"For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till He come "-1 COR. xi. 26.

"We have an altar whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle."-HEB. xiii. 10.

"BLESSED are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth, and their works do follow them.” Never, surely, could these most consoling and hopeful words of holy Scripture be applied with more fitness and propriety, and, as we humbly trust, with less of presumption, than to the excellent and admirable Robert Nelson. Many and eminent as are those among the lay members of our holy and apostolic Church, who have defended and set forth that sacred deposit committed unto her keeping, "the faith once delivered unto the saints" -yet few, perhaps, among her sons have displayed more earnestness and zeal in her cause, or have left behind them a name more associated, in the mind of the Christian reader, with "whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report," than Robert Nelson. Well would it be for us who succeed him, to fulfil the concluding words of the beautiful and impressive exhortation of the apostle, and to "think on these things."

Robert Nelson was born June 22, 1656, in London. He was the son of Mr. John Nelson, a considerable Turkey merchant of that city, and his wife Delicia, sister of Sir Gabriel Roberts, also a merchant of London. His father dying when he was but two years old, he was left to the charge of his mother and her brother, Sir Gabriel, who was appointed his guardian. He was first placed at St. Paul's school, in the city of London; but after a time, owing to the wish of his mother to have him more immediately under her own eye, he was taken home to her house at Dryfield, near Cirencester, where he was so fortunate as to be placed under the tuition of the celebrated Dr. George Bull, rector of Suddington, in that neighbourhood, afterwards bishop of St. David's, and one of the most distinguished ornaments of our Church. It is but reasonable to suppose, that it was to the excellent principles instilled into his youthful mind, combined with the instructions which he received from this admirable and learned prelate, that the world is, in great measure, indebted for the various productions of Robert Nelson; a circumstance which will tend much to increase our respect and reverence for his distinguished preceptor.

As soon as he was fit to enter the university, he was admitted a member of Trinity College, Cambridge, first as a pensioner, and afterwards as a fellow-commoner. It appears probable that Archbishop, at that time Dr., Tillotson was consulted on this occasion, as he appears to have been intimately acquainted with Sir Gabriel Roberts, his uncle. Mr. Nelson himself also became acquainted with this prelate very early in life; and the intimacy thus formed soon ripened into a strong and permanent friendship, which continued without interruption until the death of the Archbishop

Tillotson. So high an opinion did Dr. Tillotson entertain of the character of Nelson, that we find him, so early as the year 1681, when the latter was quite a young man, and on his travels, addressing him in the following terms in a letter::—“ If I were able, I need not to advise you in any thing, so well am I assured of your virtue and good conduct. I pray for you continually, that God would preserve you and return you safe and the same to us, and give you all the advantages you expected, and will, I am sure, endeavour to make, by your travels. I never know how to part from you, but my business calls me off."

When we consider the different views which were held by these distinguished men on some of the most important subjects which can agitate the human mind, and the opposite opinions which were entertained by them, not only on matters of Church-discipline, but on points of doctrine as well, we can scarcely help feeling surprised at the existence of such a friendship. It is certain, however, that such was the case; and it is moreover evident, from the correspondence which passed between them, that there were very few matters in which either of them were interested, which were not made the subject of mutual communication and advice. The biographer of Archbishop Tillotson tells us, that during his last illness Mr. Nelson sat up two nights with him, and soothed his dying moments. Nor did his friendship terminate even here; he extended it to the widow of his friend, and was very instrumental in obtaining from the government an increase of her pension. The following very interesting letter was addressed by him to the celebrated Lord Somers, on the subject of this increase of pension to Mrs. Tillot

son:

"MY LORD, I took the liberty to put Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer in mind of that favourable answer your lordship procured from the king in reference to Mrs. Tillotson's affairs, in hopes that he would lay some proposals before his majesty for his royal approbation, in order to satisfy the necessity of Mrs. Tillotson's circumstances, and that they might be despatched before the king's departure: since, as I apprehend, matters of this nature suffer extremely by delay, and meet with the best success when the sense of their fitness makes the deepest impression.

"The distance I live from town, and the aversion I have to be troublesome to great men, makes me ignorant of what progress Mr. Chancellor has made; though, I must own, he expressed great zeal to the memory of the archbishop, and professed much readiness and inclination to serve Mrs. Tillotson.

"Your lordship's generous procedure emboldens me to solicit the continuance of your favour; being confident that your lordship will receive a great deal of pleasure from seeing that finished which your lordship's great goodness has given a birth to. And if Mr. Montagu wants any incitement besides your lordship's example, your lordship's constant owning Mrs. Tillotson's cause will be an argument too powerful to be resisted. I have all the respect imaginable for your lordship's post and character; but I must profess, it is the experience of your lordship's personal merit which creates the profoundest respect of

"Your lordship's most obedient

"And most humble servant."

In 1680 Mr. Nelson was elected a fellow of the Royal Society; and in the same year he set out on his