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He knows how to What can He take

Sunday noon.-In great pain-disposed to preach again, on a new text-She answered, It is well. That is, God is WISER than I am. He knoweth the way that I take, and, when I am tried, I shall come forth as gold. bring good out of this evil. away, that He cannot make up to me? Pain, loss, solitude-what are ye? The way home!- He knows the way :--that is enough. He has promised to be with me in the way: that is more than enough.

"It is well-that is, God is MIGHTIER than I am. He can make this dying and painful way, the way of life-the way of comfort-the way of joy, as well as holiness. He has done it ten thousand times: I have seen it done. What child is he whom his Father chasteneth not? I would be a son, but not scourged. I am a fool, whom even experience can scarcely make wise.-I see and, whom he does not chastise; all professors-but are they sons?—I see and who are sinking under their troubles, and going to Satan for comfort, because they are not sons.

and

"It is well-that is, He is BETTER than I am. He has thoughts of peace, while I indulge thoughts of evil. He means better than I can give Him credit for. He asks me for nothing but time and trust, in order to make the whole plain and gracious to my eye: "No!" say I: "shew it me now,

and it sufficeth."-" What!" saith He-Am I ALONE not to be trusted? How many of my creatures have you trusted for what you could not see! How often have you rested on dust and ashes, as on a sure foundation!-Go-Go-and learn your horn-book, and then you will say without stammering It is well !”

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Wednesday morning.-Pain left me after the above was put down, and then it was thrown aside; but returned this morning at four o'clock, and drove me from the bed to begin again. But with nothing new.-It is well--God is more HOLY than I, and will burn up the dross. He is more FAITHFUL, and does not forget his promise, to purify the sons of Levi, that they may first present a pure offering, and then be offered up themselves!"

I proceed to the year 1800-when Mr. Cecil was requested by Samuel Thornton, Esq. to take the Livings of Chobham and Bisley; which his father, the ever-memorable John Thornton, Esq. had bought, and had left in the hands of trustees. Mr. Cecil, though duly sensible of the favour, yet could not be prevailed on to think of accepting these Livings; and was so fully determined against it, that he returned several refusals, in answer to pressing requests by letter, that he would accept them. He was also informed by Mr. Thornton, that it was his father's intention, that the unbeneficed trustees, (of whom Mr. C. was one) were to have the first offer, and he repeated his wishes, with many

friendly arguments-particularly, the danger in Mr. Cecil's state of health, of his becoming incapable of going on at St. John's, without some relief from that arduous post. Mr. C. continued, however, to retain his objections: but an old friend hinted to him, that he might be resisting a call in providence. To this intimation he listened, and consented to refer the business to the trustees, and a few select friends who should meet for the purpose of determining the question. They accordingly met together, and were unanimous in resolving it to be the duty of a man in Mr. Cecil's circumstances, family, and health to accept the Livings, and serve them in the summer.*

But, in going to these Livings, he went rather to labour than to rest. He forgot his broken state of constitution, when he set up in the Church two extra Lectures-one on the Sunday evening, and the other on a week-day. During the first years, he principally preached them himself, and with great success. To conciliate one of his parishes, he left the tythes to be fixed by three neighbouring

* By these Livings about 1501. per annum was added to his income. After his fatal malady took place, and his pecuniary affairs naturally devolved on me, I judged it expedient to inform myself correctly respecting them. Accordingly I had a minute account taken, both of the income and of the expenditure of the Livings of Chobham and Bisley. In the account returned to me, both were stated at large: the NET income was 2351. per annum: out of this remained to be deducted, the expence of supplying St. John's during Mr. Cecil's absence; and that attending the removal of our family to Chobham and back again. All these deductions taken into the calculation, the whole advantage to Mr. Cecil's income could not, at most, be estimated at more than 150l.

farmers; and used every other means to gain the affection of his parishioners. THERE also, he sought not theirs, but them: and when his son remonstrated with him on the occasion, he replied "If by taking one guinea more I should excite prejudices in a single mind against my message, I should defeat my great project in coming to this place."

Mr. Cecil found these parishes, like others where the light of truth has scarcely dawned, sunk in the depths of ignorance and immorality-very FEW hearers in the Church, while MANY were making the Sabbath a day of sport and amusement. He found that THERE also, as in other places whither he had been led by providence, he had to begin at the very foundation, under the most discouraging circumstances, as will appear from the impression made on his mind, on his first going among them. He says, "When I first came to Chobham, as I was sitting in the Vestry-on hearing the noise and uproar of the boys, and the people in the gallery talking aloud to each other-I burst into tears; and felt with the Prophet, when he said-Can these dry bones live?-But the fields were white unto the harvest: he did not labour in vain among this people: a large and attentive congregation was collected, and many saw the day of the Son of Man, and were glad: some of these are already entered into rest, where both he, that sowed, and those, who reaped, now rejoice together.

There being no house to either of the Livings, except a ruin inhabited by a labourer, nor any that could be engaged for Mr.Cecil's residence, he spent the first few summers in part of a house since purchased by the Rev. Mr. Jerram. After this, a very generous friend, Thomas Bainbridge, Esq. of Guildford Street, purchased eleven acres of ground, and built on it for Mr. C. a convenient house, which he let at a low rent. Mr. C. spent a few months in it, while it was unfinished, in the summer of 1807; but did not live to see it, after it was completed.

I cannot pass from this subject, without remarking, not only this instance of Mr. B's kindness, in burdening himself with this undertaking, which he did with a most disinterested, liberal, and friendly desire of relieving Mr. C. from fatigue, care and anxiety; but also his marked regard in other instances, which has been uniformly that of a faithful friend. When Mr. Cecil was laid aside in the year 1808, Mr. B. was one of the two friends who proposed a private subscription, intended, as before observed, as a resource when the rent from the lease of St. John's should fail, which had then but about ten years to run. Mr. B. subscribed largely himself; and, in every way, proved himself no common friend.

Nor did Mr. B's kindness end here. During the period when Mr. Cecil's illness occasioned our absence from town for nine months, his house was the asylum of our son Israel, wherein he received

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