ready to assist them to the utmost of his ability. These and many others of a similar kind, are only incidental cir cumstances, arising out of the intimacy of the connexion which subsisted between the minister and his people. The grand and leading object of that connexion was, doubtless their moral improvement and spiritual welfare; but, to the promotion of this object, the intimacy of the relation, and its various circumstances, were all happily subservient. The public ministration of the word and ordinances of the Gos pel are unquestionably principal means of salvation; but, in the instance now mentioned, and in several others, these public services seem to have been considerably aided in thei efficacy by such private and individual intercourses. The familiar acquaintance which is thus obtained with the cha racters and circumstances of the people, gives a suitable di rection to the public counsels of their minister; whilst the confidence which they at the same time acquire in his friend ship and affectionate regard for their best interests, canno fail to assist the impression, and promote the salutary influ ence of these counsels on their minds. In pursuance of the same design, it was Mr. Addington's custom to distribute and associate as many of his people as he could into classes according to their age, sex, and situation, with a view to their moral improvement. In these societies they were i the habit of meeting at stated times for prayer and religiou conference; often attended by their minister; but the so cieties were always under his superintendence; and once in every year, about Christmas, each of them spent a cheer ful evening together at his house. Even the female servant had also their annual day; on which, after assembling i in the meeting-house, and spending a part of the afternoo in cleaning and beautifying some of its furniture, they par took of a social and friendly entertainment provided for them

Independently of his more common and frequent visits i the families of his people, to inquire into their health, and t assist them according to his ability and their necessities, had stated occasions in the summer season of going into th neighbouring villages to preach in the houses of his friend and to discharge such pastoral duties amongst them as be came requisite; as the baptism of their children, &c. Wit a similar disposition did they receive his visits to them in sick ness; and for himself, he has often been known to declar in his family the benefit and the pleasure which he has en joyed in attending to their conversation, and in witnessin their conduct under circumstances which are calculated to p

bot

both principles and characters to the proof. From persons in the humblest stations, and of the meanest external attainments, under the pressure also of poverty and severe affliotions, he has often confessed that he derived such lessons of cheerful resignation to the appointments of Providence, and even of gratitude for mercies with which the condition of the sufferers did not prevent their perceiving themselves to be indulged, as he had not found in more apparently favoured situations, and as he hoped ever, for his own sake, to remember and to improve.

The services of the Sabbath appear to have derived a more than usual degree of interest from the circumstances above related. The zeal and regularity with which the congrega tion at Harborough assembled to wait on the ministry of the Gospel, were conspicuous. Neither distance of abode, nor unfavourable seasons, were usually sufficient to hinder their attendance, nor their punctuality to the appointed hours of service. These particulars, as well as the seriousness of their demeanour in public worship, their devout participation in sacred exercises, and their eager attention to the preaching of the word, were so remarkable as commonly excite the observation of strangers, whilst it rendered the office of the ministry peculiarly pleasant. Of Mr. Addington's talents for the ministry, it may be sufficient to say, that amongst his own people his labours were both acceptable and beneficial. His sermons, especially during the greater part of his residence at Harborough, appear to have been composed with considerable care, and are for the most part written nearly entire in short hand; although in preaching he did not always confine himself to his notes. The subjects were chiefly of the experimental and practical kind; and his delivery was animated and affectionate. His manner was certainly less governed by the fashionable maxims of oratory, than by his own feelings, and the appearance of his hearers at the time: impressive perhaps, and not seldom successful in arresting their attention, and conveying to their minds, with considerable force, the truths he was solicitous to impart, or the sentiments and affections he wished to cultivate. In the sixth year of Mr. Addington's residence at Harborough he entered upon a new engagement, which necessarily demanded a considerable share of that time which had hitherto been devoted either to his family, or ministerial and pastoral duties. At Kibworth, a village before mentioned, about four miles distant from Harborough, a boarding-school for young gentlemen had been for many years

under

under the care of the Rev. Mr. Aikin, father of the preser distinguished writer and philosopher Dr. John Aikin, an the no less celebrated Mrs. Barbauld. By the removal Mr. Aikin at this period to Warrington, to take the charg of the academy there, the school was necessarily relinquis ed; and it was recommended to Mr. Addington by M Aikin, and others, to commence an undertaking of this kin at Harborough. Accordingly he offered himself to the friend of Mr. Aikin as his successor; and opened his house for th purpose in 1758. From this time he was more closely oc cupied than before, and his pursuits and engagements wer both diversified and increased. His habits of application however, enabled him to keep pace with the multiplied de mands; and besides all these, we find him voluntarily en tering on a variety of undertakings, in furtherance of his pu poses in the differfent departments of his duty, which were no necessarily required of him. With an increasing family of hi own; with the care of the education of youth, to the num ber of from thirty to forty; with the charge of a congregatio under circumstances which required no small attention; an possessed at the same time of a constitution which, from hi earliest years to the close of life, could never be denominate healthy; it would not have been surprising if he had found nei ther leisure nor inclination for any other engagements tha such as were constantly to be expected of him. It appears however, that whilst these several concerns were upon hi hands, he published a considerable number of books on va rious subjects; many of them such as could not be execut ed without much labour and application. Publications o moral and religions subjects were ever consistent with hi leading pursuits throughout life; accordingly he seems t have been always more or less occupied with works of thi nature; some of them evidently receiving their bias from hi particular connexion with young persons. Others of hi works were exclusively designed for the purposes of educa tion in schools. He had been a teacher but few years, whe he published a "Compleat System of Arithmetic, vulga and decimal," in two octavo volumes; a concise but com prehensive "Geographical Grammar, with Astronomica Problems;" a "Greek Grammar," on a new plan; and a "Collection of religious and prudential Maxims," taker from the sacred Scriptures, and from the recorded sayingsand sentiments of wise men. Some others. of his publications appear to have been in hand about the same time; and it would seem by the dates of many of his works, that through

ou

but the whole of his residence at Harborough, and whilst constantly occupied with his school, he was yet always more or less engaged in preparing for the press. During a part also of this period he extended his pastoral charge to the congregation at Kibworth. The number of his scholars rendered it necessary for him to keep two assistants; the one to teach writing and arithmetic, and the other to assist him the classics: for the latter he usually chose a young minister who had finished his theological studies, and commenced preacher; so that he availed himself of this gentleman's assistance on the Sabbath. It was the preaching assistant's business to officiate at Kibworth three sabbaths in every month, and on the fourth to take Mr. Addington's place at Harborough, whilst he went to supply the congregation in that village, and to administer the ordinance of the Lord's supper; and, if required, of baptism amongst them. This arrangement was designed at first merely as a temporary accommodation to the people at Kibworth, till they should be provided with a suitable minister resident amongst them. From various causes, however, it was continued for about two years and a half, and added much to Mr. Addington's regular engagements. He was likewise much in the habit of attending meetings of ministers in different parts of the adjacent country, and was often called to take an active share in the services on those occasions. After continuing these exertions nearly thirty years, reckoning from his first settlement at Harborough, he began to apprehend some failure, if not of his strength, at least of that activity in the application of it, which was requisite in the discharge of his various duties. Under this impression, it seemed prudent to con tract the sphere of these duties; and the only method that presented itself was by relinquishing his school, and confining his public services to the care of his congregation. Accordingly, after deliberating for a time, this resolution was adopted, and he was preparing to carry it into effect, when circumstances occurred which eventually issued in a total change of his situation.

At different periods of his life it had been proposed to him to remove from Harborough into situations which were supposed to open to him a more extensive sphere of usefulness. Once, indeed, he had actually been prevailed upon to accept the charge of a considerable congregation in London; when the importunity of his people, between whom and himself there had ever subsisted the most cordial affection, prevailed over the resolution he adopted, and reversed his determina

tion to remove. Upon the present occasion, however, al though this mutual affection had not suffered the smalles diminution, an invitation which he received to settle in London was recommended to his acceptance by a number of circumstances, rather singular in their concurrence at this juncture; and not only justifying his removal, but rendering it, though painful in the extreme to the separating parties, apparently an act of duty and propriety; and it was not without the severest struggles that he resigned the connexion, which had long been endeared to him by every thing calculated to produce the most cordial esteem and the liveliest affection. The connexion might be said not even now to have been broken up, but rather exchanged for an intimacy, differing only in the mode, not in the degree of its friendship; and continued under its new modification with unabated sincerity and pleasure to the end of his life. So long as his health allowed him to travel, and indeed when he was under the pressure of infirmities which must have suspended every idea of visiting at a distance any but the dearest friends, he persisted in making frequent journies to Harborough; and keeping up that affectionate intercourse which had proved through so great a part of his life the source of some of his best gratifications. He left Harborough in October 1781.

His settlement in London was with the congregation at Miles's Lane, late under the care of the Rev. W. Ford, then removed to Windsor. Mr. Addington was set apart to the pastoral charge in this place, on November 22, 1781, in a public service on the occasion, conducted by the Rev. Mr. Ford, his predecessor; Mr. Towle ; Mr. Olding; Mr. Winter; Dr. Gibbons; and Mr. Brewer. In this connexion Mr. Addington continued for about a year and a half, without any other public duties than those of the pastoral office; and from the period of its commencement to its close, which was at the same time the close of his ministry, he was uniformly happy in the kindness and generosity of his people. The ministry was ever his favourite occupation; and he was never so happy as when he had reason to believe, that by the blessing of the great Head of the church it was rendered successful to its important object and end. In this success, in various degrees, he had more or less occasion to rejoice in all the periods of his life; and the joy which it inspired, whilst accompanied with the liveliest gratitude, was at the same time productive of renewed zeal and activity in the pursuit.

A few