too were not only polished in their manners, but of exemplary piety, probity, and benevolence."

Much however as he enjoyed such a retreat and such friends as these, it never withdrew his thoughts from more serious and more important pursuits. He discharged with zeal the duties of his parish; preached almost always in the morning; in the afternoon very frequently lectured on the catechism; and lost no opportunity, when he saw fit occasion, of private admonition. In his attention to the poor he was uniform and indefatigable; he visited the sick, comforted the afflicted, relieved the indigent: he entered, in short, with assiduity and earnestness into whatever could promote in any degree their temporal and eternal welfare, and he did not labour in vain. "I had the happiness," he says, "to see my church

well

well filled with a congregation, neat and decent in their attire, with cheerful and satisfied looks, serious in their devotions, and attentive and grateful to their instructor."

In the winter months he resided at Lambeth, where, not less than in the country, he supported the high character of a faithful, laborious, conscientious parish priest. Unfortunately, there was here no parsonage in which the rector could reside: but as there was a piece of ground of about two acres, belonging to the glebe, in an extremely good situation, and at a convenient distance from the church, he thought that by obtaining an act of parliament for that purpose, a part of this might be sold; and with the sum which that produced, a fit and commodious residence might be built upon the remainder. Accordingly, an agree

ment •

ment upon this principle was made with a builder at a stipulated price, and a ground plan and elevation of the intended house were drawn under his own direction. He was not however incumbent long enough to carry himself this design into execution; but he had made such excellent arrangements, that his successor, Dr. Vyse, had no difficulty in accomplishing it; and the present parsonage, than which there are few better, was, with little variation, built the original plan proposed by Dr. Porteus.

upon

Besides the active part which he thus took in regard to the rectorial house, he found that the affairs of the parish had fallen, from some neglect or mismanagement, into great confusion, in consequence of debts inadvertently contracted by the overseers. This was not a credit

able circumstance; and, in conjunction therefore with the parish officers, and the principal gentlemen then resident in Lambeth, he took great pains to reduce them into order. With this view, the sum of eighteen hundred pounds was borrowed upon annuities, with which they not only cleared off old encumbrances, but had a considerable surplus left, which was very judiciously expended in repairing and embellishing the church, and in other essential improvements. There was nothing indeed that tended in any degree to the credit and benefit of the parish which escaped his attention; but that especially which occupied his thoughts, and to which his chief anxiety was earnestly directed, was the salvation of those committed to his care. This was his great, his never-ceasing object; and there cannot be a stronger instance of it,

than

than the Letter which he addressed to them, on the more religious observance of Good Friday. In this excellent little tract, which has long been in the catalogue of "The Society for promoting Christian Knowledge," after lamenting the neglect, which then universally prevailed, of that sacred day, he took occasion to state the various benefits which it was intended to commemorate; the importance of them to the welfare of mankind; the unbounded compassion in which they originated; and the unparalleled sufferings by which they were acomplished and from hence he inferred the indispensable obligation under which a Christian lies, from every motive, of interest, of duty, and of gratitude, to observe with peculiar strictness and devotion the anniversary of the Crucifixion; a day, which recalls forcibly to the mind the

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