newing the Dedication of myfelf and Services to him, with as entire a Confent of Heart, as I think myfelf capable of feeling; and with that calm Acquiefcence in him, as my Portion and Happinefs, 'which I would not refign for ten thoufand Worlds.'

4

-But in far the greater Part of the Church under his Care he had much Comfort, and daily rejoiced over them in the Lord. So entire was the Friendship that fubfifted between them, that he declined Invitations to fettle in other Places, particularly in London, where his fecular Intereft would have been much advanced, out of the Love he bore to his Northamptonfriends. His great Concern was to do as much Service for them, and be as little burthenfome to them, as poffible; for he fought not theirs, but them. And most of them, in return, ftudied to honour and ferve him, to ftrengthen his Hands, and encourage his Labours. He reckoned the Providence, which fixed him with them, among the most fingular Bleffings of his Life; and in his last Will, where he could not be fufpected of Flattery, he bears Teftimony to their Character, obferving, that he had spent the most delightful Hours of his Life, in affifting the Devotions of as serious, as grateful, and as deferving a People, as perhaps any Minifter ever had the Honour and Happiness to serve.'

I mention this Circumftance, as a Motive to thofe of them, who yet remain, not to forfeit the Character he gave of them; and principally, as an Encouragement to Minifters to imitate his Diligence, Zeal, Moderation and Contentment, if they wish to fhare in the Eleem, Comfort and Succefs, with which he was honoured.

CHA P. VI.

His Method of Education and Behaviour as a TUTOR.

T has been already obferved (Chap. III.) what Pains Dr. Doddridge took to furnish himself for this important and difficult Office, upon what Principles he had undertaken it, and what Encouragement he met with in it, before his Removal to Northampton. Upon his Settlement there, and his Worth being more known, the Number of his Pupils increased, so that in the Year 1734, he found it needful to have an Afiftant in this Work, to whom he affigned Part of the Care of the Junior-pupils, and the Direction of the Academy, during his Abfence. He was folicitous to maintain the Efteem of his fucceffive Afiftants iņ the Family, by his own Behaviour to them, and the Refpect, which he required from the Students to them: And they thought themselves happy in his Friendship, and the Opportunities they had, by his Converse, Inftructions and Example, to improve themselves, while they were affifting in the Educa tion of others.

As the Method of Education in the Seminaries of Proteftant Diffenters is little known, it may be proper to give fome general Account of his; which bears a near Refemblance to others of the Kind. He chofe to have as many of his Students in his own

Family

Family as his House would contain, that they might be more immediately under his Eye and Government. The Orders of this Seminary were fuch, as fuited a Society of Students; in a due Medium between the Rigour of School-difcipline, and an unlimited Indul gence. As he knew that Diligence in redeeming their Time was neceffary to their Attention to Business, and Improvement of their Minds, it was an established Law, that every Student should rife at Six o' Clock in the Summer, and Seven in the Winter. A Monitor was' weekly appointed to call them, and they were to appear in the public Room, foon after the fixed Hour. Those who did not appear were fubject to a pecuniary Pe-nalty, or, if that did not cure their Sloth, to prepare an additional academical Exercise; and the Moniter's Neglect was a double Fine. Their Tutor fet them an Example of Diligence, being generally prefent with them at thefe early Hours. When they were thus affembled, a Prayer was offered up, fuited to their Circumstances, as Students, by himself when prefent, or by them in their Turns. Then they retired to their respective Closets till the Time of Family-worship. The Doctor began that Service with a fhort Prayer for the divine Prefence and Bleffing. Some of the Students read a Chapter of the Old Teftament from Hebrew into English, which he expounded critically, and drew practical Inferences from it; a Pfalm was then fung and he prayed. But on the Lord's Day-mornings fomething entirely devotional and practical was read inftead of the ufual Expofition. In the Evening, the Worship was conducted in the fame Method, only a Chapter of the New Teftament was read by the Students from Greek into

English, which he expounded; and the Senior-ftudents in Rotation prayed. They, who boarded in other Houses in the Town, were obliged to attend his Family-worship, and take their Turns in Reading and Prayer, as well as to perform it in the several Houses, where they lived. Those who were abfent from it were fubject to a Fine, and, if it were frequent, to a public Reprehenfion before the whole Society. By this Method of conducting the religious Services of his Family, his Pupils had an Opportunity, during their Course, of hearing him expound most of the Old Teftament, and all the New Testament more than once, to their Improvement as Students and Chriftians. He recommended it to them to take Hints of his Illuftrations and Remarks, as what would be useful to them in future Life; efpecially if their Situation or Circumftances prevented their having the Works of the best Commentators. He advised them to get the Old Teftament and Wetstein's Greek Teftament, interleaved in Quarto, in which to write the most con-fiderable Remarks for the Illuftration of the Scriptures, which occurred in his Expofitions, and in their own Reading, Converfation and Reflections. The Family-expofitor fufficiently fhews, how worthy his Remarks were of being written and retained, and how his Family was daily entertained and inftructed. Soon after Breakfast, he took the feveral Claffes in their Order and lectured to each about an Hour. His Lectures were generally confined to the Morning; as he chofe to devote the Afternoon to his private Studies and pastoral Vifits. His Affiftant was employed at the fame Time in lecturing to those, whom he had more immediately under his Care. He

has

has given fome general Account of the Courfe of his Pupils' Studies in his fhort Memoirs of the Life and Character of Mr. Thomas Steffe, fo that I have little more to do on this Head, than tranfcribe it.

One of the firit Things he expected from his Pupils, was to learn Rich's Short-hand, which he wrote himself, and in which his Lectures were written; that they might transcribe them, make Extracts from the Books they read and confulted, with Ease and Speed, and fave themselves many Hours in their future Compofitions. Care was taken in the first Year of their Courfe, that they fhould retain and improve that Knowledge of Greek and Latin, which they had acquired at School, and gain fuch Knowledge of Hebrew, if they had not learned it before, that they might be able to read the Old Teftament in its original Language: A Care very important and neceffary! To this End, befides the Courfe of Lectures in a Morning, claffical Lectures were read every Evening, generally by his Affiftant, but fometimes by himself If any of his Pupils were deficient in their Knowledge of Greek, the Seniors, who were beft fkilled in it, were appointed to inftruct them at other Times. Thofe of them, who chose it, were alfo taught French. He was more and more convinced, the longer he lived, of the great Importance of a learned, as well as a pious Education for the Ministry: And finding that fome who came under his Care were not competently acquainted with claffical Knowledge, he formed a Scheme to affift Youths in their Preparations for academical Studies, who difcovered a promifing Genius and a ferious Temper. He met with Encouragement in this Scheme from the Countenance E 3

and