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I LLINO I S
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DOMESTIC PORTRAITURE.

Thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt
talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou
walkest, by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou
risest up.-DEUT. vi. 8.
He blessed the habitation of the just.-Pov. iii. 33.
This we ought to be constantly intent upon, as the business of
our lives-our daily work-to get our spirits so attempered and
fitted to heaven, that if we be asked what design we drive at,
what we are doing, we may be able to make a true answer, We
are dressing ourselvesfor eternity.--HowE.

LIURARY
OF T4HE
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

.-i**i

fURVEY

PARSONAGE.

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FhVI.

DOMESTIC

PORTRAITURE;

OR, THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION OF
RELIGIOUS PRINCIPLE

JN

THE EDUCATION OF A FAMILY;

EXEMPLIFIED IN THE MEMOIRS OF THREE OF THE
DECEASED CHILDREN OF THE REV. LEGH RICHMOND,

WITH INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

BY THE REV. E. BICKERSTETH,
RECTOR OF WATTON,

HERTS.

SEELEY, JACKSON, AND HALLIDAY, FLEET STREET.
LONDON. MDCCCLXI.

INTRODUCTION.

IT is common to hear complaints, thatthe children
of pious parents disappoint the expectations which
are usually, and not unnaturally formed; and it is
true that this is too often the case ; and that in some
instances children piously educated will, when they
break through the restraints of education and habit,
become excessively wicked; and they may, even
like Eli's and David's children, perish in their
wickedness. In these extreme cases, there has
probably been either some serious neglect of parental
duty, or the formation of unhappy connexions with
others: at least, every Christian parent is dumb
before God under such awful dispensations, and
is feelingly alive to the conviction of his own
sinfulness.
But, after all, the mass of Christian piety in a
country will be found to be in the generation of the
pious; and though God shows his own sovereignty
in sometimes raising up an eminent instrument of
good from among the most wicked, he also shows

LP

vi

INTRODUCTION.

the riches and the faithfulness of his own promises:
The generation of the upright is blessed: Train up
a child in the way he should go, and when he is old
he will not depart
from it.
It may be useful briefly to notice some causes of
want of success, and also to touch upon the means
of a successful Christian education.
In considering the causes of want of success, we
must first notice the disregard of one of the most
important religious principles, a due knowledge of
which lies at the root of all success in this workthat all children are by nature born in sin, and the
children of wrath; that they inherit from their
parents a carnal mind which is enmity against God.
However pious the parent, his nature is corrupt,
and descends to his children. From us they derive
that nature, and all success in education must be
owing to God's blessing our efforts, and giving
them his grace, that they may gain dominion over
their natural and inbred corruption. The Christian
parent will ever be watchful to detect the working
of this corruption, even in those things which may
appear to the eye of the world pleasing and delightful. That alone which is the fruit of the
Spirit--that alone which is superior to nature, will
satisfy him. Whilst he will forward and cultivate
whatever is lovely and of good report, he will be,
above all, anxious, that everything of this kind
should proceed from Christian principle, and not
from the mere love of human praise.

INTRODUCTION.

Vii

The indulgence of parents, proceeding from an
idolatry of their children, is one of the most common
sources of ill-success. This was the ruin of Eli's
and of David's children, and it is a cause which is
constantly operating in a vast variety of forms;
such as indulgence in appetite, in dress, in pleasures,
in yielding to any obviously improper requests, and
in seeking rather to gratify their present wishes,
than to secure their future, their spiritual, and their
highest good.
The inconsistencies of Christian parents in their
conduct and conversation, have a most pernicious
influence over their children. The spirit of the
world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and
the pride of life, manifested by a parent, are eagerly
and most naturally imbibed by children. They
are creatures of imitation in all things ; but they
have a natural aptitude in imitating whatever is
wrong. The bad tempers, the haughtiness, the
self-will of the parents, are very soon indeed
copied by the child. Their admiration of riches,
or rank, or talent, naturally engenders similar inordinate views and feelings in their children. Thus
our sins punish us in our offspring.
Improper connexions which children are allowed
to form with others, whether of a similar, or of a
superior age, but especially of the latter,-often
ruin the best-laid plans for education, Children
are so soon captivated by delusive and specious
appearances of superior wisdom, leading them to

Vill

INTRODUCTION.

despise others, and by the vain promises of liberty
and pleasure ; that one evening spent amidst the
fascinations of worldly society, may unsettle and
permanently injure their young and inexperienced
minds.
Amid the common complaints of want of success
in the bringing up of children, complaints which
are often heard from Christian parents,--it is
pleasant to contemplate those instances which
sometimes occur, as in the families of Mr. Richmond, Mr. Scott, and others which might be named
where results more gratifying have been realized.
The inquiry is most interesting, and most important, whence arises this difference ?
A customary resource for consolation, and almost
for justification, in cases of an unhappy description,
is the doctrine of the sovereignty of God.
Often, however, this great and awful doctrine is
brought in as a cover to parental neglect, when it
would be just as reasonable to assign it as an
excuse for exposing your child to a pestilence,
or for leaving him, in sickness, without medical
aid.
The cases above alluded to, and others quite
numerous enough to form a rule, and not an exception, show that when certain means are used,
the answering results may be expected to follow;
and that the failure of the parents' hopes, may
generally be traced to their own deficiency in
conduct.

INTRODUCTION.

ix

In speaking however of means,-a word perhaps
inadequate,-it is desirable to use that word in its
utmost extent : to look upon it not merely as comprehending a certain routine of duties, but as embracing the whole obligation of the parent to the
child.
And the first and main obligation is Love. It is
to be feared that the real root of the mischief of
which we are speaking, little as it may be suspected, lies in a deficiency here.
Parents ascribe the loss of their children to
God's not havinig willed otherwise; when, perhaps,
it would be much nearer the truth to say, that they
themselves have not willed otherwise.
They are wanting in a deep sense of the real
worth and danger of their children's souls. They
wish and hope that they may be serious, good, and
religious ; but it is a sort of faint, ineffectual wish ;
not that ardent desire, that unceasing anxiety
which filled Mr. Richmond's mind; not that lovewhich made St. Paul exclaim, "My little children,
of whom I travail in birth again, till Christ be
formed in you."
From these feeble hopes and languid wishes, flow
cold and formal prayers, offered as a duty,-not as
the inmost desire of the soul. There is no wrestling
for the children, with the "I will not let thee go
except thou bless me," of Augustine's mother.
Nor are these the prayers of faith ; nor can they be
expected to bring down blessings : since the promise
b

INTRODUCTION.

is, " Whatsoever he shall ask, believing, ye shall
receive." They are often offered up from a mere
sense of duty, without any expectation, and almost
without any sincere desire, that they should be
answered. With such weak and faint impressions
of heavenly concerns, we may expect to find a fast
hold kept upon the world. Just in proportion as
the one is undervalued, the other is sure to be overestimated. The interests of the present life are
eagerly sought after, the affairs of eternity postponed: hence all manner of temptations creep in.
A Christian parent had once, led by prospects of
worldly advancement, placed his son beyond the
reach of the public means of grace, and in the
midst of manifold temptations.
The son was
shortly after on a visit to his father ; and the
parent prayed, in his family worship, that the boy
might be preserved amidst the various perils of his
situation. The youth reflected, What i does my
father put me into the devil's mouth; and then
pray to God that the devil may not be allowed to
swallow me up ? Surely to have occasioned such
a reflection from a child, must have been very
painful to the parent!
The result of this line of conduct, half-christian,
half-worldly, is to bring up a race of young persons
acquainted with the truths of religion, but without
any effectual feeling of its power. They are thus
in a worse situation than even the more ignorant:
since the sound of the gospel can hardly reach the

INTRODUCTION.

xi

latter without some awakening of the conscience:
whereas on the former everything that can be said
falls as a mere repetition of what had been fully
known for years, but never deeply or effectually
felt.
The spirit of Mr. Richmond, then,-his fervent
love for his children's souls, his never-ceasing
anxiety, his constant watchfulness, his daily and
hourly prayers, not of form but of faith-furnish
unitedly a model, to which the attention of Christian parents may be most advantageously directed.
Resting in the form of godliness without its life
and power, is one of the great dangers to which the
Church is peculiarly exposed in this day of general
profession; and parents had need be very watchful
that they do not unawares foster the most dangerous
self-deception in their children, by giving them
credit for genuine regeneration and conversion where
there has been nothing more than excited natural
feelings without any real spiritual change. When
the young possess nothing more than what naturally
amiable dispositions under religious culture may
easily produce, they are soon overset in the rough
sea of this world's trials and temptations. Let
parents beware of too soon speaking peace and rest
to an awakened mind, or a troubled conscience.
The nature of a successful Christian education is
next to be noticed. And we would not here dwell
on subjects which are generally acknowledged, such

Xll
.i

INTRODUCTION.

as prompt obedience and the honouring of parents,
but would rather point out things which are too
often neglected.
1. The first thing is rightly to know the TRUE
FOUNDATION OF OUR HOPES of success.
This is
nothing less solid than the sure promises of God's
word, many of which are very precious to a Christian parent's heart; such as Deut. vii. 9. Psalm
xxxvii. 25, 26; c. 5; cii. 28; ciii. 17, 18; cxii. 2.
Prov. xi. 21; xx. 7; xxii. 6. Isaiah, xliv. 3-5;
li. 8; 1xv. 23. Luke, i. 50. Acts, ii. 38, 39. To
know rightly this foundation, and humbly and
simply to build upon it in the acting out of these
promises, which were sealed to our children in
Christian baptism, through faith, and prayer, and
consistent conduct, patiently waiting on God to
fulfil them in his own time, -constitute an important first step to successful education.
2. We must join with this a clear view of the
only governing cause of success; THE FREE AND
RICH GRACE OF GOD OUR FATHER.
All his chil-

dren are born not of blood, nor of the will of the
flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Here is
the origin, here is the maintaining and continuing
strength, here is the final triumph of all our efforts;
and to cultivate a habit of constantly looking to,
and habitually depending upon God, in daily prayer
in every instruction, and in every plan formed for
our children, is a main principle for obtaining their

INTRODUCTION.

x111i

spiritual good. The faith and prayers of a parent
are specially prevalent with our gracious Redeemer,
-Mark ix. 23, 24.
3. Another material point is, TO LET OUR EYE BE
SINGLE

IN

SEEKING

PRIMARILY THEIR

SPIRITUAL

an all-directing and controlling principle
in education should be, to seek first the kingdom of
God and his righteousness,for our children. This
should influence us, as to the place in which we fix
them, the company to which we introduce them, the
books we wish them to read, the situation we desire
for them, and, in short, as to everything we do concerning them.
4. THE DILIGENT AND RIGHT USE OF THE MEANS
WELFARE:

OF GRACE, is a most important help for children-

such as daily reading the scriptures, prayer, habits
of self-examination, regular attendance on public
worship, and as they grow up, Confirmation and the
Lord's Supper. But besides all these means, the
most important, perhaps, is that constant inculcation
of divine truth to which we are so plainly directed
in the scriptures: These words which I command
thee this day shall be in thine heart; and thou shalt
teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt
talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and
when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest
down, and when thou risest up : and thou shalt bind
them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be
as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt
write them upon the posts of thine house and on .thy

xiv

INTRODUCTION.

gates. Particular instruction of the children by
themselves, and a mother's private and individual
conversation with them, are also of great moment.
5. DISCIPLINE is a matter of constant necessity.
A well-disciplined Christian child is the best gift
which a parent can bestow on his country: whilst
children left to themselves, and with no settled
habits of patient and steady application, are likely
to be sources of much trouble to their fellow-creatures. Discipline will seek constantly to restrain,
check, and subdue all that is wrong, or leading to
wrong, and to animate and to encourage all that
is right. Every day brings fresh occasion for its
exercise, with regard to appetite, pleasures, temper,
coveting the things of others, neglecting duties,
disorderly practices, and indeed all the varied events
of life.
6. PUNISHMENT must not be withheld, but must

be varied according to the degree of fault. It is
important also that the scale by which we measure
the degrees of wrong should be scriptural. Sins
directly against God, and moral faults, such as
falsehood, passion, and taking anything that does
not belong to them, call for the severest punishment,
and should never be passed by without chastisement: while accidents from carelessness, though
they may occasion us a serious injury, yet should be
visited with a lighter penalty, as not being intentional faults. On the mode of punishment, the
reader will find valuable remarks in this volume.

INTRODUCTION.

7.

FOSTER

AND

ENCOURAGE,

XV

BY

WISE

AND

everything that is lovely
and excellent. Much may be done in forming the
character, by due attention to this: all truth, openness, generosity, self-denial, and love to others; all
diligence and application in good pursuits should
have the parental smile of favour; as all those things
which are opposite to these should be discouraged
by marks of disapprobation.
CHRISTIAN APPROBATION,

8. EARNESTLY WATCH AGAINST SEEKING GREAT

Oh! the inexpressible folly of aiming to gain for them high connexions, in classes of society above them; and for
this end placing them in situations of danger, that
they may form associations with their superiors!
What havoc has this made among the children of
pious parents! Mind not high things, should be our
plain rule. Seekest thou great thingsfor thyself?
seek them not. God give us grace to attend to these
clear directions of his word. If we trust him, his
providence will call our children to those scenes in
which they may safely and honourably serve others,
and glorify his name; and we shall be preserved
from the anguish of seeing them bring reproach on
the gospel of Christ.
9. The last thing that I will notice is OUR OWN
CONSISTENCY OF CONDUCT, as essential to the full
effect of a Christian education. If Christian parents
act inconsistently with their blessed principles,if they are irritable, selfish, proud, disorderly,
THINGS FOR YOUR CHILDREN.

Xvi

INTRODUCTION.

passionate, and covetous, what can be expected
but similarly evil tempers in their children? But
if they are poor in spirit, meek, mourning for sin,
and hungering and thirsting after righteousness, and
possess and manifest the other graces of a Christian,
it is an immense auxiliary to all their religious
instruction. In fact, it is one just retribution of all
evil ways, that our children soon manifest similar
evil ways: while, on the other hand, an exhibition
of holy conduct enforces every pious exhortation,
and strengthens every solid principle, which we
endeavour to communicate to them.
The Editor subjoins a little sketch of principles
of education, by which he has desired and endeavoured that his own conduct should be governed.
E. B.
Walton Rectory, 1834.

INTRODUCTION.

XVll
XVii

POINTS TO BE KEPT IN VIEW, IN A
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION.
I.

SPIRITUAL PROSPERITY.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Pray for them.
Ever instil Christian principles.
Act in the spirit of the gospel towards them.
Watch over their intercourse with others.
Teach them to govern their tempers.
See that they diligently attend the means of grace.

II. HEALTR OF BODY.
1. Their minds are not to be too much pressed.
2. Exercise to be regularly taken.
3. Watch against their ignorance and carelessness.
4. Temperance in diet to be observed.
5. Things injurious to health to be avoided.
6. Early in bed and early rising.
7. Remember the incessant activity and subtilty of Satan.
III. MENTAL CULTIVATION.
1. To be well grounded in all they learn.
2. Minds to be strengthened by solid works.

xviii

INTRODUCTION.

3.
4.
5.
6.

IV.

Habits of reflection to be formed and called forth.
See that they understand their lessons.
Habits of self-denial to be formed.
Things useful to be especially attended to.

MANNERS.

1. Kindness to run through every thing ;-their morals,
school, play, walks, behaviour to each other, and all
around, parents, and servants.
2. To show its true foundation in Christian principle.
Rom. xii. 10; 1 Peter iii. 8.
3. It is a victory over our natural selfishness.
4. It promotes the happiness of all around us.

V.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

VI.

Are of a secondary value.
A means of relaxation.
They commend religion to others.
Be sure that they are innocent.
Guard against those which will lead them into the
world.

THE SAVIOUR ALL IN ALL.
1. In every point show them Christ.
He, the Root of spiritual prosperity.
He, the Physician of body and soul;
He, the Giver of mental power;
He, altogether lovely in all his ways;
He, full of gifts and full of grace.

INTRODUCTION.

Xix

2. Let everything turn the mind to him.
In every walk, in every lesson, in every event, in
every sin, in every mercy, speak of Christ.
3. Let him be the sun and the glory of every day.

VII. MEANS.
1. " My grace is sufficient for thee."
2. " He will give his Holy Spirit to them that ask."
3. " I am thy God, I will strengthen thee, yea, I
will uphold thee with the right hand of my
righteousness."

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.
PAGE

Remarks on Education-Public Morals-Public and Private Education ................................

1

CHAPTER II.
Mr. Richmond's Plan of Education-Amusements for
Leisure Hours-The Kaleidoscope-Lines on the Solar
System ...............
.....................

16

CHAPTER III.
The Usual Amusements of Young People ExcludedKeeping of Birth-days-Letters on these OccasionsChoice of Companions-Home Correspondence-Discipline-Letters to his Children ..................

37

CHAPTER IV.
Residence at the University-Letter to a Young Man
Matriculating at Cambridge-Subjects omitted in Mr.
109
Richmond's Plan of Education ....................

XX11

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER V.
PAGE

Life of Nugent Richmond- Sponsorship--Letter to
Sponsors-Remarks on the Ministry-Nugent sent to
Sea-Occurrences in India-Letters to his ParentsHis expected Return-His Death.................. 141
CHAPTER VI.
Life of Wilberforce Richmond-His Childhood-Letter
to his Father-Mr. Richmond's Letters to Wilberforce
in his Childhood-Wilberforce's Early Character and
Letters-Lines on Wilberforce's Birthday--Mr. Rich. 184
mond's Letters to him .......................
CHAPTER VII.
Latter Days of Wilberforce-His Illness-Visit to Scotland-Return-Conversations with his Father........ 245
CHAPTER VIII.
Closing Hours of his Life- Conversations with his
family-His Death-Mr. Richmond's Letter to his
Parishioners..............................
297
CHAPTER IX.
Mr. Richmond's Third Daughter-His Letters to herMarriage Admonitions-Conversations with the Author
-Her Sickness and Death. ................
..
335
CHAPTER X.
Concluding Remarks ..................

........

369

TO THE READER.

IF any apology be deemed needful in presenting to
the public another volume connected with Mr.
Richmond's name and memory, we might refer to the
lively interest with which the productions of his pen
have ever been received, and the frequent demand
made for more of his correspondence. It must be
remembered that the letters now published were not
intended to be read by any one beyond the circle of
his own family, and they are not introduced on the
present occasion as specimens of extraordinary
talent and composition, but with a view to exhibit
the unwearied efforts of a Christian father in the
education of his children, and to encourage those
who are engaged in the same pursuit to hope to the
end; while they diligently persevere in the use of
means; since they may here contemplate another
proof that God is faithful to his promise-" Train
up a child in the way he should go, and when he is
old he will not depart from it."
It has not been the design of the Editor to censure

XXiv

TO THE READER.

others, who may adopt a mode of education somewhat different; or to claim for his friend or himself
an exclusive right to dictate to the Church of God.
Mr. R. had, in some respects, his peculiarities, and
men must judge for themselves as to their imitation
of them; but there can be no mistake in earnestly
recommending to their regard his zeal and lovehis devout and heavenly spirit-his consistent and
firm preference of eternal to temporal advantages,
and the evident blessing of God which crowned with
success his method of instructing his family. May
the same Divine Blessing accompany the present
humble attempt to promote the glory of God, and
the spiritual good of men.

DOMESTIC PORTRAITURE,

CHAPTER I.
Quoniam refert a quibus et quo quisque modo sit institutus.*
QUINTILIAN.

THE importance of education has ever been acknow-

ledged by all civilised communities. To the diffusion of knowledge, and its influence on the economy
of life, may be traced the superiority of one age
and country over another; and it is the neglect or
the cultivation of their minds, which forms the
only true distinction between man and his fellow.
The education of their youth was esteemed by some
nations to be so intimately connected with the public
weal, that they placed the children of the subject
under the superintendence of teachers chosen by the
state; a practice which, no doubt, inspired a political patriotism, but at the expense of many better
* " It is of great moment by whom and in what manner every

one is educated."

2

REMARKS ON EDUCATION.

feelings, and with the risk of enfeebling, if not dissolving, those parental ties, on which the conduct
and happiness of life must greatly depend.
There have been many writers on this subject,
and widely differing from each other in their respective theories. The opinions of some are so
extravagant, and so opposed to all sound practical
wisdom, as scarcely to deserve an allusion. Who
could have supposed that a grave and intelligent
author would recommend a parent to leave his
child without instruction until nearly the age of
manhood, under the pretence of not embarrassing
freedom of thought? If such a strange conceit
could be acted upon, it would soon reduce an enlightened people to the condition of barbarians. But
the experiment is impracticable, for "the process in
the formation of character, though rude and ruinous
by neglect, will go on." From the cradle to the
grave, a succession of hourly events, and influences
of a thousand kinds, will gradually and ultimately
establish habits, and give capacity for happiness
or misery, on an entrance into the eternal world,
according to their result. A bias of some kind or
other will be received, and the only alternative for
our choice is, whether that predisposition which
arises from the inculcation of good principles, and
a reliance on authority for a time, is not preferable to the impulse of corrupt inclination, and
the influence of more corrupt communication.
There have been other writers who seem disposed

REMARKS ON EDUCATION.

to consider man as the mere creature of circumstances, and education as forming "the only ground
of difference between the judge on the bench and
the prisoner at the bar." These attach too great
an importance to human effort and the force of
habit, when they compare a rational agent to the
plant of the field, and expect that lie will of necessity take his form and shape from the hand of the
cultivator. If they do not deny in plain terms the
need of divine interposition, they make no appeal to
it, and seem to regard it as superfluous to the purposes and ends of education. But whatever value
we set on moral culture, its failure, in many instances,-a failure so great that corrupt nature
seems as it were exasperated to evil by the very
means employed for its correction, - affords a
mournful proof, that " it is a poor centre of a man's
actions, himself." Another equally affecting fact
leads us to look higher than mere human agency:
for have not many useful and virtuous characters sometimes appeared like lights in the midst of
darkness; emerging from influences the least calculated to warrant such an expectation ? It never
must be concealed or forgotten by a teacher, that
"God worketh both to will and to do of his own
good pleasure." He gives to the mind its first
impulse, and directs every step in its progress,
wherever the culture of man is successful. Independence is no attribute of a creature; and to challenge success as the necessary result of our own

REMARKS ON EDUCATION.

efforts, is a presumption no less opposed to reason
"Not by might,
than denounced by revelation.
nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord."
There is a third error which has its advocates.
While some attribute too much to human culture,
others expect too little from it. There is a pride
which inspires an undue confidence in the use of
means; and there is an indolent reliance on divine
aid, which vainly looks for an end without them,
and disposes men to neglect or wholly disregard
them. This perversion of a truth generates a reckless feeling, and has done great mischief in religious
families. It is perhaps a chief cause of the melancholy spectacle not unfrequently exhibited, in the
ruin of many children, whose parents have professed
to respect and value Christian principles. They
' seem to overlook both the precept and the promise
of the word of God'-" Train up a child in the
way he should go, "and when he is old he will not
depart from it."
But dismissing whatever is chimerical or mistaken in these theories, (for it is not to my purpose
to carry the discussion to a greater length,) I would
observe, that to train and prepare the soul for its
eternal destiny is the proper business and end of
education. It must be admitted, that there are
subordinate ends which may be desired, and means
of the same character which may be employed for
their attainment; that a competent provision; acquirements which will render us respectable in life;

PUBLTC MORALS.

and all that is connected with the security and promotion of present happiness, are lawful objects of
pursuit; and that it is folly to neglect or despise
them. In many cases it would be a dereliction of
duty; for we must not consider ourselves as insulated beings, and " go out of the world," but continue in it, as " the salt of the earth," to dispense a
purifying influence. I am not the advocate of
superstition or eccentricity; but I contend that the
chief end of education is to train for eternity.
There may be an awful consistency in the sentiments of those whose hopes and prospects are
bounded by time, when they say, We and our children will eat and drink, for to-morrow we die.
But, independently of revelation, and assuming only
the belief of a future state,-a state to be determined by our conduct in the present world, it follows
as a necessary consequence, that whatever we teach
or do, ought to have a bearing on another condition
of being, and be made subservient to its interests.
Here I stand on the vantage-ground, and fear not
to make my appeal to every thinking man; not only
whether the welfare of a future life can be reasonably set aside, and children taught to despise and
disregard it; but whether it be consistent with the
expectation of another world, to give it less than
the chief and foremost place in our thoughts and
actions. It cannot be regarded as subordinate or
secondary, without exciting a just suspicion that we
do not admit its existence. Such an appeal may

6

PUBLIC MORALS.

be made with still greater force to an avowed disciple of the Christian faith. The whole bearing of
revelation goes to this point, " Seek first the kingdom of God." Let it be observed, that the question
is not here one of mere opinion. Few would venture to deny the principle, for this would be to deny
the authority of the principle; but we must look to
opinion as realised in practice, and insist on the
propriety and necessity of interweaving religious
principle as a golden thread in the whole texture
of education; deriving from it the motives, the
means, and the end; and so steadily keeping in
view the final result, as to make a cheerful sacrifice
of everything which would be likely to impair or
interfere with it.
I may be censured for rashly libelling the community in which we live; yet it must be apparent
to an unprejudiced mind, that for the most part we
are a nation of Christians by profession, and of
heathens in opinion and practice. Christianity
may have improved the moral sense, or at least
driven into the shade the grosser abominations of
ancient times; but it is a palpable fact, that the
Bible is not our standard; nor a provision for the
world to come, our main object and end. Are not
our motives derived from reputation, interest, or
gratification; and were not these the fulcrum employed by the Gentile world to move the youthful
mind to exertion ? What are the virtues which
are prized and commended ? We hear of a becom-

PUBLIC MORALS.

ing pride-a conscious dignity-a noble amlitiona deserved scorn and contempt -a just revenge ;dispositions and impulses of corrupt nature which
are totally condemned by the word of God. In
what light are many acknowledged vices regarded
by us! The Christian and the heathen moralist
equally reprobate murder, impurity, and fraud; and
legislators of every age have enacted laws to deter
from their commission; but do we not in a multitude of instances endeavour to hide the enormity of
these crimes, when we cannot alter their character,
and talk of a proper defence of honour, an affair of
gallantry, and a fortunate stroke of policy ?
" All these things the Gentiles did," and we,
though professing to know God, by our imitation of
their actions, dishonour him. Even when a stricter
rule of morals is approved, the leading feature of
heathen ages is still retained, and a boy is taught,
by the example of his teacher, and by the conduct
of all around him, to regard religion as an affair
of secondary importance,--at best to be viewed
with awe at a distance-not to be brought into
contact with all his aims and ends; as a something
he must submit to of necessity, rather than choose as
a source of the purest enjoyment. The peculiarities
of the gospel, in principle, disposition, and conduct,
are so far from being applauded or enforced, that
the very reference to them on any ordinary occasion, would expose him to suspicion, scorn, and
reproach.

8

PUBLIC AND PRIVATE EDUCATION.

This is no idle declamation, but a simple statement of facts; and it is worth while to enquire the
cause of so lamentable a departure from the character of true Christianity.
We will therefore examine the course of education pursued in this country, as it is conducted in
public schools, or by private tuition, and which, if
carried on, is usually completed at one of the universities.
A public school presents some advantages. These
consist chiefly, perhaps in the superior ability and
attainments of the masters, who are generally selected from the ablest scholars of the age. The pleas
often urged, of the value of connexions, and the
knowledge of the world, (which to boys can neither
be necessary nor useful,) seem to carry little weight;
and if allowed to possess any, are more than counterbalanced by the evils arising out of numbers,
bad companions, and the neglect of the Holy Scriptures, which lay a foundation for habits and conduct
in life beyond measure injurious. Many private
schools abound with the same evils, and offer fewer
advantages than the larger establishments. In both
cases, it has been justly observed, instructionmay be
secured in the school-room, but education is carried
on in the play-ground, or in the dormitory. There
is seldom at such seasons any superintendence.
Neither the eye nor the ear of the master is with
his pupils, and they are, for the most part, left
without control or restraint, to follow the devices

PUBLIC AND PRIVATE EDUCATION.

of their own minds. A few elder boys prescribe
the standard of opinion and conduct, and whatever
may be erroneous or corrupt in the leaders, finds a
ready acquiescence from those below them. Painful
are the details of a tyro, who either boasts or laments
the fruits of these evil communications.
The neglect of religion in public schools has often
been asserted, and the charge repelled with indignation.
Certain it is, however, that the greater
number of pupils leave these establishments and
enter into life, with an ignorance and indifference
towards religion, or with an avowed contempt for
it. They have no idea of viewing it as the end of
their being,-the rule of their conduct, and to be
carried by them as a governing principle into every
event and transaction of life. It has evidently not
been a prominent feature in their past studies. A
form of prayer, a chapter in the Greek Testament
on the Sunday, or an exercise for the memory from
some elementary author, (and such I believe to be
the amount of religious instruction,) are poor substitutes for a constant reference to the commands
and promises, the motives and models of the Bible,
-for a diligent cultivation of right habits and opinions. Can it be said, with any truth, that the
word of God is read daily, or pains taken in its
application to the heart and conscience ? Although
a decent respect may be inculcated for revelation,
is a boy instructed by his teacher to regard the
world as a bauble, and the service of God as his

10

PUBLIC AND PRIVATE EDUCATION.

glory ? Are sinful tempers watched over and
reproved? Are heavenly dispositions cultivated
and encouraged with a close and intimate inspection
of morals and the employment of leisure hours ?
They can best answer these questions who have
been the victims of vices contracted in our public
schools; or who, when awakened to real principles
and piety in after years, have endured throughout
life a kind of martyrdom, in conflicting with the
sinful habits acquired in their youthful career.
The chief studies in our public seminaries are the
classics. Science, till of late years, formed no part
of them, nor has it even now more than a small
share of the seven or eight years devoted to acquire
an imperfect acquaintance with the authors of
Greece and Rome.
The objections made to the use of heathen authors
in Christian education are not always valid. Classical knowledge forms a good foundation for theological attainment, while it is considered as the
handmaid of religion, and is made subservient to its
purposes. An illiterate ministry is never a safe
one; nor can a sound, accurate interpretation of the
word of truth be expected without a knowledge of
the original languages, and without that disposition
to sober and patient investigation, which the habits
and discipline of the mind, under proper culture,
seldom fail to inspire.
The more valid objections apply rather to the
manner of teaching the classics; to their being

PUBLIC AND PRIVATE EDUCATION.

11

viewed as an end, not a means; and to the measure
of time and attention bestowed on them, to the
exclusion of more important subjects which would
counteract the evils incident to them.
While discussing the merits of school education,
I cannot refrain from adverting to a modern system,
which discards the aid of religion in the hours of
instruction. I view this novel experiment with
extreme alarm. The reduction of expense, and a
plausible pretence to liberality of sentiment, have
prevailed on men of real piety to give their sanction to it; and they have been seduced, in their
simplicity, to approve a plan more worthy of the
enemies of religion than of its friends. The classical tutor must take the Bible in his hand with every
book of instruction, or the mind of his pupil will
necessarily be exposed to the daily influence of
many things which are false in principle and vicious
in practice. He will insensibly be led to prefer
knowledge to its right use and application, and to
estimate talent above piety. He will despise as unworthy the manly age, the principles confined to the
nursery and the family, and which are never brought
before him by those whom he is taught to regard
with superior veneration and respect. We may
boast of the march of intellect, and treat with
supercilious contempt the example and usages of
former ages ; but the difusionof unsanctifiedknowledge will prove a great evil to the community.
The feeblest recognition of a Deity, and the admis-

12

PUBLIC AND PRIVATE EDUCATION.

sion only of the forms of religion-nay, even superstition itself, is preferable to the entire exclusion of
all reference to a divine power.
"No institution," said my excellent friend, "can
or ought to stand, in which Christ is not the foundation; and I wholly disapprove of all schemes
which deliberately shut God out of their direction."
To schools, and particularly to the manner in
which they are conducted, Mr. Richmond felt the
strongest repugnance. The sentiments which I
have laid before the reader are, in fact, the substance of conversations with him on these subjects.
He never spoke without emotion when he recollected
the vices which his eldest son had contracted by a
public education, and the sad influence of bad connexions formed under those circumstances; and
which, counteracting the good effects of early instruction at home, caused the ruin, as he used to
say, " of his poor wanderer." He resolved, in consequence, to adopt the plan of home education, with
the assistance of a private tutor.
Private teaching has certainly some disadvantages, but they are few in comparison of the benefits
secured. I grant that there is a danger of irregularity in the hours of study, arising from visitors
and. invitations---the severity of needful discipline
may be softened into a mischievous relaxation by
affection, ill directed and unduly interfering with
the teacher-and the stimulus of competition, the
desire of distinction and the love of praise (very

PUBLIC AND PRIVATE EDUCATION.

13

questionable motives, however) are lost. But these
and every other defect of a private education may
be remedied; while advantages of the utmost importance in the formation of character are secured.
Regular habits may be established-interruptions
of every kind prevented by a firm resistance to
them-motives in unison with the Scriptures will
be found more than adequate to every occasionthe devotional exercises of the closet may be watched
-hourly opportunities will be afforded for breaking
off the shoots of evil as they spring up, an example
of principle embodied in action may be presented
to youthful observation, and affections of the best
kind be cultivated between the members of the
family-much useful general knowledge may be
imparted, and a fair share of the learning of public
schools be acquired. Numbers can only be restrained
by force or fear, or excited by pride and interest.
Choice, affection, principle, can seldom be employed.
The discipline of a great school must be that of a,
man-of-war, and it is conducted in either case under
much the same necessity. Two or three boys may
be watched every hour-evil checked as it arisesevery occurrence improved-religion infused into
every pursuit and instruction, without any necessity
for recurring to stimuli which befit only the lowest
condition of mortal existence, and are never found,
in their application, to produce any other effect than
to depress or exasperate generous natures.
There is an error which universally obtains in

14

PUBLIC AND PRIVATE EDUCATION.

every plan of education, public and private, and
which is perhaps a principal cause of the distaste of
our young persons for grave and solid studies. They
are never taught to think. Materials in abundance
are set before them, but they know nothing of the
use and end designed by working them; they are
ignorant of the rationale of grammar, or the application of science. The memory is burdened as a
drudge, while the understanding remains torpid
and unexercised; and thus the interest which real
knowledge inspires is lost in the mere acquisition
of words. A boy can give a rule but not a reason.
Pestalozzi has attempted, with some success, to
improve former methods of imparting knowledge,
but even his system falls short of rationalinstruction; in which the understanding and the heart
should keep pace with the progress of the memory.
The practice of enforcing by authority, instead of
leading the mind to investigate, explain, and digest
in the exercise of its own energies, disposes a youth
to affirm rather than prove; and resting contented
with a crude and superficial acquaintance with all
subjects, to shrink from the labour of acquiring solid
and accurate information.
It would be a very
salutary practice to withhold from young persons
the use and enjoyment of everything, however
simple, whether an effort of art or nature, till they
had prepared themselves to explain its history,
origin, place, and means of production. Thus no
moment would run to waste; and table-talk, which

PUBLIC AND PRIVATE EDUCATION.

15

now consists of little more than barren details,
would become a vehicle of much interesting and
useful communication.
If science ought not to precede language, they
should walk together as friends from the commencement, and be associated throughout the progress of
education.
But leaving the reader to form his own opinion
on the comparative merits of public and private
education, I shall lay before him, in the next
chapter, the method resorted to by Mr. Richmond
in his family arrangements.

16

MR. RICHMOND'S

CHAPTER II.
And this our life, exempt from public haunt,
Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,
Sermons in stones, and good in every thing.

I

SHAKSPEARE.

One great reason why so few people in the world are truly
religious, and why among the truly religious so many are not
happy in their religion, is this, that early religious habits are too
commonly associated, not with cheerfulness, but with constraint
and gloom.
JIBB.

first object was to make home the
happiest place to his children; to render them independent of foreign alliances in their pursuits and
friendships; and so to interest them in domestic
enjoyments, as to preclude the feeling, too common
in young people, of restlessness and longing to
leave their own firesides, and wander abroad in
search of pleasure and employment. In this at-/
tempt to satisfy his family, and engage their compliance with his wishes, he so completely succeeded,
that every member of it left home with regret, even
for an occasional visit, and returned to Turvey
MR. RICHMOND'S

17

PLAN OF EDUCATION.

with fond anticipation-as to the place of their
treasures.
To his daughter F--

he writes:

.
. "We are going on quietly at home.
Little K--,
by a sudden determination, is gone into
Norfolk. My love and respect for your dear, most
dear mother, has prevailed to gain my consent;
otherwise I much prefer a mother's and elder
sister's roof, for female education, to any school.
But I leave this affair in God's hands, and hope he
will overrule it for the best. I have long thought
that though a good school is better than a bad
home, a good home is the best of schools. Children
are for the most part educated in temper and habits
of all kinds, not by governesses, but by companions,
and here all is contingency. But so much of my
own happiness consists in making your dear mamma
happy, that I wave my objection to a temporary
alienation from the parental roof, and pray God it
spiritual welfare. Some may
may not injure K--'s
think I am too fond of seeing my children around
me; if it be a weakness, I must plead guilty to it:
from their infancy I have looked forward, as far as
providential circumstances would permit, to find
comfort, support, and companionship in my children.
My middle, and, if spared, my old age, may much
require it; and if my life be short, can any wonder
that I should like to see and know much of them
C

18

AMUSEMENTS FOR

while I remain in this world ? It has ever been my
heart's desire and prayer, to give them a useful,
happy, exemplary home: were I to fail here, life
would indeed become a blank to me. I would strive
'to roll the troublous tide on God,' but I should
deeply mourn in secret. Sons must in due season
go forth into a wanton and wicked world to seek
their bread; but daughters, while unmarried, are
better calculated to become comforters and companions to their parents, as they go down to the
vale of years . . . .
"Your affectionate father,
"L. R."
A happy home greatly depends on the recreations and amusements which are provided for young
people. It is no small difficulty to give a useful
direction to their play-hours: little more has been
contemplated in the gambols of youth than the
health and activity of their bodies, and the refreshment of their spirits: it is well when these objects
can be attained without the indulgence of sinful
tempers; but youthful sports have often proved the
nursery of pride, ambition, and contention. In
public schools these evils have been encouraged, or
at least deemed unavoidable. The seed of revenge
in manhood has been planted in boyish violence;
and the unheeded acts of oppression by the elder
boys towards their juniors, have trained them to
tyranny in riper years. Private education affords

LEISURE HOURS.

19

greater facilities for checking these evils; but the
want of the stimulus supplied by numbers is apt to
render the pastime uninteresting, and home distasteful.
Mr. R. was alive to these inconveniences, and
endeavoured, by a succession and variety of recreations, to employ the leisure hours to advantage.
Hie had recourse to what was beautiful in nature
or ingenious in art or science: and when abroad he
collected materials to gratify curiosity. He fitted
up his museum, his auctarium, and his library, with
specimens of mineralogy, instruments for experimental philosophy, and interesting curiosities from
every part of the world; he had his magic lantern
to exhibit phantasmagoria, and teach natural history: to display picturesque beauty, and scenes and
objects far-famed in different countries; his various
microscopes for examining the minutim of plants
and animals; his telescope for tracing planetary
revolutions and appearances; his air-pump and
other machines for illustrating and explaining the
principles of pneumatics and electricity; authors of
every country who treated on the improvements
connected with modern science; whatever, in short,
could store the mind with ideas, or interest and
improve the heart. When he travelled he kept up
a correspondence with his family, and narrated to
them the persons, places, and adventures of his
progress. On his return he enlivened many a lei-

20

AMUSEMENTS FOR

sure hour by larger details of all that he had observed to amuse and improve.
It was a sight truly gratifying to witness the
affectionate parent in the professor's chair, with a
mind richly stored, and a countenance beaming
with kindness, fixing the attention of his youthful
auditors, on subjects abstruse in their character,
but rendered interesting and intelligible to the
happy group which surrounded him.
Music was another source of domestic amusement
in which Mr. R. excelled, being both a good composer, and no mean performer. Many of his children
played on some instrument, and occasionally joined
their father in a " concert of sweet sounds." He
wished to exclude what was frivolous or trifling in
this noble art, and delighted in the grave, full-toned
harmony, as best calculated to inspire corresponding
emotions.
He encouraged the use of the pencil, and was
very anxious that his daughters should cultivate
their taste for drawing.
" As I have journeyed along," he writes to one of
his children, " I have often wished I had the pencil
of a ready draughtsman, that I might bring home a
bundle of sketches of landscapes, to revive recollections and render natural scenery permanent to the
imagination. When I find that this cannot be, I
next wish that one or more of my dear children

LEISURE HOURS.

21

might acquire a talent of this kind, and be a sort
of right hand to fulfil my wishes in that way. Perhaps some day you will be that right hand to me.
Loving landscape scenery as I do, my grand object
is to see God in it; to trace him in every part of
his works: to acknowledge his goodness in them,
and to collect arguments from them to endear the
character of Christ, 'by whom,' the scripture says,
'all things were made, and without whom was not
any thing made that was made.' To this end, I
wish drawing to be cultivated. I mourn over pride
and vanity, and if accomplishments are only acquired to gratify these unholy affections, I should
wish them banished. Nay, mere innocent pleasure
is not a sufficient motive; the glory of God must
be the end and aim of every attainment, or else it is
a waste of time, and an abuse of talent. Pencils,
paint, Indian ink, and Indian-rubber, may be devoted to the honour of Him who bestows the power
of combining their respective properties, so as to
produce the similitudes of his works. I am no
less anxious about the cultivation of musical talents;
there is, however, more danger of music being
abused than drawing: the inundation of frivolity,
and the sometimes unsuspected associations of a
carnal and worldly nature, which mingle with musical compositions of a modern and fashionable cast,
often distress and hurt me. The fascinations of
the ball-room, the corruptions of the theatre and
opera-house, too often creep into the quiet piano-

22

AMUSEMENTS FOR

forte corner of young people. Even instrumental
music, with its appendages of waltzes, dances, and
love-sick airs, has often a tendency to familiarise
the young mind with subjects injurious to its welfare. The sober dignity of genuine instrumental
music is nearly lost in the substitution of modern
trick and blandishment. But if instrumental music
be thus abused, how much more so vocal ? Here the
art and science of music opens its richest stores of
opportunity for glorifying God and edifying man:
here all the charms, and all the contrivances of this
sublime faculty, present innumerable means of spiritualising the heart, gratifying the ear, exalting
the understanding, and improving the affections:
but here, alas ! the world, the flesh, and the devil,
have grasped the powers of the musical art in too
many instances, and sacrificed them all to Dagon
and Baal, to vice and folly, to levity and wantonness, to fascination and delusion. Love songs,
drinking songs, vice-provoking songs, and many
other sorts of songs, resound from house to house
in public and private, and prove to demonstration
the idols which men and even women serve, and
consequently 'whose they are.' What a profanation of a holy art! what a degradation of a noble
science ! I am persuaded that music is designed to
prepare for heaven; to educate for the choral enjoyment of Paradise; to form the mind to virtue
and devotion, and to charm away evil, and sanctify
the heart to God. A Christian musician is one

LEISURE HOURS.

23

who has a harp in his affections, which he daily
tunes to the notes of the angelic host, and with
which he makes melody in his heart to the Lord.
Does he strike the chord with his hands ? It is to
' bid lute and harp to awake to the glory of God.'
The hand, the tongue, and the ear, form a kind of
triple chord not to be broken. Bring music, my
to this test, and your vocal hours
beloved F-,
will not be spent in vain. The instructions of your
childhood will supply you through life with a fountain of pleasures, drawn from the true source of
legitimate recreation. Sing the songs of Zion, and
amidst the- vibrations of the air may true prayer
and praise ascend to heaven, and enter into the ears
of the Lord God of your salvation; and then will
the harmonious combination be complete. Pray for
grace to guide you in all your duties, that you may
comfort, assist, and strengthen your invaluable
mother in all her cares and labours, by your dutiful,
diligent, and affectionate regard to her precepts,
example, and wishes. May your brothers, in particular, learn from you, and you from Christ, what
Christian meekness, activity, and sobriety mean.
Watch over them with a sister's heart and a sister's
prayers, and they will be heard and answered. Go
to school again and again. Whither ? To what
school, papa? To the school of Christ, where the
Great Instructor waits to teach and bless you. Go
thither my child, and carry your sins, and your cares,
and your weaknesses and your errors, and your

24

THE KALEIDOSCOPE.

affections and your hopes, and your fears and your
resolutions, and your friends and your brothers,
and your sisters, and your mother, and
"Your own true loving father,
" LEGH RICHMOND."

It was a maxim with Mr. Richmond, that the
mind needed not idleness or frivolity to restore its
energies, or -fit it for graver studies; but might
always find a sufficient relaxation in variety: and
his success in associating some useful pursuit with
the recreations of his young people, proves the correctness of his judgment in this respect.
The principal characteristic, however, of his
mode of education, was the piety infused into every
employment or pleasure. Whether in the field or
in the museum, -whether he examined what was
beautiful to the eye, or indulged in what was harmonious to the ear,-whether he made an experiment or related an event,-everything was connected, in his own mind and in that of his children,
with Him who " giveth all things richly to enjoy;"
-everything afforded him an illustration of some
religious truth, or was employed to inspire some
devout affection. The connexion of religion with
science was a favourite topic, on which he used to
enlarge with great satisfaction. His happy manner,
in combining instruction with amusement, appears
from the two following specimens. The first of
these is a meditation on the wonders of the kaleido

THE KALEIDOSCOPE.

25

scope, and which he presented to his daughter F-,
with a view to engage her attention to this simple
and elegant instrument. " See, my dear F-,
what this new discovery, which has afforded us so
much amusement, may do to improve our heads and
heart.
" I took up my kaleidoscope, and as I viewed with
delight the extraordinary, succession of beautiful
images which it presented to my sight, I was struck,
"1. With the singular phenomenon of perfect
order being invariably and constantly produced out
of perfect disorder,-so that, as by magical influence,
confusion and irregularity seemed to become the
prolific parents of symmetry and beauty.
" 2. It occurred to me, that the universality of its
adoption would imperceptibly lead to the cultivation
of the principles of taste, elegance, and beauty,
through the whole of the present and following
generations; and that from the philosopher and
artist, down to the poorest child in the community.
" 3. I admired the effect produced by a new and
varied combination of colours as well as forms.
The analysis of this kind of arrangement is here
attended with unprecedented facility and advantage.
The artist, the philosopher, the admirer, both of the
works of nature and of art, may here find a source
of amusement almost peculiar to the use of this
instrument.
"4. I saw a vast accession to the sources of
invention, in its application to the elegant arts and

26

THE KALEIDOSCOPE.

manufactures, and the consequent growth of a more
polished and highly-cultivated state of habits, manners, and refinement in both.
"5. I mused with delight on the powers and
effects of geometrical arrangement and combination,
so easily exhibited to the eye, and so characteristic
of the optical principle on which the instrument is
constructed.
" 6. I was struck with the idea of infinite variety,
-more strikingly demonstrated to the eye than by
any former experiment. Here the sublime mingles
with the beautiful.
"7. I perceived a kind of visible music. The
combination of form and colour produced harmony,
their succession melody: thus what an organ or
pianoforte is to the ear, the kaleidoscope is to the
eye. I was delighted with this analogy between
the senses, as exercised in this interesting experiment.
"8. I thought that God was very good to afford
and permit so innocent and gratifying a source of
recreation to all ranks of my fellow-countrymen;
a recreation arising partly from the exhibition of so
much loveliness to that sense of sight which he has
formed, and partly from the exercise of the mental
faculties of reason and taste in meditating upon the
beautiful vision.
"I laid my kaleidoscope down, and thought of
the adorable attributes of Him from whom all blessings, earthly and heavenly, flow.

THE KALEIDOSCOPE.

27

"I took up my kaleidoscope again, and was led in
the contemplation of its use and beauties, to think,
1" Here I am to see, on the one hand, the ruin
1.
and disorder of human nature; and on the other,
the marvellous influence of grace in producing out
of these materials order, beauty, and restoration.
"2. My instrument I compared to a telescopeglass, which faith and hope put into my hand;-I saw through one end of the tube, the world, and
our life in it, a scene of confusion and tribulation:
strange revolutions and mysterious complexities.
Through the other, I beheld promised delights,
heavenly realities, beauty for ashes, and the wilderness blooming like a rose. I took the hint, and saw
reasons for resignation, contentment, and patient
waiting for the glory that shall be revealed.
"3. I observed, as I gently turned my instrument round, how quickly the pleasures of sense
vanished. The phantom which delighted me but a
moment before was gone--for ever gone--irrevocably lost! Let me not, then, said I, set my heart
on that which so quickly taketh wing and fleeth
away. Such is the world and its delights.
"4. But again as I looked, new beauties constantly succeeded those which had passed away.
Now I thought, how does the Lord multiply his
mercies in constant variety and succession. In the
succession of beautiful configurations in my glass,
is an emblem of the endless goodness of my God,
whose tender mercies are over all his works.

28

THE KALEIDOSCOPE.

"5. In this chaos of confusion, thus made to
produce beauty and order, I seem to see a representation of the primitive work of the Great Creator,
who, when the earth was without form and void,
sent forth his Spirit, and therewith created an universe in all its original perfection.
" 6. When I look at my little fragments of glass
and stones, and observe how, from such apparently
despicable materials, such beauty and symmetry
arise, I learn not to despise the day of small things,
and to count nothing unworthy of my notice. I
learn how God has chosen the foolish things of this
world to confound the wise, and base things of this
world, and things which are despised, hath God
chosen; yea, and things which are not, to bring to
nought things that are, that no flesh should glory in
his presence.
"I concluded by reflecting how the works of
creation, the principles of natural philosophy, the
discoveries of science, and the ingenuities of art,
illustrate and demonstrate the attributes of the God
of redemption. My kaleidoscope shows me, in the
harmony of its colours, the union of his excellences;
in the symmetry of its forms, his wisdom; in the
invariable efficacy of its principles, his faithfulness;
in the endless diversity of its figures, his infinity;
in the simplicity of its essential character, his unity;
in its faculty of producing novelty, his power; in its
ability to delight, his goodness; and in its affording
me this opportunity of so seeing Him in it, his love.

THE SOLAR SYSTEM.

29

"I laid down my kaleidoscope, that I might
praise and adore the Author of all my mercies."
The next article was composed by Mr. Richmond
with the view. of fixing the solar system in the
memory; for which purpose he made use of verse:
and, as it may be a useful technicamemoria to other
children, it is here presented to them.
In this instance, also, it may be observed, how
steadily he kept in view his ulterior design, of
raising the mind from the visible heavens to the
knowledge and love of Him whom the heaven of
heavens cannot contain, but whose eternal power
and godhead, whose majesty, wisdom, and goodness,
shine forth in the things that he has ma
He used frequently to repeat, " An undevout
astronomer is mad." He would observe, " Astronomy fills the mind with the most elevated conceptions of the magnificence of the Deity; and sinks
us down and humbles us to the dust, with a sense
of our own utter insignificance ; sensations mingled
with others of a sweet and tender character in the
survey of his benevolence.
" Creation was Adam's library; God bid him read
the interesting volumes of his works, which were
designed to make known the divine character. To
gratify curiosity only, in the study of the creatures,
is to lose sight of their end in relation to man. I
would have my dear children see God in every

30

THE SOLAR SYSTEM.

thing. It is not merely a transitory emotion I wish
to raise in their minds, but a habit of referring, in
all they see, to their Maker with delight and reverence. I will never consent to shut God out of his
own universe, or divorce science and-religion, which
he has joined together; and which ought to dwell
with each other in unity and love." *

THE SOLAR SYSTEM.
As we looked at the skies, my dear children, last night,
And their beauties and wonders attracted our sight;
Of explaining their nature you set me the task,
So I'll try to afford the instruction you ask.
* In these remarks I perfectly concur. What, indeed, is religion but a knowledge of God, with an enjoyment of him in the
siuila)
to
affections of the heart ? The Greeks use a term (s
describe it, which signifies a becoming reverence. The Latins employ another word religio (from re and ligo) still more descriptive
of its character, which means a reuniting of a part to its whole.
Man has been torn, as it were, from God by his apostasy,-a
creature separate from the Creator. The business of religion,
and of all religious education, is to bring man back to God, in his
thoughts, affections, aims, and pursuits; so that spiritually, as
well as naturally, he may live and move, and have his being in
God. Science, when employed as the handmaid of religion, will
be found a most useful auxiliary; and literature of every kind,
especially such as is connected with the works or ways of the
Deity, if pursued in the spirit of piety, has a tendency to improve
and sanctify the heart. With this view Mr. Richmond encouraged
his children to study diligently, that they might love and serve
God fervently.

THE

SOLAR SYSTEM.

THE SUN.

In the midst of our system the sun takes his place,
And brilliantly shines through the regions of space;
He illumines the planets, and by his attraction
Preserves all their motions in regular action.
He turns round his axis in twenty-five days,
While his light ne'er decreases, his heat ne'er decays:
His diameter viewed with the nicest attention,
Proves near nine hundred thousand miles in dimension;
Around this vast orb revolutions are seen,
Of the planets eleven, with their moons, just eighteen.
MERCURY.

First Mercury moves mid the bright solar rays,
Completing his orbit in eighty-eight days;
The breadth of his disk at three thousand is given,
The distance, of millions of miles thirty-seven.

VENUS.

Next Venus advances, with radiant smiles,
From the sun distant sixty-nine millions of miles;
She revolves round her centre in months about eight,
And compared with our Earth she in size is as great:
In beauty resplendent she shines from afar,
And gladdens the eye as a morn or eve star.
THE EARTH.

Amidst this grand range of celestial pavilions,
Next comes, at a distance of ninety-five millions,
The globe of the Earth, with its faithful attendant,
Both alike on the sun's gravitation dependent,
Earth revolves, as enlightened by Sol's mighty blaze,
In three hundred and sixty and five of our days;

31

32

THE SOLAR SYSTEM.
Round her axis impelled by omnipotent power,
She turns and returns by the twenty-fourth hour.
Near eight thousand miles is the breadth of her span,
And thus she was formed for the dwelling of man:
As the sun rules by day, so the moon rules by night,
Each affording in turn their magnificent light.
THE MOON.

The Moon's time in her path, as the earth she moves round,
Just twenty-nine days and a half will be found:
From the earth she is distant, although she seems near,
Twenty-four times ten thousand of miles it is clear.
By the light of the sun her fair face is adorned,
While she sometimes is gibbous and sometimes is horned,
When at full she's quite round, when new she's not seen,
But whenever she shines, is of night the gay queen:
Of high hills and deep vales she has plentiful store,
And her breadth of our miles is two thousand and more.
By his glass, the astronomer clearly discerns
In a month round her axis she statedly turns:
Thus the earth and the moon are impelled by a force,
Which preserves all their motions in annual course.
MARS.

Next, revolving amidst the bright region of stars,
We behold in his orbit the ruddy-faced Mars.
He appears to move on without lunar assistance,
At a hundred and forty-four millions of distance.
While twenty-four hours, like our own, make his day,
Near two years will accomplish his annual way;
His diameter measures four thousand and two,
And his radiance is marked by his roseate hue.
THE ASTEROIDS.

Four Planets come next of diminutive sizes
Too small, without aid, to be seen with our eyes:

THE SOLAR SYSTEM.
But the telescope proves of what nature they are,
And discovers their motions as viewed from afar,
In order comes Vesta, then Juno, then Ceres,
Whose orbit to Pallas exceedingly near is;
But these Asteroids no more shall absorb
The attention now due unto Jupiter's orb.
JUPITER.

Enlightened by Sol with refulgence he smiles,
Though distant near five hundred millions of miles:
His splendour the heavens is ever adorning,
As the jewel of eve, or the herald of morning,
His diameter ninety-one thousand is found.
He in less than ten hours his own axis turns round:
His magnificent globe, as it plainly appears,
Revolves round the sun in near twelve of our years;
Cloudy belts cross his surface in parallel lines,
Yet through them the planet with brilliancy shines.
His constant companions, to cheer the dark night,
Four satellites lend him their regular light:
That they truly revolve, by our glasses is seen,
In their periods or months from two days to sixteen.
SATURN.

Now far beyond Jupiter on we advance,
And find a whole system of worlds at a glance.
Seven moons around Saturn transcendently shine,
Preserved in their orbit by impulse divine.
Nine hundred of millions from Sol he's removed,
So their nightly assistance is constantly proved.
When measured, the breadth of the planet is great,
In thousands of miles it is seventy and eight;
Twenty-nine and a half of our years must be run
Ere Saturn his journey performs round the sun;
In fourteen to twelve hours the astronomers say,
The planet's rotation completes his own day:
D

33

34

THE SOLAR SYSTEM.
But that which most singular makes it appear,
Is two luminous rings which encompass his sphere;
It would seem that his splendour of radiance bound him
As detached from his orb they revolve both around him.
Heaven does not present a more beautiful sight
Than this planet, his rings, and his moons, seen at night.

URANUS,

HERSCHEL,

OR GEORGIUM

SIDUS.

But, as farther we penetrate heavenly regions,
When the stars are abounding in multiplied legions,
We meet with a planet of magnitude vast,
Which of those yet discovered is reckoned the last.
.Call it Uranus, Herschel, or Georgium Sidus,
A sight of his disc without help is denied us.
But when brought by the aid of the telescope near
His surface is manifest, beauteous and clear.
Eighteen hundred millions removed from the sun,
It is eighty-four years ere its orbit is run,
Thirty-four thousand miles in his breadth 'tis maintained,
Of his motions diurnal no knowledge is gained.
Six bright beaming moons shed their rays o'er his night,
Like himself, from the sun, all deriving their light.

THE COMETS.

But still we pursue astronomical song,
As not planets alone to our system belong.
Many hundreds of comets, in orbits most strange,
By solar attraction obediently range,
With their fringes of air, their long fiery tails.
Whenever they're seen admiration prevails:
But their lengthened elliptical paths in the sky
The powers of astronomy seem to defy.
So short is their stay, they escape observation
On which we can ground a correct calculation.
They've so come and so gone, so appeared and so vanished,
That successful prediction they've hitherto banished.

THE SOLAR SYSTEM.
.

35

CONCLUSION.

To the system named Solar, I call your attention,
Of the stars that are fixed I shall now wave the mention,
But while their instruction I've sought to impart,
I've wished to inspire the best thoughts in your heart.
With deep veneration, oh lift up your eyes,
And contemplate these works of the God of the skies:
He formed them, he governs, he guides every motion,
And by them he summons each soul to devotion.
The firmament showeth the work of his hand,
Such wisdom and power adoration command.
Each planet revolves, and each comet appears,
To exalt the great God of our days and our years.
Not a star but its lustre shall loudly proclaim
The magnificent praise of his excellent name,
Join the chorus above, and let glory be given
To Him that directs both on earth and in heaven!

Many advantages were obtained by the introduction of popular science into my friend's family circle
as an amusement; a dislike of low and vulgar pursuits was inspired; an occupation found for every
moment; and materials procured for useful conversation in their private intercourse; full employment
and improving pursuits are favourable to morality
and religion; nor is it necessary to allow children,
even in their pastimes, to be more childish than a
childish age requires. The notion is injurious to
them, that a waste of time is felicity, and its profitable employment an ungrateful necessity. Nor
can eminence be expected in anything in which the
heart is not engaged. It should therefore be the

36

THE SOLAR SYSTEM.

constant effort of a teacher to interest while he
instructs, and to bring the hour of recreation into
unison with that of the school-room, making it subservient to it. It was my friend's anxious desire
and sedulous endeavour to get the heart on the side
of truth, to infuse an innocent prepossession in its
favour, and make duty enjoyment. It was often
said by the members of his family: " We love
religion, because we see papa so lovely and happy
under its influence i"

AMUSEMENTS.

37

CHAPTER III.
'A man's nature runs either to herbs or weeds, therefore let
him seasonably water the one and destroy the other.'-BAcoN.

WITH so many resources of innocent and improving

amusement, Mr. R.'s young people felt no regret at
the interdict which their father placed on all games
of chance; on fishing, field-sports, dancing; the
theatre, oratorios, and other sources of gratification,
which he thought to be inconsistent with the spirit
of religion; connected with much evil; and a preparation for it. I have heard him say, ' Even
where there is no positive evil, I think it important
to draw a strong line of demarcation between the
church and the world. The mixed multitude set
the Israelites a lusting after the flesh-pots of Egypt:
and evil communications never fail to corrupt good
manners. There may be no sin in dancing, but it
is a preparation for appearing hereafter where I
think there is scarcely anything else. Cards are a
waste of time which may be much better employed;
and they are too nearly allied to the gaming-table,
which fills me with horror. To field-sports I have

38

USUAL AMUSEMENTS

a still more decided objection: they are defended
on the ground of promoting health; but whatever
benefit the body may receive, it is at the expense
of the soul. I know not on what principles a man
can justify the taking away of life for his amusement. God allows him to kill animals for food, or
to destroy them when they prove an annoyance to
him; but I can find no authority in the Bible for
deriving enjoyment from the infliction of a cruel
death; it is right founded on might- a mere act of
tyranny, and an abuse of power. The man who
would whip a beast to death, or cut him up alive
like an Abyssinian savage, would be deemed a
monster; yet the same man may hunt to death, and
halloo, and exult with delight, while his dogs are
tearing to pieces a defenceless animal, and yet be
considered a gentleman and a Christian. Then
there are the after events of the day !-and surely
to spend five or six hours in the evening commending the bark of a cur, or descanting on the endeavours of a fox to elude his pursuers, is unworthy an
intelligent being, even if there were no worse
accompaniments.
I asked him if he thought shooting equally objectionable. He replied: Shooting may not issue in
all the results of hunting ; but I should be miserable
all the while my boys were scampering over the
fields with a gun. Sad accidents are continually
occurring from letting young people carry fire-arms;
but my great objection to all these sports is the

OF YOUNG PEOPLE EXCLUDED.

39

same; I cannot think it right to seek gratification
in inflicting suffering and death. I know that God
has given us the creatures for our sustenance, and it
is lawful to use them to this end; but with my views
and principles, I find it hard to conceive a rightminded man feeling pleasure while he inflicts pain.
He would rather be disposed to say with an old
writer, 'I can never eat my dinner when I remember that I am living by the death of a creature
which my sin has destroyed.' As for exercise, we
might surely find other pursuits for this purpose.
There appears to me the same delusion in the
argument which has sometimes been employed to
defend shooting, as in that which is urged by cardplayers,-we must have a stake, however small, or
we shall lose all interest in the game. Surely we
might walk as far and as long as we pleased for
exercise, without a gun. Pascal explains the whole
matter, when he says, ' A man is not running after
the game, but trying to run away from himself.'
The race-ground presents such a scene of folly and
knavery, that it does not deserve a serious argument. The stage abounds with everything which
is offensive to the mind of a Christian. What
think you of a celebrated tragedian who forbade
her daughter to connect herself with the theatre?
Surely this speaks volumes. Did it never strike you
that an actor (~opr.)
has given a name to the
worst of vices ?
" Fishing is generally deemed a harmless amuse-

40

USUAL

AMUSEMENTS

ment, but I cannot allow it to be a fit recreation
for a Christian. What are we to think of impaling
a worm, and being highly delighted while the poor
creature suffers exquisite torture for our sport. If
we use an artificial bait, yet is time, the precious
hours of life, so valueless that we can afford to
throw away half or a whole day in this trifling ?"
"What is your opinion of oratorios ?" "My
fondness," he replied, "for music may be supposed
to make me a partial judge in this case. I see no
objection to a concert, when the music is properly
selected, yet I am jealous of this sort of amusement,
and should think it necessary to be very cautious in encouraging a taste for public exhibition of
any kind. We never attend oratorios in a church.
I consider it a desecration of the house of God to
use it for any other purpose but that of religion; it
shocks me to hear clapping and noisy expression of
pleasure, when a passage of scripture and the name
of God is made a vehicle for mere amusement. It
is absurd to talk of devotional feelings on such occasions. As to all these things, I think that God has
given us immortal souls to prepare for heaven.
People may cry, What great harm in this or in
that ? They may have a plausible pretext for doing
what I condemn; for there is nothing, however
absurd or wicked, which will want an advocate or
an argument to support it. I lay down this general
rule for all occupations. Whatever has a tendency
to fit my children for heaven, I approve; but I must

OF YOUNG PEOPLE EXCLUDED.

41

keep aloof from everything which is likely to be a
snare or a temptation to them, or to indispose their
minds to a serious and steady pursuit of this one
great object.
" Did you ever hear of a Bishop on the raceground or in a theatre? Would he not disgrace
himself, even in the eyes of the world, by being
present at such places? Why so? Because it
would be out of character. The universal suffrage
denounces these amusements as inconsistent with
a heavenly mind, and with the sacred office of a
spiritual guide. Surely this is the strongest censure on the amusements themselves: it is, in fact,
saying, the more heavenly the man, the more unsuitable are such things to his character.
" I have often thought that a Christian by profession, who allowed himself in the indulgence of
such things as have furnished the subject of our
conversation, must be at a loss how to describe the
pomps and vanities of this wicked world, which he
has renounced at his baptism."
These remarks may excite a smile, as childish
scrupulosities; or a sneer, as mere fanaticism; but
hard names are bad substitutes for solid arguments.
It will not be easy to satisfy a sober, reflecting
mind, that Mr. Richmond's judgment was either
weak or superstitious.
Before we leave the subject of amusement, I shall
advert to another kind of recreation, which Mr. R.

42

KEEPING OF BIRTH-DAYS,

WITH

provided for his young people;-the celebration of
birth-days. On his own birth-day he attended
divine service, when he preached a sermon to his
congregation, and endeavoured to improve the lapse
of time by acts of prayer and praise. The summons was cheerfully obeyed, and the parish bells
rang merrily. Great numbers attended church to
worship God, and congratulate their pastor on the
occasion. In the course of the day he always wrote
to his mother, while she was alive, and affectionately
reminded her and himself of their endeared connexion. On the day following, he invited a party of
his parishioners to dine at the rectory. This birthday entertainment was looked forward to by them
with great interest, and was made an occasion of
courteous hospitality. The company was of a mixed
character, and was received by Mr. R. with a kindness and attention to their innocent recreation,
which never failed to gratify his guests. The
evening was spent in music, and his family formed
a little band of performers in full concert. The
birthdays of his children were kept with no less
reference to religion, though in a more private manner. He commended them to God for his blessing
and favour. He wrote each of them a letter of
congratulation, usually accompanied by a present
of some useful kind. The day was spent in innocent festivity, and the evening was employed in the
museum, where he gave a lecture on experimental
philosophy. These seasons were anticipated by the

LETTERS ON THESE OCCASIONS.

43

children with much delight; and their recurrence
contributed, in a great degree, to promote the harmony of the family, by a reciprocity of affectionate
interest among its members.
I shall here transcribe a letter or two, as specimens of Mr. Richmond's birthday correspondence.
The birthday was kept as usual, even when the
child was absent: and whether absent or present, a
letter of congratulation was written on the occasion.
" Let not my loved little Ksuppose that her
father forgets her. Yaxham may seem a long distance from Turvey; Glasgow is a much greater,
but in neither place can my heart forget my child.
I remember you a little babe in arms. I loved you
then. I remember you lying in your little cot, and
I swung you there, and loved you all the while.
" I recollect your first attempts to walk, and your
many consequent little downfalls, I raised you up
from your stumblings and your tumblings; I dried
your tears, and loved you still more. I have not
forgotten your endeavours to talk, nor your droll
little prattlings; nor your first calling me papa, and
dearly I loved you for it: and although these things
have long since passed away, and time has added to
your years, my love for my Kis not diminished.
I often see you in imagination, and draw fanciful
pictures of your occupations in your new dwelling;
but what is my love compared with that of your

44

KEEPING OF BIRTH-DAYS,

WITH

heavenly Father? What is the strongest earthly
affection, when contrasted with that which said,
Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid
them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven?'
Has my child's heart an earnestness, a real unfeigned earnestness, to share in the love of such a
Father, and to come when so mercifully called to
such a Saviour? By nature ' foolishness is bound
up in the heart of a child:' nevertheless by grace a
young child's heart may become the temple of the
Holy Ghost, and the residence of God himself.
Tink of little Jane, the Young Cottager. May
you resemble her in whatever she resembled Christ.
She was a dear little girl, and I wish there were
thousands more like her. Many have been made
sensible of their sinful state while reading that
story, and, through the blessing of God, have been
brought to love the same Redeemer, and have lived
and died rejoicing in their Saviour. I hope, my
child, you pray not only with your lips, but with
your heart. While you are actively and dutifully
employed in acquiring useful knowledge, ' be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.' In a little time
you will be in your teens, and the very sound of
that word should awaken you not to the usual folly
and vanity of this period of life, but to the responsibility of growing years and increasing privileges;
to the cultivation of holy learning and Christian
habits; to the love of Jesus; and communion with
his Spirit. It is my prayer, let it be your's. And

LETTERS ON THESE OCCASIONS.

45

now, farewell, my dear K-.
May you realise
every fond hope, temporal, spiritual, and eternal, of
" Your affectionate Father,
" L. R."
The following letter was written the year after,
and on a similar occasion:"Accept a birth-day blessing from your affectionate father, my dearest K: a father who loves
you with all his heart and soul. This day thirteen
years brought you into a world of sins, sorrows,
mercies, hopes, and fears : surely it is a day much
to be remembered: not so much by feastings and
twelfth-cakes, as by prayers and supplications to
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that
he would grant you grace to put away the follies of
childhood, and to enter upon what is commonly
called your 'teens,' with a clean heart and a right
spirit. May my dear child be a vessel of mercy,
filled with all the blessings of the Spirit of God,
and fitted for a happy eternity. May the love of
Jesus warm your heart with every affection which
can adorn the Christian name and character. May
your early attainments, at this period of a diligent
childhood, prepare you to be the comfort and prop
of your parents in their advancing years, if life be
spared to them. Be conscientious in all you do.
Idleness and inattention to instruction always prove
that something is very wrong in principle. Dili-

46

KEEPING OF BIRTH-DAYS,

WITH

gence in the improvement of your mind is a tribute
of obedience both to God and your parents. I
rejoice to hear from your kind governess that you
improve in this respect. I trust, my dear child, we
shall never receive any intimation of your failure
in so important a matter. If you love those at
home, (and I am persuaded you do love them tenderly,) ever strive to make them happy and easy
on your account. I need not tell you that every
one round our fireside unites with me in the congratulations of this day. There is but one heart
mention your birthand Hamongst us. Mday in their letters. Our Christian circle is reduced
when three daughters are absent: but love, memory,
and imagination, often bring them all together, and
half fill the vacant chairs which they used to occupy. Your brother Nugent has been mercifully
preserved from an awful shipwreck in India; the
vessel was totally lost, but all the lives saved, and
he has got a station in another ship. ' They that
go down to the sea in ships,-that do business in
great waters,-these see the works of the Lord, and
his wonders in the deep.' (Psalm cvii. 23-31.)
, with a repetition of every
And now,, my Kwish, prayer, and blessing, believe me,
"Your affectionate Father,
" L. R."
thought she was
"Perhaps my dear little C-too young to receive a letter; but you see I have

LETTERS ON THESE OCCASIONS.

not forgotten you, nor L--

47

either, for whom you

may tear off the other half of this sheet, and if he
cannot read it himself, some one will read it to him.
I wish very much to know how you are behaving
since I saw you: what character will your pen and
your needle give of you when I ask them ? and what
will your book say ? Your playthings, perhaps,
will whisper that you have been very fond of them;
well, a little fond of them you may be, but you must
not think only of them, my little nursery queen.
There are better things than playthings in the world,
-there are mammas, and mamma's commandments;
and papas, and papa's wishes ; and sisters, and
sister's instructions; and there is the Bible, and the
God of the Bible, and Jesus Christ and his salvation. My little girl must think of these things, and
be an example to her young brothers in order,
obedience, and good manners, &c.
" You are now at that age when Jesus 'increased
in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and
man.' Meditate on this. I am glad to think you
are acquiring knowledge; but ever keep in mind,
that all other knowledge is valuable or not, just as
far as it is united to spiritual knowledge. The word
of God and its blessings form the highest study of
man. May my children grow in such knowledge.
Farewell, my child; try in everything to please,
your dear papa,
" L. R."

48

KEEPING OF BIRTH-DAYS, WITH

"P.S.-I send a box of changeable ladies to
amuse you, but I do not wish you to become one of
the changeable ladies; yet my heart prays that you
may prove a changed soul."

"I cannot let a parcel go to Yaxham without
telling my dear C-how much her father loves
her. This is a day of grateful recollections, and
hopeful anticipations. God bless my child. May
she grow in grace with increasing years: may she be
diligent in her studies, docile in disposition, devotionally fervent in spirit, and unwearied in well-doing !
"My anxieties have been great since I saw you.
My heart has so clung to my dear boy, that every
tender feeling and affection has been exercised in
the sepakation from my beloved Wilberforce; but
the loss has not diminished but increased my love
to the endeared children whom God still spares to
me. I cannot say one-thousandth part of what I
would on this subject, but my heart prays that you
may all grow in the knowledge of Him with whom
his soul now lives in blessedness. I hope much
good has arisen to your brothers and sisters at
home, from the sanctified effects of this heavy trial.
May my C-feel it likewise, and so experience
the power of real religion in her heart, that it may
appear in her life and conversation. I am very
anxious on this subject. A great work of gracious
awakening has taken place in the village, in con-

LETTERS ON THESE OCCASIONS.

49

nexion with Wilberforce's happy end. Many careless souls are surprisingly changed. This is a mercy
-an unspeakable mercy to me as their minister.
Oh! I want all my children to share abundantly in
these views of heavenly grace. I earnestly covet
for them these best gifts. Others will have told
you by this parcel how much they love you. This
letter can but very feebly say how dear you are, in
the love of a Saviour,
" To your affectionate father,
"L. R."

" MY MUCH-LOVED BoY,

"You expressed some disappointment at dinner
because you had not received your dear mamma's
promised letter on your birthday. What has been
the cause of the failure I know not, but I will try to
compensate for the disappointment by giving you a
few lines. The return of a birthday, when rightly
viewed, is a subject for very serious meditation: I
wish it may prove so to you. We have seen, in the
death of your dear brother, how little health and
strength are to be trusted. Childhood, and youth,
and time, are swiftly passing onward, and our
journey through this vale of tears, whether longer
or shorter, will soon be over. Can you too early
learn the value and importance of time ? Will you
not hear the counsel of a father, and meditate on
those things which belong to our everlasting peace?

50

KEEPING OF BIRTH-DAYS, WITH

You have an immortal soul, to be lost or saved for
ever. You have an understanding, to distinguish
between good and evil. You are therefore a responsible being, who must render an account of the
deeds done in the body, whether they be good or
whether they be evil. Childhood is the period
when the character and habits of the future man
are formed. Trifle not, therefore, with your childish
days. Set a firm and valuable example to your
younger brother: he will more or less imitate your
ways and dispositions, be they better or worse.
Remember ! the eye of God is upon you in every
place. Be where you will, do what you will, you
may always say, with Hagar in the wilderness,
" Thou, God, seest me." I have of late known but
little, too little, of your state of mind, and your
views of things temporal and spiritual. I have had
occasional uneasiness on this subject. You ought
ever to be putting forth the energies of your mind
in every proper and possible way. It is time that
your attention should be drawn to your future
station in life, whatever Providence may design it
to be. Every day and every hour should bear
witness to some progress and improvement in useful
learning; and above all, in that knowledge which
maketh wise unto salvation. You have on all subjects much to learn, and it will not be acquired
without much labour, and firm determination of
mind and talent to the acquirement. What may be
the inclination of your own mind as to business,

LETTERS ON THESE OCCASIONS.

51

profession, or occupation, I know not: but I wish
you most seriously to take this subject into deliberate consideration, and let me in due time know
the result, that I may give you counsel and advice.
In the meantime, a thirst for useful knowledge, and
a laborious attention to its attainment, will best
evidence your fitness for that state of life unto
which it may please God to call you. But you can
do nothing well without faith and prayer,-without
much anxious reading of the Holy Scripture. This
reminds me of your dear brother, Wilberforce. He
left upon record amongst you all, his testimony to
the value and necessity of reading the word of God;
and it is my heart's desire and prayer that all my
loved childrenmay follow his example and his dying
exhortations. The season of the year is fast advancing which brings all the affections and solemnities of his latter end to view. Every day of the
approaching fortnight brings to remembrance the
various events of his last days. They are all
indelibly fastened on my heart's memory; they live,
glow, and burn there with a vividness of impression
of which none can be aware, and form a daily part
of my very self. But I refer to them now for my
dear Legh's sake. I have lost my two eldest boys,
and I am deeply solicitous that those who remain to
me should be devoted to God; and, if spared, become
the prop and solace of my advancing years. It is
indeed time, my Legh, that you should feel the

52

KEEPING OF BIRTH-DAYS, WITH

importance of such considerations.
You were
named Serle, after one of the most holy and excellent men with whom I ever was acquainted. Mere
Christian names can confer no grace; but I may be
permitted to wish, and hope, and pray, that you may,
by divine grace, resemble him, and follow him, as he
followed Christ. " The Christian Remembrancer,"
the "lHormu Solitaria?," "The Christian Parent," and
many other admirable books, bear testimony to his
piety and talents: " He, being dead, yet speaketh."
And now, my child, may every blessing attend you,
for this world and the next, for time and for eternity.
May the return of this birth-day remind you of
many an important duty and principle. Look into
the real state of your heart, and never be afraid or
ashamed to make me acquainted with it. " The
end of all things is at hand, be ye therefore sober,
and watch unto prayer." The heart that now loves
and watches over you on earth, may ere long, and
must in time, become cold in the grave: but seek
him who never dieth, and his love which never
decayeth, and all shall be well with you, here and
hereafter. So counsels and prays
" Your affectionate Father,
" LEGH RICHMOND."

I have mentioned Mr. R.'s correspondence with
his mother on his own birth-day. After her decease

LETTERS ON THESE OCCASIONS.

53

he wrote the following letter to his eldest daughter,
who was united to an excellent and valuable minister
of the established church of Scotland:
"

vMY
VERY DEAR DAUGHTER,

" Through many a returning year I wrote to my
dear and venerated mother on my birth-day. She
is gone to her rest, and I can only communicate
with her in grateful recollection and hopeful anticipation. To whom can I now address myself with
more propriety and love on such an occasion, than
to my absent, distant, but much-loved child?-My
child, so mercifully restored to health, after so severe
an illness and so much danger, my thoughts and
prayers have been unceasing respecting you. I have
endeavoured patiently to wait upon the Lord, and
he bath heard my prayer. I have viewed this
trying dispensation as sent of God for some great
and good purpose to your own and to all our souls;
and I trust we shall find it so. You will have to
learn to glorify God in the fires,* and magnify the
God of your salvation; to see the precarious tenure
of human life, and to devote your restored powers
of mind and body to Him from whom you have
, what a God
received both. Oh, my dear Mhe is, and what a redemption he has wrought for
sinners! See, in your own recent trial, an emblem
of Christ's love;-yourself a brand plucked from
the burning,-saved, yet so as by fire,-raised from
* Mrs. M. had been suffering from accident by fire.

54

KEEPING OF BIRTH-DAYS,

&C.

weakness to strength, tempest-tossed and afflicted,
yet preserved; cast down, but not destroyed. It
is the heart's desire and prayer to God of your
father, on his birth-day, that all these things
may work together for your good, temporal and
spiritual. It is a day which I always contemplate
with much tender affection, and my thoughts are
such as I cannot utter. Life, death, and eternity,
spread a vision before me, and I meditate with
solemnity and deep humiliation. I have lived now
more than half a century. On the past I look with
much repentance for my sins, and much gratitude
for my mercies. Of the future I know nothing,
except that my times are in God's hand, and that is
enough. But my responsibilities make me often
tremble. They rise like mountains before me: but
I lift up my eyes to the hills from whence cometh
my help, and the mountains of difficulty become
plains, and the rough places smooth. Amongst my
mercies I feel peculiarly thankful for the union of
my dear child with such a man and such a minister
as Mr. M. This doubly endears Scotland to
my heart. I have formed many valuable friendships,
and received many kind favours from its inhabitants. I have delighted in its scenery, and tasted
many excellent fruits of its piety: but to have a
daughter placed in the midst of Scotia's hills and
plains renders the land peculiarly interesting to me.
" May every day add to your strength and comfort. May you and I, not only as parent and child,

CHOICE OF COMPANIONS.

55

but as fellow-pilgrims on the road to Zion, walk
lovingly, congenially, and safely, to the end of our
journey. I hope, if God spares me, to see you in
the spring; but whether here or there, I am ever
" Your affectionate father,
" L. R."

From the amusement of leisure. hours, and the
returns of the birth-day memorials, I pass on to
notice my friend's care and extreme anxiety to keep
his young people from dangerous associates. To
choose suitable companions is not less difficult to a
Christian parent than to provide useful recreations
for them. The peculiar talents of Mr. Richmond
enabled him to supply abundant materials for the
employment of leisure hours; and his strong affection for his children rendered that a pleasure, which
to many would have been an irksome duty. He
made himself not only a profitable, but a suitable
and interesting companion to them. They felt no
discontent at the strict exclusion of other intimacies;
to which there was but one exception, in the son of
a gentleman in his parish, who studied under the
same tutor, and who was ever admitted with affectionate esteem and confidence into his family party.
Probably Mr. R.'s marked anxiety on this point
may be traced, in part, to the unhappy career of his
eldest son; on whom he had witnessed the effect of
bad influence in a corrupt associate. So inflexibly

56

CHOICE OF COMPANIONS.

did he adhere to his rule, that he allowed no intercourse whatever with other families, except under
his own watchful eye and diligent superintendence.
He even declined invitations from personal relatives
whom he dearly loved, and with whom he himself
kept up a friendly correspondence. It was his fixed
resolve to sacrifice all considerations of interest, and
even courtesy, although he might thereby expose
himself to censure and misapprehension-rather than
expose his children to an influence which he feared
might be injurious to them. And even when some
of them were nearly grown up, he exercised the same
vigilance, and regarded with suspicion every circumstance from which he apprehended possible injury.
He used to say-" My dear friends and relations
are amiable and highly respectable. I have great
reason to be grateful for their kind intentions and
good offices; but I cannot tell what my children
may meet with in a style of life so different from
mine. One fatal hour may undo years of instruction, and give me endless perplexity. I have suffered enough from sending a child from home."
His sentiments on this subject are expressed in
the following letter to Mrs. R.; who had asked his
advice before she consented to allow one of his
daughters to accompany a lady of great respectability and undoubted piety, into Devon, to spend
the winter there. It was not improper that Mrs.,R.
should wish her children to see something of the
world and be gradually accustomed to act for them-

CHOICE OF COMPANIONS.

57

selves; and the character of the protector and
companion was a sufficient guarantee against evil
contact. Our friend was at that time in Scotland,
from whence he replied to the application:" MY DEAR LOVE,

" In common with my own parents I have ever
had strong-very strong objections to allowing my
children to visit anywhere without one of their
parents; and through life I have seen and lamented
endless evils arising from the want of superintendence, and the absence of those who are most concerned in guarding against the mischief of association
with other families. As a general rule, therefore, I
have always objected to it, from conscientious motives. Yet there may be exceptions, and I readily
admit that the case in question may be one of them.
...... I wish to make home the grand centre of
attraction, affection, and comfort. You know from
this year's experience how ready I am to give our
girls the advantage of seeing life; but I cannot
think that the withdrawing the parent's eye would
increase the advantages of a journey. Never is
that eye and ear so necessary as at such an age. I
would infinitely rather undertake the responsibility
attached to those possible and contingent evils,
which might occur under the vigilant and tender
superintendence of parents, than of those which
might arise from the connexions and habits formed
when that restraint is withdrawn. I perfectly accord

CHOICE OF COMPANIONS.

with you in wishing our dear children to gain advantages from associating with our various Christian
friends, and am acting daily on your own ideas.
But I see more -and more daily, how exceedingly
desirable my own presence is, and that continually.
But when the will of God is expressed in regard to
healths &c., and the path of duty is thereby clearly
pointed out to me, you must not suppose me to be
either indifferent or positive. At the same time
I see mountains of difficulty in deciding, amidst
numerous requests,-which to accept, and which to
refuse.
" I approve your plan for Wilberforce-I do not
oppose your wishes for Mary-I only pause-but I
much admire your sentiments, and taking both body
and mind into consideration, hope it may be the
will of God.
" Farewell, dear love. Cherish a comfortable
spirit,--do not mistrust God,-let not your soul be
disquieted within you,-look kindly on providences,
and hopefully on events, and ever regard me as
" Your faithful LEGH."
Some of Mr. R.'s best friends have disapproved
the degree of restraint which he judged it right to
impose on his children. They have blamed him
for interdicting the usual freedom of intercourse
with families whose conduct and principles he approved. It is possible that his feelings were morbidly acute on occasions; and his extreme anxiety

CHOICE OF COMPANIONS.

59

for the spiritual welfare of his family often proved
injurious to himself; for he sometimes passed a
sleepless night, in expectation of an ordinary visit
on the morrow. Such was his vigilance, that if a
friend introduced his son under circumstances of
common courtesy, he appeared restless and uneasy
if the young people were left together without superintendence, even for a few moments. Other persons
might also have taken advantage of an extensive
popularity to benefit their families, but he never
could be prevailed on to use a fair opportunity of
bringing themn forward to notice, to advance their
temporal welfare.
" I cannot endure," he used to say, "' even to
seem to make my religious influence a steppingstone to promotion for me or mine."
Whatever may be thought of my friend's judgment, it is impossible not to respect, admire, and
love the holy integrity, the perfect simplicity and
oneness of object in the man of God; and I cannot
doubt that his purity of motive has been recorded
in heaven, and will be owned on earth after many
days. Whatever worldly advantages, supposed or
real, may have been lost to his family from the
steady application of religious principle, however
pushed to an extreme, an abundant compensation
will be made by that Being whose blessing invariably attends a faithful adherence to the dictates of
conscience, and who hath promised, " Him that
honoureth me I will honour."

60

CHOICE OF COMPANIONS.

"MY DEAR M-----

,

" We have had a very prosperous journey thus
far. I am passing a few comfortable days with
-at this place. But, alas! this is a town in
which, speaking of our own church, religion is
little known. The inhabitants of all ranks think
of nothing but folly, vanity, and dissipation: their
evenings are spent in the unprofitable anxieties of
the card-table, the ensnaring amusement of dancing,
or the delusions and temptations of the play-house;
their mornings in idle gossipings and waste of time.
When I see these things, I feel satisfied that I have
kept my dear children from such scenes and such
companions. Oh! how lamentable to contemplate
a great town full of inhabitants, -gentry, clergy,
manufacturers, tradesmen, &c.--living almost without God in the world; error preached from the
pulpits; no care for the souls of the people; no
family prayer in the houses; no zeal for religion,
unless, perhaps, it be now and then excited to abuse
and ridicule all those who have any real love for
God and their souls.
"May my dear child be preserved from the defilements of a vain, dangerous, and destroying world.
You know not, and I wish you never may know, its
snares and corruptions. I was greatly affected in
conversing with a family at -,
upon the marriage
of their daughter, under the following circumstances:
The father was an exemplary clergyman, the mother

CHOICE OF COMPANIONS.

61

a most pious woman: they had brought up a family
with strict attention to religious precepts and principles, and they were not without hope that their
daughter had some piety.
" A young man of property, but of no decided
religious principle, became acquainted with her.
Inattentive to the affectionate duties which she
owed to her excellent parents, their feelings, and
their advice, she suffered her mind to be led away
into an attachment towards this young man. The
parents were aware that his general habits and
views would be uncongenial to their wishes for a
daughter's spiritual welfare, and therefore objected.
However, the daughter so far obtained her wishes
that a very reluctant consent was given to the marriage. The daughter, gradually led away into
worldly company and amusements, has given up
even the outward profession of religion, and now
lives as the world lives. Yet she is not happy;
and her parents are very unhappy. The daughter
cannot help remembering the example, the exhortations, the prayers, the solicitudes, and the tears of
her parents; but it is only with remorse, which she
strives to drown in worldly company and. carnal
amusements. They wept over the case with me,
which presents a proof of the' sad consequences of
young people giving way to hasty impressions, and
yielding to connexions not founded on a regard to
the honour of God, gratitude to parents, and consistency with a religious profession. How needful

62

CHOICE OF COMPANIONS.

is it that Christian parents and Christian children
should be firm and conscientious in the important
duty of encouraging connexions for life only on
What distress to families,
Christian principles!
and what decays of hopeful character, have resulted
from a deficiency on this point! Let me warn my
dear M - against that unbecoming levity, with
which many young people treat these subjects.
Evil communications corrupt good manners, very
especially in this matter. The love of Christ is
the only safe ground of all motives, and of all conduct. Where this is established, all is well. The
life-blood of Christianity then circulates through
every vein of the soul; and health, strength, and
purity of mind, is the happy result. Fall down upon
, praying that he
your knees before God, my Mwould pour that love into your heart, till it become
a constraining principle for the government of your
thoughts and actions. This is the only remedy for
all the diseases of the soul.
" Beware of pride and self-conceit; of fretful
tempers and discontent. Learn to quell impatience
and obstinacy. Let your first, your very first delight be, in serving God by serving your parents.
Reckon not on youth, or long life. Devote yourself
to active usefulness in the family, and in the parish.
Show forth the principles in which you have been
educated, by a practical exhibition of them in your
conduct. But who is sufficient unto these things ?
:Christ! Without him you can do nothing: no, not

PARENTAL ADMONITIONS.

63

so much as think a good thought. But you can do
all things through Christ strengthening you. He
is the sufficiency of all his people. By faith in him
you obtain power to perform duty. 'By grace are
ye saved, and not that of yourselves; not of works,
lest any man should boast.' Could works save us,
we might boast; and heaven would be full of boasters. But, no, no, no; the song of the saints is,
'Not unto us, not unto us, but unto thy name be
all the glory.'
"Your affectionate father,
" LEGH

RiICHMOND."

We subjoin some parental admonitions, and a
series of important remarks, for the regulation of
female conduct.

" MY DEAR M -

,

" I leave you, in much love, a few fatherly hints.
"1. Be constant in private prayer.
"2. Be wise in the choice of books ; shun everything of the romance and novel kind! and even in
poetry, keep to what is useful and instructive, as
well as pleasant.
" 3. In company, show that the principles of your
father's house and ministry are your rule of conduct, and your real delight. Be consistent ;cheerful, but not light; conversible, but not trifling.

64

PARENTAL ADMONITIONS.

"4. Keep ever in view, that you are supporting
my character and credit, as well as your own.
" 5. Show a marked preference to such conversation, remarks, persons, discussions, and occupations
as may tend to essential good.
" 6. Always think before you speak ; say and do
neither hastily nor unadvisedly.
" 7. If any proposal is ever made to you, in which
you hesitate how to act, first say to yourself,- How
would God have me to act ? Secondly, - What
would my parents have me to do, if they were here
to advise me ?
"8. Never lose sight of this: that the more public
my name, character, and ministry are become, the
more eyes and ears are turned to my children's
conduct: they are expected, in knowledge and circumspection, in religion and morals, in opinions and
habits, to show where they have been educated;
and to adorn, not only their own Christian profession, but their parent's principles.
"9. In music, prefer serious to light compositions; and in vocal, keep close to sacred words.
" 10. Pray much for
"Your affectionate father,
"LEGH

RICHMOND."

"P.S.-I send you the following application of
a sermon, from Eph. v. 15, 16:-

PARENTAL ADMONITIONS.

65

On circumspection of walk; redemption of time:
and general transparencyof character.
1. Adhere most scrupulously to truth; and labour
to preserve the strictest integrity, simplicity, and
sincerity.
2. Engage in no pursuit in which you cannot
look up unto God, and say, 'Bless me in this, O my
Father !'
3. Strive to be as kind, forbearing, and forgiving
as you can, both to friends and foes.
4. Never speak evil of any one, on any pretence
whatever.
5. Strive to recommend religion by the courtesy,
civility, and condescending character of your conduct.
6. Watch against irritation, positiveness, unkind
speaking, and anger: study and promote love.
7. Mortify lusts;- sensuality and sloth.
8. Never allow others to speak well of you: nor
especially yourself, to say or think anything of
yourself, but as poorly done. Keep down pride;
let it not be indulged for a moment, but watch
against it.
9. Shut out evil imaginations and angry thoughts.
10. Let it be your sole business here to prepare
for eternity. Consider every moment of time in
that view.
11. Remember that you have to contend with a

66

PARENTAL ADMONITIONS.

legion of devils ; a heart full of deceit and iniquity;
and a world at enmity with God.
12. Pray that you may ever rejoice in the advancement of Christ's kingdom, and the salvation
of sinners; and labour in every way to promote
these objects.
Prayer is the only weapon which can subdue your
corruptions, and keep your evidences bright. Cultivate prayer.
We add another of these edifying testimonies of
paternal solicitude and love:" To MY DAUGHTERS.
" With a heart full of affection, I sit down to express a few sentiments and intimations of my wishes,
as connected with your conduct, in the course of
any journey or absence from home. I wish each of
you to preserve a copy of it, my dear children, and
often look at it; take it with you when from home,
and keep it safe when at home.
" Independently of my anxious wishes for your
secret spiritual welfare, I have much to feel on my
own account, in point of credit and character, as
connected with your deportment, in every house and
company into which I may introduce you. I have
not a doubt of your general affectionate wish to
speak and act rightly; but inexperience, youth,
thoughtlessness, and want of more acquaintance
with the world carnal, and the world religious, may

PARENTAL ADMONITIONS.

67

easily occasion inconsistencies and errors, which
might be injurious to your own, as well as to my
comfort and credit. Accept, therefore, a father's
blessings and prayers, with a father's chapter of
admonitions and explanations.
" You are not unaware that my name and character have acquired much publicity ;- that I
avowedly belong to a class of Christian ministers
who profess, for Christ's and their souls' sakes, to
live separate from the world; to maintain purer
and mored istinct views of the Scripture doctrine;
and to be willing to spend and be spent in behalf of
the truth, as it is in Jesus. I am, therefore, supposed not only to maintain a consistent separation
from the follies and vices of the world, its pomps
and vanities, but also to aim at so ruling and guiding
my household, that my principles may shine forth
in their conduct. Any want of correctness, consistency, faithfulness, and propriety in them, will
always excite a mixture of censure, surprise, and
concern, as it regards me. The friends of religion
will grieve, and those who are otherwise will rejoice, if you could be drawn into compliances, and
expressions of sentiment, at variance with your
father's: always, therefore, keep in remembrance,
whether you are in company with decidedly religious and consistent Christians, or with those who
are only partially so, or with those who are unhappily not so at all,-that you have not only your

68

PARENTAL ADMONITIONS.

own peace of conscience to maintain, but the estimation and honour of your parent also.*
" Many temptations will occur, to induce you to
yield and conform to habits and principles, the very
reverse of those which you hear me supporting, both
in the pulpit and the parlour. Be not ashamed of
firmly, though modestly, in such cases resisting
them. State what your principles and mine are,
and heed not the momentary unpleasantness of appearing singular, when conscience and duty require
it. You may easily say, 'My father does not approve of such and such things, neither can I.' No
person whose estimation is worth having, will think
the worse of you, for such instances of mild, but
decisive firmness; and without it, I should be
disgraced.
" All descriptions of public amusements; novels;
popular amorous poems ; plays, songs, vanities,
and finery; and all the sad tribe of poisonous and
dangerous pursuits should be regulated by this
principle. And, oh! that your own simplicity and
love to Christ may never give way to one sad influence of false sentiment; even amongst those whom,
* Should any one think there is too prominent a regard expressed for his own reputation, in the advice and admonition he
gives his children; let such an objector compare Mr. Richmond's
feelings with those of the Apostle, in adverting to the conduct of
his spiritual children:-" Lest when I come again, my God will
humble me amongst you; and I should bewail many who have
sinned already," &c.-2 Cor. xii. 21.

PARENTAL ADMONITIONS.

69

on other accounts, we may esteem and regard. The
half-religious are often more dangerous than those
who are less so; because we are more on our guard
in the latter case than the former. The great number of instances in which I have seen the young
people of religious families deeply injured in their
spirits and habits, by much visiting with persons
of different views and customs from those of their
own household, has made me, I confess, from pure
motives of conscience and prudence, very averse to
much of that sort of visiting in my children's case,
which I know to have been productive of bad consequences in others. And the difficulty of drawing
the line has always appeared very great, with my
numerous friends and acquaintance. Still I wish
to make you happy in every reasonable way; and I
am glad when I can give you the advantage of new
scenes and company, when they are of the right
kind. But as, in my journeys, extensive intercourse
takes place, a great variety of characters will fall in
your way; and I wish, for all your sakes, that you
may be provided with sober, discreet, and religious
cautions; that the natural ardour of youth may not
lead you into unbecoming or sinful compliances.
I know many families, and you know a few, where,
perhaps, the parents are religious, but their young
people are very imperfectly, if at all so: in such
cases you may, from equality of age, be thrown
much more into the light, frivolous, and objectionable conversation of the younger, than the more

70o

PARENTAL ADMONITIONS.

useful communication of the elders of the family.
Here, often, there is danger; ever prefer and choose
those, of whatever age, in whom you think you
discover holy, serious, benevolent, consistent ways
of acting and speaking.
" A young professor of religion has not, in most
instances, so difficult a task to sustain, when in
conversation with those of a decidedly religious
deportment, as with worldly persons, and those
who can scarcely be ranked as consistently serious,
although often to be met with in religious parties.
If, however, your conscience be correct, you will
see more and more the duty of acting and speaking
aright; and you must ever pray for grace to direct
and govern you. Difficulties and dangers of this
kind greatly multiply, when those who, from relationship and family regard, stand very near to
natural love and affection, are nevertheless, in a
great measure, strangers to the power of true religion, and therefore mingled with the world wholly,
pursuing its pleasures, and supporting its customs.
I entreat you to be much on your guard in all such
cases. Decays in religious feeling and conduct continually arise from this source: and endanger the
temporal, spiritual, and eternal welfare of many a
hopeful family.
"I am frequently placed in situations myself,
where I find it very difficult to satisfy my conscience that I am doing right; amongst people and
families where real religion has little or no part in

PARENTAL ADMONITIONS.

71

their ways and conversation. In trying to be kind,
attentive, and too compliant, perhaps, to their
habits, I feel that I am in great danger of strength&
ening them in evil, and always of injuring my own
consistency as a Christian.
"I will now add some remarks, placed under
select heads, which may make them more conspicu.
ous, and better remembered; and may God render
them useful to you! Keep them constantly with
you, and let them be always read over, at least once
a-week.
AMUSEMENT.

"Plays, balls, public concerts, cards, private
dances, &c. &c.
" Serious, consistent Christians, must resist these
things, because the dangerous spirit of the world
and the flesh is in them all: they are the ' pomps
and vanities of this wicked world,' so solemnly renounced at baptism. To be conformed to these
seductive and more than frivolous scenes, is to be
conformed to this world, and opposed to the character and precepts of Christ. They who see no harm
in these things are spiritually blind; and they who
will not hear admonition against them, are spirit
ually deaf. Shun, my dear girls, the pleasures of
sin, and seek those which are at God's right hand
for evermore. You cannot love both.
" Blessed be God, you have been kept far from
those who make such recreations their idols, and

72

PARENTAL ADMONITIONS.

suffer them to wean their hearts from God. Never,
in any conversation, speak lightly or triflingly of
these subjects, as if you had not imbibed proper
sentiments concerning them. Ever preserve the
consistency of your parental house and principles.

BOOKS.

"Characters are speedily discerned by their
choice of books. Novels in prose I need not now
forbid; ignorant as you are of their bad tendency
by experience, you, I am persuaded, trust me on
that head, and will never sacrifice time, affection,
or attention to them. But beware of novels in verse.
Poets are more dangerous than prose writers, when
their principles are bad. Were Lord Byron no
better poet than he is a man, he might have done
little harm; but when a bad man is a good poet,
and makes his good poetry the vehicle of his bad
sentiments, he does mischief by wholesale. Do not
be ashamed of having never read the fashionable
poems of the day. A Christian has no time, and
should have no inclination, for any reading that has
no real tendency to improve the heart. The finest
rule I ever met with, in regard to the choice of
books, is this:-'Books are good or bad in their
effects, as they make us relish the word of,God, the
more or the less, after we have read them.' There
are too many valuable books on a variety of sub.

PARENTAL ADMONITIONS.

73

jccts, which ought to be read, to allow of time to be
dedicated to unworthy and useless ones.
MUSIC.

" Shun all the wretched folly and corruption of
light, silly, and amorous songs; on the same principle that you would shun books of the same nature.
Sacred music is the true refuge of the Christian
musician. I wish your ears, your hearts, and your
tongues, were often tuned to such melodies. The
play-house, the opera, and the concert-room, have
deluged the world with the abuses of the heavenly
art of music. Music was designed to lead the soul
to heaven, but the corruption of man has greatly
perverted the merciful intention. Do not you belong
to such perverters, nor seem to take pleasure in those
who do.
DRESS.

" Aim at great neatness and simplicity. Shun
finery and show.
"Be not in haste to follow new fashions.
"Remember, that with regard to dress, Christians
ought to be decidedly plainer, and less showy than
the people of the world. I wish it to be said of
the females of my house.-' With what evident and
becoming simplicity are the daughters of Simplex
* Mr.. Richmond's signature in the Christian Guardian.

74
attired !'
subject.

PARENTAL ADMONITIONS.

I refer you to my last letter on that

BEHAVIOUR IN COMPANY.

"Be cheerful, but not gigglers.
"Be serious, but not dull.
"Be communicative, but not forward.
"Be kind, but not servile.
" In every company support your own, and your
father's principles, by cautious consistency.
" Beware of silly thoughtless speeches: although
you may forget them, others will not.
"Remember! God's eye is in every place, and
his ear in every company.
"Beware of levity and familiarity with young
men; a modest reserve, without affectation, is the
only safe path ;-grace is needful here; ask for it;
you know where. '
JOURNEYINGS.

"Cultivate knowledge as you travel:"History, antiquities,-in cities, towns, churches,
castles, ruins, &c.
"Natural history, - in plants, earth, stones,
minerals, animals, &c.
"Picturesque taste,-in landscape scenery, and
all its boundless combinations.
"Cultivate good-humoured contentment in all

PARENTAL ADMONITIONS.

75

the little inconveniences incident to inns, roads,
weather, &c.
" Cultivate a deep and grateful sense of the
power, wisdom, and goodness of God, in creation
and providence, as successively presented to your
notice, from place to place.
"Keep diaries and memoranda of daily events,
places, persons, objects, conversations, sermons,
public meetings,- beauties, wonders, and mercies, as
you travel. Be minute and faithful.
"Ask many questions of such as can afford useful
information as to what you see.
"Write your diary daily; delays are very prejudicial. You owe a diary to yourself, to your friends
left at home, and to your father, who' gives you the
pleasure and profit of the journey.

PRAYER.

" Strive to preserve a praying mind through the
day; not only at the usual and stated period, but
everywhere and at all times, and in all companies.
This is your best preservative against error, weakness, and sin.
" Always remember that you are in the midst of
temptations; and never more so than when most
pleased with outward objects and intercourse.
" Pray and watch; for if the spirit be willing, yet
the flesh is deplorably weak.

76

PARENTAL ADMONITIONS.

RELIGION.

"Keep ever in mind, that for your own sake and
for my sake, you have a religious profession to
sustain; and this both in serious and worldly
company. Be firm and consistent in them both.
Many eyes and ears are open to observe what my
children say and do, and will be, wherever we go.
Pray to be preserved from errors, follies, and
offences, which bring an evil name upon the ways
of God. You may sometimes hear ridicule, prejudice, and censure assail the friends of true religion;
-- it ever was and will be so: but 'blessed are they
which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.' Be not ashamed
of Christ here, and he will not be ashamed of you
hereafter.
" Court and encourage serious conversation with
those who are truly serious and conversible; and do
not get into valuable company without endeavouring
to improve by the intercourse permitted to you.
Nothing is more unbecoming than that, while one
part of a company is engaged in profitable and
interesting conversation, another part should be
trifling, giggling, and talking comparative nonsense
to each other.
" Ever show the interest which you take in the
subject of schools for the poor, the distribution of
tracts, the Bible and Missionary Societies, and all

PARENTAL ADMONITIONS.

77

those important topics which so deeply occupy the
people of God: and when you can find a congenial
friend, talk of heaven and eternity, and your soul
and your Saviour. This will be as a shield to your
head and your heart.
ESTIMATE OF CHARACTERS.

" Look first for grace. Do not disesteem good
people on account of their foibles, or deficiencies in
matters of little importance. Gold, even when
unpolished, is far more valuable than the brightest
brass. Never form unfavourable opinions of religious people hastily-' Charity hopeth all things.'
Prize those families where you find constant family
prayer; and suspect evil and danger where it is
avowedly unknown and unpractised. Always remember the astonishing difference between the
true followers of Jesus and the yet unconverted
world, and prize them accordingly, whatever be
their rank in society.
"Gentility and piety form a happy union; but
poverty and piety are quite as acceptable in the
eyes of God; and so they ought to be in ours. Not
only are the poor far more in actual number than
the rich, but experience proves that the proportionate number of the truly serious amongst the
poor is much greater than the corresponding proportion of numbers amongst the rich. Take 1000
poor and 100 rich; you will probably find ten of

78

PARENTAL ADMONITIONS.

the latter serious; but 200 of the former shall be so
at the same time.
"Beware of the critical hearing of sermons
preached by good men. It is an awful thing to be
occupied in balancing the merits of a preacher,
instead of the demerits of yourself. Consider every
opportunity of hearing as a message sent you
from heaven. For all the sermons you have heard,
you will have to render an account at the last
day.
PARENTS.

"Seek to make them happy in you.
"If you perceive that anything in your ways
makes them otherwise, you ought to have no peace
until you have corrected it; and if you find yourself
indifferent or insensible to their will and wishes,
depend upon it yours is a carnal, disobedient, ungrateful heart. If you love them, keep their commandments; otherwise love is a mere word in the
mouth, or a notion in the fancy, but not a ruling
principle in the heart. They know much of the
world, you very little: trust them, therefore, when
they differ from you and refuse compliance with
your desires;-they watch over you for God, and
are entitled to great deference and cheerful obedience. You may easily shorten the lives of affectionate and conscientious parents, by misconduct,

79

HOME.

bad tempers, and alienation from their injunctions.
Let not this sin be laid to your charge.
"I shall add no more at present, than that I am
"Your affectionate father,
" L. RICHMOND."

It may be thought that a transition from seclusion to an active life, and from the habits of a
retired village to the busy haunts of men, is more
safe when gradual than when sudden; and that as
young persons must sooner or later be connected
with the world that lies in wickedness, it were
better to accustom their minds by degrees to a contact which will be afterwards unavoidable. A
Christian parent will, however, feel extremely jealous of the modern practice of exposing youth to a
prurient knowledge of evil, of removing parental
superintendence at too early an age, and of allowing
an unrestrained freedom of association, which appears to me, as.it did to Mr. R., to be attended with
great danger. The effect of the present habits is
but too obvious; premature and indiscriminate intercourse, and the relaxation of former discipline,
have generated a race of tyros whose chief distinction seems to be a contempt for authority, and a
rash and arrogant pretension to superiority very
unbecoming their years or station. It is far better
to train up a child in the ways of God than in the
maxims of the world-to be more intent on securing
for him an entrance into eternal life, than, with a

80

HOMEO

hope of present advantage, to put to hazard the
salvation of his immortal soul. I would apologize
(if apology be necessary), for dwelling on details
which may appear too trifling for notice, but the
Christian parent, who can duly estimate the 'potency of little things,' may collect from them some
useful hints for the regulation of his own family,
and with this view I insert them.
Mr. Richmond was an early riser, and he endeavoured to inspire the same activity into the minds
of his children. He used to read with them in his
study, at as early an hour as six o'clock in the
morning; and as occasions arose, prayed with them
in succession: he was very attentive to their regularity, neatness, and good manners; and he endeavoured to make the conversation at table useful and
improving. Sometimes he proposed a subject for
discussion, and when he perceived youthful spirits
rising to excess, he would throw in a remark to
check the exuberance. No one aimed more constantly to restrain the evils of the tongue in his
family; if ever an observation was made to the disadvantage of another, his uneasiness was apparent;
slander in any shape was distasteful to him, and he
was sure to say something in the way of allowance
or excuse. Indeed Mr. R. particularly excelledin conversation alpowers: with a fund of good-humour, he
abounded in anecdote, and having a large acquaintance with science of every kind, he never failed to
entertain; while with a soul ever intent on the

INTERCOURSE WITH SERVANTSo

81

glory of God, and the best interests of his fellowcreatures, he was under no temptation to sacrifice
the useful to the amusing. Table-talk is seldom
regarded with a proper sense of its importance.
Servants are often on the watch to catch something
for circulation, and to retail among themselves the
opinions which their masters have expressed in their
presence: the general strain of social intercourse
ought therefore to be regulated with a view to their
improvement. Children are apt to trifle, and relate
all they have heard without discrimination, and they
need an elder to guide and give a tone to their conversation; this my excellent friend accomplished in
a manner the most felicitous: he allowed, and even
encouraged, perfect freedom and ease, yet every
one felt that there was an eye and an ear over everything.
Innumerable mischiefs arise to children from too
close an intimacy with domestics; a foundation is
often laid, here, for opinions and habits difficult to
be afterwards eradicated: not only are coarse and
vulgar tastes imbibed, but vices of an appalling
character are learnt, in the stable or the kitchen,
where ready instruments are frequently found to
concur in deceiving a parent, or gratifying some
bad propensity in the minds of children. It was a
point of importance in Mr. R.'s mind, that no wicked
person should dwell beneath his roof; his domestics,
as far as practicable, were selected from persons of
G

82

-HOME CORRESPONDENCE.

good principles, and they became warmly attached
to his family. Yet, even under these circumstances,
he forbade all unnecessary intercourse: there are
doubtless many faithful servants, worthy of our
esteem and confidence, but as a general rule, intimacies of this kind are productive of evil, and no
good can arise from too close a connexion between
our children and dependents. Mr. R. provided
each child with a separate sleeping-room, thus
securing a comfortable place of retirement and devotion. These little sanctuaries were always accessible to himself; he often visited them to leave a
note on the table; for while at home, as well as
when abroad, he kept up a correspondence with his
family, which he used to call his Home Mission;
and to these notes he requested a reply. I have
heard him explain his reasons for so singular a
method of instruction; he used to say, "I feel an
insurmountable backwardness to close personal conversation with my children: when I begin they are
silent, and it is not long before I also feel tonguetied; yet I cannot be easy without ascertaining the
effect of my instructions, and hence I have been
driven to use my pen, because I could not open my
lips."
Mr. R. is not the only father who has felt
and yielded to this repugnance, without adopting
his ingenious remedy for a weakness not uncommon,
yet not the less to be lamented. I am, however,

HOME CORRESPONDENCE.

83

disposed to estimate this home-correspondence more
highly than a direct personal appeal. Conversation
(if it be not a contradiction so to speak) is apt
to be all on one side; but a communication by
letter admits of freedom and reflection, and if a
reply be expected, obliges an interchange of sentiments. It also teaches young people to think and
compose.
When circumstances required a longer epistle, as
when a fault needed correction, or a removal from
the family was about to take place,-when preparation for a religious ordinance was required, or the
choice of a profession to be made,-on such occasions Mr. R. was diffuse, earnest, particular; at
other times his little notes contained only an affectionate suggestion of a text for meditation, or a
hint to improve some event. He seemed anxious
that his children should have a subject, to use his
own. phrase, "on the stocks," and a habit of always
employing their minds and making the best use of
the hours which usually run to waste,-the moments
and interstices of time. He used to say, " An idle
moment is Satan's opportunity."
The reader may expect a specimen or two of these
short notes, which, as I have already observed, were
conveyed by himself and left on the table in his
children's rooms, with a request for a reply within
a limited time. These replies formed the subjects
of his prayers on their behalf:-

84

IROME CORRESPONDENCE.

"DEAR H.
" Your text to-day shall be, ' The blood of Jesus
Christ cleanseth from all sin.' No sin is too great
to be pardoned; but then the soul must seek, believe, and experience this mercy. There is infinite
value in the blood of Christ, but the believer alone
enjoys the privilege. 'Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and thou shalt be saved.' This is the way,
and the truth, and the life. My dear child, what
could we lost sinners do, if it were not for this
atoning merit? Seek and you shall find. Lose no
time ; Christ waits to be gracious, carry your heart
and all its feelings to him in prayer; and when you
have told him all your wants, pray for your affectionate Father,

" L. RICHMOND."
" MY DEAREST F.

"As I trust that it is your own and my wish,
that your mind should be seriously and affectionately
directed towards the greatest of all external privileges, the Lord's Supper, I wish you to answer me
in writing these two questions:-What are your
views of the nature, design, and privilege, of this
sacrament? and what are the real feelings of your
heart at this time respecting it ? This communication is, and shall be, quite confidential between you
and your affectionate father.
"P.S.-I trust the first Sunday in October may
unite us at the feast of love."

HOME CORRESPONDENCE.

85

" MY DEAR L.

"I leave these few lines with you, in the hope
that you will reply to them while I am at Cambridge. You must write, therefore, not later than
by Tuesday's post. I do from my heart desire to
know whether you do or do not feel an anxiety
about your soul's salvation. Has the affecting
thought,' I must live for ever in heaven or hell,'
suitably impressed your mind ? This black border
may remind you of your dear departed brother,-but
does his memory live in your heart for good ? It is
time you seriously reflected on eternity, and the
value of your soul. You are a sinner, and without
a gracious Saviour, you must perish. Do you pray,
in Christ's name, and that earnestly, for the pardon
of your sins ? May I hope that you are a penitent ?
Do you think of Willy's last words to you, and of
all that he so earnestly recommended to your serious
attention? Have you written down his dying words,
as I desired you ? Be not afraid to open your mind
to me. Let us have an unreserved intercourse with
each other. Put away childish things,-imitate your
brother's love of learning, but especially his love of
the Bible, and his constancy in the exercises of
devotion. Oh ! comfort your father's heart by truly
turning to God, and seeking his salvation; and may
God bless you for ever and ever, which is the fervent prayer of your affectionate parent,
"L R."

86

HOME CORRESPONDENCE.

" MY DEAR CHILD,

"I am pleased, much pleased with your letter,
the more so as it contains some expressions which
inspire a hope that you are beginning to think and
feel seriously about your soul's salvation. While I
cannot but be most tenderly affected by the loss of
my two elder sons, endeared to me by a thousand
recollections, I become the more anxious for the
welfare of those children whom God spares to me.
For the last year I have gone through great trials,
and my health has suffered more than any are aware
of; but in the midst of all my sorrows, the inexpressible goodness of God has been most manifest,
and I trust my afflictions have been blest to many.
Many a rose has sprung up around the cold grave
of my dear Willy, and they still blossom, and I
trust will continue to blossom, till they be transplanted from the spiritual garden of Turvey into
the paradise of God. But can I be otherwise than
anxious that my dear K-should add a flower
to my domestic and parochial shrubbery ? Are you
to reach your sixteenth year, and not internally, as
well as externally, prove yourself a partaker of the
grace of God ? I trust not ;-but religion is not a
matter of mere circumstantials, or even of morals.
It is the spiritual application of divine truth to the
heart, producing that devotedness to God, which
distinguishes the true from the nominal Christian.
But when, how, and where does this begin ? Not

HOME CORRESPONDENCE.

s7

until you have deep, humbling, sincere, and anxious
thoughts about yourself, and the favour of God; not
until, by a kind of holy violence, you feel constrained
to flee to Christ, as the only refuge from the wrath
to come; not until prayer becomes importunate, and
the study of God's word a delight; not until every
other consideration yields to that infinitely important inquiry, 'What must I do to be saved ?' Not
until the light, trifling, and thoughtless child of
man be converted, through grace, into the serious,
conscientious, and believing state of the real child
of God. Is this the case with you ? I speak as a
Christian father and minister. What are your
views on these important subjects? I wish my
child to be deeply in earnest; life flies apace, the
period of the tomb advances. I have four children
in eternity; it is true that eight more still continue
with me on earth, but how long will they be here?
Which of them may next be taken from me ? I
think on these things with deep solemnity. You
tremble at the thought of a school examination,but what is this to the examination before the judgment-seat of God ? Go, then, as a sinner, to Christ.
He sends none empty away. In him and him alone
there is a rich provision for all who come to him.
But let this coming include a surrender of all you
are, and all you have, to the Lord of grace and
glory. Be contented with nothing short of reality
in religion.

88

DISCIPLINE.

"Whence come I ?-memory cannot say;
What am I ?-knowledge will not show;Bound whither ?-ah! away-awayFar as eternity can go;
Thy love to win, thy wrath to flee,
Oh God! thyself my helper be."

"Farewell, dear child, and believe me,
"Your truly loving father,
" L. R."
Discipline is a subject of no small moment in the
education of a family. Offences must needs come,
and the foolishness which is bound up in the heart
of a child will discover itself in acts of disobedience,
both to God and a parent. How this is to be met,
controlled, and subdued, has occasioned a difference
of opinion between wise and good men. It is agreed
that authority must be maintained, and that all
which is sinful and injurious to a child's welfare
must be firmly resisted. But it is not easy to avoid
the two extremes of harshness, and a weak fondness;-to be firm, yet kind; to do nothing from
temper, from partiality, or caprice; to preserve
composure under circumstances of provocation.
I cannot undertake to decide whether corporal
chastisement is to be inflicted or dispensed with.
The Scripture warns us equally against severity and
undue tenderness; " not to provoke to wrath, nor
honour our children above God; " on this point men

DISCIPLINE.

89

must determine according to the dictates of their
own consciences. So far I am satisfied, that there
are few occasions when the rod is indispensably
necessary, and none which will justify its use under
the rufflings of temper: nor will the effect be salutary, if a child does not at the time feel it to be a
reluctant severity, giving more pain to the offended
than the offender. Force may be the easier way of
settling a difference, and is probably often resorted
to from a wish to escape the trouble and labour of
more reasonable methods of eradicating evil; but it
seldom fails to excite sinful exasperation, and induce
a brutish character; and the example on the part
of the parent, is often found unfavourable to right
dispositions in the other members of the family
towards each other. Yet I am bound to admit, (as
the result of my own observation,) that even severity
is a less evil in its consequences, than a weak connivance at a child's misconduct. The parent who
"never displeases his child at any time," must expect
to reap the fruits of his own folly in the ruin of his
offspring. Excessive indulgence seldom fails to
bring a rebuke along with it. Mr. Richmond's
method of discipline was peculiar to himself; partly
the effect of his own unbounded tenderness and affection, but in a great measure of his deep and extraordinary piety. He could never be justly accused
of a weak connivance at evil, for here he was resolute, firm, and inflexible; yet he was never known
to employ corporal chastisement. Whatever may be

90

DISCIPLINE.

thought of his treatment of offences, it was felt by
every member of his family, that nothing could
make him yield, or shake his resolution,--no,
not for a moment. He was alive to all that was
wrong in principle or conduct, and he never ceased
to remonstrate, or to employ means to reduce his
child to obedience, and awaken in him a sense of
error. But the chief way in which he marked his
displeasure, was by those signs of extreme distress,
which penetrated the heart of the delinquent, and
softened rebellion into regret. From the misconduct
of his child, he seemed to reflect on himself, as the
author of a corrupt being. He humbled himself
before God, and in prayer sought help from above:
while he kept the offender at a distance, or separated him from the society of his family, as one
unworthy to share in their privileges and affections.
No one of his children could long endure this exclusion, or bear with sullen indifference a countenance
which silently expressed the deepest anguish. Perhaps there never was a family where the reign of
love suffered less interruption. The reader must
form his own opinion of Mr. R.'s mode of regulating
his family. He must determine for himself, how far
a discipline of this kind is worthy of imitation, or is
suitable to his own circumstances. Where there
exists the same consistency and unity of purpose, an
equal desire to glorify God in all things, and a
similar diligence in the education of a family, I feel
confident that the divine blessing will crown with

LETTERS TO HIS CHILDREN.

91

success the exercise of this or any other discipline
of a Christian parent.
Two or three other letters to his children,
touching both on lively and on serious topics, will
appropriately close this chapter.
" Sea Bank, Ayrshire.

" MY MUCH-LOVED F--

"As you hear all the good news from Glasgow, I
need not repeat it. Now take a Scotch map, and
you shall see where I am. Look on the sea-coast
of Ayrshire, and you see a place between Ayr and
Largs, called Salt Coasts. Close to this is a lovely
cottage, called Sea Bank, the residence of my friend
Mr. --.
In the front is a magnificent view of the
sea, as far as Ireland, - the Firth of Clyde with its
beauteous islands-Arran, whose craggy, picturesque
mountains tower to the sky, in the wildest, highest
style of romantic grandeur and beauty--Bute,
smaller, but very lovely--the Cumbraies--the
long peninsula of Cantyre, and over it the high
pyramidical mountains of Jura-the coast of Ayrshire, farther than the eye can reach, and the surprising rock called the Craig of Ailsa, rising up in
the midst of the ocean, far away from all land, and
sustaining solitary majesty, the unmolested haunt of
wild birds, goats, and rabbits. Yesterday there was
a great storm, and the sea raged horribly. I saw
many a vessel tossed about in all directions. I went
down to the shore, and stood astounded amidst

92

LETTERS TO HIS CHILDREN.

roaring waves, screaming sea-fowls, and whistling
winds. To-day all is calm, gentle, and inviting.
Yesterday I saw the sublime; to-day the beautiful.
I am writing at a window which commands the
whole view. Somehow or other I am much amused
with the appearance and conduct of a large flock of
poultry, just now parading about on the lawn
beneath me. There are five pea-fowls, six turkeys,
twenty cocks and hens, and a solitary goose from
Botany Bay. They walk and talk with much
diversified gait and air. The sober gravity of their
pace, occasionally interrupted by a gobble, a jump,
and a snap; the proud loftiness of the peacock,
sometimes expressed in solemn silence, and sometimes
by a very unmusical squall. The ruffling vibrations
of the turkey-cock's feathers, with now and then a
brisk advance towards his rival of the green; the
social grouping of the cocks and hens, contrasted
with the unsocial condition and march of the poor
unpartnered goose, who grunts dismally, and sometimes turns up a doubtful sort of side-look at me, as
I sit at the window, as much as to say, ' Who are
you?'
Sometimes a continued silence for a space,
and then a sudden and universal cackling, as if
they were all at once tickled or frightened, or in
some way excited to garrulity. All this amuses me
not a little. There are also two noble watch-dogs;
I wish they had been at the house when the robbers
came. I feel much when at a distance from home,
-even minor sources of trouble harass and disturb

93

LETTERS TO HIS CHILDREN.

me, when I am so far from you. Let us pray for
faith and confidence in God alone. I think of going
to Iona: it is sacred and classic ground. May
every blessing attend my children!
" So prays their affectionate father,
" LEGH RICHMOND."
" Glasgow.

" MY OWN DEAR CHILD,

"On my return home, I found your letter, and
hasten to give you a few lines in reply. I thought
you long in writing, and welcomed your hand with
much delight. Indeed, my F--,
you and I are
not sufficiently intimate on religious intercourse and
correspondence; we must become more so, and may
God enable us. Let us walk and talk, and sit and
talk more on these subjects than we have done. Time
flies, events are uncertain, providences, health, and
life, are transient and mutable. I hope the ensuing
winter will unite us closer than ever. Winter is
my domestic dependence; your heart is with me in
this feeling. I much regret that circumstances have
prevented your travelling with me this year, but I
hope next summer will be more propitious. When
I return, we will read and talk over together such
scenes as we mutually love, and you shall hear of
my interesting journey to Staffa and Iona. Nature,
grace, history, antiquity, compassion, taste, and
twenty more subjects and affections all meet there.
I will match the festival which I gave to the poor

94

LETTERS TO HIS CHILDREN.

children of Icolumbkill on St. Columba's day, with
the gala of Mr. --.
Moreover, I wrote a right
noble copy of verses for the children to sing. Mr.
M. is a truly valuable man. He grows daily in
my estimation. I feel much pleased at the prospect
of my dear -'s union ; her tender heart is fixed,
although her affections are strongly bound to her
family. Encourage and elevate her spirits when
you write, for her. nerves are delicate. It is a great
question; and God, I trust, is settling it for her.
* * * * Mr. M. is a man of God, and makes
religion and conscience the ground of all he says
and does.
" Read the life of Mrs. Isabella Graham of New
York, Mr. M.'s aunt. It will show you the sort of
piety of Mr. M. and his family, all of whom are
valuable characters.
"What a terrible storm you had! The Lord
rides in the storm. 'He can create, and he destroy.'
I hope you do not forget him in the midst of agreeThe care of a soul, its natural
able society.
departures from God, its proneness to make idols
of the creature, and the extreme narrowness of the
strait gate, are subjects for our deep meditation.
Alas! how many among our respectable and decent
friends and acquaintances are still in an unconverted
state, strangers to the real experience of the heart,
and unacquainted with the love of Christ! Carelessness and comparative insensibility ruin more
souls than deliberate acts of resolute iniquity. You

LETTERS TO HIS CHILDREN.

95

have need to be jealous over your own soul, and to
watch and pray that you enter not into temptation.
Real piety is a very different thing from mere
decent profession, educational propriety, and orderly
conduct; yet without it none can enter the kingdom
of God. Where a deep sense of guilt and depravity
does not exist, all else is but a mere name; and it is
much easier to admit this as a doctrine, than to feel
and act upon it as a truth. I want my children to
be living commentaries on my sermons and principles. I long to see them adorning the gospel of
Christ in all things, and that from the inner man of
the heart. I have no objection to Mr. -- 's being
liberal and hospitable. I only lament that among
the lower classes, dancing and debauchery are
nearly synonymous, and therefore I must absent
myself from such ftes. So poor dear S. W.* is
dead. To what trials are the best Christians for a
time given up! Frequently, during delirium, the
most holy have appeared the most wicked in thought
and action. But of her Christianity I cannot have
last week. * *
a doubt. * * * I saw Oh! how time flies, generation succeeds generation,
like waves on the sea; but whither shall we float at
last? Much, much, very much goes to secure a safe
entrance into the eternal harbour of peace and
safety. All other subjects sink into insignificance
when compared with this. How foolish, how wicked
are we in this matter! Farewell, my beloved
* One of his poor parishioners.

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LETTERS TO HIS CHILDREN.

F --

, much of my domestic comfort depends on
you; love your father, for indeed he loves you.
When and while you can, be a prop to his feelings
and spirits. The period is now arrived when I look
for the harvest of filial intercourse, of which I
sowed the seeds with such anxiety in your infancy
and childhood. May every blessing be with you,
in time and eternity. Seven times a day I pray,
and say, ' God bless my dear wife-God bless my
dear children-God bless my dear parishionersand God bless my own immortal soul.'
"This comes from the heart of your loving
Father,
" LEGH RICHMOND."

Extract of a letter to his daughter F.:M-- last week; she is like no
"I saw A-one else; it is a little paradise to be where she is:
simplicity, fluency, devotedness, natural talent, and
gracious acquirements at eighty-four, concentrate a
kind of glory playing around her head and her
; there are great
has left -heart. Mr. lamentations, but I think I see the hand of God in
it; there is always danger when the minister, rather
than the Master, is the object of delight; for such
religion will soon decay and dissipate. tOne thing,
, is most certain, that a great deal more
my Fthan commonly manifests itself amongst the generality of rich and genteel professors, is necessary to

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LETTERS TO HIS CHILDREN.

adorn, if not constitute, real, vital, saving religion.
The manners, the opinions, the luxuries, the indolence, the trifling, the waste of time and talents,
the low standard, the fastidiousness, the pride, and
many more etceteras, stand awfully in the way of
religious attainment and progress; hence it is that
in so many instances, the religion of the cottage so
much outstrips that of the mansion; and that we
derive so much more benefit from intercourse with
the really sincere Christians amongst the poor, than
amongst the too refined, showy, luxurious, and
dubious professors of the higher classes. Thank
God, however, there are some, though'few, yet
delightful, specimens amongst the rich; the 'gate'
*
is not too strait for some of the ' camels.' *
And now allow me, with a heart full of love and
, to ask whether
esteem for my dearly loved Fyou have considered the subject of my last letter?
Do you not see, on mature examination of your own
heart, that religion has not done all that it ought to
have done in this respect for my dearest child; has
not something of discontent been mingled with the
lawful exercise of affection; has not Christ been in
some degree robbed of his love and duty in your
heart of late ? I entreat my dear child to take this
frank, but affectionate reproof in good part. I love
you so dearly, that I want to see you holy, happy,
and heavenly. True, deep, and unfeigned piety
will alone induce a right frame; not the fretful
weariedness of this world, but the mind reconciled
H

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LETTERS TO HIS CHILDREN.

to all the dealings of the Lord, because they are His,
and that for both worlds. I gave an historical,
antiquarian,ecclesiastical, picturesque, mineralogical,
and religious lecture on Iona and Staffa, to about
one hundred and fifty ladies and gentlemen, in the
school-room at Olney last Wednesday. . I spoke for
two hours and a half. I produced fifty illustrative
pictures, and all my pebbles and other specimens.
I did the same at Emberton. All expressed satisfaction.
"Your affectionate Father,
" L. R."
"Turvey, Dec. 1824.

"I think, dearest F----, that the plan which I
suggested will be best for your return home. Give
me a letter to precede you. 'Hic sumus,' quiet,
comfortable, and uniform in our daily course, without many striking events to diversify it by day or
by night; unless it be that the younger bairns are
rather noisy by day, and the cats in the garden
outrageously so by night. Mamma is detained at
Bath, by the lingering and precarious state of
Mrs. C. Willy is not materially different.
My dear, my much-loved boy! No one will ever
know what I have . inwardly undergone on his
account since May last. I have no reason to doubt
that his mind is in a good state, but I think its
exercises are somewhat too dependent on the fluctuations of his body. I entreat you, when restored

LETTERS TO HIS CHILDREN.

99

to his companionship, to second every wish of my
heart in promoting serious, devotional, and determinate piety and occupation of heart. I sometimes
fear that his mind is too playful, too comparatively
careless, in the midst of carefulness. He is an
invalid of too precarious a class to trifle, or to be
trifled with. Watch over his besetting infirmities,
and aim, without appearing to intend it, to correct
them.
"Many persons, God be praised, appear at this
time to be under serious impressions, and the Lord's
work in this parish is evidently advancing. I
earnestly wish to see it so under my own roof, as
well as in my neighbours' cottages. Yes, my F--,
my own loved child, I wish to witness more positive,
decided, unequivocal demonstrations of it in your
own heart. Beware of substituting mere sentimentalism for vital experience; and any, however
subtle, species of idolatry for the simple, sincere,
unsophisticated love of Jesus;-Jesus, the sinner's
refuge!-Jesus the sinner's friend!--Jesus the
sinner's companion. Beware of the fascinating but
dangerous tribe of poets, fictionists, story-tellers, and
dramatists, whose writings steal away the heart from
God, secretly poison the spring of devotion, create
false standards of judgment, and rob God of his
honour. Never let the ignis fatuus of genius beguile you into the swamps and puddles of immorality,
much less of infidelity: 'the heart is deceitful above
all things, and desperately wicked: who can know

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LETTERS TO HIS CHILDREN.

it ?' Ten thousand thieves-and robbers within are
continually defrauding God of our best affections;
they assume imposing attitudes, array themselves in
false attire, speaking flattering words, 'prophesy
smooth things,' delude the imagination, and darken
the soul. 'Watch and pray, that ye enter not into
temptation.' Always keep a searching experimental
book in private reading, to accompany the study
and daily reading of the word of God. Beware of
trifling and mere gossiping conversation, even with
religious friends; the afore-named thieves and
robbers are never more active than under the
plausible guise of a pleasant but unprofitable intercourse with those whom, on good grounds, we
esteem.
"' The time is short,' should be written on every
one, and every thing we see. Dear Charlotte
Buchanan is now gone to the rest that remaineth
for the people of God. Do you not now feel, that
had you anticipated so speedy a bereavement, many
a thought would have been cherished, many a word
uttered, many a conversation held, more congenial
with the idea of her early flight from time to eternity, from the visible to the invisible world? But
you know not who may go next. If, then, while
health may still bloom on the cheek, so much consideration is due, how much more so, when sickness
and anticipated decay warn us, that those we love
may not long be with us. I deeply feel that our
general standard of social and domestic religion is

LETTERS TO HIS CHILDREN.

101

too low. It does not sufficiently partake of the
more simple and pure vitality of the poor man's
piety. The cottage outstrips the drawing-room, in
the genuine characteristics of the gospel efficacy.
The religion of the one is more like wine,-that of
the other, wine and water in various degrees of
mixture. There is not only to be found in the religious world, a solid, substantial, consistent, and
devoted character, but there is also what may be
termed a pretty genteel sort of evangelism, which
too well combines with the luxurious ease and partial acquiescence of the world and the flesh, not to
say of the devil also. But such kind of religion will
not prepare the soul for sickness, death, and eternity,
or will, at best, leave it a prey to the most fearful
doubts, or, still more to be feared, the delusions of
false peace. The way that leads to eternal life is
much more narrow than many of our modern professors are aware of: the gate is too strait to
allow all their trifling, and self-will, and fastidiousness, and carnal-mindedness, to press through it.
The gospel is a system of self-denial; its dictates
teach us to strip ourselves, that we may clothe
others; they leave us hungry, that we may have
wherewith to feed others; and send us barefooted
among the thorns of the world, rather than silvershod, with mincing steps to walk at our ease amongst
its snares. When our Lord was asked, ' Are these
few that shall be saved ?' he answered neither yes
nor no; but said, ' Strive to enter in at the strait

102

LETTERS TO HIS CHILDREN.

gate,' and this word 'strive,' might be translated
'agonize.'
Beware of belonging to that class
which Mrs. Gore ingeniously calls 'the borderers.
Choose whom you will serve, and take care not to
prefer Baal. Ask yourself every night, what portion of the past day have I given to God, to Christ,
to devotion, to improvement, to benevolent exertion,
to effectual growth in grace ? Weep for the deficiencies you therein discover, and pray for pardon
and brighter progress. We intend next Thursday
to give a little feast to a great company of the poor
children of Turvey. Dear Willy will not be able
this year to explain the magic lantern, and talk to
them about 'Lions and Whittingtons,' so we must
try to be optical without. Hwill act behind
the scenes, but make no speeches. * * * * I
hope to hear a better account of Mrs. W, to
whom present my very affectionate regards. From
my, heart I wish you a merry Christmas and a
happy new year when it comes. St. James explains 'merry,' (James, v. 13,) so does our Lord,
(Luke xv. 24.) May such merry-makings be ours.
Our love to all. Tell Mr. Mto write to Wilberforce. I want correspondents that will do him
good, and not trifle. I am to preach two missionary
sermons at Cambridge on the 13th. Farewell, my
beloved F; come quickly here, and be assured
how truly I am,
"Your faithful loving Father,
" LEGH RICHMOND."

LETTERS TO HIS CHILDREN.

103

" January 6, 1825.

"MY DEAR, F-

,

" Your communication is just such as I wish you
often and often again to repeat. Let your heart be
confidential, and you will ever find mine responsive
to it. * * * * May no trifles ever wean
your affections from the unspeakably important
subjects of eternity. Idols are bewitching, dangerous things, and steal away the heart from God.
The most lawful things may become idols, by fixing
an unlawful degree of affection upon them. One
reason of the difficulties with which you meet on
the subject of prayer may be, the not sufficiently
looking by faith unto Christ. Essential as prayer
is, both as a privilege, an evidence, an instrument
of good, and a source of every blessing; yet it is
only the intercessory prayer of Christ that can
render our prayers acceptable and efficacious; and
it is only by lively faith in the Great Intercessor
that we can obtain a heart to pray. Thus faith
and prayer act in a kind of circle in our minds, and
each produces, (experimentally) and is produced,
by the aid of the other. I am glad you like Mr.
Bickersteth's little book on prayer,-all his publications are good. . There are many books, as well
as general conversations, about religious matters,
which, after all, do not bring home true religion to
the heart. Religious gossiping is a deceitful thing,
and deceives many.. How many professors of reli-

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LETTERS TO HIS CHILDREN.

gion will utter twenty flippant remarks, pro or con,
upon a preacher, where one will lay his remarks to
heart! How many look more to the vessel than to
the excellency of the treasure contained in it ! Some
people cannot relish their tea or coffee, unless served
in a delicate cup, with a pretty pattern and a gilt
edge. Let poor dear Charlotte Buchanan's sudden
call from time to eternity warn us how needful it
is to 'die daily;' not to trifle with our souls, when
eternity may be so near; nor to boast of the morrow, when we know not what a day may bring
forth. Willy is anxious for your return; he droops
at present, and wishes to have his dearest friends
near him. * * * * I rejoice to find your
recent meditations have opened to your conscience
besetting infirmities. Press forward, my child; let
them ndt gain an ascendancy. Beware of mere
sentimentalism, of satire, of fastidiousness, towards
persons and things. Beware of bigotry and prejudice, of procrastination, of the love of fictions, of
dangerous though fascinating poets, &c. * * *
I wish you, my love, to attach yourself to visiting the sick, and conversing usefully with the
poor; to the instruction of poor children; to religious correspondence and conversation with a few
sincere friends; and particularly strive to commence
and continue spiritual conversation with our dear
Willy.
" I lately watched the young moon declining in
the western sky-it shone sweetly. Sometimes a

LETTERS TO HIS CHILDREN.

105

cloud shot across the disk--sometimes a floating
mist partially obsc.ured it, alternately it was bright
again; it sometimes silvered the edge of the very
cloud that hid it from sight. At length the lower
horn touched the horizon, then the upper horn, and
then it wholly disappeared. Venus remained to
cheer the gloom. I said to myself, ' There is the
decline of my loved boy, and there is the star of
hope.'
"Your affectionate Father,
"LEGH

RICHMOND."

" London, June 25, 1825.
'"DEAR

F AND DEAR H,

" Between the morning and evening services of
this day, I have a leisure hour, in which I feel as if
I should like to sit down and talk with you two. I
miss our early morning exercises much, and this
for the present must be the substitute on my part.
I have nothing very particular to recount, only that
I have been to a few places, where I was last summer with my beloved Wilberforce, and I have
indulged the silent tear, as I retraced incidents
never again to recur. At some places, where my
friends remember his visits and conversations, I am
asked, ' How he is ?' with interest in their manner;
and I have to tell how he has taken his flight to
another and better world: and it affects me greatly
so to do. I know not how it is with me in regard
to that dear boy's loss, but I talk less, and think

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LETTERS TO HIS CHILDREN.

more than ever about him. The fortnight preceding,
and the one succeeding his death, are indelibly
graven on my heart's recollections, and sometimes
overpower me in a way of which none of you have
any real idea. Sometimes my mind is strengthened,
but at others weakened by these reflections. I am
sometimes comforted, at others terrified, by these
exercises of mind. With what liveliness do the
scenes of our northern tour press upon my mind:
the lovely isle of Bute with all its magnificent
scenery, the incomparable beauties of Loch Lomond
and Loch Long, with their hospitable friendships:
the wild loveliness of Inverary, and Loch Awe: the
fine views on the Firth of Clyde, with the moral and
intellectual characteristics of many a kind friend;
the steam-boats, the carts, the cars, the mountains,
all associate with him, and are endeared to me
beyond expression. I linger over all the spots we
visited together, from Loch Awe to Glasgow,
Carlisle, Keswick, Woodhouse, Matlock, &c. to
Turvey. I love to think of our private reading in
my little bed-room at Rothsay; his first Communion
at Greenock, and then to connect all with his closing
days. It is my weakness, my fault, my misfortune,
that I cannot express more of my mind and feelings
to you both. Dear, dear H-! you are now
become the prop and stay of my declining years,
think much of the station: in which God has placed
you. My first-born is a distant wanderer, and God
knows when or whether I shall see him again on

LETTERS TO HIS CHILDREN.

107

earth. My second boy is taken from me, you are
my third, but now my first. Be such to your two
younger brothers, particularly to L-;
he needs
your constant superintending care: watch over him;
do not leave him to seek unprofitable associates;
cherish the little germ of hope which God has
planted in my bosom concerning him; let your
example influence, and your kind attentions encourage him in every good way; and think much
of your own soul. Beware of declensions-remember the last words of dear Wilberforce -live up to
his advice. How my heart yearns over you and all
your prospects; What are you ? What are you to
be, my loved child? Write to me freely.
" And my F-also; are you as much alive to
spiritual things, as when you hastened to the dying
bed of dear Willy,-as when you wept over his
coffin? My child, dread all decays, and may the
flame of spiritual piety never grow dim amidst the
mists of unworthier speculations. Visit the cottages,
-forsake not the poor, for your father's sake.
" I have been this morning where you might
least have expected to find me; but I went not
from curiosity, but from a conscientious wish to
know and judge for myself, viz. to the Roman
Catholic Chapel in Moorfields, to hear high mass.
I was astonished at the decorations, and the gorgeous
dresses of the bishop and priests; charmed with the
exquisite beauty of the music; disgusted with the
ceremonial mummery of the service; and uncon-

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LETTERS TO HIS CHILDREN.

vinced by the bishop's eloquent sermon in defence
of transubstantiation. It was all illusion, delusion,
and collusion. The service lasted near four hours.
I bless God more than ever for true Protestantism.
I shall hear the ' Messiah' performed to-morrow.
Such music I love ; it lifts my soul to heaven. I
am sick and disgusted with common light modern
songs,-they are unfit for Christians. Oh ! what
music is my Willy enjoying in heaven! Shall we
all enjoy it with him? The question often sinks
me in the dust. My dear, my most dear children!
press forward to the prize of the mark of our high
calling in Christ Jesus. There is an immense gulf
to be passed. Who is sufficient for these things?
" Say many kind and pastoral things for me to
my dear people at Turvey. Truly I have them in my
heart.-My children all, I kiss you from a distance;
believe how much and how entirely I love you.
" P.S.-Monday.-I am just returned from hearing the 'Messiah.'
In the two grand choruses, I
thought I could hear my Willy's voice, and it quite
overcame me. Past, present, and future, mingled
in strange and affecting combination. These feelings
are sometimes too much for your poor father."

A SOLDIER'S LIFE.

109

CHAPTER IV.
'A man that is young in years, may be old in hours, if he have
lost no time.'-BAcoN.

IT may easily be conceived with what anxiety Mr.
R. would contemplate the removal of his boys from
the paternal roof, when their age would render it
unavoidable. This difficulty of placing young persons in suitable situations is greatly increased in the
present day, by the numbers who are pressing into
every trade .and profession, and by the modern
practice of excluding youths from the master's
family; a practice which may conduce to the
comfort and convenience of the latter, but which
necessarily exposes the clerk and the apprentice to
the worst temptations. Mr. R. knew perhaps less
than many other parents how to place out his children to advantage. He was not wise for this world,
and though few had fairer opportunities, or friends
more able to advise and help him, he shrunk from
availing himself of these advantages, to a degree
which we cannot approve, while we respect his
delicacy and paramount regard to the honour of

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A SOLDIER'S LIFE.

religion. He was not the ablest counsellor under
such circumstances, except indeed on one point,
that the welfare of the soul should be the governing
principle in the selection of a profession. He gave
an unbounded liberty of choice to his children, with
one exception,-an exception which it is difficult
to imagine would not equally be made by every
Christian parent. The profession of arms, if not in
itself unlawful, is so irreconcileable with the spirit
of a peaceable religion; and a life of comparative
idleness, or of activity amidst the horrors of destruction, is so repugnant to the principles and feelings
of a disciple, whose Master came not to destroy, but
to save men's lives, that a right-minded man can
scarcely be supposed to admit a preference for it.
Persons of undoubted piety have been discovered in
camps, as well as in the peaceful fields, but it has
generally been found that their knowledge of God
was subsequent to their choice of their profession.
The Christian under an actual engagement in a
service, may decide "to abide in the calling wherein
he is called," and honour God in his vocation; but
this is a widely different determination from a choice
made with the knowledge of peace and love in Christ
Jesus.
One of those events which often inspire a preference for a soldier's life,-I mean the show of
military parade,-excited this inclination in Mr.
Richmond's younger son. To this choice Mr. R.
expressed his dissent in the strongest terms. "Any-

A SOLDIER'S LIFE.

111

thing but this," said he, "anything but this--the
very mention of a military life fills me with horror;
I cannot bear to think of a child of mine engaging
in scenes of bloodshed and destruction. No consideration on earth could extort my consent, It would
make me really miserable."
is the
The following letter to his daughter F-best transcript of his thoughts and feelings on this
subject:"I grant, dearest F--,
you may charge me
with the same thing in which you have often been
culpable; I have no very good reason to assign for
delay, and therefore will rather take my share of
blame, than furnish you with a bad argument, or a
bad example, as to the duty of letter-writing.....
I rejoice in your account of Turvey, a spot that is
always in my mind's eye when not in my sight.
Dear loved parochial and domestic village! Thou
art endeared to me by a thousand considerations,
both as it respects the living and the dead. ' When
I forget thee, let my right hand forget her cunning.'
No succession of time or circumstance has weaned,
or ever can wean, my heart from the chancel-vault.
There is a young triumvirate increasingly endeared
to me, one in heaven and two on earth, and their
names shall be recorded together, - Wilberforce,
. Dear boys! born in the same
Henry, and C
village, companions in the same school, partners in

112

LETTER TO HIS DAUGHTER.

the same recreations, partakers of the same eucharistic table, friends in every social pursuit, and, dare
I say, heirs of the same glory ? United -by the ties
of the same grace on earth, may they share the same
felicity in heaven. I am glad that your meditations
have been, of late, deep and important. Pray that
they may continue so. Life is short, eternity is at
hand; banish, therefore, all needless reserve, banish
levity, banish dulness, be much with Christ in
prayer, and, I had well-nigh added, much with your
father in his study. Cultivate an interior acquaintance with H----, and do all you can with L-There is something waiting amongst
and T--.
us, whether in family duet or chorus, as to really
improving and spiritual conversation: too much
worldly bustle, too much regard to passing events,
too much consequent alienation from the one, the
only thing needful. Without inquiring who is the
most in fault, let each of us strive to resist the evil
and cleave to the good . .. When I think of my boys
, I bless God for village seclusion, and
and Cgreatly rejoice that they have been kept at a comparative distance from the evil communications
which corrupt good manners. The world, even in
its apparently harmless form, is a terrible snare to
the young and uninformed mind . . . . I before
gave you my opinion on Sunday evening walks, I
have often earnestly denounced them to the people,
and need not add a word to you on this head . ..
There is a subject which often hangs heavily on my

A SOLDIER'S LIFE.

113

'sinclination for
spirits, I mean my poor dear T
a military life. Hating war as I do from my very
heart; convinced as I am of the inconsistency of it
with real Christianity; and looking on the profession
of arms as irreconcileable with the principles of the
gospel, I should mourn greatly if one of my boys
chose so cruel, and, generally speaking, so profligate
a line of life. I could never consent to it on conscientious grounds, and therefore wish this bias for
the profession of arms to be discouraged. I dislike
and oppose it with my whole heart. May God, the
God of peace, bless you, my much loved F-.
Give a Christian message of pastoral love to my
dear flock; I often think and pray for them. Love
to the boys. You know well how truly and sincerely
I am,
"Your affectionate Father,
"'
LEGH RICHMOND."

The strongest desire Mr. R. ever expressed with
respect to his children was, that they might devote
themselves to the service of the sanctuary. " I have
no concern," he used to say, " about their temporal
provision; God will take care of that; but I should
rejoice to see every one of my boys actively and
usefully engaged in the church of God." His son
H-- chose the sacred profession, to which his
father consented; but the necessity of his removal
to the university haunted him like a sceptre. He
passed many anxious days and sleepless nights in

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RESIDENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY.

anticipation of the event; and at times he seemed to
be in the deepest trouble: he talked and wrote continually about the possible consequences of it. The
subject seemed to absorb his thoughts and depress
his spirits: " What if my boy should fall a victim to
associations which have blasted the fairest hopes of
many a Christian parent? He may do without learning, but he is ruined body and soul if he be not wise
unto salvation." Such acute distress may appear
to some a sort of extravagance, and to others a
pitiable dotage. It is true, feelings of this order
require control; but allowance should be made for
the overflowings of parental anxiety, and the dread
of a transition and revolution of habits not without
danger, and affording just grounds of apprehension.
There are occasions in which it is difficult to preserve the mind in due balance; and when not to
feel deeply, implies a culpable indifference to the
interests of eternity, or at least a very low estimate
of their paramount importance.
Mr. Richmond, as will appear from subsequent
events, was standing on the verge of eternity; his
health and spirits had been greatly shattered by the
severe family trials through which he had lately been
made to pass: and his feelings on all subjects connected with religion were wrought up to a pitch of
acuteness, which rendered unnecessary contact with
the world almost insupportable. There need seldom,
however, be any dread of a glow of feeling that
"'would consume us;" it is much more to be

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115

deplored, that men can contemplate the "exceeding
weight of things which are eternal," with so little
emotion, and waste their chief energies on those
which endure only for a season, and then flee away
for ever.
With respect to our Universities, I am not disposed to join in the unmeasured and ignorant objurgation with which they have been assailed by their
enemies, and even by those who owe much of their
eminence in society to the advantages derived from
them. It is easy to blame, but difficult to improve:
plausible theories may be suggested, and the rude
hand of revolution, under the specious name of reform,
may proceed to experiments, which are often mischievous, and always uncertain in their issue. The
question is not what is desirable, but what is practicable: how little is to be expected from attempting
too much, is observable in the strictness of statutes,
which descend even to absurd minutive, compared with
the feeble discipline which corrupt beings will allow
to be enforced. It is indeed devoutly to be wished,
that a more vigilant superintendence were exercised
over the private habits of the young men as to the
facility of contracting debts, and of admission into
college after the closing of the gates; that something more of the spirit of religion were infused into
its forms; that less were left to the discretion of
" the mad age; " and that the authority and duty of
the tutor should not be confined to the hours of lecture. Desirable as are such improvements in college

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LETTER TO A YOUNG MAN

discipline, I am not prepared to show how they can
be made, unless the minds of men were more deeply
impressed with the true end of education, the training
a soul for eternity; and I shall not indulge in idle
declamation against evils which I may lament, but
cannot cure. The dangers incident to inexperienced
youth at the university, are confessedly great; but
they attach to all situations of their early career,
and are not peculiar to their residence amid these
noble monuments of ancient piety and munificence.
Yet a Christian parent, in matriculating his son at
college, will feel increasing responsibility to commend him to the Spirit of God for protection and
guidance; and to use every precaution against the
evil influence to which he may be exposed from the
corrupt examples of contemporaries, or the too great
liberty allowed to himself. I would sdggest the
inestimable advantages to be obtained from the help
and superintendence of a private tutor, of an age to
be a companion, and of talents and piety sufficient
to make him a useful guide. Such a one, intrusted
with authority to direct his pupil's conduct and
studies would secure everything within human
means, which an anxious parent could desire.
The last production of Mr. R.'s pen was a paper
of warnings and instructions for his son. This
paper was found on his table after his death, and
was evidently the result of his dying meditations.
I deeply regret that it has been lost, and that I
cannot gratify the' reader by the valuable hints

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117

which it might have suggested. The subject, however, is too important to be passed over in silence,
and I will venture to supply the defect by a letter
of my own, written under circumstances not much
dissimilar.
To a young friend on going to College :" MY DEAR YOUNG FRIEND,

" You request my advice on a subject which will
probably give a direction to your whole life. I
give it you with the more satisfaction, because I
believe you are not one of those who ask counsel
with a previous determination to follow their own
judgment, and who set no value on experience for
which they have not paid the price in their own
mistakes: but are anxiously looking out for a
guide, and ready to follow him. After twelve
years' residence in one of our Universities, I may
fairly be supposed to know something both of their
dangers and advantages: I am aware of the temptations to which you will be exposed in your new
situation; yet with respect to myself, I may assert,
that they were by no means so great as others have
represented them,-fewer, and less dangerous than
the after-trials of manhood, or even those of my
boyish days at school.
" The opportunity you now have of acquiring
solid learning, and of laying the foundation of all
that will be useful to you in life, is incalculably

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LETTER TO A YOUNG

MAN

valuable, and it should be your chief concern to
embrace the golden moment with firm and steady
grasp. Accept, then, with my best wishes and
prayers for your welfare, the result of past observation at Alma Mater.
" 1. Wherever you are, in or out of the University, much will depend on the regulation of yourself.
We are apt to lay the blame of our indiscretions
and failures on our circumstances, and to suppose
that we should act differently under other influences; but this is a great mistake; for circumstances, though I admit they have a powerful
influence on our conduct, do not so much form, as
discover our character. Be ' lord of your own
mind,' and you will rise above outward trials. Try,
then, to understand yourself-your strong and your
weak points.
" Begin and end the day with prayer; but content not yourself with an indolent or hurried exercise of devotion, without heart or meaning, and a
cursory or irregular glancing at a passage of Scripture, under an idea of satisfying conscience, or
' doing your duty.' Consider seriously the chief
end of the appointment, as the prescribed channel
of intercourse with God. Your strength, success,
and preservation from evil, all depend on communion
with him. Everything will go well or ill with you,
in proportion as you are brought into contact with
the Divine Spirit. In reading the Bible (I am now
speaking of religion and its practical application to

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119

your heart and conscience, and not of theology as a
science and profession,) take a few verses, and meditate and pray over them till you get the spirit
and meaning of them wrought into your own soul.
If you do not understand a passage, you may apply
to a commentator for explanation; otherwise be
your own expositor; preach to your own heart,
and feed on the word of God amidst the aspirations
of prayer and praise, and heavenly thoughts and
affections. Examine yourself by it, to obtain conviction of sin and to discover your defects and
besetments,-to -judge of your progress, and pray
for uprightness and deep seriousness. Look forward
to the probable events of the day, and seek grace
and support, to meet trial, and improve opportunity. Consider that you are entering society with
a body of sin and death, ever liable to impart or
receive injury, and while you carefully guard
against the approaches of evil, you should aim, like
your Master, to 'go about doing good.' I think an
hour may be well employed in this holy exercise.
At night, a shorter time may suffice; for the spirits
will flag, and the body be wearied. The efficacy
of prayer does not depend on the length of time
employed in acts of devotion: God thinks of mercy,
and not sacrifice, and so must you. Such remarks
are applicable to all persons and situations; but
are more especially important to one in your circumstances. You are now deprived of your father's
conversation, and the devotional exercises of the

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family, and you have need to redouble your diligence in private devotion. Remember, then; that
your first and greatest trial will be in your closet ;
and that if you fail here, all will go wrong with you
throughout the day. If you rob God to turn to
Euclid or Euripides, or hurry away to chapel without private prayer, because you have given way to
sloth-other motives may stimulate you to be diligent in business; but you will not long continue
'fervent in spirit, serving the Lord:' and if his
Holy Spirit forsake you,-and he will forsake you
if you grieve him by neglect of the means of grace,
-you will fall into many inconsistencies, and in
the end lose all love for religion and concern for
your soul, and perhaps by your conduct discredit
yourself even in the eyes of the world.
" It is a good habit to keep some subject in mind
for occasional employment,-a promise,-a precept
-an attribute of God, on which to meditate in
every vacant moment. There are intervals in the
course of your college duties, when you cannot sit
down to serious studies. An idle momentfurnishes
at all times a nidusfor a temptation.
" 2. Be very cautious in the formation of friendships. Your religious and general improvement
will be closely connected with the character of your
associates.
" You will find me correct in dividing the young
men into two classes; of which one affects to despise, aid the other professes to honour religion.

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121

The former class comprises three sets or parties,
all agreeing to live without God in the world, but
differing in their manners and pursuits. The first
of the three are the men of family and fortune, who
spend their time in amusement, attending as little
as possible to the studies of the place. For the
most part they are men of profligate habits, though
not all equally vicious. These call themselves the
gentlemen. There is another set of young men who
pass by the name of the scamps, who are not better
disposed than the former; but who have not the
same means of doing mischief to themselves or
others: they are, however, quite as ignorant, idle,
and thoughtless, with the addition of coarseness and
vulgarity of manners. To neither of these classes
must you approximate, but (to speak academically,)
you must cut them all. I am under no apprehension of your familiarizing yourself with low com
pany; but a silk gown, or a gold tuft,-a wish to
form a high connexion, may tempt you to tolerate
what ought to be intolerable to you. At first you
may feel disgust at profane and vicious language
Insensibly they will excite less
and manners.
horror. After a time you will think it enough to
be personally exempt from these offences-then you
may begin to excuse and palliate; till at length
you break bounds, and assume a conduct, and avow
a creed, repugnant to your judgment, and which
your heart secretly condemns. You will have no
difficulty in avoiding such associates; for, unless

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you seek an introduction, they will not notice you.
The third party which pretends to no religion,* are
those who are called the reading men at Cambridge,
and the quizzes at Oxford. Their diligent application to study, and desire of distinction in the university, are worthy of your imitation: for you are
sent to College, not merely to get a degree, and
barely escape rejection at last, but to obtain a creditable testimony that you have profited by the
studies of the place: yet, while I commend the
industry of the characters alluded to, and their
generally correct conduct, I do not hesitate to say,
that their motives and objects are not such as I
could enforce upon you.
" It is possible that my advice to you may be
different from that of some who nevertheless agree
with me in principle. I remember it was said to
you by - , ' Don't look at every man not strictly
religious as a wild bear, and a dangerous companion.' Certainly it is not a duty to cherish morose
feelings, but rather to cultivate a sweetness of
temper, and a courteous behaviour towards all:
and an occasional interchange of visits, with those
who will converse profitably on literary pursuits,
cannot be objected to. Yet I wish to be more explicit as to the proper degree of intercourse with
those who do not fear God, however creditable and
desirable the acquaintance may be in other respects.
If you were of long standing in religion, you might
venture on many things which you cannot now

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123

attempt with safety. They might even become a
duty. The firemen must scale the burning roof,
while the spectator of the flames had better keep at
a distance. You must not try how much poison
your constitution will bear, or risk your soul's health
for the sake of any temporal advantage. The world
-by which I mean those who are ignorant of religion, or whose hearts are not in it,-must ever be
to the true Christian, either a cross, or a snare:
and when it ceases to be the one, it will invariably
become the other. I cannot approve of whole evenings passed in company where it is understood that
God is never to be referred to, and where the least
observation connected with eternity creates a silence,
if it does not provoke a sneer, an opposition of sentiment, or a feeling of distaste. To be much in
society of this kind, beyond the demands of duty or
necessity, which you can seldom plead, is surely no
better than constructive treason against our Lord
and Saviour. If you make the experiment, mark
the effect on your own mind. If the tone of religious feeling be impaired, if you grow dull and
heartless in devotion, be assured that something is
wrong in your motives, pursuits, and associations.
So long as you agree to live and converse as if the
world were everything, and God nothing, you may
be tolerated, though your professed attachment to
religion be known; or you may even be respected
for qualities that are amiable and estimable, and
your society may afford satisfaction to literary

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young men, who would keep you at a distance
if you acted consistently with your profession of
The
a purer faith, and stricter conversation.
old rule ' noscitur a sociis,' is a very wise and
safe one. Compare the conversation of your new
associates, if you form such, with the discussions
you have heard under the paternal roof; where,
though the subjects were not always strictly religious, yet the spirit in which they were treated had
a tendency not only to improve the mind, but in
some way or other to sanctify the heart. Perhaps
I feel the more strongly on this subject, partly from
having seen many a hopeful young person entirely
ruined by a friendship formed on merely literary
grounds, and partly because I perceive a gradual
breaking down of old-fashioned distinctions, to the
serious injury of true religion.
"Your father has, I find, earnestly entreated you
to cast in your lot with those who, by way of
reproach, are termed the saints. I know more of
this class than he does, who must be in a degree
unacquainted with university habits and students;
and I would recommend you not to identify yourself
with a sect or party of any kind, without .careful
discrimination. The religion of the Bible is often a
different thing from that of its professed advocates;
and if our hearts be right with God, there will be
occasions when we must stand alone. I do not
mean to reflect on the religious body; for whatever
holiness or truth there is in the world, will be found

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125

chiefly among them; but false brethren have ever
crept unawares into the Church of God, and have
done great injury to sincere and honest members of
it; and there is always reason to fear that when
credit and interest are promoted by a profession of
religion, some will consent to wear our badge, who
are strangers to our principles. In this class you
will also find the sons of truly good men, introduced
and noticed on the score of their parents' piety.
These are acquainted with the theory of religion,
but their hearts are far from being influenced by it;
and former restraints being removed, they are apt
to yield to corrupt inclination; and if they even
keep within the bounds of decency (which is not
always the case), they gradually adopt the manners
and habits of the world. Some of higher pretensions to piety affect to despise both the studies
and honours of the university, and become mere
idlers and gossips. They are ready for disputation,
and arrogant in maintaining some peculiar view of
their own, to the neglect of the plain, simple,
practical truths of religion. You need not incur a
quarrel in shunning their society. Hold up the
torch of real, spiritual, heart religion, and these
birds of the night will flee away and leave you.
You will also meet with a few religionists of a
squeamish, fastidious spirit, who cannot tolerate the
defects of less polished, but truly honest and sincere
young men. Their idol is talent; which seems to
men of this order to compensate for the want of

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piety, if it does not excuse much that is wrong in
principle and practice. They seldom discover any
vigour, or meaning, or spirituality in their religious
profession; but dwell much on gentlemanly behaviour, and a proper compliance with the world.
Leaving all these, you must seek your companions
amongst those who have evidently thrown heart and
soul into the service of their Master; and who
prefer an honest man with his blunders and disadvantages, to those who sparkle with the splendour
of superior talent, but whose morbid sensibilities
chill the glow of real piety.
"3. I particularly recommend you to decline
breakfast-parties: for even when the conversation
may be interesting and generally improving, there
is a temptation to prolong it unreasonably, and thus
to infringe upon the regular hours and habits of
study.
"4. When at college, I had a great dread of
loungers. My room being near the tutor's, I was
liable to be pestered with triflers who came to pass
away half-an-hour in just doing nothing. To bid
them leave me would have been an act of incivility;
to have looked sour or appeared fidgetty would
have seemed not less so; yet repeated interruptions
became at last insupportable, and I had recourse to
a stratagem which I thought innocent, and which
was certainly very successful. I entertained the
man of taste with the discord of my violoncello, and
the man of no taste with a passage from a classic.

ON GOING TO COLLEGE.

127

After yawning a response or two, he soon left me,
voted me a bore, and sought more congenial society.
If you are hard pushed, you may make the experiment, and I can promise a similar result. Security
from morning interruptions must be obtained at
any expense. Idleness is very contagious, and
gossiping of all kinds a sad waste of time.
" 5. Remember (for it is an invaluable maxim),
that method is the soul of business, and that steady
perseverance is necessary to your successful cultiLet your time be duly
vation of knowledge.
portioned out, and everything done in its season.
Let each hour have its allotted employment. Rise
early. Keep good hours-your health and success
both depend on it. Sitting up late is a very bad
habit. Guard against inequality and irregularity;
if you read hard for a week, and then idle away
whole days in boating and riding, you will make
less progress than persons inferior to yourself in
ability, but who are steady and regular in their
application. Nothing is done well that is done by
fits and starts.
"6. You ought not to think of degrading into
the class called the non-reading men, and content
yourself with a Pol degree, under an idle pretence
of gaining more general knowledge: aim at some
academical distinction. I dare not hold out to you
as a motive the love of reputation or the gratification of pride: but study night and day to honour
God and religion. It is worth while to labour hard

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LETTER TO A YOUNG MAN

to have something valuable in the eyes of the world,
to lay at the foot of the cross. I have always
admitted Selden's reply, when asked how a man of
his attainments could lower himself by superstition
(for such his piety was miscalled),-' You may
despise religion, but whatever be my attainments in
human learning, I do count them all but dung and
dross in comparison of the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord.' Many men will
value the truth in proportion to their respect for
those who profess it. You may find persons who
cloak their indolence or their dulness under a misapplication of some text of scripture; but be assured,
the most spiritual and really useful men, if not
always possessed of the greatest talent, are those
who have made the most of their opportunities.
No one's name slumbers in the Tripos;.it follows
him through life, and what he has been at college,
will help to determine his influence in many a
country village. When a young clergyman excites
attention by a serious application to his duties, it is
a common inquiry"amongst persons who might be
supposed not to trouble themselves about such
matters, What degree did he take? Was he distinguished at college? and he will rise or sink in
their estimation accordingly. There may be prejudice or mistake in this, but it carries no small
weight to be able to say, Are they philosophers,
mathematicians, or linguists? so am I. Besides,
the habit of application to subjects not immediately

129

ON GOING TO COLLEGE.

connected with religion, is a good discipline of the
mind, and will accustom it to correct and deep
thinking on religion itself. The studies of the
university are not, as some suppose, a mere literary
trial of skill, and of no further use than to fill up
a space in human life, or fit a man for scientific
pursuits alone. If you find the lectures dry, or
your Latin irksome, think of working for God's
glory and Christ's honour, and it will infuse a vigour
and a sweetness into them. I have heard some
good young men complain of the loss of spirituality
and taste for the Bible, and ascribe this mischief to
the absorbing influence of their studies; but their
studies are not to blame,-it is the spirit, design,
and end, with which they are undertaken. A man
may hold communion with God through any medium, or in any occupation, if his heart and aim be
right: he may become carnal in the midst of theological pursuits, and may preserve the utmost spirituality while wading through the rubbish of the
schools. Remember that it is not your work, but
your motive, which will injure or keep alive your
piety.
"You will be required to go to the college-chapel
morning and evening, with the exception of seven
or eight times a-week, when you may exercise your
own discretion as to attendance. I would advise
you to be always present. The example even of
the religious young men may fail you; many of
whom regard this regular attendance as a waste
K

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LETTER TO A YOUNG MAN

of time. They complain of the rapid and slovenly
way in which the service is performed, and that
there is no devotion in chants and anthems. But
you have nothing to do with the offences of others,
or with modes of worship. It is God's house, God's
service. Honour both, and you shall not have to
bewail the unprofitableness of prayer under any
circumstances or defects. I enjoy cathedral-service,
it is to me truly devotional. Men who dislike
music may find it less in unison with their feelings;
but before it is denounced as a relic of popery, it
should be remembered that the temple-service was
still more musical, and our Lord was there. He
would not have sanctioned, by his presence, a mode
of worship which contained in it anything injurious
to devotion, or inconsistent with a right frame of
spirit in a true worshipper. Go also to chapel in
proper time : I know the colleges allow their young
men to come in when a third of the service is over,
without a mark of absence; a practice which (with
all due submission to masters and deans) gives me
a painful feeling, for it looks as if chapel attendance
was considered as a mere roll-call; and it is not
surprising that the juniors should hurry to chapel
from their beds, in a disgraceful dishabille under
cover of the gown or surplice. At first your
motives may be suspected, but consistency in this
and all other things will ultimately procure respect.
" Never think any time mis-spent which is employed in the service and presence of God. Your

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attendance at St. Mary's, though expected, is not
exacted. I have been sorry to hear some young
men of high pretensions to religion speak very contemptuously of University sermons, and excuse their
neglect of attending them on the ground of unprofitableness. Many admirable discourses for head
and heart are delivered at that church, and it is a
want of sense to compare a University pulpit with
that of a parish. Sermons are much improved in
doctrine and application since my day, yet even
then, I seldom heard a discourse from which I could
not gain something useful, either in the elucidation
of the text, or by inference and use of the preacher's
material. But whatever be the defect of a sermon,
recollect who has set you the example of honouring
the appointments of lawful authority in church and
state, and 'fulfilling all righteousness.' I would
have you affiliate yourself to the habits, usages,
studies, and worship of a university-man, and to
cultivate a spirit of modesty, regularity, order,
humility, and submission: as the prime duty and
greatest ornament of a young man in statu pupillari,
whose province it is to learn, and not to teach.
" 8. You wish me to sketch out a plan of study,
and an orderly arrangement of your time. Much
depends on college-apl'ointments; but leaving you
to improve or alter in reference to them, I will
comply with your request; at the same time observing, that it is more easy for the to dictate, than
for you to execute. You have need to pray for

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LETTER TO A YOUNG MAN

firmness and resolution; since any relaxation or
breach on your part, except in cases of imperious
necessity, will leave you resolving and resolving,
but never attaining to any eminence. I suppose
the chapel-service at eight in the morning and six
in the evening, hall at four, lecture at ten, with
some other college exercise which you must arrange
as you can, the amount of time will be the same.
Be always at your private devotions at six in the
morning. I need not repeat what I have already
said on this subject, except it be again to urge you,
on no account to proceed to business till you have
sought help from God. If you be not inflexibly
steady and regular on this point, you will lose the
spirit of religion, and retain only the dregs of form;
amidst gods and goddesses, cubes, and squares, and
triangles, and all the multitudinous ideas which are
poured into your mind. Devote the next hour to
theology; I will give you the first year to get an
acquaintance with the Hebrew Bible and Greek
Testament, till you can read both with as much
ease as the English version. You will need no
other helps than Buxtorff's small lexicon, and
Schleusner's two volumes for the Testament. You
are tolerably ready with the grammar of each language, or I should have added Simon's grammar
for the Hebrew. The very few chapters in Chaldee
will be easily mastered with Buxtorff's larger grammar and lexicon. Use and observation will supply
a more critical knowledge of these languages with-

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133

out any other assistance. Employ the second year
with Scott, for a further acquaintance with the
scriptures. I might point out more able expositors
on detached portions, but you will find in him a
good compilation from more extensive works. You
need not perplex yourself with too many expositors.
It would be a very heavy imposition to wade through
all the trash and prosings which have been appended
to divinity. Difficulties may sometimes be cleared
up by chronology, geography, and parallelisms; but
in most cases the Bible is its own and best interpreter. For the same hour in the third year, read Hartwell Horne. This is an invaluable book for a young
man, and you must not lay him aside till you have
fully digested his admirable compilations, to guide
you in more discursive reading hereafter. College
preparations will sufficiently embrace the subject of
evidences. Let me seriously caution you against a
spirit of curious metaphysical inquiry into those
parts of theology, which are more fit for age and
experience, if indeed they are ever safe, or profitable, or intelligible. The arrogant dogmatism of
some religionists is intolerable, their presumption
full of danger, and their spirit and temper most
unchristian. On many points it is best to say with
Leighton, ' Here I choose rather to stand on the
shore, and in the survey of God's judgments exclaim, 'Oh the depths,' than venture out upon the
fathomless abyss, from which I might never return.'
The present is a childish dispensation, in which we

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must be content to know little, and strive to do
much. During the remaining half-year of your
academical residence, spend an hour each day in
pulpit composition. I hope you do not intend to
be a copyist, or one of Dr. Trusler's disciples. Enrich your sermons to the utmost with the ideas of
others, wrought into your own mind: but never
transcribe. I am not instructing you how to preach,
but how to prepare materials, or I should say many
things in relation to the ministry. Get a Bible
interleaved, and note down all you hear or read
relating to the more important texts. I began to
do this at an early age, and my preaching Bible now
contains a mass of references to authors, treatises,
commentators, and single sermons, on most important
questions, so that half my work is done before I
begin to compose. My tools are at hand, and I
have no heed to hunt for them. You will find
some useful hints in Claude's Essays on the Framework of a Sermon, and in the ' Horm Homiletice,'
the production of the best skeleton-maker in the
world. Yet remember an old piece of advice,'Nullius addictus in verba magistri.' Imitate no
one, but be yourself. Your own clothes will fit
you best. Imitators are apt to copy defects as well
as beauties, and thus make themselves ridiculous:
use your own manner and style, that you may be
sincere and natural. If you are industrious, you
will not hereafter have to learn when you are required to teach. Out of the remainder of the day,

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take six hours for your college exercises; and try
to be steady, neat, accurate, and eminent in everything. You will now have spent eight hours lin
close application; never exceed them. You may
turn to music, which is a great refreshment of the
spirits,-to conversation or letter-writing, or whatever requires no effort of mind. Never be out of
your room .after ten at night, and spend half-anhour in devotional exercises before you retire to
bed. I shall not repeat what I have said on the
subject of prayer, but let me add one caution. You
will sometimes have to lament great failures; do
not on such occasions take refuge in loose antinomian notions, nor yet give way to recklessness and
despondency; if God knows you are honest, and
striving in all things to glorify him, though you
fall seven times a-day he will raise you up again.
Never resolve to do nothing because you have not
done everything; nor indeed resolve at all, but cast
your troubles on Christ, and set to work again with
more diligence, caution, and dependence.
"I have said nothing of modern literature; you
are already pretty well acquainted with it, and if
you can find an hour for lighter reading, which
does not fatigue you, it may be well to enlarge
your present stock: but not to the neglect of other
things; because in vacations you may profitably
spend some time upon the historians and English
poets. I would have you attend, in turn, the public

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LETTER TO A YOUNG MAN

lectures on anatomy, chemistry, &c. ;-you will not
be able to read in private on these subjects, but you
may thus acquire a general knowledge of them,
which will both improve and amuse you. The
divinity lecture I advise you to postpone, till you
have finished the course of reading on that subject
which I have marked out for you. There is one
part of my sketch on which I have not been sufficiently explicit; I mean the exercise which is indispensably necessary to health. I have scarcely ever
had a pupil to whom in this respect I did not seem
to be another Cassandra, whose predictions no one
would believe. I hope you will be an exception.
To read yourself blind, deaf, stupid, and nervous,
is reAlly a great folly, and a kind of suicide. There
have been many sad examples of complete failure
amongst students, through neglect of exercise, rather
than from over-mental exertion. Always take exercise in the best part of the day, and at three
periods, -two
half-hours by yourself, and two
hours with some agreeable companion, with whom
the conversation may be interesting; kindred pursuits will furnish you with abundant materials.
"9. Avoid all wine-parties, or, if circumstances
seem to make an occasional visit in this way necessary, firmly adhere to some rule as to quantity. I
never took more than two glasses, and this determination saved me much trouble and temptation.
Acquaintances formed at these parties are transi-

ON GOING TO COLLEGE.

137

tory; and companions will soon be dispersed to be
heard of no more. A few endeared intimacies are
likely to be more durable and valuable.
"10. The university, which brings together so
great a variety of persons, is a good school for the
study of character; avail yourself of it; by the
defects of others learn to correct your own, and by
their virtues improve yourself. You will seldom
find a person who does not excel you in something:
lead him to talk on his favourite subject, that you
may profit by his superiority.
" 11. With respect to your vacations, I shall only
now throw out one hint; which is, that these must
be equally busy periods, if you aspire to academical
honours. You will, indeed, be expected to relax
occasionally in family parties; still you must unceasingly pursue your object, and attend to little
else. Get up your college-subjects for the next
term: you cannot otherwise keep pace with the
lectures.
"12. Whatever you read, always keep in mind the
great truths of the Bible; fact and observation will
strengthen and confirm them.
" 13. Never converse about religion, but in the
spirit of religion: be earnest, spiritual, and serious;
jokes and tales, and absurd associations, produce
levity of mind, and even hypocrisy; be cheerful,
but not light.
"14. You may start at the amount of what I
have stated, but I know from experience that I

138

SUBJECTS OMITTED IN

have proposed nothing which may not be achieved
by steady perseverance. Throw your whole soul,
my dear -- , into a preparation for a useful,
honourable, and serviceable life, in the most glorious of all employments, the office and work of the
ministry. That God may give you grace, and
health, and strength, to become a workman that
needeth not be ashamed, is the earnest prayer of
"Your affectionate and faithful friend."

I must apologise to the reader for detaining him
so long from the more immediate subject of the
Family Portraiture. My excuse must be the hope
that this letter of my own may fall into the hands
of some student of the university, and furnish him
with useful hints to regulate his conduct and studies.
I am satisfied that my sentiments would be found
in unison with my friend's, had he lived to complete
his own valuable directions to his son Henry.
In surveying the variety of circumstances and
details connected with Mr. R.'s plan of education,
it seems to me that two points may be added with
advantage.
It has often been lamented that children and
young people receive so little benefit from public
instruction. Mr. Richmond did indeed teach his
children to pray and read the scriptures; and he
wrote a form of prayer for the use of each of them,
until they were able to approach a mercy-seat with

MR. RICHMOND'S PLAN OF EDUCATION.

139

the expression of their own thoughts and desires.
They had the benefit of his family exercises and
conversations, and he kept his eye on their behaviour
at church: but this is not all that is needful; they
should be frequently examined as to what they hear,
and be required to give an account of every sermon; receiving reproof or commendation as they
appear to have been negligent or attentive.
It is important also to accustom children to
separate a part of their pocket-money for charitable
purposes, and to act in their sympathy with the
necessitous, on plan and system. Mr. R. was himself hospitable and benevolent; he contributed
largely from his slender means, to the wants of his
poor parishioners, and he inculcated on his family
the duty of unremitting attention to distress of every
kind. But children should be trained to seek out
proper objects, and learn to relieve them from their
own means, and by the sacrifice of their own gratifications. What portion of our goods ought to be
separated for the poor is not determined in the
scriptures; the only definite rule there laid down
is, " According as God hath prospered him, so let
every man give as he is disposed in his heart."
Children, as well as grown people, should be allowed
opportunity to exercise discretion, and evidence the
sincerity of principle: we cannot prescribe any fixed
amount, which must vary according to the circumstances of different persons; still, however, this

140

SUBJECTS OMTTTED,

&C.

labour of love ought to be regulated by some
definite principle.
From the foregoing detail of Mr. R.'s laborious
and conscientious care of his family, it is natural to
ask what was the result. Delicacy and propriety
forbid me to speak of the living, though I might
there appeal to facts which confirm the truth of that
gracious promise, " Train up a child in the way in
which he should go, and when he is old he shall not
depart from it."
I shall, however, now endeavour to fulfil Mr. R.'s
own intentions, by recording the deaths of his
children, who died in the faith, and are gone to
their rest and peace in Christ Jesus.

BRADINU

CHURCH.

141

SPONSORSHIP.

CHAPTER V.
The storm that wrecks the wintry sky
No more disturbs their deep repose,
Than summer's evening's latest sigh

That shuts the rose.
MONTGOMERY.

SAMUEL NUGENT LEGH, the eldest son of Mr. Rich-

mond, was born at Brading, in the Isle of Wight,
June 18, 1798.
From his birth to the hour of his death he was
the child of many prayers to God, for life and
salvation through a crucified Redeemer.
" My responsibilities," said Mr. R. " are greatly
increased by the birth of a son, and I have need of
wisdom to preserve this loan of the Lord, and to
train up an immortal soul for heaven."
The views of a Christian parent concerning his
offspring are not bounded by time, nor his hopes
Our
and wishes limited to a present provision.
heavenly Father knoweth our wants. We must
seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all other things will be supplied as far as
is needful to our welfare.

142

LIFE OF NUGENT RICHMOND.

The first paper found amongst Mr. R.'s memoranda
relating to his son Nugent, is a letter addressed to
the sponsors on the occasion of his infant's reception
into the company of believers by the sacrament of
baptism. The selection of these parties is often a
delicate and a difficult duty to religious parents.
The usages of society direct our view towards
kinsfolk and intimate friends, and the practice is
natural and proper, when such can be found possessing a deep. sense of the responsibilities of their
engagement. But to be swayed principally by
relationship or interest in this appointment, is inconsistent with Christian integrity, and is, in fact,
" honouring man more than God." The church
supposes sponsors to be persons of real piety, a
company of the faithful, who agree " as touching
what they shall ask of God in Christ's name" on
behalf of the infant. They are provided as spiritual
trustees, to take care that the child be virtuously
brought up, and they engage for the fulfilment of
conditions, without which, baptism, like the Lord's
supper, is not available for any benefit. The grace
of baptism is not promised to unbelievers, and there
are many who are such as to this act, though the
term may not, in general, be applicable to them.
The right is regarded by some merely as a compliance with the forms of religion, and by others as
conferring a title to covenant-privileges, rather than
as communicating any actual benefit. But the
Church of England, and, I may add, all the re-

SPONSORSHIP.

143

formed churches, define this sacrament to be an
" outward and visible sign of an inward and
spiritual grace; ordained by Christ himself, as a
means whereby we receive the same, and a pledge
to assure us thereof."
To maintain that the right administration, independent of the right reception of an ordinance, is
effectual, would be to sanction the errors of Popery;
and it would be extravagant to assert that all baptized persons are regenerate, since the fact is palpably against such an assumption.
Whether we
say with Arminius, that the grace of baptism has
been lost, or with Calvin, that it has been nullified,
by the non-fulfilment of engagements :-whether by
the term regeneration, renovation, or conversion be
meant: the return, the confirmation, or the original
impartation of a divine influence, (the phrase matters
not,) it is most evident that those who do not bring
forth the fruits of the Spirit are not " partakers of
an inward and spiritual grace;" and it becomes the
ministers of religion to exhort such persons to pray,
and to seek for that change of nature, without which
no man can enter into the kingdom of heaven. This
view of the subject secures every practical and
useful purpose, and it would be more advantageous
to men's souls to contend earnestly for the faith
once delivered to the saints, than to strive about
words to no profit.
Christian parents and sponsors would do well to
consider whether their own ignorance and unbelief,

144

LIFE OF NUGENT RICHMOND.

as it respects this solemn ordinance, may not have
provoked God to withhold the blessing promised
" to us and to our children." We know that under
the law the child was cut off who " had broken the
covenant," only by the contempt or neglect of circumcision on the part of his sinful parents; and
why may not the hypocrisy of sponsors in the performance of a Christian rite, be the cause of its
almost general inefficacy ?
It is an argument of no little weight in favour of
sponsorship, that this appendage to Christian baptism has been sanctioned by high antiquity. It is
not a novelty of modern times. It universally
obtained in the Jewish church, and was continued
in the church of Christ to the sixteenth century:
its rejection, together with that of the baptism of
infants, originated with the enthusiasts of Munster.
I repeat the remark, sponsorship was associated
with baptism in the Jewish church, and unless in
the application of a rite long practised to a new
dispensation, the concomitants of that rite, "the
answer of a good conscience," by and for others,
were repealed,- (and we have no proof nor reason
to suppose they were repealed,) the disciples, as
Jews, could not interpret their commission, but in
connexion with their early associations and the
constant practice of their nation.
If this argument does not so firmly establish the
use of sponsorship as to invalidate baptism without
it, (which neither we nor the foreign churches

145

LETTER TO SPONSORS.

maintain,) it is surely sufficient to rescue the custom
from the ignorant contempt with which it is too
often treated.
It will be seen by the following letter, that Mr.
R.'s sentiments were in unison with what has just
been stated, on this interesting appendage to Christian baptism.

"To the worthy Godfather and Godmother of
Samuel Nugent Legh Richmond.
" Suffer the anxious feelings of a father to plead
an apology for addressing, petitioning, and admonishing you on a subject so near, so dear to his heart,
as the future welfare of an infant child. I need
not remind you, that the institution of sponsors at
the baptism of every young child, is a pious precaution of the church, intended to provide for, and
ensure the religious education of its members. With
regard to the natural parents of the child, they are
considered as already engaged under such strict
bonds, both by nature and religion, to take care of
his spiritual welfare, that the church does not suppose that she can lay them under any greater; but
she still makes a provision, that if, notwithstanding
these obligations, the parents should be negligent,
or if it should please God to take them to himself
during the infancy of their children, there may yet
be others who stand solemnly pledged before God
L

146

LIFE OF NUGENT RICHMOND.

and his church, to see that such infants are not
without instruction, in consequence of such carelessless or untimely death of their parents. Hence
it follows, that a charge of the most serious and
important nature is undertaken by the spiritual
parents or sponsors, who are therefore called, fathers
and mothers in God; and in all matters which concern the godly instruction, Christian principles, and
progress in piety of their godchildren, they do most
assuredly and unequivocally become answerable for
their faith and practice, so far as human vigilance
and endeavours are concerned. True it is, if they
have the satisfaction of observing that the natural
parents zealously, piously, and unremittingly superintend the Christian education of their infant charge,
much of their own attentions are rendered unnecessary;-still, however, their own responsibility
remains unaltered by any circumstance, from the
hour of baptism to the years of discretion and understanding; and it is incumbent on them to see
and know that all things are provided, and nothing
omitted, which is conducive to the soul's health of
their children in God.
"Having thus stated my ideas of the indispensable duties of god - fathers and god -mothers in
general, I am naturally led to make the immediate
application to the present case. I hope and trust
that myself and my dear Mary are too deeply impressed with a sense of our duty, (exclusive of
parental affection) to omit anything which may tend

LETTER TO SPONSORS.

147

to the Christian instruction of our young ones. If,
therefore, it should please the Almighty to grant
us life and health, I shall look forward with increasing pleasure to the prospect of our child's being so
educated, that even those who stand solemnly
pledged on the subject, shall have little else to do
than to observe, examine, and approve. At least I
pray, that under God's blessing on our endeavours,
it may be so; but, should our infant be deprived of
parental solicitude and attention, through death or
debility of mind or body, on you, my dear and muchrespected friends, it will rest to provide all that in
your name has been vowed, promised, and professed
for him. In such an event, I entreat that no pains
may be spared to train up my little infant in the
love and fear of God, in the faith of the Redeemer,
and grateful love to him, and with a firm reliance
on the assistance of the Holy Spirit. Let the Scriptures, and not the common-place morality of the
times, be made the groundwork of his conduct, his
principles, and his future hopes; teach him that
true charity is the offspring of Christian faith, and
that heavenly hope can alone spring from their
united dominion over his heart.
With such a
foundation he will learn to be thankful and contented in every condition of life, and under every
dispensation of Providence. Let him be so fortified
with the true armour of the Christian, that the shaft
of that horrid and specious monster, infidelity, may

148

LIFE OF NUGENT RICHMOND.

ever be repelled with humble confidence and just
indignation.
"Teach him to know, that although the gospel
gives no encouragement, no, not even the least hope,
to morality without faith, yet that faith without
works is dead:
" That, notwithstanding our most careful obedience to the commandments of the law, we are
still unprofitable servants; (the merits of the Saviour, not our own merits, rendering us acceptable
to God,) yet that the fruits of the Spirit are to be
seen in practical activity in promoting the good of
others, as well as in the purification of ourselves.
Let this, and every other Christian principle, be
engrafted on his heart, gradually and in due progress, with the advancement of his understanding;
so shall your weighty duties be fulfilled, and my
heart be at ease.
" Should the boy's life and my own be spared, it
will be my delight to endeavour to make him what
I consider the first of characters-a real Christian.
" With respect to all other parts of education, it
is foreign to the purpose of this address: which is
solely directed to the subject of the baptismal vow,
accompanied by a fond father's comments, explanations, and wishes. My present fears are not lest
he should be poor and unlearned in what the world
calls wisdom and accomplishment; all must prosper in the end, if he be but rich in good works, and

LETTER TO SPONSORS.

149

wise unto salvation. I conclude, therefore, with a
blessing upon you all; and if this epistle be of a
more serious (and to you I will not add tedious)
description than you are accustomed to receive, the
best apology to be made for it is that it comes from
a parish priest, an affectionate father, and
"Your faithful brother-in-law and nephew,
" L. R."
It was Mr. R.'s earnest desire, that his first-born
child should be a minister of the Lord, and a servant of the sanctuary; and his son's course of education was conducted with this view, both while
he continued at Brading, and on his subsequent
removal to Turvey.
There was nothing censurable in Mr. R.'s wishes
for his son's introduction into the ministry; but
considering the peculiar character and requirements
of a minister of the gospel, it may be doubted whether it would not be more consistent that the designation of a young person to that sacred profession
should follow, rather than precede, a discovery of
fitness for it. I am not here speaking of the awful
profanation of making a boy a clergyman because
he shows an incapacity for other situations, or with
a view to some worldly advancement, or for the
sake of literary respectability and enjoyment; such
motives and practices cannot be too strongly deprecated: is it not to bring the lame and the blind
into the temple, and to offer money for the gift of

150

LIFE OF NUGENT RICHMIOND.

God ? In such, God can have no pleasure, neither
will he accept an offering at their hand. (Mal. i.
2, 12.) But I am adverting to an error, not uncommon even among religious parents, of selecting
the future occupation of the ministry for their children, on the general grounds of correct conduct and
amiable dispositions. God has taken into his own
hands the work of the sanctuary; when he calls and
separates by his Spirit, we may co-operate with his
purposes, and supply materials and tools for his
workmen; but it is seldom desirable to anticipate
the divine will on this head, or to forget that there
must be, not only a real conversion of heart to God,
but a peculiar aptness for the work, to justify an
entrance into the sacred calling.
Such was Mr. R.'s judgment in after-life: and his
tender mind sometimes reverted to his disappointment in poor Nugent's delinquencies, as a rebuke
for his presumption.
It appears that Mr. R. early adopted the practice
of corresponding with his family: and I present to
the reader a letter to Nugent, as a pleasing specimen
of his happy manner of addressing his children:" MY DEAR LITTLE BOY,

"You cannot think how glad I was to see your
letter; so glad that it made me weep: if you knew
how dearly I love you, I am sure you would
dearly love me; and if you knew how dearly God
loves you, you would love him also. Never forget

REMARKS ON THE MINISTRY.

151

God, for he is always thinking about you: do you
not see how good he is to you, in giving you a papa
and mamma, and sisters, and friends, and a house to
live in, and food, and so many other good things.
"I preached a sermon last Sunday to some hundreds of little children, and you can hardly think
how well they behaved, and how silently and
closely they attended to what they heard. Many of
them when they returned home, wrote down what
they heard from me at church: when will you do
so, my dear Nugent? I hope you get your lesson
; how kind he is to teach you!
well for Mr. DI hope you pray for me every day; I often pray for
you, and God will hear both you and me, if we pray
with our whole hearts. When you have read this
letter, you must go and kiss M. and F. and H., and
tell them I bid you do so for me, because I am far
away, and cannot give them myself a proof of my
affection for them.
"My Nugent, you are the eldest; if you are a good
child, they may follow your example; and if you
are a bad boy, it will teach them to be sinful; and
that will make God very angry and me very unhappy.
You are now every day growing older, and you
ought to grow wiser and better, and then you will
be a comfort to us all, and I shall rejoice and praise.
I wish you to-morrow morning to read the tenth
chapter of St. Mark, and you will see how Jesus Christ
loved little children, and how he took them up in his
arms, and blessed them. I hope he will bless you, and

152

LIFE OF NUGENT RICHMOND.

then you will go to heaven when you die; but
without a blessing from Christ, you never can go
there. I trust I shall see you again soon. You
must pray to God to bring me back in health and
safety. I have written to you as long a letter as
perhaps you would like to read; one thing only I
will add, that
"I am your truly loving Papa,
"L. R."
For some years Nugent was educated at home;
being seldom absent from his father's eye. Companions he had none, for Mr. R. was afraid of
bringing his son in contact with any associations out
of his own family. It may be doubted how far it was
wise to confine a boy to his own resorces for amusement; for at this time Mr. R. had not provided the
philosophical apparatus, by which he afterwards
supplied his children with full employment in their
leisure hours; certainly the subsequent transition,
from these restraints to the almost unbounded
freedom of association at school, proved injurious to
Nugent.
As Mr. R.'s public engagements increased, he
found it necessary to place his son under other
superintendence; and he committed him to the care
of -; in this situation INugent attached himself
to a companion of bad principles and incorrect conduct, who in the end succeeded in perverting the
victim of his confidence. It became necessary to

NUGENT'S REMOVAL TO SCHOOL.

153

remove the bad example from the family, and at
last, though with great reluctance and bitter disappointment, Mr. R. consented to the advice of his
friends, and placed his son in a merchant-vessel.
All hopes of the ministry were abandoned; and
Nugent, now a wanderer in the wide world, had to
make his own way in life. Many affecting circumstances relating to this exile from his father's house,
have been already detailed in Mr. R.'s own memoirs,
and I am obliged to forego their introduction in the
present narrative.
The repetition of such details is not, however,
essential to my purpose; which is not so much to
gratify curiosity, as to show the great advantage of
a religious education, amidst the most discouraging
and distressing disappointments; and that the promises of eventful success, under all the oppositions
of a fallen nature, and the worst temptations to evil,
will ultimately reward the faithful and conscientious
discharge of our duty towards our children.
Mr. R. gave his son, on his departure from this
country, a Bible, and a paper of admonitions and
instructions for his conduct. Amidst all his irregularities, Nugent discovered a grateful and affectionate temper. His errors were evidently those of
a thoughtless and yielding disposition, rather than
of a deep-rooted and vicious propensity; he sincerely
loved his father, and he preserved, with a kind of
religious veneration, these testimonies of his regard;
never losing them, though twice shipwrecked, and

154

LIFE OF NUGENT RICHMOND.

though all the other little property that he had
realized was then swept away.
He was evidently deeply impressed by his parents'
bright example, and he kept up a regular correspondence with them. Mr. R.'s letters are lost; but
Some extracts from those of his son will serve
strongly to illustrate the good effects of past instructions. It never should be forgotten that there is a
moral influence in Christian principles, which keeps
evil within certain bounds, even when those principles have not penetrated the heart; and bad as
unconverted persons often appear, amidst all the
pains taken with them, they would probably be
much worse without the unseen restraint which
thus operates within them.
A lodgment of truth once made in the mind,
cannot afterwards be wholly eradicated. Conviction
often returns, and at last, as in the present instance,
produces a saving change of heart and life. Nugent
was not long on the mighty deep before he acknowledged the propriety of his removal from home, and
began deeply to repent of the follies which rendered
itnecessary.
" MY DEAR FATHER AND MOTHER,

"I am now, as it may be said, at the other end
of the world, but still I often think of you and
Turvey. I often reflect on my past conduct, and
bitterly bewail my folly; if I had not done what I
ought not to have done, I might now be resting com-

LETTERS TO HIS PARENTS.

fortably under your roof, instead of having to bear
very great hardships by night and by day; but I
will not complain of my chastisement, and have
indeed far greater comforts than I deserve.
" Papa, I am far away, but I often think of you
and of my dear mother, to whom I have occasioned
bitter sorrows. Alas ! I fear my offences can never
be forgiven.
"I am satisfied you acted wisely in sending me
from home, sweet home! The maxims and rules
you gave me, I cherish and keep by me.
" Oh! how I look back on the hopes and fears,
alarms and anxieties, of my dear parents; if God
permits me ever to see them again, I hope it will be
under different circumstances and feelings. May
He preserve me amidst the winds and waves.
"I am still your affectionate Son,
" N. R.1"
There was something so ingenuous and relenting
in this his first letter, that Mr. R. anticipated the
return of his son from the voyage with all that
strength of affection which issued from his loving,
tender heart on all occasions. He longed to embrace
the poor wanderer, and mingle his tears with those
of his child, saying, " This my son was dead and is
alive again, was lost and is found:" but these fond
hopes were disappointed. Nugent left the vessel in
which he sailed, in opposition to the remonstrances
of the captain; to whom he had been entrusted,

156

LIFE OF NUGENT RICHMOND.

with directions to bring him back to England. Mr.
R. had only intended to try the effect of absence and
employment, in reclaiming his son, and not to fix
him for ever in the perilous occupation of a seafaring life. The Arniston proceeded on her voyage
without him, and he had soon reason to regret his
own indiscretion (for such it was, though God
meant it for good), when he found himself cast on
the world without means of livelihood, without
friends, or even an acquaintance who could advise
and serve him; a youth of only seventeen years of
age, and separated from all who felt any interest in
his welfare. In this desolate and almost hopeless
state, he addressed the following letter to the senior
chaplain of Ceylon:-" REVEREND SIR,

"There are many occasions in life when it is
easier to write than to speak, particularly when we
are obliged to speak of ourselves. Your known
condescension and kindness encourages me to hope
you will pardon my present intrusion.
" It is proper that I should acknowledge that my
own thoughtlessness and inconsiderate conduct, and
neglect of the instructions of an excellent father,
have been the cause of my present misfortunes. I
ran away from school and spent my time in dissipation with the young farmers of my neighbourhood;
which gave my poor father great uneasiness and
many a miserable hour; and finding me unwilling

OCCURRENCES IN INDIA.

157

to settle to any useful employment, he sent me to
sea, as a last resource, in hopes that time, and reflection, and experience of the world, might change my
habits, and lead me to a proper sense of my errors.
With the reluctant consent of both parents, I came
out in the Arniston, under the charge of Captain
Simpson, whose uniform kindness to me I gratefully
remember. He refused to give me permission to
stay in India, and I withdrew from his ship, with a
view to profit by the opportunity, and to see Calcutta, and other parts and places, before I returned
to England. In this expectation I have been disappointed, and knowing the dislike of my parents to
my present occupation, I have abandoned further
thoughts of continuing in it; at least till I can learn
their pleasure as to my future destiny. I humbly
throw myself on your kindness, and entreat you to
take me under your protection and guidance: for
which I hope to testify the gratitude of my heart,
by conducting myself with diligence and propriety.
I have the honour to remain with the greatest
respect,
"Your obedient servant,
" N. R.
Self-will is a principal source of mischief to young
people; submission and deference to age and experience, a chief virtue to be cultivated by them. To
follow his own inclination and leave the Arniston,
was a culpable thoughtlessness; nor can it be justi-

158

LIFE OF NUGENT RICHMOND.

fled or excused, though the consequences were
advantageous. There is, however, much to approve
in Nugent's frank and open avowal of his errors;
he might have concealed them; a more subtle mind
would have been tempted to do so; but simplicity
is always the best policy; it disarms hostility, and
disposes men to overlook the past, by the security
which seems to be given of future good conduct; it
relieves the parties from a train of evils and embarrassments, and temptations to new offences, which
will meet them at every step. To an honourable
mind it is ever painful to appear in false colours;
the fear of disclosure, and of the consequent loss,
perhaps of our friends, will always fill us with restlessness and apprehension. An offender had better
trust God with his case, than turn for deliverance
to the wretched expedients which his own pride
and folly might suggest. This appeal to a stranger,
" I have been an offending wanderer; therefore
take me under your protection," may seem to some
to be little consistent with prudence: but Nugent
could not have acted more wisely, if his letter had
been written under the irifluence of selfish calculation, instead of having been, as it appears to me,
the result of integrity.
It is also evident, from the last two letters, that
Mr. Richmond's care and instructions were not,
even now, without their use; there was clearly an
influence in operation, and a turning to right principles and feelings on the part of Nugent; which,

LOSS OF THE ARNISTON.

159

if too weak to stem the torrent of natural corruption, was doing much to contiol evil, and prepare
his mind'for its subjugation. Indeed, the full effect
of religious education is seldom seen, until a young
person has had an opportuniiy of making an experiment on the principles which he has been taught:
however pleasing the piety of children, it can never
be relied on: it must first stand the test of solitary
exposure to adverse circumstances. The family is
a kind of nursery of tender plants, of whose growth
and fruit we can determine nothing till they are
transplanted into other soils; but in all cases a conscientious and diligent cultivation of a child's mind,
accompanied by a consistent example, - without
which, instruction too often injures rather than
improves,-will be like the seed sown, which may
not appear for a season, but will in the end spring
up and reward our labour.
I have already remarked, that Mr. R. constantly
corresponded with his son; he did'more,-Nugent
was in his daily thoughts, and he earnestly and
continually carried him to a throne of grace; and I
cannot but ascribe to the faith and prayer of the
affectionate parent the remarkable escape of the
child. The Arniston having sailed without him,
was wrecked near Cape Lagullas, with the loss of
the whole crew. Three hundred and fifty persons
perished, and thus Nugent's error was overruled
by a gracious God to the preservation of his life.
But, his return being expected by this vessel, the

160

LIFE OF NUGENT RICHMOND.

account of its loss threw his parents and family into
the deepest affliction. The whole family went into
mourning; and the father sorrowed for his lost
child with a grief unmitigated by the communication of any cheering circumstance as to the state
of his mind, or his fitness for so sudden a change.
In the following winter, a letter was delivered to
Mr. Richmond, in the hand-.writing of the very son
whom he mourned as dead; announcing that he was
alive,-that circumstances had prevented his setting
sail in the Arniston, of whose fate he seemed to be
unconscious; and communicating details of his present engagements and future prospects. The transition of feeling to which the receipt of this letter
gave rise, produced an effect almost as overwhelming
as that which the report of his death had occasioned.
The family mourning was laid aside, and Mr. Richmond trusted he might recognise in this singular
interposition of Divine Providence, a ground for
hope that his "child's present deliverance was a
pledge of that spiritual recovery, which was now
alone wanting to fill up the measure of his gratitude
and praise.
Such interposition of Providence may be treated
with indifference and contempt by men of the
world; but Mr. R. bowed the knee, and thankfully praised God: " I have prayed to Thee,
O Father, in secret, and Thou hast rewarded me
openly."
Soon after Nugent left the Arniston, he obtained

161

LETTERS TO HIS PARENTS.

the situation of third officer in the brig Kandian.
Of this appointment he informed his father, adding,
" And now, my dear parents, while you are living
quietly at home, I am tossed about the stormy ocean
in all weathers, and never knowing that I am safe
a moment. I hope Wilberforce will take warning
from my sad wanderings, or he will never be happy;
receive my kind love, dear father and mother; the
same to my brothers and sisters; I hope God will
take care of me, forgive and convert me; he is the
best friend; do not cease to pray for me, and
remember me still, for I am
" Your affectionate Son,
" N. R."
From some unknown cause, the letters from
England, though sent at regular periods, did not
reach their destination; and Nugent suffered much
anxiety at not hearing from his family: he writes"

EVER DEAR AND

AFFECTIONATE PARENTS,

*
*
It is now two years since I
left England, and I have neither heard from nor of
you, except once from a missionary, who told me
he had seen you in Yorkshire a few months after I
sailed, and that you were quite well. He is a very
good man, and I have been to hear him several
, another
I have also attended Mr. times.
missionary, and a valuable servant of God; indeed
"*

M

162

LIFE OF NUGENT RICHMOND.

they all appear to be of one heart and one spirit,
Would to God I were like them! Mr. has
been very kind to me; but he is a bad man, and
altogether unfit to be a clergyman. I shall not
mention his faults, for it seems ungrateful to dwell
on a benefactor's misconduct, or indeed on the misconduct of any one. I have been greatly distressed
at hearing nothing of my poor mother, who has
shed so many tears on my account; nor of my dear
brothers and sisters, though I have written so many
letters to them.
" So the Arniston was lost ! Oh! merciful
escape.
" I am sorry to say, my new captain is a wild,
extravagant, and dissipated man, always giving
balls and routs on board, or on shore. *
*
*
Dancing and singing to a late hour is a sad way of
spending Saturday night. It shocks me to say, my
dear father, I have only been to church about twelve
times since I left England: indeed, sailors scarcely
know what church is, except on board men-of-war,
where there is a chaplain: nevertheless, if we cannot
go to church, we seldom work on a Sunday as on a
week-day: so that I have time to read the Bible
and pray. You gave me a Bible when I left you,
and I have it still, and hope always to have it. Oh,
that I knew how to make a right use of it ! Be
assured, my dear father, I neither dance nor gamble;
although there is much of both here, and I should
please more if I did as others; I thank God I know

LETTERS TO HIS PARENTS.

163

not how to do either, and I am sure I have no wish
to be wise in such things. I have encountered many
unpleasant remiarks on this account. Pray for me,
pray for your poor Nugent; think, when you are
in bed and by your fireside, I am toiling by day
and watching by night, tossed about in gales of
wind, scared by storms of thunder, lightning, and
rain, ignorant of my fate for a single hour. Oh !
a sailor's life is wicked, miserable, and deplorable;
but this is all the fruit of my sin, and I justly
deserve my chastisement. Farewell! That you may
long live, and my mother, and my sisters, and my
brothers, to enjoy every blessing, temporal and
eternal, is the ardent wish of
"Your affectionate Son,
" IN. R."
A few months after, he wrote again to his
mother :" MY DEAREST AND MOST AFFECTIONATE MOTHER,

"I have just heard that the ship Alexander is
arrived at Columbo, by which I hope to receive
letters from home. I am on the other side of
Ceylon, and I fear it may be a fortnight or three
weeks before I can get them here, and we expect
to sail before that time. I am all uneasiness; and
still more anxious when I think what will be said
in them. Sometimes I am pleased, then I am grieved
and fear: uncertain of their contents, still I long to

164

LIFE OF NUGENT RICHMOND.

read them. Thanks to an all-merciful God, I have
succeeded well in India, especially when I consider
I had no fridnd to guide me: but my success gives
me little satisfaction, while I reflect on the wounded
feelings of an affectionate mother. I now, indeed,
see and feel my folly; if I had taken your advice,
I should never have suffered so many hardships;
but this is not my greatest trial, my sins will all
rise up against me in the hour of death and at the
day of judgment. Oh! that I could feel this consideration as I ought; my insensibility distresses me.
May the Lord help me.
"Nov. 2. No letter. I am full, of uneasiness
and anxiety. This is Sunday, and the vessel is
under my command. My superior officers are gone
on shore, I fear for no good; they think very little
of worship,--officers or men. The men are great
gamblers. I went among them this evening, and
found them at hazard: I threw the dice overboard,
though probably my life is in danger for what I
have done, for the dice belonged to a Spaniard, who
thinks nothing of using his stiletto: but I have done
what I considered my duty, and I must trust God
with the consequences. The Portuguese sailors,
when provoked, are as revengeful as the Spaniards:
the other night I nearly lost my life from a party of
them; there had been a quarrel between some
Portuguese and English sailors; I was walking
alone on shore, and fifteen of the former cam6 up
and asked me to what nation I belonged: and on

LETTERS TO HIS PARENTS.

165

my replying, 'To the English,' they lifted up their
dudgels to level me with the ground. I raised my
arms to defend my head, when they discovered my
uniform and buttons, and cried out, 'Don't strike
him!' for they perceived I was not a common sailor,
or I certainly should have been killed on the spot.
This was another wonderful escape. God is very
good to me, and I long to make a suitable return to
him.
"Nov. 4. This day my letters are arrived, but
they are a series of sorrows to me. When I read
the first, how I felt? I could scarcely hold it in
my hand: I sobbed and wept. 0 my poor mother !
I have occasioned your illness, and endangered your
life. I do not know how to go on writing; I
cannot put two words comfortably together. I
know, my dear mother, you prayed for me in that
trying hour . . . .
"Mr. B--,
who is returning to Europe, has
behaved very kindly to me ever since I first knew
him, which is now more than a year; he will tell
you all about me. I am conscious of not being
what you would wish me to be; but I hope, by
God's grace, to be made altogether such as you
desire. I know you pray for me continually, and I
trust that God will change my heart before I die.
Farewell, my dear mother; I shall write whenever
opportunity serves; do you write constantly to me.
Remember me most kindly to my father, brothers,
and sisters. That they may live long in the enjoy-

166

LIFE OF NUGENT RICHMOND.

ment of every blessing, is the earnest pray for them
all, of
"Your affectionate
"4
N."
I have ever remarked that no case is hopeless
where there is strong affection. An unimpassioned
soul is seldom touched by anything. beyond the
range of its own selfish gratifications, and usually
presents a stubborn resistance to considerations
which affect only, or chiefly, the welfare of others;
but an affectionate temper, amidst many sinful
wanderings, is still capable of impressions.
The letters of Nugent discover a very feeling
and grateful spirit, a sense of obligation, and a selfcondemnation for past misconduct. They display a
conflict between duty and irregular inclination, and,
in some instances, a firmness of principle far above
mere nature. They could not fail to inspire a
pleasing expectation, that though an enemy had
sown tares in the field, the wheat would ultimately
overtop tliem and grow to maturity. Mr. Richmond's heart was full of hope, and his faith leaned
on the promises of God with firmer dependence; he
was encouraged to more vigorous perseverance in
interceding for his much-loved child; he had carried
his sorrows to God, and he now praised him for his
faithfulness in alleviating them. About this time
the following. letter was received from a missionary
at Columbo, which bears an honourable testimony

LETTERS TO HIS PARENTS.

167

to Nugent's improved conduct. It will be read wit'1
interest by those who can sympathize with a father's
sufferings, or understand the joy which welcomes a
returning penitent.
" DEAR AND REVEREND SIR,

"I have no doubt you will excuse the liberty a
stranger takes, who knows you only by name, in
writing to you a few lines, which cannot fail to
interest both you and your family. I have a father's
heart, and know well the feelings with which you
will receive the information I send you respecting
Mr. Nugent Richmond, your once disobedient son.
It would be most pleasing to me to say that he is a
humble penitent, seeking life and salvation through
the boundless merits of a crucified Redeemer; but
though I fear to go thus far, I am warranted to
bear testimony to a real change in him in many
respects. He is become quite steady in his conduct,
and is very attentive to the duties of his profession,
and you have not the least cause for anxiety with
regard to his temporal welfare; nor is he by any
means careless and unconcerned about the things
which make for his eternal peace. He is much
more anxious than he used to be for religious
society, and often attends our evening meetings.
This morning he breakfasted with us, and I endeavoured to supply your place in my poor way, by
interrogating him in the most serious manner,
respecting the state of his soul; and when I found

168

LIFE OF NUGENT RICHMOND.

himn unprepared to answer me in the way I wished,
I urged his still closer attention to religion, by
motives addressed to his hopes and fears. I read to
him the fifty-first Psalm, and he listened with deep
interest, and seemed to feel every word. I prayed
for him in my family worship, and enjoyed a more
than usual freedom in spreading his case before the
Lord. When we rose from our knees, I believe
there were few dry eyes. On the whole, I think
we have reason to hope the best respecting your
son: I advised him to read some passage in the
Bible every day, with special application to his own
case, and to turn it into prayer for himself. I have
heard many acknowledge that they have received
great benefit from praying in God's own words.
May poor Nugent be another instance. I cannot
close this hasty letter, without informing you of
the good effect of the 'Dairyman's Daughter' in
Ceylon. A person of whose conversion I do not
doubt, and who has joined our little church, ascribes
his change of heart to God and you.
"Begging you will read with candour what I
have written vith difficulty,
" I am, with respectful and affectionate regard,
"Yours,
" J. C."
The caution with which this correspondent speaks
of conversion, renders his testimony the more valuable; yet it appears to me very evident, that

LETTERS TO HIS PARENTS.

169

Nugent was making progress towards a complete
surrender of his heart to God, and that his mind
was at this time under the influence of real principle. He might be less acquainted than others
with experimental religion, and have much to learn
as to the cause of all his wanderings, and the entire
corruption of his heart: defects of this kind he
laments himself, and in all his letters describes
his case rather as that of one who seeks and longs
to be a true convert, than of one who has attained
a saving change: still, in a long series of correspondence before me, I remark in him a gradual, and
very real approximation to all that is correct in
opinion and conduct; he never reflects on any one
but himself; he labours to guard his brothers against
sin, by the knowledge of its effects and consequences
in his own history; he bears an affectionate testimony to the conscientious consistency of his parents;
he wishes for an opportunity to make some suitable
returns for their kindness; he connects every event
with the disposition of Divine Providence; he
secures the respect and countenance of every one by
his steady and correct conduct; he courts the
society of good people; he firmly resists evil, though
attended with danger to himiself; and on all occasions expresses himself with so much affection and
veneration for true religion, as on the whole satisfies
my own mind, that even if he had now been
removed from the world, his family would have had
no reason to have sorrowed as those without hope.

170

LIFE OF NUGENT RICHMOND.

There is not, however, in these letters such a degree
of interest to persons unacquainted with him as to
warrant their introduction. A sufficient number
relating to this period are already before the reader,
to show the value of early instruction under every
circumstance.
The young sailor quitted the Kenyon, which was
sold by the government, and went on board the
Oracabessa, from which vessel he wrote to his father
the following affecting account of the state of slavery
at the Mauritius ;-a letter full of correct feeling,
and still more satisfactory evidence of right conduct.
"M

DEAR FATHER,

"We are on the point of sailing for the Mauritius.
* * * I know that you will be pleased to hear
that I am taking out some Bibles, Testaments, and
tracts in different languages, which were sent to me
by my friend Lieutenant B, to distribute and
try what good I could do there. How is it there
are no missionaries at the Mauritius,- an island
containing thirty thousand souls; ten thousand
whites, and twenty thousand men of colour ? I can
safely assure you, there is no part of the world
where the British flag is flying, which is half so
ignorant, or in such a dreadful state of darkness:
there is, indeed, scarcely any religion at all there;
what there is, is Roman Catholic; it is true there
is an English church, and perhaps from twenty to
thirty persons in it once a-day, and the clergyman

LETTERS TO HIS PARENTS.

171

* * * * But the island, from one end to the
other, exhibits every species of vice, without control
or check of any kind. Slavery, as you know, is the
cause of everything that is bad: never were its
frightful effects more clearly shown than in this
place; they are far worse than even in our West
India plantations. I have been an eye-witness to
scenes altogether shocking to humanity: the heaviest
punishments are inflicted for faults which in
England would receive a trifling fine, or a short
imprisonment. Masters have chopped off the ears
of their slaves, and in some instances have literally
starved them to death. Neither is the slave-trade
extinct in this part of the world, but is still carried
on to great extent. There may be a stricter watch
against the slave vessels, but nevertheless they are
here every month, and I have known the slaves to
have been taken into harbour in empty water-casks
to elude detection.
" Now, my father, take your Atlas and look at
the position of Mauritius, Bambour, and Madagascar,
with the African main. Slaves are to be procured
at either of the last places for about thirty dollars
a-head. If taken to Bourbon or the Mauritius,
they fetch from three to four hundred dollars. Is
not this an irresistible temptation to a slave-trader,
when he is sure of his price if he can escape the
vigilance of the naval officers ? If you look at the
position of these places, you may judge of the ease

172

LIFE OF NUGENT RICHMOND.

of carrying on this traffic, when I tell you that
there is only one man-of-war in the harbour of Port
Louis to search vessels which come in; and not one
cruising about this coast, though it is well known
that there are five Spanish ships, two Portuguese,
and one English, employed in the trade. One of
these vessels was lately wrecked there; of the crew,
one sailor only was saved, who is now on board our
ship; he has frequently conversed with me, and I
am persuaded his information is correct.
" Now can nothing be done to restrain the cruel
treatment of these poor creatures ? On landing at
Port Louis you would see one of them in irons,
and, as you advanced, another flogged most unmercifully, without distinction of sex; and in general
no clothing allowed; some kind-hearted masters
give a dollar a-year for clothes. There is, I believe, a code of laws, but they are never enforced.
I have myself seen slaves unable to stand, from the
severity of their punishment; thirty in a row, on
whose backs gashes, not lashes, might be observed,
pieces fairly cut out, and in some instances an eye
forced out, and there is no redress: nor are they
fed properly. I had forty-five of them working
under me, for whom their owner received a dollar
a-day per head; they worked from sunrise to sunset: and what was their food? For breakfast a
cake, made of a kind 'of potato, weighing three
ounces; for dinner half a pound of boiled rice, with

LETTERS TO HIS PARENTS.

173

one spoonful of assinge, or an equal quantity of
horse-beans; for supper, the same as at breakfast,
with a little water to drink.
"I will tell you an instance which I know to be
true, amidst many others, which I have heard from
men of veracity. A woman flogged her own sister,
who was unfortunately her slave also, till she fainted.
She then twisted her arms till the poor creature
nearly expired. She then let her recover, and
singed her flesh with a hot iron. * * * * *
The sufferer never complained; indeed, if she had,
it would have been worse for her in the end; the
truth is, there is a combination among the people
of the whole island to resist the law, and support
each other in their acts of oppression. My object
in mentioning these things to you is, that you should
first make inquiry to satisfy yourself of the truth of
the facts, and then try to get something done for
these wretched beings. If such cruelties be passed
by with indifference in the harbour, what unobserved abominations may be expected in the interior
of the island !
"It is said that the climate requires no clothing,
but this is false: the nights are very cold, and the
season sometimes severe. I have even slept under
several blankets and been cold. How many poor
souls have not one!
* * * Kindest love to
all, and
"Believe me, my dear father,
"Your affectionate son,
" N. R."

174

LIFE OF NUGENT RICHMOND.

From the Bay of All-saints, he touches again on
this horrid traffic:-" I have made many observations on the country and people here, and particularly on the slave-trade; all of which will confirm
what I have already told you respecting it. This
port is full of slave-ships, and I am lying close to
one which has just landed seven hundred, men,
women, and children. What a pity this nation
should persist in this infamous traffic! I admit the
slaves are better used than in some other places,
but still they are exposed to the caprices and unrestrained passions of corrupt nature.
"I have been distributing tracts and Bibles,
which some have rejected with scorn, and others
received with thanks. I assure you I have spent
more time in this way than in attending to my
worldly interest, and so I ought; for I am indebted
to Him for all my mercies, in whose cause I am so
labouring; and if only one Bible finds its way to
the heart, what shall I think of my task in eternity?
Wherever I go, I will labour faithfully in this good
work, to the utmost of my power, and particularly
in the Isle of France, for that island is grievously
neglected as to all spiritual instruction.
"I have conversed with two Catholic priests;
they appear to me to be pious men, though they
refuse to sanction the distribution of the Scriptures
among the laity. I confess I am not able to argue
with them."
Upon the chief subjects of these letters we may

LETTERS TO HIS PARENTS.

175

again remark the happy recollections of his early
years. From his excellent father he had imbibed
an aversion to this iniquitous traffic, and a sense of
its wretched effects on the well-being, both of the
oppressor and the oppressed; from him he had learnt
also to value the Holy Scriptures as God's best gift
to a ruined world, and had received associations of
sentiment and affection which no subsequent wanderings of sinful inclination, no exposure to the
temptations of scenes full of danger, and abounding
with iniquity, could ever obliterate. The principles
of his education restrained him in his worst moments, and they obtained a permanent ascendancy
with the return of those better feelings which were
produced by the salutary correction of his misfortunes. In his case, the experiment of a voyage was
successful, though it may be doubted whether, in
general, any other result can reasonably be expected
from it than a confirmation of a young man's evil
propensities. It seemed good to a wise and gracious
God to exercise this misguided, but affectionate
youth, with a succession of disappointments, mingled with merciful preservations, and to train him
in the school of adversity, to show the good effect
of a pious father's instructions, and the rich value
of his blessings and prayers.
His shipwrecks-his losses--and the severe trial
in the death of an amiable young woman to whom
he was engaged in marriage, have been detailed by
another hand; and I have only to add a few ex-

176

LIFE OF NUGENT RICHMOND.

tracts from numerous letters in my possession,
illustrative of his progress in unfeigned piety.
"The happiest day I could see in this world
would be that on which I might mingle myself
once more with you all. Oh! with what joy should
I return to you, my dear father and my dear mother,
to receive your forgiveness, and welcome home
again.
God only knows whether we shall ever
meet on this side eternity; there seem to be more
difficulties and obstacles in my way every year.
" The next happy day would be when the Lord,
who has been ever kind and merciful to me, should
entirely wean me from this wicked world and its
temptations; then should I be as happy as I wish
to be.
" My Bible, which is everything, is the only
means of grace I have; by reading it, with some
other good books, tracts, and sermons, I hope to
keep close to the fear of God.
" There are two clergymen here, but, alas !-I
must say no evil, when I can say no good of them.
I wish some missionaries, truly pious men, were
sent out to us; I assure you we have great need of
spiritual instructors. A good man preached in a
brig close to us yesterday; and I hope next Sunday
to hoist the flag of Zion at our mainmast head.
"My dear father, you have now four sons, will
you spare me one of them ? it will be a great charge,
but not the first of the kind. I have had a youngster three years under my care, and it will be some

177

LETTERS TO HIS PARENTS.

security to you for my proper conduct, when I tell
you that Lieutenant B-is going to put his
younger son under my management. He is a pious
man, and his confidence in me may serve to show
that I am not altogether undeserving of yours.
"I have never kept my birthday but once since
I left England. I sat and felt so melancholy,
instead of being joyful; and with good reason,
when I look back on years that are past.
" We sail for the Mauritius to-morrow, and I
have humbly besought the Lord, who has ever been
merciful to me, to protect and preserve us all."
" Oh, my good father, no one can imagine the
horrors of a shipwreck, but those who have experienced it. Many, many heartfelt thanks to that
Providence which has again rescued me from a
watery grave. I had made a little fortune, and was
returning home with presents for my family, and
with three beautiful shawls for my dear mother;
but all is lost, except one trunk, in which was my
Bible and the Dairyman's Daughter. Thus all my
hopes and expectations have been frustrated. Yet
I believe these things are for my good. I must
begin the world afresh, and I hope to do so in more
senses than one. Tell my dear mother not to grieve
for my misfortunes, God knows what is best for us.
" While the ship was driving, and it blew a perfect hurricane, I went down to my cabin to pray to
the Lord for his assistance and protection in this
trying hour. In the midst of prayer, and while
N

178

LIFE OF NUGENT

RICHMOND.

the tears were in my eyes, the ship struck on the
sand, with a shock that brought many to the
ground; I staggered a little, though on my knees,
was thrown off a chest on
and my little L. B-which he lay close to me. Everything was now
confusion. In the meantime I again went below
and prayed with heart and soul to Almighty God
to save us: and my prayers were answered, * *
for a certain something-a kind of comfortable
thought seemed to rise within me and say, LThy
life shall be spared.' Not all the shocks, seas, or
winds, could afterwards make me fear or think to
the contrary. Surely there never was a greater
proof than this that the Lord is always with us.
It animated and comforted me, and made me work
and exert myself with redoubled vigour, though a
great part of the night it rained hard, accompanied
with thunder and lightning.
" Oh ! how thankful I ought to be to Almighty
God for his many mercies repeatedly shown to me;
indeed, I trust I know that suitable returns are expected from me. * * * * When I look back
on the last twenty-five years, I am lost in wonder
and astonishment. My dear father, do not forget
the 18th of July.
" One thing grieved me in the shipwreck more
than all-the loss of some valuable presents for my
family; but this is God's will; it is the Lord's
doing, and all is for the best.
" I am returning home for the re-establishment

LETTERS TO HIS PARENTS.

179

of my health, which has suffered severely from exposure to hardships by night and day: but the
happiness of seeing you all once more, will not a
little contribute to my restoration. My heart beats,
and my head turns giddy, at the thought of this
meeting; it will be both a pleasing and a painful
one to me.
" Do not expect me before the end of July or the
beginning of August. I shall, of course, write to
my father on my arrival, that I may not take you
by surprise. And oh ! my dear mother, pray for a
safe voyage for me, and a happy meeting to us all.
I have had many trials, afflictions, and crosses for
the last ten months, but I feel the loss of her to
whom I was engaged most of all, perhaps too
much. Still in all these things there is one great
consolation; they are sent by Him who careth for
me. I believe they are all ordered in wisdom and
mercy, though you and I may not be able to interpret their meaning. If we could see the end, as
we shall do by and by, I am quite satisfied we
should gratefully acknowledge that they were intended for good; and this comfortable assurance,
through him who loveth us better than we love
ourselves, will, I trust, be my support, and inspire
me with cheerful resignation and renewed confidence
in God. I have many thoughts about eternity;
though, alas! the Wicked One strives to banish
them from my mind.
"Your truly valuable letters, my dear mother,

180

LIFE OF NUGENT RICHMOND.

discover so much affection and kindness towards
me, that I know not how to express my joy and
thankfulness; they often draw tears from my
eyes, and are the dearer to me the more I read
them. I have a great deal to say, to propose, and
to request, and hardly know whether to begin now,
or wait till I have the joy of seeing my dearest
parents. What a meeting will this be! I seem to
dread it, though it will be a grief inexpressible
were it not to take place. * * * * Pray for
an unfortunate wanderer, and may God answer
your prayers, to my present and eternal good."
The expected return of Nugent was an event
which warmed every heart in Turvey Rectory
with the most anxious and affectionate sympathy.
The whole family was eager, either to welcome a
relative whom they scarcely knew but by report,
or to renew an affection which time and distance
had not effaced, but rather strengthened.
Mrs. Richmond fitted up, partly with her own
hand, a room for her son's reception, and.arranged
everything to testify her regard for her returning
child, and banish every painful recollection from
his mind; but after the lapse of a few months, his
death, instead of his arrival, was announced.
His constitution had been greatly impaired by
unhealthy climates, and the succession of hardships
to which he had been exposed; and both his health
and his spirits finally sunk under the last and great-

HIS DEATH.

181

. After this event
est trial, the death of Miss he resolved on returning immediately to England.
Previous to the voyage he had an attack of fever,
and embarked in very weak health. The ship met
with a heavy gale, which induced him to exert himself beyond his strength; he had a relapse of fever,
became very ill, and was occasionally delirious.
Immediate danger was not apprehended: but one
night he went to bed about twelve o'clock, and was
found dead in his cabin the next morning, to the
surprise and grief of all on board, by whom he was
universally beloved and respected.
Alone in the hour of his departure from sin and
sorrow, yet not alone, for his God, and the God of
his father, was with him, and gave him rest from
the days of adversity.*
An ivory box containing a few jewels and goldchains, which he had intended as presents for his
brothers and sisters, was discovered in his pocket
after his decease. On the inside of the cover, the
following lines were written in his own hand in
pencil, apparently a short time before his death:" Where vice has held his empire long,
'Twill not endure the least control:
None but a power divinely strong,
Can turn the current of the soul.
Great God I I own thy power divine,
That works to change this heart of mine;
I would be formed anew, and bless
The wonders of redeeming grace."
* The chief part of his property was lost with the Oracabessa;

182

LIFE OF NUGENT RICHMOND.

While little was known of his dying moments,
the most satisfactory accounts of his living hours
were received by Mr. Richmond from many persons
who, for some years, had observed Nugent's exemplary conduct.
In a letter to his daughter at Glasgow, Mr. R.
thus adverted to them:
" The circumstances attendant upon our dear
Nugent's end are few and simple. You are aware
what a long series of favourable accounts of his
general behaviour we have had from a variety of
quarters. You should know, that from at least five
religious friends I have received highly satisfactory
testimonies of his religious feelings and principles,
although he was modest and reserved in speaking of himself. I had much information while I
was visiting his most intimate friend, Mr. Bailey, in
the Isle of Wight (late of Gibraltar), whose little
babe was christened Mercy Nugent Richmond.
The time of his shipwreck seemed to have been one
of special prayer and impression.
" His affections for his relatives were very strong.
but he left, out of the scanty store reserved froin three shipwrecks, a hundred rupees to general charitable purposes; 501. to
the Bible Society; 501. to the Church Missionary Society; 501.
to the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge; and 501. to
the Religious Tract Society. The selection of these charitable
institutions was probably designed to express affection and respect
for his father's preferences, as well as regard on his own part for
the truths of religion.

IIS DEATH.

183

His principles of honourable conduct, integrity,
pecuniary accuracy, official diligence, kind manners,
and, moral deportment, were exemplary. He lived
in much esteem, and died much beloved. Dear
boy! He was snatched from our embraces at the
hour of his returning to them. He is buried in
the depths of the ocean. But the sea shall give up
her dead, and I trust he shall then appear a living
soul."
A melancholy feeling steals over the spirits, as
we follow this first-born son of an excellent man
through each succeeding calamity of his life, to a
solitary death.
We must adore in silence, confidently resting on
the wisdom and goodness of Him whom clouds and
darkness surround, while 'righteousness and truth
are the habitations of his seat.'
The history before us exhibits in the clearest
light (and this is my chief purpose in writing it)
the inestimable blessing of a pious parent, and the
value of religious education under all possible contingencies. "In the morning sow thy seed, and in
the evening withhold not thine hand, for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that,
or whether they both shall be alike good." (Eccles.
xi. 6.)

184

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

CHAPTER VI.
" And therefore wert thou bred to virtuous knowledge,
And wisdom early planted in thy soul."
ROWE.

WILBERFORCE was the second son of his father, and
was born in Turvey Rectory, Aug. 20, 1807.
Mr. R. intended to have added another tract to
the annals of pious young people. He had prepared
materials for this purpose, and had even chosen
that title for his narrative, which I have adopted
for the present tribute of affection to his memory.
It is deeply to be regretted that he did not live to
execute his design. His talent for religious biography was peculiar, perhaps unequalled. He drew
his sketches from real life, with a scrupulous attention to truth, and never failed to touch the heart.
But such was the poignancy of his feelings in the
recollection of past scenes, that he was often compelled to lay aside the attempt, and wait for a season
of greater composure. Meanwhile his own increasing infirmities, and his final removal from earthly

CHILDHOOD OF WILBERFORCE.

186

scenes and earthly sorrows, deprived the Christian
world of a most instructive memoir, which, though
complete in the outline, and comprising all he meant
to say of his son, from the cradle to the grave, is so
imperfect in its detail, that no further use can be
made of his materials, than to guide me in my feeble
delineation of the character of this interesting boy.
Soon after his birth he was received into the
Christian Church by the rite of baptism, when his
father called him Wilberforce, connecting with that
name the most important event in his own life, his
conversion to God by the perusal of the 'Practical
View of Christianity.' *
While an infant he was taken by his parents on
a visit to . Certain associations impart an
interest to circumstances apparently trivial, while
they are fondly regarded as presages of future eminence, and often stimulate to the diligent employment of means for its attainment. Of this character
is the following anecdote :"I cannot forget a circumstance which occurred
in his infancy; his mother and myself were on a
visit at a friend's house.
A large family were
assembled at morning prayers, and amongst them
was our little boy in his nurse's arms. An aged
and venerable minister was conducting the familyworship. In the midst of his prayer the child
began to cry. The good man paused, and beckoned
* See Memoir of Mr. Richmond, p. 16.

186

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

the servant to give him the infant. He took him
in his arms, and held him for several minutes,
during which he offered up most affecting petitions
on his behalf, praying earnestly, and in a manner
that touched all our hearts, that it might please
God to bless him for time and eternity; that if his
life were spared, he might be a blessing to his
parents and the church of God, and finally have an
inheritance with the saints in light. He then returned the child, now pacified, to the nurse's arms,
and resumed the general subject of his prayer,
which had thus been interrupted. There was an
affecting singularity in the transaction, which much
interested us at the time; and now that I am engaged in the retrospective view of what passed,
from the cradle to the grave of my beloved son, it
recurs to my recollection with peculiar emotions of
heart. The venerable man of God is long since
gone to his rest, but his prayer was recorded in
heaven, and the Lord in mercy has given it a gracious answer."
When little more than two years old, he fell from
a window on the pavement; and, though he recovered from the accident, he was lame ever afterwards, and the natural delicacy of his constitution
was probably increased by the injury he received at
that time. This circumstance would scarcely have
deserved a serious mention, if it did not seem to be
a link in the chain of events which contributed

WILBERFORCE S PURSUITS.

187

towards the formation of his character, by rendering
him unfit for boyish sports, and compelling him to
seek amusements in higher occupations.*
His resource was the Museum, and the experiments made by his father's philosophical apparatus.
In these he took a principal share, and resorted to
them when his other studies did not require his
attention.
Electricity, pneumatics, mineralogy,
chemistry, and music, in which he was no mean
proficient, occupied his leisure hours. He delighted
in science of every kind, but especially in mathematics. The indubitable verity of a demonstration
suited his turn of mind, and had God spared his life,
he would probably have distinguished himself at the
university. Such was the opinion of his tutor,
who in a letter of condolence to his father after his
death, speaks of him as a boy of no common intelligence and attainment:" I marked the superior endowments of his mind
in the first hours of our intercourse, and was confirmed in my opinion by each succeeding year. He
caught an idea quickly: seemed never to forget it;
for his memory was remarkably strong and retentive, and he made more rapid and solid attainments than any other boy placed under my care.
* To treat little things with contempt is no mark of superior
intelligence. Their potency is acknowledged by all thoughtful
observers of the course of events, whether in the sparrow that
falls, or the single hair which is numbered.

188

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

At a very early period he read Euclid, and surprised
me by his acute and sensible observations on the
character of pure mathematies. He appeared delighted to master a difficult problem, and before he
was twelve years of age, had exceeded the advance
of many men of two years standing at the university.
" I observed an equal neatness and success in his
classical exercises and translations. But I was still
more astonished at his discrimination and knowledge
of character. This must have arisen from his seeking
the conversation of his superiors. He had a thinking
mind, and a habit of going to the bottom of a subject.
He was not without his prejudices, and sometimes
expressed a contempt for authority, and assumed an
air of confidence in his own opinion, which needed
checking; though I never found him obstinate, or
averse to re-consider his decisions, and but seldom
in any material error.
" He had a playful temper, and with great good
humour would join his brothers in a gambol; but
when alone, he was more like a little man than a
child,-he was, in short, an amusing and rational
companion."
The writer of the above extract left Turvey when
his pupil was about twelve years of age. Wilberforce expressed great regret at his removal, and
addressed his tutor in a letter equally creditable to
both parties. I lay it before the reader to show the
affectionate and grateful temper of the one, and to

WILBERFORCE S PURSUITS.

189

bear an honourable testimony to the conscientious
and valuable services of the other:" MY DEAR SIR,

"I hope you will not suppose that I am insensible
to the value of your kind and affectionate care of
me. I know that nothing wounds more deeply than
neglect and ingratitude, and I hope I have never,
amidst many other errors, fallen into this offence.
If I have appeared ungrateful, I sincerely ask pardon. I fear I have often behaved disrespectfully,
and 'done many things which I ought not to have
But I assure you, I never gave offence
done.'
without pain to myself, and the reproof of my own
conscience, and a resolution to amend. I am certain
all these things will be forgotten, but I thought I
might not have a better opportunity of telling you
how deeply I regret them. I shall ever entertain
the liveliest emotions of gratitude for the care and
pains you have takenin superintending and directing
my studies; and though distance may separate us,
I trust love will unite us. I am persuaded you will
never forget me, and I beg you will receive this
book as a tribute of affection, and a memorial of
lasting friendship. My obligations to you are many,
and I wish you to possess something as a token of
my sense of them. Perchance, when you take up
the volume, you will recur to former scenes and
associations, and think of Turvey-' sed Tempora
mutantur.' I hope my letter will not displease you:

190

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

if I have not ' the pen of a ready writer,' I can
safely say, I am sincere in all I have said. Be
assured of this, that however far distant you may
be, or whatever clime you may dwell in, long indeed must the time be before I can forget so good a
master as you have been to me. I cannot bid you
farewell, until I have wished you health and happiness wherever you may be. I shall highly value
and prize your correspondence.
"Ever yours, gratefully and affectionately,
" WILBERFORCE. "

I perceive by Mr. R.'s memoranda, that he took
his little boy on a visit to London, with a view to
amuse and instruct him by the curiosities of that
magnificent metropolis.
I have no doubt the conversation with his child
on this occasion was intended for insertion, and
would probably have afforded an illustration of his
own constant aim at improvement, no less than of
the character and progress of his companion. A
letter to Wilberforce, on a subsequent visit to
town by himself, may in a small degree supply
the defect.
" MY DEAR MASTER WILBERFORCE,

" As you asked me to describe to you some of
the sights which have met my eye in this sightly and
sightful city, I will obey you.

WILBERFORCE'S

PURSUITS.

191

" I. The Hobby, or Accelerator, or Adjutor. The
neatness of its motions, the swiftness of its speed,
the elegance of its management, and the simplicity
of its construction, are very remarkable. I have
not had a quiet opportunity of trying it, nor do I
think the lame can manage it so well as others. On
Tuesday next, a new one for ladies only is to be
exhibited. All the town is wild this year after
'hobbies, as they were last year for kaleidoscopes.
Old men and children, young men and maidens, will
soon be whirling and twirling like tetotums. Twelve
places of exhibition already exist. I have been
much amused with the sight.
" II. The Automaton Chess-player. Nothing ever
surprised or perplexed me so much as this. It is a
masterpiece of mechanical invention, and how it
acts is as yet past discovery. It has been shown
throughout Europe, but no one has approached to
detection. It had so singular an effect on my
nerves, that I wished for permission to give one
immense laugh, and another immense cry, in order
to give vent to my exuberant spirits. The whole
company sat in motionless wonder for an hour,
during which one of them played against the Automaton Turk, and was beaten, though a first-rate
player; which vexed him not a little, and he pinched
his nose, and bit his fingers with vexation. Our
silence was then broken by a man of wood, dressed
as a trumpeter, and who played like a trumpeter,
and full well he trumpeted, for he accompanied,

192

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

with great precision, his master and maker, who
played a piece on the piano-forte.
" III. The Gothic Hall of ancient armoury. This
is very magnificent- cost three thousand pounds,
and, alas! is going to be sold by auction, like
Bullock's museum, part of the dissolution of which
I have witnessed in the auction-room. I saw an
antique piece of sculpture put up; one pound,.said
a gentleman; two, said another; three-four-five
-one hundred, said the next; two hundred and
fifty, said an old lady; five hundred, said another
-and down it went.
" IV. The Sostenente Piano-forte. Lovely, sweet,
chaste, bewitching tones. Very handsome in appearance-price from one hundred and ten to three
hundred guineas.
" V. Dr. Thornton's lecture on the human frame.
A fresh subject discussed every time. About thirty
ladies and forty gentlemen present; very useful and
instructive. Fine transparent paintings of the different parts of the system illustrated; a grand collection of human bones, and of all kinds of animals;
he exhibited the laughing gas, and it made us all
laugh wonderfully; none could conceive the effect
without seeing it; several of the company tried and
exhibited the experiment. He produced, by another
gas, a globe of fire, quite indeed, quite as bright as
the sun at noon-day. He also made, as H- would
say, 'an enormous bang,' with soap-suds and
hydrogen gas. The ladies screamed with fright,

EXHIBITIONS.

193

but no harm was done, and the laughing gas
banished all alarms.
"VI. The Panorama of Spitzbergen, novel and
satisfactory. Icebergs, ice-mountains, snow, seas,
ships, seals, sea-horses, walruses, white bears, Arctic
dogs, &c. in abundance; skies terrific-the whole
admirably executed, and affording a complete lecture on the natural history of the Polar districts.
" VII. The Dandies. Very numerous and vastly
abominable. I will not describe them, for verily my
soul loatheth them. The dandizettes, the more
sightly objects of the two; but, alas! vanity of
vanities, all is vanity!
"VIII. The Southwark Bridge, which you and
I saw casting at Rotherham. It strides most nobly
across the Thames, and is a grand ornament to the
4
river.
"IX. The Persian Ambassador. A fine figure
in full costume, and quite answers one's idea of an
Oriental Mahometan grandee.
"X. The Fair Circassian. As nobody sees her,
of course I do not, so I cannot describe her.
"I have gone through my arduous day, and have
been gratified by a long and interesting conversation
with L - W. I have received no letters from
home, and have, therefore, no answer to send.
"With great love to you all,
L. R."
" Your affectionate father,
This playful and amusing journal of London

194

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

curiosities contains no allusion to the subject which
lay nearest to his heart. But Mr. Richmond seldom
wrote on any occasion to his children, without reminding them of some religious truth, or connecting
whatever was curious in art, or beautiful and grand
in nature, with some remark calculated to inspire in
their minds sentiments of solid and scriptural piety.
The following letters to Wilberforce are fair specimens of his usual manner. The first of these was
written when he was yet a little boy:" DEAREST LITTLE BOY,
"As I was journeying near York last Saturday,
where should I suddenly find myself but in a little
village called Wilberforce, as my driver, and the
way-post, informed me. 'Dear me!' said I to my
fellow-traveller, ' how a certain little lad of my
acquaintance would be surprised and pleased, had
he been in the chaise this moment.' So I got out
and walked up and down in Wilberforce, thinking
and talking about that said little lad. It is a pretty
little place. As I loved the name, both for your
sake, and for the sake of Henrietta's god-father, I
amused myself with asking different people the name
of the place, and everybody's answer was the same.
I asked an old man, 'What is this village called ?'
' Wilberforce, an' please your reverence,' said he,
and so said all the rest; and thus I pleased myself
with making a great many people speak your name,
till one of them said, 'I canna think wot's the

LETTERS FROM HIS FATHER.

195

matter wi' the mon: he made us aw say the same
thing. Mayhap the man's a foo.' Now all that
was the matter with me was, that I loved you, and
it quite pleased me to hear your name when I so little
expected it.
" On Thursday last I saw a gentleman and a lady
mount up in a balloon, a mile high into the air, and
after sailing there near an hour, they came down
again quite safe. On Saturday I went to see the
finest church in all England. It is more beautiful
than all the churches I ever saw put together. Today I have visited the wonderful dropping-well of
Knaresborough which petrifies after a time, whatever it touches. To-morrow I am going to see one
of the finest ruins in the kingdom, Fountains Abbey.
Look at your map, it is near Ripon in Yorkshire.
This day I received a most beautiful letter from the
Russian Princess Sophia Metcshersky, of St. Petersburgh. I think I never had so pretty a letter.
What makes it so pretty? It is because it is
about Jesus Christ. Nothing is good, or right, or
pretty without him. He only is altogether lovely.
" I hope both your leg and your lesson go on well.
If they do, you must thank Mr. Cfor the one,
(to whom give my love,) for the
and Mr. Gother, and God for both.
"Last night, at ten o'clock, I saw the Aurora
Borealis, like a white rainbow stretching all over
the sky. On Monday I went to see the ironfounders make cannon. They melted the iron in a

196

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

huge hot furnace; it ran out along the ground like
a little river of liquid fire-very terrific !
" I have picked up many curious stones for the
museum. God bless you, my little boy, and God
bless Henry. Tell him I love him, and I hope he
loves me. Kiss all your brothers and sisters for me,
and tell them all to be very good. Behave well to
dear mamma and Mr. G, and so good bye,
"From your loving papa,
1"L. RICHMOND."

The following letter is of later date:" London.

" * *
-~Your dear mamma has evidently improved in health by her visit to town, which
I therefore feel it right to lengthen, that by freedom
for a time from domestic labours and hourly anxieties
she may, if God pleases, be the better enabled to
continue her numerous attentions to you and her
other children at home. You know her great value
to us all, and the day to which you allude will
stand as a lasting memorial to us of the lovingkindness of God.
" On Tuesday last I went to Carlton Palace, with
four hundred graduates of the University of Cambridge, to present an address of congratulation to
the Prince Regent on the marriage of his daughter.
It was a fine sight, and the splendour of the rooms
surprised me. We walked through St. James's

LETTERS FROM HIS FATHER.

197

street and Pall Mall, two and two, in very long
procession, all dressed in the various university
robes. The Duke of Gloucester, one archbishop,
and nine bishops, went first, all the rest in scarlet,
blue and gold, blue and silver, black and gold, black
gowns, &c. An immense collection of carriages, and
people on foot, filled the streets to see the procession,
which occupied three quarters of the length of Pall
Mall. We passed through seven grand and princely
chambers, till at length we reached the last, in which
the Regent, seated on his throne, received us. The
Duke of Gloucester delivered the address, to which
the Prince made k handsome reply. We all successively made our obeisances, and after remaining a
short time to inspect the beauty and grandeur of the
different state apartments, we returned, as we came,
to a cold collation provided for the members of the
university. The Prince was surrounded by all the
great officers of state, and the whole effect was imposing and superb. But fine and entertaining as was
this scene of earthly grandeur, what is a palace
compared to a cottage, if the grace of God is in one,
and not in the other? Earthly greatness is but dust,
and will return to dust. Grace alone will outlive it ;
and then what a place will heaven be to those who
are made kings and priests for ever!
" I have been to see the great panorama of
Waterloo. It is finely painted, but a very terrible
exhibition. I think nothing on earth so dreadful
as the murder, fury, confusion, pain, and suffering

198

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

of a battle. Even the picture fills me with sadness
and horror.
" I have also seen a panorama of Jerusalem, very
inferior as a painting, but very interesting to my
mind, as portraying the place where Jesus Christ
taught and sometimes lived in the days of his flesh.
I stood upon the Mount of Olives, and looked around
me on Mount Zion, Gethsemane, Calvary, Bethany,
the valley of Jehoshaphat, the brook Kedron, the
pool of Bethesda, the wilderness, &c. &c. The ideas
which arose in my mind affected me deeply. I was
moved to tenderness and tears, as I looked back in
thought upon years that are past, and events with
which is associated all that is most dear to the
Christian. And would they not, my dear boy,
have touched your heart ?
" I am requested to preach an electrical sermonthat is, a sermon in behalf of a charitable institution
called the Electrical Dispensary, for administering
medical electricity to the poor. Some of the patients
appear to be in a very wretched condition. Out of
7800 persons, 3000 have been cured, 4000 greatly
benefited, and 800 discharged without receiving
any advantage from this kind of treatment. I have
been thinking that this will be a very suitable text,
'GOD Is LIGHT.' Our greatest gratification has
been derived from attending the public meetings of
the religious and benevolent institutions. One, and
sometimes two, are held in a day. It is an unspeakable delight to see with our eyes, and hear with our

LETTERS FROM HIS FATHER.

199

ears, what God is so manifestly and so mercifully
bringing to pass by the exertions of so many valuable societies.
to take care that all the usual and
" Tell G-necessary preparations be made for the club anniversary on Whit-Friday. We hope to be in our
places that day. Et jam vale, charissime puer;
memor esto Dei omnipresentis, et patris nunc absentis, et matris tur tenerrimoe, pretiosissimm, delectissime. Teipsum cum fratribus sororibusque in
votus habemus. Ora pro nobis, ora. Iterum iterumque vale.
"Your affectionate father,
" LEGH RICHMOND."

Wilberforce inherited his father's taste for the
beauties of nature. In Mr. R.'s memoranda I find
a list of more than thirty places of natural magnificence, which he visited with his son, and reference
made to conversations and mutual delight, in a
survey of the works of God. I regret that my
guide has only left me traces of his footsteps in the
following notes :" His first visit to Matlock, at four years old,
his ecstasy and remarks, even then, on natural
scenery.
" Visited, &c. &c. &c.; his admiration and delight while he stood lost in thought, and mused
over this exquisite scenery.

200

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

" Minerals of the Bible-his acquaintance with
their character-his affectionate disposition-his
conduct and feelings on the report of Nugent's
death."
In the same paper he notes:
" His strict and honourable conduct-exempt
from many of the vices common to his age-his
confidential faithfulness-disposition to fastidiousness-mourned over in his last illness," &c.
The following letter to a companion is the only
one of this character I shall offer the reader. It
will appear how completely Mr. R. had succeeded
in transfusing his own spirit and principle into the
mind of his beloved Wilberforce:

" DEAR ---

" I know nothing which I remember with more
pleasure than the hours we have spent together in
domestic music. I shall never regret the time I
have given to music, when I consider its tendency
to attach us to our delightful homes. We have
indeed passed many happy hours together, none
happier than those under your own roof. * * *
I have been delighted with the scenery of Scotland.
I have never seen anything which has given me
such an idea of the wisdom and power of the Creator. I do indeed admire the rugged grandeur of
the mountains, and the wild beauty of the heath,
but I still admire our own fertile plains; * * *

LETTER TO A FRIEND.

201

and, after all, no country can be so pleasant to us
as that to which we have been endeared from our
earliest infancy. Most anxiously, then, do I wish
once more to enjoy with you the sight of our native
village, with the river wandering peacefully through
the green meadows, and to revisit the scenes of our
* I was greatly
*
*
boyish recollections.
pleased with my visit to London. The greatest
treat was the British Museum. The minerals are
so exquisite, so beyond conception beautiful and
interesting. There is a very fine Museum in Glasgow, and some beautiful specimens of minerals in it.
It has just received the addition of a live rattlesnake, which uses its tail in tremendous style, and
when disturbed is ready to revenge an affront.
* * * I shall probably astonish the Scotchmen
soon with the peculiarity and beauty of my visage,
who cuts and curls my hair
for the hair-dresser, ('
in the last Parisian fashion') assures me that in a
very short time, I must have my head shaved, and
exchange a few straggling locks for a wig. My
pate will look like a lump of coxcomb iron pyrites."

I would not weary my readers by dwelling on the
early character of Wilberforce, or detain him from
details of higher interest: the particulars I have
mentioned serve to show, that true piety is perfectly
compatible with all that is innocent and rational in
our pursuits and recreations: that it cannot fairly

202

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

be ascribed to mere dulness or morbid sensibility,
and that it is not necessary to denounce a devout
and heavenly spirit, in order to establish a claim to
a superiority of sense or refinement.
I will now pursue the memoir into narrations
more immediately connected with my purpose; the
illustration of Mr. R.'s peculiar method in the religious education of his children, and the success
which attended his unremitted and conscientious
discharge of the duties of a Christian parent.
When Wilberforce was a little child, his father,
aware of the vast importance of early associations,
accustomed him to habits of religion, even before
he had a capacity to understand or value them.
He consecrated to God his whole family in daily
prayers: the infant in arms was present as a worshipper: it might at first disturb the order of the
family devotion, but it soon learned silence, and
seemed pleased with the group before it. So long
as it could not speak, he spoke for it; he would
hold it in his arms, saying, " God be gracious to
to thee, my son." When Wilberforce could scarcely
lisp in accents of prayer or praise, Mr. R. composed
the following little piece, to be committed to memory,
and repeated to his mamma every evening. In these
simple lines, nothing more was aimed at than a
suitable vehicle of instruction to an infant mind.
It breathes the same devout, tender, and affectionate
spirit which pervades Mr. R.'s other productions.

LINES ON HIS BIRTH-DAY.

WILBERFORCE'S

EVENING ADDRESS

203

TO MAMMA.

MAMMA, 'tis Jesus loves my soul,

And makes the wounded sinner whole;
My nature is by sin defiled,
Yet Jesus loves a little child.
I know my temper is not right,
I'm often fretful, scold and fight;
I would like him be meek and mild,
For Jesus loves a little child.
How kind is Jesus I oh, how good I
For my poor soul he shed his blood;
For children's sake he was reviled,
Yet Jesus loves a little child.
When I offend you by my tongue,
And say and do what's very wrong,
Oh! pray, mamma, be reconciled,
For Jesus loves your little child.
He teaches me to shed a tear,
Whene'er I grieve a friend so dear;
But though I am so thoughtless, wild,
Yet Jesus loves the little child.
To me may Jesus now impart,
Although so young, a gracious heart;
Alas 1 I'm oft by sin defiled,
Yet Jesus loves the little child.
And I love him, for he loves me,
And hope his faithful child to be;
The Sinner's friend he's justly styled,
And Jesus loves your little child.

204

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

The following letter to his little boy on his birthday is of the same character :It was early this morn, as I waked from my rest,
An unusual emotion sprung up in my breast,
The occasion of this do you wish to be told ?
'Tis my little boy's birth-day-he's just four years old
Foolish father ! cries one, is this all you can say,
Is this to disturb all your feelings to-day ?
Yes; and were you a father, you would not feel cold,
On your little boy's birth-day, when just four years old.
Old maidens and bach'lors who no children have,
Your patience I ask, for your pardon I crave,
While this child to my heart I so warmly enfold,
On the little boy's birth-day, who's just four years old.
Ye mothers, who clasp your dear babes in your arms,
And watch o'er their youth with a thousand alarms,
Set yours down for one instant, my child to behold,
'Tis the little boy's birth-day, he's just four years old.
Ye that doat on your own lads can feel for another's,
And bear with the fondness of fathers and mothers,
I invite your attendance, so deem it not bold,
'Tis the little boy's birth-day, he's just four years old.
He can prattle and talk, with a sweet little smile,
Which my heaviest moments will often beguile;
So I value him more than ten millions twice told:
'Tis my little boy's birth-day, he's just four years old.
Dear wife, on whose breast the dear babe hung so long,
Shall my muse on this day forget thee in her song ?
Come and kiss the poor lad, and rejoice to be told:
'Tis your little boy's birth-day, he's just four years old.

HIS PREFERENCE TO THE MINISTRY.

205

My sweet boy I I've been writing these verses for you,
They show more of the father than poet, 'tis true I
Yet in spite of the critics papa will be bold,
Little boy, 'tis your birth-day, you're just four years old.
May the blessing of God, in abundance poured down,
Give thee grace while on earth, and in glory a crown;
As thou growest in years, may thy virtues unfold,
'Tis my prayer on thy birth-day, when just four years old.

The incidents of childhood are seldom interesting
beyond the family circle, neither can much reliance
be placed on early appearances of piety, untried by
temptation. It may be well to cherish every holy
emotion in our children; to water and cultivate
the tender plant committed to our care; but until
influence and impression is succeeded by principle
and the choice of the mind, we may rejoice in the
buddings of divine life, but we must not indulge
in too sanguine expectations. The sceptical tendencies of Wilberforce's mind in childhood are by
no means of rare occurrence at that age; for infidelity, notwithstanding its arrogant pretensions to
superiority, is the vulgar weed that grows in every
soil, and withers before the sunshine of clearer
information; a little knowledge may help to an
objection, when diligent and serious inquiry will
discover its futility.
There is one note in Mr. Richmond's papers,
which refers to Wilberforce's conduct and feelings
on receiving the report of his brother's death. It
is probable that he shared his father's anguish in

206

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RTCHMOND.

that mournful event-uncertain as they both were
of Nugent's spiritual welfare, and fearing the worst
from all that was then known of his past conduct.
They had heard nothing of those satisfactory testimonies to his conversion, which afterwards cheered
and relieved their minds. A concern for the everlasting welfare of another, is no small evidence of
our own sincerity in the pursuit of eternal life; and
I have no doubt that Wilberforce had, at that time,
made a progress in true religion, greater than his
extreme reserve warranted his friends to conclude.
His respect for piety, the deep attention with which
he listened to instruction, the satisfaction which he
displayed in communicating to others what he seemed
to understand himself, and his uniform good conduct
and general conformity to the habits of a religious
family, induced his father to hope " all was well
with him;" though he was too deeply impressed
with the infinite value and necessity of a deep and
real conversion to God, to rest satisfied with anything short of a full and explicit declaration on the
part of his child.
Wilberforce had ever expressed a decided preference for the ministry, which rendered it, in Mr. R.'s
judgment, the more necessary that he should possess
a piety the most decided and unequivocal. To become by profession an ambassador for God to a
guilty world, without credentials,was justly regarded
by him as a profane intrusion into an office of
immense responsibility; and he has been heard to

LETTER FROM HIS FATHER.

207

say, that 'he would rather follow his ,son to the
grave, than see him in the church without being
fitted for such a sacred office.'*
The sentiments of both will be best expressed in
the following correspondence. The first letter was
written from Stockport, in Lancashire, when Wilberforce was eleven years old:" DEAR WILLY,

" Are you indeed a good boy during my absence?
Shall I have no cause for heart-ache on my return,
when I ask how my child has behaved? How he
has obeyed his mamma? How he has attended to
his lessons ? How he has submitted to his sister's
instructions ? How he has conducted himself
towards Mr. G? How he has adhered to truth
a good exin his words? How he has set Hample ? Shall I be comforted with the glad tidings,
that your heart, and your conscience, and your ways,
all seem to partake of a happy influence ? that you
throw away all indolence of mind or body ? that you
actively pursue learning and gain it ? that your
brother improves every day through the effect of
* The expression of Mr. Richmond is a strong one, though in
perfect unison with the sentiments and feelings of the Editor.
Mr. R. must not, however, be mistaken, as if he connected his
child's death with eternal consequences. There can be no doubt
that he intended to say, he should feel the death of his child a
less afflicting dispensation than his profaning a holy ordinance,
and, by ignorance or neglect, involving immortal souls in everlasting destruction.

208

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

your good behaviour ? that you seldom or ever
quarrel, snap, or snarl at him ? that you pray to
God to forgive your sins and hourly offences?
Shall I be told that you have prepared a happy
return home for papa, by his hearing all this good
of you, when he comes back ? Do the four walls of
your little chamber bear witness to your prayers
and supplications for yourself and me ? Do the
sun's rays, as. they early penetrate your window in
the morning, find you active to rise, to read, to
*
*
labour, and to grow in grace ?
I have seen some beautiful counties since I left you.
Staffordshire is full of beauty. Lichfield Cathedral
too, which, though much smaller than York Minster,
is a very fine building; I attended divine service
there, the organ notes rolled sublimely along the
vaulted arches, pillars, and roof. The exquisitelypainted windows assimilated to the sounds, and
rendered the effect most enchanting. The spires are
beautiful, and large sums have been laid out in
repairing and restoring them.
" One evening I travelled with a friend in a gig
for three hours, amidst the never-ceasing distant
lightning. The whole western hemisphere was in
a constant blaze. The flashes alternated from one
point of the horizon to another, distant about fortyfive degrees from each other; sometimes the flashes
were silvery, sometimes yellow, then orange colour;
one while sheet-like, and again so vivid, that we
seemed to have a peep into more distant regions of

LETTER FROM HIS FATHER.

209

space; then more faint; now and then we heard
slight rumblings; then all was silent again. At
one point the flashes gleamed on the ruins of a
distant castle, which appeared all on fire; a dark
forest lay behind, and it formed a fine contrast.
Sometimes the forked flashes pursued one another
in a kind of playful progress; at others they dashed
at each other as if in terrible combat; all this past
between seven and ten in the evening.
" But what are these lightnings, compared with
those which made Moses quake and tremble on
Mount Sinai; or what were even these contrasted
with the lightnings of God's wrath against sinners ?
These appearances of nature are striking emblems
of divine justice. You have need to flee from the
wrath to come. Repent ! for the kingdom of heaven
is at hand. The wicked and all the people that
forget God, shall be turned into hell. Dear Willy,
if you forget him, what will be your portion ? If
you say that you do not forget him, how do you
prove it ?
' Video meliora, proboque;
Deteriora sequor.'

is the character of too many nominal Christians;I would not have it to be yours; an enlightened
unconverted mind; with eyes and tongue to approve
what is right, but the feet walking in the paths of
evil. A converted heart will alone enable you to
follow His steps, who is ' the way, the truth, and
the life.'

210

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

" I sincerely hope that you are beginning to be
truly sensible of the evil and danger of sin, and the
necessity of seeking God betimes. Occasional indispositions should remind you, that you may never
arrive at man's estate. If you are to die a boy,
you must look for a boy's religion, a boy's knowledge, a boy's faith, a boy's Saviour, a boy's salvation; or else a boy's ignorance, a boy's obstinacy, a
boy's unbelief, a boy's idolatry, a boy's destruction.
Remember all this, and beware of sin; above all,
dread the sinfulness of an estranged heart. Pray
for a new one; pray for grace and pardon, and a
soul conformed to the image of Christ; pray for
wisdom, for the destruction of pride, vain conceit,
and self-sufficiency. Be not slothful in business,
but fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Friends
here inquire after you, in the full hope that you are
going on well, creditably, obediently, industriously,
humbly, and Christianly. Love to all from
" Your affectionate father,
" L. R."
What reply was made by Wilberforce to this
letter does not appear: his repugnance to a free and
unreserved communication on the subject of personal religion seems not to have been overcome till
nearly four years after, though his anxious father
longed to elicit something on this point more
satisfactory than could be collected from a general
acquiescence in the opinions and habits of the family.

LETTER TO HIS PARENTS.

211

A letter written by Wilberforce to his father in
1821, discloses a mind under the influence of more
distinct views, and stronger feelings, breaking
through the fetters of natural reserve.
" MY DEAR FATHER,

" You will believe me, when I say, that I entirely
and most thoroughly agree with you, 'that it is
time we should communicate frequently, intimately,
and confidently.' I feel very thankful that you have
so plainly declared your thoughts and determinations concerning me; I know my inability to answer
you in the way you wish, but I rejoice in an opportunity of telling you what my thoughts have been
and still are, in respect of the most important subject of your inquiry. I deeply regret that a false
shame has hitherto deterred me from an open avowal
of my sentiments and feelings. I will honestly
confess to you, that I have never seriouslyconsidered
the subject of the ministry till within the last few
months. Brought up from my infancy, with the
expectation of becoming a clergyman, and accustomed
as I have been to think and speak of it as my future
profession, I have been little aware of the difficulty,
and have not sufficiently considered the responsibility
of the office, which I hoped would one day be mine.
You know how much this prospect has pleased me
all through my childhood. I have had many fears
and alarms about my sinful state, but they soon
faded away. The impression has never been per-

212

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

manent till dear little Atherton died. At that time
it pleased God to awaken in me a deeper sense of
my dangerous condition, and I prayed very earnestly
that God would pardon my sins for Christ Jesus'
sake, and that the Holy Spirit would renew my
heart. Then I fell into another error; for I began
to trust myself instead of the Saviour. I thought
I was no proof against temptation, and had the
presumption to suppose myself fit for the ministry.
But I was awfully deceived. There arose soon
after in my mind many doubts of the authenticity
of the 'Scriptures. Wherever I went, or whatever
I was doing, these doubts haunted me. I found that
I could not, I dared not pray. At first I repulsed
these suggestions with horror, but they gradually
laid so fast hold of me, that they destroyed all my
peace. When engaged in my studies, that which
was often ascribed to idleness, was really occasioned
by the state of my mind, which was so perplexed
that I could not attend to other things: even my
pleasures were damped by uneasiness. I have no
doubt that if I had been in some situations, I should
have become a determined infidel. I tremble, dear
papa, while I write thus; and when I look back
and think of my situation at that time, I cannot feel
sufficiently thankful that my life was spared, and
that I was not cut off from God for ever. I found
that I had trusted in my own strength, that I had
neglected prayer, and while I continued in that
neglect, I could not reasonably expect the removal

LETTER TO HIS FATHER.

213

of these distressing searchings of heart. It was
with some difficulty I could bring myself on my
knees again. I was fearful that God would not
hear me. But I read the Bible for encouragement,
and I found it there. By continual prayer I was
directed to the means of relief, and I have not been
troubled with one more doubt since that time. Indeed, I cannot but believe that the death of our poor
little Atherton was blest to me. It affected me more
than any conversation or other event, and more than
any one knew; I have never lost the impression.
" Yet I cannot feel comfortable in becoming a
minister of Christ in my present state of mind. My
conscience would be uneasy, if I presumed to fill an
office whose functions are so far above my ability
or piety; but I earnestly pray that God may give
me such a measure of his grace, as may in some
degree fit me to become an unworthy, but true
servant of the Lord Jesus Christ.
" Having now freely and confidentially told you
what has been passing in my mind, I lie in your
hands, and trust you will pardon any error of expression or sentiment which may appear in my letter,
and that you will correct whatever you see wrong
in me. Receive, my dear papa, my confidence, as
the strongest mark of affection and gratitude which
can be given by your affectionate, but unworthy
son,
" WILBERFORCE.

214

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

I have no documents by which to trace the progress of this interesting boy during an interval of
nearly two years. Able and pious tutors attended
to his improvement in literature, and by their conversation and example aided his progress in religion;
which, though still of a reserved character, was
doubtless sincere and increasing.
In 1823, Mr. Richmond was in Glasgow, from
whence he wrote to his son as follows:
"MY VERY DEAR WILBERFORCE,

"I am very glad that Hartwell Horne proves so
acceptable to you. * * * * I cannot express
my anxieties on your account, both as they respect
your Christian principles, and your future prospects
as connected with the ministry. We must indeed
become still more communicative and confidential,
or the burden on my heart will become heavier
than I can bear. It has long been the first wish
of my mind, that you should be a minister of the
gospel; but only, and entirely, and unequivocally,
without partiality and without hypocrisy, as your
personal character, experience, and determination,
might be formed on 'a serious, affectionate, conscientious, and prayerful foundation. I want to
see my beloved boy first a true Christian, and then
a true minister. Oh ! may God hear my prayers
on this subject. For this I cry day and night,and unworthy as I am of such a blessing, yet I will
trust him for it, and I would wrestle like Jacob

LETTERS FROM HIS FATHER.

215

until I attain it. But you must wrestle too; yea,
and with all your heart, all your mind, all your
soul, and all your strength. You must study your
own heart: you should not only study the Scriptures, but keep in reading some searching experimental book as a bosom companion. A love of such
reading,-at least no alienation from it, proves a
useful test of character. * * * * I am glad
to hear you give yourself more regularly and resolutely to study. I have often had fears of indolence
and inactivity, those banes of all progress, proficiency, and hope. I shall indeed rejoice to find
that the bonds are broken. * * * * Theology
itself, important as are its themes and communications, sinks into mere science or literary attainments, unless founded upon, and accompanied by a
devotional and affectionate application of its principles to the soul.
" It is much easier to be a divine than a Christian,
-an ecclesiastic than a pastor. You may be little
aware how much more truth and wisdom dwell in
some cottages and hearts at Turvey, than in many
a house, and in many a mind, in which superior
advantages seem to prevail, and even where real
religion is known and respected. I long for the
day when you and I may not only comfortably and
confidently converse on these subjects, on things
which belong to our everlasting peace, our prospects
in time and eternity; but when you may take such
a share in my private parochial intercourse with

216

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

the parishioners, as may leave no doubt of your
being one with us. But then it must be previously
manifest that you are consistent and in earnest, that
you have not only put away childish follies and
faults, but are living, and not ashamed to live,
under the influence of higher principles. I want
you to aid me effectually in the instruction of poor
children, in visiting the sick, in conversing with
the poor. If you are to be a minister, you should
now commence your seven years' apprenticeship to
the holy' office. But then, your conduct must be
uniform, simple, consistent. The reproach of the
cross must in some measure be encountered, and
the love of Christ in the heart put to some satisfactory test. Think of these things, and write to me
about them. Let me have the comfort of knowing
more of your mind. Our present interval of separation may be a time of much salutary communication. I would say, in the language of Solomon,
'My son, give me thy heart;' but first give it to
God. You are arrived at an age when many
dangerous temptations will assail you, and you will
be put to the proof whether your heart is right
with God; and if you are thrown upon the world
and its seductions, more than, happily, has hitherto
been needed or sought, you will find indeed that it
lieth in wickedness, multiplied, subtle, and appalling.
May you, my dear son, be preserved in your youth,
and when old, never wander from the way in which
you have been trained!

LETTERS FROM HIS FATHER.

217

"You must, in a very especial manner, consider
the daily influence of your temper, conduct, and
conversation upon your brothers and sisters. An
elder brother is usually the blessing or the curse of
a household. You never knew, or will know, what
I suffered on poor Nugent's account; but God has,
I trust, in mercy overruled for eventual good what
seemed to threaten nought but evil. May the course
of your youth be very different, and may you contribute to heal the remains of former wounds inflicted on my parental feelings.
" Write soon; for letters are long in coming to
me. Give a very affectionate message to my muchloved parishioners, and assure them how closely I
bear them on my heart's remembrance. Love to
all. God bless you, my dear children; yes, God
bless you all! There is a certain store of love in
this house, from which is drawn a respectable portion to be conveyed to Turvey. Take it, and use
it well. Assemble the brotherhood and sisterhood,
and kiss them in their succession, telling them it is
a proxy from one who loves them well, and that
one is their affectionate father,
'

SLEGHE RICHMOND."

The following extract, which connects this correspondence, was written by Wilberforce to his
father in the same year, and during the same
journey to Scotland --

218

"

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

I have thought and considered a
great deal on the contents of your last letter; I
read it, I assure you, with many tears, but they
were tears of love to you, and of sorrow that I fall
so far short of your wishes and reasonable expectations. You say you wish me first to be a true
Christian, and then atrue minister. Believe me,
when I say, that though it is the first, the nearest,
and the dearest wish of my heart, I would not have
a desire, not the slightest desire, of entering the
church in an unfit state of mind. I would rather
engage in the meanest occupation of life, than be a
disgrace to the religion of Christ, by entering into
the holy profession while I am unfit for it. When
I look at the apostles of old, and mark how full
they were of love to Christ and their fellow-creatures; or when I look to good men of our own day,
who tread in their steps, I shrink from assuming a
profession for which I cannot but know myself
most unworthy. I am conscious of being a great
sinner, and I seem to myself utterly incompetent to
be more than a humble disciple in the church of
God. But I know that the blood of Jesus Christ
cleanseth from all sin, and that his Spirit can enable
me, sinful as I am, to love and serve him. I have
much to be thankful for. I ought to be thankful
that I am permitted to think about these things.
At times I have felt very happy in prayer and
reading the Scriptures. My joy has been such,
that I seemed ready not only to love God, but even
*

*

*

LETTERS FROM HIS FATHER.

219

to give up all the world for his sake; then again
the cares and pleasures of life have laid hold of me,
and sunk me into sorrow.
" Pray for me, my dear father, that my wavering
mind may be fixed in the paths of truth, and may
choose that better part, which, when once obtained,
shall never be taken away from me; and may God
direct me to that profession of life in which I may
most promote his glory, and my own good, and that
of my fellow-creatures."
The following year Wilberforce was attacked
with a dangerous illness which terminated in his
death.
Mr. Richmond did not, on this occasion, imitate
the worldly prudence of some persons who labour
to conceal from the patient the danger of their
state, and with a mistaken kindness prohibit the
introduction of religious subjects, from fear of aggravating the disorder. With a heart alive to the
eternal interests of his child, he addressed to him
the following letters. 'May the perusal of them
afford an instrictive lesson to all who are placed
under similar circumstances, and teach them never
to forget that " one thing is needful" for others, as
well as for themselves; and that the wisdom which
would endeavour to save the perishing body at the
risk of the immortal soul, is an act of treachery the
more criminal, in proportion as its consequences are
irreparable and eternal!

220

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

"Turvey, June 12th, 1824.

"MY

DEAR BoY,

"I have, as I mentioned to you the other day,
for some time wished to press upon your attention
the important subject of the Lord's Supper; and,
as in the case of each of your sisters, I found that
an epistolary correspondence afforded a liberty and
facility of communication in the first instance, I
trust you will not object to adopting a similar mode.
A time of relaxation from your studies, and of
indisposition, may afford you a good opportunity for
such a purpose. It will be exceedingly gratifying
to me to receive some simple, faithful account of
your state of mind, views, feelings, and desires in
connexion with the privilege and duty of commemorating the dying love of Christ to sinners. I
wish to receive you at the table of our Lord, both
as your affectionate father in the flesh, and your
still happier father in the Spirit, with principles
enlightened, and heart warmed with a Saviour's
mercies. Approach me thus, my beloved son, and
write to me with a free, confidential heart. I
feel the most lively interest in your spiritual welfare, far beyond what my ordinary manner may
betray. You are arrived at an age, when I wish
you to become my bosom friend and companion in
all things, but above all, in those things which belong to your everlasting peace. I have sometimes
feared that other subjects have somewhat monopo-

LETTERS FROM HIS FATHER.

221

lized your thoughts ; and yet I have the firmest hope
that your mind is truly sensible of the value and
importance of divine things. I trust you are constant in prayer, and that your affections are unfeignedly directed towards divine truth. I cannot
express to you how much this belief comforts and
strengthens my mind. It is allied to every feeling
and wish which I have so long and so anxiously
cherished, in regard to your future character as a
minister of the gospel of Christ. None but God
knows how intense my solicitude has been upon
that point. It is high time that you should, by the
open act of communion, devote yourself to the Redeemer's service, and look upon it as a pledge for
your inward principles and outward practice. You
should attentively examine the sacramental service
in the Liturgy, and always have a book of experimental and devotional character more or less in
private reading. It must ever be kept in remembrance, that the mere literary discussional study of
theology, however valuable and needful, is a distinct thing from the affectionate work of the heart,
in the exercises of the conscience in the soul. I am
earnest that my dear child should enjoy all the
privileges of the Church of Christ, and adorn them.
Search for the evidences of a renewed heart daily;
come as a lost, undone sinner, and may you taste
that the Lord is gracious. Beware of the world's
temptations and levities. We should all feel that
time is short, and eternity at hand, and be prepared

222

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

accordingly. The regular partaking of the Lord's
Supper, when rightly viewed, has a tendency to
cherish the best affections of the soul, and to preserve both young and old from the dangerous delusions of the world, the flesh, and Satan. Let the
communication of these thoughts excite you to selfexamination, meditation, and prayer. My love and
regard for you are great indeed; my own heart is
wrapt up in the prosperity of yours. May all your
studies be sanctified to the glory of God. May you
now enjoy a portion of those pleasures, which are
at God's right hand for evermore.-' The blood of
Christ cleanseth from all sin.' How delightful a
thought for you and for
"Your affectionate father,
" LEGH RICHMOND."

" Turvey, June 22nd, 1824.
MY VERY DEAR CHILD,

"I present you with this book, for the express
purpose of your keeping a journal and diary, not
merely of passing events as they may occur, but of
the thoughts of your heart upon divine things. I
earnestly entreat you to do this: I recommend it
from long experience as a most beneficial exercise.
It is perfectly secret to yourself and God.' No one
can ever see it without your own knowledge and
consent. But such records have been so useful, so
consolatory, and so improving that I may make it

LETTERS FROM HIS FATHER.

223

my paternal entreaty, that you will comply with
this request. Suspended in uncertainty with regard
to your health and strength, my soul is most anxious
for your spiritual good. Trifle not, delay not in
this matter. Press forward to the mark and prize
of your high calling. Review the past thoughts of
your heart - examine the present- anticipate the
future. You are in God's hands. I trust the everlasting arms are underneath you. Let me entreat
you to open your mind also to me, in frequent correspondence. I cannot express my solicitude for
your spiritual welfare. You know all the principles by which a sinner may be saved; you have
known them from your infancy; may they be the
ornament of your youth! May you rest short of
nothing but a well-grounded conviction of your personal interest in Christ ! There is a rich provision
in him for every possible difficulty and deficiency
which can present itself to your thoughts. Oh,
how does my heart burn to see you, in every sense
of the word, a true Christian ! In a former note I
invited you to the Lord's table. Happy, thrice
happy shall I be to see you there, added to the
number of the Lord's flock.
" Since writing the above, I have received yours.
I thank you from my heart. Go on, as your strength
and opportunities will allow, by a little at a time; but
give me as much of your thoughts and feelings as you
can. Tell me of your past years, and early leadings
and convictions ; tell me more of those thing's which

224

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

you have named in former letters. You cannot
oblige me more than by giving me the history of
your heart at various periods. I have known too
little of you, my dear child. Let that ignorance
on my part cease. I have loved you from your
birth, and watched over you till now, with the tenderest affection: but I feel my own deficiency in
not communing more with you on the state of your
mind in the sight of God. Comfort me now by
firequent intercourse on these matters. It is the
very return of all others which I desire, for all the
past anxieties of a father and a minister. May this
journey be blessed to you both in soul and body.
I trust soon, with God's blessing, to see you again.
In the meantime, I commend you to Him, who has
all events in his hands, whose consolations are neither
few nor small, who gave his Son to die for our sins,
and whose compassions fail not. Be much in prayer
and self-examination. The God of the waves shall
protect and guard you : the God of the land shall
comfort you. But seek him aright: trifle not with
the great concern. How joyfully shall I welcome
you at the Lord's table, if God so will! Adieu for
the present, my child, my friend, and, in Christ, my
brother.
" LEGH RICHMOND."

The journey to Scotland, above alluded to, was
recommended with a view of consulting Dr. Stewart,

LETTERS FROM HIS FATHER.

225

whose method of treating pulmonary diseases was
supposed to have succeeded in many instances.
The following letter was written immediately
after Wilberforce's arrival in Scotland:" Turvey, June 30th, 1824.
" MY EVER DEAR SON,

"I thank you for your letter, and am glad to hear
again from Mr. Marshall that you have borne your
travels so far well. You are never out of my
thoughts, and I follow you in imagination through
every scene of your occupation. But there is an
Eye that beholds and watches over you in a way
that I cannot do. To him I confide and commend
you, for sickness and health, for time and eternity.
What a word, what a thought, is eternity! What
prospects does it set before us ! What inconceivable
mysteries are involved in it! How does it make
the things of time dwindle into insignificance ! But
what questions of unspeakable import are involved
in it! Sin, a corrupt nature, a broken law, an
offended God, eternal punishment; conscience, guilt,
regeneration, salvation by Christ, faith, hope, love,
free grace, undeserved mercy, justification, effectual
calling, adoption into God's family, pardon of sin,
consolation in Christ, heaven and glory. These,
and a thousand accompaniments, are all connected
with the idea and the reality of eternity. What a
sad proof of the depravity of our hearts is our indifference towards thinking, and our backwardness

226

LIFE OF RICHMOND WILBERFORCE.

towards speaking upon things which belong to our
everlasting peace; and which, nevertheless, if neglected, involve our eternal ruin. We need warnings, and the Lord sends them in many ways.
Sickness, pain, bereavements, losses, disappointments, all bring their message with them. The
great question between our souls and God is not
whether we admit the truths of the Scripture into
our understandings, but whether they are so applied
to our hearts as to have wrought a change, and
become vital principles of faith and practice.
Nothing short of this can afford evidence of a saved
and safe condition. There is an action of the soul
by which it rests upon Christ, and on all that he
has done, with full confidence; and this produces
peace in the conscience. The more we see of ourselves, the more we see our sin; and the more we
see our sin, the more we fly to the death and righteousness of Christ, for pardon, deliverance, and hope.
We behold not only his sufficiency, but his willingness to save the chief of sinners. For this we love
him; and if we love him, we desire and endeavour
to keep his commandments; and this is the way of
salvation.
" Now, does my dear boy view this in all its integrity ? Do the experiences of the past, strengthened
by all the variety and succession of instruction
which you have from your infancy received, work
together to this great end ? Can you be satisfied
with anything short of this? God forbid! Let

LETTERS FROM HIS FATHER.

227

nothing interrupt you in this continual work of selfexamination; and let self-examination lead you to
earnest and ardent prayer. Let no pursuits of
literature, no delights of sense, no passing occurrences, no debility of body, no inferior subjects of
recreation, prevent you from keeping your thoughts
close to God and to eternity. Great have been
your mercies,-may your gratitude be great likewise !
"Accustomed as I am to close and faithful
dealings with my Christian friends and flock, it
would ill become me to be silent or indifferent where
my dearly-beloved child is concerned. Sickness
gives both you and me a wholesome admonition.
I pray God, from the depths of my heart, that we
may each of us improve it to our spiritual welfare.
God may have great things to accomplish hereby;
let us believe and hope so.
" I had much pleasure in showing you London:
and, if Providence permit, may yet have more, in
viewing the fine scenery in your present vicinity
along with you: but whether amongst the beauties
of art or nature, never, never cease to look for and
contemplate the God both of creation and redemption
in the midst of all. Keep a continual watch over
your disposition, temper, and thoughts. There are
not only sins of the temper, but of the understanding
also; and pride in every form, intellectual as well
as sensual, must be brought low. 'Learn of me,'
said the Saviour, ' for I am meek and lowly of

228

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE

RICHMOND.

heart.' I write, as I would talk with and pray for
you. May this dispensation of the Almighty, which
has for the present separated us, and given us cause
for much anxiety on your account, be a season of
much profit to us all! Lay these things to heart;
make them the subject of unceasing petition at that
throne whence no believing supplicants are ever sent
empty away. Wonder not that I cannot rest contented with a superficial religion, but that I look
for a deeply experimental life of God in your soul.
I place time and eternity before me in holy imagination. I strive, as it were, to penetrate the veil
which separates them, and to look earnestly at those
things which belong to your and my everlasting
peace. Forgive me, my dear child, and may God
forgive me, if I have not always and equally pressed
these subjects upon your personal attention. They
have ever lain near to my heart, and you have had
multiplied opportunities of meditating upon them.
I trust you have done so. But let me know more
and more of your thoughts, past and present. My
Christian and parental peace is dependent greatly
upon it. I am glad that our friend Dr. Stewart
has had so good an opportunity of studying your
case. But you are in the Lord's hands. May he
overrule everything for your good. May your
confidence be placed only where it is due; and pray
for your father, and your father shall pray for you.
Amongst the books in your travelling library, are
many most valuable authors. Read, mark, learn,

LETTERS FROM HIS FATHER.

229

and inwardly digest what they say, so far as you
find time and strength to peruse them. Above all,
search the scriptures, for in them you have eternal
life. Your mother sends her entire and most affectionate love to you: your sisters and brothers the
same. And what shall I add for myself? All that
is tender, affectionate, parental, and Christian.
"From your father,
" L. R."
In the month of July, Mr. Richmond joined his
son in Scotland, using every means for the restoration of his health. During a short interval of
separation, he addressed to him another letter, expressive of the same ardent desire for his spiritual
welfare, and written in the same delightful strain of
warm and affectionate feeling.
" Bradford, Aug. 5, 1824.
" MY DEAR WILBERFORCE,

"We have so long been fellow-travellers and
pilgrims together, and my eye and my heart have
been so long accustomed to watch over you, that I
cannot help wishing to indulge my affectionate
feelings, by giving a few lines during this short
separation; which, short as it has been, never
ceases to present my dear boy to imagination and
recollection. I have reason to think, and perhaps
the fault is my own, that you are but imperfectly
aware of my strong and anxious feelings towards

230

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

you, with respect both to your temporal and spiritual
welfare. I sometimes fancy I see this i'n your
manner, and it hurts me. I sa* little, or probably
nothing; but my heart is alive to great sensibilities.
Rest assured, my much-loved child, that at all past
periods, but most especially since it has pleased
God to put your health, and of course with it your
life, to so marked a trial, I have not ceased for a
single hour (and I can hardly except the dreaming
hours of the night), to make your comfort and prosperity the subject of my prayers and solicitude.
When you may least have expected it from my
ordinary manner, even my silence has spoken to
God in your behalf. Many and deep have been
my meditations, as we ascended the hills, and
descended the vales of Scotland; or as we ploughed
the waters with our prows and paddles. I have
often experienced a kind of stupid impotency of
utterance, when my heart has been animated and
full. You likewise manifest a sort of reserve on
the subject of personal religion, which checks and
sometimes chills my rising inclination to more
unreserved, free, congenial, and comforting conversation. I wish all this to vanish; and that whatever
may be the will of God concerning you, the future
days which his providence may permit us mutually
to spend together, may be more distinctly marked
by free and affectionate communications. But far,
far above all, it is my cherished and anxious hope,
that you may evince an increasing love to spiritual

LETTERS FROM HIS FATHER.

231

things, to reading, conversing, and meditating upon
the things which belong to your everlasting peace.
You have had your warning as to the delicate and
precarious tenure by which life, health, and youthful
vigour are held. Every day and hour still reminds
you of the uncertainty of all things future, so far as
this world is concerned. And such warnings are
unspeakable mercies, designed by God for the most
wise and benevolent purposes.
" The season of amended health, and present
suspension of painful and distressing symptoms, is
precisely that in which your heart should exercise
a peculiar jealousy over itself, lest the comparative
trifles of this world, and the ensnaring affections of
the flesh, should deaden your feelings about the
grand question, 'What are the evidences of my
salvation ? What have I done, what must I do to
be saved?' Other studies than those directly
religious, may doubtless have their due and subordinate place. Other books than the holy scriptures, and their expositions, may also have their
moderated share of our attention; but if any human
study, or any human book, have more of our love
and attention, than those which directly lead our
hearts to God, something must be very wrong.
Idols force themselves upon our notice everywhere,
and lawful things may become idols by the abuse of
them, and the suffering them to usurp the first place
in the heart's affections. Never be contented with
slight and general hopes of all being right within,

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LIFE

OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

but seek and strive after clear and particular
evidences, that you ' know whom you have trusted,'
for time and eternity. I earnestly entreat you to
examine yourself daily on scriptural principles, that
you may the more ardently throw yourself on the
mercy of a covenant God, for the forgiveness of
your sins, the renovation of your heart, and the
guidance of your judgment. Never be satisfied
with an avowedly imperfect Christianity. A half
Christian is no Christian, nor is he accepted of God.
Christ is a whole, perfect, and finished Saviour:
and whosoever is a partaker of Christ, is a partaker
of all that he is, all that he has done, and all that
he will do, for the complete salvation of all his
chosen. Decency, formality, and cold ceremonial
worship, are poor and inefficacious substitutes for
heart-service, holy affections, trust in a Saviour,
and love to God. Not unfrequent are the times,
and your dear mother often experiences them also,
when the immensity of that question, ' Am I his, or
am I not ?' overwhelms me; and I should sink in
despondency, if the free, undeserved, and inexpressible mercy of God, did not direct my soul to
the Redeemer's blood, which, when believed in, and
applied to the guilty and trembling conscience,
cleanseth from all sin, and opens the door to hope
and consolation. May my beloved child flee to the
same fountain with genuine humiliation, and find
the like deliverance; and may his anxious parents
be made so far partakers of his thoughts, as to feel

LETTERS FROM HIS FATHER.

233

strong in the Lord on his account. My mind was
much affected when I first received you at the table
of the Lord, and my heart went out in lively prayer,
that you might also be received of God-owned,
honoured, and accepted as a child of heaven. Live,
speak, and act as a consistent communicant of the
church; the vows of the Lord are upon you; but if
all be right, you will find that his yoke is easy, and
his burden light. I wish to look upon you not
only as my child by nature, but as my spiritual
child, and, therefore (without a paradox), my
spiritual brother. Sweet associations of relationship
are formed in the family of God and the household
of faith. Many tender and affectionate prayers
have been daily offered up for you amongst the
poor people of Turvey, as I have several testimonies
to prove. We shall soon return to them again,
God willing; and may those prayers, united to my
own, be fully answered in the gracious state of your
soul, as well as in the comfort of your bodily health!
But we must, as to the latter, await the Lord's will.
He doeth, and will do, all things well. Meditate
on these things, and may you and I mutually reap
the benefit of such exercises of your heart! As
you read this letter, cherish a tender as well as a
dutiful sentiment towards him who penned it, and
accept it as one more token of that deep-seated love
which I bear towards you, and which must increasingly subsist, while I remain a father, and you
a son.

234

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

" I yesterday enjoyed the high mental luxury of
walking in the broad aisle of York Minster, quite
alone, during the morning-service. As often before,
such sights and such sounds compelled me to weep:
and as I was solitary, nothing interrupted the flow
of my heart. I recollected being there once with
you, and I have not forgotten how much, if I
mistake not, your infant heart was also affected at
that time. Whether we shall ever again meet
together in that magnificent and astonishing fabric,
I know not; but, oh! may God grant that we
finally meet in the 'house not made with hands,
eternal in the heavens.' "
In the month of July, Mr. R. engaged a small
cottage at Rothsay, in the isle of Bute, at a convenient distance from the physician's residence. From
hence he made frequent excursions by sea and land,
in the hope, by a change of scene and air, to check
the progress of the disorder. It appears from the
following letter to his curate, that he had not yet despaired of his son's recovery; but being at once the
nurse, the father, and the spiritual guide of his dear
boy, he was making every effort on his behalf, and
diligently employing the means prescribed by the
physician.
" MY DEAR FRIEND AND BROTHER,

"If the date of this letter may seem to betoken
inattention to my promise, or a wrong estimate of

LETTER FROM SCOTLAND.

235

your valuable services during my absence from
home, I rely on your friendship and candour to
ascribe my silence to other causes. I have been
almost daily, from morning to night, sailing about
with my dear boy upon sea and river; and neither
the motion of the steam-boats, nor the lassitude felt
at night after such voyages, are favourable to epistolary duties. But I can truly say, that my heart's
best prayers and recollections have been with you,
and this poor scrawl is meant to tell you so. You
well know, likewise, that anxiety within, added to
external causes, will easily unhinge the energy of
the mind, and produce a kind of constitutional incapacity and indisposition to duty itself. But neither
let my friend nor my flock for a moment conceive
that they are forgotten. During many an hour, as
I have been floating on the waves, pacing the
mountains and glens, admiring the islands and the
rocks, tracing the progress of sun or moon upon the
ocean or landscape, and amidst all, fixing an anxious
and affectionate look upon our dear invalid as he
sat by my side; during many such an hour have I
dwelt with solicitude and regard on the domestic
and parochial scenery of Turvey,-dear Turvey,
where so many sweet pledges, both of natural and
spiritual love, reside,-where my poor boy was born
and trained up, with brothers and sisters,no less
loved than himself. Our intercourse and conversations under existing circumstances, are deeply
interesting to me. He is, upon the whole, in

236

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

cheerful spirits, and the air of this delightful island
particularly suits him. I am just returned from a
hill-walk with him, of a mile and a half, and have
been surprised at the degree of strength which he
evinced. The general symptoms are just now, I
think, more favourable. Still there are evident
marks of deep-rooted disease, and I am often much
perplexed by the fluctuations in his case. It is one
in which I feel it wrong either to encourage oversanguine expectations of permanent amendment, or
to give way to any over-desponding sensations as to
the result. Happily he is without pain, and in
many respects he enjoys himself. He delights in the
scenery around us, which is in the highest degree
magnificent and beautiful. He enters with his
wonted taste into mineral and geological examinations, and wanders gently by the sea-side, hunting
for pebbles, animals, shells, sea-weeds, &c., and I
wander with him. Sometimes a little exertion
fatigues him, at other times he bears considerably
more without complaining. He has been a thousand
miles on the water since we left London, and sailing
always agrees with him. I have every reason to be
satisfied with the plan we are pursuing. It much
contributes to his strength, and comfort, and peace
of mind; and, to say the least, has checked the
weakening effects of the disorder, and mingled
encouragement with apprehensions which might
otherwise have gained daily ground. He is evi-.
dently thinking very seriously and rightly about

LETTER FROM SCOTLAND.

237

his state, and our Christian conversation forms no
small part of my comfort, and I trust I may add, of
his comfort also. Whatever may be God's will, I
feel satisfied that the present dispensation is profitable to us both. May he confirm and increase
our hope. I am much gratified by the accounts
which I receive of your very auspicious commencement of ministerial labours at Turvey, and beg you
to feel assured of the value I put on them. Go on,
my dear friend, in the strength of the Lord, and
may you pursue the arduous career of holy exertion,
in public and in private, to your own comfort, the
glory of God, and the good of my dear flock. Make
known how affectionately I feel towards them,
how earnestly I desire their prayers, and how sincerely I remember them in mine. My not writing
to them at an earlier period has arisen entirely from
the constant occupation and anxiety which have
monopolized my time and my feelings. Wilberforce
thanks you for your kind letter. I hope he will
soon feel able to answer it. Dear boy !-he talks
with hope of returning to Turvey with amended
health, and telling you in person how much he
enjoyed the scenery of the north. Pray for him,
and me, that we may lay in our heavenly Father's
bosom like children, and wait his pleasure like
believers. You will not forget the other dear boys,
they are in your hands for good, and may God bless
you to them all. Give them my blessing, and let

238

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

them convey it to all at the Rectory. Believe
me,
"Yours, affectionately,
" L. R."
Much of what I should have detailed has been
introduced into the Memoir of Mr. Richmond. Two
only of Wilberforce's letters remain; the first of
these was written to his brother H.:" MY DEAR H.

"I did not think when I parted from you, that I
should be as well as I am, for I feel very much
better. Sickness and separation have attached me
more to you, and to my home, and to all that are in
it. Sickness, as is usual, has brought sorrow for its
companion, but I trust I do not sorrow as one without hope. My illness has proved a warning to me,
and it may also be a warning to you. You saw me
brought down, in a very short time, from a state of
health and strength, to one of weakness and debility;
and all our natures are alike, equally fragile, equally
transient. Uncertain is every tie which binds us to
life; and therefore it is my prayer, that you, no less
than myself, may look forward to our latter end;
and not neglect opportunities of attending more
closely to the things which belong to our everlasting
peace, and guarding against the increasing fascinations of a world that lieth in wickedness."

HIS LETTERS.

239

The second letter was a reply to his father's
instructions and preparations for the Lord's Supper:
" MY DEAR FATHER,

"I thank you for the kind letter you wrote to me
on the subject of the Sacrament. I could not have
received one which would have more truly convinced me of your affection and desire for my
spiritual welfare. Oh! may God give an answer
to your prayers and de'sires on my behalf, and may
you see me walking humbly and sincerely in that
narrow path which leads to life eternal. I have
thought much on the contents of your letter, and
have been deeply affected. At first I was discouraged by a sense of unworthiness, and shrunk
from the thought of approaching the Lord's table.
It then struck me, that even if I had not attained
all I desired, I might still venture with a humble
and prayerful spirit, and an entire dependence on
Christ. I thought, also, that if I neglected attendance, I should be dishonouring the Saviour by a
refusal of an appointed means of grace; and I do
hope, that by presenting myself to Christ in his
own ordinance, I may be confirmed and strengthened
in my faith, and helped on to fulfil the vows made
at my baptism, and fight manfully under Christ's
banner against the world, the flesh, and the devil. I
would then, my dear father, put on the garb of
humility, and go and kneel, as the very lowest of
his disciples, at the foot of the cross of Jesus, and

240

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

commemorate with gratitude his cross and passion,
his glorious resurrection and ascension, -on the
merit of which alone are fixed all my hopes in this
world and the next. How thankful do I feel that
I may kneel at the foot of the cross ! Oh ! where
besides could I wish to stretch out my aching limbs
and die ?
" I suppose my journey will make some delay in
your intentions, but if I return with renewed health
and strength, I would consider that in receiving
the sacrament, I give a pledge to God and you, to
devote myself, soul and body, to the promotion of
the divine glory. But if I should not return in
health, and if it should seem fit to the Almighty
to shorten my life, yet if he will renew my soul by
his Holy Spirit, oh! how unspeakable a blessing
to wing my flight from sin and sorrow.
" If I were certain of his favour, and my own
change of heart, I should only wish to see my
Saviour face to face, and praise and love him for
ever. I have written hastily, but as long as I
could without fatigue, a short, but I assure you, a
sincere letter.
" Your affectionate
" WILBERFORCE."

The closing scene of Wilberforce will be detailed
by one who loved him dearly, and was a witness of
his latter moments. Mr. Richmond had desired
his daughter to note down the events and conver-

241

HIS LETTERS.

sations of the sick chamber, and he refers to them
in the following letter:-

" MY DEARLY-LOVED F.,

" I have been very unwell with a swelled face,
accompanied by high fever; and though better, am
still an invalid; but this illness is sent for some
good end to my soul. I desire to -investigate that
end in a right spirit. The fire at Turvey has done
much mischief, and is indeed a general calamity.
I wish you to relieve the sufferers. You may distribute for me both money and clothing. I shall be
able to decide better on my return what sum to
subscribe. May we know how to 'glorify God in
the fires.'
" Poor --- !although her evidences were faint,
I thought them genuine. I have seen many such
cases, and despair not. God often permits the signs
of true faith to appear very feeble, when, nevertheless, the soul still cleaves to the Saviour, in the
midst of many causes of suspicion and perplexity.
Some are saved, ' yet so as by fire.' Happy they
who are saved at all.
" I hope you have a long manuscript of recollections concerning our beloved Wilberforce. I depend
upon it. Employ speedily some hours in preparing
for me all you know relative to that eventful period.
I still shed many tears in the remembrance of that
dearly-loved boy. I have feelings which never
R

242

LIFE

OF WILBERFORCE

RICHMOND.

leave me for two hours together. They mingle:
with all my cheerful, and all my pensive moments.
I have particular reasons for delaying to write the
memoir, but fully intend to do it.
" I have been at Cambridge. The recognition of
many old friends from all parts of England, has
much interested me. Indeed, associations connected
with former days have quite overpowered me.
The older I grow, the more acutely I feel everything.
" Take care of the frequent intercourse with the
world. I write with a heart full of love; but I
must caution you. There is nothing more dangerous to young Christians than indiscriminateintercourse with persons of no religion. It is far more
likely that we should receive evil, than impart good,
in such society. I have experienced this too much
myself on many occasions, not to feel it keenly.
Prudence and prayer are then especially needful;
for we may more easily conform to the world, than
bring the world to conform to us. Happy they who
have the least to do with it, except in the way of
absolute duty and necessity. I often reflect with
gratitude on the blessing which God has given to
the retired habits and education of my two boys,
W---- and H, one in heaven, and one still on
earth. To their seclusion I ascribe their simplicity
and happy ignorance of many evils. Premature
acquaintance with the wickedness of the world,(and there is no knowing the world without coming

HIS LETTERS.

243

in contact with its wickedness)-has ruined thousands of hopeful young men, and has multiplied the
miseries of the hopeless.
" I long for our early morning readings. Latin,
Greek, and mathematics, are a very small and inferior part of learning, particularly for the Christian
ministry. While heads are filling, hearts are withering. Give my affectionate love to dear ; next
to my own boys, I do indeed love him. I long to
see more of an unreserved and experimental communication between him and H--.
I have numberless feelings about their intercourse which I do
not utter, and yet I know not why; but this I
know, that I have you all in my heart; but that
heart will soon turn to dust. There is a better
heart in heaven. I would have all my dear children
enclosed in it.
" Give the children of the Sunday-school a new
subject, that they may search for texts to prove it.
" Farewell, dearest F. I lament many things,
but most of all that I am not worthy to be called,
"Your affectionate Father,
"L. R."

Mr. R. was evidently ripening for heaven. The
tenderness, the deep piety of his loving spirit, the
weanedness of his heart from the world, and his
earnest desire to transfuse his devout feelings into
the minds of all who were connected with him, dis-

244

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHIMOND.

cover an assimilation to a purer region, and might
have prepared us to expect that his departure was
not far distant. The documents to which he alludes
are contained in the following communication, which
I commend to the serious and attentive perusal, both
of young persons and their Parents.

245

HIS LATTER DAYS.

CHAPTER VII.
'Here were two souls knit together as the soul of one man:
what there is of present separation shall be but for a little while.'
HOWE.

" MY VERY DEAR MR. F

,

" IN compliance with your request, I send you the
chief incidents of our brother's closing scene; his
conversation with my dear father, and other members of his family, and a few of the letters which
were written during that mournful period. You
may rely on the accuracy of the whole. My father
had intended to have published a memoir of Wilberforce, and with that view he desired me to make
memoranda of what passed at the time. He told
me more than once, that the blessing which seemed
to attend the perusal of his little tracts, encouraged
him to put on record the piety of his son; which
he considered to b'e no less honourable to God, and
consoling and strengthening to young Christians,
than that of the Dairyman's Daughter, or the Young
Cottager. He thought that Willy's training for eternity might be read with equal advantage, and might

246

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

assist both in imparting clear views of religion, and
in relieving the mind from the fears and anxieties
which often distress and harass young Christians
in the prospect of death. 'To know that others
have been perplexed with the same doubts, alarmed
by the same fears, animated by the same hopes,
comforted by the same promises, and directed by
the same precepts,' he used to say, ' will demonstrate
a holy identity in the influence of the gospel and
the effects produced by it; and may comfort the
trembling sinner, and confirm the most advanced
believer.'
" There are a number of papers in my father's
handwriting, relating to my brother's character and
dying hours, which are indeed so unconnected and
unfinished, that scarcely any use can now be made
of theli; but they show how interesting a detail
the memoir would have been in his hands. He
would sit for hours in his study, perusing and
adding to these fragments; but the excess of feeling
and mental agitation, which the contemplation and
reminiscence of the past never failed to renew,
greatly impaired his health, and forced him to lay
aside his purpose.
" In -one of the papers alluded to, we found the
following remarks in his own hand: ' I have never
given up the design of writing his memoir, and
every day's meditation has prepared me for it.
But whenever I begin, my spirits sink, my eyes
'are fied with tears, and I lay aside my papers to

HIS LATTER DAYS.

247

a more convenient season, when I may be able to
write with more calmness.
Alas! this is my
weakness !'
" Wilberforce had always been my dear father's
companion in his literary and philosophical pursuits.
From his childhood, his chief pleasures and recreations were in the study; and he used to retire to the
museum to make experiments with the air-pump,
or electrical machine, or to read some book of science,
while the other boys were engaged in their sports.
As he advanced in years, he employed his leisure
hours more especially in the study of mineralogy
and geology. This congeniality of mind and pursuit
contributed to cement the strong attachment which
subsisted between my father and Wilberforce, and
indeed rendered the one almost an integral part of
the other. My dear father had a peculiar talent for
connecting science with religion, and Wilberforce
seemed more than his other children to afford him
materials for a successful cultivation.
" In my father's miscellaneous papers we find the
following short notes, evidently written with reference to the projected memoir. ' Early intellectual
conversation, great general reading, strong turn for
reasoning and argument, deep and close investigation of philosophical questions, acquaintance with
subjects of political economy, love of natural history,
insects, mineralogy, geology, classics, mathematics.
My wish and endeavour has been to cultivate philosQphical pursuits in connexion with religion, with

248

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE

RICHMOND.

my children, as recreations, instead of allowing and
encouraging the trifling and often pernicious amusements of the world. I have found my plan answer
in his case.'
" Our dear father had succeeded in making his
home dear to all his children. Home was never
talked of without emotion by any of them. They
left it with regret; they returned to it with the
fondest affection, and connected with it every
endearing association. No patriot Israelite ever
sang of the place of his nativity with more enthusiasm, 'Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my
mouth, if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief
joy.' Our beloved parent's integrity and uniform
consistency engaged our esteem, and the multiplied
resources of innocent gratification which surrounded
us, won our regard.
" As Wilberforce grew up, he was considered by
the whole family as the one marked out to fill his
father's place in the church, and to his relatives.
He became an object of interest to all; and to none
was he more endeared than to his loving parent,
who clung to him with deeper affection each succeeding year.
" In the spring of 1824, when he had reached his
seventeenth year, we were first alarmed for his
health. He took cold from a wet ride, and a slight
cough succeeded. One morning in the month of
May, my father discovered symptoms of his having
ruptured a blood-vessel. His fears were greatly

HIS LATTER DAYS.

249

awakened, as appears from a note in his papers:
' As I looked on him that morning, I felt a shock
which seemed to shatter me to the very soul, and I
have never recovered it.' In a short time Wilberforce's appearance was considerably altered, and his
spirits were depressed.
" When a journey to Scotland was proposed, my
father was greatly agitated, the more so because it
was impossible that at that time he should accompany him, and he dreaded even a short separation
from his beloved child. His feelings will be best
shown by the following letter:-

" ' St. Neot's, Monday night.
"
(MY

EVER DEAR LOVE,

"
*
*
*
No one knows, or ever
can know, the anxiety which I have felt on our dear
child's account. Little as it may have been perceived, I have been inwardly agitated beyond expression, and this must apologize for any weakness
or inconsistency of which I have been guilty. God
only knows what I have suffered. I have been
taken by surprise. The alarming symptoms in the
disease of our beloved child, have awakened a
thousand feelings and fears. I have reflected on
his bodily, but much more acutely on his spiritual
state. I have been unwilling to separate from him
under all the probable, or at least possible contingencies of the disorder. I have wept and trembled.

250

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

I have mourned over my past deficiencies towards
him. I have had my hopes, not being ignorant of
the exercises of his mind for past years. Yet I have
had my fears, lest he should have fallen from his
first love, and lest his literary pursuits should have
weaned his heart from God. For more than a year
past, I have hourly meditated on the course of his
education, and preparation for the sacred ministry.
He has been the star of my hopes, the source of my
anxieties. I have anticipated with exquisite, though
unuttered joy and hope, his entrance on the glorious
work of preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ,
and I have also been full of anxiety in a view of the
falls and disappointments which yearly occur, amidst
the contaminations and injurious companionship of
a college career. Yet I have never ceased to
hope that God will work with him and by him. My
declining years have been cheered by associations
connected with my interesting boy; but the Lord
now sees good,-and blessed be his name,-to hang
a dark curtain between me and all these thoughts
and visions. Hence I am sometimes fearful, sad,
and heavy.
" ' I see fully the necessity and the propriety of the
proposed journey, but I doubt his strength and
ability to encounter the fatigue and trial inseparable
from it. Chiefly I dread being absent from him
when heart and strength may fail, and I may only
see him again when sinking into the grave, unaided,
una ngtrIhened, imblessed by his affectionate father,

HIS LATTER DAYS.

251

Did I but know more of his mind, I might probably
be more at ease; but his reserve withholds from
me this consolation. I have made a gentle, and I
hope a considerate attempt, to draw him out by a
little opening discussion on the sacrament. I start
for Cambridge at half-past four to-morrow. The
sight of that place will most acutely remind me of
the past as it relates to myself, connected with the
contingenciesof the future as it may concern him.
I have many fears, mingled with the hope of his recovery. I feel very anxious from day to day. May
God overrule all these things for the good of each
of us! Give my love to all, and an especial blessing
to Willy.
" ' Your affectionate,
"' L. R.'
" After it was decided that my brother should go
to Scotland, we were advised to send him there by
. His
a sea-voyage, in company with Mr. father was to follow him in a few days. He was
much depressed at this time. It was his first
separation from the paternal roof, and his mind
became deeply affected when the parting hour
arrived; and when he was to bid farewell to his
beloved mother, to brothers and sisters, to domestics
and neighbours, endeared to him by every sweet
and tender tie of youthful affection; to the home of
his infancy; to almost every person, place, and
thing, with which he had been accustomed to asso-

252

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

ciate happiness; the agitations of his feelings
increased the weakness of his frame ; tile
conflict of
his mind was visible in his countenance, he looked
pale and languid; a painful contrast to the usual
smile that played on his countenance.
On the
morning of his departure he was very silent. He
looked on us all as we stood around him, and with
tears in his eyes he stepped into the carriage.
During the interval of separation, my father corresponded with him,* and was very earnest to draw
from him a more unreserved communication, and to
satisfy himself more thoroughly of the reality of
Wilberforce's piety, of which he entertained some
doubts, amidst many hopes :but my brother avoided
the inquiries of his anxious and distressed parent.
The voyage agreed well with him. In the course
of a fortnight my father and I followed him into
Scotland. We met Willy as we entered the Firth
of Clyde in a steam-boat. He looked much better;
his spirits were good, and the meeting between us
inspired reciprocal feelings of hope and joy.
"For a while Willy's health seemed to be improved; but we soon discovered that there was
no material amendment. For a few weeks he
was buoyant in spirit, and apparently restored;
then the hectic fever flushed his cheek, he grew
weaker, and again sank into depression. Our dear
parent, who at that time did not understand the
* See letter, p. 222.

HIS LATTER DAYS.

253

hopeless nature of the complaint, watched over his
wasting child amidst intense anxieties, increased
probably by the uncertainty of the issue in his own
mind. It was not a temporary separation which
alone affected him, though even this was a grief
heavy to bear; but the least apprehension of losing
for ever one we love, fills the soul with the bitterest anguish. It is impossible to be sincere, yet
calm, under such circumstances, while any hope
remains, or any help can be administered. A
holy violence of feeling and effort, best discovers
the integrity of our principles. There was much
in Wilberforce to love and admire. His disposition was very amiable. The usual results of a
religious education were visible in him; he showed
every outward respect for religion ; strictly observed
its forms and duties, and admitted the theory of
doctrinal truth; but this did not satisfy our dear
father. He knew full well that it was very possible
to do what was right in the sight of man without a
perfect heart,-to cleanse the outside of the platter,
or beautify the sepulchre, while all within might
be impure; inasmuch as the speculative approval
of truth is distinct from its sanctifying influence.
Accustomed as our 'larent had been to contemplate
the infinite worth of an immortal soul,-a soul in
this instance given to him by God to train for eternity,-it was impossible that he should feel otherwise than intensely anxious while he entertained
any doubt of its salvation. It was this uncertainty

254

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMIOND.

which so greatly disturbed his peace and injured
his health. Wilberforce seemed shut up in impenetrable reserve; he shrank from personal conversation
on religious subjects, though his thoughtful and
often depressed countenance exhibited traces of
inward conflict, and need of help and comfort. He
afterwards deeply regretted his silence and said,
'It was a device of Satan to retard my progress
Our dear parent
in vital experimental piety.'
carried this trouble to God, and 'rolled his sorrows on Him' who alone can help him. For
many months he wqs sorely tried on this point.
But God, always faithful and true, heard and
answered his prayers more abundantly than he
could ask or think. 'A vehement suitor cannot
but be heard of God, whatsoever he asks: if our
prayers want success, they want heart; their blessing is according to their vigour.'* The following
letters were written to Mrs. R. about this period:" 'MYDEAR LOVE,

" 'Here we are in some thing like anearthly paradise, if beauty, sublimity, and diversity of scenery
can constitute one. The air is most salubrious, the
rides delightful. I am glad to say the country
agrees well with Wilberforce, who is stronger and
in better spirits than I could have expected. He
varies occasionally, but suffers little at any time.
* Bishop Hall.

HIS LATTER DAYS.

255

There is certainly an improvement. The northern
experiment has so far answered, that it has cheered
his spirits, and afforded him recreation and change
of air. I have frequent hopes of his amendment.
We have therefore reason for gratitude, whatever
may be the inscrutable designs of Providence. My
mind reposes with thankfulness on the goodness of
God, amidst a thousand anxieties respecting my
dear boy. We are constant companions, and have
much Christian intercourse together. Not only do
prospects, scenery, geology, botany, ships, rocks,
mountains, braes, and ordinary occurrences, engage
our notice; I have much satisfaction in seeing how
he enjoys these; but higher things are not forgotten.
We pass daily the hour after breakfast in religious
exercises. We are taking Mason's admirable Treatise on the Lord's Supper as a kind of text-book.
It affords me an opportunity of saying what I wish
to him, relative to his own personal interest in spi#.
ritual matters. I trust we are going on usefully
and prosperously. I think I am in my right place
and employment, watching, instructing, nursing,
and giving myself wholly to the comfort of my boy
under his infirmities and vicissitudes. His cough
is troublesome twice or thrice in the day. He pursues a bracing system and a generous diet. To
what extent the disease may be preying on the
vitals, I dare not conjecture. His present state
and appearance are certainly satisfactory, but the
complaint is variable and flattering, and I must

256

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

rejoice with trembling. Oh !for a quiet, reconciled,
patient, waiting mind !
"'Our present beautiful retreat is doing me good
also, and I need it. My mind and nerves have suffered a severe shock. I am conscious of the benefit
I derive. How long I may be permitted to enjoy
it, God only knows. I would be thankful, and hope
to receive grace and strength for the future.
" The weather is become very showery, but is
pleasant at intervals. These are days which afford
the finest mountain-effects, and in this part of the
Western Highlands they are truly grand. We had
a rolling, tumbling voyage to Ardentenny. Dr. S.
seemed on the whole pleased with the appearance
of his patient. Dear love to my children. Tell
Hwe are surrounded by immense trap-schistus,
and red sandstone rocks, with great variety of form,
substance, and arrangement.
* * * * Much
love from all; from none more than your
"' LEGH.'

"' MY DEAR LOVE,

"'For a few days after our arrival here, Willy
was not so well. The last three days we spent
much on the water, and he is stronger and better
for it. Dr. S. thinks it a case in which a vigorous
pursuit of his bracing system may prove successful,
though he speaks with caution. The worst symptoms are, the shortness of breath, and debility in

257

IIIS LATTER DAYS.

ascending stairs and short hills. But if the tone of
the system can be raised, these symptoms will
diminish. His spirits rise and fall as he feels better
or worse. I asked Dr. S. what proportion of cases
had recovered under his treatment:-he replied,
where it is regularly followed, half. Willy rests
much on .the hope of amendment, and generally
replies to any inquiry after his health, 'I am better.'
I never leave him from morning till night. Dr. S.
is about five hours' sail from us. We spent a plea's
sant day last Thursday with him in Lord Bfamily.
" 'I am inwardly struggling and striving to be
calm and reconciled to God's will. I am going
through depths in the inward meditation of my
soul. When you write to Wilberforce, keep in full
view the uncertainty of human life, even without,
much more with, the uncertainty of disease. Patients like dear W. are full of stronger emotions,
and disposed to deeper meditations, as disease
threatens a nearer approach to eternity. General
sentiments and feelings are more easily preserved
than the special applications of them to a particular
case. He is still very reserved to me, yet I perceive he reads, and I think meditates, on important
subjects. I find it a delicate and a difficult matter
to preserve the right balance between the state of
his spirits, vacillating, rising and falling with the
state of his disease, and a reasonable hope which is
nbt influenced by an earthly association. Endeas

258

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

vour to draw out his sentiments and feelings, and
desire him to keep a letter always on the stocks for
you,-to write a little day by day, till the sheet be
full.
"' So you saw Lord B--'s
funeral pass through
Bedford. I could wish for Christianity's sake that
its open and acknowledged adversary had remained
in Greece, where alone his life and conduct seemed
to have been doing good. To this country his
writings will be a lasting bane, and must continue
to injure religion so long as infidelity, blasphemy,
and vice, can obtain circulation and popularity,
when clothed and armed with the splendour of great
genius and talent. These constitute the real objects
of worship with many who profess to be Christians.
I entertain no doubt that the adoration of an intellectual and poetical idol may be as great a sin as
falling down to the golden image in the plains of
Dura. Alas ! we have seldom seen true piety and
true poetry united; but genius and vice have been
too often associated in the annals of mankind. We
have need of due discrimination in our estimate of
characters, to be aware of the dazzling influence of
able corrupters and destroyers of virtue.
"' You must only expect, in general, a few lines
from me; but I hope enough to convince you how
much I love and esteem you. Convey to the people
an affectionate pastoral message. The same to Mr.
-- ; cheer and encourage him in my name. To
my dear boys and girls give sweet messages of love:

HIS LATTER DAYS.

259

and for yourself accept a fragrant nosegay of pretty
things from your own affectionate
" ' LEGH.'

" I do not think Willy was fully aware of his
danger at this time, though from his reserve it was
difficult to ascertain his opinion of himself; and
his physician was afraid of discouraging him by a
disclosure of his real situation, as he considered it
of importance that he should expect recovery, and
cultivate cheerfulness of temper.*
" Willy wrote a few letters during his residence at
Rothsay, of which the following are specimens:"' DEAR -----

" ' I am not inattentive or indifferent to the kind
solicitude you have expressed for me. I now experience what I have only heard before, that nothing
is more consolatory in sickness than to be remembered by those we loved in health. I have been
very unwell since I saw you, and I once thought I
must have given up my former enjoyments, my
* Disease and the methods of cure lie within the province of a
medical attendant, and under certain circumstances it may not be
proper to interfere with him. Yet when there is little or no
reasonable expectation of recovery, there is a degree of cruelty in
keeping up a delusion, and thus encouraging a patient to delay
turning to God till he cannot turn in his bed. It is unjustifiable
on any principle of reason or revelation. The practice may be
traced to an indifference to religion, or an ignorance of its real
character.- EDIToR.

260

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

future hopes and prospects, even the pleasure of
, and all I
seeing dear friends such as you, held most dear, on earth. I shall never forget the
pang which almost broke my heart on leaving home,
when I saw the tops of the houses, and the church,
and the fields, and the trees of my native village,
disappear from my sight. I thought, perhaps I am
looking for the last time on the scene of my earliest
recollections-my fondest and dearest enjoyments;
-but it was a moment of weakness, and I fear it
was mingled with a feeling of repining. I had
always been happy-too happy; my heart was
satisfied with this world, but God was leading me
by a path I knew not, in which I should find more
certain and durable enjoyment. I needed something to convince me of the emptiness of the world,
and to lead me to fix my affections higher. I am
now much better in health. I do not look like the
same person, and I hope I am not presumptuous in
anticipating another day with you as happy as that
spent at W -- a few months ago. Perhaps you
will think it a commonplace remark, if I express a
wish for your company at Rothsay. The situation
is beautiful; but beautiful as is the sea stretched
now before us, and the mountains and little romantic
islands which surround us on all sides, need I say
how much more I should enjoy their beauty, were
you here to enjoy it with us ? I am glad to have
dear -with me. We share our joys together,
and think so much alike about everything. To

HIS LATTER DAYS.

261

have been translated so suddenly as I have been,
from our flat country to this mountainous region,
seems like being taken into fairy land. Neither
description nor imagination can do justice to Scottish scenery; but do not suppose, that amidst all
its charms I have forgotten England. Oh, no! I
more than ever love the little blue hills of my native
country; the fertile plains, grassy meadows, waving
valleys, and elegant rusticity of the cottages, in
which we so much excel the hovels of Caledonia.
We have here fine exhilarating air; but the nights
are cold and bleak. I long to enjoy again an
English summer evening,--to recline, as I have
often done, on a bank warmed by the setting sun,
to feel the balmy breeze which wafts the fragrance
of the flowers-to listen to the warbling strain of
the nightingale, and give way to the wandering of
my imagination, which gave perhaps a delusive yet
fascinating sensation of pleasure to the fleeting
moment.
"I have sailed above a thousand miles on the
sea. I am beginning to like boisterous weather,
though I seldom escape the consequences. Adieu.
"' Yours sincerely,

"About this time my father began to prepare Wilberforce to receive the holy sacrament for the first
time, and they used to retire together every day
after breakfast during our stay at Rothsay. Willy

262

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

listened to his instruction in respectful silence, and
seeming acquiescence in the sentiments laid before
him: he appeared interested and anxious to be
received into full communion with the church of
God, and was often observed to be in deep thought
and sometimes greatly depressed. His unwillingness, however, to free communication rather increased, and as his health was not materially
improved, his father's anxiety often amounted to
agony, and he could not conceal the mental agitation which afflicted him. He continued to weep
and pray in secret for his child's confidence. From
Wilberforce's conversations at a later period, and
from letters written about this time, unknown to
his father till after his decease, we learnt what had
been the deep exercises of his mind-that he was
then earnestly seeking the knowledge and enjoyment
of God-that eternal things were the daily subjects
of his contemplation and inquiry, and that he also
suffered much from an insurmountable repugnance
to make known his feelings, his wishes, his wants.
He told us afterwards, that though he suffered more
from suffering alone, he yet seemed like one bound
with a chain, and could not venture to lean or place
his confidence on any human help. At this time
he wrote as follows:
"' Rothsay.

"' MY DEAR MAMMA,
' I was beginning to write to you when your
letter arrived. Very many thanks to you for it.

HIS LATTER DAYS.

263

It is impossible for me to say how much a letter
from home rejoices and relieves me, under the peculiar circumstances by which I am separated from
it. The simplest thing which happens in Turvey
becomes to me an object of interest.
"'I am very sorry I should be the cause of anxiety
to you or to any one I love. I feel this thought
more than any pain I suffer in my body. Indeed,
I lament our separation as much as you can do.
This period is one in which I could have wished
we might all have been together; but things do not
fall out as we would have them, and it is best for
us that they do not. I wish to feel resignation in
everything. As for my illness, I trust I receive it
at the hand of God, and most firmly believe it to
be the greatest mercy he ever vouchsafed me. My
heart was engrossed by this world. My affections
were not set on things above. I did not sufficiently
feel my need of a Saviour. Christ was not my
beacon-star to direct the future wanderings of my
life; but I looked to the false glare of human ambition, which would have led me to serve myself
rather than God: now I have discovered the worthlessness of all my hopes and aims. I find that all I
have hitherto done is of no avail in sickness. I
have seen what worldly dependence is,-when the
world and all that is in it seems about to be hidden
from our view for ever. I trust also I have known
something of the joy arising out of dependence on
Christ in the moment of extremity, I would ask

264

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

God's forgiveness for making less improvement of
his 'loving reproof' than I ought to have done.
Remember me to Mr. and Mrs. G. I hope the
school is going on prosperously. I wish my class
to be told, that though far from them, I have not
forgotten them. I hope they are regular in their
attendance, and that if I return, I shall find them
all much improved. Oh ! if you knew how very
often I think of home. I did not know till now,
how much I was attached to Turvey. I shall never
forget my feelings when I lost sight of our little
village. I was obliged to summon up every weak
and weary faculty to prevent my quite sinking
under the removal from it. * * *
" ' Your most affectionate and dutiful son,
" ' W.'

"' Rothsay, September.
" 'MY DEAR MAMMA,

" 'Many thanks for your affectionate birth-day
letter. I shall always recollect my last birth-day;
for it was the first in which I felt melancholy. In
the full enjoyment of health and spirits, surrounded
by all I most loved, and by the companions of my
boyhood, those days were wont to pass away more
quickly and happily than any other. But as I
sailed pensively down the waters of Loch Lomond
on the 20th of last month, a day dark and gloomy,
and in unison with my feelings, I felt that I was
no longer in the spot where I had spent my former

HIS LATTER DAYS.'

265

anniversaries with those who shared and welcomed
my happiness. Yet I solaced the desolation of
feeling with the recollection, that though absent,
there were those who were thinking of me, and of
this your letter convinced me. * * * We spent
last Sunday at Greenock; a day, I trust, ever to be
remembered by me ; for on that day I was admitted
to the highest Christian privilege, the sacrament of
the body and blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ,
ordained by him as a perpetual remembrance of his
precious death and passion. Oh! that it may be
to me a sign and a pledge of my admission to the
marriage-supper of the Lamb in glory. I was very
much affected, and should have been quite overcome
by the emotions of my own mind, if I had not felt
stronger and better than usual on that day. Now
that I am an outward member of the visible church
of Christ, may I daily prove myself to be one
inwardly, in spirit and in truth; and whatever
portion of life God is pleased to allow me, I would
devote it to his service, and love him with my whole
heart, who first loved me. I wish that another
summer was at hand, instead of another winter. I
feel a dread of the winter. There is already an
autumnal feeling here. The leaves are beginning
to change their lively green to more varied hues.
Did the fading leaf ever remind you of the decay of
a Christian in this world ? Like the early tints
displayed by the unfolding bud, are the opening
dispositions of a young Christian. His active walk

266

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE

RICHMOND.

and conversation resemble the healthy vigour of
the full-matured foliage and fruit. In the signs of
withering decay we see an emblem of his closing
scene, when he has arrived at the end of his mortal
existence, and sinks into a temporary suspension, to
shoot forth in a never-fading spring of immortal
joys.'

"' We spent the months of July, August, and
September, in the isle of Bute; but as the season
advanced, we were advised to return home. Apparently, there was little improvement in Wilberforce's health. Probably, from being constantly
with him, we had not noticed the gradual, yet real
increase of the disorder. He certainly considered
himself much better, and entertained hopes of recovery, and expressed great pleasure in returning to
Turvey. We passed a few days on our way home
with some dear friends in Yorkshire, with whom
our father left us, while he went to preach at Bradford. His great anxiety for Willy's eternal destiny,
appears by an interesting letter written to him at
this time.*
" My brother arrived at Turvey Rectory the
beginning of November, and was restored to the
quiet and peace of his own family. Six weeks
elapsed with little or no alteration in his appear* See page 222.

HIS LATTER DAYS.

267

ance. In a letter which my father wrote to me at
this time, he says," ' Dear Willy is much the same. I wish he was
more confidential and communicative as to the real
state of his soul. Oh! what would I give for one
voluntary conversation or letter, detailing the former
and present history of what is passing in his mind ?
I think well of it, and I hope it is comfortable; but
I want to knew this from himself. Many a secret
tear does his silence cost me.'
"It was during the six months following his
return from Scotland, that poor Willy's soul was
most severely tried. He never spoke of death, but
he must have been sensible of increasing inward
decay. He could not hide from himself or his
family, the depression and anxiety of his spirit.
He was much alone, and when he returned from
his closet to his family, the signs of sorrow and the
traces of some deep mental conflict were frequently
visible in his countenance. The Bible was scarcely
ever out of his hand, and after his return from the
north, he seldom took up any other book, religious
or literary; which was the more remarkable, as his
chief occupation and delight had ever been in reading authors on almost all subjects. He would now
sit for hours, and nearly whole days, over the Bible,
in deep abstraction: he was still silent to all about
him, and it was sometimes more than my dear father

268

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

could bear, to witness the increasing uneasiness of
his mind, and the sufferings of his body. After
so many ineffectual efforts to penetrate the real
state of his heart, our afflicted parent had but one
resource-to commit his child to God, in faith, and
under the pressure of his agonized feelings to cry,
'Thou hast wounded and wilt heal: hast broken
The following letters
and wilt bind up again.'
were, I believe, the last my brother wrote:" 'DEAR

"' I am afraid that you will conclude that our trip
to the north has cooled our affections, and frozen
them into indifference to former friendships. You
*
*
*
must think so no longer.
" 'I am now in that dear home which has sometimes been rendered still dearer by your presence.
I reflect on those hours with much pleasure, but
the remembrance is mingled with a feeling of melancholy. It is possible they may return; I mean
hours of the same delight: yet I must not forget
my gradual decline for the last six months. I am
now in a state in which a slight increase of disease
might prove fatal: but I am hoping, always hoping;
for hope is a symptom of my disorder, so I must
hope. I am no longer what you once knew me.
The glow of health and spirits does not now enliven
my countenance, which looks, I believe, rather sad:
yet I know not why it should do so, for I have lost
only that which endureth for a moment, and if I

269

HIS LATTER DAYS.

obtain that which endureth for ever, the love and
mercy of Christ, surely I have reason to rejoice in
the exchange. In Christ, and Christ alone, I find
peace. He will not cast me away. I have thrown
myself, as an unworthy sinner, at the foot of the
cross, and there in peace will I lay my head, and I
trust, cheerfully resign my breath to Him who gave
it. I used once to love the rose of all the flowers
the best; but now it has left me, and I turn to the
lily, for it seems to betoken my approach to a world
of purity-nor have I any wish for life, if Christ
will receive one so unworthy. From how much
sin and temptation shall I make my escape by
an early death; and quitting these, enter into a
haven of joy, where there is no more curse. I know
that in very faithfulness God has afflicted me ;-my
chief sins were pride and ambition, and these have
been the very means,-at least the chief causes, of
my disease. Proud of my talents, and seeking the
admiration of men, I neglected my health till it was
too late to correct the error, and now my dreams of
future happiness in this world, and all my ambitious
hopes, are fled. But I would not exchange the
humility of a Christian for the phantom at which I
formerly grasped. People tell me I shall recover.
There may be hope, but my own impression is to
the contrary. Pray for me, dear -- , and let a
tear fall for the sins of
'"Your affectionate
"4 '

V.,

270

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.
" ' January4, 1825.

" 'Many, many thanks, dear mamma, for your
long and kind letter. I know you love me, and
think of me while you are absent; and it is some
little consolation for your absence, and yet but little,
for I long for your return very, very much. The
house is dull without you, and I am dull; for I am
deprived of the society of one I hold most dear.
Do come as soon as circumstances will permit. I
would not press it, mamma, but I am not nearly so
well as when you left me. My spirits are weak,
and my appetite almost gone.

*

*

*

*

I am

glad that you wrote to me so openly and candidly
on the subject of death. I feel my earthly tabernacle fast wearing away, and every day brings more
occasion for solemn thought and serious reflection;
and now, dear mamma, having said this, I know
you will be very anxious to know something about
the state of my mind. Just now it is most unhappy.
The thought has forced itself upon me, that I am
not a child of God, but have been deceiving myself
with false hopes. My breast heaving with anguish,
and my eyes swollen with tears too big to find a
passage, would bear witness to the agony of spirit
I have endured this day. But I have cast myself
at the feet of my heavenly Father, and have
implored him by his mercy, by the love which led
him to send a Saviour into the world, by the
death and intercession of that Saviour, by the
encouragements he has held out to sinners to come

HIS LATTER DAYS.

271,

unto him, and by the help which he has promised
to all those who do so come,-I have implored
him not to send me empty away. I have not yet
found comfort, but I am looking and trusting.
He has said, Whom I love I chasten. I do
hope this may be his dealing with me; and if so, I
shall be thankful for it. Amidst these conflicts, I
see, as it were, a light glimmering through the
darkness which leads me on in hope. Oh, mamma,
if you love your son, join your prayers to his, that
this life, this ray of hope may increase, and that he
may have a sure and certain hope of a joyful resurrection to eternal life.
I thank you for Miss
Jerram's Memoir. I never read any book with more
interest. She had exactly the same feelings I have;
but God removed them in his own good time; and
I derive a hope from her deliverance, that I shall
not be cast away. I will not think it. I should
deny his word-his promises. Sorrow not, mamma,
that I must leave you,-we shall not be long separated. Two little ones are gone before me, and will
you not rejoice that God has been so gracious to
them? They know not the sin and sorrow of the
world. I have known both, and I wish to encounter
no more. Not one prayer have I offered up for life;
but I have said, Lord, give me a converted heart,
and do with my life as seemeth thee best. I feel
no desire for life. Do not think I want affection.
The thought of parting with you all, is more than I
can well bear; but God will give me strength.

272

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

" ' You blame yourself for not having talked with
me on religious subjects. I am sorry to say you
would have found in me a backwardness which I was
never able to overcome; but now if you were here,
I could talk most confidentially with you: * + *
May the Spirit of God rest upon you! May he
comfort you under present anxiety-may he speak
to your heart in future sorrows-may you find joy
in all your tribulations, and an earnest of that rest
which is prepared for the people of God ! I am,
" 'Your affectionate

" The last letter my brother attempted, was to
Mr. -,
in Scotland. It was written under great
debility, and was left very unfinished:" ' MY DEAR BROTHER,

" ' Forgive me if I write this letter in a very disjointed style. I cannot write long together, and it
is difficult to resume thoughts once broken in their
connexion. Many thanks for your kind letter.
You need not have begun with excuses. You make
me anxious to have you with me-I want to unburden my heart to you. I wish to hear a voice of
comfort from you. I never could speak freely on
these subjects-I am sorry you found me so backward to religious conversation, but I could not
surmount my repugnance-I found it impossibleI was not near enough to death-I had not known

273

HIS LATTER DAYS.

trials and conflicts enough to overcome my reserve,
and induce me to unbosom my thoughts and feelings.
But now that I am struggling for life, now that I
have experienced hours of mental agony, which
might often have been alleviated, could I have
opened my heart: how much do I long to have you
near me. How confidently, how freely, would I
converse with you!'
"Hitherto Willy's decline had been so gradual,
as scarcely to be observed by those who were constantly about him. He rode on horseback daily,
sat much with my father in the study, and appeared
to his family nearly as usual, except that an
increased anxiety was visible in his countenance.
But early in January, 1825, a considerable alteration was apparent. He wasted rapidly; death was
evidently approaching. We were taken by surprise;
for our fears had been lulled asleep. My dear
father wrote as follows:"' MY DEAREST F.
"'As I think more uncertainty hangs over the
day of your arrival than I wish, I write to hasten
your return. Dear Willy droops, he declines fast.
He misses you much, and often says he wants you.
Many symptoms increase my anxiety about him.
He is much weaker within the last few days.
Come to us immediately. We want another nurse.
His breathing is with difficulty and pain. His sleep
and appetite fail-his looks are pale and wan-his
T

274:

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

whole frame is sinking-his mind seems very calm
and composed, but he still says nothing. I am persuaded that a great deal more has passed within
than we know of, and that of an excellent kind.
Peace and grace be with him and you, and with
"' Your affectionate father,
"' L. R.
"'P.S. Since I wrote the above, I have had a
very long, free, unreserved conversation with our
dear boy, most affectionate and affecting, and close
to the great point. It is an immense relief to my
mind. He is to me an interesting mixture of
anxiety and hope. His language sometimes resembles that of your own letter: at other times he can
trust more. Oh ! that I might see both my beloved
children, yea, all of them, living by faith on the
Son of God ! 'By grace are ye saved, through
faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of
God.'
" ' Willy's most distressing symptom is a kind of
suffocating feeling. We know not what this may
produce. You will not be surprised at my distress.
Do not wait for an escort, but trust Providence for
a safe journey home.
" '(Tuesday.)
"' You will be anxious to hear how the dear boy
is to-day. He is extremely ill in body, and exceedingly well in mind-in a peculiarly holy frame.
He slept a little in the arm-chair last night, but his

HIS LATTER DAYS.

275

decay is rapid. He wishes to talk with you on
many subjects. I hope he may have strength at
intervals to do so. His conversations with me have
been most valuable and interesting,-praised be God!
I am so comforted by my dear boy's unreserved
communications, that I frequently forget the pain
of parting. Who could be so selfish as to wish to
stop his journey to heaven? Yet how trying to
nature is the idea of parting with him! Well,
under every bereavement and separation from
others, forget not, my dear F--,
the use you may
always make of your father who loves you. You,
also, have been too reserved towards him; for he is
indeed and indeed,
"' Your own affectionate parent,
" ' L. R.'
" My mother was still at Bath, to which place
she had been summoned to attend the dying bed of
her own parent, and my father wrote to beg her
return:"' MY DEAR LOVE,

" 'Our dear Willy's weakness has increased with
such unexpected rapidity within the last three days,
that I wish you to return home immediately. He
is exceedingly anxious that you should not delay an
hour in coming to him. Amidst my great anxieties,
I have the pleasure of telling you that the spell of
silence is happily broken between us, and he has
opened his whole heart to me. He is in a very

276

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

anxious but hopeful frame of mind. By our mutual
conversation of yesterday and to-day, I am relieved
from a heavy burden. All the nameless pangs of
my mind, during the last eight months, have been
almost blotted out of my remembrance by my present consolations. My prayers are answered at
last, the door of utterance is opened, and I am truly
thankful. Your mind, as well as mine, has long
anticipated the probable result of this sickness. We
must go to the stronghold for help, and we shall
not fail to find it. I am staying from church to
enjoy a sabbath with our dear boy; he has had a
very bad night, chiefly in the arm-chair; the fever
has been excessively high, and the pulse at the utmost. But take comfort from the state of his mind.
It is truly interesting. All its natural superiority
mingles with its spiritual characteristics. He that
once comforted you in your own dangerous sickness,
will comfort you in the distress of your soul. Let
us trust God in overruling all for the best. When
not oppressed by debility and pain, Willy's countenance beams with sweet smiles of composure and
love. He often inquires when you may be expected.
* * * Of my other feelings I can say but little.
No one but God knows all that has passed in my
heart for more than eight months, I may say for
years, concerning Wilberforce; but God is good
and gracious.
"' Most affectionately yours,
" ' L. R.'

iIS LATTER DAYS.

277

" All reserve was now banished from my brother's
mind. He opened his whole heart to his father,
told him minutely of all his past conflicts, spoke of
his present comforts, and begged that he might be
closely examined. He wished to satisfy his parent
and pastor that his faith was scriptural and sincere.
He seemed to go beyond his strength in conversing
-even to extreme exhaustion, and appeared very
anxious to tell how God had enlightened, converted, strengthened, and comforted him. He would
sit for hours with his dear father in the study,
supported in an easy chair, telling him of all he
had gone through,--entreating his pardon for the
uneasiness he had occasioned him by his past silence,
and expressing his great joy at now being able to
converse with freedom, and mingle their souls together in the delightful interchange of confidence. It
was now that our beloved father was indeed comforted, and that he received a full answer to patient
prayer. Edified, refreshed, and calmed by the holy
language of his child, his mind was supported under
the expected and long-dreaded pang of parting.
These conversations, which were continued until
increasing weakness rendered them impossible, induced my father to form the resolution of writing a
memoir of Wilberforce, the imperfect outline of
which is all that is left to us. I have often heard
my father and brother give the same opinion of the
reserve which occasioned so much pain on both
sides, and to which frequent allusion has been made.

278

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

They considered it as God's way of dealing with a
peculiar state of mind-intended to humble the pride
of the understanding, and silence a love of argument.
It was the Holy Spirit, as a sovereign, converting
without human agency. Wilberforce said, that for
more than three months he had never looked into
any book but the Bible ; that God's word had been
his only study, and that, amidst all his anxiety, often
amounting to agony of mind, he could find no relief,
either from religious books or religious conversation;
but was obliged to go to the Bible for everything he
wanted to know:-that whenever he opened the Bible,
he turned verse after verse into prayer as he read,
and that in so doing he felt a force, a sweetness and
consolation passing all understanding :-that though
he knew he had a father who loved him tenderly,
and was so able and willing to instruct him, and
remove his perplexities, he felt himself as one who
was spell-bound, and could not break silence-and so
he retired to his solitary chamber to weep and struggle on in darkness-until the Holy Spirit became his
teacher, showing him the piercing spirituality of a
perfect law; amidst conviction and terror of conscience, leading him to the cross to seek for mercy
through Him that was crucified upon it: and enabling him to receive the promise of free salvation in
Christ by his blood and righteousness unto justification. ' I have built,' he would say,' all my hopes
for eternity on God's word, which is unerring truth.
I have found peace there, and have been sealed by

HIS LATTER DAYS.

279

the Spirit which indited that word, having received
an earnest of the heavenly inheritance. It was
without human aid, that I might give God the
glory.'
"I have mentioned to you some interesting conversations, which passed at this time between Wilberforce and my dear father. The following paper
in my father's handwriting is the only one sufficiently
connected for insertion.
"' Subjects of conversation with me on Friday :"' Warburton -examination of evidences-acknowledgment of errors- God's reasons for taking
him away from the ministry- prayer -Christ's
love--God's way of humbling pride-infidel temptations-on mere educational religion-his secret
conflict for four years past between a love of science
and a love of religion."
"' On Saturday he expressed a wish to see our
family surgeon ; ' Not,' said he, 'that I want medicine, which will do me no good, but I wish for his
opinion of the progress of the disorder; it will be a
great satisfaction to me to know precisely how long
he thinks I may live. My strength fails; yet the
symptoms vary very much.' The surgeon arrived
in the evening. Willy conversed freely with him,
and begged him to be open and explicit. Mr. saw clearly that he was now in the last stage of
consumption, and he was surprised at the cheerful
and unembarrassed manner with which he discoursed
on his present situation. I left them together for

280

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

a few minutes. On my re-entering the room I was
struck with his countenance, which presented a
mixture of calm and lively satisfaction, as he was
conversing with his medical attendant, who on his
return to the family spoke with great feeling of his
patient. He said, ' The danger is imminent, though
it is impossible to say how long he may remain,'
and added, ' I have scarcely ever witnessed so much
cheerfulness and composure in any one in the prospect of death ; certainly never in so young a person.'
"' * * * I returned to my son, who said
's visit had afforded much relief to
that Mr. his feelings, ' I see what he thinks of my case, and
it is right I should know it.' There was a union
of thoughtfulness and serenity in his manner which
affected me exceedingly; but it filled me with gratitude and thankfulness to witness in this wellordered and calm state of mind an evidence of God's
work, and of a divine change. He observed, 'I
have no expectation of any advantage from medicine; but it may palliate distressing symptoms.
The great Physician alone will regulate all for the
best, both for body and soul. Oh! I want to trust
him more and more '
" ' In the evening, as we were sitting alone in the
study, I asked him whether he had read the book I
had put into his hands, and whether he had found
its contents satisfactory. Instead of giving any
direct reply to this question, he looked at me with
an earnest expression of countenance, and said,

HIS LATTER DAYS.

281

'Papa, do not be afraid: I wish you to examine me.
I am anxious neither to deceive, nor be deceived in
respect of my spiritual estate. You cannot be too
plain with me.' I had been for a long time past
earnestly longing for a full disclosure of his thoughts,
but his reserve had hitherto kept me from all knowledge of his real state. In answer to questions of
a personal nature, he would only reply, 'I hardly
know what to say; another time I may tell better.'
On religious subjects in general he never refused to
converse freely, but he shrank from every attempt
at personal application. I was therefore delighted
when he thus voluntarily afforded me an opportunity
of knowing the secret state of his mind, for which
I had long and most anxiously prayed. I told him
how much I had wished to gain his confidence, and
feared I had not urged him to freedom of intercourse
with sufficient earnestness. ' Indeed, papa,' he said,
' the fault was not yours. I have felt a backwardness, particularly of late, to disclose what was passing in my mind ; and had you pressed me more than
you have done, to speak of myself, I believe you
would have failed to have obtained your object.
But now I feel quite at liberty to talk of myself,
and I must first tell you that I think I see God's
design in keeping me thus shut up from you. It
was his gracious purpose to teach me, in the privacy
and solitude of inward meditation, my state as a
sinner, and the nature of salvation by a Saviour;
here I learnt the deep things of God, and now I

282

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

would come forth and tell you what Christ has done
for my soul.' His countenance brightened as he
uttered these words; a tear dropped from his cheek,
and his eye glistened with animation, as he said,
'I have had great exercises of mind of late, but
God has been very merciful to me in the midst of
them.'
"' And what,' said I, 'are your present feelings,
'I feel, papa,' he replied, 'more
my dear boy?'
hope than joy. I have read of ecstasies in the view
of dying, which others have experienced, and to
which I am still a stranger; but I have a hope
founded on the word of God, which cheers and
supports me. I know in whom I have trusted, and
I believe he will neither leave nor forsake me. I
am not afraid of death; but as I think my time will
not be long, I wish to put myself first into the
Lord's hand, and then into yours, that you may
search and try me, whether I am in any error.'
Such an important moment was not to be neglected.
I received my child's confidence as an answer to
many an anxious and earnest prayer which I had
offered up to God, and I resolved to use it, as
affording an opportunity of peculiar interest to us
both. Satisfied as I had long been with the general
view of his religious and moral character, strengthened by a discovery of many evidences of inward
principle, still, when I considered the near approach
of death and eternity-the value of an immortal
soul-the danger of spiritual delusion, and my own

CONVERSATIONS WITH HIS FATHER.

283

immeasurable responsibility as a parent, I resolved
to leave nothing unsaid or untried, which would
bring our hearts into mutual repose on the great
subject of salvation, and my dear child's personal
interest therein.
"I found his mind perfectly clear as to the great
principle of his acceptance with God, solely and
unequivocally through the death and righteousness
of Christ. In the most simple and satisfactory
manner he renounced all dependence upon every
It
word and deed of his own. ' is,' said he, " as a
guilty sinner before God, that I throw myself on
his mercy. I have no excuse to offer for myself,
no plea to put in why God should not utterly destroy
me, but that Jesus died to save, to pardon, and to
bless me. It is his free gift, and not my deserving.
Oh! papa, what would become of me if salvation
was by works ? What have I ever done, and above
all, what, in my present state, could I now do to
merit anything at his hands? God forbid that I
should rest on such a flimsy, fallacious system of
divinity as that which ascribes merit to man. I
have no merit. I can have none. I thank God I
have long known this. I fear many trust in themselves, and thus rob Christ of his glory. Is not
this true, papa?'
" 'Yes, my dear Wilberforce, many do deceive
themselves, and build for eternity on a wrong foundation. But I have endeavoured to impress on
your mind from your childhood, that salvation by

284

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE

RICHMOND.

grace, and not of works, is the peculiar feature of
the Gospel of Christ; and do you not now see that
this is the doctrine of the Bible ?'
"'Yes, papa, and it is because, after long aid
repeated study of the Bible, I have found the doctrine there, that I believe, and am now comforted
by it. You will pardon my saying that the opinions
which I have formed, and the doctrines on which I
rest, have not been imbibed from the sermons I
have heard, or the books which I have read, but
from a close study of the scriptures themselves. I
have been accustomed to bring sermons and books
to the test of the Bible, and not the Bible to them.
You cannot think what light and comfort I have
found in reading God's own word: I never found
anything like it from any other book.'
" I particularly inquired into the history of his
mind for more than three years past, in reference to
those sceptical temptations which he had formerly
described to me; and whether he had been lately
tried by the same doubts and difficulties in respect
of the truth of the scriptures.
'Never,' he replied, 'no, never. From the time to which you
allude I have felt the most perfect reliance on the
word of God; and by much reading of it, and
praying over it, I have been so confirmed in my
persuasion of its divine origin as not to have had
my confidence once shaken since that period. I
have been tried deeply in other respects, but I have
never again varied on that important question. The

CONVERSATIONS WITH HIS FATHER.

285

book of God, by God's blessing on its contents, has
proved its own heavenly character to my understanding. How thankful I feel for this'-" A flush of hectic fever occasioned at this moment a short period of debility, and he paused for a
few minutes. He soon resumed his affecting conversation, and said, ' I am not ignorant of my besetting sin. It was the pride of the understanding.
I always loved to examine thoroughly into the
grounds of an opinion before I received it, and
generally, though not always, to be deliberate in
coming to a conclusion. This habit has often made
me appear over-confident in what I said, and I
know you have felt and lamented it. I do entreat
your forgiveness of any instance of this folly which
has hurt and grieved you.' Then he added, ' The
recollection of it has greatly humbled me; I trust I
have seen my fault, and have not applied in vain to
the blood which cleanseth from all sin.'
"I asked him what had been his views of the
ministry, in case God had spared his life. He replied, ' You know, papa, it has always been my
wish and expectation to be a clergyman, and with
this view I have sought to attain various kinds of
literary knowledge. I have very often prayed to
God to fit me for this office, and I have thought
much of the doctrines I should have to preach to
others. But I can see a reason why God has put
an end to these intentions and prospects. He is
removing me out of this life, and does not permit

286

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

me to enter into the ministry, lest I should be
tempted, from the peculiar turn of my mind, to seek
the honour and praise of men in my ministrations,
more than God's glory, aihd the salvation of sinners.
I think I can see both wisdom and goodness in this
dispensation.'
"I remarked that the same God who had convinced him of his danger, could have humbled his
heart in a variety of ways; and prepared him for
the service of the sanctuary, without endangering
his safety ; and doubtless would have done it if he
had seen good to have prolonged his life. 'Such
discoveries of your own heart, my dear boy, are
evidences not only of what God can do, but a pledge
of what he would have done for you.'
'True,
papa; but if he is pleased to humble me in the
valley of death, may it not be safer and happier for
me ? The Lord's way must be the best way.'
"He then adverted to another subject. ' I have
been much occupied of late,' said he, 'in thinking
of man's natural depravity, and the deceitfulness of
the human heart. I have discovered in it many
things in which we are apt to overlook or make
excuses for it. I am sure I have no ground of hope
except I stand with St. Paul, and cry out, I am the
chief of sinners.' I referred to a conversation
which I once had with an individual, who objected
to an application of that expression to himself, and
said it was intended only to describe the peculiar
circumstances of St. Paul. 'Then I am sure,'

CONVERSATIONS WITH HIS FATHER.

287

replied Wilberforce, 'that person could not have
been rightly convicted of guilt in his own conscience. I do not know what the critic may say
on such a passage, but I am quite satisfied that
when the heart is opened to itself, the expression,
chief of sinners, will not appear too strong to describe its character. I have often heard you say,
papa, that the view of religion which most honours
God is that which most debases the sinner and most
exalts the Saviour. I never felt this to be so true
as at the present moment.'
" His pallid but intelligent countenance, as he
said this, seemed to express more than he could find
words to utter. He paused a while, and continued,
'What a comfort I find in this conversation with
you! It is such a relief to my mind! and I am
very thankful for it.' My own heart was too
responsive to that of my beloved child, not to reecho his own sentiments. I knelt down and returned
thanks to God for the consolation afforded to us
both, and prayed earnestly that he would continue
to us the same holy interchange of kindred spirit
and feeling.
"In another conversation, my dear boy expressed
great satisfaction at the remembrance of the preparation for the Lord's Supper, while we resided in
the Isle of Bute the preceding summer; a preparation carried on for several weeks before he first
received that sacrament in the Episcopal Chapel of
Greenock. He observed that in his daily oppor-

288

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICIIMOND.

tunities of reading and conversing with me, he
could seldom express his thoughts with freedom,
though he deeply felt the importance of the subject
before us, but 'I shall always feel thankful to you,
papa, for the diligent and affectionate manner in
which you instructed me. I love that book of
-Mason's. I shall never forget that day at Greenock
Chapel. I was greatly comforted. You preached
from Isaiah, lv. 1 : ' Ho ! every one that thirsteth,
come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money,
come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and
milk; without money and without price.'-I did
indeed thirst for the waters of salvation. Poor
Charlotte Bwas there also. Her unexpected
death affected me much.'
"' What were your thoughts,' I said, ' when you
wrote those lines in her album the night before you
parted from her?'*
"' I thought them,' he replied, 'very suitable to
my own feelings; but I little thought she was to
realize the sentiment before I did.' 'She has joined
her father in a better world,' I said. 'Yes, and
may I soon be with them; but God knows best,
and I wish to commit myself into his hands, for life
or death.' He then sunk for a while into his chair
* " It matters little at what hour of day
The righteous falls asleep. Death cannot come
To him untimely who is fit to die;
The less of this cold world, the more of heaven;
The briefer life, the earlier immortality."
MILLMAN.

CONVERSATIONS WITH HIS FATHER.

289

and dozed. When he awoke he began to again converse. ' But papa, papa, do you indeed think I am on
the right foundation ? I cannot bear the thought of
being deceived; but I do think Christ loves me too
well to cast me away, and that I may say, Faithful
is he that has promised, who also will do it. I love
God. I love his word. I love his ways. I love
his people, though I feel so unworthy to be counted
one of them. Surely such feelings as these do not
fit me for hell.' An indescribable look of animation pervaded his countenance as he uttered these
words, and bespoke the love, faith, hope, and sincerity of his heart, too plainly to be mistaken.
"'If,' he continued, ' God meant to destroy me,
would he have shown me these things ?'
" ' I am persuaded not,' I answered. 'Manoah's
wife has proved a comforter to many, and I rejoice
that her argument for the merciful designs of God
prevails with you.'
"' I am now fatigued, and must go to bed,' said
he, 'pray with me, and then, good night!'
" Having the assistance of a much-valued friend
to undertake the public services of my church, and
feeling great anxiety to avail myself of this opportunity to devote myself to my son in his critical and
alarming state of health, I remained at home with
him the whole of the next day. Although much
oppressed by the rapidly-increasing progress of
disease and consequent debility, yet he was able to
engage in some interesting and very important

290

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

conversations at intervals during the day. He was
carried into the study about eleven o'clock. At his
breakfast he expressed a hope that there were many
now engaged in prayer for him in the congregation
assembled for divine service. 'I should love to be
in the midst of them, but it cannot be now. It
never will be in this world. What a comforting
consideration, papa, that wherever two or three are
gathered together in his name, Christ has promised
to be present with them ! Do you think he is
here ?' I replied, 'I cannot doubt it, my dear boy.
It is one of the most consolatory views of the word
of God, not only that he is constantly present with
every individual believer, in every place, and under
every circumstance, but he is also especially present
with all such, however great or small their number,
who unite together in acts of worship and religious
intercourse. lie is alike present at this time with
our friends in the church, and with you and me in
this room. May God give us grace to realize this
and be thankful.'
" Soon afterwards, while the servant was removing the breakfast-things, I was stirring the fire,
as he complained of the cold; and a short silence
ensued. He said presently, with a playful smile,
'I was thinking while you stirred the fire, how
much easier it is to rake the ashes from the grate,
than to get rid of sin from the heart ;' and then
relapsing into a grave look, he added, 'How often
the ashes of sin deaden the flame of religion in the

CONVERSATIONS

WITH HIS FATHER.

291

heart !' This remark -originating in an apparently casual incident--led to a close conversation
on the nature of sin, and the difficulties with which
a Christian has to contend in his conflicts with
indwelling and inbred corruption. I was much
struck with his deep acquaintance with the exercises of his own heart, and with the gospel plan
of salvation, which he evinced as he continued to
dwell on this subject. I rejoiced to observe in him
a personal and a practical application of the grand
truths of revelation to his own heart ; the result of
much prayer and meditation, and reading of the
sacred volume: his inmost thoughts were thrown
into our discourses, which manifested a power and
demonstration of the Spirit of God far beyond
what I ever anticipated. The reserve which had
caused me so much solicitude was entirely removed.
With a sweet and endearing freedom of heart and
tongue, he expressed himself so openly, and with
such sincerity as filled me with gratitude, and
rendered me for a moment insensible - comparatively insensible--to the pang of bereavement
which was soon to be undergone. To possess such
satisfactory evidences of my child being an heir of
glory, and that my temporary loss would prove
his eternal gain, and the hope that we should one
day meet in the presence of God to part no more,
cheered my spirit and tranquillized my mind, under
an affliction otherwise insupportable.
" I was making a reference to some expressions

292

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

in the seventh chapter of the epistle to the Romans,
on the nature and character of St. Paul's own
experimental acquaintance with the truths which
he enforced on others, when I was summoned to
join my other children at the dinner-table. I told
him my absence would allow him a respite from
the fatigue of conversation ; but that I would soon
return to him and resume the subject, and begged
him to seek repose for a little while in his own
arm-chair. This appeared to me the more necessary, as I had observed an evident and painful
struggle between the debility of his frame and the
animation of his thoughts. The hour of the afternoon service arriving, I returned to my son, whom
I found with the Bible opened before him. He
looked at me with a smile, and said, ' Well, papa,
I have not been asleep, I have been otherwise
employed. I revived almost as soon as you left me,
and as I wanted to converse with you on the epistle
to the Romans, I have been reading through the
first eight chapters, whilst you were below, in order
that I might have this subject more clear in my
I was surprised and pleased to find
recollection.'
that he had strength sufficient for such an exertion,
and I reflect on the circumstance with greater
interest, as this was, I believe, the: last time he was
able to read at all.
" He observed that he had purposely stopped at
the eighth chapter, because the apostle had there
seemed to make a division in his subject and

CONVERSATIONS WITH HIS FATHER.

293

argument.
'What a beautiful summary of doetrine these chapters contain, papa ! I have thought
on them again and again. St. Paul lays his foundation deep in the corruption of human nature, and
shows so plainly that neither Jew nor Gentile has
any hope from works, but only from faith in Christ
Jesus. I have found great comfort from that view
of the righteousness of Christ, which the apostle
declares to be the only way of salvation. There
is,-there can be no other. We have no righteousness of our own-

all are under sin--every mouth

must be stopped, and all the world become guilty
before God. I have been at times perplexed about
the principle of acceptance with God, but now I
see it quite clearly. With what earnestness does
the apostle labour to prove the vanity of all human
dependence!
I have been thinking as I read
these chapters, how entirely the walk of a believer
depends on his faith in Christ, and how closely
connected the holiness, and the comfort, and the
reliance of the soul are with each other. He proceeded to comment on the fifth and sixth chapters,
as a train of experimental and practical reasoning
deduced from those which preceded them: adding,
'But the seventh and eighth chapters have been
my delight. I have found my own case so exactly
and so clearly described in the seventh, and have
been so much comforted by St. Paul's description
of his own feelings about sin and Christ, as I can
never express. And then the eighth crowns the

294

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

whole.
Oh, what a chapter is that!
Every
word has given me instruction, strength and comfort.' I here said, ' And you can make an inward
application of the latter part of that chapter to
yourself?'
'Indeed, papa, I hope I am not deceiving myself, but I do think I can. It lifts me
up with such hope and confidence, the language is
so sublime, and the doctrine so convincing. It
sometimes seems too much for a sinner like me to
say ; -but all things are possible with God, and he
whom God saves, has a propriety in all things.'
He then went through the whole subject of the
chapter, making a variety of sensible and solid
remarks upon it, and entreating me to examine him
as to his personal application of these glorious and
gracious truths to his own heart. After he had made
some animated observations on the concluding part
of this chapter, he said, 'But now I want to add
one sentence from another part of the epistle, to
wind, up the whole, and that is, ' Oh ! the depths
of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of
God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his
ways past finding out ! For who has known the
mind of the Lord ? or who hath been his counsellor ? or who hath first given to him, and it shall
be recompensed to him again. For of him, and
through him, and to him are all things, to whom be
glory for ever, Amen.' ' I shall ever retain a vivid
recollection of the tone of his voice, and the sparkling look of his eye, which accompanied the utter-

CONVERSATIONS

WITH HIS FATHER.

295

ance of these words. He became immediately much
exhausted-the difficulty of breathing increased the fever ran very high-he bent over the table
and fell into a dose, which lasted half an hour. He
gradually awoke, and I observed him to fix his
eyes on a globe of water which stood near the
window, and contained a gold fish. I inquired
what he was looking at so earnestly.
He replied,
'I have often watched the mechanical motion of
our gold and silver fish in that globe. There is
now only one left, and that seems to be weak and
sickly. I wonder which of us will live the longestthe fish or I ?'
He paused, and then added,
'That fish, my dear papa, is supported by the
water in the vessel; but I hope I am supported by
the waters of salvation. The fish will soon die,
and live no more ; but if I am upheld by the water
of salvation, I shall live for ever.'
" His remark led me to make some observations
on the practical use which may be made of natural
objects, and the advantages of cultivating a habit of
seeing something of God and the soul everywhere,
and of accustoming the mind to seek such comparisons and allusions as tend to improve and
delight it. Wilberforce observed, 'This is the
very principle exemplified in our Lord's parables,
and in all the figurative language of Scripture.'
At this moment a gleam of light from the setting
sun shone upon the gold fish, and produced a
brilliant reflexion from its scales, as it swam in

296

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

the glass vessel. 'Look,' said he, 'at its beauty
now.' 'So, my dear boy, may a bright and more
glorious sun shine upon you, and gild the evening
of your days !' 'I hope-' he replied, 'although
I sometimes feel a cloud and a doubt pass across
my mind,-that in the evening-time there shall be
light ; and then in his light, I shall see light.'
"Thus the gold fish furnished us with a kind of
parable. It so happened that the fish survived my
son two or three weeks ; but I never afterwards
saw it without a lively recollection of the conversation to which it gave rise; and the ideas associated with it still mingle with the cherished
moments of his latter end."

297

CLOSING SCENES.

CHAPTER VIII.
'How calm the rest!
Night dews fall not more gently to the ground,
Nor weary, worn-out winds expire so soft.'
BLAIR.

" Fao this time my brother kept his room, being
too weak to be removed to the study. He sat up
during a part of the day in his arm-chair, and
conversed with his father in the same train of
elevated piety. His mind was at times strong and
vigorous, full of faith, rejoicing in the prospect of
death, his heart trusting in God, -then trembling
and leaning on his spiritual guide, who watched
over him with the overflowings of tenderness,
gratitude, and love, while his dying son besought
him to probe his inmost soul. My father, when
with us, usually preserved a dignified composure;
speaking little and with tears; pouring forth his
soul in the family devotions; and seeming to say,
He will soon leave me, but blessed be the name of
the Lord !'
" I returned to Turvey on the 10th of January.

298

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

My father met me in the hall. He wept much as
he told me there was no hope of Willy's life ; but
he soon recovered himself, and said that the agony of
bereavement was forgotten in the blessed thought,
that he had trained up a child for glory. He then
took me up-stairs, where I found the dear invalid
in a chair before the fire, looking very pale and
emaciated, but with a countenance full of peace and
love. His eye glistened as I entered. He leaned
his head on my shoulder, but was too deeply moved
to utter a word. He continued silent a long time,
and scarcely spoke or answered the usual inquiries
of affection. In the evening he revived, and
seemed disposed to converse. I asked if he could
view the approach of death without fear ?
, I have no wish to stay one
"' Yes, dear Fday longer on earth, but I must not be impatient.
Lord Jesus ! come quickly ! if it be thy will. I
would not linger here, but I pray for patience.
, how I long to be free from this poor
Ah ! Fbody, and see my Saviour's face. You can never
know how I long for this, till you also have heaven
in view. I know in whom I have trusted. He
will save me ; for he has promised, and he never
He then fell into a kind of stupor,
changes.'
murmuring distinctly, 'Christ ! the sinner's hope.'
When he awoke, the fever was very high, and his
mind seemed to wander. My father entered. He
looked up and said, 'He fights hard, and I fight
hard, but Christ fights harder.' He began to pray

CLOSING SCENES.

299

aloud, struggling for strength and thought, and
entreating God that he might not be given up to
delirium, of which he had a great dread; and then
he praised and blessed God for giving him strength
to offer another prayer.
"I sat up with him the greater part of the night.
He once startled me by the energy with which,
after a long silence, he cried out, 'I know in
whom I am trusting. I know he never yet left
one soul that trusted in him. I will not doubt.'
He passed a painful night, with alternate fits of
fever and shivering. He continually expressed a
fear that the fever would occasion delirium. He
felt his time so precious, that he could not bear to
lose a moment by insensibility ; he exclaimed with
the utmost vehemence, '0 God ! most merciful ;-O God ! do not afflict me with the greatest of all
evils,-insanity. I long to glorify thee in my death.
Can I glorify thee in delirium, when I know thee
not ? Yet not my will but thine be done.'
"About five o'clock on Wednesday morning he
said, ' Now call up papa, and ask him to come and
talk with me. I feel as if I should have much to
suffer to-day, and I want him here that I may call
He came imup some comfort and strength.'
mediately. I retired and did not hear their conversation. My father has more than once told me
of the interesting subjects of their discourse, but I
am afraid to trust to recolleetion at this distance of
time. I again regret that my beloved father did

300

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

not live to fulfil his own intentions. I extract
from his very imperfect notes, what may possibly
apply to their present interview.
"' I read the account of Hooker's death to him
substantial calm on his mind, only interrupted
for the moment by disease-he told me of his
grapplings with infidel objections-of his weeping
when a little child, at a sermon I preached from
Jeremiah.' *
" After breakfast I returned to relieve my father,
who, amidst his daily sufferings, was not unmindful
of his family or his parish. ' I must work while it
is called to-day,' seemed to be the prevailing
sentiment of his mind, and his beloved child's
approach to death gave additional weight to the
admonition, 'what thou doest, do it with all thy
might.'
" Wilberforce sat silent for some time, then
looked up and said, 'Come, and sit close to me.
Let me lean on you.' Then putting his arms round
me, he exclaimed, ' God bless you, my dear !'he was agitated, and ceased speaking. Presently,
he said, 'I must leave you-we shall walk no
further through this world together-but I hope
we shall meet in heaven. Let us now talk of
; do not
heaven. Do not weep for me, dear Fweep, for I am very happy, but think of me, and
* Jer. iii. 22. "Return! thou backsliding Israel, saith the
Lord, and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you; for I am
merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep mine anger for ever."

CLOSING

SCENES.

301

let the thought make you press forward. I never
knew happiness till I knew Christ as a Saviour.'
He then exhorted and encouraged me to study the
Bible with perseverance. 'Read the Bible-read
the Bible. Let no religious book take its place ;through all my perplexities and distresses, I never
read any other book, and I never felt the want of
any other. It has been my hourly study, and all
my knowledge of the doctrines, and all my acquaintance with the experience and realities of
religion, has been derived from the Bible only.
I think religious people do not read the Bible
enough. Books about religion may be useful, but
they will not do instead of the simple truth of the
Bible.' He then spoke of his regret at parting
with us.
'Nothing convinces me more of the
reality of the change within me, than the feelings
with which I can contemplate a separation from my
family. I now feel so weaned from the earth, my
affections so much in heaven, that I can leave you
all without a regret. Yet I do not love you less,
but God more.' I asked him whether his mind
had been distressed for the last few months at the
thought of parting from us ; for knowing the
strength of his affections, I fancied he must have
suffered much in subduing and controlling them.
"'Oh ! my dear F----, the pain, the agony I
have felt, when I said to myself, ' I must leave
them all.' You will never know what bitter hours
I have passed : none but God knows what it cost

302

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

me to break those ties which bound me so strongly
to earth. Never, never will you know what I
suffered, as I looked at you all, and felt my strength
declining, and remembered it must soon be a last
look. I thought this must be the bitterness of
death ; and even after I had found acceptance and
peace with God, I still suffered deeply in the
prospect of separation, and never supposed I could
willingly part from my family. I knew that God
would support me, and carry me through this trial;
but a trial I felt it must be to the last : and yet, see
me now in the immediate prospect of parting -I
am quite happy, and can leave you all without a
tear--I know God can unite us all again - and I
can trust him here as I can in everything else.
Now this change must have been effected by God.
It is so evident, I cannot mistake it. I could not
have acquired this composure myself. God has
done it, but I have suffered much in the process.'
He always appeared comforted when he heard that
any one had prayed for him, and frequently entreated those about him to pray; but he used to
add, ' Do not pray for my life, but that I may have
and
comfort in death.' I was writing to W-,
asked him if he had any message to send. He
said, 'They have been very kind to me, but I am
Afterwards, seeming to
too ill to think of them.'
recollect himself, he said, ' Come and hold my
head while I try to remember them. I would
that I am
send some message. Tell dear M-

CONVERSATIONS WITH HIS FAMIILY.

303

suffering very much, but I can and do rejoice in
my sufferings; for every pain is bringing me
nearer to heaven. I shall not see her again in this
world ;' here he seemed quite exhausted. After a
while he revived a little. 'I want to say something to dear Mr.-; you told me he had been
praying for me. I wish him to know how much
I have been comforted by this, how grateful I
feel to him ! Tell him how much I value his prayers,
and that they have been answered; for Christ is
now precious to me. Through him the fear of
death is taken away. I want to tell him more. If
I can I will to-morrow, but say this-' He now
became exceedingly' ill; he breathed with great
difficulty : he panted for breath, and his struggles
were distressing. The sufferings of his body
affected his mind, and he seemed to lose his
comfort and confidence in Christ. Hie cried out
many times, ' Oh ! pray for me, pray for me, pray
for me. This is hard to bear; how different the
pains of death are to any other ! It is such a
struggle to get free.' He appeared to suffer much
in his mind. My father said, 'My dear boy,
Christ is still with you. When he once fixes his
love, he never takes it away. You may not see
him just now, but he is not the less near to you.
Nothing can, nothing shall separate you from
Christ.' Willy cried out, ' And he did not say,
'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ?'
Then he twice repeated, ' For a small moment I

304

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

have forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I
i
gather thee.' Oh ! papa !-what shall I do -I am
suffering so very much ?'
'Not one pang too
many, my child,' said his weeping father, while
the big tears rolled down his cheek.
'I know it,
papa,' he answered : 'I believe it, I feel it.' He
continued in a state of suffering nearly the whole
day. Towards evening he sunk into a sort of
lethargy. He seemed scarcely to know anything
that was passing. About eleven o'clock at night,
my father read the 23d Psalm, and prayed with
him. He was able to attend, and it seemed to cheer
him. He was better in the morning, and had
much comfortable conversatidn with his father
throughout the day. Mr. G -came to see him.
Willy wished to converse with him. He was
fearful at first, and expressed some doubt of his
salvation: but Mr. Gencouraged him by his
remarks. He assured him that Christ would never
give up a soul who had fled to him for refuge.
Here Willy interrupted him, 'I believe it, yes,
I believe it. Christ has brought me thus far, and
he will not leave me. He has said, ' Whosoever
cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out.' I feel
now quite certain that Christ will save me.' He
then adverted to his love for us, and the parting
with us. 'We have been a happy family ; -so
closely united! Every two of us can say, How
dearly we love each other-our love has been more
than common-I think we shall be a family of love

CONVERSATIONS WITH HIS FAMILY.

305

in heaven-two of us are in heaven already, and
there will soon be a third-Oh ! I feel persuaded
we shall meet again.' Mr. G--proposed to read
a chapter in the Bible. Willy said he could listen,
chose parts of the two last chapters of
and Mr. the book of Revelation. He appeared greatly re,
freshed. His face beamed with joy while ho
listened to the sublime and glorious description of
the new Jerusalem, and anticipated the moment of
his own entrance into the holy city, to go out no
more for ever'; when he should join the melody of
the heavenly choir, and make one of the countless
'Glorious
throng before the throne of God.
things are spoken of thee, 0 city of God.' After a
' Tell me about
short pause, he said to Mr. G-,
the song of Moses and 'the Lamb, my memory is
repeated
failing. Repeat it to me.' Mr. G.from Rev. xv., 'Great and marvellous are thy
works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy
ways, O King of saints. Who shall not fear thee,
O Lord, and glorify thy name ? for thou only art
holy: for all nations shall come and worship before
thee ; for thy judgments are made manifest.'
took leave of him, and some time
"Mr. Gseemed
after his departure, Willy said,' Mr. G-sent to bring the close of the Bible to be the consolation of my life. It is singular that he should have
fixed on those chapters, for I have read them so
often; again and again in my hours of sorrow;
longing, praying, but not daring to believe I should
x

306

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

ever be admitted to that glorious company; how
have I wept over them i'
"Mr. Fpaid him a visit, and Wilberforce
was very earnest in pressing him to examine the
state of his mind, saying, 'I would neither deceive
nor be deceived.' Mr. F-replied, 'You are
now too much exhausted for conversation; I have
heard from your papa the state of your mind, and I
am quite satisfied with his opinion of you: for our
ideas of true conversion are the same.'
'Yes,'
said he, but I would rather you should examine me
for yourself,-I want you also to search me."
"He asked Mr. F-whether the feeling of
assurance was necessary to salvation. 'I do not,'
he said, 'always feel alike; sometimes when illness
overpowers me, my comfort is gone, and I am afraid
that after all, I shall perish; 'but I know that in my
darkest season I still love my Saviour above every
thing.'
"'My dear Wilberforce,' said Mr. F--,
'you
cannot have a more able counsellor in your perplexities, than your affectionate father, and your very
weak state inclines me to be brief. Our religion
may be explained in a few words, at least as far as
it is necessary to your peace and safety. You must
have a title to heaven, and a meetness for its enjoyment; you need not now trouble yourself on other
points. The title is Christ's merits. Do you rest
on them alone for acceptance with God?'
"' Oh, yes; I have no other hope or trust. If I

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307

have confidence or comfort, I get it only there!'
'Well, then, the next thing is a meetness for
heaven. If any man belong to Christ he has the
mind of Christ; he is a new creature; religion is
his life as well as his peace.'
'Indeed, indeed,'
he replied, 'I do love Christ; I long to be where
he is, to dwell with him for ever.' CThen all is
safe, Wilberforce; I am quite satisfied that he who
has worked the one in you, has procured the other
for you.' ' But your eye, Mr. F--,
your eye
looks as if it doubted of me.' 'No, my dear Wilberforce, I am not doubting, I am looking on you
with a deep interest.'
" Mr. F-went away with a promise to see
him again in a few days; but my brother died
before the time fixed for another visit.
"He slept for some time, and then suddenly sat
up in his chair with apparent ease; he breathed
freely, spoke distinctly, seemed free from pain, and
his countenance looked satisfied and happy. I was
quite surprised at the change, and said, 'My dear
Willy, you seem much better.' 'Yes,' he answered, ' I am much better. This is a precious
moment, and now I hope I shall be able to talk to
you a little. This is an answer to prayer, dear
F--.
I have much longed to glorify God in my
death, and ever since last Sunday I have been
praying for one hour of ease and strength to speak
to you all for the last time, and tell you what I now
think of the importance of religion. Hitherto you

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have seen me so overpowered by disease, that you
could not judge of my comfort and confidence in
my principles. But God has granted my request,
and I will glorify him.' He then began an interesting conversation, and spoke with astonishing
ease. He was very plain and sincere. He told
me kindly of faults and errors which he had
observed in me; and he endeavoured to correct
them, and encouraged me from his own experience
to perseverance in striving against them. 'My
dear, my very dear F
,' he said, ' I hope we
shall meet in heaven. I could not talk to you in
this calm manner, if I did not believe we should
meet again. But you have much of learn-much
to do before you can get there. There is but one
road, and without an entire dedication of the heart
to God, you cannot walk in it.' He spoke of the
dangers of a religious education; of having the
form of religion, while the heart was still unchanged
and the will unsubdued. He spoke also of what
he called sentimental religion, telling me how easy
it was to write in beautiful poetical language without any real feeling of heart; and he mentioned
some instances where religion was but a bright
fiction of the imagination; and others where it
proved itself a transforming principle in the life and
conduct. 'My dear sister, be a real disciple-be
in earnest-you will want heart-religionwhen you
come to die-the poetry of religion will not do
then; '-reminding me of some letters I had

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309

written to him. He again recommended to me
most earnestly the constant study of the Bible.
'Here,' he said, 'I speak in a peculiar manner
from recent experience-for the last three months
the Bible has been my sole instructor -it has gradually led me on to clear light and real experience,
till every promise is my own. I have read the
greater part of it through several times, during my
illness: ahd often on a Sunday, when I have spent
the day alone, I have read the whole of the New
Testament, unable to leave off till I had grasped
all the mind of the Spirit at once. Perhaps papa
has thought I read too few religious books-he has
looked anxious at my neglect of many he put in my
way-I do not give myself in this respect for an
example-but I have found little benefit from books,
sermons, or conversations. The Bible, the Bible
alone, has taught me everything. If I read books
on religion, however excellent, the thought always
haunted me, This is human-it may be wrong. I
could not rest till I went to the Bible. Here I felt
sure that all was divine and infallible; and I found
such comfort in the simple truth of God's word,
that I set aside every other book, dissatisfied. I
may well be earnest, then, in pressing you to go to
the Bible.'
" He then said, 'But you must pray over the
Bible ;-without the teaching of the Spirit it will
do you no good : you must apply it as you go on to
yourself, and feel it personally, or you will get no

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benefit, though you stand the whole day over it. I
have been in the habit of reading the Bible on my
knees, and I recommend you to do the same. It
encourages prayer. I have found it very useful to
turn Scripture into prayer, using the very words.
There is not a psalm I have not turned into a prayer.
I have felt so safe in making prayers from the Bible,
because then I knew I could not err ; and let prayer
always be preceded by self-examination; lay your
heart bare before God: indulge not even a doubtful
feeling; one secret sin would cloud all.'
" I had marked the depression of his spirit when
the symptoms of his disease appeared more unfavourable, and I asked him if he had any fear of
death now. He answered me with great firmness,
'No, not any-I have unshaken confidence in Jesus
as a Saviour-he has taken away the sting of death,
and for his sake the Father will receive me as his
child.' I replied, 'You had, dear Willy, great
doubts of your salvation, and many fears of death
during some periods of your illness.' 'Oh, yes ;
indeed I had ! I have been on the verge of despair,
and have known its agonies. My pain of body was
at times very great, but nothing in comparison with
the agony of my spirit. I struggled on in darkness
and in silence. It was known only to myself and
God ; but I was supported and carried through all;
and now I would encourage you, my dearest sister,
by telling you what succeeded in my case. I will
tell you just what I did. After a season of much

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311

doubt and terror, during which I felt as if all was
delusion, and I should be cast into hell, I determined
to go at once boldly to God, in the name of Christ,
and plead the promises which were then before me
in the Bible. I fell down upon my knees-I groaned
-I wept-I prayed most fervently-I said, ' Here
I am, Lord, a poor perishing sinner-my sins are
heavy and alarming--I cannot bear them myselfI feel my body decaying-I must soon die, and I
dare not appear before thee, the pure and holy
God, as I now am-I read of a Saviour thou hast
provided for sinners, and I come to him to be saved
from eternal death-I come to the cross of ChristI cling to it as my only hope-if thou, 0 Christ,
wilt not save me, no one else can, and I must
perish-Lord, save me-Jesus I have mercy on
me !' I persevered thus again and again-I kept
on praying in this way-I took nothing with me but
a broken heart and a contrite spirit, and I said,
' Lord! I will not go except thou bless me.' I
know I prayed sincerely, and I was heard and
answered. I found that promise true, 'Whosoever cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out.'
God was good to me. My soul required severe
discipline; but he comforted me in his own timeI found Christ able and willing to do all I required;
I was enabled to receive him as my complete salvation, and I sometimes had such peace in believing
on him,-such hours of unspeakable happiness, that
the remembrance of it makes up for all this suffer-

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LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

ing. I never again lost my hope in Christ, though
for the moment my disease overpowered me and
clouded the past. Now I tell you all this for your
encouragement and direction. Seek as I did, and
you shall find the same pardon for sin, the same
peace in death.' We next talked about prayer. I
told him of the difficulties I felt. I remember well
his eager look, as he said, ' Not find comfort in
! It sounds like a strange
prayer, dear Fcontradiction to me-it is my only comfort. When
I am able to pray, I am sure to be happy, and my
prayer is, that I may have strength and sense to
pray. But I must remember how differently we are
circumstanced. I am just entering eternity-I see
everything in a new light, as I never did beforeas none but a dying person can see. All my thoughts
and feelings are changed-I have not memory now
to recollect how I used to feel, when I first began
to pray-perhaps I had the same doubts-my
memory is gone-Oh ! how the Lord has humbled
me-I used to be so proud of my understanding-I
can now scarcely answer the simplest question.'
Presently he seemed to gather strength, and said,
' We were talking about prayer ; yes, all my comfort is in prayer. There must be comfort in prayer
-the chief thing is to examine your heart-ask
God to search it for you-take care you are cherishing no secret sin or hidden idol. God is a merciful
God; but he is a jealous God, and he will have the
whole heart. Only persevere in praying, and indeed

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313

you will find comfort in prayer.' He then told me
how seriously it had been impressed upon his mind,
that his death was to be the life of others. ' I think,
my dearly beloved sister, it is for your good; and
will not this thought make you more in earnest?
Oh! I would die ten painful deaths to save one
soul! We shall meet again in heaven. Now come
and kiss me and let me lean upon you.' He rested
I
a short time, and said, ' Now send for H--,
want to speak to her while my strength lasts.' His
conversation with her was very searching, but very
affectionate. He loved this sister very dearly. She
was naturally volatile and buoyant in her spirits,
and this disposition sometimes betrayed her into
levity. The liveliness of her conversation had often
pleased him, but he now thought he had encouraged
her in some things inconsistent with real piety. He
was earnest beyond his strength in conversing with
her. He put very plain and close questions:saying, 'I must be answered; I must speak plainly;
I am afraid, my beloved sister, you do not think
enough about religion. I do not see decided proofs
of real conversion in you. I have not a sure hope,
that if you die as you now are I shall meet you in
it is my last request,-with
heaven. Oh ! H--,
my dying breath I am entreating you to seek the
salvation of your soul. Suppose you were in my
place-in this chair instead of me-waiting for
death day by day-could you meet it as I do ? Oh!
do, my dear sister! do think of death while you are

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in health. If I had not sought Christ before I was
brought so low, I should have had no strength or
sense to seek him now. I went to Jesus as a poor
weak sinner, and found sweet rest, and I am happy
now amidst all this suffering.' He spoke in a very
affectionate manner of the subject nearest her heart.
' Your merry peal will soon succeed my death-knell.
Take care that the good seed is not choked by
the pleasures of life ! Seek first the kingdom of
you have to die. Oh! I
God. Remember, H--,
cannot leave you in peace, unless I have a good hope
that I shall meet you in heaven. If I had thought
there was one amongst you-oh! I cannot bear the
, there is nothing
thought!' He continued, ' Hso opposed to religion,-to the mind of Christ, as
levity and trifling. It will keep you back more than
anything. Take my solemn warning-I speak from
my own experience,-you will never be a consistent
Christian, and you will never grow in grace, if you
indulge in habitual trifling conversation. It is not
like the mind of Christ; your temper is very playful
and volatile, and Satan may use it as a snare to
injure your soul. Piety and levity cannot long dwell
in the same heart. One will destroy the other.
*
*
*
*
You see, dear H--5 I am very
plain and sincere. I used to be so shy. But I do
not feel afraid of speaking my mind now. How
little does one care about the world and its opinions
when death is near;-death takes away all reserve
I care not if the whole world were assembled around

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315

me-I would tell them what I now think of religion
-I should like to see many here, that I might tell
them what the Lord hath done for my soul.' He
then sent for H--,
his favourite brother and companion. Willy was much affected. He seemed to
say farewell to H-with deep emotion. He
entreated him to supply his place in everythingparticularly in being a comfort to his father, and
filling his place in the ministry. On this latter
subject he spoke much. He said, ' From a child it
has been my delight to think of being a clergyman
of the Church of England; but it is God's will to
pass me by, and take you, dear H--,
and honour
you thus. I resign my place to you; fill it faithfully.' Then turning to his father, he said, ' Give
H-a double portion of your love. He is to fill
my place, as well as his own, to you. I make a
transfer to him of all the affection you have borne
to me.' He paused for breath, and then continued,
' We have loved each other very dearly, we always
loved as brothers amidst our little quarrels,-did we
not? I love you now more than ever, and I must
talk to you about your soul.' He addressed him in
very plain language asking him questions. H-seemed confused and distressed; for there were
others present. Willy said, ' Poor H, you feel
shy on this subject-I used to feel the same oncebut that reserve is all gone; I am not ashamed to
say what I feel now. You will feel as I do, some
day.' He then begged that all would retire and

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LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

leave H-- alone with him. No one heard the
conversation which passed between them. I-Ie next
sent for his younger brothers; they wept much as
he addressed them. He spoke very touchingly to
his younger sister, who was then a little child.
'Would you like to meet poor Willy in heaven,
dear C--?
then you must love God. Pray to God
to make you love him, and to make you a good
child, a holy child. Will you promise me one thing,
my dear C--,
that you will never go out of your
room in the morning till you have read a few verses
in the Bible and prayed to God? If you do not
pray to God, you will not meet poor Willy in
heaven. I will give you a verse to think of when
I am dead: ' Suffer little children to come unto me,
and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of
heaven.' Say that verse to yourself every night
when you lie down.'
"He sent for several people in the village to
come and bid him farewell. There was one old
person for whom he had a special regard. She
had been much with him in his childhood, and he
used to tell her, 'if he lived to be a man, and had
a house of his own, she should come and keep it.'
He held out his hand to her affectionately, and,
alluding to his promise, said, 'I shall have no
house in this world, Nanny, for you to come and
keep-but I shall still have a house-a house not
made with hands, eternal in the heavens.' His
countenance as he spoke assumed a singularly sweet

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317

and happy expression-such a beaming look of love
and joy, that every one noticed it. The hectic flush
glowed on his cheek-his eyes sparkled with a
peculiar lustre-and the marble forehead was smooth
and placid. It was the parting loveliness of a body
irradiated by a soul full of meekness, calmness, joy,
and confidence. Instead of being exhausted by
such lengthened conversations, as we expected, he
seemed full of vigour, and rather refreshed. He
conversed a good deal with both his parents.
'What a striking answer,' he said, ' I have had
to prayer ; God has allowed me time and strength
to speak to you all, and has so filled me with sweet
peace and joy, that I never could have conceived
there was such happiness to be known here.' He
then said, 'I should like the whole family to
assemble round me, that I may look at you altogether, while I am so happy. He then offered
up a fervent and touching prayer to God, blessing
him for his great goodness, and commending us to
him for salvation.' He paused a moment, and concluded, 'Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart
in peace ; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation.'
"He remained in this happy frame of mind a
short time, when all seemed to pass away as a
dream; the fever returned-great suffering succeeded-and his whole frame was agitated. At
intervals he referred to the past season of happiness,
and the recollection of it comforted him. He repeated what he had before said, several times, 'I

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LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

would go through all again for one such sweet
hour.'
" In the evening he was dejected by a dread of
delirium, and prayed earnestly that he might retain
his senses to the last, often exclaiming, 'I cannot
glorify Thee in delirium.' He called this a happy
day, because he thought he had done good by his
faithful addresses.
"My father came to read and pray with him
before he retired to rest. Willy said, 'I am too
tired to listen. I should like to dream of the past;
papa, there will be no distraction in heaven.'
" Friday was a mournful day. My brother's
sufferings were greatly increased. He could find
no position in which to rest. He breathed with
difficulty, and at times seemed almost suffocated;
and the soul, as if in sympathy with the body,
became full of doubt and terror. He called out in
great agitation, 'Oh ! pray for me-pray for mesay something to comfort me.' I read to him some
verses from the forty-third of Isaiah. He continued
to exclaim, 'Oh ! pray for me, pray for me ! I am
I opened the Annals of the
in great suffering.'
Poor, and read to him the account of the Dairyman's Daughter's last hours. He listened attentively, and then repeated the words, 'The Lord
deals very gently with me, and gives me peace.
It is not dark, my Lord is there, and he is my light
and salvation.' He appeared a little more composed,
and I turned to the tract of Little Jane. I read to

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319

him some passages,
'Ah !' said he, 'they got
safe through, and why not I ? I am glad, dear
F, that you thought of the Dairyman's
Daughter and Little Jane. They are just the
examples I want. They suffered much, but it was
not dark to them. Oh, death ! death ! what is it ?
I have still to go through death-the dark valley.'
He sat for some time in silence, with his head
resting on the table. Though he did not speak, I
could perceive that there was something passing
in his mind which shook his whole frame. Suddenly, with a wild expression of countenance, and
in a bitter tone, he exclaimed, 'Oh! agony!
agony ! agony ! agony! I shall perish after all.'
I was much frightened, and went to call my father.
I told him Willy must be delirious. When my
father saw him he said, ' Oh no! this is no
delirium. I know exactly what he is passing
through.'
He sat down beside Wilberforce, and
began to talk soothingly to him, but he refused to
be comforted. He still cried out with his whole
remaining strength, ' Oh, agony ! agony ! agony!
Satan will have me after all. Papa, pray for me ;
he tells me I shall be lost-he tells me my sins will
damn me. Oh, papa, this is agony! all is dark,
dark-all gone-all lost-and has Christ brought
me thus far to leave me at last ?' My dear father
was much overcome at this scene, and struggled
hard for composure. He repeated text after text ;
and with apparent calmness, and in his own tender

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and peculiar manner, enlarged on the faithful love
of the Saviour. He assured Willy of his full
persuasion that Christ's honour was pledged in
presenting his soul safe to the Father: that this
was the last attack of Satan : that he took advantage of his bodily weakness, to distress when
he could not harm him. But poor Willy seemed
still more agitated. The cold drops stood on his
forehead-his look betrayed the deepest anguish,
and he shook with terror.
' Oh ! papa! what
will become of me ?' he cried; ' I am going into
the dark valley alone. Jesus has left me. It is all
dark, dark, dark. The rod and the staff do not
support me. Satan fights hard for me, and he will
carry me away at last.' His bodily sufferings
seemed quite forgotten, and were lost in the bitter
anguish of his mind, and he still continued to
repeat, 'Agony! agony!' My dear father tried
again, by a variety of argument, and by a frequent
appeal to Scripture, to support his despairing child,
but in vain. He seemed given up for a time to
such sharp and sore besetments as baffled all
attempts to administer comfort. After a silence
of some minutes, and when he seemed nearly fainting, my dear father 'solemnly repeated, ' Simon,
Simon, Satan hath desired to have thee, that he
may sift thee as wheat; but I have prayed for
thee, that thy faith fail not.' These were the
first words which made any impression on Wilberforce. He said, 'Ah! papa, I used to love

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those words, but they are gone; I will try to
understand them; say them again.'
My father
repeated the affecting words of the Saviour to his
tempted disciple. Willy listened to them with
intense interest. When he heard the words, 'but
I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not,' he
exclaimed, 'Oh, my dear papa, do you think that
Christ is praying for me ? Does he pray for me in
this hour of darkness, when I have no faith ?'
"'Certainly, my dear boy, I cannot doubt it. I
am quite sure he is praying for you at this instant.
Take courage, then. Do you think God will not
hear Christ's prayer ? 'Him the Father heareth
always.' His mind became a little calmer, but he
still looked uneasy, and repeated slowly, 'Can I
have been brought to love him so, only to perish ?
Can such feelings as I have, such a hatred of sin,
be fitting me for hell? No, it cannot be-such
feelings could not exist in hell--He will save me,
as the chief of sinners.' Presently he exclaimed,
'Jesus has not left me. I see him again--more
precious than ever -my Saviour--my hope. How
could I distrust him--I am more than conqueror.
Papa, I feel safe - I am Christ's. Why did I
doubt? I am so strengthened. Dear papa, I can
give you no idea of the anguish of my heart. It
exceeded all I supposed endurable, I thought myself in Satan's hands. It must have been such
anguish as this which made the Saviour cry out,
'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?'

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I never knew what suffering was before; I thought
I was lost.' 'And what do you now think ?' ' I
have great peace, firm confidence; I am so strengthened, papa, in my faith-so strengthened-hell
shall not prevail; Christ has saved me-none shall
pluck me out of his hand. I should not be afraid
to grapple with this dreadful foe again; I should
not be afraid, if Jesus were standing by;' and
then, shuddering at his own recollections, he added,
'But, papa, I hope God will not see it necessary to
try me in this way again; I hope not. It was indeed a dreadful struggle.' 'Why say so ?' said his
father, 'it is possible God may see fit thus to try
your faith again. You see how he has supported
you-you have been the conqueror-why then
shrink ?'
"' Oh no! I will not shrink, I could go through
it again, if it were God's will; I could not see my
Saviour in that dark hour, but now I know that he
was near me.' And then shuddering at his own
words, he added, ' But I hope it will not be necessary
again to try me thus.'
" This last sorrow attached him more than ever
to his father. He could not bear that he should be
out of his sight, and listened to every word which
fell from him, with the most grateful love and confiding simplicity. He truly hung upon his lips.
Never was there a more affecting sight, than to
behold this loving father and no less loving son,
now blending every feeling and thought of their

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323

hearts together, and so closely united in religious
intercourse, that they seemed as it were a twin
soul.
" My father was obliged to leave Wilberforce for
a little while; on his return, the latter, looking up
with a smile, said, 'Papa, I cannot pray now -I
am so very ill; but I have been praising.' 'For
what, my dear boy?' 'I have been blessing God
for giving me such a father; when I can say nothing
else, I can praise God for such a dear father; to
whom I can tell all, and who helps me on to heaven.'
This was almost too much for my father; he could
neither speak nor weep, he seemed absorbed in
unutterable feelings; the fountain of tears was
dried up.
" Willy did not wait for a reply. 'I am sorry,
papa, I did not open my mind to you before; how
much happier I should have been, if I had done so.
I have now no reserve-I can tell you everything.
You are my friend and my guide; my dear, dear
papa, I do love you; you have so helped me in my
great trial.'
" In the evening he conversed with his father on
the bitter agony through which he had passed in
the morning, with calmness and faith. Some one
present asked him what he thought to be the best
evidence of conversion-' A broken heart and a
contrite spirit,' he replied, 'This is what I brought
to God, and it was the only evidence I could rely on.'
" The next day he expressed some impatience at

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lingering so long, earnestly desiring that this might
be his last day; but he soon checked himself, and
prayed against a restless spirit. He sometimes
cried out, ' How long, how long ! when shall I be
free ? How my spirit struggles to get away from
this poor weary body'! Papa, do you think I shall
linger here another day?' And without waiting
for a reply, he said,' But my times are in thy
hands, O God - I must die daily-I will patiently
wait thy will.' He called me to him, and gave me
a copy of Miss Jerram's Memoir. He said it had
been of great use to him, and that God's dealings
with her had sometimes comforted him. ' We both
passed through great sorrows, but God comforted
us both in his own time. Read it, dear F; I
give you my copy; I have no further need of it,
and may God bless it to you.' He asked to have
the 17th chapter of St. John read to him, and remarked, ' How very plain is the doctrine of that
chapter! I wonder there should be so much controversy about it.'
" 'What is to-morrow ?' he asked. 'It is the
Sabbath.' He seemed pleased, and earnestly begged
that the congregation might be requested to pray
for him in the church. On Sunday morning he was
much weaker, and his end was evidently fast ap-

proaching. To a kind friend who had nursed him,
he said, ' How do I look now?' She saw the approach of death in his languid eye and pallid countenance. ' You look worse, Master Wilberforce ; I do

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325

not think that you can live much longer.' The effect
produced by her opinion was truly astonishing.
His dim eye lighted up, all his features assumed a
new life, and turning to her he said, 'Oh, thank
you, dear Mrs. G, good news ! you tell me
good news. Shall I indeed be in heaven to-day ?'
My father came into the room. 'Papa,' said he,
'how do I look--am I altered ?' ' No, my dear
boy, I see little difference in you.' He was evidently
disappointed. 'Do you see no difference ?' said he,
'Mrs. Gdoes. She has made me happy,she thinks I may die to-day.' My father sat with
him the whole of the day while we were at church,
and Willy asked him to read the service for the
visitation of the sick. He listened with devout
attention, and when it was ended he said, ' Oh! my
dear papa, what beautiful prayers! what an affecting service i it expresses my whole heart.'
" He then said to his mother, ' I love to look at
you, mamma. I love to smile at you, but I want
to smile at Jesus.' He asked her to draw near, and
let him lean on her bosom. ' Itis sweet to lean on
you, dear mamma; but I long to lean on the bosom
of Jesus.' He conversed with his father in the
afternoon for the last time. Reference is made to
the conversation in his papers as follows:"'Agony-conflict - triumph -glorying in this
second struggle with Satan-expecting another
struggle-not fearing it. The enemy subdued,
bruised under his feet. Longing to be in heaven-

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not able to form any idea of another world, yet full
of confidence of being there-' I know in whom I
am trusting '-dreading to linger, yet bowing to
the will of God. His joy in the prayers of the
church for him- Christ will save me.'
" He had been accustomed to teach a class in the
Sunday-school, and begged that his dying message
might be written down and sent to the children
that evening. He had not been able to lie in bed
for a week, owing to the pain in his side; but on
Sunday evening he expressed a wish to be undressed
and put into bed, being inclined to sleep. He was
accordingly put to bed, and lay very tranquil and
comfortable. My father stood watching beside him
till he thought him asleep. He then went to his
study, as he afterwards told us, to pray, that if it
were God's will, his child might have quiet and ease
in his last moments; for he much dreaded the severity of a dying agony, which from the past he thought
probable. As he was going away he blessed him,
and looking at him as he lay, serene and beautiful
in his repose, he said,' So he giveth his beloved
sleep.' Willy opened his eyes on hearing these
words, and replied, 'Yes, dear papa, and the rest
which Christ gives is sweet.' These were his last
words. He immediately sunk into a long and peaceful slumber. We were sitting near him. Mrs. ,
his faithful nurse, stood and watched beside him.
We could hear distinctly every breath he drew,
and the least change in the sound was perceptible.

HIS LAST MOMENTS,

327

One or two breathings were slower and longer,
which made us get up and look at him. He appeared
as if slumbering very sweetly. There was no alteration in his countenance, and we were going to sit
down again, when Mrs. -said, 'Call your papa,
immediately.' We did so, and he came just in time
to hear his last sigh. I think he awoke from sleep,
but felt no pain, nor was sensible of death. My
father raised Willy's head upon his arm, and contemplated it for a minute. The countenance looked
placid, as if it had beheld the Saviour's face in
righteousness and was satisfied. My father pressed
the lifeless body to his bosom, and burst into a flood
of tears; struggling with nature's anguish. At
length, subduing his feelings, he said, 'My child is
a saint in glory.' He bid us all follow him to the
study, that we might praise God for his mercy and
loving-kindness. He opened the Bible and read
the two last chapters of the Book of Revelations,
and then knelt down and prayed with us. It was
a moment not to be forgotten. Our dear father
appeared so absorbed in the contemplation of his
child's entrance into heaven, and his union with the
spirits of the just made perfect, as to be scarcely
conscious of the presence of his family around him.
"Between the death and the funeral of my brother, my dear father's mind was often severely
exercised. Sometimes he would weep, and say,
and
' All thy waves and storms are gone over me !'
then, 'Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death

328

LIFE

OF WVILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

of his saints !' ' He giveth and he taketh away,
blessed be his holy name!' He would rise early in
the morning to gaze on the peaceful countenance of
his departed child. We overheard him giving vent
to the mingled emotions of his heart in the chamber
of death. But he was comforted in tribulation, and
he returned to his family, to soothe their sorrows
with the comfort wherewith he was comforted of
God. He said little, but his calm and subdued
spirit bespoke Christian resignation. He used to
teach us that disquiet was the result of distrust, and
we saw in his silent submission an example of his
own principle, that his heart trusted in God.
' Though his hand be lifted up to destroy, yet from
that very hand do I expect salvation.' "*
" A vault was opened for Wilberforce under the
chancel. An incident occurred which much affected
us, and which showed the pious and affectionate
sympathy of the people in the sorrows of their
pastor. The workmen had not completed the vault
till past eleven o'clock at night, when they agreed
to descend into it, and consecrate the place which
was shortly to receive our brother's remains, by
prayer. The sepulchre of the dead became holy
ground. They joined in praises to Him who is the
resurrection and the life, and who has enlightened
the gloomy grave by his own presence. They continued in prayer till midnight, commending their
beloved minister to the grace of God-invoking
* Leighton.

328.
" A vault was opened for Wilberforce under the Chancel."-P.

HIS DEATH.

329

blessings on his family, and entreating that this
mournful event might be overruled to the increase
of religion in the parish: and may we not hope,
that their prayer was heard? The subsequent
state of the village may be described as life from
the dead. In the morning of my brother's interment, my father prayed with his family. I trust
that the Spirit of God poured out his special influence on the minds of those present. A friend afterwards observed, 'This is the fervent prayer of a
righteous man, which availeth much. Can we doubt
that it is recorded in heaven, and will long be
remembered on earth ?'
"From this time, our dear father gave himself
up to the work of the ministry with redoubled diligence. The congregations were large and attentive. Hie went daily from cottage to cottage amongst
the poor, warning, exhorting, comforting, and confirming the souls of the disciples in the grace of God.
He used to meet persons nearly every evening in
the week, for prayer and exposition of the Scriptures. Many a heart in Turvey still glows at the
recollection of these seasons. There was a general
revival of religion, both amongst old and young,
and scarcely a day passed in which some one did
not anxiously inquire, 'What must I do to be
saved ?' There might be in this excitement something that was of doubtful character, but there were
certainly many real conversions, and a general and
increased attention towards religion, unknown at any

330

LIFE OF WILBERFORGE RICHMOND.

former period. My father seldom left his parish,
or saw any one out of his own family; to whom he
became still more endeared, and for whose progress
and improvement in religion, he manifested an anxiety even to depression, and an earnestness which
impaired his own health. He had naturally very
high spirits, and was at times playful in his conversation; but now, though he sometimes smiled,
he was ever thoughtful, pensive, and silent. He
appeared to be wounded by the least approximation
to levity, and was continually pressing on us a more
serious apprehension of eternity. On one occasion,
when he thought we had indulged in a conversation
too little in unison with the late event-he made
no remark at the time, but the next morning I found
on my table the following note:"'MY

DEAREST CHILD,

"' There is a degree of relief to a tender spirit in
the communication of its thoughts and feelings.
The affecting scenes of this time twelvemonth have
scarcely ever been absent from my recollection even
for a moment. In the midst of our (perhaps too
great) hilarities, I have pictured to my imagination
Willy dying last week, and this week dead in the
house. Have we all felt and done as much as we
ought on this most affecting occasion? Is the
sacredness and solemnity of that interesting period
preserved in our hearts ? Has the erection of
another tablet in the church sufficiently moved our

HIS DEATH.

331

affections ? Monday evening was a trying hour to
my heart. My poor Willy died on that day, and as
on next Sunday we buried him. Oh! let you and
, ponder these things in
I, my much-loved Four souls for good. * * * Amidst the living,
L. R."
let us not forget the dead.
" My dear father for many years had been accustomed to write pastoral letters to his parishioners,
which were read in the school-room to those who
chose to attend. The following address to them
was written soon after my brother's death:"' MY DEAR FRIENDS, NEIGHBOURS, AND
PARISHIONERS,

"' In the midst of my sorrows at the removal of
my dearly-loved child, I wish you to know that the
Lord supports me wonderfully. I cannot yet come
out amongst you, but I cannot be quite silent. I
have therefore desired my dear friend and fellowlabourer to read this letter to you. I have preached
the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to you more
than nineteen years, and through his mercy I have
seen some precious fruits of these labours amongst
you, but never have I witnessed a more beautiful
or triumphant evidence that I have not taught,
preached, or lived in vain, than in the case of my
dear son, now a sharer of the Redeemer's glory in
heaven. Oh, what a call for praise, that he was
not only my natural, but also my spiritual child.

332

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICHMOND.

Such was his love to Christ, and Christ's love to
him, that I am lost in wonder, love, and praise.
I am persuaded there are many of you who feel
deeply for me. You can weep with me when I
weep, and rejoice with me when I rejoice. You
have prayed for my child. It was the delight of
his heart to hear of your love and sympathy, and he
dwelt on the interest you took in his welfare, to the
very day of his death. He was indeed a boy of no
common mind, and the Lord sanctified his great natural endowments to his own glory. I feel more and
more every hour, what a treasure I have lost; but
at the same time I see more and more what a
blessedness he has attained. I have been watching
him at home and abroad, with a parent's eye and a
Christian's heart, both for his body and soul, ever
since disease fastened on his frame last summer, and
no one will ever know what my anxieties have been
during that period. But I trust God meant all for
my good. The trial, severely as I have felt it, has
shown me more of myself, and more of my God.
My prayers for my dear child have been abundantly
answered. Blessed be God! he was enabled to
disclose his whole heart to me, and to others before
he was taken away. He conversed with many in
a most useful and edifying manner, exhorting them
to prayer, faith, and holiness. He could tell them
all, that he knew in whom he trusted, and could
look at death with perfect peace. Believe me, then,
when I tell you that though when I am greatly

HIS DEATH.

333

affected, and humbled in the dust with a sense of
sin and sorrow, yet that my mercies are so abounding in abounding chastisement, that I can, and do
rejoice in tribulation. Oh! may it work patience,
and patience experience, and experience hope, and
may hope make me more faithful and diligent, that
I be not ashamed of the gospel in principle or practice, for your sakes, as well as my own. It is a
great comfort to me now, as I am kept from ministering to you for a season, that you have one
amongst you who preaches the same truth, and in
the same spirit.
May our common Lord and
Saviour bless him, and you, and me together. I beg
your prayers, at this season in particular for me
and mine. They are no longer needful for my
beloved son. Let them be transferred to the surviving members of my family. Pray especially for
those who watch for your souls; that we may
experience help and comfort in ourselves, and dispense the word of life with more zeal and love.
Pray that there may be no divisions or wanderings
of heart amongst us-that we may be all of one
mind and judgment, in those things which make for
our everlasting peace. Pray that the young children
may be brought up in the nurture and admonition
of the Lord. My dear boy sent them a message on
his dying bed, which was read to them a short time
before his happy soul entered into rest. May the
whole school remember it for his sake, and their
souls' sake. God bless you all, my dear friends: I

334

LIFE OF WILBERFORCE RICBMOND.

cannot doubt but that you will bear me on your
hearts to a throne of grace.
"'Your affectionate Minister,
" 'L. R.'
" When my father resumed his labours amongst
the people, he seemed to be aware of his declining
health, though he said nothing to the family. His
usual and only reply, when we expressed our fears,
was, ' I must work while it is called to-day :-the
night cometh when no man can work.' He appeared
moulded into the spirit of the apostle; 'affectionately desirous to spend and be spent in the service
of his flock, and to impart to them not only the
gospel of Christ, but if it were possible, his own
soul also;' and the people caught the holy contagion
of his fervent zeal and love. There was between
them an almost unexampled reciprocity of regard
and desire ' glorify God, and walk humbly, justly,
to
and unblameably before him.'*
"You will receive with indulgence the overflowings of my heart towards a father whose memory
is still cherished by his family and by his parishioners with the deepest gratitude, and I hope we
may add, with an unfeigned anxiety to walk in the
steps of his bright example, and meet him again in
everlasting glory.
"Believe me, my very dear Sir,
"Your affectionate and faithful
* 1 Thess. ii. 8, 10.

TURVEY CHURCH.

P. 335.

...
'-z-4.

MR. RICHMOND'S

THIRD DAUGHTER.

335

CHAPTER IX.
' Sure 'tis a solemn thing to die, my soul.'
BLAIR.
'This only can reconcile us to the grave, that our greatest
HOWE.
hopes lie beyond it.'

WE proceed, with the same view of illustration, to
notice some particulars relating to the third daughter of Mr. Richmond, who survived her father only
a year and a half. She also was the child of faith
and prayer, and equally the object of his tender
solicitude with the rest of his family.
I am not warranted to present her character as an
instance of high attainment in piety; but the exercises of her mind during her last illness, sufficiently
disclose the salutary effect of a religious education;
and while we indulge the pleasing hope that she
has joined her beloved father in the mansions of the
blessed, her case will afford additional encouragement to the Christian parent, to sow in his children's hearts the seeds of eternal life, which, watered
" by the early and latter rain," seldom fail to spring
up and ripen to reward his labours as occasions

336

MR. RICHMOND'S THIRD DAUGHTER.

arise in the varying circumstances and events of
life.
This amiable young woman " possessed an exuberance of animal spirits, and a turn for the ludicrous, which was very difficult to be restrained
within the bounds of discretion, and gave her dear
father much anxiety." *
A volatile temper is in all cases a grievous hindrance to intellectual and spiritual improvement.
Good conversation cannot consist with the indulgence of" foolish talking and jesting," and the mind
is diverted by it from solid and useful pursuits.
We may attempt to excuse this cast of character,
and speak of it as a playfulness of temper: but
after all, it cannot be approved. The disposition
to amuse ourselves with the defects or peculiarities
of others, may generally be traced to vanity in ourselves; and is a habit of mind wholly inconsistent
with the spirit of humility and love, as well as a
sad forgetfulness of that solemn caution, "Every
idle word that a man shall speak, he shall give an
account thereof at the day of judgment."t
There was not, however, anything cynical or
severe in the strain of this young person's conversation. She was naturally frank, open, and kindhearted; and to oblige another, was a real satisfaction
to herself. It was rather a thoughtless propensity,
* Extracted from Mrs. R.'s letter to the Author.
t Matt. xii. 36.

LETTERS FROM HER FATHER.

337

common to many young people, "to giggle and
make giggle,"* that I am lamenting.
It is difficult to speak of the dead so as not to
wound the tender feelings of the living, but when
it is required to portray character, the simple
declaration of the truth is best, and is indeed the
only course consistent with Christian integrity.
She who forms the subject of my present remarks,
affixed a solemn seal to their truth in the affecting
review which she took of the past, in her dying
hours. It is a source of much congratulation that
she is now beyond the opinion of man, whose imperfect knowledge renders him at all times incompetent
to pronounce on his fellow-creatures, and should
remind him of the danger of assuming a prerogative he cannot claim. "Judge nothing before the
time."
Mr. Richmond placed his daughter at school at
, where he expected that the strictest attention
would be paid to her principles and conduct. I
have no reason to suppose that he was dissatisfied
with the care and vigilance of those to whom he
had entrusted his child; but whatever she had
acquired in other respects, it does not appear that
at the close of her education she had made any
advancement in religion.
About this time Mr. R. addressed the following
letter to her:* Cowper's Letters.

338

MR. RICHMOND'S THIRD DAUGHTER.

" DEAR

----

,

"And now comes your turn. Receive, read,
mark, and inwardly digest. I do not know how
much you are grown in stature, but I do hope you
are growing in wisdom. Then, whether you are to
be a woman tall, or a woman short, will signify
very little. You will, if your wisdom be of the
right kind, be of a tall mind and of tall attainments,
and we will call you the little woman with the great
soul. I have heard of a person's soul being so mean
and small, that if you were to put it into a hollow
mustard-seed and shake it well, it would rattle.
Now that is not the sort of soul I wish to discover
in you. I want to see a soul in you which can
embrace all useful and requisite knowledge-a soul
which can extend its energies beyond ordinary
limits; which can feel for all around you, and carry
its benevolent activity throughout the universe;
which can contemplate the globe, such a one as you
study at B , and find new problems upon it: as,
how to carry the gospel into all latitudes and all
longitudes; how to excite pity for the poor heathen
in every zone and climate of the world; how to
equalize all nations in the sympathy of Christian
love, and thus make a spiritual equator; how to
estimate the coldness of religion in the burning
regions of the tropics, and how to carry the lively
heat of evangelical charity into the districts of the
poles. I would have you capable of grasping all

LETTERS FROM HER FATHER.

339

these questions in your heart, with as much ease as
your hands would clasp a doll, or as mine would
clasp your own dear self to my bosom. But why
do I wish that your soul may become thus capacious ? Simply to this end, that you may thereby
resemble Him who so loved the world, that he came
into it to save sinners; yes, H--,
sinners like
unto you. Have you ever thought of this great
truth as you ought? Is foolishness still bound up
in the heart of my child ? Is human existence only
to be estimated by playthings, and holidays, and all
the etceteras of a light-minded state? What ! a
young damsel, almost fourteen years old, and no
more progress in divine things! Study your Bible,
and remember your privileges. Study your Bible,
and dig deep for a foundation whereon to build
your house. Study your Bible, and say what must
become of all the thoughtless little girls in the
world, if they do not repent and believe. Once
more, study your Bible, and learn what you first
owe to God, and then to your parents, and then to
brothers and sisters, then to teachers, and then to
schoolfellows, and then to all mankind. Such a
meditation will, with God's blessing, prove a merciful hour to your own soul, and for the sake of
your's to my soul also. I hope you will now pursue
your education with earnestness. Now is the time
to lay in a stock of useful knowledge. You cannot
set too high a value on the advantages which you
possess. Whether you eat or drink, or whatever

340

MR. RICHMOND'S THIRD DAUGHTER.

you do, do all to the glory of God. Childhood and
its vanities must speedily pass away, and you must
have done with childish things. Learn to pray, and
commit your whole soul and body to Christ. IHe
is able to keep what you give into his hand, unto
the great day when the secrets of all hearts shall be
disclosed. You are now of the age at which little
Jane did this. Are you like her? Are you as
ready to meet your God as she was? Ask the
question of your heart, and carry it to the throne
of mercy, where all praying souls are made welcome.
I hope you liked the Bible-meeting at Northampton. I wish you early to cultivate a cordial interest
in that great work-the greatest work of the age.
In the day when Dame Eleanor's cross* was built,
the Bible was unknown to the greatest part of the
country. What a contrast now! The angel flies
through heaven and earth, presenting it to all. The
stone cross was once almost an idol; but the true
cross proclaimed in the Bible, is the real Christian's
ensign, prop, and delight. Farewell, dear love.
I am
"Your own dear Father,
" L. R."

The next letter was written to the same daughter
on her birth-day:* This cross is erected about a mile from Northampton, and
was once held in great veneration by Romish devotees.

LETTERS FROM HER FATHER.

341

" DEAR H--,
"The return of a birth-day is the signal for
gratitude. Fourteen years ago, as I sat in my little
study at Brading, in the Isle of Wight, about six in
the morning, in came a woman bearing in her arms
a little baby, and wished me joy of the same-now
this little baby was a little girl, and that little girl
and now is the fifteenth time that
was my H--,
joy has been uttered from year to year whenever
that day was named. But what is joy ? Is it only
a holiday? But what is joy? Is it only a game of
play-is it merely a jumping, and frisking, and
running, and chattering, and doll-dressing, and
merry-making, and feast-keeping? Is this all the
joy of a birth-day ? Away, far away be all such
feeble interpretations of the word. Then what is a
birth-day joy? Is it not the joy of parents, when
they see their children growing up in the fear of the
Lord, and in the practice of holiness? Is it not
joy of the husbandman, when he sees his crops ripe
and plentiful, and offering the promise of harvest ?
Is it not the joy of the gardener, when he perceives
his young trees thrive, and blossom, and bear fruit?
Is it not the joy of the mother bird, when after all
watchings, and tremblings, and flutterings over the
nest, she sees her little ones begin to fly, and become
capable of answering the end of Divine Providence
in their creation ? Is it not the joy of the Christian
instructor, when, after hours, and days, and months,

342

MR. RICHMOND'S THIRD DAUGHTER.

and years spent in warning, teaching, guiding,
praying for, and affectionately superintending the
young pupil's best interests-that pupil proves a
living commentary on the precepts received, grows
in grace, and love, and humility, and activity, and
obedience, and as a bud of promise cheers the hearts
of surrounding friends with prospects of usefulness
through life in all its relative circumstances ? If
such be the ingredients of birth-day joy, when duly
estimated, may I be grateful in expressing my joy
to-day; and can you also participate in joy thus
appreciated ? God bless you, my dear H--,
on
this day, and on every day. Time flies, opportunity
flies, the school-hour flies, childhood flies, all things
are hastening to a grand consummation,-what a
solemn thought !May my child conceive and cherish
it to the glory of God, and her own everlasting consolation. May Christ become to her a gracious
Saviour, received, loved and honoured by her. Such
is the prayer of her affectionate father,
" L. R."
On an occasion of indisposition, Mr. R. writes
again:"'
DEAR H---,
"My anxious wish for your spiritual and temporal welfare induces me to express my thoughts
to you in these little notes. I cannot tell you how
much I desire that this season of sickness may be

LETTERS FROM HER FATHER.

343

blessed of God to your present and everlasting good.
This thought is continually before me, and I pray
constantly to him that you may be inwardly
strengthened by the power of his might. Examine
yourself. Prove yourself. Bring your heart and
all your thoughts before God, and make a solemn
surrender of yourself to him. Employ, with gratitude and patience, the means which are prescribed
for your recovery, but trust in him alone. Physicians
can do nothing without his blessing on their medicines. I thank God for your last note, and shall
be much pleased when you can and will write me
another. Above all things, be much in prayer: in
the watches of the night speak to God: in the events
of the day, tell him how much you need and depend
on him. In moments of weakness, ask him for
strength; in seasons of pain, petition for contentment. He will, of his riches, abundantly supply
your need. But you must deal faithfully with
yourself, and humbly and perseveringly with him.
Be not content with merely saying, 'Christ died
for sinners.' Try to get an evidence that you have
a personal interest in him. This may be known by
the state of your heart towards him. 'We love
him because he first loved us.' His love produces
love, and our love to him proves that he has loved,
and does love us. Are you ignorant ? he is wisdom.
Are you guilty ? he is righteousness. Are you
unholy? he is sanctification. Are you a captive?
he is redemption. What is he not to the sinner ?

344

MR. RICHMOND'S THIRD DAUGHTER.

his strength is perfect in the believer's weakness.
He was tempted in all points like as we are, and
therefore knows how to succour them that are
tempted. Oh my child! if you can only cleave to
him, and all that he is, and all he has promised
to be, nothing can harm you. Meditate on these
things, and may God make them quite and entirely
your own.
"Now for a text for reflection,-' In all our
afflictions, he was afflicted.' Not a pang ever distressed our bodies, nor a trial our hearts, but Jesus
has felt it, and he not only felt it in himself, but he
feels it for and in us. What a consolation is here !
This thought has sqpported thousands in their
trouble. May it support you. Behold Christ in
everything, see him everywhere, acknowledge him
in every trial; for he sympathizes in all the trials
of them that are his. They have not one pain too
many. Even sufferings will all work together for
good to them that love him. I wish my loved
H-may see, feel, believe, and enjoy this encouraging thought, and make it her own. God love
and bless you. So prays
" Your affectionate father,
" L. R."
On another occasion he writes:" DEAR LOVE,

" 'The heart of man is deceitful above all things,

LETTERS FROM HER FATHER.

345

and desperately wicked, who can know it ?' So
said the prophet of old, and so will every one say
that knows the plague of his own heart. I want
you to employ your whole time in studying your
heart, that you may increasingly feel your need of a
Saviour. Who else can cleanse your heart, but he
who died for its salvation? Do not be contented
with a little religion, a little knowledge, a little
hope. Press forward to the enjoyment of a great
and gracious religion, much knowledge of Christ,
and a glorious hope full of immortality. I am indeed
most anxious that you may now in right earnest
seek and find the Lord. ' What must I do to be
saved ?' is a great question. How shall my deceitful heart be renewed? Whenever I die, whither
shall I go ? are all questions connected with it. Ask
God with all your heart for a right answer.
" Your affectionate father,
" L. R."
This letter was followed by another under the
same circumstances:" DEAR CHILD,

"Your reminding me not to forget to write to
you, leads me to hope that you read my little notes
with a desire to profit by them. You do not know
how anxious I am for your soul's good. What God
designs for you in this present illness, I know not:
but this I know, that you cannot be too earnest

346

IR. RICHMOND'S THIRD DAUGHTER.

about your eternal state. You cannot mourn for
sin too deeply. You cannot love Christ too affectionately.
You cannot trust in his blood and
righteousness too firmly. I want you to be a
monument of mercy; a believing, loving, praying
child. If God is pleased to restore you to health,
may you adorn the doctrine which you have been
taught, and if he should see good to remove you to
another world, O may you sleep sweetly in Jesus.
Be much in prayer: 'Seek and ye shall find.' No
favour is too great for God to grant. You are past
the age of childish ignorance, and are now an
accountable being.
" My H--,
nothing will satisfy me, short of
your being ,a
true child of God. What effect have
recent events produced on your mind? What desires,
what fears, what hopes, what views of sin and
Christ ?
*
*
*
*
May God make you
a joy to
"Your affectionate father,
"L. R."
In the year 1825, an offer of marriage was made
to this daughter, of which Mr. R. expressed his
cordial approbation in the following short note:" MY DEAR FRIEND,

"On consulting Mrs. R. and our dear H---,
they both agree, that the beginning of July is the
earliest period at which the object in view can be

MARRIAGE ADMONITIONS.

347

accomplished. So leaving it in their hands, I simply
put my seal of approbation and consent to their
decision; and I do so with a heart full of love and
esteem for you both. May God bless your prospects,
and your souls in them. I love all my children too
well not to say, that in committing H-into your
hands, I give you one of my cherished treasures,
and sources of domestic endearment. I feelparting
with my daughter the more, from the removal of my
loved, my much-loved Wilberforce. His death, with
all its affecting associations, has had a peculiar, I
trust a very useful effect, upon all my feelings, sentiments, ministrations, prospects, and thoughts for
time and eternity. The subject is wound up with
my heart's experience in a way I can never describe.
I pray God to overrule it for the present and eternal
good of myself and dear family.
" Your's very truly and affectionately,
" L. R."

Previous to the marriage of his daughter, Mr. R.
put into her hands a paper of directions for her
future conduct, which, for simplicity, affection, and
sound practical wisdom, may be considered one of
the best dowries that a Christian parent could
bestow on his child.
The paper is entitled, "Marriage Admonitions
to --, from her affectionate father, L. R."

348

MR. RICHMOND'S

THIRD DAUGHTER.

MY MUCH-LOVED DAUGHTER,

"When your sister Mary left her paternal roof, I
gave her a paper of admonitions, which I requested
her sometimes to read for her own and for her
father's sake. I do the same for you, in the form
of a friendly string of maxims, to regulate your
conduct in your new and very responsible situation.
" 1st. Aim at keeping a devoted heart for God
in the least and most common transactions of every
hour; as well as in those events which may seem
to call the loudest for manifestations of religious
conscience and principle.
"2nd. Pray regularly and frequently, not seldom
and occasionally, for grace to live and die by.
"3rd. Remember the principles and professions
of your father's house, and everywhere endeavour
to preserve its character, by consistency in conduct,
conversation, and temper.
" 4th. Form no hasty intimacies; and none
whatever but such as may promote seriousness of
heart, tongue, and demeanour.
" 5th. Beware of cheerfulness degenerating into
levity, and ignorance of the world into prejudice.
"6th. Guard against hasty judgments of character, and above all against hastily uttering
sentiments, and making remarks to the disparagement of others.
" 7th. Wherever you are, in the first place, remember that God's eye is upon you; and then

MARRTIAGE ADMONITIONS.

349

imagine also that your husband and father are
present. It may be a fanciful, but it is a profitable
supposition.
"8th. Keep in constant recollection the wise,
prudent, and conscientious example of your dear
mother. Be cautious when in religious company,
and endeavour to sustain a deportment which may
induce the excellent of the earth to desire your
society for their own sake as well as yours.
" 9th. Particularly avoid making the errors,
failings, faults, or follies of good people, either in
private or public matters, the subject of rash and
unguarded remarks. Be known for charity, forbearance, and kindness.
" 10th. Keep Christ's golden rule (Luke, vi. 31)
in perpetual remembrance: it is the panacea for
most of the evils of life, so far as they are connected with social intercourse.
" 11th. Entertain no prejudices against nations,
churches, sects, or parties, they are the bane of
truth, charity, and comfort, and are directly opposed to the letter and spirit of Christianity. You
may and ought to have a conscientious, wellfounded preference, but not one half-formed or illformed prejudice against any one.
" 12th. Be conscientious towards all; friendly
with few ; intimate with fewer still; strictly confidential with fewest of all.
" 13th. From the hour you marry, you assume
the character of a matron ; be not a childish,

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MR. RICHMOND'S THIRD DAUGHTER.

girlish, wife; the vows of God are upon you,
sustain their gravity and prudence in all things.
"14th. If circumstances and friendly connexions
lead you into the superintendence of charitable
institutions, enter upon your office with prayer and
consideration, and persevere in the discharge of its
duties with patience and well-guided zeal.
" 15th. Let no natural vivacity of temper, no
occasionallyindulged sallies of humour and jocularity
throw a shade over the exercise of solid principle.
Little foolish things give a colour to character, and
are more easily caught at than grave and good
sentiments.
" 16th. All eyes are sure to be fixed on a young
wife : beware of, while you conform to, that sort of
bridal publicity, which is necessarily connected
with every circle of residents and acquaintance.
" 17th. Choose female intimates with circumspection : many civil, hospitable, agreeable persons,
are far from being improving companions; we
may owe and pay them the debt of civility, kindness, and gratitude, and yet not be obliged to give
them too much of our time and affection. Two or
three truly Christian women form a circle sufficiently large for profitable friendship.
" 18th. In every circle of acquaintance, however
small, you will find more or less of party spirit,
prejudice, and too great freedom of remark on
persons and circumstances connected with them;
beware of joining in these. Be slow to judge,

MARRIAGE ADMONITIONS.

351

rather than swift to speak; the best Christians
often fail here.
" 19th. You are much given to laughter, my
dear child: and many a hearty laugh I have
enjoyed with you; and I would not turn your
laughter into sorrow ; but this propensity may prove
a snare to you. Watch and be jealous of it ; banish
what looks like giggling, lightness, and folly ; and
cultivate a chastened cheerfuliess and simplicity of
manner in all companies.
" 20th. Never forget that you are entering an
entire circle of strangers, and that a very few weeks
or months will establish your character amongst
them.
" Once more, I say, think of your father's house
and reputation. When I look upon myself and all
that belongs to me, I feel ashamed of my own
feeble, faint attempts to serve God, and adorn his
gospel ; yet the Christian world has attached to
them, however undeservedly, a value ; and by the
name and character of their father, will my children
be tried and appreciated.
" 21st. Keep indelibly engraven on your heart
the affecting scenes of last January. A dying
brother's faithful admonitions -his last words, his
last looks of mortal affection. Our household never
witnessed the like ; was never so tried. The memorials dwell on my heart with increasing poignancy. I say less, but I feel more; there is a solemn,
silent, softening, and subduing influence, which

352

MR. RICHMOND'S THIRD DAUGHTER.

often overwhelms me. May you retain a vivid
recollection, with a perpetuated blessing, of that day
when our Wilberforce fled from earth to heaven.
" 22nd. Be especially attentive to the opinion
which your demeanour may inspire, amongst your
husband's relations. No doubt he has praised you
before them : endeavour to prove in all points that
he has done you no more than justice ; much
family peace and love depends upon this.
" 23rd. There are many excellent hints in the
book entitled, 'A Whisper to a New Married
Pair.' I recommend them to your perusal; and
there are many more excellent hints to wives
and women in the Bible, from Solomon, Paul, and
Peter; study them well.
" 24th. When you think of your father, bear
with his infirmities and pardon his faults, but
remember his principles and instructions, so far as
they have been agreeable to the will of God.
" 25th. Be not contented with anything short
of deep, devoted, diligent, decided seriousness.
Make not the too numerous half-hearted and decent,
but dubious Christians, your patterns for imitation.
Set your mark and standard very high, and aim
deliberately to regulate your conduct by it.
" 26th. If you and your husband happen to differ
in opinion or feeling on any point, remember whom
you have promised to love, honour and obey, and
this will settle all things.
" 27th. Of your husband's warm affections to-

353

MARRIAGE ADMONITIONS.

wards you, I entertain no doubt ; strive to preserve
them by daily elevation of character : not so much
by fondness as by prudence and dignity. Study
his character, he will study your's. May you both
learn to raise a fabric of connubial happiness by
mutual wisdom and love.
" 28th. I trust you are taught in the school of
Christ ; rely not, however, on the past privileges of
education, but seek present evidences, such as will
comfort you under sudden alarms and distresses,
should they occur. Try to get acquainted with
yourself by a review of your whole life, and often
carry to the Lord, in prayer and confidence, the
results of an examination into your heart and
conduct.
" 29th. Observe great simplicity and plainness
in dress. A clergyman's wife should be a pattern
to others in these respects ; there is a just complaint made of many females who profess to be
religious, that they are far too showy and gay in
their outward apparel; remember the apostle's
injunction, 1 Peter, iii. 1-6.
" 30th. Never think yourself too old to learn ; the
most valuable period of education is perhaps from
twenty to forty years of age. The maturedmind is
fittest to become the little child.
" 31st. You are bidding farewell to your father's
house, the home of your infancy, childhood, and
youth ; yet the remembrance of the principles in
which you have been educated should follow you
AA

354

MR. RICHMOND'S THIRD DAUGHTER.

through life, wherever Divine Providence may see
fit to call you. May they be a guide to you at all
times, and a consolation to you in your final removal from a sinful and changing world.
" Christ has been made known to you fully and
freely ; let Christ be your all in all, both now and
for ever. Receive my parting advice in love, and
be assured, my beloved child, it comes from the
affectionate heart of
"Your dear father,
" L. R."
A short time before her marriage, Miss H. R.
. I was gratified in discovering
paid a visit to in a young woman, not twenty years of age, so
much thought and good sense on the subjects of
our conversation. In common with the rest of her
family, she entertained a deep sense of her father's
affection, consistency, and uniform anxiety for the
spiritual welfare of his children.
When I adverted to her responsibility on the
ground of past privileges, and to the necessity of
a personal application of the principles in which
she had been educated, she observed, " I know
that religion requires something more of me than
respect for my father," and she then proceeded
to state to me some of the perplexities of her mind
on certain doctrines, which led me to remark that
young people were apt to begin where they should
end, and, as an old author has quaintly said, wish

CONVERSATIONS

WITH THE AUTHOR.

355

" to matriculate at the university of election. before
they have passed through the grammar-school of
I advised her to lay
repentance and faith."
aside the consideration of the deep things of God.
These," said I, " are far beyond the range of a young
disciple. The time may arrive when such subjects
may be studied with advantage, for it is a great
mistake to suppose that God has revealed anything
which is unserviceable to his church, or needless to
be understood: but infancy, youth, and manhood, are
not to be fed with the same aliment. I have no
wish to conceal from you that my mind is made up
on these subjects, though I am far from being
confident in the certainty of my own conclusions
on points which are debateable and still debated
amongst good and wise men; but I feel no hesitation 'in dissuading you from employing your
thoughts on speculations, which at present will
retard rather than aid your progress. To ascertain
your conversion, and the reality of your piety, by
the plain practical tests of the Bible, ought to be
your chief and indeed only concern. Admit that
God calls, and keeps, and alone can bring you to
heaven, and you know all that is essential to your
salvation."
" Yes: but if God does not call-"
" Then call on him; ' Turn thou me, 0 good
Lord, and so shall I be turned.' "
We made a transition to her approaching marriage. I alluded to her pleasing prospect of being

356

MR. RICHMOND'S THIRD DAUGHTER.

united to a man of principle and piety, and to the
satisfaction her father had expressed in the anticipation of that event.
She requested me to converse with her on the
duties of her new relation.
" You entertain, my dear young friend, no doubt,
the usual expectations of happiness in married life,
and I do not wish to damp them; but I am compelled to acknowledge that I have not witnessed
much conjugal felicity. People jog on in life,
because they cannot do otherwise; if they are not
indifferent to each other, nor annoy each other by
contention and ill-humour, they still appear to me
to derive but little satisfaction from their connexion;
little in comparison with what the relation is intended and calculated to inspire."
" What are the usual causes of the disappointment in such cases ?"
" Shall we say that there is want of affinity of
character in the parties-that the connexion has
been formed on some selfish calculation-that a
mutual though not designed deception has been
practised-that greater demands are made than a
fallen nature can answer-that people are more
tenacious of their claims than of their duties, and
forget that affection needs cultivation as much or
more, after than before marriage?
" All these causes are fatal to happiness; yet
where they may not exist, much uneasiness often
arises in married life, from a disregard to the ordi-

CONVERSATIONS

WITH THE AUTHOR.

357

nance of God in that relation. Reference should
be made to his rule and appointment. It is true he
has made the man a sort of autocrat (0 o-~rwrw);
the head of a house, to superintend and direct every
important movement in it; but though entrusted
with the chief power, he is responsible to God for
the use he makes of it. Authority is granted to no
one for the purpose of mere self-gratification. The
trust is abused when it is perverted to this end.
Man is constituted the head, for the good of the
members; and he must rule with tenderness, forbearance, and affection. Matthew Henry has prettily expressed the idea,-' God made woman out
of man's side. Not out of his head, to rule; nor
out of his feet, to be trampled on; but out of his
rib, which lies near his heart, to be loved and cherished.' And when man forgets that his reign is
the dominion of affection, he provokes God, by an
abuse, and misuse of power, to resign his house to
disorder and rebellion.
" The wife has also her place. She is equal in
nature, but not in relation. She must shine by
reflexion; and will suffer an eclipse in her dignity,
and bankruptcy in her happiness, whenever she sets
up for herself, and affects equality and independence. Her earthly hopes and satisfactions should
emanate from her husband, and centre in him. The
rule of duty for a Christian wife is, 'in and for the
Lord.'
Her obedience must not vary with the
capricious influences of feeling, but rest on the

358

MR. RICHMOND'S THIRD DAUGHTER.

firmer basis of conformity to the ordinance of God.
Affection may make duty delightful, but it is not
the foundation of it. When a wife has just reason
to disapprove of her husband's conduct, she may
reason and remonstrate; occasions may unhappily
arise in which conscience requires dissent, and even
disobedience; but in general it is a woman's privilege, as well as duty, to call her husband 'lord,' and
to keep within the limits which God has wisely and
graciously appointed."
My young friend thanked me for my instructions,
which she assured me were in unison with her own
views, and that she meant to enter on her new relation with these principles.
The interval between her marriage and early
death might have been more fully described by one
who is best able to appreciate her conduct. But
motives of delicacy and regard to his feelings have
restrained me from making an application to him,
and led me to prefer the insertion of an extract from
her mother's letter. Mrs. R. writes:" Her time was chiefly spent in the retired duties
of domestic life. She seldom engaged in anything
of a public nature. She became a most exemplary
and conscientious wife-a fond and tender mother
to her little boy, whom she regarded with anxiety,
and wag preparing to train in the principles and
piety of her dear father. Increasingly beloved by
her husband, whose comfort and happiness on his
return from his daily and laborious occupations, she

HER

SICKNESS AND

DEATH.

359

assiduously studied to promote-her short day of
life sweetly glided on, and, like the flower of the
desert, she attracted little notice beyond the immediate circle of the few friends to whom she attached
herself."
In September 1828, Mrs. Awas confined
with her second child. An account of the event
and its afflictive results, was communicated at the
time in the letter which follows:-

" I saw our poor H-on the afternoon after
her accouchement. She then appeared extremely
well, and nursing a sweet infant with a mother's
joy. On Wednesday she complained of pain, and
passed a very restless night. The next day Mr.
A---- called in a physician, who seemed uneasy at
her symptoms, and enjoined the utmost quiet, particularly requesting that no one should speak of her
danger, or say anything to excite or agitate her
mind. On Friday she grew worse, and inquired if
there were danger, expressing her own conviction
that she should not recover. Her friends, in compliance with the strict injunctions of the medical
man, discouraged her inquiries, and endeavoured to
draw her mind to other subjects. But in reply, she
said, ' Is this kind to keep my thoughts from eternity ? I cannot realize death, and you will not help
me. Can I think too much of death ?' She then
inquired for me, and desired that I might be sent

360

MR. RICHMOND'S THIRD DAUGHTER.

for. Aware of the great change in her countenance,
as I entered the room, she kept her eyes shut,
remarking to the nurse, 'I will keep my eyes shut,
I shall be so agitated at seeing my dear sister's distress, she will see me so changed.' She was indeed
changed; her countenance, which only a week before
had the bright hue of health, was now pale and
wan. Oh ! my dear Mrs. F--,
how awful is the
execution of the sentence, ' The soul that sinneth,
it shall die.' Even where Christ has taken away
the sting, the expiring agony of death is terrible.
Is it not a strange infatuation that our latter moments should ever be absent from our thoughtsthat we can trifle where we ought to tremble, and
be comparatively indifferent to the only event which
is of real importance to us ?
" I was earnestly requested, before I went into
the sick room, to show no alarm at her danger, and
to avoid conversing upon death. But I gazed at
her marble countenance for a few moments, and all
hope of her life fled. The particular appearance of
death cannot be mistaken, and I resolved to speak
plainly to her of her situation. But Hbegan
of her own accord. She put her hand into mine as
I sat down beside her. 'F, love, we meet as
dying sisters this time.' 'Dear H--,'
I replied,
'tell me how you feel.' 'F--,
I feel that in a
few hours I must stand before the judgment-seat of
Christ, and there render an account of all the deeds
done in the body, and my sins press heavy upon me.

HER SICKNESS AND DEATH.

361

F--,
talk to me about death. I shall not recover.
I have felt assured of this from the first, but no one
will talk to me; even my dear husband shrinks from
it; but I must speak of death now. I hope you
will converse with me.' I assured her of my intention and willingness to do so, and I began to inquire
into the state of her mind. She lamented her sad
neglect of religion in days past, that she had greatly
failed to improve opportunities, and had grievously
put off preparation for a dying hour. 'Now, dear
F, I feel the value of time-now I see why I
was sent into this world; my whole life ought to
have been a preparation for this hour. Oh! dear,
dear F--,
how time has been trifled away !'
" She seemed exceedingly distressed at these
recollections, and particularly referred to the instructions and example of her dear father-and
expressed in the strongest terms her gratitude to
him for teaching her to honour religion from her
infancy. 'Now, F--,
I feel his worth. Oh,
what a father we had-how his prayers and entreaties, and holy example rise before me. I never,
never can express my love for my father. On a
death-bed I have learnt his value'-then adding,
' But on a death-bed I have learnt my responsibilities for such a parent. I shall soon have to answer
for many things, but I have most to answer for in
having had such a parent. I have enjoyed unparalleled mercies through childhood and youth. Oh!
I have much-very much to answer for. If I am

362

MR. RICHMOND'S THIRD

DAUGHTER.

saved, it will indeed be a miracle of miracles; but,
F--,
I have a hope, and I cannot give up hopeChrist is my hope; his blood can cleanse me from
my sins, and for his sake even I may find pardon.'
" She then named several of her friends and
relations whom she thought would be shocked at
the intelligence of her early and unexpected death.
She sent kind messages to them. The poor people
of Turvey, and recollections of the home of her
youth, seemed much in her thoughts, and deeply
affected her. 'F--,
give my affectionate love to
them all. Turvey is very dear to me.'
" The state of one of her intimate friends distressed her. ' How I regret (alluding to this lady)
that our conversation and intercourse has been so
little profitable to either of us. I wish I could see
- before I die. I have much I want to say to
her. I want to press religion on her mind. Oh
that I could see her a real Christian before I die.
She spoke much of her dear aunt, who had kindly
nursed her all the week with the patient tenderness
and affection of a mother. ' I hope my beloved aunt
knows Christ and his doctrines. I think I shall
meet her in heaven.' She entreated me to explain
the nature of religion to the nurse, ' I am too weak
to talk to her now, but I hope you will, dear F---:
I am afraid she has not a right knowledge of religion. She has been telling me, there can be no
doubt of my going to heaven;, because I am so good
and amiable. Oh! this is false; this is error; this is

HER SICKNESS AND DEATH.

363

no foundation to build on for eternity. Explain to
her the nature of sin, and salvation by Christ. I
cannot bear the thought of leaving that kind and
faithful creature in ignorance. I have been talking
to -,' alluding to one of the servants, Cand have
tried to show her the importance of preparing for
early death. I wish I had strength to speak to
nurse also.' H-- then returned to the subject of
her own departure: I Oh ! I am frightened when I
think of dying. I have not accustomed myself to
think of dying as I ought to have done.' I suggested to her mind what appeared to me best suited
to her case; that Christ was our lamp in that dreary
valley, our strong consolation in the bitter pains of
death. She replied,' I can trust Christ with my
soul. I can hope he will pardon and save it; but
I feel alarmed about the bodily pains of death: they
are fearful in prospect; but I will not dwell on the
future, it disturbs me. I will trust God.' I said,
'When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death,'
-interrupting me, she exclaimed, with great emotion, 'thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to
all believers.'
" She now referred to Wilberforce, and said,
'Poor Willy went through this awful time before
me, but all was safe and happy with him. I trust
it will be so with me. My dear, dear father, he
has also gone through death. None of us know
what sorrow he endured in that awful hour. He

364

MR. RICHMOND'S

THIRD DAUGHTER.

was indeed a loss to us all, but I am now glad he is
gone before me.'
"The prospect of leaving her infants agitated her
mind throughout the day. 'To be left without a
mother! Oh this is hard ! Oh! God take care of
my poor babes.' Her chief conversation about the
children was with her husband, and I believe she
gave him many directions about their education.
was
" On Saturday my mother arrived; Htoo ill to converse with her, but she assured her
that her own mind was in peace.
" My sister appeared to be dying the whole of
Saturday night, but very gradually. She begged
we would all leave the room, as the evening came
on, and that she might be left alone with her husband, who sat the whole of the night beside her, to
converse as her strength would permit.
" At six o'clock on Sunday morning, she desired
that we might be called into the room. We found
Mr. supporting her in his arms; death was on
her countenance, she breathed with difficulty and
was quite cold. She said, ' I wish to see Mr. -- '
(the medical man who attended her in her confinement). When he came, she inquired of him, how
long she might live; he said, ' Perhaps three hours.'
She requested her husband to send for Mr. W--.
On his arrival she exerted her last strength to converse with him, but their conversation was carried
on in so low a tone that I could not catch the whole.
I heard my sister question Mr. W--- most ear-

HER SICKNESS

AND DEATH.

365

nestly about a true and a false faith, and whether he
thought her faith sincere and genuine. He spoke
very decidedly of the safety of her state, and she
appeared to receive comfort from his opinion. At
her request he administered the Lord's Supper. We
knelt round her bed in silence and deep anguish.
She clasped her hands, and seemed to be in earnest
prayer the whole time. At the conclusion she
thanked Mr. -- , and said,' You have refreshed
me in body and mind. This is the hour of extremity, but Christ is all.' She then became much
oppressed, and struggled hard for breath, and in a
little time asked for her children. When the eldest
was brought, she clasped him for a moment to her
breast, and said, ' This boy has been my idol.' She
next begged that the infant might be brought to
her. ' I want to see if I can bring my will to God's
will.' The babe was placed in her arms, she looked
at it, was much agitated and exclaimed, ' Oh ! take
it away, take it away, I cannot bear this! 0 God!
take care of my darling babe !' She followed it
with her eyes as the nurse carried it away, and
seemed to be in prayer for it. She then took leave
of us separately. To her mother she said, ' I shall
soon be with my dear papa.' The interview with
her husband was very affecting. She was most
ardently attached to Mr. -; she desired him to
kneel down and commit her soul to God in the
agony of departure. Presently she whispered, 'I

366

MR. RICHMOND'S THIRD DAUGHTER.

cannot hear now.' Then-' My sight is failing Oh! this is death !' She begged we would keep
perfect silence, and lay her straight down on the
bed. We stood motionless and gazing on her. She
made several attempts to speak, but in vain, but I
heard her breathe out very faintly, ' Now it begins
to look lovely!' A moment after, fixing her eyes
upward, and smiling with a placid countenance, she
drew a last deep breath, and all was hushed in
silence.
" Are we not allowed, my dear Mrs. F--,
to
believe that my sister has joined angels and archangels, and all the company of heaven ? Her short
and painful illness afforded less scope for the exercises and evidences of a renewed heart than we
witnessed in the last hours of our beloved Wilberforce. Yet here we have not been left to sorrow as
without hope. 'Beloved for the father's sake,'
seemed inscribed in characters of mercy on her
death-bed. The effect of her education and early
acquaintance with the principles of religion could
not be mistaken. Her father's prayers and unwearied and affectionate solicitude for his child's
spiritual welfare -the 'line upon line and precept
upon precept,' which he pressed on her mind; together with poor Willy's earnest addresses and entreaties in his dying hour, seemed to recur to her with
new force, and poured a flood of light, conviction,
and consolation on her soul, leading her in penitence

HER SICKNESS AND

DEATH.

367

and faith to rest all her hopes on that one oblation,
propitiation, and satisfaction, which was once made
for sin by the Lamb of God, in whose precious blood
all transgression, known and unknown, is washed
away for ever.
"Believe me, my dear Mrs. F--,
" I am your most affectionate," &c.
I would not be thought to cast a shade on the
hopes so affectionately expressed in the above letter,
the subject of which is, I trust, a happy spirit in
heaven. Yet I feel it necessary, as a Christian
minister, to subjoin a few salutary cautions, especially to young people, against too exclusive a reliance on what may take place in our latter moments.
The scripture makes an appeal to living hours and
holy fruits, and these are the tests on which we can
most safely depend. The gold passes through the
fire, and the result of the purifying process alone
determines its character. It is the language of
inspiration, " As a man sows, so shall he reap."
Let me remind those young persons whose opinions
are correct, but who are conscious that their hearts
are yet far from God, not to run the hazard, the
tremendous hazard, of losing their souls, by delay;
nor expect peace and safety at last, unless they are
now seeking to lay up the support of a faith which
worketh by love and obedience. "It is the tenor
of the life, not that of the few morbid and suffering

368

MR.

RICHMOND'S THIRD DAUGHTER.

scenes which precede dissolution, that fixes the
character. We are not authorized by Scripture to
place any dependence on the last periods of sinking
nature, through which the Christian may be called
to pass to his eternal reward."
* Life of the Rev. T. Scott.

CONCLUDING

369

iEMARIKS.

CHAPTER X.
" If I have done well, and as is fitting the story, it is that
which I desired; but if slenderly and meanly, it is that which I
could attain unto."-MACCABEES.

IN reviewing what has now been submitted to the,
public, there seems little need of further comment,
since it is probable that the intelligent reader has
anticipated every suggestion which I might be
disposed to offer.
Of Mr. Richmond's plans for his children, I must
leave the Christian parent to form his own opinion;
observing that whether he adopts them in whole or
in part, he should never forget that instruction,
however large or correct, is not education; that
true piety consists not in form, in its most scrupulous use; nor in a speculation claiming the bare
assent and approval of the mind; nor in any influence occasionally to be felt. It is a principle pervading every faculty of a man's moral nature.
Religion is estimated far below its real character,
when it is regarded as an affair of dutiful necessity :
or as a medicine taken for ulterior relief; rather
BB

370

CONCLUDING REMARKS.

than as a well-spring of life and health, to which
the soul turns for satisfaction and delight, and
without which it can neither be peaceful nor happy.
The truths of the Bible may be taught in their
utmost purity, and yet, unless their spirit be transfused into the affections of the heart, and the habits
of the life, they will fall short of the effect and
design of real Christianity. Mere knowledge of
religion, without a corresponding feeling and practice, often issues in a fatal apathy, and forms a
character which becomes at last impervious to everysacred impression. It has been well said by a profound moralist, that " to handle holy things without
feeling, is to be cauterized in the end." It has been
clearly shown on what principle Mr. Richmond
conducted his plan of education;-that his grand
aim was to touch the heart, and to make duty and
delight synonymous. Yet some caution is necessary
in the exclusive application of strictly religious
principles. There is a variety of motives which
act most salutarily to present advantage, and which
impose powerful restraints on the impulses of a corrupt nature; and if we strip a youth of all regard
for his interest or reputation, we expose him, in
the absence of higher motives, to be driven along
by the current of his own passions, till he makes
shipwreck of all that is valuable for this world and
the next. To this neglect of inferior motives I am
disposed to ascribe the misconduct of many children
of religious parents; and it therefore becomes an

CONCLUDING REMARKS.

371

inquiry of no small importance (though of difficult
and delicate character,) whether the entire disuse
of subordinate influences is wise, or even safe in a
course of education. May we not be guided in this
inquiry by the sanction of the supreme Ruler himself; * who, while he taught the more excellent way,
yet formed laws for human conduct, and held out
motives for obedience, not always the best in themselves, but the best in reference to the circumstances
and capacities of his creatures ? Nor am I inclined
to reject any influence for present advantage, in
which there is nothing opposed to the spirit or the
dictates of religion.
Another circumstance which is often undervalued
in education, is the establishment of good habits;
and that, too, prior to the full admission of good
principles. Habits, it is true, are formed by a series
of actions, and actions must spring from principles
of some kind; but the principle at first may be little
more than custom or association: yet are the habits
valuable, as preparing a future powerful co-operation with right principle; for nothing proves a
greater obstacle to truth in opinion, than error in
conduct. There is a deep and intimate knowledge
of the influence of habit in that declaration of our
blessed Lord, " If any man will do the will of my
heavenly Father, he shall know of the doctrine,
whether it be of God." John vii. 17.
* Ezekiel xx. 25.

372

CONCLUDING REMARKS.

Corrupt practice is a fruit of darkness, and increaseth darkness; and though correct habits are
not the cause of divine light, they prepare the soil
for the heavenly seed, and clear away the weeds
and thorns which would check its vegetation, and
retard its growth. The language which reflects on
human agency as useless, and even presumptuous,
until a divine power has commenced its mighty
operation, is not in accordance with reason or
Scripture; and a propensity to form systems, and
distort the doctrines of religion, is often connected
with indolence and selfishness, which shrink from
the labour of instruction.
Mr. Richmond's great care to regulate the private
intercourse of his children, is another feature in his
system of education which deserves particular attention. It is evident, from one remark in his own
memoranda, that he intended to have urged this
topic in the projected memoir of his son: " The great
value of scientific and rational amusement is supplying materials for good and useful conversation."
The unprofitable manner in which the hours of
social intercourse are too often spent, has been
lamented by many. It may not be desirable, nor is
it always profitable, to introduce strictly religious
subjects on every occasion. Sacred things should
be handled with reverence and feeling, or we shall
be in danger of making an unholy use of that which
is holy. But it is very possible to converse on
ordinary things in the spirit of religion; we may

CONCLUDING REMARKS.

373

aim to improve ourselves or others, and not merely
pass away the time in tales of wonder. We cannot
be walking with God, in a heavenly tender frame
of mind, or with any just sense of our position, as
standing on the brink of eternity, while we propose
to ourselves no higher object than amusement-no
accession of ideas, no elevation of devout affections.
Can our communications " administer grace to the
hearer," when the amount, if written down, would
shame a wise man, and distress the mind of a sincere
Christian?
There is also, with young and old, a prevalent
and bad habit, of talking of persons, rather than of
things. This is seldom innocent, and often pregnant
Such conversation insensibly
with many evils.
slides into detraction; and by dwelling on offences,
we expose our own souls to contagion, and are betrayed into feelings of pride, envy, and jealousy;
and even when we speak of others in terms of commendation, " we are sure to come in with a but
at the last, and drive a nail into our neighbour's
reputation."
The disuse of good conversation proceeds from
poverty of ideas, no less than from want of heartreligion. Persons select light and trivial subjects,
because they have no materials for a higher interchange of sentiment. If more pains were taken to
cultivate the mind, there would be less difficulty in
speaking to edification; and less need of having
recourse to amusements, which differ little in their

374

CONCLUDING REMARKS.

effect and influence from others, which, by common
consent, have been denounced as inconsistent with
vital religion.
If the " Domestic Portraiture" should fall into
the hands of any one who has been accustomed to
associate the idea of folly and delusion with a serious
profession of religion,-he may observe in what is
here detailed, that a sincere Christian may be a
man of taste and intelligence; and that it is not
necessary to be illiterate or enthusiastic to believe
the Bible, and regulate a family in accordance with
its principles; but that elegant accomplishments and
a becoming attention to the usages of society, as far
as they are innocent or useful, may be found in
alliance with the warmest devotion and most conscientious regard to the laws of God.
In bidding farewell to this little work, which I
have now brought to a conclusion, one thought
enters my mind and produces deep emotion. I have
increased the responsibilities of Mr. Richmond's
family, by holding them up to public observation.
Wherever the present volume may obtain circulation, their father's honour, and-a still more important consideration-their father's principles, will
be ultimately connected with their conduct, and the
value of them be appreciated by their effects. His
eye is no longer upon them, nor his bright example
before them; neither has every member of his family
enjoyed the full benefit of his affectionate and careful superintendence. But I am persuaded that the

CONCLUDING REMARKS.

375

traces he has left are too deeply engraven ever to
be erased from their remembrance; and that a
father's blessing will follow them to the latest hour
of their earthly pilgrimage. It is my heart's desire
and prayer to God, that they may retain a lively
recollection of his instructions, and continue to walk
worthy of their vocation, irreproveable and without
rebuke, until they rejoin their departed relatives,
and with them " praise God for such a father."

THE END.

G. BARCLAY), PRINTERS,
Castle Street, Leicester Square.

STRANGEWAYS AND WALDEN (LATE

RECENTLY PUBLISJ.ED.

THE

TWELFTH

EDITION

or

THE LIFE OF THE REV. LEGH RICHMOND,
RECTOR OF TUR VEY.

In foolscap 8vo., Portrait.

bs. cloth.

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