lents, account them 80, and improve them accordingly, which the Lord help you to do for Christ's sake. The Lord hath graciously ordered all things for good to you, even beyond what you could have looked for; see his fatherly providence and care over you hitherto; rejoice in it and bless his name; love him with all your heart, and live to him; do not all his dispensations in bringing you where you are, speak the language of love, that he may fit you to be a special instrument for his glory? Look on this as the purpose of God in his merciful dealings with you in bringing you thither, and act accordingly. He hath brought you to study, apply yourself to it with a single eye to his glory, and acquaint thyself more with him, and so good shall come unto thee. Get what you go for, through a blessing upon your labours, and you shall still find me a tender, loving father. Read and weigh the following passages of Scripture with serious attention. 2 Tim. ii. 21, 22; Tit. ii. 11, 12; Rom. xiii. 12, 13. Consider what I say, and the Lord give thee understanding in all things."Cursory View, pp. 8-14.

He obtained a scholarship in 1659, and continued to prosecute his studies at Cambridge till after 1664, and is said to have had several offers of preferment in the church, could he have complied with the Act of Uniformity. Not being able to do this with a good conscience, he left the University, resided for some time at Tangier Park, with Sir Thomas Hook, Bart. near Basingstoke, and afterwards with Elford, Esq. at Bickham, in Buckland, where, by the amiableness of his temper, the extent of his erudition, his polished manners, and unaffected piety, he was held in high esteem, by all who had the pleasure of his friendly intercourse.

He still felt a warm attachment to the North of Devon, and at length determined to make Barn staple his fixed residence, where he enjoyed the society of his father, with several other ejected ministers, in private; for, in truth, these individuals were proscribed by the laws of the country from

appearing in or near any corporate town or city.

In the midst of difficulties the most distressing, and dangers the most appalling, they ventured to meet for social worship and spiritual improvement, although it was frequently in small numbers. Such meetings must have been peculiarly solemn and impressive, when they considered their liability to be sent to prison the next hour, for assembling together in this

manner.

It appears that Mr. Hanmer was about twenty-six years of age when he entered on the ministry. His professional exercises were by no means stated, until 1682, when he was ordained in private, by Messrs. Palmer, Peard, and Berry; having accepted an invitation from the congregation in his native town, to become their stated pastor and overseer, which he accepted, and in this situation he laboured among them with all diligence, affection, and fidelity, until he was incapacitated by a paralytic seizure, which at length hastened his dissolution, July 19th, 1707, in the sixty-fifth year of his age.

Amongst the earliest and warmest friends of the Hanmers in Barnstaple, was a gentleman of piety and wealth, named TRISTRAM, who expended considerable sums of money in the support of nonconformity, and even suffered imprisonment for his efforts to uphold it.

woman

Nothing daunted by the sacrifices he made in such a cause, he saw, with satisfaction, his son' united to the only daughter of the Rev. John Hanmer, a whose praise was in all the western churches for her fervent piety towards God, her ardent love of the truth, and her sincere devotedness to every good work. This excellent lady cherished

the greatest solicitude for the spread of divine truth, and was delighted to hear, by the letters of her friends, of its progress. Amongst her correspondents was that excellent man, the Rev. Risdon Darracott, who was styled by Mr. Whitfield, The Star in the West. In his life by Dr. Bennet, there are one or two interesting letters addressed by that devoted minister to this venerable woman, who now resided at Poundisford Park, with Mr. Welman, who had married her beloved daughter.

The following extract from one of those letters, will prove how highly he valued their friendship: "I have many friends, and such as are the Lord's: among whom I think myself particularly honoured, and would be very thankful, in having such valuable ones as Madam Tristram, Mr. Welman, and his lady. Nor do I doubt I shall ever lose such friendship for my warmest regards for Christ, when I have reason to believe he is so precious to their souls. As for you, dear Madam, (Mrs. Tristram) you have long shown, and, oh, may you yet much longer, a becoming zeal for Christ; and may your spirit breathe in your latest posterity. May none of the dear family of Poundisford be ever ashamed of Christ, or ever backward to bear their testimony to his glorious, though in the eyes of the world, despised interest. But may the line of Welman, as well as that of Hanmer and Tristram, make a bright figure at the right hand of Christ in the great day, for their warm and zealous attachment to him and to his interest here below."*

This devoted lady died Oct. 4, 1757, in the 70th year of her age, and the Rev. J. Pearsal, of

The Star in the West; being Memoirs of the Life of Risdon Darracott, &c. pp. 156, 157.

N. S. No. 56.

Taunton, when preaching her funeral sermón, remarked, 66 What thankfulness did she express for such a father as she sprung from: He instructed me: he restrained the vanity and airiness of my spirit: he taught me to pray, and, O, the multitude of prayers that he put up for me."

THOMAS WELMAN, Esq., the father of the gentleman whose virtues we are about to record, has been already alluded to. We wish that we could gratify our readers with a detailed account of himself and his family, for their name has been long identified with the cause of Christ amongst evangelical dissenters. One of the worthies of Bartholomew day, the Rev. Thos. Welman, ejected from the Vicarage of Luppit, Devon, is enumerated amongst their ancestors;* and Dr. Simon Welman, an eminent nonconformist physician, was also related to them. The beloved wife of Mr. W. inherited the undisguised piety of her excellent mother, Mrs. Tristram, and her many graces still live in the grateful recollections of the aged pious poor in the neighbourhood of Poundisford Park.

The following portraiture of the late Mr. WELMAN's character is from the pen of Mr. Golding, whose residence in his family for nearly thirty years has well prepared him for the task.

"His personal religion was undoubted. It was not indeed of the showy kind: he disliked show of every sort; but rather of the reserved and unassuming: more like the silent flowing of the deeper brook, than the noisy rattling of the shallower stream.

"The genuineness of his piety was evinced, by his strict regard

*Palmer's Non. Con. Mem. vol. I. page 378. 3 G

to the exercises of devotion. This remark will equally apply to the devotion of the closet, of the family, and of the sanctuary. As it was always customary with the Poundisford family, for each individual to pass some time in retirement in the evening, previous to the hour for family worship; our deceased friend, as an example to his family, regularly took his candle, and retired to his devotions; where he remained until the usual signal was given for the evening worship.

"Mr. Welman was equally exemplary in his attention to family as to private devotion. It was truly gratifying to see this venerable servant of God taking his station at the head of his household, which usually consisted of about twenty persons, setting them an example of devout attention to the several parts of the service, as the officiating minister went through them.

"He was not less attentive to the worship of God in the public sanctuary. Whoever was absent, he was in his place; that is, as long as the state of his health admitted of it. There are many who satisfy themselves with only an occasional attendance at the house of God, or, at most, with going to worship once on the Sabbath : the rest of the day is spent in recreation, if not in open profanation : but this pious servant of God made conscience of attending worship both parts of the Sabbath, as well as on week day services, as they occurred: and regularly at the sacred table, when the ordinance of the Lord's Supper was administered: nor was his attendance on divine worship merely from custom or habit; but evidently from a love to it, and a desire to profit himself; as well as an example and an encourage

ment to others.

"One thing particularly deserving of notice in our departed friend was, his uniform regard to the sanctification of the Lord's day. He considered the day as sacred and holy, and endeavoured to keep it accordingly; thereby conforming to the Divine injunction, to call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and to honour him, not doing his own ways, not finding his own pleasures, nor speaking his own words. No trifling conversation was encouraged; no company invited; no reading of newspapers, that profane and shameful practice now SO common: no letters upon business opened, if known to be such, nor any thing else countenanced, that might be deemed inconsistent with the sanctity of the Sabbath. What time there was to spare after the public services of the day, was spent in retirement until the time for family worship arrived, when all were called together to hear a sermon from the resident minister, and to join in prayer and praise, and thus close the day with God.

Perhaps, from this account of our late valuable friend, some will be ready to say, What a melancholy life was this! What a gloomy man Mr. Welman must have been, to be so very particular, and to spend so much time about religion ! But those who knew him best, will be ready to testify, that so far from this being the case, it was quite the reverse. He had nothing of gloom about him. Religion suffered nothing from him upon that score. He was the opposite of melancholy. He was, indeed, a cheerful Christian. He, in fact, carried his cheerfulness to a much greater extent than most others could. Even in the midst of pain and disease, his pleasantry scarcely

ever deserted him. It is well known that, about three years since, our deceased friend was taken so extremely ill as to render the daily attendance of his medical friends necessary for many weeks together: and I well remember, at that time, meeting those gentlemen on several occasions, as they came down from his sick room, greatly admiring his cheerfulness, and remarking, that they had never before met with so pleasant a patient, under such severe indisposition, in all their practice.

"The deceased was equally exemplary in the service of his generation as in the service of his God. If ever any one served his own generation, it certainly was Mr. Welman. He served it in almost every way in which he was capable, and that in every relation which he sustained. This was to be seen in domestic life: as a husband, he was tender and faithful; as a parent, fond and indulgent; as a brother, kind and affectionate; as a friend, (to his inmates,) generous and steady; and as a master, feeling and considerate. His service was also to be seen in social life. From his retired and domestic habits, Mr. Welman did not mix much with society in general, nor appear a great deal in public life; especially of late years: but he, nevertheless, felt a considerable interest in the public concerns, and was at all times ready to contribute his share to the public good. He was a true patriot, and a most loyal subject. In his friendly circle he was most happy. He was never better pleased than when he saw his friends about him. Few who have had the honour of his friendship will ever forget the kindness with which he used to receive them;-his hospitality in providing for them-and the plea

santry with which he entertained them, while staying at his peaceful mansion.

"His service to his generation extended more or less to persons of almost all descriptions who were brought into contact with him, and who valued his service. To his numerous tenantry he was lenient and generous. None of them could ever say that he was a grasping landlord, or that he ever wished them to hold his estates upon terms which would not admit of the comfortable support of themselves and their families: and if he did not sometimes make reductions in their rents when others did; it was because he had not raised them when others had-and I may ask the tenants themselves to say, which of the two had rendered them the greatest service. It must be evident enough that his terms with the occupiers of his estates could not be very hard or pressing, since many of them, from the profits they had gained by them, have been able to purchase estates for themselves.

I

In the times of general distress, which occurred some few years since, there were many, both in the neighbourhood and in more distant places, to whom our excellent friend rendered the most essential pecuniary service. often wondered, at that time, where he found his resources; when many gentlemen of the first respectibility, found it difficult to keep up their establishment, and, consequently, to maintain their accustomed liberality; he still continued his. When I then knew that he most kindly advanced different sums of ten, twenty, fifty, an hundred, five hundred, and, I had almost said, a thousand pounds, to render temporary assistance to those who, perhaps, must otherwise have

of the times; I sometimes thought that he must have discovered some fresh treasure, which had before been unknown even to himself; his stores appeared to be never exhausted; but, like the widow's cruse, to be always receiving, as they yielded supplies.

"To the neighbouring poor Mr. Welman was a most bountiful and constant benefactor. He never sent any away without relief. How often have I seen the door crowded with applicants for assistance; some in one way, and some in another. The errand, perhaps, was for something comfortable, as they called it, for a sick friend at home; which they not only received, but, at the same time, were furnished with food for their own refreshment, as well as provided with some article of clothing, and sent away with money in their pockets besides. I think I may venture to challenge any poor family, in the four adjoining parishes, who have been resident for any considerable time, and have needed assistance, to say, if they have not in some way or other, received it from this kind hearted servant of God, and his benevolent family.

"His strong attachment to the essential principles of religion has been already noticed; and as he so highly valued them, he constantly stood by them. If others were moved, he was unmoved. When some departed from the faith, he resolutely adhered to it, and helped to propagate it and in the times that he had seen pass over him; when error abounded, and the love of many waxed cold, it was of great importance to the cause of truth, to have a gentleman of his character and station in life, as its warm and faithful advocate.

"When ministers whom he knew to be in rather straitened circumstances, had been entertained by him, and were about to take leave, it was no uncommon thing for him to say, 'I shall see you again before you go:' or if, on their retiring to rest at night, he thought they would be likely to leave before he was about in the morning; he would desire a message to be delivered to them: 'Tell Mr.

that he must not go away without seeing me again.' What was this for?-Why, to have the gratification of sliding a five, or ten pound note into his hand, to enable him to obtain some few domestic comforts, which he might want, and which otherwise he could not obtain. Such a kind and delicate mode of exercising benevolence needs no comment.

"I scarcely need to inform you, that our late valuable friend has, for many years, been a very chief supporter of the cause of religion, especially in this place. He not long since gave a munificent sum towards the erection of this commodious place of worship: he has also recently done the same towards providing a suitable residence for the minister; and has constantly contributed, in propor

Fulwood Meeting House, near