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Shepperton, who, in like manner, suffered the loss of all things in the cause of his Divine Master.

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Miss Beauman married Daniel Doddridge, an oilman of London, and the celebrated Philip Doddridge (who was born June 26, 1702) was their twentieth and last child. He and one daughter were all out of this numerous family, who did not die in early youth. The future Divine was, at his birth, supposed to be dead, but, one of the attendants thinking that she saw a slight movement, used restoratives, which were successful. parents were pious, and they endeavoured to bring him up religiously. He said, that before he could read, his mother had taught him the Bible histories by the help of some Dutch tiles, which ornamented the chimney of their common sitting-room. He did not, however, long enjoy the privilege of their instructions—in a few years he was left an orphan. But the good seed they had sown, and the prayers they offered up on his behalf, were abundantly blessed in their son's entire devotedness to the service of God." Train up a child in the way that he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.'

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MRS. CECIL,

MOTHER OF THE REV. RICHARD CECIL.

MRS. CECIL, formerly Miss Grovesnor, possessed many excellent traits of character, but benevolence was the most striking. Her husband was in a prosperous way of business as scarlet dyer to the East India Company; but her means of helping those in need were not sufficient to carry out her desires; she, therefore, employed herself in fancy needle-work, which was sold for the benefit of the poor.

Her son Richard was born when she was above

fifty, and he was ten years younger than any of her other children, which circumstances caused her much depression of spirit; but could she have seen the end from the beginning, she would have rejoiced, for this son was the chief comfort of her age.

She endeavoured to impress the minds of her children with religious truths, not only by personal instruction, but by putting into their hands interesting religious books. Janeway's "Token for Children," which she gave her son Richard, when he was about six years old, made a serious impression on him for a time. Many years after, when speaking of it, he said, "I was much affected by

this book, and recollect that I wept, and got into a corner, where I prayed that I also might have an interest in Christ, like one of the children there mentioned, though I did not then know what the expression meant." But these serious thoughts were soon forgotten; and when he had passed the season of childhood, and began to think and act for himself, he became an avowed infidel. Still he could not dismiss from his mind-though he would gladly have done so the remembrance of his mother's early lessons. When himself a parent, and addressing parents on the responsibilities of their position, he recurs to his own experience in this matter. "The spirit and tone of your house," he said, "will have great influence on your children. If it is what it ought to be, it will often fasten conviction on their minds, however wicked they may become; I have felt the truth of this in my own case; I said, 'My father is right, and I am wrong! Oh, let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his.' The bye conversations of a family are in this view of unspeakable importance. On the whole, arguments addressed to the heart press more forcibly than those addressed to the head.

"When I was a child, and a very wicked one, too, one of Dr. Watts's hymns sent me to weep in a corner. The character of young Samuel came home to me when nothing else had any hold on my mind."

And again, "Where parental influence does not convert, it hampers. It hangs on the wheels of evil. I had a pious mother, who dropped things in my way; I could never rid myself of them. I liked to be an infidel in company, rather than

alone. I was wretched when by myself. I could not divest myself of my better principles. I went with one of my companions to see the Minor.' The ridicule on regeneration was high sport to him to me it was none; it could not move my features. I was afraid and ashamed to laugh at it. Parental influence thus cleaves to a man; it harasses him; it throws itself continually in his way. My mother would talk to me, and weep as she talked. I flung out of the house with an oath; but wept too when I got into the street.

"It was one of the first things which struck my mind in a profligate state," he, on one occasion said, "that, in spite of all the folly and hypocrisy and fanaticism, which may be seen among religious professors, there was a mind after Christ, a holiness, a heavenliness, among real Christians. My first convictions on the subject of religion were confirmed from observing, that really religious persons had some solid happiness among them, which I had felt that the vanities of the world could not give. I shall never forget standing by the bed of my sick mother. Are not you afraid to die?' I asked. 'No, no!' Why does the uncertainty of another state give you no concern? Because, God has said to me, Fear not: when thou passest through the waters I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee.' The remembrance of this scene has oftentimes since drawn an ardent prayer from me that I might die the death of the righteous."

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Whilst thinking of his mother, one night, he began to enquire what powerful principle it was that could so affect the mind as to give peace at

such a season. "I see," he said, two unquestionable facts. First-my mother is greatly afflicted in circumstances, body, and mind; and yet I see that she cheerfully bears up under all, by the support that she derives from constantly retiring to her closet and her Bible. Secondly, that she has a secret spring of comfort, of which I know nothing; while I, who give an unbounded loose to my appetites, and seek pleasure by every means, seldom or never find it. If, however, there is any such secret in religion, why may not I attain it as well as my mother? I will immediately seek it of God." He rose from his bed, and knelt in prayer, but it then occurred that his mother's comfort appeared to spring from her belief in Jesus Christ. This Christ," he said within himself, "I have ridiculed: He stands much in my way, and can form no part of my prayers ;" and, in great mental distress, he threw himself again upon his bed.

The next day he made another attempt to pray. He felt that there was something grand and elevating in the worship of a Supreme Being; it was the plan of salvation by Christ alone that he felt such reluctance to acknowledge. He was now, however, earnest in his enquiries for truth, and began to read religious books, and to listen to the public proclamation of the Gospel. His mother's affectionate and faithful counsels he had often treated with contempt (though even then they frequently drew tears from his eyes), as soon as he found himself alone; but now he listened to her with interest, and he discovered that Christ, whom he supposed to "stand in the way" of his salvation, was, in reality, "the Way, the Truth, and the Life."

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