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thus occupied, should neglect many important duties attaching to their family, to the congregation or the parish? and, that as the pious and benevolent affections necessarily connected with these duties, must become proportionably less vivid and operative, the character from being eminently useful and exemplary, should degenerate into that of a mere formalist?

Mr. Lindsey, it is true, was a rare example of the possibility of daily associating with persons of far superior rank and fortune, without being unfitted by it, for the arduous, humble duties of the gospel ministry. But where like him, shall we find another so devoted to the sanctuary from his earliest years, so unassailable by the temptations of pride, of vanity, of ambition, or the love of pleasure? Be it remembered also, that his two first patronesses, the lady Betty, and lady Anne Hastings, were not less distinguished for their genuine piety, and extensive benevolence, than for their high station; and that in their houses, where he constantly spent his school and university vacations, he had the rare opportunity of profiting by the most cultivated and highly polished society, separated in great measure, from the false maxims and delusive expectations with which it is usually associated. His excellent mother also, and the master, with whom he was at school at Leeds, Mr. Bernard, were remarkable for their piety. * Of this gentleman I have heard him re

*See Mr. Belsham's interesting memoir of Mr.Lindsey, pp. 2, 3.

late the following circumstance, from which he used to say he had derived the greatest benefit.

It was Mr. Bernard's habit to retire so regularly every day into his study at a particular hour, that youthful curiosity was at length excited, to discover the cause. The lively pupil contrived some method of successful investigation, and found that his revered master was devoutly employed in repeating, with great animation, that fine hymn of praise, the cxlvth psalm; "I will extol thee, my God, O king, I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless thee: and I will praise thy name for ever and ever!"

So strongly had Mr. Lindsey imbibed the genuine principles of devotion in early youth, and such was the irresistible power of the fear and love of God, to restrain from evil, that although naturally of a very cheerful, social temper, his self-government was even then so proverbial, that he was denominated among his fellow-students at Cambridge, "the old man."

CHAPTER 15.

The interesting manner of spending Sunday at Catterick..... The Author unable to profit so much as she might have done. ...Establishes a sort of Sunday school at Bedale....Satisfaction arising from it....Its novelty and unpopularity.... A report circulated to her disadvantage....Invented from the desire of entertaining.

BEYOND all other days, it was the delight of my life, to spend the Sunday with my friends at Catterick. The morning family prayer was short,

but appropriate, pious, and animated.

The ser

mon at church, practical, serious, and instructive. At two o'clock, before the commencement of afternoon service, Mr. Lindsey devoted an hour in the church every Sunday, alternately to catechizing the children of the parish, and to expounding the Bible to the boys of a large school, which was at that time kept in the village. The number of the boys generally amounted to about one hundred, who formed a large circle round him; himself holding a Bible open in his hand, with which he walked slowly round, giving it regularly in succession to the boys, each reading in his turn, the passage about to be explained: this method, accompanied by frequently recapitulating what had been said, and by asking them questions relating to it, kept them very attentive, and the good effects of these labours proved in many cases, very apparent in after-life: Mr. L. having frequently been recognized in the streets of London by some of his former Sunday pupils, who gratefully acknowledged their obligations to him.

After evening service, Mr. Lindsey received different classes of young men and women, on alternate Sundays in his study, for the purpose of instruction; and Mrs. Lindsey in like manner, in another apartment, had two classes of children, boys and girls alternately. The family supped at eight, after which a chapter in the Bible, followed by some practical remarks, was read by Mrs. Lindsey to the family, and the service of the day concluded by a short, appropriate prayer.

To some of my readers perhaps, it will seem,

in

that a day spent in this manner, must have been exceedingly dull, tedious and monotonous; but they cannot know how interesting it became, by the animating spirit of piety and benevolence by which it was pervaded, wholly unadulterated by superstition or gloom. How strongly pictured my remembrance, at this moment, is the image of my excellent friend, as he walked backward and forward in the room after supper, when the labours of the day were over, his countenance beaming with benevolence; dilating, in a manner peculiarly his own, perhaps on the goodness of God, in the gospel dispensation, perhaps on peculiar traits in excellent characters, whom he had known, or of whom he had read, already gone to their reward, or perhaps, in general, on the happiness of a life of virtue and holiness. Yes, blessed spirit, the days of the years of thy earthly pilgrimage are now over: known only to God, are the pains, the difficulties, and the trials which thou hadst to encounter; but these things are now for ever past as a "watch in the night," or, as the bewildering shadows of twilight at the glorious approach of the rising sun!

I did not profit so much as I might otherwise have done, by this improving society, for the want of sufficient previous knowledge; a deficiency, which my Catterick friends endeavoured to supply, by lending me books, or recommending them to me; but at home I had little opportunity of reading, owing to various causes which it would be useless to enumerate: and when I was absent on a visit, it seemed a matter of necessity, or at least

of propriety, to give up the greater part of my time to the society, or to the assistance of those, who so kindly and hospitably received me. I might however, have improved in knowledge more than I did, had I possessed that energy of mind, which can seek it for its own sake alone, without the stimulus of a particular object. But the human mind is naturally averse to labour.-I was very fond of reading what gave me no trouble to understand; but I did not possess sufficient industry to overcome those preliminary obstacles to very successful mental progress, which arrest the footsteps of the young beginner, and which generally require the aid of a regular preceptor, effectually to conquer.

Despairing therefore of gaining much knowledge, but desirous of being useful, which of the two I considered as far more important, I endeavoured to imitate at Bedale, in a manner however imperfect, the edifying example, which I so much admired at Catterick. I established a sort of Sunday school there; collecting together a number of poor children, whom I assisted in learning to read, giving them books, &c., teaching them Dr. Watts's shorter catechism, together with his Devotional Hymns, and endeavouring to give them some such general instruction, as might enable them to read their Bible with more intelligence. I had no place in which to receive them, but the backkitchen, which being small, we were exceedingly crowded; but they grew attached to me, and liked to attend; and in order to prevent confusion, 1 divided them into classes, which succeeded each

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