her the justice to say, that in every department in which I could observe her, she was a lovely ornament of the truth as it is in Jesus; particularly I can specify, as a daughter, a mother, and a mistress. As to the former, she constantly attended her father till his death at the advanced age of 87, who, though he was very much prejudiced against her religious principles, yet, lived to have his mind greatly won by her uniform conduct; on his death-bed regretted that he had ever opposed her; and acknowledged in the most affecting manner, his long experience of her filial duty.

As a mother, I must repeat what you, my dear. sir, have frequently said, that you never saw such an instance of maternal affection. This indeed is a subject, on which I hope I shall never think without heartfelt gratitude to her, and to God, who so favoured me. The whole of her deportment was calculated to win my early attention to religion. I saw in her what it could do; how happy! how cheerful! how humble! how holy! how lovely in life, and afterwards in death! how full of mercy and good fruits, it could render the happy possessor!

As I was the only son of my mother, and she a widow, she might perhaps lean to the side of overindulgence. Yet, if my heart do not deceive me, in trusting that I love the ways of God, I am indebted through divine grace for that inestimable benefit to the impression of her great and tender

kindness, her uniform example, and particularly her pious and affectionate letters, when I was about thirteen years old.'

It is scarcely possible, here, to avoid adverting to the numerous instances in which the most eminent and useful characters have traced and ascribed their earliest and most powerful impressions, on the important subject of religion, to the instructions of maternal piety; as though for the direct purpose of affording encouragement to that part of our species on whom the care of infancy so much devolves, to attend most carefully and assiduously to this very important branch of parental duty. The avocations of a father rarely admit of his taking any large share in this department of infantile tuition: and it would appear as though a mother herein possessed peculiar advantages. Cherished in her bosom, and brought up in her lap, the warmest and fondest affections of the infant are usually directed in a peculiar manner to her and the corresponding feeling excited in her own breast is wont to impart a softness and a sweetness to instruction flowing from her lips, such as a father can rarely command, and such as often penetrate and form a lodgment in the tender mind, which a less soothing and insinuating mode of conveyance would probably, if attempted, fail to effect. Be this as it may, the facts of the case are too numerous and too remarkable not to merit the special notice of those to whom this observation is directed.

At the age of about seven years, the highlyfavoured child under our consideration, had a very narrow escape with his life, from one of those thoughtless and dangerous frolics which have in so many instances proved fatal. A young relative imprudently took up a gun, and, not aware that it was loaded, pointed it towards him, playfully saying, Basil, I will shoot you.' By some unaccountable circumstance he was induced at the moment suddenly to turn aside, and the piece went off in another direction; otherwise he would probably have been shot dead on the spot.

His mother, deeply affected by this providential circumstance, thus expressed her feelings on the occasion: May I ever remember, with gratitude to my gracious God, this wonderful preservation of my dear child, and his very great escape.'

He was not long afterwards exposed to a somewhat similar danger from the bursting of a gun which he was in the act of firing.

For some years he was placed under the care of a respectable schoolmaster in the neighbourhood. Of this early period of his life, little is known, except that he was of an affectionate and tractable disposition, and more inclined to literary and philosophical pursuits, both in the way of improvement and amusement, than is usual at such an early stage of existence. He has often observed that he could not say when the Holy Spirit first began to impress

his youthful mind, but that he was not conscious of any decidedly religious feelings until he was about the age of fourteen. But the seed of religious principle, by the divine blessing on that species of pious training, to which reference has been made, is doubtless often sown before the age at which evidence of a decisive character can visibly manifest itself; and the impression is then seen to have been already fixed, which is to fortify the heart against those assaults of temptation to which youth becomes exposed in its progress towards maturity. So, there is reason to believe, it proved in the present instance. When he was about the age of fourteen, he was removed to the academy of the late Rev. Thomas Clarke, of Chesham Bois, a gentleman who was highly esteemed as an able and assiduous instructor of youth, as well as a pious and faithful minister of the gospel of Christ; but where, (as he once stated to an intimate friend,) in spite of all the care and vigilance of the master, he was often under the necessity of witnessing conversation and habits of the most vicious and polluting nature; from the contamination of which, however, he was mercifully preserved; a preservation for which he was probably, under providence, much indebted to the early instructions, cautions, and admonitions he had received from his excellent mother. How shall I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? is, no doubt, a question which has arisen in

the mind of many a youth thus early trained, as well as in that of the pious individual to whom it has been ascribed by the pen of inspiration.

It was probably from the scenes he here witnessed, that he conceived the dread he entertained, and so often expressed, of public schools, and that he was induced to undertake the education of his own family, though involved in professional engagements, which were found scarcely compatible with such an undertaking.

With the above clergyman he remained until he was about seventeen years of age, during which time he was very assiduous in his endeavours to acquire both classical and religious knowledge, and was in the habit of rising an hour earlier than his fellow students, for the purpose of making himself acquainted with the Scriptures of the Old Testament in their original tongue.

In the month of May 1778, he entered as a commoner at Trinity College, Oxford; where, though he had formed a very modest estimate of his own acquirements, he soon found himself fully competent to the ordinary routine of college exercises; and not being ambitious of university honours, he was induced in a great measure to abandon his study of classical authors, in favour of those in which his heart took a deeper interest, as bearing more directly on the sacred office to which he was aspiring, and to which he purposed devoting all his powers.