98 Speech of Rev. Mrr. Thorpe, at the 1st Anniversary

The same rank the great mass of professed Christians? The rank that NELSON The great mass of professed Christians are navy; the samy profession. Reynolds was a Christian in reality. NOLDS hold ty was cordial ;-ardent ;-energetic. Not an emphave appea barren speculation; but a vital principle. Vital the imanity is not so much a solitary beauty, as it is an assemblage the beauty. Here faith and hope, joy and peace, fortitude," po-perance, and patience; awe, reverence, and devotion; sueme love to God, and kindness to man; abborrence of all sin, and pity for the sinner; mingle their beams, and shine with united glory. It combines the wisdom of the serpent with the innocence of the dove; the gentleness of the lamb with the courage of the lion. It adds a charm to the bloom of youth, and converts the hoary head into a crown of glory. It gives dignity to the palace, and brings all heaven into the cottage. The king upon the throue is not so venerable by the crown that encircles his brow, as by the religion that renders him the father of his people, and the obedient servant of the Sovereign of the World.

Such was the religion of the man whom we loved. He was indeed a good man in the scriptural sense of the expression.--Perhaps there is no term in the English language that is more generally misunderstood than this. How various are the rales by which goodness is estimated! To how many opposite characters is the epithet of good indiscriminately applied! If a man be punctual in the payment of his just and lawful debts, though his honesty should only be the effect of sound policy; if he be regular in his attendance on religious ordinances, though his religion should be a mere empty form unconnected with the power of godliness; if he be ready to support and patronize public charitable institutions, though his benevolence should be the effect of ostenfation; if he be affable and good-humoured in his general intercourse with society, though his affability should be the result of natural feeling, or a tissue of time-serving insincerity; he will seldom fail to obtain the appellation of "As good a man as ever hived." But while his, claims to this honourable character are aniversally admitted; when weighed in the balances of the sanctuary, it is possible that he will be found destitute of a single atom of real goodness. The goodness of Richard Reynolds was of a higher order, and derived from a nobler source. It was a new creation of the heart. It was a little drop from the immense-ocean of God's everlasting love. It was the opening of a glorious day, which shall brighten with fresh accessions of glory through the lengthening ages of eternity. It was not the love of the world exerting itself under a specious form, but the love of Christ constraining him to the service of God and man. He saw the mild radiance of infinite beneficence beaming from the face of Emanuel, and changing him into the same image from glory into glory. But after all, Richard Reynolds was a man of like passions with ourselves. His religion was not the religion of an angel, but of a sinner; a sinner saved by grace; and dependent upon grace to

of the Reynolds Commemoration Saciely.

101

the last moment of his mortal existence. He groaned like us, under the body of this death; and encountered many a hard con→ dict in subduing the flesh, that the spirit might rise unto God his Saviour. Conscious of the imperfection and sinfulness attendant upon his best actions, in the propitiation of his Redeemer he reposed all his hopes of a blessed immortality. And now his disimprisoned spirit, mingling with angels and archangels, and all the blessed company of heaven, presents the first fruits of eternal bliss before the eternal throne, and with joy, and wonder, and adoration, joins in the song of the lamb, Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, and hast made us Kings unto God the Father; and we shall reign for ever and ever. Not unto us, not unto us, but unto thy name be all the praise, for thy mercy and thy truth's sake.

If then we must panégeryze, let this be done in the way that best comports with the most ardent wishes of our departed friend while on earth, and now he is in heaven; that is, by promoting the cause of mercy and benevolence to which bis heart and life were devoted. At the formation of your Society considerable regret was felt that the contributions were so feeble, so unworthy of the character of the man; so inadequate to the magnitude of your object; and I will candidly confess, that when I have been asked in different parts of the kingdom, what was the amount of the subscriptions to the REYNOLDS'S COMMEMORATION SOCIETY, I have often blushed while forming an answer. But may we not indulge the pleasing hope, that from henceforward the aldermen, merchants, gentlemen, tradesmen, and citizens of Bristol, will have no more occasion to blush, when the same inquiry is repeated? Is it not extraordinary and disgraceful, that the benevolence of the whole city is insufficient to supply the deficiency of one distinguished individual? Where, I know not, but this censure must fall somewhere, and most certainly upon the multitudes who have hitherto done nothing. Sir, I implore pardon for my temerity, but I feel for the honour of departed worth; I feel for the credit of Bristol; I feel for the sufferings of humanity all around. Let these feelings be my apology.—When the claims of the Society are clearly and properly urged, I entertain the most sanguine confidence, that the voice of complaint will be heard no more, and that numbers of our fellow-citizens will come forward and follow the example which has been set them by those who have already enrolled their names on the list of donors and subscribers. Thus the resources of your Society will be abundantly augmented; its foundations will be strengthened and enlarged; and its sphere of usefulness greatly extended. Thus will you transmit the name of Reynolds coupled with benevolence, down to the latest posterity. Thus you will erect a noble monument bearing the inscription "Glory to God in the highest; on earth peace and good will towards men. And thus you will be still rendering to the Author of all good, as ages roll by, the tribute of gratitude which his unceasing mercies demand, untit the mystery of his love is finished and the wonders of eternity are

98 Speech of Rev. Met. Thorpe, at the 1st Anniversary

The same rank the great mass of professed Christians? The rank that NELSON The great mass of professed Christians are navy; the samy profession. Reynolds was a Christian in reality. NOLDS hold ty was cordial ardent ;-energetic. Not an emphave appe-a barren speculation; but a vital principle. Vital the imanity is not so much a solitary beauty, as it is an assemblage the beauty. Here faith and hope, joy and peace, fortitude, po-perance, and patience; awe, reverence, and devotion; suTeme love to God, and kindness to man; abhorrence of all sin, and pity for the sinner; mingle their beams, and shine with united glory. It combines the wisdom of the serpent with the innocence of the dove; the gentleness of the lamb with the courage of the lion. It adds a charm to the bloom of youth, and converts the hoary head into a crown of glory. It gives dignity to the palace, and brings all heaven into the cottage. The king upon the throue is not so venerable by the crown that encircles his brow, as by the religion that renders him the father of his people, and the obedient servant of the Sovereign of the World.

Such was the religion of the man whom we loved. He was indeed a good man in the scriptural sense of the expression.--Perhaps there is no term in the English language that is more gene. rally misunderstood than this. How various are the rales by which goodness is estimated! To how many opposite characters is the epithet of good indiscriminately applied! If a man be punctual in the payment of his just and lawful debts, though his honesty should only be the effect of sound policy; if he be regular in his attendance on religious ordinances, though his religion should be a mere empty form unconnected with the power of godliness; if he be ready to support and patronize public charitable institutions, though his benevolence should be the effect of ostenfation; if he be affable and good-humoured in his general intercourse with society, though his affability should be the result of natural feeling, or a tissue of time-serving insincerity; he will seldom fail to obtain the appellation of "As good a man as ever hived." But while his, claims to this honourable character are universally admitted; when weighed in the balances of the sanctuary, it is possible that he will be found destitute of a single atom of real goodness. The goodness of Richard Reynolds was of a higher order, and derived from a nobler source. It was a new creation of the heart. It was a little drop from the immense-ocean of God's everlasting love. It was the opening of a glorious day, which shall brighten with fresh accessions of glory through the longthening ages of eternity.It was not the love of the world exerting itself under a specious form, but the love of Christ constraining him to the service of God and man. He saw the mild radiance of infinite beneficence beaming from the face of Emanuel, and changing him into the same image from glory into glory. But after all, Richard Reynolds was a man of like passions with ourselves. His religion was not the religion of an angel, but of a sinner; a sinner saved by grace; and dependent upon grace to

of the Reynolds Commemoration Saciely.

101

the last moment of his mortal existence. He groaned like us, under the body of this death; and encountered many a hard condict in subduing the flesh, that the spirit might rise unto God his Saviour. Conscious of the imperfection and sinfulness attendant upon his best actions, in the propitiation of his Redeemer he reposed all his hopes of a blessed immortality. And now his disimprisoned spirit, mingling with angels and arebangels, and all the blessed company of heaven, presents the first fruits of eternal bliss before the eternal throne, and with joy, and wonder, and adoration, joins in the song of the lamb, Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, and hast made as Kings unto God the Father; and we shall reign for ever and ever. Not unto us, not unto us, but unto thy name be all the praise, for thy mercy and thy truth's sake.

If then we must panégeryze, let this be done in the way that best comports with the most ardent wishes of our departed friend while on earth, and now he is in heaven; that is, by promoting the cause of mercy and benevolence to which bis heart and lifo were devoted. At the formation of your Society considerable regret was felt that the contributions were so feeble, so unworthy of the character of the man; so inadequate to the magnitude of your object; and I will candidly confess, that when I have been asked in different parts of the kingdom, what was the amount of the subscriptions to the REYNOLDS'S COMMEMORATION SOCIETY, I have often blushed while forming an answer. But may we not indulge the pleasing hope, that from henceforward the aldermen, merchants, gentlemen, tradesmen, and citizens of Bristol, will have no more occasion to blush, when the same inquiry is repeated? Is it not extraordinary and disgraceful, that the benevolence of the whole city is insufficient to supply the deficiency of one distinguished individual? Where, I know not, but this censure must fall somewhere, and most certainly upon the multitudes who have hitherto done nothing. Sir, I implore pardon for my temerity, but I feel for the honour of departed worth; I feel for the credit of Bristol ; I feel for the sufferings of humanity all around. Let these feelings be my apology.-When the claims of the Society are clearly and properly urged, I entertain the most sanguine confidence, that the voice of complaint will be heard no more, and that numbers of our fellow-citizens will come forward and follow the example which has been set them by those who have already enrolled their names on the list of donors and subscribers. Thus the resources of your Society will be abundantly augmented; its foundations will be strengthened and enlarged; and its sphere of usefulness greatly extended. Thus will you transmit the name of Reynolds coupled with benevolence, down to the latest posterity. Thus you will erect noble monument bearing the inscription "Glory to God in the highest; on earth peace and good will towards men." And thus you will be still rendering to the Author of all good, as ages roll by, the tribute of gratitude which his unceasing mercies demand, untit the mystery of his love is finished and the wonders of eternity are

102

2d No. of Monthly Extracts from the

unfolded. And if angels are spectators of what passes here below, however they may look down with pity and contempt upon the folly of pride, the uneasiness of avarice, the gnawings of envy, the restlessness of ambition, the torment of lust, the noise of drunkenness, and the madness of infidelity, they must behold you with peculiar approbation. They mark your progress; they behold with delight your labours of love, and repeat the symphony once heard by the shepherds on the plains of Bethlehem. There is, Sir, a communication between heaven and earth. There is a mystic ladder on which angels are ascending and descending. There are ministering spirits sent forth to minister to the heirs of salvation. If these heavenly messengers, when returning from their office of love, should tonvey the intelligence to the disembodied spirit of the holy man, of the formation and progress of your Society; will be not strike his golden harpafresh ?-If, in yonder regions, where a thousand years are as one day, and one day as a thousand years, after the lapse of twelve of our months, he be recovered from his first surprise at beholding the unveiled najesty of his God?-Oh Bristol Bristol! thou hast lost thy Reynolds; but his spirit still lives and animates this assembly. One mighty river of thy beneficence is dried up; but God the fountain is inexhaustible. Its channels shall be filled with a thousand tributary streams, which shall convey thy name with the name of Reynolds, amidst the blessings of unborn millions, until the day of the consummation of all things."

BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY.

Through the attention of our obliging correspondent at Bristol, England, we are enabled to present to our readers the following contents of the 2d number of MONTHLY EXTRACTS from the Correspondence of the British and Foreign Bible Society, published by their Committee the latter part of September last.

From the Secretary of the Auxiliary Society at Colombo. Ceylon, Feb. 6, 1817.

To the irreparable loss of our Society, and grief of every individual member, we have lately been deprived of Mr. Willian Tolfrey. He was suddenly attacked by a violent disorder, which, in less than a fortnight, carried him off; he died on the 4th of January, 1817, and on the 5th his remains were followed to the grave by his Eecellency the Governor, and every Civil and Military Of ficer in Colombo.

By this untimely death of Mr. Tolfrey, in the full vigour of a learned life, (for he was not quite forty years of age,) our Society has indeed sustained a grievous loss; there is not a single person left, who is capable of supplying his place: but we are far from allowing this sad calamity to discourage our resolution, or interrupt our work. Mr. Chater, one of the Baptist Mission, has been in