 
 
 May SO. "A restless night has much indisposed me 
 for the heavy day's work before me; but God is all- 
 sufficient, and will give me strength, while I willingly 
 devote that, and my time, to His cause and to works of 
 humanity. May I be looking inward to the state of my 
 own soul, forward, to the valley of the shadow of death, 
 and upward, to the glory promised and secured to all 
 who love and trust in our Redeemer." 
 
 And the soul was daily ripening, the faith was soon 
 to be exercised in the valley, and the glory was shortly 
 to be entered upon. In July the reluctant invalid was 
 forced from his duties, to quiet and inactivity. He 
 went to Hastings, where he writes: 
 
 "My spirit is overwhelmed within me, but I can lift 
 up my eyes to the Rock of ages, and implore grace and 
 strength to meet my hours of pain and sleeplessness. 
 Jn knowledge and faith I am still a mere child; but I 
 long to be absorbed in spiritual and eternal things, and 
 to have my mind moulded after the image of my dear 
 Redeemer, that I may be penetrated with the sublime 
 views of the heaven where He reigns there, no sleep 
 will be needed, because our bodies shall be fashioned 
 like unto his own glorious body; even his, who is the 
 resurrection and the life." 
 
 Hastings. Sabbath-day, August 29. "Did not leave 
 the cottage yesterday, but made some addition to the 
 skeletons of sermons which I have commenced. To- 
 day have preached to a serious and attentive auditory, 
 as if I had neither disease nor debility. With earnest- 
 ness and fidelity I addressed the people, feeling it would 
 be the last time, and urging the necessity of preparing 
 for that eternity, in which days, and months, and years 
 will be reckoned no more. 1 told them we were most 
 probably taking our last farewell on earth, as my age 
 and state of health offered little probability of myj sur- 
 viving the winter; and that I drew all my hope, peace, 
 and comfort, from the atonement, righteousness, and 
 intercession of Christ. Mr. D read, and engaged
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 131 
 
 in prayer. As I sat in the' vestry rny agitation was ex- 
 treme, fearing I should be unable to complete my en- 
 gagement; but my attentive friend had placed for me a 
 seat in the pulpit, and thus enabled me to bear another 
 testimony to the love and power of a Savior." 
 
 Sept. 3. "On this day, bade a final farewell to 
 Hastings. How sweet, how delightful is home! What 
 pleasure I anticipate in again seeing my congregation, 
 in the employment of prayer and praise! O Lord, meet 
 with us! grant that, on the morrow, we may have a fore- 
 taste of the meeting of the whole Church at the mar- 
 riage supper of the Lamb! O happy hour; O blest 
 abode!" 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 CONDUCT IN THE PROSPECT OF SPEEDY DISSOLU- 
 TION. HIS DEATH. 
 
 AUTUMN of 1825. Retirement from public duties, 
 with the bracing and invigorating air of the sea, had 
 this year failed in producing their ordinary beneficial 
 effects, and Mr. Townsend appears to have returned 
 home with a conviction that nature was soon to be dis- 
 solved. In September and October he went to the 
 College at Wymondley, where, on the latter visit, he 
 was so much indisposed, that an immediate return to 
 London was considered necessary; but a sermon had 
 been promised in a neighboring town, and he determin- 
 ed on fulfilling the engagement. He left on the follow- 
 ing morning at six o'clock, and on his arrival at home, 
 was menaced with the rupture of a vessel on the lungs. 
 To prevent this, he was bled on that, and on the suc- 
 ceeding day; which, with other remedies, averted the 
 threatened attack; but the breaches made in the citadel 
 were daily widening, and every repulse grew feebler.
 
 132 MEMOIR OF 
 
 In November, Mr. Townsend re-commenced public 
 duties. On the 10th of that month he met, for the last 
 time, the ministers of the Congregational Board; and on 
 the evening of the same day, he preached at Orange- 
 street, and on the ] 1th, at Hackney. On the 13th he 
 delivered three sermons, and on Monday, the 14th, we 
 find him at various committees. 
 
 On Monday, November the 21st, he attended a gen- 
 eral committee of the British and Foreign Bible Socie- 
 ty, praying earnestly, before he left home, that God 
 would give wisdom to the decisions of that day, that a 
 spirit of calmness and moderation might pervade their 
 counsels, and that all present might act as became 
 Christians, who professed to be influenced by the pre- 
 cepts of that holy Book, which it was their united ob- 
 ject to circulate. 
 
 But this variety and extent of exertion tended to 
 exhaust the little remaining strength of our venerable 
 friend, who frequently reposed all night in his chair, his 
 malady allowing him very little sleep. On the 26th of 
 November, he was again bled to reduce inflammation, 
 and on the 27th he preached two sermons; after which 
 he writes: "My public ministry will soon close, and I 
 fear I must yield to the doctrine, so long and earnestly 
 urged upon me, 'Spare thyself;' but I shall not submit 
 without another struggle. Necessity only shall lead me 
 to abandon my pulpit and my study. I have much rea- 
 son to record the goodness of God, especially in grant- 
 ing me a calm and resigned state of mind, more spirit- 
 ualized, and enlightened with the hope and prospect of 
 that blessedness which will be the portion of all who be- 
 lieve in Christ. Affliction is a school, in which many 
 important and profitable lessons are to be learned; but 
 I am a dull scholar, and need line upon line, and pre- 
 cept upon precept. O for a larger measure of wisdom 
 and grace, that I may be more anxious for the glory of 
 God, the spread of pure and unadulterated truth, and
 
 REV. JOHN* TOWNSEND. 133 
 
 the conversion of immortal souls! How mean, how 
 insignificant, are all pursuits compared with this!" 
 
 There was little cessation of service in December; 
 in the early part of which, a physician had been called 
 in, whose prescriptions had relieved some of the worst 
 symptoms. Mental vigor and religious principle, car- 
 ried him through the duties of that month. On the 29th 
 he preached, for the last time, at Fetter Lane: the sub- 
 ject a favorite one Practical Religion the text appro- 
 priate, Matt. vii. 20. On the 30th he delivered a ser- 
 mon at the Adelphi, from Matt. xxi. 22; tlabuditory 
 were unusually attentive, and the impression ral on his 
 own mind was that of hope and pleasure. 
 
 We are now approaching the last scenes of life 
 scenes, ever most interesting to survivors, and whose 
 details are sought with avidity. Affection would catch 
 the last look; friendship would treasure up in memory 
 the last sentence. We cannot follow the spirit of those 
 who wing their flight to unknown and untried worlds; 
 but we like to descend into the valley with them, we 
 linger on the shore, and anxiously watch their passage 
 over the river. Such scenes are opening to us; but ere 
 we record them, we must tell of Christian principles, 
 evidenced by sermons delivered when the preacher was, 
 in fact, a dying man. In January, Mr. Townsend 
 preached on the first four Sabbaths twice on each; he 
 also performed all his other pastoral duties, and attended 
 most of the committees. On Thursday, the 19th, he 
 officiated at Orange-street; and on Sunday, the 22d, 
 delivered his last sermon there, and at Jamaica-row, 
 from the text, Consider what I say, and the Lord give 
 thee understanding in all things. 
 
 On the Saturday evening previous, his daughter had 
 observed symptoms which told her that the last hours 
 were rapidly approaching. With all the solicitude of 
 affection, she implored him not to preach on the mor- 
 row; but the father's ruling passion was love to the souls 
 of men, and this, strong even in death, prevailed over 
 *12
 
 134 MEMOIR OF 
 
 every consideration of prudence. So decided was her 
 conviction of her parent's real danger, that she passed 
 the night without sleep. On the Monday morning, his 
 usual medical friend was summoned; who, on leaving 
 him, said "Never have I seen Mr. Townsend so ill." 
 Distressing symptoms rapidly increased, and all gave 
 signs that the over-taxed frame would, ere long, dis- 
 lodge the "tenant soul." Now were the humility, pa- 
 tience, and resignation of this eminent servant of God in 
 full exercise. The self-abasement which had attended 
 him through his long and useful life, was most con- 
 spicuous, together with a deeper sense of the purity and 
 holiness of God. These are sentiments, that generally 
 attend the Christian, who has long held communion 
 with the majesty of a holy Being, and contemplated 
 with attentive scrutiny his own internal corruptions. It 
 is not that faith is weaker, or that he does not see the 
 glory and all-sufficiency of Him who died to save those 
 who believe in Him; but that long contemplation of that 
 which is holy, gives an emphasis to penitential feeling, 
 which increases as the soul waits to be delivered from 
 its body of sin and death. 
 
 Thus it was with our venerable friend; his humility 
 deepened, while his hopes were within the veil, and his 
 soul was sustained by that peace which is perfect. The 
 hovering shades at the entrance of the dark valley did 
 not appal him, for it was irradiated by the beams of the 
 Sun of righteousness. 
 
 There was no dependence upon past duties; all hopes 
 of salvation rested upon the atonement of a Savior, and 
 the immutability of divine love. He was overwhelmed 
 with regret that he had done so little for God; the rec- 
 titude of his conduct, the purity of his motives, were 
 mourned over as defective. On a minister recalling to 
 him the prospect of meeting those in heaven, to whom 
 he had been useful while on earth, he replied, "I hope 
 so." The same friend mentioning to him the promised 
 crown as waiting for him, he exclaimed, "It is well for
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 135 
 
 me that it is a blood-bought crown, or I could never 
 expect to wear it." His resignation during attacks of 
 pain was remarkable; in a conversation with his eldest 
 daughter on the subject, he concluded with the follow- 
 ing lines: 
 
 Whate'er thy sov'reigfl will ordains, 
 
 () give me strength to bear; 
 And lei me know a Father reigns, 
 
 Nor doubt a Father's care/' 
 
 He said lo a young friend, who was soon to enter on 
 the Christian ministry, "The promises of God are my 
 support, they are yea and amen in Christ Jesus. I 
 have no extatic joy, but I have a sure hope and peace 
 in God." On being reminded of the numerous persons 
 to whom his ministry had been useful, he said, "Yes, I 
 am thankful that I have been made an instrument of 
 goed. This is a proof that it is not the most eloquent 
 address, nor the greatest talents; not by might, not by 
 power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord" He con- 
 cluded the conversation by saying, "Remember, from 
 the lips of a dying man, you are charged to preach the 
 Gospel of our Lord and Savior." On one of his family 
 asking him how he did, resting his arm on his Bible, he 
 replied, "Here I am, safe. I know it is a finished 
 righteousness;" and on another occasion, "The prom- 
 ises in this book are my sheet anchor." 
 
 On the 1st of February, having considerably revived, 
 he expressed a hope, that he might be able to address 
 his people at the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, on 
 the following Sunday. His daughter said, "I do not 
 think you must attempt that." The reply was in the 
 words of the beloved disciple, "My dear, I would only 
 say, Little children, love one another." Indeed, this 
 amiable spirit characterised him in death, as in life; for 
 his only anxiety was, that his church might continue 
 in peace and harmony; and his frequent prayer ascend- 
 ed, that they might be directed in the choice of a 
 successor.
 
 136 MEMOIR OF 
 
 To God he attributed all the kindness he had met 
 with from friends, and particularly from ministers; from 
 whom he could not recollect having received one act of 
 unkindness. The reply was, "It would have been sin- 
 gular had this not been the case, when you have been 
 uniformly amiable." The humble Christian shook his 
 head, saying, "My dear, do not praise me, only pray 
 for me." His sufferings were very severe, and it was 
 with difficulty those who attended him could support 
 the sight of them. Some of the following expressions 
 were uttered in these moments: 
 
 "My sufferings are not worth a thought, 
 When, Lord, compar'd with thine." 
 
 "Human nature cannot bear this long. What must have 
 been the sufferings of the martyrs at the stake? What 
 must have been the Savior's agony, when, in the pros- 
 pect of death, he cried out, Father, if it be possible, let 
 this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not my will, but 
 Thine be done?- What are my sufferings, compared to 
 the Savior's in the garden, when he sweat, as it were, 
 great drops of blood?'' With peculiar emphasis, never 
 to be forgotten, he prayed, "Father of mercies, hear 
 my poor prayer; if not to relieve, to help me to bear, 
 and suffer, 
 
 'A guilty, weak, and helpless worm, 
 
 On thy kind arms I fall: 
 Be Thou my strength, and righteousness, 
 
 My Jesus, and my all!' 
 
 It is the hand of the Lord: I desire to bow with sub- 
 mission. This suffering is all necessary to loosen my 
 strong attachment to my beloved family: 
 
 'Why should I shrink at thy command, 
 
 Whose love forbids my fears, 
 Or tremble at the gracious hand 
 
 That wipes away my tears? 
 
 'No, let me rather freely yield 
 
 What most I prize, to Thee, 
 Who never hast a good withheld, 
 
 Or wilt withhold, from me.' "
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 137 
 
 His affection to those whom he had long loved still 
 triumphed over pain and suffering. To his tenderly 
 beloved wife he said, "You have made an idol of me, 
 and God is removing me; but look up to Him: He will 
 take care of you." He committed her as a legacy to 
 his friends and children, entreating his daughter to 
 guard her from all recollections that vrould remind her 
 of the loss she would soon have sustained. To his 
 brother, who was much agitated at the prospect of their 
 separation, he said, "You must be still, and remember 
 it is the will of the Lord." On a relative taking a final 
 leave of him, he made the following remark: "As a 
 minister of Christ, let usefulness be your constant aim." 
 For the eternal interests of his grand-children he was 
 most anxious; frequently did he entreat them to remem- 
 ber their Creator in the days of their youth. 
 
 That total absence of every consideration of self, 
 which marked the active days of our admirable friend, 
 was exhibited in the passive scenes of sickness. When 
 in extreme pain, not a murmur escaped him; but he 
 constantly feared that those who attended him would 
 suffer from exertion, as great weariness of his frame 
 was induced by the nature of his disease, which pre- 
 cluded all possibility of taking repose in a recumbent 
 posture. A few hours before his death, he said, "What 
 will you do, when I get weaker?" But the Sun of 
 peace was soon to rise, never to set; relative affections, 
 pastoral duties, benevolent feelings, were shortly to be 
 absorbed in the vision of uncreated beauty and excel- 
 lence. He was soon to hear the harps of the angelic 
 world, welcoming him to the abodes of holy joy and 
 peace. 
 
 On Tuesday evening, the 7th of February, his broth- 
 er, who was to preach the lecture, saw him previously, 
 when he asked what was the proposed text, making 
 some remarks which proved that there was no decay of 
 intellectual vigor. After this conversation, he had a 
 short and quiet sleep; on awaking from which, his
 
 138 MEMOIR OF 
 
 daughter inquired how he felt. His reply was, I am 
 refreshed, but my disease is not abated." She said, 
 "Your mind seems perfectly composed." The answer 
 to this remark, was a testimony to the fidelity of his 
 God, "Yes, the Lord is good, a strong hold in the day 
 of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him." 
 The sands were now running low the tide of life ebbed 
 rapidly. The dearest object of a hallowed affection 
 entered the room: his lips uttered an expression of deep 
 tenderness; he gently laid his head on her shoulder, and 
 the unfettered spirit took its upward flight to that world 
 with which he had long held communion. So favored 
 was he, that the cold waters of death had been seen 
 only in perspective. None of the usual precursors had 
 agitated the dying saint. So calmly did he die, there 
 was no sting. One moment expressing the tenderest 
 earthly love; the next, ushered into the presence of the 
 Best Beloved. The angel of death had a short triumph 
 the wing was felt, the arrow was pointless. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 REFLECTIONS ON MR. TOWNSEND 5 S MOST PROMINENT 
 CHARACTERISTICS. 
 
 IT has been asserted in private charges have been de- 
 livered from the pulpit, accusing those who are active 
 and zealous in aiding the general and universal interests 
 of religion, of neglecting their studies, not fulfilling 
 their pastoral duties, forgetting their sick and afflicted, 
 with many similar aspersions from the less ardent and 
 less zealous servants of the same Master. But the 
 writer of this memoir can affirm, that, as a pastor, Mr. 
 Townsend was exemplary. His church had been or- 
 ganised by himself, on the form he believed most scrip-
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 139 
 
 tural, that of Congregational Dissent; and the firmness 
 of his character secured to him that peace, which so 
 many pastors in the same denomination never find. 
 
 He always urged on his people the necessity of 
 prayer, with the utility and duty of attending meetings 
 for this devotional exercise. Whatever his other en- 
 gagements might be, this part of divine worship was 
 neither forgotten or neglected, and was, perhaps, never 
 performed with more touching solemnity, and more deep 
 humility, than by our excellent friend. 
 
 The privilege of coming to the sacrament was con- 
 stantly exhibited in his sermons: he encouraged the 
 timid, and pointed out the obligations they were under, 
 to obey the dying injunction of their Redeemer. His 
 conviction of the sin that attends those who live in the 
 neglect of this ordinance, induced him to publish a tract 
 "Qn the great neglect of the Lord's Supper." 
 
 When the members of his church were ill, he was 
 ever ready with his sympathy and his prayers, though 
 in this part of his pastoral obligation he found an occa- 
 sion for greater self-denial than in some others. Still 
 he esteemed it so primary a duty, that no committee 
 was allowed to interfere with it. He frequently went, 
 when sinking under extreme debility^ to visit such 
 claimants, who were resident some miles distant. His 
 affectionate disposition, united with much judgment, 
 eminently qualified him for visits to the house of mourn- 
 ing: his consolations were soothing, his conversation 
 instructive. To the aged and the young he was alike 
 acceptable. 
 
 He was ever anxious to know the wants and necessi- 
 ties of his people; but his visits to the tables of his con- 
 gregation were rare, as they did not enter into the list 
 of what he considered pastoral duties. An unexpected 
 summons to a committee, or to preach a charity ser- 
 mon, would make him relinquish the most agreeable 
 social interview; and a biscuit and draught of cold 
 water, taken in London, were frequently substituted for 

 
 140 MEMOIR OF 
 
 the well-spread board, at which he would have been a 
 welcome guest. 
 
 The schools attached to the chapel received a large 
 share of his attention: he found lime, not merely to 
 catechise the children, but to exhort and warn them of 
 sins, incidental to their age and circumstances. 
 
 In the pulpit, Mr. Townsend had been singularly 
 useful to persons in almost every rank of life. His 
 sermons were plain, simple, unadorned; having neither 
 the aid of rhetoric nor imagination. They had all the 
 comprehensiveness of vigorous thought, with little ab- 
 stractedness, their tendency being obvious to the mean- 
 est capacity. He always cultivated simplicity in preach- 
 ing, as he believed it characterised the primitive teach- 
 ers. Order and arrangement were evident his mate- 
 rials were full and clear his manner impressive and 
 grave. From the Bible he brought his arguments, his 
 reasonings, his appeals; and never did he enter on any 
 of the abstruser points of doctrine, without supporting 
 his assertions with a quotation from Scripture. The 
 understanding, the conscience, the heart, were the ob- 
 jects of his attack he convinced, awakened, and com- 
 forted. His doctrines ' were orthodox, and he never 
 separated them from duties, but insisted on the neces- 
 sity of practical religion arising from evangelical prin- 
 ciples, and each truth of the Gospel was displayed in 
 his sermons. The free and sovereign grace of God 
 was the favorite theme of his preaching, but the effect 
 he displayed as necessarily arising from the reception 
 of such grace, was pure and undefiled religion, which 
 had its seat in the heart, and its birth in the love of God. 
 He taught that faith in Christ must necessarily produce 
 love, from which obedience arises, with a conformity to 
 the divine image. The doctrines of justification by 
 works, and of baptismal regeneration, were frequently 
 assailed in his sermons, as he believed they set aside 
 the righteousness of Christ, and the influences of the 
 Holy Spirit. He delighted in the exhibition of the
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 141 
 
 consolations of religion; but he could strike his hearers 
 with awe and terror, when he felt it his duty to rouse 
 the lethargic, or to recal the wandering. 
 
 Mr. Townsend has been aptly styled "the apostle of 
 charity;" such in very truth he was. The sphere of 
 his philanthropy was so large, and embraced so great a 
 variety of objects, that the relation would be tedious. 
 He had not only commenced and reared two lasting 
 monuments of his benevolence and perseverance, but 
 he belonged to almost every society that embraced 
 either religious, moral, or physical relief to his fellow 
 men. The perusal of the accompanying sketch will 
 give an imperfect view, which is more fully developed 
 in the selections from the Diary. There are, however, 
 some acts of beneficence, to be related only by those, 
 who knew him in his more private habits. With a lim- 
 ited income, he allowed aged persons a small stipend 
 to assist them in the winter, at which season he distri- 
 uted coals; giving not merely to those of his own con- 
 gregation, but extending his liberality to the poor of his 
 neighborhood. So early as the year 1786, he had 
 established a society for visiting the sick; and the love 
 and respect shown him by the miserable and destitute 
 of his own vicinity, equalled the tribute of admiration 
 which he was ever receiving from the noble and the 
 wealthy. He was sometimes honored by being appoint- 
 ed almoner; but this never superseded the usual draft 
 upon his own funds, which was extended with every 
 increase of income.* 
 
 His distribution of tracts was very extensive: he 
 never left home without a supply, and he embraced 
 every opportunity of sending them abroad. An agent 
 was constantly employed by him, to convey these use- 
 ful little messengers of mercy to prisons, hospitals, and 
 workhouses. 
 
 * Mr. Townsend having met with a loss of property, his old and tried 
 friend, Mr. Hawkes, bequeathed to him a sum which was an ample equiv- 
 alent. 
 
 13
 
 142 MEMOIR OF 
 
 Mr. Townsend possessed a clear and vigorous tinder- 
 standing. His conceptions were neither striking nor 
 imaginative, but he had great originality and accuracy 
 of thought. His intellectual endowments were not nu- 
 merou, but he had a mind well informed on all sub- 
 jects, connected with the general interests of the world 
 and of the church. 
 
 Prudence was a prominent feature in his character; 
 and to this valuable gift, with his extraordinary energy 
 and perseverance, may be attributed much that he 
 effected. His caution never allowed him to communi- 
 cate, in his private circle, aught that had transpired in 
 committees, or in his pastoral visits. 
 
 He had a singular power of abstracting himself from 
 external objects, and could summon at will materials 
 for the composition of a sermon, a tract, or an essay, 
 not only in the crowded streets of a c\ty a but in com- 
 mittee rooms, where, probably, his attention would be 
 immediately called to discuss an intricate question. 
 At such times he would rise, and, after apparent inat- 
 tention to all that had previously passed, would make a 
 luminous speech, aptly and immediately bearing on the 
 subject under discussion. 
 
 His power of embracing objects so multifarious arose, 
 not merely from energy and a determination to accom- 
 plish what he had undertaken, but he had that valuable 
 art, too commonly neglected, of securing every frag- 
 ment of time; not a minute was lost, either at home, or 
 in society; no useless conversation was allowed to in- 
 trude on hours sacred to usefulness. He knew no re- 
 laxation, but that which arose from the variety of his 
 pursuits. 
 
 That there was an universal confidence in his judg- 
 ment, was evident from the frequent appeals made to 
 him for decision, in cases of difficulty. Churches and 
 families submitted to him their most private affairs; and 
 his character as a peace-maker beautifully blended with 
 his sense of justice, which never allowed him to con-
 
 RKV. JOHN TOWNSEXD. 143 
 
 demn any man, but upon clear evidence of guilt. He 
 never listened to surmises, nor to that species of slan- 
 der from which the most innocent can find no refuge. 
 The absence of all acerbity of character marked his 
 decisions and his opinions severe to himself, he loved 
 to display that mercy to others 
 
 "Which becomes 
 
 The throned monarch better than his crown/' 
 'In the course of justice, none of us 
 Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy; 
 And that same prayer doth teach us all to render 
 The deeds of mercy." 
 
 A dissenter from conviction, Mr. Townsend had im- 
 bibed too much of the spirit of his Master, to allow an 
 attachment to modes and sys?ms to separate him from 
 Christians of a different party. With pleasure he united 
 with all, who believed in the Lord, one Faith, one 
 Baptism. Gentle in points where no dereliction of prin- 
 ciple was involved, he was inflexible when duty requir- 
 ed. His opposition to lord Sidmouth's bill, and Mr. 
 Brougham's education bill, was both active and decided. 
 The extracts we have given from the preface to Claude, 
 will prove Mr. T.'s strong attachment to the principles 
 of Protestantism. Had he lived in the sixteenth cen- 
 tury, he would probably have ranked with a Luther and 
 a Melancthon. 
 
 In his domestic character, Mr. Townsend was con- 
 stitutionally amiable he needed not that self-control 
 which many Christians find necessary gentleness and 
 tenderness were his characteristics; there was nothing 
 selfish, nothing contracted. As a husband, he was af- 
 fectionate and considerate. The only shade that crossed 
 his brow during his last illness, was on the reflection of 
 what a beloved wife might suffer for his loss. As a 
 father, his great anxiety was, that he might see his chil- 
 dren devoted to the service of God, in faith and good 
 works. Many were the prayers he offered for them; 
 and deeply, till the latest moment of life, did he value 
 those, which his excellent parents had offered for him.
 
 144 MEMOIR OF 
 
 In his filial and fraternal relations, he was exemplary. 
 His affectionate union with his brother was neither 
 dimmed by increasing age, nor lessened by frequent 
 absence. Sympathy of feeling, and similarity of senti- 
 ment, so blended with the natural tenderness of their 
 characters, that nothing arose, in a long life, to cast a 
 shadow over the brightness of a love, which might be 
 compared to that of David and Jonathan. 
 
 As a master, he was always solicitous that his ser- 
 vants should receive every comfort which their situa- 
 tions could secure, and his attention to their religious 
 improvement was constant. 
 
 As a Christian, Mr. Townsend was remarkable for 
 heavenly mindedness and humility. Prayer was his 
 element; every distinct act of the day was consecrated 
 by the blessing implored on it, before he left his study. 
 It was his weapon of defence to secure him from all 
 that might injure him in his commerce with the world. 
 Never would he enter on sacred duty, without devoting 
 an hour to holding communion with his God. He rose 
 frequently at six, sometimes earlier, to secure this priv- 
 ilege; esteeming it the only way to ensure tranquillity 
 of mind, and purity in the affections. His humility was 
 of an extraordinary character, and marked every action, 
 every sermon, every conversation. 
 
 The following quotation from a sermon delivered on 
 the occasion of his death, will not here be irrele- 
 vant: 
 
 "He was a man of sincere and unaffected humility: 
 his temptation to vanity were as powerful as could well 
 have assailed any public character the applause of 
 popular assemblies, the homage of the representatives 
 of foreign nations, the condescensions of royal favor on 
 the part of crowned heads, and of princes of the blood, 
 the general estimation of the wise and good; yet all 
 this abated not the lowly estimate he formed of himself. 
 He was proof against 'the fascinations of the high-born 
 smile,' which dissolved not his stedfast virtue, nor be-
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 145 
 
 trayed him into vain glorious display, or obtrusive pre- 
 sumption. I heard a venerable Prelate of the Episco- 
 pal church once say to him in a public company, 'Mr. 
 Townsend, if you come to our city, and take up your 
 quarters any where but in the Bishop's palace, I shall 
 be quite affronted with you:' and this was not the only 
 instance in which the Episcopal portals were open to 
 receive him by express invitation." 
 
 Neither envy nor jealousy entered his soul. The ris- 
 ing star of a younger and more popular minister was 
 hailed with pleasure; and if, by accidental levity in con- 
 versation or in conduct, such were likely to fall under 
 censure, his moral and Christian courage never failed 
 to warn them of their danger. He has frequently in- 
 curred the risk of losing their friendship, rather than 
 encourage that which his devout spirit esteemed wrong. 
 Any allusions to Scripture, uttered thoughtlessly, always 
 grieved him, and the advice of the Apostle to the 
 Ephesians* being his motto, was enforced on those 
 with whom he associated. A strict adherance to truth 
 marked his own conversation: he avoided narrative, as 
 he dreaded the probability of giving an unintentional 
 gloss, which might mislead those who listened. 
 
 Christian principles were the basis of Mr. Townsend's 
 character. Nature had given him much that was bright 
 and excellent, and she might have made him a philan- 
 thropist; but it was religion that sanctified the high and 
 noble purposes of his soul, giving, as a motive, the 
 heavenly consideration, that he was not his own, but 
 had been bought with a price, which no duty, no sacri- 
 fice, could ever cancel. This was the operative princi- 
 ple of his benevolence the centre, from which diverg- 
 ed every line of exertion. His list of duties was well 
 arranged, and the arrangement acted on all had a due 
 proportion nothing turned his well directed mind from 
 its plans. Duty to God, duty to man, forbade anyper- 
 
 * Ephes. iv. 29. 
 
 *13
 
 146 MEMOIR OF 
 
 sonal indulgence, any love of self the will and the 
 affections were imbued with that spirit, which turns to 
 gold all it touches. He gave diligence to add to his 
 faith virtue; to virtue knowledge, temperance, patience, 
 godliness, brotherly kindness, charity; and can we 
 doubt that the promised entrance was ministered to 
 him abundantly, into the everlasting kingdom of his 
 Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? 
 
 When the Patriarch was buried, there went with him 
 a great company, who mourned with great and sore 
 lamentation. Thus it was with our venerable friend, 
 at whose interment a tribute of respect and esteem 
 was exhibited, which was almost unparalleled. The 
 carriages covered a length of road that might have indi- 
 cated a royal funeral. The voluntary homage of thou- 
 sands, told that the poor had lost a friend, the helpless 
 a counsellor, the children a father. 
 
 Numerous were the testimonies of affectionate re- 
 spect to the memory of her deceased husband which 
 his widow received after his death. The following are 
 not unworthy to be left on record. 
 
 "At a Special Meeting of the Committee of the 
 Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb children of the Poor, 
 held at the City of London Tavern, on Thursday, the 
 9th of February, 1 826 
 
 "Resolved unanimously That this Meeting have to 
 record, with feelings of the deepest regret, the lamented 
 death of the Rev. John Townsend, the founder of this 
 useful and extensive charity. 
 
 "That the Committee beg to offer their sincere con- 
 dolence to his widow, and his bereaved family, and to 
 request permission to attend his funeral, as a testimony 
 of respect for the memory of their excellent and much 
 esteemed friend. 
 
 "That a communication be requested with the Exe- 
 cutor, in order that the intentions of the Committee
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 147 
 
 may be carried into effect in the way that shall be con- 
 sidered the most respectful on the occasion, and most 
 in accordance with the feelings of the family." 
 
 A marble bust, presented by the Duke of Gloucester 
 and the committee, will perpetuate, in the halls of this 
 Institution, the memory of him, who first had compas- 
 sion on its helpless and interesting inmates. 
 
 "Religious Tract Society, Feb. 28, 1826. 
 
 "At a Meeting of the Committee held this day, 
 
 "Resolved That the Committee offer to the bereav- 
 ed family and friends of the late Rev. John Townsend, 
 their sincere condolence, and, at the same time, recur 
 to his memory with sentiments of profound respect and 
 most cordial regard; sensible that, in losing him, the 
 Chlirch and the world have lost a bright ornament, and 
 an eminent benefactor. 
 
 "On his devotional spirit, on the soundness of his 
 judgment, the simplicity of his manners, the suavity of 
 his disposition, and his exemplary zeal in the numerous 
 departments of labor into which his piety and philan- 
 thropy conducted him, it were both easy and gratifying 
 to expatiate. But to speak more appropriately, 
 
 "In him, the Committee welcomed one of their earli- 
 est friends, an acceptable contributor to their publica- 
 tions, for many years a member of their body, and they 
 feel persuaded, to the latest period of his life, an indi- 
 vidual, whose congratulations and prayers accompanied 
 the progress of the Society, in its operations throughout 
 the world." 
 
 "At a Meeting of the Board of Congregational Min- 
 isters, on Tuesday the 14th of February, 1826, 
 
 "It was unanimously resolved That though it has 
 not been the usage of this Board to advert to the 
 decease of its members, it is, nevertheless, deemed
 
 1 48 MEMOIR OF 
 
 proper to record on its minutes a special resolution, ex- 
 pressive of its deep regret at the recent event, which, 
 in the dispensation of Divine Providence, has removed 
 from their fellowship on earth the REV. JOHN TOWN- 
 SEND; whose memory they desire to venerate with 
 grateful recollections, on account of his EMINENT 
 CHRISTIAN PHILANTHROPY, and especially the PRAC- 
 TICAL and EFFICIENT BENEVOLENCE which he dis- 
 played on behalf of that denomination, to which this 
 Board more particularly belongs. 
 
 "On this occasion, they deem it their incumbent duty 
 to pay this marked tribute of RESPECT and AFFEC- 
 TION to the CHARACTER of their DEPARTED FRIEND, 
 as the only practicable method of expressing their res- 
 pect and veneration." 
 
 The following is a copy of a resolution passed 
 unanimously, by the Committee of the Congregational 
 School, at their meeting held on Monday, the 20th 
 April, 1826: 
 
 "It having pleased the great Head of the Church, in 
 the arrangements of his unerring Providence, to call 
 home to himself, since the last meeting of this commit- 
 tee, the venerable and excellent founder of the Con- 
 gregational School, 
 
 "Resolved That this Committee is anxious to em- 
 brace the earliest opportunity of recording its sense of 
 the very great loss which this School, in common with 
 the numerous religious and benevolent Institutions with 
 which the late Rev. John Townsend stood connected, 
 has sustained by his removal. 
 
 "This Committee will long and fondly cherish the 
 memory of his amiable deportment, of his unaffected 
 piety, of his disinterested zeal, and of the eminent 
 services which he rendered, not only to this Institution, 
 but to the cause of Christ at large."
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 149 
 
 The following excellent letter was written three days 
 before Mr. Townsend's death, and addressed to his 
 sorrowing wife: 
 
 "February 4, 1826. 
 
 My dear Friend, I have been confined by a severe 
 indisposition to the house for these several weeks, else 
 I should have personally inquired alter the afflicted 
 state of your venerable husband, and my beloved friend. 
 I learned, the day before yesterday, that it was deemed 
 proper to keep him quiet and undisturbed, even by the 
 approach of the tenderest friendship, except that of his 
 own family: I have therefore taken the liberty, through 
 you, of requesting your dear daughter to send me, if 
 but two lines, as to the state of his health; for, as to his 
 mind, I know he is with God, enjoying the anticipation 
 of tys Savior, in his heavenly Father's house. He has, 
 in the course of a long and useful life, done much for 
 God; but he can yet, while the powers of articulation 
 remain, continue the same sacred work, and he can in 
 silence suffer for the honor of God; and, like a great 
 man, 'He who has taught us how to live, can now teach 
 us how to die.' Gather up, I beseech you, even the 
 broken fragments of devotional feeling, as they fall from 
 his lips; they will form a rich legacy to his beloved 
 family, his church, and the extensive circle of his pious 
 friends. The words of dying saints become living ora- 
 cles to minds susceptible of feeling their worth. In 
 regard to yourself, my beloved friend, the promises of 
 your covenant God will be your support, and the melt- 
 ings of heavenly sympathy the solace of your heart. 
 You have an interest, I say, not only in the tender sym- 
 pathies of all who know you, but what is infinitely bet- 
 ter, in the tender compassions of the Son of God, whose 
 bosom is the dwelling place of pity. While the natural 
 and honorable feelings of your heart, in its risings to 
 heaven, plead for his continuance a little longer with 
 you and your family, in the dark evening of advanced
 
 150 MEMOIR OF 
 
 life, it is probable that there is another voice issuing 
 from the excellent glory, addressed to your dearest 
 friend, saying, Come up hither. Bow down in silent 
 submission to the will of Him, who can do nothing 
 wrong, nothing unwise, and nothing which, to His re- 
 deemed people, is eventually unkind. If he depart, it 
 is in answer to the Savior's supplication, Father, I will 
 that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me 
 ivhere I am; that they may behold my glory. What a 
 heart! He does not seem fully to enjoy his mediatorial 
 reward, till His redeemed people become witnesses of 
 its splendor, and also of the uncreated effulgence of the 
 glory He had with the Father before the world was. 
 
 "I shall ever bear him on my heart before the throne 
 of our Father and our God; and beg you will convey 
 to him the assurances of my tender sympathy and. 
 earnest supplications, that he may be supported amid 
 the billows by Him, who sits King on the floods, and 
 be conducted in safety to the shores of immortal bless- 
 edness. 
 
 "With every sentiment of esteem and affectionate 
 Christian attachment, I ever am, 
 
 "My dear Friend, 
 
 "Yours, very sincerely, 
 
 "A. WAUGH." 
 
 -J :.;:; 
 
 EXTRACTS FROM THE DIARY. 
 
 . 
 
 JAN. 15, 1818. "This is the anniversary of the birth 
 of my youngest son. In our eyes he was lovely to 
 us, very dear. What a grave has the western world 
 been to Europeans! To-day, he would have attained 
 his thirty-first year. What varied and painful reflec- 
 tions return to my mind! and, as often before, so now, 
 I regret that I can procure no intelligence of his thoughts 
 or feelings in his last hours. Never does the country
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 151 
 
 in which he died come to my recollection, but it pro- 
 duces a chilling influence through all my frame. 
 
 "Be content, my soul, with the will of Heaven. 
 What thou knowest not now, thou shalt know hereafter. 
 Rest in hope; he was instructed in the ways of right- 
 eousness, he was the child of many prayers, and of 
 many faithful admonitions. He gave, in his letters, 
 some tokens of reflection upon those things which are 
 of the first importance. Suffice it that God has said, 
 They who sow in tears shall reap in joy. It cannot be, 
 that prayer, and faith, and hope, shall prove utterly 
 fruitless." 
 
 Feb. 27. "This day paid a visit to my dear friend, 
 Mr. Hardcastle, who is gradually sinking. He is per- 
 fectly resigned to the dispensation of Him, whose wis- 
 dom and mercy form the basis of hope and comfort to 
 the Christian. The dying saint is willing either to live 
 or die. In this submissive temper of mind, he said 'If 
 I am to live, I shall welcome life, and thank its Giver 
 if I am to die, I shall welcome death, and thank its 
 Conqueror but if I have any choice, it is to die, and 
 be with Christ, which is far better.' " 
 
 April 11. This morning I have been reading the 
 character, piety, and death of the Rev. David Brown, 
 who was a burning and a shining light in the supersti- 
 tious regions whither he had directed his steps. By 
 the extent of his labors, by his uniform piety and disin- 
 terestedness, by the ardor of his zeal, and the consum- 
 mate prudence of his measures, he honored his divine 
 Master, and exemplified the excellency, the power, and 
 the purity of that Gospel which he preached to others. 
 We seldom find such talents and usefulness, united with 
 such unassuming modesty, unfeigned humility, and en- 
 tire abandonment of all regard to personal ease, worldly 
 interest, and human applause. If this eminent servant 
 of Christ felt constrained humbly to deplore, and feel- 
 ingly to lament his own unworthiness, regretting that 
 he had not done more for God, what reason have I for
 
 152 
 
 MEMOIR OF 
 
 humility. O Lord, let the impressions made upon my 
 mind to-day continue, that I may be stimulated to more 
 diligence, spirituality, and self-denial, and be more as- 
 siduous in the improvement of time and talents. 
 
 April. "This morning received pleasing intelligence 
 
 from , of the 99th regiment, now in Upper Canada. 
 
 This officer dropped accidentally into a place of wor- 
 ship in the city while I was preaching, and the Lord 
 was pleased to make that sermon the means of his con- 
 version to God. He had one short interview with me 
 before he left England. He goes on well in the good 
 way, and is laying himself out for great usefulness in 
 that dark and uncultivated spot. He is stirring up the 
 clergy, and such religious persons as he meets with, to 
 acts of mercy and benevolence. / have no greater 
 joy, than to hear that my children walk in the truth. 
 Lord, grant me many more seals to my ministry, such 
 as shall be my joy here, and my crown of glory here- 
 after! 
 
 May 5. "Attended the meeting of the London Aux- 
 iliary Irish Evangelical Society. Some of the first 
 speakers had condemned the measures of government 
 in the treatment of Ireland. Aware that this might be 
 injurious, I rose, and said: "This meeting is not onlv 
 constituted of different denominations, but composed of 
 persons who differ in political opinions; such topics, 
 therefore, should be avoided. Our meeting respects 
 the spiritual concerns of Ireland, and the chairman suit- 
 ably remarked, in his opening speech, that we have 
 nothing to do with the political or commercial interests 
 of the sister kingdom, but are to aim exclusively at the 
 evangelization of that superstitious country. Perhaps 
 I may be blamed by some, who may think me timid 
 and cold-hearted towards the great question of civil 
 liberty; but I am satisfied this is neither the time, nor 
 the place, for the discussion of such topics; and, as an 
 old man, I may be forgiven for recommending pru- 
 dence. More battles have been lost by a rash and in-
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 153 
 
 discreet zeal, than by cowardice or caution. Am I not 
 supported by the example of Christ, when he sent out 
 his disciples to preach the gospel? He did not think it 
 needful to charge them to show great ardor in their at- 
 tacks upon the kingdom of darkness and sin; but the 
 soul and quintessence of that interesting charge lay 
 principally in this sentiment: Be ye therefore wise as 
 serpents, and harmless as doves. The nature of the 
 times in which we live, and the watchfulness of our ene- 
 mies to find occasion against us, loudly call upon us, t6 
 keep the advice of our divine Master in continual 
 remembrance." 
 
 Aug. 31. "Went this day to dine with the treasurer 
 and friends of the Sea-bathing Infirmary at Margate. 
 Before dinner, we walked over the wards, where I was 
 much pained to see so large a number of sufferers, re- 
 ducfd to the most deplorable condition by that cruel 
 disease, scrofula. At the entrance hall of the Infirma- 
 ry, were suspended several wooden crutches, left there 
 by those who had received a perfect cure. How much 
 more delightful to see these, than the swords and spears 
 taken in battle, which remind us only of the dear-bought 
 victories, where thousands have been sacrificed to av- 
 arice or ambition. These crutches are the trophies of 
 mercy, and proclaim the healing power of Him, whose 
 mercies are over all his works, and who healeth all our 
 diseases and forgiveth all our iniquities. The whole 
 scene convinced me of the truth, and justified the say- 
 ing of the Rev. Weeden Butler: 'The man who can 
 be an enemy to such a charity, must have a hard heart 
 indeed.'" 
 
 Sept. 17. "Attended a meeting this evening for the 
 formation of a society to be called the Continental So- 
 ciety for spreading the Gospel, over the dark places of 
 the Continent. Mr. Drummond read some letters 
 from Switzerland, Geneva, France, &c., soliciting pe- 
 cuniary assistance for the employment of some evan- 
 gelical teachers, and for the diffusion of the Bible and 
 14
 
 154 MEMOIR OF 
 
 religious tracts. O that a blessing from the Almighty 
 may rest upon our feeble endeavors." 
 
 30. "Domestic troubles have rolled in upon me 
 this week; my spirits have been much depressed, and 
 I have felt a great disposition to murmur. Let me now 
 put my own doctrines into practice, and preach to my 
 church and congregation, by my own temper, that 
 which I have urged upon them, in seasons of affliction. 
 Yes, be still, my soul, and confess the equity and good- 
 ness of God; see how many mercies are still left, and 
 how many excellent Christians are in deeper waters 
 than those which have overflowed my tent. Let me, 
 above all, think how much I need these friendly and 
 merciful corrections; may they make me more humble, 
 more spiritual, more prayerful, and wean me more from 
 this vain and transitory state; preparing me for that 
 better, brighter, more peaceful region, which so many 
 of my friends, and some of my nearest relations, have 
 already entered!" 
 
 Dec. 7. "Went again to see Mr. Hardcastle; found 
 him rather worse with 'the meekness of wisdom and 
 the gentleness of Christ' shining in him. He told me, 
 he should not be long here, but that he was thankful to 
 his heavenly Father, that He had seen fit to remove 
 him of late from the business of this world, that he 
 might look towards another. 'I am desirous,' said he, 
 'of leading myself in His hands, who holds the keys of 
 hell and of death.' He rejoiced when I recited to him 
 the leading articles of religious intelligence which I had 
 learned that morning at the Bible Society, and also at 
 the meeting of the committee of the Missionary Society; 
 especially that there was a Bible Society formed in 
 Paris, by the consent of the civil government. Indeed 
 we had that day experienced a delightful repast. The 
 Rev. John Owen made his first visit to the committee, 
 after his biblical tour in France, Switzerland, Germany, 
 &c. The minds of all present were greatly impressed 
 by the account of his journey. His speech on this
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 155 
 
 occasion was one of the most brilliant displays of the 
 variety and excellency of this speaker's talents that I. 
 had ever heard. He gave a comprehensive but rapid 
 view of what he had accomplished; including his inter- 
 views and conversations with the duke de Richelieu, 
 count Boissy D'Anglas, &ic. The wisdom and pru- 
 dence which had been discovered in his conduct at 
 Paris and Geneva were no less conspicuous than his 
 zeal. The whole narrative of his tour was expressed 
 in so lively, humble, and interesting a manner, and was 
 interspersed with such marked and pious confessions of 
 gratitude to God, and devotedness to the cause of the 
 Bible and Bible Societies, that a new impulse was given 
 to the zeal of the committee. What an incalculable loss 
 does the Church of England sustain, by allowing such 
 men as Mr. Owen to occupy inferior posts, while she 
 is qvery day raising to her high places, men, who, by 
 their lukewarmness, their worldly-mindedness, and their 
 incapacity, are doing more to retard her true progress, 
 and to weaken her genuine strength, than any of her 
 avowed enemies." 
 
 March 12, 1819. "This has been a day of deep 
 reflection. The honorable, but arduous, service of giv- 
 ing the address at the interment of my dear friend Mr. 
 
 H devolved upon me. As I passed among the 
 
 tombs in Bunhill-Fields, the recollection of many whom 
 I had loved and valued rushed to my heart; and I look- 
 ed on that grave where lie buried my honored and be- 
 loved parents. The last enemy is mowing down the 
 few friends that remain; soon will he number me with 
 those who are gone before. Do I know this? Do I feel 
 this? Why then am I not less careful for the things of 
 time, and more enamored of the realities of another and 
 a better world?" 
 
 May 8. "Had a restless night; endeavored to re- 
 fresh and support my mind, by a repetition of the 8th 
 chapter of Romans. What an interesting portion of 
 Scripture! a description of human nature, agreeing
 
 156 MEMOIR OF 
 
 with my own personal experience. Here is the way of 
 salvation by Jesus Christ chosen in Him, justified by his 
 offering of himself, renewed and sanctified by the Holy 
 Spirit, and made partakers of the divine image. Here 
 is an enumeration of the privileges and blessings of a 
 Christian. No condemnation to him; all things work 
 together for his good. He has the Spirit of adoption, 
 and is the heir of God, the joint-heir of Christ, and the 
 inheritor of glory. Here are the proofs and evidences 
 of a Christian's real state, and of those who walk not 
 after the flesh, but after the Spirit." 
 
 "August. In the delightful and well-cultivated 
 grounds of my friends at Sunbury, I rejoice to have 
 escaped from the smoke and hurry of the metropolis. 
 Nature smiles around, the flowers in bloom, the trees, 
 bending with riches, raise my heart in gratitude to God, 
 who has provided me so pleasant a retreat; but, alas! 
 even here I find care, anxiety, and a heart of unbelief, 
 embittering the cup of human life, and reminding me, 
 that this is not my rest; yea, convincing me, that, could 
 the earthly Eden be restored, it would be nothing with- 
 out a sense of the pardon of sin, and the Spirit of adop- 
 tion." 
 
 Jan. 2, 1820. "In the evening, preached a funeral 
 sermon for two females, who regularly attended on my 
 ministry. One of these individuals, who had lived to 
 the age of eighty, was a striking proof of the beneficial 
 influence of the impression made by catechetical exer- 
 cises in infancy. Carried into the vortex of worldly 
 folly, married to a man, who kept her from the ordin- 
 ances of God; all failed to eradicate from her mind the 
 powerful recollection of early instruction, and the re- 
 ligion professed in her youth. Conscience gave her no 
 rest, till she forsook the broad path of sin, and entered 
 the narrow way of holiness." 
 
 Jan. 17. "Met the directors of the Missionary 
 Society, when I received the following letter:
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 157 
 
 'Sir, You will pardon, I hope, a stranger, who im- 
 poses on you the duty of distributing the enclosed bank- 
 note, to alleviate the distresses you so feelingly and 
 powerfully portrayed on Sunday evening, in your ser- 
 mon on justification, from Romans vi. 7.' 
 
 "This is right good fruit arising from the good old 
 doctrine of justification by faith. I had strongly advo- 
 cated the necessity of good works, from the writings of 
 the apostle Paul, who was the champion of justification 
 by faith. I had challenged a disproval of the senti- 
 ment that the advocates of justification by faith, em- 
 ployed themselves in more works of mercy, than those 
 who pleaded them for their acceptance with God." 
 
 April 30. "Have been reading the life of Mr. John 
 Janeway, which was written by his excellent brother, 
 whose name was very dear to the early Non-conform- 
 ists of Bermondsey. A firm faith in the promises of 
 Go.d; an entire separation from, and holy elevation 
 abdve, this world; a uniform and spiritual communion 
 with God, by prayer and meditation; a devout longing 
 for the enjoyment of heaven, living every day upon its 
 confines, absorbed in the love of God; marked this 
 young Christian. How few of these rich attainments 
 are mine! So cold, so unbelieving, and so earthly, I 
 am covered with humility, shame, and remorse. O 
 Lord, infuse more of this vital religion into my soul! 
 Spirit divine! Fountain of life! breathe on thy servant; 
 impart to me this heavenly mind; help me to keep the 
 same distance from the world, and to cherish the same 
 spirit of prayer and meditation, keeping in view, inces- 
 santly, the presence of the all-seeing God, and the so- 
 lemnities of death and eternity. If I am raised up 
 from this affliction, O grant that I may live in a much 
 closer communion with thee, and feel more of that uni- 
 form and ardent love for souls, which warmed the heart 
 of this excellent youth. Grant that, in the hour when 
 my heart and flesh fail, the holy principles which influ- 
 enced him, may give me an equal indifference to the 
 *14
 
 158 MEMOIR OF 
 
 retreating blessings of life, the same elevated views of 
 the heavenly glory, with an assurance of my personal 
 interest in it." 
 
 May 5. "Read, this morning, my usual portion in 
 the psalms, gospels, and epistles. All unite in confes- 
 sion of human depravity, in renunciation of self-right- 
 eousness, and in a hope through Him who obtained the 
 remission of our sins, by the sacrifice of himself. 
 
 24. "The situation of has, to-day, pain- 
 fully occupied my mind. I long to impart some spir- 
 itual good in his present affliction; but what can be said 
 to support the mind, and comfort the soul, of one who 
 does not believe the divine origin of that book, from 
 whence I draw my every hope and comfort? 1 will 
 send him Dr. Bogue's essay: perhaps his narrow es- 
 cape from a sudden and unprepared death, may have 
 induced a teachable and tender spirit. A letter, written 
 with meekness, may win him to better principles; the 
 small, still voice, may be more efficacious than the storm 
 and the earthquake. In the school of affliction, may 
 God teach him some of those profitable lessons which 
 others have learned there! May he be taught his own 
 lost condition as a sinner; then his discriminating and 
 intelligent mind will perceive the suitableness, the ex- 
 cellency, and the value of the remedy, so beautifully 
 exhibited in the gospel of Christ. He already expresses 
 a wish he could believe; and sees the inconsistency of 
 those who, when on their knees, confess they are 'mis- 
 erable sinners, and ha^e left undone' all that they 'ought 
 to have done,' and from the pulpit read a lecture on the 
 dignity of human nature, the power of man to make 
 his own peace with God, and the efficacy of good works 
 to procure for us eternal life. Yes, even this individual 
 shall, in the judgment, condemn the self-righteous, who, 
 professing themselves to be ministers of Christ, send 
 'miserable sinners' to their own virtues and duties for 
 righteousness, in opposition to that apostle who says, 
 By the deeds of the law, no flesh can be justified; that
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 159 
 
 if righteousness come by the law, then is Christ dead 
 
 n 
 
 May 31. "At the manufacturing committee of the 
 Deaf and Dumb, received complaints against two boys, 
 who went to Greenwich Fair without permission. How 
 injurious to the morals of the lower orders are the 
 scenes of vice exhibited at these places. Such is their 
 demoralizing tendency, that all the correctives which 
 Christian zeal and benevolence can supply, will not ele- 
 vate the poor from their present state of irreligion. 
 Our Bible Associations, our Sunday Schools, our village 
 preaching, have done much to instruct and Christianize 
 the population of the country; but those execrable 
 nurses of every bad principle, and every bad passion, 
 form an opposing current, which carries an innumerable 
 multitude of infantile transgressors down the stream of 
 vice, and furnishes our tribunals with hordes of juvenile 
 offenders. It has been frequently asked, What good 
 have the societies done? By unquestionable evidence 
 it has been proved, that they have drawn many of the 
 poor from those haunts of wickedness, brought them to 
 fulfil their relative duties in the week, and to attend the 
 worship of God on the Sabbath. It cannot be doubted, 
 that, if the ministers of religion, and the magistrates of 
 this country, had supported morality and good conduct, 
 as the friends of Bible Societies have done, England, 
 in religion and morals, would present scenes more pleas- 
 ing to the Christian and the philanthropist. But the 
 enemies of these Institutions cherish so great a hatred 
 to what they denominate Puritanical Sabbaths and Cal- 
 vinistic religion, that they leave the poor in ignorance 
 and vice, rather than allow them instruction by those 
 channels." 
 
 June 13. "When my study-window was opened 
 this morning, at half-past six o'clock, the sun shone 
 brilliantly, and gave promise of a beautiful day; but, 
 before nine, the clouds overcast the sky, a mist arose 
 from the earth, and a blight fell upon the gardens,
 
 160 MEMOIR OF 
 
 threatening to destroy the hopes which the fine blossoms, 
 and the abundance of tender fruit, had cherished. 
 Two things occurred to my mind, from this sudden and 
 unexpected change. It resembled the case of some 
 young people, whose embarkation in life had been bright 
 and cheerful, promising a pleasant and delightful day; 
 when, soon, dark clouds overcast their worldly prospect, 
 and their hopes were blighted in a moment. It resem- 
 bled the first days of a splendid profession, which some 
 have made, of religion. The blossoms were beautiful, 
 abundant, and sweet the fruit seemed set and pros- 
 perous when, lo! the whole scene changed an awful 
 blight succeeded, the fruit perished, and it became 
 evident how much we needed the exhortation of the 
 Apostle: Therefore, we ought to give the more earnest 
 heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any 
 time we should let them slip. 
 
 June 26. "Attended the meeting of Missionary 
 Directors. What glorious intelligence from the South 
 Seas! Such heart reviving news has not been publish- 
 ed for many years may I not say, ages? What a 
 scene presented itself when the King and Queen, with 
 nearly six thousand of their idolatrous subjects, assem- 
 bled to worship the living God, and to unite their assent 
 to a code, framed upon the principles and laws of His 
 holy Word. Shall we not exclaim, What hath God 
 wrought! The north is now giving up, and the south 
 does not keep back; the sons and daughters of our 
 God are coming from the east, and from the west, to 
 sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." 
 
 Aug. 24. "Preached at Orange-Street Chapel, and 
 referred to the memorable recollections belonging to 
 this day. The Christian Church should never forget 
 the massacre of the Protestants in 1572, nor that the 
 diabolical deed was celebrated at Rome, as acceptable 
 to God, and beneficial to his Church. 
 
 "On this day, 2000 excellent and useful ministers 
 were ejected from the Church of England an act
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 161 
 
 which was disgraceful to an English government, 
 and injurious to the best interests of pure and evangeli- 
 cal religion. In this impolitic and mischievous transac- 
 tion was laid the foundation of that honorable and ex- 
 tensive separation from the National Church, which has 
 ever since been the object of its jealousy and fear." 
 
 Hastings, Sept. 14. "Rose this morning at six 
 o'clock. The beach, covered with boats and fishermen 
 mending their nets, reminds me of the shores of that 
 sea from whence the first founders of the Christian 
 Church went forth, in the name and in the strength of 
 their divine Master, preaching peace and the remission 
 of sins, through the blood and righteousness of the Mes- 
 siah. O how mightily did the Spirit of God work by 
 them, to confound the heathen oracles, refute the spe- 
 cious sophistries of the pagan philosophers, and the 
 pridje and unbelief of the hardened Jews! They had 
 no weapons to war with, but those which were spiritual; 
 but these proved mighty, through God, to the pulling 
 down of strong holds. How different the principles, 
 the character, and the ministerial labors of those lordly 
 rulers of modern churches, who claim an uninterrupted 
 succession from the Apostles." 
 
 Sept. 30. "In my morning reading, met with many 
 very striking passages. The word of God is to the 
 mind, what bread is to the body, being sweet, pleasant, 
 and nourishing. It is a rich and valuable treasure, 
 medicine to the sick and diseased soul. O that the 
 Holy Spirit would give me faith to believe its solemn 
 admonitions, its rich and consoling promises; and to 
 say, More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than 
 much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and the honey- 
 comb!" 
 
 Oct. 18. "On my return home from London, 
 catechised the children of the school, and preached 
 from James ii. 1. While I pointed out the humility, 
 meekness, and charity which characterised the real dis- 
 ciples of Christ in their conduct towards the meanest
 
 162 MEMOIR OF 
 
 and poorest Christian, I cautioned the children against 
 the abused application of the term equality, reminding 
 them that Christ commanded honor to be paid to all in 
 authority over them." 
 
 Jan. 13, 1821. "Dr. Young may well conclude, 
 that those who sleep in death would be void of rest and 
 peace, if dreams infest the grave. What distracted 
 illusions have disturbed my mind, while I lay in the im- 
 age of death during the past night! I dreamed I had 
 fallen into sin, dishonored my profession, and offended 
 my God. The distress and agitation of my mind 
 awoke me. Strong was the feeling of satisfaction that 
 it was only a dream; but I could not shake off the de- 
 jection which it produced. The latter arose from an 
 impression that I was not making an efficient progress 
 in a conformity to the mind and image of God. O 
 Spirit divine! breathe upon my soul, and lead me into a 
 closer and more perfect union with the Father, and his 
 Son Jesus Christ! Be with me through the whole of 
 this day; that in reading, writing, and conversation, I 
 may do good and get good! Let thy blessing be upon 
 all the branches of my family, that religion may be the 
 first, the great, the constant concern of their minds." 
 
 Feb. 9. "Passed the morning in my study; devoted 
 the remainder of the day to the sick and afflicted. In 
 my visits, met some who attended and patronised Ora- 
 torios. These amusements 1 thought it my duty to con- 
 demn in the most unqualified manner, as a profanation 
 of sacred things. To make the sufferings and death 
 of Christ the subject of public entertainment to put 
 the solemn language of the expiring Mediator into the 
 mouths of actors and actresses, whose principles and con- 
 duct are at variance with every principle and precept 
 of our holy religion is a prostitution of the awful scenes 
 of Calvary, and of the dying agonies of the Messiah. 
 
 March 31. "Finished Dr. Chalmers' Sermons on 
 the application of Christianity to the commercial and 
 ordinary affairs of life. How vigorous is the mind of
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 163 
 
 the preacher, who is one of the best moral anatomists, 
 laying open the very nerves and arteries of the soul. 
 The wickedness and duplicity of the human heart have 
 not escaped him; well does he portray the deceitful- 
 ness of sin, and demonstrate its powerful and ruinous 
 tendencies." 
 
 June 1. "Have had a tranquil night, and awoke 
 with these words, 
 
 'Call me away from flesh and sense; 
 One word of thine can call me hence.' 
 
 These words were appropriate, as my spirits were de- 
 pressed at the prospect of separation from my brother, 
 who leaves me to-day. Blessed be God! we are united 
 in spiritual as in natural bonds. May he have a safe 
 and pleasant voyage; and while the feelings of my heart 
 follow him, let me not forget that little band of mis- 
 sionaries who have just left their native shores. May 
 the great Pilot of the church guide them over the track- 
 less deep to their desired haven. May the Holy Spirit 
 fill them, and the members of the deputation, with pru- 
 dence, firmness, and heavenly wisdom, that they may 
 be happy and honored instruments in extending the 
 kingdom of God our Savior. We must not expect 
 uninterrupted success; there are too many who oppose: 
 but He that sits on the mediatorial throne, shall reign 
 till all his enemies are put under his feet." 
 
 July 6. "Have finished Miss Edgeworth's life of 
 her father, who appears to have been an active, honor- 
 able, and useful member of society. Miss E is 
 
 anxious to vindicate both him and herself from the cen- 
 sure, that religion has no pre-eminence in their writings. 
 Neither of them had scriptural views of Christianity: 
 the old 'Whole Duty of Man' was their guide. They 
 have no sentiments which harmonise with the doctrine 
 of salvation by the obedience and death of Christ. What 
 can be more in opposition than the following remark? 
 'If there is a state of just retribution in another world,
 
 164 MEMOIR OF 
 
 I must be happy; for I have suffered during the great- 
 est part of my life, and know that I did not deserve it 
 by my thoughts or actions.' Grieved am I that their 
 works, securing, from their excellencies in some points, 
 a large circulation amongst the young, should discover 
 no knowledge of the moral degradation of the human 
 heart, the beauty of religion, or the necessity of that 
 inward and spiritual grace, of which baptism is the 
 outward and visible sign. How different, how superior 
 the writings of Mrs. Hannah More, which probe the 
 heart, tear off the veil of external formality, and direct 
 sinners to the Mediator, who was delivered for our 
 offences, and raised again for our justification." 
 
 July 27. "My portion of private reading this morn- 
 ing was, the patriarch Jacob blessing the two sons of 
 Joseph. How does this simple recital display the sove- 
 reignty of God, who does not act in the order and di- 
 rection most agreeable to our natural inclination, both 
 in providence and grace. He does his own pleasure, 
 and fulfils his own counsels. How often have I said, 
 'Not so;' and wished circumstances to be changed; but 
 God does all things well, and, although darkness and 
 clouds are round about Him, judgment and righteous- 
 ness are the habitation of his throne." 
 
 July 29. Hastings, Sunday morning. "No service 
 at church. How disgraceful to the clergyman who 
 possesses both livings, to the principal gentlemen of the 
 town, and to the bishop of the diocese, who ought to 
 know there is only one sermon in each church for so 
 large a population. My zeal is stirred within me; I 
 must bear some open testimony against such a disregard 
 to the religion I love. But may I not injure, where to 
 do good is my object? Zeal says, testify against these 
 evils prudence, let not thy words be hasty. Our Lord 
 says, Be ye, wise os serpents, and harmless as doves. 
 Can I forget that an evangelical clergyman, who offici- 
 ated for a few months at this place, excited such an 
 increased attendance in the church, and so general a
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 1C5 
 
 reformation in the whole population, as made it evident 
 that the true principles of the gospel are best calculated 
 to enlighten the ignorant, awaken the careless, and pro- 
 duce excellence of conduct throughout the whole mass 
 of society. While, on the contrary, the formal and cold 
 lectures of the moralist leave sinners in that darkness 
 and impurity, from which Christ died to redeem them." 
 
 Aug. 6. "Have been reading the life of Lord 
 Bacon. If men could see the issue to which sin tends, 
 how watchful, how circumspect would they be in all 
 their conduct. The absence of this religious fear, has 
 often made a life of honor and usefulness terminate dis- 
 gracefully and miserably. The fear of God furnishes 
 the strongest ground of a conscientious resistance to 
 sin." 
 
 20. "Have been reading a review of the life of 
 Grinville Sharpe. The reviewer says, 'This was not 
 a great, but a good man.' Why should he not be 
 called a great good man? He was great in piety, phi- 
 lanthropy, and every deed of mercy, and eminently 
 entitled to the praise and admiration of the wise and 
 good. He was one of the most consistent churchmen 
 I knew; not only avowing an ardent attachment to the 
 ritual of the church, but was in the habit of observing 
 all its fasts and festivals." 
 
 Aug. 26. "The light of another Sabbath has dawn- 
 ed upon the world. How few value the privileges of 
 this day, or go up to the worship of God with joy and 
 peace. To many it has no charms to render it a day 
 of delight and honor, a day of pleasure and satisfac 
 tion." 
 
 "Thirty-four years have rolled away since my dear 
 mother departed to her rest. How precious is the 
 memory of her, who taught me to lisp the praises of the 
 Most High, and gave power to her precepts and warn- 
 ings by her prayers and tears." 
 
 Sept. 3. "At the committee of the Bible Society 
 heard some interesting letters from Turkey. Dr. Pin- 
 15
 
 166 MEMOIR OP 
 
 kerton took leave, on his departure for St. Petersburg. 
 On his retiring, Mr. Owen related the following anec- 
 dote: 'The late Patriarch of Constantinople, who was 
 hung before the door of the Greek church by the cruel 
 
 and furious Turks, said to Dr. P , when he was in 
 
 that city, Are you a married man? On his replying in 
 the affirmative, the Bishop said, What an excellent 
 woman must your wife be, to part with such a husband, 
 for the purpose of promoting the good of others. I 
 pray you to carry to her, and share yourself in, my 
 patriarchal blessing." 
 
 Sept. 28. "Attended the committee of the Mill- 
 Hill school, and the Bible Committee. On my return 
 home, commenced a new course of catechetical exer- 
 cises in the schools; attended prayer meeting in the 
 evening; after which was taken suddenly ill. I lifted 
 up my heart in prayer to God, but felt too much the 
 temper of the tribes, who were anxious to stop on the 
 side of Jordan next the wilderness. Why do I not 
 realize a higher and more permanent confidence in 
 the promises of God? I love his house, ordinances, and 
 word; rest all my hopes on the mediation of Jesus 
 Christ, praying to the Holy Spirit for his sanctifying 
 influences; yet, amidst all, I am such a mystery to 
 myself, that I can only say, 
 
 'Take my poor heart just as it is, 
 
 Set up therein thy throne; 
 Then shall I love thee above all, 
 
 And live to thee alone.'" 
 
 Oct. 6. "While preparing my sermons for to-mor- 
 row, my mind was most painfully overwhelmed with 
 gloom, thinking that, were I really a Christian, I should 
 have more enjoyment of the love and presence of God. 
 It appeared that I had no interest in the blessings prom- 
 ised to the righteous. My soul was in an agony, and the 
 tears flowed from my eyes; T rose from my seat, and 
 poured out my heart to God in prayer; indeed, like the 
 Patriarch, I wrestled with Him as a poor helpless sin-
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 167 
 
 ner; cast myself upon his mercy and grace; pleaded 
 the blood and righteousness of the Mediator; and, after 
 some time, found the blessing of having a throne where 
 I could carry my sorrows. O that I may prize it more 
 and more! I should be the victim of despair, could I 
 not fly to the fountain opened to take away iniquity. 
 How valuable is an all-sufficient and compassionate Sa- 
 vior; He is, indeed, the fairest among ten thousand." 
 
 Oct. 16. "Have been to Kingston, assisting at the 
 ordination of a county missionary. An interesting re- 
 port was read: twenty villages have willingly received 
 our teachers. It was proposed to employ another in a 
 new district: and, on the want of money being urged, 
 one, who felt as a Christian ought to feel, engaged to 
 give fifty pounds a year towards the object. Thus en- 
 couraged, the society adopted measures which would 
 setfure the instruction of four thousand poor people." 
 
 Nov. 12. "At , a friend related a striking 
 
 anecdote of a rector, and a nobleman, who was patron 
 of the living. When dying, the latter sent for the cler- 
 gyman, to whom he said, 'Do you not know that my 
 life has been licentious, and that I have violated the 
 commandments'* yet you never warned me of my dan- 
 ger.' The clergyman was silent; when the nobleman 
 repeated the question. 'Yes, my lord, your manner of 
 living was not unknown to me; but your kindness, and 
 my fear of offending you, deterred me from reproving 
 you.' 'How cruel! how wicked!' said the dying man 
 'The provision I made for you and your family, ought 
 to have induced a care and fidelity. You have neg- 
 lected to warn and to instruct me, and now my soul 
 will be lost.' These were the last words of one whose 
 situation has too many parallels. Men living in con- 
 tinued profligacy attend at church; where, frequently, 
 from the pulpit, there is little said of the malignity of 
 sin, and the hatred of God to all that violate his holy 
 law. The teachers generalise, speaking indefinitely, 
 and never giving a direct delineation of the state of the
 
 168 MEMOIR OF 
 
 heart; forgetting what God said to the prophet who did 
 not warn the sinner, His blood will I require at your 
 hands. But the nobleman could plead no excuse at 
 the bar whither he had been summoned. His con- 
 science must have warned him, while listening to the 
 liturgy of the church, in which the defilement, guilt, 
 and curse of sin are clearly exhibited." 
 
 Nov. 21. "My dear has been ill, and my anxi- 
 eties have been great. Do not these earthly affections 
 engross my heart and interrupt my devotions? I long to 
 say 
 
 'My God, my portion, and my love, 
 
 My everlasting all; 
 I've none but thee in heaven above, 
 
 Or on this earthly ball:' 
 
 and sometimes doubt if any Christian is so far from the 
 spirit and enjoyment of these sentiments as I am; but 
 my soul aspires to make God the fountain of its felic- 
 ity. This becomes every day more needful, as hu- 
 man joys and comforts are losing their beauty, and 
 withering in my hands." 
 
 Dec. 4. "From the committee of the Missionary 
 Society went to Earl-street, where Mr. Owen read from 
 the Christian Remembrancer, some violent and un- 
 founded attacks upon the British and Foreign Bible 
 Society. False charges, uncharitable insinuations, 
 malignant invectives, mark that hostile paper. From 
 whence arises the opposition to this noble and prosper- 
 ous institution? Roman Catholics abroad,, uniting with a 
 party in the Protestant church of England, to denounce 
 the circulation of the Book given by God himself; the 
 former causing it to be burnt, and excommunicating 
 those who receive it into their houses; some of the 
 bishops of the latter, in their charges, opposing, and in 
 their private influence, disgracing, those who counte- 
 nance Bible Institutions, while they promote those who 
 oppose them. Is it not the spirit of the Romish church^ 
 fostered in the bosom of our Protestant one?
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 169 
 
 March 22, 1822. "Rose with a frame much ex- 
 hausted by extreme coughing, and a mind discomposed 
 and agitated by that heart of unbelief, which opposes 
 itself to my whole range of duties, secret, family, and 
 public. Darkness, instead of light; sin operating where 
 holiness should abound. I might use the expression of 
 the apostle, that in me dwelleth no good thing, t 
 depart not from the practice of a Christian, but aim to 
 glorify God by making his love known to others, whose 
 temporal wants I wish to relieve; yet, with all this, I am 
 indeed an unprofitable servant. My communion with 
 God does not take the high and spiritual character I 
 desire; my religious exercises are loo much a duty, and 
 I would they should be all pleasure." 
 
 April 19. "Have this morning been reading in a 
 periodical work, a letter, said to be written by the late 
 
 Rev. Mr. , containing the following philipic against 
 
 dissenters. 'The present system of dissent tends to 
 break down all social order, and establish a host of 
 petty tyrants. I have lately paid some attention to the 
 subject, and am led to conclude, that the system of 
 things is not adapted to the present state of society, nor 
 has a foundation in Scripture. Church and State! 
 "with all thy faults, I love thee still." ' On reading this 
 paragraph, I wrote the following letter to the editors: 
 
 "Gentlemen, By the medium of a letter said to 
 
 have been written by the late Rev. Mr. , you have 
 
 transmitted throughout the kingdom, an illiberal, un- 
 founded, and libellous charge, against the whole body 
 of dissenters. To say nothing, at present, on the ques- 
 tion at issue between churchmen and dissenters, is it 
 prudent? is it likely to produce any beneficial result, to 
 revive such acrimonious expressions? When the ene- 
 mies of the Christian faith, of Bible Institutions, and of 
 Missionary exertions, have put out all their policy, all 
 their power, is it not the duty of Christians to forget 
 and lay aside their peculiar controversies, and, with one 
 heart and mind, to strive together, for the glory of God 
 *15
 
 170 MEMOIR OF 
 
 and the salvation of sinners? Instead of contending 
 with each other, had they not better Contend for the 
 faith, once delivered to the saints 6 ? It was a beautiful 
 sentiment of the Bishop of Norwich, 'that unity of 
 heart is better than uniformity of sentiment.' How 
 awfully have the interests of truth and righteousness 
 suffered, by the division and contentions of the Chris- 
 tian world. The enemy has been sowing the land with 
 tares, while we have been fighting for the best mode of 
 extending religion. Let us, then, cease this unprofita- 
 ble warfare about respective forms of Church govern- 
 ment, and give our time, our talents, and our zeal, to 
 nobler purposes. I esteem the dissenter and the 
 churchman, who unite to revive these bickerings, as com- 
 mon enemies of the great and mighty projects, in which 
 the Christian world is so honorably occupied; works 
 which, in point of extent and importance, should engage 
 the watchful observation of every eye, the energy of 
 every hand, and the union of every heart." 
 
 May 6. "My dear brother is expected this evening; 
 may the God of the sea and the dry land, give him a 
 safe and prosperous voyage. I tremble when I reflect 
 how much pleasure and enjoyment I have promised my- 
 self from the sight of him, and in his society: 
 
 '\Ve should suspect some danger r.igh, 
 Where we possess delight.' 
 
 With increasing years, we feel a growing attachment. 
 How delightful the thought, that the friendship of 
 Christians will be cemented by eternal bonds." 
 
 8. "Heard the first missionary sfermon from Dr. 
 Hanna, of Belfast; the text, John xxi. 17; the dis- 
 course, an hour and three quarters in length, but no 
 weariness. I could not refrain from weeping, that my 
 love and gratitude to Christ were so languid and cold. 
 O Lord, shed abroad more of thy love in my heart! 
 Increase my love to Thee, my zeal for thy glory, and 
 the salvation of souls. I hope my heart is more and
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 171 
 
 more anxious for the prosperity of the Church, in all 
 its departments and interests. I long to see Christians 
 unite without any party feeling, considering themselves 
 as the servants of one Master." 
 
 May 24. "On seeing the sun rising above the hori- 
 zon with great beauty and strength, these words darted 
 to my mind, 
 
 'Now from tho altar of my heart, 
 
 Let incense flames arise; 
 Assist me, Lord, to ol}'er up 
 My morning sacrifice.' 
 
 On repeating favorite hymns, I find my memory is de- 
 caying with my other faculties of mind and body. 
 What is the lesson to be learned from these symptoms? 
 Work while it is day; the night cometh, when no man 
 can work. Rising at four instead of six, would give 
 me facilities of finishing some of my tracts and essays, 
 which I fear will be rendered useless, unless I devote 
 to them this additional time." 
 
 June 14. "My dear is recovered from the 
 
 sudden and alarming attacks of Wednesday night. 
 There is much mercy in this, as her life is of great im- 
 portance to us all, and to me, more particularly valua- 
 ble. She looked well to the ways of her household, 
 and did not eat the bread of idleness. To my children, 
 she has proved a wise, indulgent, and careful mother. 
 In her religious character and conduct, she has been 
 an example. The death of such a wife, and such a 
 mother, would be an irreparable loss." 
 
 July 18. "The disquietude and unsettled state of 
 many dissenting churches, is, to me, a source of deep 
 
 regret. This morning, saw the Rev. Mr. , &c.; 
 
 these good men suffer from the pride, self-sufficiency, 
 and self-interest, which prevail. When will the mild 
 and peaceful influence of religion act upon human pas- 
 sions, to produce forbearance and love? Attachment to 
 Christ ought to be a bond of affection and union, that 
 the world might say, 'see how these Christians love.'
 
 172 MEMOIR OF 
 
 The churches ought to be the emblem and epitome 
 of that rest, which remaineth for the people of God 
 that rest where all will be harmony and peace." 
 
 Aug. 9. "Last night, was restless, and my wakeful 
 moments characterised by an indisposition to meditate 
 upon spiritual and eternal things. To rouse and direct 
 my mind, I recurred to the hymns, and to the chapters 
 of Scripture I had learned. These hours would 
 not be tedious, if the songs of Zion more engaged the 
 heart, and led it to humble and devout prayer. 
 
 'My thoughts surmount these lower skies, 
 
 And look within the veil; 
 There springs of endless pleasure rise, 
 
 The waters never fail. 
 
 There pleasure rolls its living flood, 
 
 From sin and dross refin'd, 
 Still springing- from the throue of God. 
 
 And fit to cheer the mind. 7 
 
 Oct. 1. "The date of this memorandum, impresses 
 me with a consciousness of the speed with which the 
 last days of human existence fly. It seems a moment 
 of time, since my anticipation of spring and summer. 
 The falling of the autumnal leaves, the cold chill of 
 morning and evening, say winter is near. Nature 
 shrinks at the prospect, as the state of my lungs makes 
 it doubtful whether I may survive it. Shortly, my 
 services, moral, benevolent, and religious, will be as 
 nothing. The grandeur of God, the solemnity of eter- 
 nity, and my responsibility as a minister, almost over- 
 whelm me. I must watch and pray, making the name 
 of Jesus my only trust, and waiting his decision with 
 humble hope and firm reliance upon his word." 
 
 Nov. 20. "Awoke this morning with the following 
 lines of Dr. Watts on my mind: 
 
 'Dear God, the treasures of thy love 
 
 Are everlasting mines; 
 Deep as our helpless miseries are, 
 
 And boundless, as our sins.' <
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 173 
 
 "These sentiments harmonise with the doctrines taught 
 by the prophets and apostles, and are adapted to en- 
 courage the faith and hope of the tirnid Christian, when 
 oppressed with a conviction of his un worthiness." 
 
 Dec. 5. "Passed this day in my study; read the 
 Bishop of Gloucester's third charge to the clergy of his 
 diocese. If the English bench were filled with men 
 who felt the importance of their office, and who were 
 actuated by the love and zeal that animated the apos- 
 tles if the parochial clergy were such men as this ex- 
 cellent bishop wishes to make the clergy of his diocese, 
 there would be a revival in, and glory shed round, the 
 church of England, such as she has not seen since the 
 days of Cranmer, Latimer, and Ridley." 
 
 11. "Rose with severe pain in my side; my mind 
 incapable of meditation an involuntary sigh escaped 
 with, Lord, help me! This short, but comprehen- 
 sive prayer, was suitable to my heart, which was op- 
 pressed with the danger of my dear child. May I have 
 the faith, and pray with the importunity and persever- 
 ance, of the Syrophenecian woman, and then the same 
 Almighty Power may say, Be it unto thee even as thoit 
 vtit." 
 
 Dec. 31. "Before I close the memoranda of this 
 year, I would solemnly and devoutly, O Lord God, 
 offer up to thee, the heart-felt homage of a grateful 
 mind. I would confess my own ingratitude and unfruit- 
 fulness, and humbly implore the pardon and removal of 
 these oppressive evils. With the new year, grant me 
 an increase of new covenant blessings, and a larger por- 
 tion of the Holy Spirit, that the remainder of my days 
 may be more god-like, and more heaven-like. Deliver 
 me from these earthly and grovelling affections, and let 
 my conversation be as becometh the gospel. And you, 
 my dear children, if you ever read this hasty and un- 
 connected memorial of your departed father, know 
 that, although you are seldom mentioned in these pages, 
 you were never far from my thoughts. My heart has
 
 174 MEMOIR OF 
 
 often felt a deep and affectionate solicitude, for the 
 eternal welfare of you, and yours. Unworthy as I am, 
 yet, having found great favor in the eyes of my fellow- 
 creatures, and been greatly prospered and blessed by 
 the God of heaven, my name has hitherto been treated 
 with respect do nothing, I implore you, that shall dis- 
 grace it. O that the God of your father, and your 
 father's father, may crown you with his grace and bless- 
 ing! May we meet in heaven, to praise the Father, Son, 
 and Holy Spirit, the one living Jehovah, the God of 
 salvation; the God in whom I trust for pardon, sanctifi- 
 cation, and eternal glory." 
 
 January 20, 1823. "Cold intense; great distress 
 amongst the poor. The following anecdote was told 
 by a mother, to whom I had sent bread and coals. On 
 returning home, she found her little family crying with 
 the cold, and intreating for some fire. The reply was, 
 'I have no money to buy coals.' A child at the door 
 exclaimed, 'There is a man with some.' 'Yes,' said 
 the poor mother, 'but they are not for us.' Scarcely 
 had she finished speaking, when the man inquired for 
 her; and the sound of these coals, must have been music 
 in the ears of the little shivering group. Oh! what dis- 
 ease, what poverty, what distress, has sin brought into 
 our world. What mercy to have escaped so many of 
 these evils, for more than sixty-five years!" 
 
 March 6. "The sounds of affliction and death have 
 again saluted my ears. An early, diligent, and faith- 
 ful assistant in the London Missionary Society, the Rev. 
 Mr. Greathead, has finished his course. Many were 
 the hours he devoted to his study. I hope to die either 
 there, or in my pulpit, that I may be found working 
 not loitering, nor sleeping; but let me indulge no pref- 
 erence. God is too wise to err in his government, and 
 too good to those who trust in Him, either to forget or 
 to forsake them. Let me only aspire to die in his 
 favor, and to enjoy his divine presence.
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 175 
 
 April 13. "The rector of St. John's is departed to 
 his rest. This excellent man performed the duties of 
 his office, with purity of motive and anxiety of mind. 
 The milk of human kindness mingled in his character 
 with much of the meekness of Christ. He was a dili- 
 gent, faithful pastor; superintending his parish as one 
 who must give an account. Kind and generous to the 
 poor, tender and compassionate to the sick. Some of 
 the parishioners knew not his worth; but those who de- 
 spised and persecuted him, may one day acknowledge, 
 that a prophet has been among them." 
 
 May 5. "Went to the Bible Committee, where a 
 letter was read from Mr. B , accepting the secreta- 
 ryship. Its language was that of sterling sense, un- 
 feigned piety, and true humility. How beautiful and 
 happy are the effects of the Bible Society! Is not the 
 uniofc of Christians, the very essence and glory of our 
 common faith? Is not such union, the evidence of that 
 love and harmony which the spread of the gospel is 
 finally to accomplish? Is not this the spirit which reigns 
 in the celestial world? Are the redeemed in that glori- 
 ous state arranged in churches, sects, and classes? It is 
 the tendency of the Bible Society to promote this union; 
 it is this which constitutes one ground of objection in 
 the miuds of bigots, and men zealous only for forms, 
 modes, systems, and parties. But of such we will say, 
 To their own Master, they must stand or fall: they 
 must give account to Him, who judgeth righteously. 
 The day is coming, when we shall know who have most 
 effectually fulfilled their duty to Him; whether it is 
 those who have joined the ranks of the Bible Society, 
 and assisted in the dispersion of nearly four millions of 
 copies of the sacred books, or those who have not only 
 withheld their aid, but have opposed and slandered 
 others, who have engaged in this work." 
 
 Oct. 4. "Goodness and mercy have followed me 
 and mine; and, with the returning light of another day, 
 have returned the usual comforts. Yesterday had great
 
 17G MEMOIR OF 
 
 difficulty in visiting five or six afflicted families; some 
 individuals very ill. Had an interesting prayer-meet- 
 ing; returned home much indisposed; read and prepared 
 some of the Essays, till three o'clock." 
 
 Dec. 31. "Languid and ill, I would close the year 
 with casting myself on thy care, O my God! Out of 
 my great insufficiency, do thou perfect thy strength and 
 glory! Apply, most Holy Spirit, to my conscience, the 
 power of the Redeemer's atonement! May sermons 
 preached during the past year, receive a heavenly ben- 
 ediction; and, when my feeble labors are ended, may 
 I have an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that 
 fadeth not away." 
 
 March 4, 1824. Hatcham House. "This spot re- 
 minds me of him with whom I once walked and took 
 sweet counsel; but he has reached a happier clime, and 
 walks along the avenues of that paradise in which the 
 tree of life blooms in infinite perfection. What a mercy 
 that the branches bend as low as the thorny paths of the 
 wilderness; extending their shade to the sun-burnt trav- 
 eller, producing fruit to sustain him when hungry, and 
 leaves to make a balsam for all his maladies. Beauti- 
 ful image of the excellency and value of the blessed 
 Redeemer; and yet men forsake this Plant of renown, 
 and fly to the brambles of the wilderness, which afford 
 them no shelter." 
 
 March 9. "Attended the Bible Committee: Lord 
 Bexley in the chair; who conducted the business with 
 his usual cool judgment and extreme gentleness. There 
 was much warm discussion on the Apocryphal question. 
 I fear that the unity, the beauty, and the strength of the 
 society are endangered by the continued irritation which 
 this subject excites." 
 
 July 21. "Have passed an almost sleepless night; 
 my mind could not meditate on any subject. Thou 
 cold heart! how long shall I have to bear with thee and 
 thy earthly propensities? Why art thou not sighing for
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 177 
 
 the elevation of mind which will be found in the wor- 
 ship of the temple above? 
 
 Raise thee, my soul, fiy up and run 
 
 Through ev'ry heavenly street. 
 And say there's nought below the sun 
 
 Thai's worthy of thy feet.' " 
 
 Nov. 27. "Another week has fulfilled its round, 
 and the Sabbath again approaches. Let me enter into 
 my own heart, 
 
 -'Talk with [my] past hours, 
 
 And ask them what report they bear to heav'n.' 
 
 The week has been crowned with mercies, and strength 
 has been given for my various duties: to-morrow is for 
 God, and the momentous affairs of the soul; may it be 
 marked by a spiritual and devout repose, which will 
 maMfe it the foretaste of an eternal Sabbath." 
 
 Dec. 25. "To-day, have met my large group of 
 children and grand-children. This will probably be 
 the last interview, as the year ensuing may be that of 
 painful separation. To have my soul prepared for 
 eternity is my first and dearest wish; and when the 
 summons for departure shall come, may I be willing to 
 enter the kingdom where neither sorrow, sin, nor death 
 will be known!" 
 
 Jan. 31, 1825. "My grandson from Hastings has 
 been to breakfast with me; he was the only child of his 
 mother, and she made him the subject of many pious 
 and ardent prayers, and taught him to lisp prayer and 
 praise to the God, whom she loved and feared. O that 
 the faith and piety which was found in his dear parent, 
 may be found in him!" 
 
 Feb. 28. "In my conversation with a friend to-day, 
 contrived to introduce the subject of the heavenly 
 world; reference was made to some sentiments express- 
 ed by Dr. Watts. It was admitted that he had given 
 many sublime and scriptural views, but that a few of his 
 descriptions had too much imagination. To me, his 
 16
 
 178 MEMOIR OF 
 
 hymns possess a great charm, as exhibiting in a pleas- 
 ing form, the perfection, government, and mercy of 
 Jehovah, with the degradation of human nature, till 
 brought under divine influence. The perusal of these 
 divine songs, excites in the mind adoration, love, and 
 gratitude to Him, Who so loved the world that he gave 
 his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him 
 should not perish, but have everlasting life" 
 
 March 24. "Spiritual and eternal things have much 
 occupied my attention during the last few days. What 
 discipline the mind needs f to keep it active and vigor- 
 ous on heavenly objects! How unwilling to cherish the 
 thought, that perhaps in a few days, my concern with 
 time will cease, and I shall enter on a boundless eter- 
 nity. Nothing can yield satisfaction, but the atone- 
 ment and intercession of Christ. 
 
 In my darkest and most painful conflicts, it is my 
 consolation, that, if I perish, I shall perish at the foot of 
 the cross. The evil of sin, and the deceitfulness of 
 ray own heart, appal me; I would be holy, as God is 
 holy, and as desirous of holiness and conformity to God, 
 as I am of happiness." 
 
 April 19. "Rose this morning weary, as if it were 
 evening, yet I have had more sleep than usual. Help 
 me, O Father of mercies, to be still and submissive 
 under increasing infirmities, and to hear the gentle in- 
 timation which they suggest, that soon I must mingle 
 with the dust. I desire to feel the solemn injunction, 
 
 Be ye therefore ready. My friend, Mrs. , is to 
 
 be buried in Bunhill Fields; my grave lies beyond hers 
 
 and that of Mr. H . I shall be carried by them 
 
 both, but there will be no salutation there reigns per- 
 petual silence. Delightful thought! that there is a 
 place, where we shall meet, and spend an eternity to- 
 gether; mutually rejoicing in, and praising, Him, to 
 whom we owe our redemption." 
 
 June 2. "Was much pleased to find that Mrs. 
 , intended to found an Infant School. May the
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 179 
 
 Father of mercies crown it with his approbation and 
 blessing! May the Savior receive and bless the chil- 
 dren! then 
 
 'Infant voices shall proclaim 
 
 Their early blessings on his name.' " 
 
 June 18. "Assisted at the ceremony of laying the 
 first stone of the grammar school at Mill Hill. The 
 day was fine, the company numerous and respectable; 
 all animated with the desire that this institution might 
 long flourish. Its religious and moral character render 
 it interesting, and it promises much literary excellence. 
 If the liberality and energy of the present committee 
 are perpetuated in those who shall succeed them, this 
 establishment will rank with the best public schools in 
 the country." 
 
 July 20. "The extreme heat of the last few days 
 hastfrequently reminded me of the slaveswho are work- 
 ing under a burning sun, and of our missionaries in hot 
 climates, who, suffering from heat and exhaustion, con- 
 tinue their labors to enlighten those who are in heathen 
 darkness. How inferior are all the services of English 
 pastors, even should we preach six sermons in the 
 week, and attend every benevolent object that claims 
 our sympathy." 
 
 23. Yesterday, suffered much from langor and de- 
 pression of mind; but when my spirit was overwhelmed 
 within me, I looked to the Rock of ages, and implored 
 strength to support in hours of debility and weakness. 
 The shadows of evening are upon me; let me, then, 
 gather up the fragments of my time. Many of these 
 will make one whole day, and one whole day redeemed, 
 is of great value." 
 
 July 29. Our domestic happiness has been threat- 
 ened with interruption by the sudden illness of our 
 dear grand-daughter, but a merciful God has restored 
 her to our wishes and affection. Thus we go on 
 through the wilderness, the subjects of alternate pain 
 and ease, hopes and fears; but how soon will these be
 
 180 MEMOIR OF 
 
 absorbed in one vast eternity! What unexpected cir- 
 cumstances arise to interrupt the peace and comfort of 
 us poor pilgrims! There is a world where all will be 
 order, purity, and pleasure. Come, my soul, meditate 
 upon this; seek a more clear and more extended knowl- 
 edge of its blessedness, and endeavor to obtain a more 
 complete and entire preparation for it." 
 
 Sept. 3. "My friend, the Rev. Mr. , called 
 
 this morning to consult me on the state of his church! 
 How is this excellent and laborious minister depressed 
 in his comforts, and injured in his usefulness, by the 
 unholy spirit that prevails there. Awful and injurious 
 is the temper, which these dividers of churches mani- 
 fest: it seems as if they had never heard that their 
 Master was meek and lowly in spirit, and that the fol- 
 lowing is a divine command: Let the same mind be in 
 you which was in Christ Jesus." 
 
 16. "Have risen this morning relieved from the 
 pain which had made me suffer so considerably, but 
 my spiritual maladies are far from being eradicated. 
 My heart is still cold, my feet not walking in the 
 heavenly road as I desire. I am all infirmity, but will 
 look to Jesus, my great, my skilful, my compassionate 
 Physician. He can heal and strengthen my soul. 
 What thousands on earth, what millions in heaven, can 
 testify of his wisdom, kindness, and ability." 
 
 Dec. 30. Last night preached at Fetter-lane, and 
 this evening at the Adelphi. My oppression in speak- 
 ing was excessive, but it was not perceived. How does 
 God perfect strength in the weakness and helplessness 
 of his creatures? O that I. might increase in mental and 
 spiritual vigor! Thou, O Lord, hast promised 'power to 
 the faint,' and 'strength' to those 'that have no might.' " 
 
 Jan. 1, 1826. "This year has opened upon me and 
 my family with beams of mercy. O that our hearts 
 may be filled with gratitude and praise to Him who is 
 the giver of all good, and who has such a claim upon 
 the homage of our hearts and the devotion of our lives'
 
 REV. JOHN TOWNSEND. 181 
 
 By medical skill, and attentive nursing, I have been 
 restored from that state of suffering which threatened 
 life itself, but still I ought to esteem it only a short sus- 
 pension of the hour of my dissolution. O Lord! pre- 
 pare me for the great change: it may come not only 
 soon, but suddenly; and I ought to have nothing to do 
 but to give up my spirit into thy hands, for hast thou 
 not redeemed me, O Lord God of truth!" 
 
 15. Yesterday had a very fatiguing day, it being 
 the election for the Deaf and Dumb. I must resign 
 all duties in London. The tent must soon be taken 
 down; but it is the Lord; let him do what seemeth him 
 good. 
 
 Jan. 23. "Weary and ill through the last week, but 
 yet was enabled to preach at Orange-street on Thurs- 
 day night: on Friday visited the sick; attended the 
 prater-meeting in the evening, and hope I felt thankful 
 for so much assistance. On Saturday composed a ser- 
 mon on 2 Tim. ii. 7."* 
 
 * This entry receives its interest from being the last record penned by 
 Mr. Townsend. 
 
 *16
 
 EXTRACTS 
 
 LETTERS, ORIGINAL ESSAYS, &c. 
 
 "Edinburgh) June 28, 1800. 
 
 "Mr VERY DEAR . 
 
 ***** 
 
 "Through the kind and indulgent care of God, I was 
 broifght here in peace and safety last night; and though 
 I have had a long and fatiguing journey, great is the 
 cause for thankfulness, that every spring, every trace, 
 every wheel, and the smallest link in every chain, had 
 its commission to fulfil its office with punctuality. 
 
 "My first companion, being of a talkative disposition, 
 soon gave me a history of himself, which showed that 
 he prospered, had money and land, &tc.; yet there 
 seemed a spark of envy at a neighbor of his, who had 
 in hand 400 loads of last year's hay, which he said was 
 a fine thing indeed, since it fetched such a high price. 
 
 "After travelling a few miles, he left us, when the 
 coachman said, he thought I should find it irksome 
 travelling alone. I told him there were times when a 
 man was never so little alone as when by himself; he 
 stared amazement, and left me, but desired an honest- 
 looking Yorkshireman, who was outside, to come in. 
 My new acquaintance being seated, a general conver- 
 sation ensued, when, finding myself disposed to con- 
 verse with him upon religion, I asked him respecting 
 the number of churches and meetings in his neighbor- 
 hood, and to which he went. 'To church to be sure,'
 
 184 EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS, 
 
 was his reply, and that the sermons were near half an 
 hour long. This introduced some remarks from me, 
 on the fall of man, recovery by Jesus Christ, the work 
 of the Holy Spirit upon the heart, and the impossibility 
 of going to heaven without we were really made Chris- 
 tians by the grace of God, and the work of the Holy 
 Spirit upon the heart. 
 
 "The coachman that drove us through part of Hunt- 
 ingdonshire, Northamptonshire, and Lincolnshire, ex- 
 ceeded, in profane swearing, all the men I ever met 
 with; and most of the ostlers, postboys, &tc., who gen- 
 erally surrounded us where we changed horses, were 
 greatly addicted to the same practice. I exceedingly 
 regretted I had brought no tracts upon swearing. At 
 the door of the Wheat Sheaf inn, near the sixty-seventh 
 mile stone, I much wished to go among a number and 
 reprove ihem; but, perceiving all to be much hardened, 
 I declined, remembering that scripture, Cast not your 
 pearls before swine. I doubt whether my heart was 
 altogether free from shame and cowardice; but I have 
 seen sinners, when reproved in bodies, turn against the 
 reprover. When the coachman, who was the prince 
 of swearers, came for his accustomed fee, I said, 'I am 
 not certain that I ought to give you any thing; you are 
 one of the worst swearers I have long met with. What 
 can you think of yourself? You have been blaspheming 
 the God that made you that every day preserves you 
 from destruction. Do you remember that you must 
 shortly die, and stand in judgment before God? Have 
 you never read or heard the third commandment?' On 
 giving him the money, I added, 'Let me beseech you 
 to leave off swearing; it is a wicked and disgraceful 
 practice.' He bowed, appeared ashamed; but, it is to 
 be feared, was neither humbled nor convinced. 
 
 "I was surprised to find so few cottages on this road, 
 and very little of the waste land turned into garden for 
 the poor. The price of labor, for a considerable way 
 down the road, is, to the haymakers, no more than one
 
 ORIGINAL ESSAYS, &CC. 185 
 
 shilling and sixpence per day. 1 supped at Stamford, 
 and, on re-entering the coach, was composing myself 
 to sleep, and drew up the window. Conscience whis- 
 pered, 'Though you cannot pray in the family or in 
 your closet, in your accustomed manner, yet ought 
 you not to look up to Him, who is the God of your 
 life and comfort, in the way permitted by your pres- 
 ent circumstances?' Putting down the glass, and 
 turning my eyes toward the face of the widely-extended 
 skies, over which the sable curtains of night were almost 
 drawn, I committed myself, my dear Cordelia, my dear 
 children, and the people of my pastoral charge, to the 
 blessing and care of the God who has fed me and bles- 
 sed me all my life long. I felt it a mercy that we have 
 a monitor within, which stirs up our minds, by way of 
 remembrance, to those things in which lie much of our 
 dutjH and our comfort. I now placed myself in a sleep- 
 ing attitude; but the sound of human voices, the clatter- 
 ing of the whip, the wheels, the coach, all told that I 
 was not reclining on the peaceful pillow, under the roof 
 of my domestic palace. The multitude of glow-worms 
 which bespangled the chalky sides of the road, attracted 
 my attention through the night. I do not ever remem- 
 ber to have seen them either so numerous or so brilliant. 
 While ruminating on their nature and use, I saw in them 
 an emblem of the glory and prosperity of the world, 
 which, glittering but for an hour, is then lost in dark- 
 ness, and of the transient and short-lived nature of the 
 most splendid profession, when it is not accompanied 
 by genuine religion. Yea, I thought they resembled 
 myself, having sometimes light enough to shine before 
 others, when my own soul is cold and dark. 
 
 "Will you present my love to the dear children, and 
 all friends. Write often, and long letters." 
 
 Edinburgh, Saturday morning. 
 
 "The weakness, prejudice, and 
 bigotry, which have so long and so disgracefully divided
 
 186 EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS, 
 
 the ministers and churches of Christ, are here sadly 
 visible. I still think there is scarcely an Independent 
 minister in England, to whom the greater part of the 
 ministers in this city would not refuse their pulpits, so 
 frightened are they at the idea of innovation. There 
 are, comparatively, no lectures in the town; and, where 
 there are any, the ground is too holy to be occupied by 
 an Independent. We have, therefore, no alternative, 
 but that of being idle, or preaching out of doors in the 
 villages round the city. On Monday evening, I deliver- 
 ed an address to a large number of children, who are 
 
 instructed by Mr. . On Tuesday, I preached at 
 
 Newhaven, in the church-yard, to several hundred 
 people. This place is inhabited chiefly by fishermen: 
 the women and children make and bait the nets, and 
 carry the fish to market. The former are remarkably 
 hardy, carry heavy loads, and do more than their 
 husbands, towards the general support of the family. 
 Neither of the sexes like to marry out of their own vil- 
 lages. On Wednesday morning I preached at Leith. 
 
 Mrs. comes to hear me, in spite of all her church 
 
 and family connections; and her sisters hear me when 
 not in Edinburgh, but will not enter the court of the 
 
 gentiles, for fear of the Rabbis. 
 
 * * * # * 
 
 "I hope that yourself and the dear children are well, 
 and that, night and day, they study your comfort. 
 Give my love and say, if you please, I remember them 
 in my prayers, that God would make them his own 
 children, that they may be the joy and strength of our 
 old age." 
 
 "Edinburgh, July 6, 1800. 
 
 # # * * # * 
 
 "The botanic garden 
 
 here has a great variety of curious plants; and the 
 morning on which I visited it, Dr. Rutherford, the pro- 
 fessor of botany, lectured to nearly one hundred stu-
 
 ORIGINAL ESSAYS, &C. 187 
 
 dents. The lecture was instructive and entertaining. 
 How admirably is the wonderful wisdom and power of 
 God displayed in the minutest fibre of the most obscure 
 and least useful plant. The inattention and indiffer- 
 ence of most of the students, who pay each three 
 guineas for the course of lectures, astonished me. A 
 few of them who had books with them, containing the 
 various classes of plants, not only followed the Profes- 
 sor from plant to plant, but also wrote the leading 
 branches of the lecture. The rest were either too late, 
 or listened in the most stupid or playful manner. I 
 thought that if these sprightly youths attended all the 
 lectures, as they do those upon botany, they may one 
 day have the reputation of having been, at an univer- 
 sity; but it is impossible that they should be much 
 wiser than those who have never seen one." 
 I 
 
 Edinburgh, July 21, 1800. 
 
 "My letter from Dundee was short and hurried, as 
 a delay of two days would have made you uneasy. I 
 was pleased with my visit to this town, which is fast 
 improving in trade and buildings. The pier and the 
 shipping present a lively and cheerful scene, and the 
 manufactories are numerous, especially some very con- 
 siderable for making sail cloth. 
 
 "Provisions are very scarce and dear. At a village 
 near Perth, a short time since, they had neither bread 
 nor meal, the bakers being all without stock; the dis- 
 tress of the women and children was great, having to 
 wait till some could be procured from the neighboring 
 town. The old lady with whom I lodged, was, in early 
 life, an A-B-c-darian: she had twelve guineas a year for 
 boarders, and tells me she bought fourteen eggs for one 
 penny, and a leg of mutton for seven pence. You will 
 guess that she is not very young. 
 
 "At one o'clock in the morning, I left Dundee in the 
 mail. The ride from thence to Perth is the most beau- 
 tiful that can be imagined, and very rich and fertile.
 
 188 EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS, 
 
 Wheat, barley, and oats grow in profusion, as does the 
 linseed, which rises to about the same height, as the 
 canary in the isle of Thanet. At Perth, there is a 
 capital bridge over the Tay; and the landscape reminds 
 me of the view from Richmond. 
 
 "We passed the celebrated lake of Lochleven: the 
 castle still stands, from which the queen escaped. Do 
 you not remember how pleased I was a few years 
 since with the fine picture in Somerset House, on this 
 subject? 
 
 "I am requested to protract my stay, but I remind 
 the good folk of the laws of the Medes and Persians, 
 and say, "Home, home, home, is my watch-word." 
 The ladies in Edinburgh say that the ministers from the 
 south are so fond of their wives and their churches, that 
 there is no keeping them beyond the time originally 
 stipulated. 
 
 "Tell my dear children, that our friend has 
 
 lost a son fifteen years of age, and that I wish them to 
 read and pray over Eccles. xii. 1, 2. and Tim. iii, 15, 
 16. 
 
 "You know how delighted I was to hear you were 
 in good spirits. May you cast all your care upon Him 
 who careth for you, and rejoice always in Him, who 
 has given you so much proof of the favor He bears you, 
 and yours." 
 
 Gloucester, October 1810. 
 
 "This morning, after folding letters, and directing 
 them to the gentry and clergy of the neighborhood, I 
 walked to look at the session's-house, county jail, and 
 several places of religious worship, each of which is 
 respectable. I was pleased with the sight of the house 
 where Whitefield was born, the school in which he was 
 educated, and the church where he preached his first 
 sermon. I felt much at the sight of all these places, 
 on recollecting how God had blessed his labors. I 
 have also seen the long-to-be-remembered spot, where
 
 ORIGINAL ESSAYS, &C. 189 
 
 bishop Hooper was burnt; and the window in the clois- 
 ters from which the savage and inhuman friars feasted 
 their eyes with the scene. The bare recollection of 
 this fact constrains me to say, What hath God ivrought? 
 Now we sit under our vines and our fig-trees, none 
 being allowed to make us afraid. Yes, from this coun- 
 try, once so dark and so persecuting, the light of the 
 scriptures, and the light of the gospel, are fast dissem- 
 inating among the nations which lie in darkness and the 
 shadow of death. Let us pray, and work; and wait in 
 patient hope for the fruit: the promise has been given, 
 that 'In due time we shall reap, if we faint not.' 
 
 "The congregation at chapel, last night, was very 
 large and attentive. The celebrated Dr. Jenner, of 
 Berkeley, (the father of Vaccine inoculation) and his 
 wife, were present; the latter is a very serious and 
 excellent woman. 
 
 "I was much delighted to find by your last, that you 
 were well and happy, for I partake in your joys and 
 sorrows. Look up, and look forward, all is well; all 
 will be well; yea, eternally well; no sorrow, no doubts, 
 no distress, shall attend the day of glory and joy above." 
 
 Worcester, October 26, 1810. 
 ***** 
 
 "A talkative gentleman formed part 
 of my travelling society to-day, who affected to be a 
 wit, and passed many (as he thought) bon-mots. We 
 were told by him very soon, that he had gone to Lon- 
 don to seek his fortune, which he had found, and ex- 
 plained this by saying the best fortune was contentment. 
 I begged leave to correct him, by telling him, there 
 was a wiser maxim contained in an old book with which 
 I was acquainted. 'What' said he 'is that?' 'Godliness 
 with contentment is great gain.' Who should this man 
 
 be but , of celebrated note. The clock strikes 
 
 and admonishes. 
 
 'We take no note of time but by its loss.' 
 17
 
 190 EXTRACTS TROM LETTERS, 
 
 "May we improve it, redeem it, and close it, with a 
 calm and tranquil mind, and with a triumphant, or, at 
 least, a steady faith." 
 
 " Cheltenham. 
 * * * * * 
 
 "I cannot have a collection 
 
 for the Deaf and Dumb at the chapel, as a heavy debt 
 remains unpaid, but have circulated a .large number of 
 bills and letters; and my last text, which was, 'Zealous 
 of good works,' supplied me with materials, towards 
 the close of the sermon, to touch on the subject, and 
 this has already operated to produce some fruits. I do 
 not expect much, as the great business of those who 
 come here, is to spend; and the gamesters who live 
 here by their profession, entangle many in their snares. 
 I fear there is much gambling, among the gentlemen, 
 and much card-playing and scandal, among the ladies. 
 I do not think it possible, that 'what shall we do,' and 
 'where shall we go,' can occur any where more fre- 
 quently in the ranks of the gay and thoughtless, than at 
 Cheltenham. In the library, this morning, was struck 
 with the singular figures that came in quest of novels. 
 Their insipid conversation, and the intolerable restless- 
 ness with which they seemed to be tormented, were 
 somewhat relieved by the bustle which soon after com- 
 menced, on the arrival of Sir William Guise and his 
 friends. The bells rung, some few guns were fired, 
 and, I suppose, many a bumper of claret drunk. I 
 shall transmit you a copy of a satirical ballad published 
 on this occasion, that you may judge of the spirit and 
 temper which is discovered in this electioneering war- 
 fare; and bids fair to keep the country in a ferment, till 
 after the meeting of parliament. 
 
 "I breakfasted yesterday morning with Dr. Jenner 
 and a party of gentlemen, where we had much pleasing 
 conversation. The doctor is an intelligent and affable 
 man. He shewed me his last return of persons vaccin-
 
 ORIGINAL ESSAYS, &C. 191 
 
 ated in India by the regular professional men; above 
 237,000 in 1808, and above 150,000 in 1809. He 
 thinks the Brahmins, and other irregular vaccinators, 
 had operated on many more; and named some large 
 cities, in which the system of vaccination had so com- 
 pletely triumphed, that the small-pox had entirely dis- 
 appeared for four years. He gave me two guineas, 
 and another of the breakfast-party one, for the Deaf 
 and Dumb. 
 
 "Though absent on duty, my home is often painted 
 in memory and imagination, in the most pleasing colors. 
 I count the days, till I shall see it again and take up 
 my winter quarters with renewed delight." 
 
 Thursday morning. 
 ***** 
 
 "It is a wet, dark, morning; 
 
 and the leaves of the high trees opposite my chamber 
 window are scattering down the High Street in wild 
 confusion. Such is the effect produced upon the sons 
 and daughters of Adam, who flourish to-day in youth 
 and prosperity, and, to morrow, are blown; down by the 
 storm of adversity and of death; being swept away to 
 mingle with their mother earth. 
 
 "I am now going to pay my homage where it is so 
 justly due, and to express obligations, which, for num- 
 ber, variety, and value, far, very far, exceed all I can 
 think, or say, or do. O that my soul, and all I have, 
 were more entirely and exclusively devoted to Him 
 who, in providence and grace, has done so much for 
 me! But, alas, wherever I am, or whatever I do, I find 
 earth and sin mixed with all; and that man is doomed 
 to sigh, and struggle, and fight, until mortality shall be 
 swallowed up of life; and He who is 'My God and 
 your God,' 'My Father and your Father,' shall take us 
 to the house not made with hands; the mansions of 
 rest and peace, where body, soul, and spirit, shall be 
 pure and holy."
 
 192 EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS, 
 
 "Norwich, July 3d, 1811. 
 * * * * 
 
 "This city is large and popu- 
 lous, with many congregations; some of them numer- 
 ous; but, there is not a proportionate degree of zeal 
 and vigor. This part of the country must be visited 
 often, before we can engage its liberality. 
 
 "The two Arnolds (Deaf and Dumb) found me out, 
 and drank tea and supped with me; one of them is an 
 excellent sculptor. 
 
 "The more I travel, and the more places, churches, 
 and families I see, the more I am reconciled to my lot, 
 and thankful for the goodness of God. O that I could 
 love Him, praise Him, and serve Him, more than I 
 have ever yet done. He is worthy of all I have, and 
 all I am. 
 
 Braintree, , 1811. 
 
 ***** 
 
 "While our God is sending showers 
 to water the earth, that it may bring forth, O that He 
 would rend the heavens, and come down; making the 
 spiritual clouds distil righteousness and refresh his re- 
 deemed people with his rich and abundant blessing. It is 
 pleasing to see the increase and progress of divine truth, 
 both at home and abroad. The barren wilderness is 
 beginning to blossom as the rose, and the heathen des- 
 erts, which were without the Bible and the Gospel, are 
 becoming as the paradise of God. I have been com- 
 mending you to Him, who is able to keep us from all 
 evil, from without, and from within. May we enter into 
 his more public worship on the ensuing Lord's day, 
 with joy and gratitude: may we have a devout and un- 
 divided heart and worship our God with joy and accept- 
 ance." *****
 
 ORIGINAL ESSAYS, &C. 193 
 
 Yarmouth, , 1811. 
 
 * * * # 
 
 "I am glad this journey was 
 
 resolved upon, as the country people know scarcely any 
 thing of the Missionary Society, or its concerns; of 
 course, making these visits will prove very beneficial. 
 I think I hear you say, 'Let the young men make them;' 
 indeed, if all the ministers would undertake them alter- 
 nately, the sum would finally be large; but I am aware 
 that some are not suited for such a hurrying plan of 
 operation. 
 
 Melbourn, , 1811. 
 
 * * * * 
 
 "The place I preached at yesterday 
 morning, is one of the small villages which you may 
 sJe on the hill, at the back of Melbourn. It is so small 
 that it will support neither lawyer, doctor, butcher, nor 
 baker: the last lives five miles off, the doctor five, and 
 the butcher three; yet the collection for the Missionary 
 Society was between eighteen and nineteen pounds! 
 
 "The clock is striking eight, and calls me to meet 
 you before the throne of mercy, where the great God 
 gives audience to poor, sinful, helpless, and unbelieving 
 man. May the spirit .of grace and supplication rest 
 upon us, and may our prayers come up before the Lord, 
 as the incense of the evening sacrifice." 
 
 "Bedford, 1813. 
 ****** 
 
 "Previously to entering the stage for this 
 place, I went into Bunhill-fields, and walked around the 
 tomb of my dear father and mother, and poured forth a 
 sigh of sincere and affectionate respect, recollecting how 
 much I owed to their tenderness and affection, and not 
 forgetting how soon I might mingle mv bones with 
 theirs. 
 
 17*
 
 194 EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS, 
 
 "This town is remarkably quiet and well conducted, 
 on the sabbath; the shops are shut, and none appear 
 occupied in business or pleasure. There is not a pop- 
 ulation of five thousand inhabitants, and there are five 
 churches, three dissenting meetings, a Wesleyan chapel, 
 a Moravian chapel, and a Jews' synagogue. I shall 
 preach on the spot, where the good John Bunyan stood 
 to proclaim the mercy of God to man." 
 
 "Wakefield, 1815. 
 
 "Disappointment in the plan of my operations pre- 
 vented rny earlier writing to you. My journey has been 
 pleasant, having travelled 177 miles entirely alone 
 not one inside passenger from London to Ferry Bridge; 
 I, therefore, had the privilege of converting the York 
 coach into a study. The country is beautiful; the 
 crops are abundant and fine: men, women, and chil- 
 dren were busily employed, gathering in the well 
 ripened harvest. I thought I had put the notes of my 
 Sunday evening sermon, the text of which was 2 Cor. 
 iv. 7, among my papers, but looked for them in vain; 
 and, as I had fixed upon that for my text, the first night 
 at Pontefract, I took out my papers, French Testament, 
 
 pencil, knife, and the cover of a letter from Miss S 
 
 to dear : the sight of these names carried me in a 
 
 moment to Bermondsey and Sunbury, and the agreeable 
 hours we had all enjoyed together. This reverie hav- 
 ing passed, my thoughts returned to my sermon, and, 
 on reading the passage, perceived that the French ver- 
 sion differs from ours; but, as you understand that lan- 
 guage better than I do, I shall venture no criticism upon 
 their difference, nor introduce any into my sermon; for, 
 you know, I prefer plain and serious remarks to the 
 most serious or ingenious criticism. I was proceeding 
 with rriy sermon, when another York coach came up, 
 and as the coachmen wished for' a chat about horses, 
 guards, and opposition coaches, drove some time 
 abreast, and all'eyes were directed into the new study,
 
 ORIGINAL ESSAYS, &C. 195 
 
 I could perceive a disposition to smiling and laughter 
 at the seat bestrewed with papers, my Testament, notes, 
 and pencil. However, as the road soon narrowed, I 
 pursued my study without further interruption. My 
 sermon finished, I read "Hall on Free Communion" 
 till the day -light closed. This work must be a fatal 
 blow to the system of strict communion amongst the 
 Baptists. The most plausible and the most powerful 
 points of defence taken from the strongest champion 
 Booth, have been so well sifted that I think no very 
 weak sensation will be produced. 
 
 "I hope to see you to-morrow evening, 
 as my journey of 700 miles is now closing. I have 
 been absent twenty-five days, and preached twenty-six 
 sermons, and collected for the Congregational School 
 three hundred and seventy-one pounds, with twenty- 
 three annual subscriptions. Farewell! my heart re- 
 joices at the thought of our so shortly meeting." 
 
 Chatham, 1816. 
 
 * 
 
 "Our reverend friend, with whom I am to be a guest 
 while at Maidstone, grows an old man. Memory fails, 
 and he finds preaching three times a-day too much. 
 He has been thirty-five years pastor of this people, and 
 has not the liberal support which such a congregation 
 should afford. I see in him a picture of what I soon 
 must be, if spared a little longer: but I would not be 
 discouraged, nor fear the debility and uselessness which 
 are the attendants on old age, but rather leave all to the 
 wise disposer of human events, and be thankful for the 
 varied goodness which has been shown to me and mine. 
 Indeed, although prone to think much of the painful 
 occurrences of life, your resolution and mine should be, 
 to imitate David, who said, 'I will sing of mercy and 
 judgment; unto thee, O Lord, will I sing.' "
 
 196 EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS, 
 
 TO A GRANDSON AT SCHOOL. 
 
 "Mr DEAR 
 
 "I hope this will find you in health, and diligently 
 applying to the duties which devolve upon you in your 
 new situation. The morning of life is a most import- 
 ant part of your journey; and, if it be not carefully 
 improved, and a stock of useful knowledge laid in, the 
 evil will be felt through your future existence. The 
 kindness of Providence has placed you in a situation 
 most favorable to the acquisition of useful learning, and 
 you should not let one single moment, which is due to 
 this object, be devoted to play, or loitered away in idle- 
 ness. This is a disease which is of the most malignant 
 nature; and which, if once deeply rooted in the human 
 mind, produces a most mischievous influence through 
 the whole journey of life, and makes the individual a 
 curse to himself, and to the family of which he is a 
 member. The boy at school is the man in miniature; 
 and, therefore, it is almost certain, that the boy who is 
 an idler at school, will be the same in his profession or 
 in his counting-house. It is for this reason that I am so 
 anxious to excite you to activity and diligence at your 
 books, because it will form you into a good habit, and 
 every good habit formed at school is one step towards 
 excellence and success, in all the future walks of life. 
 
 "School is the nursery where the infant mind should 
 be furnished with good principles, and where good prin- 
 ciples should be cherished and strengthened. Next 
 then, to the importance of attending to your studies, let 
 me direct you to look to your disposition and habits, 
 watching the movements of your own heart, and exam- 
 ining if there be any principles or feelings cherished 
 there, which are either unworthy of yourself, or may 
 lead you to act unworthily towards others. 
 
 "Happy shall I be to learn that you give to your 
 masters all that submission, attention, and obedience
 
 ORIGINAL ESSAYS, &C. 197 
 
 which is their due. Add nothing to their anxiety, their 
 trouble, or their vexations. Study to please and oblige 
 them; remember that, in all things, they will study your 
 welfare, and only aim to advance your education; and 
 that this is the greatest kindness that they can show to 
 you, and also an act of justice towards your parents, 
 who believe that the tutors will watch over you, and use 
 every means to promote the great object for which you 
 are placed under their care. 'If sinners entice thee, 
 consent thou not.' It is an old and unquestionable 
 maxim, that 'Evil communications corrupt good man- 
 ners;' and may well form the basis of an admonitory 
 lesson from a grandfather to his grandson, for whose 
 spiritual and eternal welfare he is not only anxious, but 
 for the which he .offers fervent and humble prayer to 
 the Father of mercies. Receive, therefore, my dear 
 child, this friendly epistle with a teachable and humble 
 spirit, and, when you have carefully read it, lift up your 
 heart to God in prayer, that He would make it a bless- 
 ing to your tender and inexperienced mind. 
 
 "Your dear father and myself are both deeply inter- 
 ested in your improvement. 
 
 "Believe me, your affectionate grandfather, 
 
 "JOHN TOWNSEND." 
 
 TO A YOUNG LADY IN HER LAST ILLNESS. 
 "MY DEAR YOUNG FRIEND, 
 
 "Having heard of your long-continued and painful 
 illness, I feel interested in your spiritual and eternal 
 welfare, and am induced to snatch a few moments from 
 the numerous objects which engage my attention, to 
 write you on the all-important subject of religion the 
 only object worthy your attention or anxiety. Distance 
 precludes my visits, and the state of your health ren- 
 ders it probable, that we may never meet again on
 
 198 EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS, 
 
 earth, but I hope we shall one day unite in the grate^l 
 hosannas, that are sung by the redeemed, in adoration 
 of that Savior to whose obedience and death, we owe 
 the entire expiation of our transgressions. 
 
 "I hope, that before this period, you have been priv- 
 ileged to know your sinfulness and danger, and that 
 the Holy Spirit has led you to Jesus Christ, renewed 
 your immortal nature, and made you the child of God, 
 and an heir of the kingdom of heaven. Inquire seri- 
 ously on these points, for the Holy Scriptures have 
 affirmed that, there is salvation in no other, Acts iv. 
 12; and that, except we be born again, we cannot 
 enter the kingdom of God. John iii. 3. 
 
 "It has pleased the wise and merciful God, to make 
 you an early subject of affliction; but this is not to be 
 regretted, as the inspired volume' has pronounced that, 
 'It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in youth,' 
 Lam. iii. 27; and that, although 'no chastening for the 
 present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: yet after- 
 ward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness, 
 unto them which are exercised thereby.' Heb. xii. 11. 
 It is said also, 'Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth.' 
 In days of health and prosperity, we forsake this God; 
 therefore in mercy, He surrounds' us with the thorny 
 hedge of affliction. Remember then, my dear young 
 friend, that our sorrows do not come by chance, but 
 from Him, by whom the hairs of our heads are num- 
 bered. 
 
 "Not only remember that your affliction comes from 
 God, but that He has given you many promises to sup- 
 port and console the mind. I will suggest one or two 
 of these, and hope the Lord will give you power to 
 believe and to plead them at his throne of mercy. 
 'When thou passest through the waters, I will be with 
 thee, and through the rivers, they shall not overflow 
 thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not 
 be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.* 
 Isa. xliii. 2. I doubt not, my dear young friend, that
 
 ORIGINAL ESSAYS, &C. 199 
 
 your present circumstances are to you, deep waters, 
 and fiery trials; perhaps, in fear and distress, you are 
 tempted to say, 'All these things are against me;' but let 
 not your heart be troubled: distresses the most severe 
 have in times past, and do still, work together for good 
 to them who love God. 
 
 "Commit your soul, my dear young friend, with all 
 its vast and complicated concerns, into the hands of a 
 Savior. Plead, before the throne of God, the virtue 
 of his sacrifice, the perfection of his righteousness, and 
 the prevailing intercession which he has promised for 
 his people. When He was upon earth, going about 
 doing good, He was the decided Friend of children 
 and young people; of the former, He said, 'Suffer 
 them to come untp me, and forbid them not, for of such 
 is the kingdom of heaven.' 
 
 tThough, like myself, you are a sinner by nature 
 and practice, yet, Christ came to save sinners, and He 
 is a tender-hearted and compassionate Savior, who does 
 not 'break the bruised reed,' and who will be faithful 
 and just to forgive us our sins, if we confess and for- 
 sake them. It is probable, that when you attempt to 
 pray for pardon, you feel much opposition, with a cold 
 and wandering heart, and a deep sense of your own 
 insufficiency, saying only, 'God be merciful to me a 
 sinner.' Be not discouraged; a short prayer, if it be 
 the language of a broken heart, will be heard in heaven, 
 and presented by our immortal Advocate. 
 
 "In proportion as you decline in health, and approach 
 the eve of your dismission out of this very sinful world, 
 your mind may be depressed by apprehension of faint- 
 ing in the last trying hour, when the enemy of souls 
 may assault your tender and inexperienced mind by his 
 fiery darts. In that moment, remember the same enemy 
 stood at the right hand of Joshua, to accuse him, but 
 the Lord rebuked him, and pardoned, blessed, and 
 strengthened his servant, saying, 'Is not this a brand 
 plucked out of the fire?' Adding, 'Behold, I have caused
 
 200 EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS, 
 
 thine iniquity to pass from thee.' Zech. iii. 2. 4. I 
 hope the Holy Spirit will give you strength to support 
 your pain and weakness, and that He will give you 
 power to say, 'Death is swallowed up in victory,' and 
 that for you 'to die is gain.' 
 
 "Sure and steadfast hope, founded upon the Holy 
 Scriptures, will reconcile you to an immediate separa- 
 tion from your dear parents, when you consider that 
 you will immediately join the company of holy angels 
 and the spirits of just men made perfect. You will say 
 with David, 'In thy presence is fulness of joy, and at 
 thy right hand are pleasures for evermore. 
 
 "I must take leave of you, my dear young friend, in 
 the words of the Jewish high priest: 'The Lord bless 
 thee, and keep thee: the Lord make his face to shine 
 upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: the Lord lift up 
 his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.' ' : 
 Numb. vi. 2426. 
 
 "Till I meet you in a happier and better world, 
 believe me, 
 
 "Truly your friend, JOHN TOWNSEND." 
 
 A mutineer in the fleet, in 1797, who lay under sen- 
 tence of death, requested a visit from Mr. Townsend; 
 on application being made to the Admiralty, this was 
 refused, end the following letter was written. 
 
 "1 am unable to express how much your application 
 has distressed me; not only that you are in such mel- 
 ancholy circumstances, but that I cannot comply with 
 your request of seeing you; as, though you are entirely 
 unknown to me, I would willingly render you any as- 
 sistance. 
 
 "Your letter did not reach me till noon this day; and 
 as you expected to be removed from the Neptune im- 
 mediately, I know not where you are; but this is not
 
 ORIGINAL ESSAYS, &C. 201 
 
 the only obstacle, as I am much indisposed, and con- 
 fined to town by the duties of next Sabbath. 
 
 "If the letter I have received was dictated by your- 
 self, I rejoice that you can read your Bible, and have 
 some general knowledge of the doctrine of salvation by 
 Jesus Christ, who came to save sinners, and who ad- 
 dressed them in the endearing language, 'Come unto 
 me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will 
 give you rest.' I hope your chief burden is a sense of 
 your sin, and a deep concern to have it pardoned and 
 washed away in the precious blood of Christ. Read 
 1 Pet. i. 18, 19; and 1 John i. 7, 8, 9. If your 
 mind is at all rightly affected, you see yourself among 
 the 'chief of sinners,' 1 Tim. i. 15; and the prayers 
 you offer daily to God, are much in the spirit and lan- 
 guage of the 38th and 51st Psalms, which I beg you 
 to Read attentively. Study much the sinfulness of your 
 own heart and nature. Look back upon the thoughts, 
 words, and actions of your past life, and you will surely 
 find that you can draw no comfort from these. If you 
 look at them, as they are judged by the righteous God 
 and by his holy law, you must feel shame and remorse, 
 and humbly express yourself in prayer to God, in the 
 following language: 'Woe is me, for I am undone, be- 
 cause I am a man of unclean lips.' Isa. vi. 5. 'Behold 
 I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay my 
 hand upon my mouth.' Job. xl. 4. Beware of trusting 
 for your pardon and salvation, in any thing but the blood 
 and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ: this is the 
 provision grace has made for sinners. Study and pray 
 over Luke xviii. from the 10th to the 14th verse. Never 
 indulge a thought that you are not so bad as others, or 
 that God is not very strict to mark iniquity, nor yet that 
 you can make your peace with God by your confessions, 
 prayers, tears, or receiving the sacrament: these are 
 false refuges, and have deluded many. Suffer me to 
 tell you, that you are a very great sinner; you have 
 left undone the things you ought to have done, and done 
 18
 
 202 EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS 
 
 those things which you ought not to have done, and 
 consequently there is no good in you. Remember, also, 
 that sin is odious to God. The wages of sin is death, 
 even eternal death; and how awful is it, to die in sin, 
 and be lost forever. Read carefully Luke xvi. 22d 
 to 31st verse. Methinks I hear you say, (O that you 
 may say it from the heart!) How then shall I be saved? 
 What do I want to make me a" Christian? What do I 
 want, to prepare me for death and judgment? Impor- 
 tant inquiry this! May you never be satisfied till God 
 himself answer, by showing you that He is your God, 
 and your salvation: till He speak these words with 
 power to your soul. 'Thy sins are forgiven.' Luke vii. 
 47. I will answer your inquiry in the words of Scrip- 
 ture: 'Except ye repent, ye shall likewise perish.' Luke 
 xiii. 3. 'Ye must be born again.' John iii. 7. 'With- 
 out holiness no man shall see the Lord.' Heb. xii. 14. 
 'He that believeth and is baptised, shall be saved.' Mark 
 xvi. 16. Finally, the whole doctrine which concerns 
 the salvation of a poor sinner, is comprised in these 
 words: 'Let the wicked forsake his way, and the un- 
 righteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the 
 Lord, and He will have mercy upon him, and to our 
 God, for He will abundantly pardon.' Isa. Iv. 7. Yes! 
 to miserable sinners, God says, 'Come, let us reason 
 together; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be 
 white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they 
 shall be as wool.' Isa. i. 18. I will endeavor to show 
 you, the great encouragement there is to look for for- 
 giveness of sin, through the Lord Jesus Christ; for this 
 is the only way by which sinners can be pardoned. 
 Remember, I entreat you, in all your supplications to 
 God, that He forgives only in the name and for the 
 sake of Christ. He died to make atonement for the 
 sins of men: you may read this in the 53d of Isaiah, 
 verses 4, 5, 6. Never harbor a thought, that your sins 
 are either too many or too great, for Him to blot out. 
 He is a great Savior, and able to save to the uttermost
 
 ORIGINAL ESSAYS, &C. 203 
 
 Heb. vii. 25. He has saved the greatest of all sinners, 
 Manasseh, Mary Magdalene, and the thief upon the 
 cross, and he is willing and able to save you and your 
 poor sinful companions. Look to Him, trust in Him, 
 and he will not cast you out. He invites, intreats, and 
 commands guilty sinners to come to Him. Pray to be 
 delivered from an unbelieving heart pray to be kept 
 from looking to, or trusting in, any thing, but Christ. 
 Pray to the Holy Spirit, to teach you your need of 
 Christ, and the remission of sins by Him. May God 
 send his Spirit to enlighten, help, and comfort; then 
 will you feel all that happiness of which David speaks, 
 Psalm xxxii. 1, 2. 'Blessed is he whose transgression 
 is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man 
 unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in 
 whose spirit there is no guile.' If your faith be genu- 
 ine 1 , it must be known by its fruits. It deeply humbles 
 the sinner in his own eyes; it makes sin very hateful; 
 it makes Christ valuable; it leads the soul to desire 
 holiness as much as happiness, and to mourn more on 
 account of the sin it has committed, than the misery 
 which it has procured. O pray much to the Holy 
 Spirit to seal upon your spirit, the salvation which is in 
 Christ. This will support you in the prospect of death. 
 'The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the 
 law, but thanks be to God who giveth us the victory 
 through our Lord Jesus Christ.' 1 Cor. xv. 54, 55. 
 My congregation and myself will pray, that God will 
 pardon, bless, and save you for Christ's sake, taking 
 you under his own teaching, and finally receiving you 
 into his kingdom. You may read this letter to your 
 companions, and, if you have a Bible, read the 53d 
 and 55th chapters of Isaiah; the 3d, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 
 and 8th chapters of Romans; and the 1st and 2d chap- 
 ters of Ephesians."
 
 POSTHUMOUS CHARGE 
 
 TO HIS CHURCH. 
 
 "CHRISTIAN FRIENDS, 
 
 "After laboring among you nearly forty years, it 
 is impossible to realise the thought of my departure 
 from you by death, to give an account of my steward- 
 ship to the great Head of the Christian church, without 
 mingled and strong feelings. In transmitting these 
 thoughts to you, I wish you to accept them as the last 
 effort of my pen to promote your spiritual and eternal 
 interest, and as a last token of my affection. 
 
 "The first years of my relation to the church and 
 congregation at Jamaica-row, were stormy and painful, 
 owing to evil tempers in some, and the introduction of 
 Antinomian principles among others; but for many years 
 it has pleased God to bless us with truth and peace. 
 
 "Considering the period which I have exercised my 
 ministry among you, the occasions of scandal and the 
 necessity of going to the dernier resort of church disci- 
 pline, (namely, excommunication) have been as few as 
 in most of our Independent churches. I cannot fully 
 express the pleasure I feel, that I am leaving you with 
 your place of worship in a good state of repair, free 
 from debt and embarrassments, the pews all let, and 
 the church and congregation in a state of prosperity. 
 
 "When I review the long term of my sojourning 
 among you, I feel grateful for the many proofs it affords 
 of your good-will and affection. I might, in this docu-
 
 ORIGINAL ESSAYS, &C. 205 
 
 ment, review the whole course of my ministerial and 
 pastoral labors; and in doing this, 1 feel sensible that I 
 ought to be deeply humbled, on account of my short 
 comings and imperfections; but yet I have faithfully 
 preached the Gospel of the Son of God, in the fullest 
 sense of the expression, including DOCTRINES, EXPE- 
 RIENCE, and PRACTICE. I have visited the aged, the 
 sick, and the dying, and have uniformly directed them 
 to the Savior for their justification, and to the Holy 
 Spirit for their sanctification and comfort. And now 
 that you can see my face no more, suffer me, though 
 dead, to speak to you in this farewell address, and 
 kindly receive its reproofs and instructions. Pardon me, 
 it I express a fear, in some instances, that I have labor- 
 ed in vain, and spent my time for nought. How can I 
 do otherwise, in regard to those who have been alto- 
 geiher careless of the best interests of their immortal 
 souls? You, I fear, have come to the worship of God, 
 somewhat in the spirit and manner of those hearers 
 in the time of Ezekiel, (chap, xxxiii. ver. 21.) You 
 have been pleased with, and even commended, my la- 
 bors; and yet, it may be, you have never received them 
 with the demonstration of the Holy Spirit, or experi- 
 enced a genuine conversion to God, but you have rested 
 in the name and profession of religion. 
 
 "Some of you, I have reason to hope, have felt the 
 power of those alarming and pointed discourses, which 
 I have delivered to you from the impressive parables of 
 our Lord, and on other practical and awakening sub- 
 jects. Yea, you, like Felix, have trembled. O! do 
 not say, as he did, 'Go thy way for the present!' THESE 
 ARE MY LAST WORDS. O! that they may touch your 
 hearts, and bring the seed to maturity! 
 
 "lu the parlor, as in the pulpit, I have urged the pro- 
 priety and necessity of your coming out from the world, 
 and cleaving closer to God and religion, in favor and in 
 love, resolving on a closer union to the church. Shame, 
 fear, and a divided heart, have kept you irresolute and 
 *18
 
 EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS, 
 
 distant; and, to this moment, you have sinned against 
 your own convictions, offended the Lord your Re- 
 deemer, and greatly wronged the interests of your own 
 souls. 
 
 "My removal to another world will open the way for 
 you to exercise a great privilege, and the performance 
 of a great duty that of choosing a NEW PASTOR, to 
 go before you as a spiritual shepherd, to watch over 
 you in the Lord, and to promote your spiritual in- 
 terests. 
 
 "While you are attending to this duty, allow me to 
 remind you of the difficulty of performing it rightly. 
 O how much depends upon your making a wise and 
 Christian choice! Think seriously, my dear Christian 
 friends, how much the interest of your own souls, the 
 souls of your children and servants, and the spiritual 
 good of the whole neighborhood, depend upon your 
 decision. 
 
 "You are entering upon a service of great difficulty. 
 To most of you, it is a new measure; and too often it 
 excites so much feeling, and is mixed up with so many 
 prejudices, and so many various and conflicting inter- 
 ests and opinions, as to produce much contention and 
 strife for the mastery, till division and distraction flow in 
 like an overwhelming torrent. 
 
 "You have long lived, my dear brethren, in love and 
 peace, and I do hope these will long continue; but to 
 promote them, you must make some sacrifices. You 
 must, individually and collectively, look up to God to 
 enable you to make, a scriptural decision. Lay aside 
 every personal, every subordinate consideration, and 
 steadily, and with all your hearts, keep in view the 
 glory of God, the good of the church of which you are 
 members, and the salvation of the souls of the heathen 
 at large. All other ends and objects will be unworthy 
 of you, and tend to frustrate the great end of ministe- 
 rial instruction; for it ought not to be forgotten by you, 
 that he will be the best and most beneficial minister,
 
 ORIGINAL ESSAYS, &tC. 207 
 
 whose ministry has the most obvious tendency to awaken 
 and convert carnal sinners and slumbering professors, 
 and to build up Christians in their most holy faith, pro- 
 moting their growth in grace, and in the knowledge of 
 our Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 "In the arduous duty of choosing a NEW MINISTER, 
 the first movement, will, of course, devolve upon the 
 Deacons. Bear with me in urging upon you, the great 
 responsibility under which you are laid by the widowed 
 state of the church. O! that a double portion of the 
 Spirit of wisdom and prudence may rest upon you. 
 Almost every thing depends upon your making a cau- 
 tious and wise selection of supplies. Many churches 
 have been disturbed, divided, and destroyed, for want 
 of proper attention in this particular. My very dear 
 brethren, your spiritual safety, harmony, and peace, 
 must depend on your not admitting ONE INDIVIDUAL. 
 into your pulpit, who is destitute of sound knowledge, 
 the powerful experience of religion, and a sterling char- 
 acter for piety and holiness. If one showy necessit- 
 ous man is introduced among you, he will make a party, 
 and will determine to settle in your vicinity. Especially 
 guard against being prejudiced or influenced by private 
 friendship, by relative bias, or by first appearances. 
 These have so often deceived the churches, that you 
 should not be precipitate in your decisions; and yet I 
 would guard you against unnecessary delay: that is 
 almost as mischievous as too much haste. 
 
 "That you may not be hurried away, or commit 
 yourselves hastily, by prematurely supporting and pro- 
 moting the election of a successor, allow me to offer a 
 few friendly hints. Do nothing without consultation, 
 and in nothing act separately, or in opposition to each 
 other; but consult with cool and impartial consideration, 
 guarding against a positive and dogmatical spirit. It 
 would be wise and suitable, to hold special meetings 
 for prayer, to ask counsel of the God of wisdom and 
 grace.
 
 208 EXTRACTS PROM LETTERS, 
 
 "The pulpit should be occupied by only one candi- 
 date at a time. If you engage the attention of several 
 candidates at once, and then call the church to decide 
 which they approve, division and strife will almost 
 necessarily follow. 
 
 "Though you have but one person on trial at a time, 
 yet it will require much caution in coming to a decision; 
 nor should it be much pressed upon the church, unless 
 there is a tolerably large proportion of the church and 
 congregation in favor of that individual; and if there be 
 a very general concurrence, the officers of the church 
 should be extremely cautious in not lightly acting against 
 the majority. On the other hand, the church and con- 
 gregation should listen with great care to the recom- 
 mendation of the officers, provided they have exercised 
 due caution in the person selected, and carefully exam- 
 ined into his character, principles, and talents. Indeed, 
 I cannot but urge upon all parties in the church, that 
 they be forward to make a sacrifice of their own opin- 
 ions and inclinations, to what appears most conducive 
 to the honor of God and the general good of the church. 
 He that makes the largest sacrifice of his own will and 
 inclination to the general good, acts most in accordance 
 with the directions of inspired truth, and the homage 
 and love which he owes to Jesus Christ. On the con- 
 trary: he that distracts and divides the church, by a 
 spirit of pride, selfishness, or love of pre-eminence, 
 proves himself a Diotrophes, and deserves the severest 
 censure and condemnation of all who sincerely love 
 Zion, and who pray for the peace and prosperity thereof. 
 
 "I do then hope and earnestly pray, that you follow 
 the advice of the apostle, 'Let nothing be done through 
 strife or vain glory,' but 'Let brotherly love continue;' 
 and in deliberating and determining the important ques- 
 tion, Who shall be the New Minister of the congrega- 
 tion and church? be of one mind, keeping in view, 
 especially, these three things: That he be well furnished 
 with scriptural knowledge; that he have a warm attachment
 
 ORIGINAL ESSAYS, &C. 209 
 
 to Christ and his gospel; and that he have a strong and 
 prevailing desire for the welfare of immortal souls: for, 
 although he be a real Christian, and act as becomes the 
 gospel, these alone will not make him a successful 
 minister of Jesus Christ. 
 
 "It has often been matter of lamentation to me, that 
 the young people of both sexes have not come forward 
 so generally, or so ardently, in my congregation, as in 
 many others, to assist in schools, and in the different 
 Institutions* which have been formed for extending 
 the light and blessings of the gospel. I will not say any 
 thing in a way of censure, because there may be as 
 much fault on my side, as on their's, owing to my nat- 
 urally reserved disposition, the slender nature of my 
 educational advantages, and the great press of pulpit 
 and other engagements connected with the modern phi- 
 lanthropic Institutions, in almost every one of which I 
 had some concern, and, consequently, felt some solic- 
 itude to uphold and extend them. I have often thought 
 of trying to form our youth into classes, and making a 
 stronger and more direct appeal to their understandings 
 and consciences; but, I was fearful my resources of 
 knowledge were too scanty, especially of that kind 
 which is suited to entertain and arnuse, while it im- 
 presses and instructs. I hope my successor may pos- 
 sess a greater measure of that species of cultivation, 
 which will give him facility for engaging the attention, 
 and exciting the piety and zeal, of the young people 
 of the congregation. I sometimes cherish the hope, 
 that the period of my ministry has only been a seed 
 time, and that my successor will have the unspeakable 
 
 * Justice to Mr. Townsend's church and congregation, demands the 
 following statement: They raise and support a Sunday School for girls 
 and boys; a School of Industry, where the children are partly clothed; 
 one consisting of twelve girls, where they are entirely so, and a Day 
 School for twenty boys. They have also a society for visiting and re- 
 lieving the sick the proceeds of which are sixty pounds per annum; 
 sometimes the amount exceeds this sum an Auxiliary Missionary Soci- 
 ety, and a Bible and Tract Society for local distribution, independently 
 of their exertions in a branch Auxiliary Bible Association.
 
 210 EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS, 
 
 pleasure of reaping the harvest, and that it will be 
 evident I have not labored in vain, nor spent my time 
 for nought. 
 
 "Though I may justly lament my want of greater 
 success, and pray that it may appear more abundantly 
 when I am removed, yet it would be criminal not to 
 acknowledge not to express thankfulness to God, for 
 what He has done through my feeble instrumentality. 
 Some of you are seals of my ministry, and will, I trust, 
 be my crown of rejoicing in the great day. I rejoice 
 in the stedfastness with which you have resisted the in- 
 sidious acts of the proud and hot-headed talkers of the 
 times, who have, by their cunning and deceitful work- 
 ing, beguiled the simple and unwary, and fomented 
 strifes and divisions, which have not only destroyed the 
 peace and the strength of the churches in which they 
 have taken place, but have almost annihilated them. 
 
 "Finally, then, my dear Christian friends, I pray you, 
 be on your guard against those whom the inspired vol- 
 ume has thus pointed out, 'Mark them which cause 
 divisions.' 
 
 "My constant and earnest desire on your behalf, and 
 my devout prayer to God for every one of you, is, 
 (Numb. vi. 24 26,) 'The Lord bless thee, and keep 
 thee: the Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and 
 be gracious unto thee: the Lord lift up his countenance 
 upon thee, and give thee peace.' Amen and amen.
 
 ON PERSONAL RELIGION. 
 
 Personal Religion has its seat in the heart, and is the 
 blessing so distinctly promised in Jer. xxiv. 7, "And 
 I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the 
 Lord: and they shall be my people, and I will be their 
 Got!: for they shall return unto me with their whole 
 heart." "A. new heart also will I give you, and a new 
 spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the 
 stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an 
 heart of flesh." Ezek. xxxvi. 26. Here we see the 
 scriptural source of all genuine religion; it is the gift 
 of God, and the operation of his mighty hand. Our 
 divine Master has illustrated this essence of religion in 
 his representation of the union which subsists between 
 Christ and his people. (John xv. 1 5.) "He shows, 
 that we may as well expect a branch severed from a 
 tree to yield blossom, and bear fruit, as that a natural 
 man should bring forth the fruits of the Spirit, and do 
 the works of faith." The apostle Paul has used another 
 very appropriate figure to exemplify this. He consid- 
 ers every real Christian as a member of the mystical 
 body of Christ, and of course dependant upon his union 
 with Christ, the living Head, for his spiritual life, and 
 for his capacity to do that which is acceptable to God. 
 
 Personal Religion has an intimate connection with 
 the operation of the Holy Spirit in regeneration, as it is 
 given in the sacred pages. The doctrine as stated by
 
 212 EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS, 
 
 Dr. M , is the most dangerous that can be 
 
 propagated, as it leads unconverted and irreligious -per- 
 sons to be satisfied with their own spiritual condition, 
 and engenders that false peace, and that delusive hope, 
 which have deceived so many. It also precludes those 
 faithful and solemn addresses to the consciences of men, 
 which are evidently needful for the great mass of our 
 hearers, notwithstanding they have been baptised, and 
 devoted to God in that ordinance, by praying and 
 Christian parents. 
 
 Spiritual regeneration, which is the basis of all per- 
 sonal religion, includes considerably more than an intro- 
 duction into a visible relation to the Christian Church, 
 or a change of sentiments, or a mere improvement in 
 the external conduct. All these are desirable, and have 
 a degree of importance, but they may exist without the 
 heart being really influenced by religion. This is sup- 
 posed in the definition given by John the Baptist of 
 his own mission: "I, indeed, baptise you with water 
 unto repentance: but He that cometh after me is 
 mightier than I He shall baptize you with the Holy 
 Ghost and with fire," Matt. iii. 11; and this view of 
 the subject is illustrated and confirmed, by the charac- 
 ter and conduct of Simon Magus. He was convinced 
 of the truth of Christianity, made a public profession 
 of his faith, was baptized, and made some sacrifices to 
 his new religion. He remained, however, a total stran- 
 ger to its principles, for he thought to purchase the 
 privilege of communicating the Holy Ghost to all those 
 on whom he might lay his hands, and was pronounced 
 by St. Peter to be "in the gall of bitterness, and in the 
 bond of iniquity." Acts viii. 23. If we only glance 
 at the passages of scripture in which the actual pos- 
 sessor of Personal Religion is described, we shall 
 uniformly find, that his state is wholly attributed to the 
 communication of a new and divine principle. "There- 
 fore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old 
 things are passed away; and behold, all things are be-
 
 ORIGINAL ESSAYS, &C. 213 
 
 come new." 2 Cor. v. 17. "For we are his work- 
 manship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, 
 which God hath before ordained that we should walk 
 in them." Eph. ii. 10. "Seeing ye have purified 
 your souls in obeying the truth, through the Spirit unto 
 unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one 
 another with a pure heart fervently: being born again, 
 not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the 
 word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." 1 
 Peter i. 22, 23. 
 
 There are several signs and effects of this new prin- 
 ciple, which is the ibundation of Personal Relig- 
 ion. The renewed mind attains a clear discernment 
 of the nature of sin, and this induces a holy sor- 
 row. (Jer. xxxi. 18, 19.) "I rejoice, not that ye 
 were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: 
 fol ye were made sorry after a godly manner for 
 godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be 
 repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh 
 death." 2 Cor. vii. 9. It includes an unfeigned 
 humility, and an hatred of self. (Luke xv. 18, 19.) 
 "God be merciful to me a sinner." Luke xviii. 13. 
 
 There arises a strong feeling of solicitude for the 
 salvation of the soul, "What must I do to be saved," 
 Acts xvi. 30; which issues in fervent and humble prayer 
 to God: "Behold he prayeth." Acts ix. 11. Our own 
 righteousness is then renounced as unprofitable, in the 
 great question of justification before God. "And be 
 found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which 
 is of the law, but that which is through the faith of 
 Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." 
 Phil. iii. 9. 
 
 Where Personal Religion exists, the individual will 
 come out from the world. "Who gave himself for us, 
 that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify 
 unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." 
 Titus ii. 14. This passage contains a fine description 
 of the Gospel, and of Personal Religion under its sa- 
 19
 
 214 EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS, 
 
 cred influence. The grace, the blessing, the power, the 
 holiness, of the Christian dispensation, are therein ex- 
 hibited. 
 
 If we had more correct apprehensions of this dis- 
 pensation, our enjoyments would be more transforming, 
 and more elevating; we should never be tempted to 
 prefer our own righteousness to the righteousness of 
 Christ, and our earthborn pleasures to the rich and per- 
 manent blessings of his religion. Do we ever feel the 
 power of that sublime and impressive question "What 
 is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world and 
 lose his own soul?" Matt. xvi. 26. 
 
 Some ignorant and self-conceited enthusiasts deny 
 the progressive nature of sanctification, which is one of 
 the most evident truths in scripture. Are we not com- 
 manded to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our 
 Lord Jesus Christ? 2 Peter iii. 18. St. Paul, also, 
 in his Epistles, discovers a deep concern that the Chris- 
 tian converts should individually grow in spiritual stat- 
 ure. It was not enough that he understood a church 
 abounded with members, or that there were great ex- 
 ternal gifts, or even the power of working miracles, and 
 displaying unexampled zeal; his earnest desire and 
 prayer to God was, that they might abound more and 
 more in all the graces of the Spirit, in the mind and 
 temper of Jesus Christ, and in the fruits of righteous- 
 ness, "And this I pray, that your love may abound yet 
 more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; that 
 ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may 
 Ibe sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; 
 being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are 
 by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God." 
 Phil, i. 9, 10, 11. The apostle Peter also breathes 
 the same spirit, in that fine description of Personal 
 Religion, commencing with a true and living faith, and 
 proceeding step by step, till our calling and election is 
 made sure, and promises an abundant entrance into that 
 heaven, where there is fulness of joy, in the presence
 
 ORIGINAL ESSAYS, &C. 215 
 
 of God, and at his right hand, pleasures for evermore. 
 2 Peter i. 5, 11; Psalm xvi. 11. 
 
 The growth of Personal Religion is not only urged 
 as a duty, and prayed for as a blessing; but it is beau- 
 tifully illustrated by the most natural and impressive 
 images. The divine principle which forms the source 
 of Personal Religion is compared to light, which shin- 
 eth more and more unto the perfect day. Prov. iv. 
 18. It is compared to leaven, which, although it 
 Worketh slowly and imperceptibly, yet effectually insin- 
 uates itself into the whole mass. Matt. xiii. 33. It 
 is set forth by the grain of mustard seed, which yields 
 at last a tall, fruitful, and wide-spreading tree; (Matt, 
 xiii. 31;) and to bread-corn, which produces, first, the 
 blade, then the ear, and after that the full corn in the 
 ear. Mark iv. 28. It is also exhibited to us by the 
 ap<5stle, under the progress of animal life; and the spir- 
 itual stature of Christians is marked by the threefold 
 appellation of fathers, young men, and little children. 
 1 John ii. 13. The apostle Paul has several allusions 
 of this kind: "Till we all come to the unity of the faith." 
 Eph. iv. 12 16. The whole of this passage is 
 natural and exquisitely beautiful. 
 
 The growth of Personal Religion must be universal, 
 including knowledge, experience, and practice. If we 
 were to advance in knowledge only, we should be vainly 
 puffed up; and, while professing to be wise, should in 
 works deny Christ. If we were to grow only in expe- 
 rience, our feelings, and the ardor of our zeal, would 
 induce enthusiasm; and if we attached ourselves only 
 to moral duties, we should soon become Pharisees, hav- 
 ing much of the form, but denying the power of relig- 
 ion. When the Christian really grows, and his growth 
 is healthful, and from the influence of the Holy Spirit, 
 it is a growth, in which the principle of proportion is 
 clearly discovered. If we were to grow in knowledge, 
 and not in purity in the confidence of faith, and not 
 in filial fear or in spiritual joy, and not in humility
 
 216 EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS, 
 
 our growth, instead of exhibiting the signs of healthful 
 vigor and prosperity, would display those distortions and 
 protuberances, which are symptoms of disease, fre- 
 quently destroying life itself. 
 
 It is much easier to explain the nature, the origin, 
 and the progress of Personal Religion, than it is to act 
 upon its principles. 
 
 If we would increase in Personal Religion, we must 
 pray for spiritual discernment and prudence, to guide 
 us in the choice of appropriate means, and we must 
 exert all diligence in the use of them. We may as well 
 expect life and health to be continued to the body, with- 
 out food, and air, and exercise, as expect spiritual life 
 and growth in Personal Religion, without a divine influ- 
 ence, and a diligent and careful employment of all the 
 means of grace. The apostle Paul was deeply im- 
 pressed with this truth, when he said, "I am crucified 
 with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ 
 liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh 
 I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, 
 and gave himself for me." Gal. ii. 19. Our grace, 
 \visdom, strength, and purity, must come from the ful- 
 ness of Christ. John i. 1216; Phil. iv. 19. 
 
 We must live a life of daily communion with God. 
 We must walk with Him, as Enoch and Noah are 
 said to have done. Gen. v. 4, and vi. 9. Having to 
 wrestle, not only against flesh and blood, but also against 
 principalities and powers, we must cultivate a spirit of 
 constant, fervent, and believing prayer, which is urged 
 by the apostle in the beautiful passage, "Praying always 
 with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watch- 
 ing thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for 
 all saints." Eph. vi. 18. This praying always, with 
 all prayer, has a continued influence upon our graces, 
 our duties, our sentiments, our tempers, and our actions, 
 giving them a spiritual direction, and an energy and sta- 
 bility, which they can acquire through no other medium. 
 There must be an entire dependence upon the Holy
 
 ORIGINAL ESSAYS, &IC. 217 
 
 Spirit for his teaching and purifying influence. "But 
 the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the 
 Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all 
 things, and bring all things to your remembrance, what- 
 soever I have said unto you." John xiv. 26. We con- 
 stantly need a renewal of impressions, nor is this truth 
 any where more generally and devoutly confessed, than 
 in the devotional services of the church of England. 
 
 Above all, my dear if you would grow in Per- 
 sonal Religion, you must keep at a distance from the 
 company and pleasures of the world. Be assured, that 
 the spirit, the opinions, the habits, and the conversation 
 of worldly men, are all opposed to real religion, and 
 therefore the apostle has given us this interesting exhort- 
 ation, "Come out from among them, and be ye sepa- 
 rate, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive 
 y<^u, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be 
 my sons and daughters, saith the Lord God Almighty." 
 2 Cor. vi. 17, 18. 
 
 19*
 
 TO STUDENTS AND MINISTERS. 
 
 Every individual proposing to devote himself to a 
 profession, if he be at all rightly impressed, carefully 
 and seriously weighs its requirements, and adjourns his 
 final decision, till he is satisfied that the plan he thinks 
 of pursuing, is in itself a wise one, and that, as he ad- 
 vances in years, in knowledge, and in experience, he 
 shall neither regret his decision, nor abandon it for 
 some other. 
 
 The importance of this remark is so obvious in itself, 
 and a proper attention to it is so requisite in contem- 
 plating the settlement of youth in some honorable and 
 useful pursuit, that it is very seldom overlooked or for- 
 gotten; should it be so, evil consequences generally fol- 
 low. It is soon discovered that the individual has not 
 been placed in a suitable station he has no spirit to 
 apply himself to its required duties; of course he ut- 
 terly neglects them, or attends to them with a reluct- 
 ance and an indifference which naturally lead to their 
 being imperfectly performed. 
 
 If these remarks are applicable in the general affairs 
 of life, they will apply in a more especial manner to 
 him, who intends to minister before the Lord in holy 
 things. He who undertakes to cure the maladies of 
 human nature, or to alleviate the pains by which they 
 are accompanied, acts rashly, and hazards the life of 
 the patient, if he is destitute of requisite knowledge and
 
 ORIGINAL ESSAYS, &C. 219 
 
 experience. He who assumes the command of an army 
 destined to defend his country, ought to be influenced 
 by a love of that country, and capacitated by his knowl- 
 edge, experience, and courage, to perform the duties of 
 a general. 
 
 Thus, in proportion as the interests of the church of 
 God exceed the interests of a nation, and as the value 
 of immortal souls transcends all the earthly interests of 
 man, including even life itself, so the importance of the 
 character, principles, and qualifications of spiritual 
 teachers, is above that of generals and physicians, and 
 yet the care and expense devoted to the one, exceed 
 what is expended on the other in an almost infinite 
 degree. 
 
 tinder the melancholy and alarming impression which 
 this truth suggests, the writer feels anxious to engage 
 the attention, the serious and undivided attention, of all 
 theological students who are preparing for the work of 
 the Christian Ministry, whether churchmen or dissent- 
 ers, and whether intended for foreign missions or for 
 home service. To such especially, and also to his breth- 
 ren in the ministry, in common with himself, the follow- 
 ing questions are suggested. They are put in the char- 
 acter of a Minister, who wishes to weigh the motives 
 that induced him to enter the Christian Ministry; but 
 the Student will not fail to see that many of them are 
 directly applicable to his own case. 
 
 "Do I keep in constant remembrance that the insti- 
 tution of the Christian Ministry is a merciful provision 
 of heaven, intended to produce great moral and spiritual 
 effects upon the present and future happiness of man?" 
 
 "Am I aware that to assume the office of a spiritual 
 teacher, either to occupy a genteel profession, or to 
 acquire worldly honors and emoluments, is degrading 
 and dishonorable to myself and offensive to God?" 
 
 "Do I examine sufficiently the motives which indu- 
 ced me to enter on this high and holy employment, or 
 am I a mere hireling in the vineyard of Christ, ruining
 
 229 EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS, 
 
 immortal souls by neglecting the duties of the Chris- 
 tian Ministry, and by being unfaithful to its principles?" 
 
 "Am I a real Christian, converted to God by the 
 power of divine grace? One whom the Holy Spirit has 
 convinced of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment, 
 and brought to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ with 
 the heart unto righteousness? Am I living in all his 
 commandments blameless? Have I seen the evil of sin, 
 and felt its bitterness? Do I recollect that the Holy 
 Scriptures exact the most unequivocal and undeviating 
 purity of heart and consistency of conduct, in all those 
 who officiate in holy things? Do I not stand up between 
 the living and true God, and the guilty descendants of 
 Adam? Do not the Law the Prophets the Gospels 
 the Epistles, conspire to say, 'Be ye clean who bear 
 the vessels of the Lord?' " 
 
 "Am I aware that, if I preach justification by works, 
 either in whole or in part, I give up the atonement of 
 Christ, prove that He has died in vain, and incur the 
 guilt pointed out in Gal. i. 9?" 
 
 "Do I keep in recollection the principles on which 
 my ministry should be framed, and the rules by which 
 it must be exercised? Do I believe that men are guilty 
 sinners, and in danger of eternal death? That Christ 
 has died to make atonement, and that my office is to 
 entreat them to partake of, and embrace, this inestima- 
 ble blessing? That 1 have no liberty either to leave out, 
 to alter, or to add to this message; and that the first and 
 greatest of my anxieties should be to save the souls of 
 those who hear me, by pointing out the necessity of re- 
 pentance for sin, faith in Christ, regeneration by the 
 Holy Spirit, with sanctification of heart and holiness of 
 life, remembering that I am to teach these things with 
 all authority? Titus ii. 15." 
 
 "Do I know that the highest honor that can be con- 
 ferred on the Christian Minister, is that he is sent to 
 instruct the ignorant, and to rouse careless sinners, 
 'To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness
 
 ORIGINAL ESSAYS, &C. 221 
 
 to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that 
 they may receive forgiveness of sins, and an inherit- 
 ance among them which are sanctified?' Acts xxvi. 18." 
 
 "Many of those who have considered me as their 
 spiritual teacher, have finished their mortal race. Have 
 they died in their sins, and are they beyond the reach 
 of mercy? Am I satisfied that they are not lost through 
 my neglect and inattention? Did I warn them faithfully 
 from the pulpit? Did I recommend them to read the 
 Bible? Did I endeavor to get access to them when sick 
 and dying? If I have neglected any of these duties, I 
 have not done all that might that ought to have been 
 done." 
 
 "Are my time, talents, and influence in society, de- 
 voted to the service of my divine Master? Are they 
 exerted to promote the honor and the salvation of the 
 sotlls He has committed to my charge? Do I recollect 
 that I am the sun of the sphere in which I am placed, 
 and am I anxious that the rays should extend to the 
 darkest cellar to the meanest cottage? Do worldly and 
 trifling pursuits occupy my time, or do I attend to the 
 frequent and solemn warnings addressed to Christian 
 pastors, as 'Watch thou in all things do the work of 
 an evangelist make full proof of thy ministry.' 2 Tim. 
 iv. 5. 'Stir up the gift of God which is in thee.' 2 
 Tim. i. 6." 
 
 "Am I, as the Minister of Jesus Christ, anxious to 
 promote union and co-operation among Christians? Am 
 I active in the dispersion of the Bible, the conversion of 
 the heathen, the diffusion of religious knowledge, and 
 the promotion of Christian education?" 
 
 "Do 1 bear constantly in view the solemn day when 
 my ministerial duties, and my opportunities of doing 
 good, will not only have ceased, but when the Master 
 will call for an account of my stewardship? Happy if, 
 in that eventful hour, I can say, 'I have not shunned to 
 declare the whole counsel of God.' "
 
 222 EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS, 
 
 It is evident, from the foregoing questions, that the 
 office of a Christian Teacher involves duties and respon- 
 sibilities of the highest and most solemn kind. To 
 fulfil them well, there must be feelings appropriate, and 
 a spirit of prayer to the Author of every good and per- 
 fect gift, that He would bestow grace and strength to 
 meet the labors, the discouragements, and the trials of 
 a ministerial station; that, in the closing scene of life, 
 we may say with the apostle, "I have fought a good 
 fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 
 henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteous- 
 ness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give 
 me at that day."
 
 ON THE PROMISES OF GOD TO THE 
 WIDOW AND FATHERLESS. 
 
 Among the numberless excellencies which character- 
 ise the Holy Scriptures, the rich and substantial conso- 
 lation which they offer to the afflicted, under every 
 variety of circumstances and feelings to which they are 
 subject in this valley of tears, is one of the brightest. 
 
 ^To select these promises from the sacred volume, 
 and to arrange them in the distinct class to which they 
 belong, that they may speak peace to the mourning 
 spirit to whose afflictions they are appropriate, is a work 
 of mercy, on which the blessing of heaven may be 
 sought and expected. Many an oppressed and bewil- 
 dered traveller in the journey of life, will be cheered 
 by receiving these declarations of a compassionate 
 Father and a faithful God. The tenderest encourage- 
 ment is given to the most destitute "Leave thy father- 
 less children, I will preserve them alive; and let thy 
 widows trust in me." Jer. xlix. 11. 
 
 How invaluable this promise from the God of the 
 whole earth, who says, "the gold and the silver are 
 mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills." This 
 great God, the possessor of heaven and earth, is the 
 friend of the Fatherless and the Widow. Well, then, 
 may they encourage themselves to trust in Him. 
 
 Not long since, you were blessed with an amiable, 
 kind, and tender husband. He was, in your estimation, 
 the best and most desirable gift of heaven, and you 
 rejoiced in the abundance and extent of your felicity.
 
 224 EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS, 
 
 If he were a joint heir with you of the grace of life; if 
 you "took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the 
 house of God in company" he was so much the more 
 valuable you were so much the more happy in his 
 society and friendship, and you were a large debtor to 
 the goodness of God, who chose and appointed him to 
 be your protector and friend. Amidst these airy dreams 
 of human happiness, you thought peace and prosperity 
 were completely established, and you were perhaps 
 forgetful of the wants of the widows and the orphans 
 who surrounded you. At such a moment of tranquillity, 
 your sky assumed a dark and threatening aspect; a tre- 
 mendous storm burst over you; that gourd, under the 
 shade of which you had often reposed, and from the 
 continuance of which you promised yourself so much 
 delight that gourd perished the deepest pangs of 
 agony wrung your agitated heart; bitter complaints 
 issued from your lips, and life became a burden. 
 
 A Widow, dejected and desolate the desire of your 
 eyes taken from you, tells you of the mutable and un- 
 certain nature of all earthly enjoyments, and proclaims 
 in the most solemn and impressive accents, that they 
 are broken cisterns, yielding only bitterness. You have 
 leaned upon a broken reed, which is transformed into 
 a spear, and has pierced you to the heart. Often had 
 the inspired page told you, that on earth there was no 
 permanent pleasure: often had you heard the admoni- 
 tion repeated, by the bereavements with which your 
 friends had been visited; and God himself now says to 
 you, "Hear the voice, and who hath appointed it." 
 Does it not reprove you, because you were forgetful and 
 unthankful to Him, who, in his providence, gave you 
 the husband you so deeply lament? And yet you did 
 not give him the glory, nor pray to Him to bless the 
 gift, nor did you love the Giver. May you not say with 
 the poet 
 
 To prize the gift was surely right, 
 But through the folly of my heart, 
 It hid the giver from my sight.
 
 ORIGINAL ESSAYS, &C. 225 
 
 Sorrows, deep as yours, are not the effect of chance. 
 God does not afflict the children of men willingly, nor 
 for his own pleasure, but for their profit. You should 
 say, "Show me wherefore thou contendest with me;" 
 Job x. 2: and remember the words of the apostle, "Now 
 no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but 
 grievous: nevertheless afterward, it yieldeth the peace- 
 able fruit of righteousness unto them which are exer- 
 cised thereby." Heb. xii. 11. 
 
 Should such effects as these arise out of the great 
 loss you have sustained, it will be your present, your 
 eternal gain. It may be, that the Lord has taken away 
 your idol, that he might convince you of sin, that he 
 might, show you the folly of trusting in earthly enjoy- 
 ments for your happiness, saying to you, "Arise ye, and 
 depart; for this is not your rest;' Micah, ii. 10: "Give 
 m^ thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways;" 
 Prov. xxiii. 26: "Set your affections on things above, 
 not on things on the earth." Col. iii. 2. In the days 
 of your happiness, you forgot the interests of your im- 
 mortal spirit. The Bible and the church were neglect- 
 ed: prayer to God in secret was probably forgotten, or 
 performed with indifference. A loud warning has 
 sounded in your ears listen to the powerful voice; for- 
 sake the vanities of the world, and trust in your Savior 
 for wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemp- 
 tion. Trust not in your own righteousness, nor in the 
 mere form and profession of religion. 
 
 But my object is not merely to reprove and admon- 
 ish you: I would administer the balm of consolation, 
 by offering to you the promises given in holy writ. 
 Read them with attention; treasure them up in your 
 memory, and in your heart. Early did the Lord say, 
 "Ye shall not afflict any widow;" Exod. xxii. 22.: and, 
 to give weight to his commands, He describes himself as 
 their advocate; (Malachi iii. 5.; Psalm Ixviii. 5.) "To 
 visit the fatherless and widows" is made an evidence of 
 pure and undefiled religion. James i. 27. You need 
 20
 
 226 EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS, 
 
 the care and blessing of this tender and merciful God, 
 who invites you to depend upon Him. He can supply 
 your wants, protect you from your enemies, avenge 
 your wrongs, and make the days of your widowhood 
 to abound in peace and comfort, providing friends for 
 you and your fatherless children. Carefully read, and 
 earnestly pray over, the history of such widows as are 
 mentioned in the holy scriptures; cherish their temper, 
 and follow their example. Their history furnishes a 
 practical comment on Psalm xxxvii. 3. "Trust in the 
 Lord, and do good; so shall thou dwell in the land, and 
 verily thou shalt be fed." The widow of Sarepta was 
 one who trusted in the Lord, practising self-denial and 
 liberality, when she divided the scanty remains of her 
 meal with his prophet. Naomi, the widow of Elime- 
 lech, was a woman of much affliction, and had a suc- 
 cession of bereavements. Ruth, her daughter-in-law, 
 was also a widow, poor and distressed; but the God in 
 whom she trusted, and to whose service and glory they 
 were both sincerely devoted, appeared for them. In 
 the New Testament, we read that our Lord raised the 
 only son of a widow, and observed and commended 
 the zeal of her who cast two mites into the treasury. 
 Seeing then, that God honors those who honor Him, 
 and that it is his blessing which maketh rich and add- 
 eth no sorrow, let Him be your counsellor and guide; 
 give Him an ascendancy in your affection; by devout 
 and frequent prayer, seek the Savior of sinners, confide 
 in Him who went to Bethany to weep over the grave, 
 and to comfort the sisters of Lazarus in Him who is 
 the fairest of ten thousand, and altogether lovely. If 
 you obtain His favor, you will possess immense riches, 
 unfading honor, and infinite happiness; then your mourn- 
 ing shall cease, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
 
 ON THE IMPROPRIETY OF CHRISTIANS 
 MAKING A PROVERBIAL USE OF THE 
 HOLY SCRIPTURES. 
 
 "Ye have perverted the words of the living God." Jer. xxiii. 36. 
 
 "Jest not with the two-edged sword of God's word. Will nothing 
 please thee to wash thy hands in, but the font? or to drink health in, but 
 the church chalice?" Fuller. 
 
 \ 
 
 Whatever tends to lessen our reverence for the sa- 
 cred Scriptures, must be evil, as it weakens an influ- 
 ence which should be cherished with care and dili- 
 gence. It has been with surprise and pain, that I have 
 heard the delightful and awful truths of the Bible 
 quoted in the most playful and irreverent manner. If, 
 indeed, it be true, that "where the word of a king is, 
 there is power," how much more authoritative should 
 we esteem the words of the King of kings of Him 
 who has said, "I am He that killeth, and He that mak- 
 eth alive?" His voice is full of majesty; his word is 
 true and righteous altogether. He therefore only 
 claims his unalienable right, when He peremptorily says, 
 "Ye shall reverence my statutes;" this divine and sol- 
 emn injunction is applicable to all characters, from the 
 highest to the lowest. It would not be inconsistent for 
 an infidel to make a jest book of that volume, which 
 we denominate the Holy Scriptures, and on which we 
 rest our dearest hopes of salvation, and of eternal life 
 but, for Christians to indulge in a practice so indica- 
 tive of levity and irreligion, is an unquestionable re-
 
 228 EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS, 
 
 proach to themselves, and a dishonor to that lovely 
 name by which they are called. 
 
 But if there be any one class, upon whom a rever- 
 ence for this sacred book is more imperative than 
 another, it is the ministers of Christ, who stand between 
 the living God and sinful men, and whose duty it is to 
 explain and enforce the heavenly lessons which are ex- 
 hibited in the volume of Inspiration. Clothed with an 
 office of such dignity, placed in situations of such 
 deep responsibility to God and man should it not be 
 their first and highest duty to evince their own personal 
 regard to the Bible? It is essential to its successful in- 
 terpretation that they should impress the people with a 
 conviction of their unfeigned respect and esteem for its 
 wise and holy contents; and by this only, can they pro- 
 mote the same feeling in those, to whom they are ap- 
 pointed to explain and prove the truths thereof. 
 
 Among the multitude and variety of ways in which 
 man becomes amenable to the laws and justice of God, 
 there is one too little considered. This is, what the 
 Scriptures entitle, the iniquities of our holy things. 
 All sin is condemned in the Christian code of laws; 
 but if there be any sin particularly hateful to God, and 
 injurious to ourselves, it is a desecration of that, which 
 God accounts holy. The law given to Israel, on this 
 subject, was most explicit and solemn. "They shall 
 not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, 
 which they shall offer unto the Lord." Lev. xxii. 15. 
 
 How highly censurable then must be the profanation 
 of the words of Holy Writ, by the wanton application 
 of them to ordinary purposes, in a spirit of familiar 
 playfulness, and connected with the ludicrous and the 
 ridiculous? The Lord might say, "I have sent unto 
 them the great things of my Law, and they have count- 
 ed it a strange thing." The Word of God is holy, 
 given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and should be 
 approached with a sanctified heart, touched with a sanc- 
 tified hand, and its truths pronounced with sanctified lips.
 
 ORIGINAL ESSAYS, &C. 229 
 
 Men of the world will think me righteous over-much, 
 but I shall have the approval of genuine Christians, of 
 those who know the difference between things which 
 are common, and things which are holy. They know 
 how to distinguish between the precious and the vile; 
 they will not they must not they dare not cast 
 pearls before swine; they dare not cast that which is 
 holy to dogs: and yet this is done by all, who take the 
 words of Holy Writ, to show their wit and ingenuity, 
 in making a good pun, a smart repartee, or a laughable 
 allusion. 
 
 Of those men who thus profanely use the holy .and 
 weighty truths of Revelation, I must express my de- 
 liberate and unqualified censure, as I believe it to be 
 a sinful and daring contempt of the word and authority 
 of God, and fraught with the most mischievous conse- 
 quences to the parties themselves, and to every com- 
 pany in which they perpetrate this high offence against 
 the honor and the purity of sacred things. Can those, 
 who are chargeable with this heinous offence, think for 
 a moment of the threatenings of that Law, which the 
 great Jehovah pronounced amidst thunders and light- 
 nings, and of the promises of the new covenant, which 
 Jesus Christ sealed on Calvary with his own blood? 
 If these promises, which are the basis of our faith and 
 hope, be really valuable I ask the Christian, the 
 Christian senator, and above all, the Christian minister, 
 if it be prudent if it be lawful to make these grand, 
 these sublime, these holy things, the subject of his 
 sportive and playful imagination, or of his ingenious and 
 witty application. Against this often recurring and 
 powerful temptation may we continually watch and 
 pray, ever remembering the words of the apostle, in 
 Ephesians iv. 29. "Let no corrupt communication 
 proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to 
 the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the 
 hearers." 
 
 *20
 
 
 ON THE MEEKNESS AND GENTLENESS OF 
 CHRIST. 
 
 THE Redeemer of the Church is described in the 
 Holy Scriptures, as the light of the world to com- 
 municate light to those, that sit in darkness and the 
 shadow of death; and He expects that all whom He 
 enlightens, should transmit the light received from Him, 
 to others. In the sermon on the mount, He gave this 
 solemn and appropriate charge to his disciples. "Ye 
 are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill 
 cannot be hid. Let your light so shine before men, 
 that they may see your good works, and glorify your 
 Father which is in heaven." Matt. v. 14. 16. If 
 ministers of Jesus Christ,, by their doctrine and exam- 
 ple, shed light around them, how much more was this 
 accomplished by the ministry and example of their di- 
 vine Master, from whom they received both their com- 
 mission and their qualifications. 
 
 We do not here intend to enter on the matchless ex- 
 cellencies which shone in the character and temper of 
 Him, who was the Founder of our Faith. We shall 
 take one prominent feature only, to resemble Him in 
 which, is the honor and happiness of his disciples on 
 earth, and will issue in a full resemblance in the 
 heavenly world, when they shall "awake up in his im- 
 age." That the blessed Jesus would be meek and 
 gentle, was the subject of prophecy., "He shall not 
 cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the 
 streets." Isaiah xlii. 2. "In thy majesty ride prosper-
 
 ORIGINAL ESSAYS, &C. 231 
 
 ously because of truth and meekness and righteousness." 
 Psalm xlv. 4. 
 
 This lovely trait in the Redeemer's character, is 
 shadowed forth in types and metaphorical allusions. 
 As the good Shepherd, he is to gather the lambs with 
 his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead 
 those that are with young. Isaiah xl. 11. "He is 
 brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep 
 before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his 
 mouth." Isaiah liii. 7. The gentleness and meek- 
 ness, thus portrayed in the prophecies, were fully illus- 
 trated in bis life and ministry. 
 
 Gentleness and meekness were not merely inciden- 
 tal qualities in the character of Christ, but were essen- 
 tial to the discharge of his mediatorial duties, as the 
 Prophet, Priest, and King in Zion. In each of these 
 offices, the Savior had to endure reproaches, indignities, 
 and sufferings; and the apostles have exhibited these in 
 their writings, and grounded upon the temper with 
 which He endured them, some appropriate exhortations 
 to afflicted, tempted, and persecuted christians, that 
 they might be excited to the same spirit. In the epistle 
 to the Corinthians, St. Paul says, "I beseech you by 
 the meekness and gentleness of Christ." He stimulates 
 the Hebrews to a patient endurance of all their afflic- 
 tions and persecutions, saying, "Consider him who en- 
 dured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest 
 ye be wearied and faint in your minds." Heb. xii. 3. 
 The apostle Peter, who was an eye-witness of the 
 Redeemer's gentleness, has thus applied it to a practi- 
 cal and holy use. "For this is thankworthy, if a man 
 for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering 
 wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buf- 
 feted for your faults, ye take it patiently 5 But if, when 
 ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is 
 acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye 
 called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us 
 an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did no
 
 232 EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS, 
 
 sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who, when 
 he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he 
 threatened not; but committed himself to him that 
 judgeth righteously. 1 Pet. ii. 19. 23. 
 
 While our Savior exhibits a dove-like gentleness in his 
 own character and conduct, he has stamped this heav- 
 enly feature upon his religion; and, in proportion as we 
 are destitute of, and opposed to it, we are deficient in the 
 evidence of being Christians, and disgrace the name by 
 which we are called. The gentleness which the relig- 
 ion of Jesus Christ breathes through its whole texture, 
 is opposed to every religion of the heathen, and, equally 
 so, to the persecuting and intolerant religion of popery, 
 and of every corrupt edition of Christianity. The cru- 
 elties and miseries entailed by these, made the religion 
 of Christ, with whose name they have been associated, 
 appear odious and cruel. 
 
 Let us recollect, that the gentleness of Christ was 
 inculcated by the Redeemer, upon the disciples, when 
 He gave them their first commission. "Behold, I send 
 you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye there- 
 fore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves-" Matt. x. 
 16. This law is imperative upon all who profess to be 
 the disciples and ministers of Christ. St. Paul, than 
 whom there was not a more bold or zealous propagator 
 of the faith, exhibited much of this heavenly spirit, and 
 appeals to the Christians of Thessalonica. "We were 
 gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her chil- 
 dren." 1 Thess. ii. 7. And when writing to young 
 ministers, whose youthful ardor exposed them to the 
 temptation of being too warm and too ardent, he en- 
 forced the cultivation of this temper. To one he says, 
 "Shewing all meekness unto all men;" Titus iii. 2: and 
 on another he urges the maintenance of the same spirit, 
 even in the most trying circumstances: "The servant 
 of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, 
 apt to teach, patient in meekness, instructing those that 
 oppose themselves. 2 Tim. ii. 24, 25.
 
 ORIGINAL ESSAYS, &C. 233 
 
 If this meekness and gentleness be so desirable and 
 important in the pastors of the Christian Church, it 
 cannot be less so, in the character of all its members. 
 In the epistles, they are entreated to "walk worthy of 
 the vocation wherewith they are called, with all lowli- 
 ness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one 
 another in love." -Eph. iv. 1, 2. "Put on, therefore, as 
 the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, 
 kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffer- 
 ing, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another." 
 Coloss. iii. 12. And the apostle James says, "Who is 
 a wise man and imbued with knowledge among you? 
 let him shew out of a good conversation his works with 
 meekness of wisdom." James iii. 13. 
 
 But the writer in the New Testament, whose exhor- 
 tations breathe the language and spirit of meekness and 
 gentleness most ardently, is the beloved disciple. He 
 had not only leaned upon his Master's bosom, but ap- 
 pears to have imbibed the largest measure of his Mas- 
 ter's spirit and temper, and every page of his writings 
 teems with the lovely spirit of meekness and gentle- 
 ness, making the very essence of religion to be love to 
 God, and love to men. 
 
 In direct opposition to the spirit and letter of the 
 Christian religion, some who bear the name of chris- 
 tians, indulge a temper, and pursue a line of conduct, 
 highly derogatory to the honor and interests of true re- 
 ligion; proving the absence of that wisdom which "is 
 first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreat- 
 ed, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and 
 without hypocrisy." James iii. 17. 
 
 What is it that makes the world a scene of contention 
 and confusion? The absence of that mind which was in 
 Christ, and the indulgence of tempers, fit only for the 
 regions where the god of this world holds his court. 
 All must be peaceful and heavenly, where the Redeemer 
 sways His mild and godlike sceptre, and where the atmos- 
 phere is congenial to the growth of peace and love.
 
 ON SANCTIFICATION. 
 
 In the unity and harmony of the material world, con- 
 sist its beauty and perfection. Were the heavenly bodies 
 to wander from their appointed orbits, disorder and con- 
 fusion must ensue: but God having established his works 
 of creation upon the principles of order and unity, 
 every operation is performed with punctuality, and the 
 whole continues to display the wisdom, goodness, and 
 power of Him who made it. Is not the same unity and 
 harmony, and, consequently, the same beauty and per- 
 fection, visible in the great plan of our redemption, in 
 which the divine glory is manifested for the salvation of 
 sinners? There wisdom and beauty are complete; as 
 its doctrines, promises, ordinances, and consolations 
 harmonise to diffuse happiness, and to counteract the 
 love and power of sin. 
 
 What is it that presents the most powerful obstruction 
 to the spread of that gospel, which reveals and pro- 
 claims salvation by Christ, as a free gift to sinners? It is 
 the disorganization of this great plan by human wisdom. 
 Some deny the deity, and the atonement of the Son of 
 God. Many expunge the great Protestant doctrine of 
 justification by faith. Some substitute baptismal regen- 
 eration for the scriptural washing of regeneration, and 
 the renewing of the Holy Ghost. Others deduce false 
 inferences from the gospel, as it respects the divine law, 
 and the great question of sanctification by the Holy 
 Spirit. The latter is not the least of those imaginary 
 corrections, which the wisdom, or rather the folly, of
 
 ORIGINAL ESSAYS, &C. 235 
 
 man, has introduced into these new editions of the gos- 
 pel; and which have so disfigured, and dishonored the 
 highest effort of infinite wisdom, and the most valuable 
 blessing God has given to the children of men. 
 
 To form the Christian character, the nature, neces- 
 sity, and medium of Sanctification must be correctly 
 understood, and rightly appreciated. 
 
 When the depravity and deceitfulness of the human 
 heart are considered, an enlightened mind will under- 
 stand why the principles of Christianity should be coun- 
 terfeited. There is not any part of the gospel so com- 
 pletely opposed to the nature of degraded man, as the 
 Sanctification described in the New Testament; that 
 internal and spiritual purity which lays the axe to the 
 root of all that is sinful, and diffuses a holy influence 
 through body, soul, and spirit. 
 
 TThe disciple of Mahomet performs his frequent ab- 
 lutions, and thinks these, sufficient to purify and save. 
 The Roman Catholic substitutes for the heavenly purity 
 of the Holy Spirit, extreme unction, and holy water. 
 Some Protestants attribute to the baptismal water, and 
 the sacramental symbols of the Lord's table, the same 
 virtue. Others imagine, like the Pharisee of old, that 
 the essence of evangelical purity, lies in a moral de- 
 portment towards men, and a fulfilment of certain duties 
 which we owe to God. 
 
 These fallacious and unscriptural views of Sanctifi- 
 cation leave their advocates destitute of true and scrip- 
 tural regeneration. 
 
 Sanctification is a renewal of the mind, will, and af- 
 fections, produced by the divine agency of the Holy 
 Spirit. The principle is diffusive. The powers of the 
 soul, thoughts, motives, and actions are changed; "Old 
 things have passed away; behold all things are become 
 new." 2 Cor. v. 17. A love of holiness, and an ab- 
 horrence of sin, show the power of this new influence, 
 which discovers a holy sensibility on the most distant 
 approach of evil, even shuddering at its appearance.
 
 236 EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS, 
 
 A tenderness of conscience is established, which issues 
 in the soul desiring to be holy, because Christ is holy. 
 The devout and constant prayer then is, "Search me, 
 O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my 
 thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, 
 and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm cxxxix. 
 23, 24. 
 
 Sanctification is necessarily interwoven with the tex- 
 ture of genuine Christianity, and is essential to the ex- 
 istence of every true Christian. Judas was nominally a 
 disciple; he had knowledge and zeal, and had doubt- 
 less been baptised in the name of his Master, but he 
 had not this great feature of Christianity. He was the 
 son of perdition there had been no vital principle im- 
 planted, no sanctifying influence communicated, and, 
 consequently, there were no fruits of holiness. There 
 can be no communion with God, unless an attachment 
 to sinful pleasures be entirely subdued. Christians are 
 called to be saints; (Romans i. 7.) a holy and peculiar 
 people. (Titus ii. 14.) How fatal is the delusion of 
 those, who imagine that the absence of personal holi- 
 ness is supplied by the multitude, frequency, and punc- 
 tuality of their ceremonial observances and acts of pub- 
 lic devotion. Alas! they forget that the want of this 
 Sanctification vitiates all these. Let such professors of 
 Christianity hear the solemn address of the prophet to 
 the house of Israel "To what purpose is the multitude 
 of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord. When ye 
 come to appear before me, who hath required this at 
 your hand, to tread my courts? Bring no more vain ob- 
 lations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new 
 moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot 
 away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. 
 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul 
 hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear 
 them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will 
 hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many 
 prayers, I will not hear." Isaiah i. 1 1 and four following
 
 ORIGINAL ESSAYS, StC. 237 
 
 verses. The king of Israel said, "If I regard iniquity 
 in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." Psalm Ixvi. 
 19. 
 
 Sanctification is essential to our coming into relation- 
 ship with the true church of God, who receive Christ as 
 their head and lawgiver, and who engage to live in the 
 purity and love of the gospel; no man can enjoy the 
 privileges, or perform the duties, of a consistent mem- 
 ber of such church, if he has not been sanctified by the 
 truth. That peace of conscience, and that joy in the 
 Holy Ghost, of which the apostle frequently speaks, 
 arise from the implantation of this holy principle. Sin 
 is the torment of the human heart, a worm at the root 
 of earthly and mental happiness. The gay and the 
 thoughtless seem to live in peace; but the language of 
 inspired truth is, "There is no peace to the wicked;" 
 "fie way of peace have they not known." Their con- 
 sciences are agitated at the slightest touch of disease, 
 and if there be any prospect of death, they resemble 
 Felix, who, when Paul reasoned of righteousness, tem- 
 perance, and judgment to come, trembled; there is a 
 joy which the lovers of sin possess, but it is well de- 
 scribed by the wise man, "As the crackling of thorns 
 under the pot." The joy, the hope, and the triumph 
 of those, whose hearts are not sanctified by the Spirit, 
 is consumed by the cares and afflictions attendant on 
 human life. 
 
 Sanctification is an integral part of our salvation, and 
 so inseparably connected with it, that we cannot be loved 
 by the Father, and justified by the righteousness of 
 Christ, without being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. If 
 we are not exhibiting the proof of a sanctified nature, 
 and bearing the fruits of righteousness, every thing in 
 our religion is merely profession. Our Lord has given 
 a high tone to the necessity of Sanctification. "For 
 their sakes I sanctify myself, that they may be sancti- 
 fied through the truth." 
 21
 
 238 EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS, 
 
 Sanctification is essential to a tranquil and happy 
 death. "The sting of death is sin;" if that sting be 
 not extracted, there must be pain and torment, which 
 can be avoided only by sin being pardoned, and the 
 love and power of it subdued. The following passage 
 beautifully portrays the character of him who may be 
 expected to close his mortal career happily. "Mark 
 the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of 
 that man is peace." Psalm xxxvii. 37. The man after 
 God's own heart said, "I shall be satisfied when I 
 awake up in thy likeness;" and heaven is attractive to 
 the Christian, as a place of perfect holiness there 
 dwell the spirits of just men made perfect. Sanctifica- 
 tion, is as essential to our admission into this kingdom, 
 as justification. It is declared in the Holy Scriptures, 
 that the unrighteous "shall not inherit the kingdom of 
 God." l 'But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but 
 ye are justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the 
 Spirit of our God." 1 Cor. vi. 10, II. It is evident, from 
 this passage, that the righteous, who shall enter into the 
 kingdom of God, are not only justified in the name of 
 Christ, but are also sanctified by the Spirit of God. This 
 renewing principle entered into the Father's eternal pur- 
 pose. "This is the will of God, even your sanctifica- 
 tion:" and again, "Whom he did foreknow, he also did 
 predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son." 
 Romans viii. 29. Christians may say, with St. Paul, 
 "We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto 
 good works, which God hath before ordained that we 
 should walk in them." Eph. ii. JO. 
 
 The Sanctification of fallen man is through the di- 
 vine agency of the Holy Spirit. There are some who 
 think they honor Christ, by confounding the work of the 
 divine persons in the economy of Redemption. It is 
 opposing their own wisdom and inclination to the wis- 
 dom and counsels of God. 
 
 The difference existing between Justification and 
 Sanctification correctly exhibits the agency by which
 
 ORIGINAL ESSAYS, SiC. 239 
 
 each is accomplished. We are justified, in the name, 
 and through the obedience and death of Christ we 
 are sanctified, by the grace and power of the Holy 
 Ghost we are justified, by a righteousness wrought 
 out for us, and imputed to us on believing our sancti- 
 fication, is wrought in us our justification, is one com- 
 plete and entire act of infinite mercy our sanctifica- 
 tion is progressive, through the means of Christian 
 ordinances, and the dispensations of divine Providence; 
 but neither ordinances, nor providences, operate in 
 advancing our sanctification, without the influence of the 
 Spirit, which strengthens every holy tendency and prin- 
 ciple. Faith has an omnipotent and extensive power 
 in this regenerating change; for it is said "to purify the 
 heart, to work by love, and to overcome the world." 
 Joy and peace are intimately connected with Sanctifi- 
 ctation, as they can only thrive and grow in connection 
 with tenderness of conscience. 
 
 Love is also a powerful and active medium of pro- 
 moting our Sanctification. Love to Christ leads his 
 disciples to Gethsemane and Calvary, and fixes their 
 meditation upon the sufferings and death of their best 
 Friend. The fear of offending God, as our Father, 
 operates to subdue and to restrain the corrupt affections 
 of the human soul, and strengthens it, in the ardent 
 pursuit of an habitual and increasing conformity to the 
 divine nature.
 
 ON THE NEGLECT OF WEEKLY LECTURES 
 AMONGST PROTESTANT DISSENTERS. 
 
 The enlarged liberality which is exhibited in the sup- 
 port of our numerous institutions to promote the religion 
 of Christ, and the cordiality and co-operation subsist- 
 ing between different denominations, would induce the 
 belief that there is a wide diffusion of religious princi- 
 ple. But there are signs of apathy, and even of de- 
 clension, that make a retrograde movement too appar- 
 ent. The devotions of the closet, and worship in the 
 family, are not easily brought within the range of our 
 examination; but that constant and serious attendance 
 in the house of God, which prevailed some years since, 
 is not equalled in the present day. 
 
 The declension referred to, is evident from the indif- 
 ference existing towards those lectures in the week, 
 which were, formerly, attended as a duty and a priv- 
 ilege. The morning lectures in the metropolis are now 
 nearly deserted. 
 
 If merchants and tradesmen are too much occupied 
 to attend morning service, the female part of their fam- 
 ilies might steal one hour in the week, from their ordi- 
 nary cares and duties, to promote the higher interests 
 of the soul. A still larger number of both sexes might 
 be expected to attend those evening lectures where a 
 list of interesting subjects is printed, which embrace an
 
 ORIGINAL ESSAYS, &C. 241 
 
 excellent mixture of the doctrinal, the experimental, 
 and the practical parts of Christianity. Those who 
 neglect and forsake public ordinances, forget the prom- 
 ise, "In all places where I record my name I will come 
 unto thee, and I will bless thee." Exod. xx. 24. 
 
 To ascertain the causes of this extensive and habitual 
 neglect of week-day services, and to induce a more 
 general attendance, are duties incumbent on ministers. 
 If we could effect the latter, it would promote the spir- 
 itual improvement of individuals, and would cheer and 
 encourage those ministers, who feel it a duty to con- 
 tinue the service for the very small number who at- 
 tend. 
 
 The neglect of Weekly Lectures arises from various 
 causes; some of them no argument will weaken or de- 
 stroy. There are Dissenters who think attendance 
 onbe or twice on the Sunday, quite enough for all the 
 purposes of making their peace with God, and securing 
 their eternal' happiness. These persons seldom witness 
 the commencement of the worship; yet, if it be extend- 
 ed a few minutes beyond the accustomed time, their 
 tempers are disturbed, their devotion spoiled, and they 
 inwardly sigh the language of those who said of the 
 Sabbath, "What a weariness when will it be over?" 
 Their evening engagements during the week are never 
 in the service of God, but at the dance, at the card 
 table, or in the theatre. Here they breathe their native 
 air, and pursue their course with spirit and energy till 
 the approach of mid-night, without any apparent symp- 
 tom of that weariness and disgust, which is so frequent 
 and so evident in their devotions on the Sabbath. From 
 such Dissenters, a cold and a casual attendance on the 
 Sabbath is all that can be expected, and therefore to 
 plead with them would be hopeless. 
 
 There are however some, of whom we would hope 
 better things, as they evidence in their conduct a desire 
 to perform the duties of religion, and to enjoy its bless- 
 ings,
 
 242 EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS, 
 
 The universal change which has taken place in the 
 habits and routine of commercial transactions, has as- 
 sisted to produce a neglect of lectures in the week. 
 Merchants and tradesmen commence their business at 
 a later hour than formerly, and are dining when their 
 ministers are entering the pulpit; and, while these faith- 
 ful pastors are praying that the influences of the Spirit 
 may descend on them, and that they may make progress 
 in knowledge, grace, and holiness, they seem by their 
 absence to say, "We care little for these blessings; we 
 must be diligent in business, and conform to the customs 
 and habits of those, with whom it must be transacted." 
 Industry is a duty, but activity in the affairs of this life 
 is not the whole of our duty. The maxim of the apos- 
 tle should be acted on, "Not slothful in business, fer- 
 vent in spirit, serving the Lord." Let the counting- 
 house, the exchange, and the warehouse, have each its 
 due proportion; but let not God, Religion, and Eternity, 
 be either forgotten or slighted. 
 
 The question is; Ought not business to be so arrang- 
 ed, and time so prudently distributed, as to secure one 
 or two hours for the house and ordinances of God, and 
 for that preparedness of mind, which the most active 
 man could wish for, when he is commanded to lay aside 
 his pen and his cheque-book, that he may retire to his 
 chamber and die? 
 
 The modern insatiable desire for riches, leads to the 
 sacrifice of all, that is most valuable in morals and in 
 religion. Christians forget that they who will be rich 
 "fall into divers temptations;" their thoughts, their af- 
 fections, and their energies are devoted with so much 
 intenseness to the things which are temporal, that their 
 hearts become cold and indisposed to those which are 
 eternal. Our Lord said, "What is a man profited if he 
 shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or 
 what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" Matt, 
 xvi. 26. This overwhelming anxiety, while it indis-
 
 ORIGINAL ESSAYS, &C. 243 
 
 poses the mind for sabbath-day duties, induces a total 
 withdrawment from public worship in the week, removes 
 all the guards and fences with which the professor of 
 religion was for a time surrounded, and subjects him to 
 the inroads and machinations of that vigilant and malig- 
 nant enemy, who walketh about seeking those whom 
 he may devour. Instead of being diligent in religious 
 duties, the individual becomes a total stranger to those 
 which once marked his course, till it may be said of 
 him, as St. Paul said of Demas, "He hath forsaken 
 me, having loved this present world." The apostle 
 Peter declares, that the latter end of such is worse than 
 the beginning, "For it had been better for them not 
 to have known the way of righteousness, than, after 
 they have known it, to turn from the holy command- 
 ment delivered unto them." 2 Peter ii. 21. 
 
 tSuch warnings should stimulate us to a rigid observ- 
 ance of closet, family, and public worship. There 
 are various and important duties which we owe to the 
 pastor and to the church, with which we are connected 
 in the sacred bond of Christian fellowship. There 
 should be a minute, a steady, and an active perform- 
 ance of these, and all should be so arranged as to pre- 
 vent the one from interfering with the other. 
 
 Let pastors and members of different communities 
 read the epistles sent to the seven churches of Asia. 
 There the privileges enjoyed, the duties commanded, 
 and the dangers to which they are exposed, are faith- 
 fully exhibited. They are cautioned against those de- 
 clensions, which will inevitably steal into the church, 
 where watchfulness, prayer, and vigilance are not in 
 constant operation. Let them read, examine, and im- 
 prove the following admonitory injunctions: "Be watch- 
 ful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are 
 ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect 
 before God." Revelation iii. 2. "Remember, there-
 
 244 ORIGINAL ESSAYS. 
 
 fore, from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do 
 the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, 
 and will remove thy candlestick out of his place." 
 Revelation ii. 5. 
 
 THE END.


 
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