289 A Memoir of the Rev. Legh Richmond, A. M., of Trinity College, Cambridge, Rector of Turvey, Bedfordshire; and Chaplain to his Royal Highness the late Duke of Kent. By the Rev. T. S. GRIMSHAWE, A. M., Rector of Burton-Latimer, Northamptonshire; and Vicar of Biddenham, Bedfordshire. London: Seeley and Burnside. 1828. To every pious and unprejudiced mind it must be evident that a leading feature in our own remarkable times, is the good effected by means of RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES. We are not ignorant that much may be accomplished by individual exertion, and we could point to many who in this respect are patterns to their brethren. At the same time it is from combined effort that the greatest quantum of good must be anticipated. And this, the history of the passing day will prove beyond all contradiction or dispute. The faithful minister of Christ will be anxious to know the will of God, and the path of duty as to the part which he should take in connection with the religious institutions of his country and his times. He will mark the leadings of Providence, and watch the varied aspect of the church and its peculiar requirements and demands at different periods. So long as he cultivates godly sincerity and simplicity, he will not find it difficult to discover the design of his Master, and the peculiar post which he himself is to occupy in such Christian associations. Doubtless it would on some accounts be very desirable, could the members of these different institutions carry on their works of mercy without the aid of periodical visitors. Yet are we by no means sure, that a saving of expense in this particular would be attended with a corresponding benefit in others. There is an interchange of friendly feelings and of brotherly love, there are the fellowship of the spirit and the communion of saints, which, however lightly thought of by the world, tends very materially to strengthen the weak, and to comfort the dejected. Mutual prayer and praise ascend from the lips and hearts of Christian brethren, who, but for such societies, had probably never met on this side the grave. Again and again, while witnessing and joining in such scenes have we been reminded of those beautiful lines (we believe Mrs. Barbauld's): Their kindred tears together flow, VOL. II.NO. III. 2 Q How doth the gen'rous flame within A difficulty will indeed often present itself to the diligent parish priest. He may possibly think that to do much for the foreign department of labour, must necessarily involve a partial neglect of duties demanded by his own immediate charge at home. But let the trial be fairly made, and he will find that it is not altogether impossible to enter into the spirit of our Lord's words, "These ought ye to have done, and not to have left the other undone." In such a matter he will not “use lightness." It will be with him a question of principle. If these several societies are formed in the spirit of the Gospel, he feels that they have a paramount claim upon a portion of his time, his influence, and his heart. He may possibly be rather tardy than hasty in joining their ranks: he will institute inquiry and seek information respecting their character and proceedings: he will read not only the accusations of their opponents, but their own accredited statements. While he discovers a brotherly regard to all, he may feel it necessary to make his selection of one or two, to whose benefit he may more particularly devote that time which he can spare without trenching upon parochial duties or private devotion. And very soon will he find that, far from injuring his usefulness among his own immediate charge, it will greatly tend to promote their spiritual edification, and to keep up that interest in their minister which is so important to the welfare of the people. As the faithful pastor lives mainly for his flock, they have the benefit of all he sees and learns in his different journeyings to and fro in the cause of Jesus. Nor ought they to murmur at his occasional absence on such errands of love. Often have we been surprised at the censures which have been bestowed on the Missionary, or Bible, or Jewish clerical traveller, which the rector of the neighbouring parish totally escaped, even for a much longer absence on purposes of mere relaxation or amusement. Among the excellent men whose praise is in all the churches, few persons of our own day have created a greater interest in connection with the press, the pulpit, and the platform, than the excellent and devoted clergyman whose name stands at the head of this article. Most sincerely do we hope, that the life of Mr. Richmond may be extensively read, both by the friends and the foes of missionary labour, whether among the heathen or the Jews. For, if so read under the blessing of heaven, we doubt not that it will prove of great utility in disarming the hostility of the prejudiced and stimulating the zeal of the lukewarm. But we must no longer detain our readers from the work itself, except, indeed, it be to offer Mr. Grimshawe our heartfelt thanks for so interesting a piece of clerical biography, of which it is not the least pleasing feature, that the compiler has so often introduced Mr. Richmond as his own biographer. Nor ought we to omit our acknowledgments to the family of our deceased and revered friend, for furnishing so many interesting communications and original letters, which cannot but be highly prized, as giving us a most affecting and delightful view of the Rector of Turvey, in the bosom of his family, and the cottages of his peasantry. Mr. Grimshawe commences his first chapter with the following striking prepreliminary remarks: To record the excellences of departed worth, and to perpetuate their remembrance beyond the age which produced them, is a tribute no less due to the living than to the dead. Biography, indeed, has usually selected, as the subject of its memoirs, the lives of heroes and statesmen, in preference to the milder, though more useful virtues of the pious and the good; because the passions and interests of men never fail to be excited by the achievements of war, and the disclosures of the cabinet. But in pleading the cause of religious biography, may we not urge the superior importance of its subject, and the hallowed tendency of its aim? Is the skill and discernment, employed in increasing the resources and glory of earthly kingdoms, to be compared with the Divine science of saving immortal souls? Are the triumphs of the cause of God less real, because they are eternal? Are its victories less interesting, because their object is to contract the limits of death and sin, and to extend the empire of the Son of God? It is no small praise to the age in which we live, that religion begins at length to assume the pre-eminence which its high claims and heaven-born character demand. The drama of human life has long been characterized by portentous events; and reflecting minds seem disposed to recognize in the past convulsions of empires, as well as in the elements of discord that are silently preparing the way for new conflicts, that an Almighty hand intends to make these events subservient to the accomplishment of his purposes, and to the establishment of his kingdom. Among those who have contributed to the revival of religion in the present day, the subject of the following memoir stands highly distinguished. His name has been too long associated with every exertion to promote the growth of piety, both at home and abroad, not to have excited a very general solicitude for whatever may illustrate the history and character of a man, who has so often delighted the public by his eloquence, stimulated it by his zeal, and edified it by his example. It is to comply with this desire, as well as to fulfil the claims of a long and most confidential intercourse, that the present memoir is now presented. pp. 1—3. The pious reader of the work before us cannot fail to be delighted with the truly Christian spirit which pervades the whole volume. Mr. R.'s biographer seems always most anxious to leave a holy and heavenly impression upon the minds of such as may peruse this memoir of his friend. Nor will he fail of success. The Lord whom he serves will, we doubt not, give him eventual cause to rejoice that he ever undertook this labour of love, if any thing can be called labour which stands so closely connected with one of the most amiable and excellent of men. In fact, after perusing his life, we can scarcely avoid coming to the same conclusion to which the able continuator of Milner's Church History came respecting Melancthon; and we really do think the words equally applicable to Legh Richmond: "I confess I cannot but regard him as one of the loveliest specimens of the grace of God ever exhibited in our fallen nature." Mr. Richmond was born, on the 29th of January 1772, at Liverpool, where his father practised as a physician. Passing by the promise of future talent which the subject of this memoir furnished at a very early age, we just pause to notice the statement of his biographer respecting Mr. R.'s lameness, which we mention from the conviction that nothing respecting this excellent man will be uninteresting to our readers. It would appear that he was not born lame, but that during his childhood, in leaping over a wall, he fell with violence to the ground, and injured the left leg so as to contract its growth, and afterwards to impair its use. It is a remarkable circumstance, that a similar accident occurred to one of his sons, and was followed by precisely the same consequences. It may not be unprofitable to our Cambridge readers to trace Mr. Richmond through his academic course. During this period he was, in the strict sense of the term, a hard-reading man. It was by a diligent attention to the appointed studies of his college that, under God, he was prepared to do the good which he effected in his day and generation. We confess we have sometimes been greatly grieved to find good men led away with the delusions of sloth and self-indulgence during that period of life which is professedly allotted to mental cultivation and intellectual improvement. How truly painful is the fact, the appalling fact, that at this very time there are men of real religion placed in situations of importance for which they are manifestly incompetent, from a neglect of the studies assigned to them while under-graduates. How many men of fine natural talents, possessing a ready utterance, and not altogether devoid of a spiritual taste, are nevertheless most inefficient as labourers in the vineyard of the Lord, through sheer and palpable sloth, and nothing else! The idle student becomes the idle pastor; and the man who cared little for the cultivation of his mind, is little likely to benefit the souls of his flock. It is to the disgrace of the professing church that learning and piety are so seldom found in near association,-seldom when compared with the facilities and advantages which are presented to the diligent scholar and Christian student by our Universities and our Church. But on this subject we would refer our readers to some excellent observations of Mr. Rose, in his second series of discourses before the University of Cambridge; a notice of which will be found in another part of the present Number. Mr. Grimshawe has given us the following account of Mr. Richmond during the early part of his college course. Glad should we be to find that this interesting volume had been read by the Noble Lord (Lyndhurst) who now holds the Seals. College recollections are some of the most pleasing and affecting : may they prove in the present case a blessing to the Right Hon. Chancellor, and, should an opportunity present itself, lead him to shew kindness to the family of his deceased friend, and fellow-labourer for academic honours. Mr. Richmond was entered at Trinity College, Cambridge, in the month of August, 1789. The following particulars have been communicated in a letter from the Rev. A. J. Crespin, vicar of Renhold, Bedfordshire, a cotemporary of his in the University, and with whom he formed an intimate friendship, which continued to the period of his death. "I perfectly well remember, that our dear departed friend came to Cambridge for admission about Midsummer, in the year 1789. I was just one year his senior. It was then the custom at Trinity College, that one of the under-graduates should take the candidate for admission to the dean, and to one or two others, and then to the master, for examination. It fell to my lot to perform this office for Legh Richmond, and thus our friendship commenced. He came into residence, according to the usual plan, in the following October; we were both among the candidates for foundation scholarships, and after a public examination of two or three days, we were happy on finding our names among the successful candidates; and as we afterwards dined every day at the same table, the bands of our friendship were drawn still closer. * * "I can with perfect truth affirm, that during the under-graduateship of Mr. Richmond, he applied himself closely to his studies, and was considered and acknowledged by all, to be a young man of great abilities and correct conduct." A letter from the Rev. William Tate, chaplain of the Dock-yard, Portsmouth, and tutor of the Naval Academy, contains a further and more detailed account of Mr. Richmond's residence at college. "Mr. Richmond and myself were of the same year at Cambridge, and had the same college tutor, the late Rev. Thomas Jones. We were not, however, in the same lecture room till within a year of our going out A. B.; hence our intimacy did not commence till about the beginning of 1793. Mr. Richmond came to college with a high character for his proficiency, both in classics and mathematics. In fact, I often heard him spoken of as likely to be one of the third or fourth highest wranglers. At the annual college examination in May, he was each year in the first class, and consequently was a prize-man. I do not recollect that he ever was a candidate for a University prize; indeed, I think, that although he was an extremely good classic, he did not consider himself sufficiently practised in writing Greek or Latin verse, to venture a competition in this respect with the distinguished men from the great public schools. "That he had a great fondness for social life is not to be wondered at, as he was so well informed on most subjects, and had such a fluency of language, |