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pagation common to the most impious and ridiculous falsehoods. Nor did he by any means approve of passionate and furious ways of vindicating the most vital and important doctrines of the gospel: for he knew, that to maintain the most benevolent religion. in the world, by such malevolent and infernal methods, was destroying the end to accomplish the means; and that it was as impossible that true Christianity should be supported thus, as it is that a man should long be nourished by eating his own flesh. To display the genuine fruits of Christianity in a good life, to be ready to plead with meekness and sweetness for the doctrines it teaches, and to labour by every office of humanity and goodness to gain upon them that oppose it, were the weapons with which this good soldier of Jesus Christ faithfully fought the battles of the Lord. These weapons will always be victorious in his cause, and they who have recourse to others of a different temperature, how strong soever they may seem, and how sharp soever they may really be, will find they break in their hands when they exert them most furiously, and are much more likely to wound themselves than to conquer the enemies they oppose.

But while I am speaking of colonel Gardiner's charity in this respect, I must not omit that of another kind, which has indeed engrossed the name of charity much more than it ought, excellent as it is; I mean almsgiving, for which he was very remarkable. I have often wondered how he was able to do so many generous things in this way; but his frugality fed the spring. He made no pleasurable expense on himself, and was contented with a very decent appearance in his family, without affecting such an air of grandeur as could not have been supported without sacrificing to it satisfactions far nobler, and to a

temper like his, far more delightful. The lively and tender feelings of his heart in favour of the distressed and afflicted made it a self-indulgence to him to relieve them; and the deep conviction he had of the vain and transitory nature of the enjoyments of this world, together with the sublime view he had of another, engaged him to dispense his bounties with a very liberal hand, and even to seek out proper objects of them; and, above all, his sincere and ardent love to the Lord Jesus Christ engaged him to feel, with a true sympathy, for the concerns of his poor members. In consequence of this, he honoured several of his friends with commissions for the relief of the poor; and particularly with relation to some under my pastoral care, he referred it to my discretion to supply them with what I should judge expedient, and frequently pressed me in his letters to be sure not to let them want." And when persons standing in need of his charity happened, as they often did, to be persons of remarkably religious dispositions, it was easy to perceive, that he not only loved, but honoured them; and really esteemed it an honour which Providence conferred upon him, that he should be made, as it were, the almoner of God for the relief of such.

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I cannot forbear relating a little story here, which, when the colonel himself heard it, gave him such exquisite pleasure, that I hope it will be acceptable to several of my readers. There was, in a village about three miles from Northampton, and in a family which of all others near me was afterwards most indebted to him, though he had never then seen any member of it, an aged and poor, but eminently good woman, who had with great difficulty, in the exercise of much faith and patience, diligence and humility, made shift to educate a large family of children, after the death of

her husband, without being chargeable to the parish; which, as it was quite beyond her hope, she often spoke of with great delight. At length when, worn out with age and infirmities, she lay upon her dying bed, she did in a most lively and affecting manner express her hope and joy in the views of approaching glory. Yet amidst all the triumph of such a prospect, there was one remaining care and distress which lay heavy on her mind; which was, that as her journey and her stock of provisions were both ended together, she feared that she must either be buried at the parish expense, or leave her most dutiful and affectionate daughters—the house stripped of some of the few movables which remained in it-to perform the last office of duty to her, which she had reason to believe they would do. While she was combating with this only remaining anxiety, I happened, though I knew not the extremity of her illness, to come in, and to bring with me a guinea, which the generous colonel had sent by a special messenger, on hearing the character of the family, for its relief. A present like this, probably the most considerable they had ever received in their lives, coming in this manner from an entire stranger, at such a crisis of time, threw my dying friend-for such, amidst all her poverty, I rejoiced to call her-into a perfect transport of joy. She esteemed it a singular favour of Providence, sent to her in her last moments as a token of good, and greeted it as a special mark of that loving kindness of God which should attend her for ever. She would therefore be raised up in her bed, that she might bless God for it upon her knees, and with her last breath pray for her kind and generous benefactor, and for him who had been the instrument of directing his bounty into this channel. After which she soon

expired, with such tranquillity and sweetness as could not but most sensibly delight all who beheld her, and occasioned many who knew the circumstances to glorify God on her behalf.

The colonel's last residence at Northampton was in June and July, 1742, when lord Cadogan's regiment of dragoons was quartered here; and I cannot but observe that, wherever that regiment came, it was remarkable, not only for the fine appearance it made, and for the exactness with which it performed its various exercises, of which it had, about this time, the honour to receive the most illustrious testimonials, but also for the great sobriety and regularity of the soldiers. Many of the officers copied after the excellent pattern which they had daily before their eyes; and a considerable number of the private men seemed to be persons not only of strict virtue, but of serious piety. And I doubt not but they found their abundant account in it, not only in the serenity and happiness of their own minds, which is, beyond comparison, the most important consideration; but also, in some degree, in the obliging and respectful treatment which they generally met with in their quarters. And I mention this, because I am persuaded that, if gentlemen of their profession knew, and would reflect, how much more comfortable they make their own quarters by a sober, orderly, and obliging conduct, they would be regular out of mere self-love; if they were not influenced, as I heartily wish they may always be, by a nobler principle.

Towards the latter end of this year he embarked for Flanders, and spent some considerable time with the regiment at Ghent, where he much regretted the want of those religious ordinances and opportunities which had made his other abodes delightful. But as

he had made so eminent a progress in that divine life which they are all intended to promote, he could not be inactive in the cause of God. I have now before me a letter dated from thence, October 16, 1742; in which he writes: "As for me, I am indeed in a dry and barren land, where no water is. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because nothing is to be heard in our Sodom but blaspheming the name of my God, and I am not honoured as the instrument of doing any great service. It is true, I have reformed six or seven field officers of swearing. I dine every day with them, and have entered them into a voluntary contract to pay a shilling to the poor for every oath; and it is wonderful to observe the effect it has had already. One of them told me this day at dinner, that it had really such an influence upon him, that, being at cards last night, when another officer fell a swearing, he was not able to bear it, but rose up and left the company. So you see, restraints at first arising from a low principle may improve into something better."

During his abode here, he had a great deal of business upon his hands, and had also, in some marches, the care of more regiments than his own: and it has been very delightful to me to observe what a degree of converse with heaven, and the God of it, he maintained amidst these scenes of hurry and fatigue, of which the reader may find a remarkable specimen in the following letter, dated from Lichwick, in the beginning of April, 1743, which was one of the last I received from him while abroad, and begins with these words: "Yesterday being the Lord's day, at six in the morning I had the pleasure of receiving yours at Nortonick, and it proved a sabbath day's blessing to me. Some time before it reached me" (from which

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