him is afforded by the following lines which he wrote and placed upon a tablet in the Church of Upton-upon-Severn, to the memory of a good poor woman.

"Patient, devoted servant of her God,

The heavenward path this humble woman trod;
Beheld a jarring world, and shunn'd its strife,
Reproving only by her peaceful life.

The Book of Truth she ponder'd line by line,
In memory stor'd its oracles divine;

The Holy Table by her Saviour spread
Duely she sought, to taste of Angels' bread.
Rich in content, with piety her gain,
And still devout when tried by torturing pain.
To Him who gave resigning her calm breath,
In meek tranquillity she sunk to death,
And now, life's trial done, her sleeping dust
Awaits the glorious rising of the just."

How cordial he was in his friendships, how deeply he laid their foundation, and how keen yet gentle his feeling of any disappointment in them, a few casual lines will shew:

"When I see one instance of an acquaintance which looked once like friendship and kindness taking such a turn, I only feel the greater gratitude in reflecting on the confidence I have in the unchangeable kindness of some other minds. In this number I reckon your own. May I live to the last with your regard and affection for me undiminished, and may we be blest together, and others also, in the peace of an eternal home! There is some happiness in even wishing this, as I now do, with most sincere prayer for it."

The air of Sutterton so entirely disagreed with his health, that he could not have remained there in any case. And in November of the following year, 1818, he had an opportunity of leaving it.

The Rectory of Washington, between Gateshead and Sunderland, was pressed upon his acceptance by the Bishop of Durham, Dr. Shute Barrington, and he removed into the north accordingly. In 1819, July 20th, he married Mary, eldest daughter of Robert Thorp, Esq., of Alnwick, in Northumberland. The early part of his residence at Washington was a very trying time, from the political excitement which prevailed among the colliers, on account of the tumult at Manchester in 1819. This occasioned him to write among other things, his Dialogue between a Christian and a Reformer, which will be found near the end of this volume. Other striking instances of his laboriousness and courage as a pastor at that critical time might be mentioned, but for the reason given above.

But it seems allowable to state in his own words a part of his thoughts, on the chief difficulties, and some of the duties, of a parochial clergyman:

"I wish I could say any thing of the improvement of my parish. But indeed piety and morals are at a low ebb among us. A serious apprehension of the doctrines of religion, as truths to live by, is the thing I look for and seldom find. A gross worldly spirit, with no notion or desire of better things, is the character of most of those who live within my parish. Many are actively wicked in their lives; some few are Christians in practice. The leaven of revolutionary opinions, joined with infidelity more or less disguised, is still fermenting. Then a spirit of

schism, perfectly regardless of the obligations of Christian union, an enthusiastic creed, and a popular bigotry, take hold of those who profess to seek religion. A licentious odium towards the clergy of the Church helps the confusion. All these particular hinderances I have found in my way, besides the general inaptitude and disinclination of men to take up the Christian yoke, and live by the faith of that which they do not see. A sad sign of the want of religion is, that so few care for the exercise of prayer: if they have no sermon, they think they have nothing to do at Church.

"Riotous disorderly vice perhaps has been partly checked in some instances; and I hope the well-disposed have been assisted and strengthened. But after all, I have done little. The Sunday School has done some good. It has brought a few under religious impressions for the present. But the trial is, what they will be when they are old enough to enter into life: for a school is a seminary of hope, not of actual virtue. By the numbers of our Sunday School, I might say it has grown very much. The obedient, virtuous, well-trained young Christians who belong to it, are a much smaller portion.

"My practice is to write a sermon every week; sometimes two; which I try to adapt as closely as I can to the wants of my hearers. To present Scripture Truth in its purity, and make it clear and edifying in the manner of its application, is a work which costs me pains and care. I would fain preach for some good."

It was at this period of his life that he preached and published his Discourses on Prophecy, and upon that

occasion received from His Grace the present Archbishop of Canterbury, then Bishop of London, a nomination to the Prebend of Sneating in St. Paul's Cathedral, which he resigned after a few years.

In 1826, he was made Prebendary of Worcester, by the recommendation of Lord Liverpool, who very soon afterwards followed up his kindness by offering Mr. Davison the Rectory of Upton-upon-Severn, which had been placed at his Lordship's disposal by the patron, Dr. Cornewall, then Bishop of Worcester. This he did that Mr. Davison might be spared the inconvenience of long journeys continually: an instance of great consideration on the part of one engaged as Lord Liverpool was. Mr. Davison accepted the offer, and removed with his family to Upton; between which place and Worcester he divided his residence during the remainder of his earthly life. But it was very evident that the climate or something else at Upton did not suit his constitution, and during the eight years of his abode there he cannot be said to have enjoyed any thing like health. However, his parochial labours were unremitting, especially during the season of the cholera, by which the place was severely attacked in 1832: there were thirty-five deaths, all within the town.

Only one more remark shall here be made on his pastoral character, viz. that both in his family, and in the schools belonging to his cures, he was ever most anxious to lay the foundation of all piety in filial obedience. His own children were taught to obey before they could speak.

He was also particularly careful to train them to great exactness in all statements of fact. On this head one of

his friends has preserved in memory a short dialogue, which may be set down as a single specimen of the sort of playfulness, with which he would not unfrequently introduce deep thoughts into trivial conversation:

"That is rather a minute accuracy. But I have a respect for all accuracy; for all accuracy is of the Noble Family of Truth.”

"And is to be respected accordingly."

"Even to Her most menial servant."

He was deeply interested in the labours of the Society for Propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts, and exerted himself most effectually in obtaining support for it in and near Worcester; as also in the supply of new Churches for that city.

In 1825, after he had completed the Inquiry on Primitive Sacrifice, he entertained serious thoughts of editing a Selection from the Works of the Fathers, with a view, as he expressed it, of "introducing the study of the Fathers a little, and blending old and new divinity together." But it does not appear that he ever found leisure to go beyond the first rude outline of the plan.

Towards the latter end of 1833 and beginning of 1834, his health had so decidedly given way, that in January of the latter year it was thought best to remove to Cheltenham; but after some slight alternation the disease prevailed, and on the sixth of May he was taken from this world to "the compassionate SAVIOUR" (his own word at the time) whom he had so faithfully loved and served;