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It being deemed neceffary that Mr. Secker fhould obtain a degree at Oxford; in order to facilitate it, he went over to Leyden, and took his doctor's degree in phyfic; his thefis for which was printed, and has been highly spoken of by

medical writers.

In April, 1721, he entered himself a gentleman-commoner of Exeter college; and, about a year afterwards, he obtained the degree of bachelor of arts, by virtue of the chancellor's recommendatory letter to the convocation.

Bishop Talbot being, in November, 1721, appointed to the fee of Durham, Mr. Secker was ordained by him the following year, and appointed one of his chaplains.

On the death of fir George Wheeler, in 1724, the bishop gave his vacant prebend, in Durham cathedral, to Mr. Benfon, and the rectory of Houghton-le-Spring to Mr. Secker. Being thus fettled to his fatisfaction, he turned his thoughts to matrimony; and, in 1725, was united to Mrs. Catherine Benfon, the filter of his worthy friend just mentioned. At the earneft defire of both, Mrs. Talbot and her daughter confented to live with them; and from that time the two families became one.

Mr. Secker now gave up all the time he could, to his refidence at Houghton, where he fet himself to discharge the duties of a country clergyman with diligence, omitting nothing which he thought ufeful to the bodies and fouls of the people entrusted to his care. He brought down his fermons to the level of their understandings; he visited them privately, he received his neighbours and tenants with kindnefs and hofpitality, and was of great fervice to the poor by his fkill in phyfic. Though this place was in a remote part of the kingdom, yet the folitude perfectly fuited his ftudious difpofition, and the income of it perfectly fatisfed him. Here he would have willingly fixed his lot; and here, as he used afterwards frequently to declare, he spent some of the happiest hours of his life; and it was no thought or defire of his which removed him to a higher and more extensive sphere. But, in confequence of the declining ftate of Mrs. Secker's health, he refigned Houghton for Ryton, which was in a more healthy fituation, and to this was added a prebendal stall in the cathedral of Durham. In 1732, he was appointed chaplain to the king, for which favour he was indebted to bifhop Sherlock. His month of waiting at St. James's was Auguft, and on the 27th he preached before queen Caroline, the king being then abroad. A few days after, her majefty fent for him into her closet,

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and held a long converfation with him; in the courfe of which, he took an opportunity of mentioning his friend Mr. Butler. The queen faid, the thought he had been dead. Mr. Secker affured her he was not; but afterwards the afked archbishop Blackburne, whether Mr. Butler was not really dead. To this his grace replied, "No, madam, but he is buried." This he in a manner was at his living of Stanhope, where he was without fociety, and at too great a diftance from his friends. No man lamented his feclufion and abfence more than Mr. Secker, and therefore he contrived every means he could to bring him out of his retirement. Accordingly, foon after the above conversation, when Mr. Talbot was made lord-chancellor, Mr. Secker recommended his friend Mr. Butler to him, for his chaplain. His lordship readily acceded, and sent for him. This promotion bringing him back into the world, the queen very foon after appointed him clerk of the clofet, from whence he rofe to thofe high dignities which he fo well merited, and adorned by his virtues and writings.

Mr. Secker now began to have a public character, and was held in great eftimation by the best judges of intellectual and moral worth. He had already given proofs of his abilities, that plainly indicated his future eminence; and it was not long before an opportunity offered, of placing him in an advantageous point of view. Dr. Tyrwhit, who had fucceeded Dr. Clarke in the rectory of St. James's, found that preaching in fo large a church injured his health. His father-inlaw, bishop Gibson, therefore propofed to the crown, that he fhould be made refidentiary of St. Paul's, and that Mr. Secker fhould fucceed him in the rectory. This arrangement was perfectly agreeable to thofe in power, and Mr. Secker was accordingly inftituted rector, May 18, 1733. In July following, he went to Oxford, and took his degree of doctor of laws, not being of fufficient ftanding for that of divinity. It was on this occafion he preached his celebrated act fermon, on the advantages and duties of an academical education, which was univerfally allowed to be a masterpiece of reafoning and compofition. It was printed at the request of the heads of houses, and foon paffed through feveral editions.

When he waited at Hampton-court, the queen fent for him, and faid very obliging things to him of this fermon. And it was thought, that the reputation he acquired by it contributed to that promotion which very foon followed: for, in December, 1734, he received a letter from bishop Gibson,

Gibfon, informing him that the king had fixed upon him to be bishop of Bristol. At the fame time, Dr. Benfon was made bishop of Gloucester, and Dr. Fleming bifhop of Carlifle, and they were all three confecrated in Lambeth chapel, January 19, 1734-; the fermon being preached by Dr. Thomas, afterwards bishop of Winchester.

The elevation to which Dr. Secker was now raifed, did not in the least abate his diligence and attention to business. He immediately fet about the visitation of his diocese, confirmed in a great number of places, preached in feveral churches, fometimes twice a day; and, from the information received in his progrefs, laid the foundation of a paro chial account of his diocefe, for the benefit of his fucceffors. Finding, at the fame time, the affairs of his parish of St. James's in great diforder, he took the trouble, in concert with fome others, to put the accounts of the several officers into a regular method; drew up a fet of rules to direct them better for the future, and by the large fhare which he always took in the management of the poor, and the regulation of many other parochial concerns, was of fignal fervice to his parishioners, even in a temporal view. But it was their fpiritual welfare which engaged his principal attention. As far as the circumftances of the times, and the populoufnefs of that part of the metropolis allowed, he omitted not even those private admonitions and perfonal applications, which are calculated to produce the happieft effects. But, as he was not able to do fo much in this way as he wifhed, he was peculiarly affiduous in giving and promoting every kind of public inftruction. He allowed, out of his income, a falary for reading early and late prayers, which had formerly been paid out of the offertory money. He held a confirmation once a year, and examined and instructed the candidates several weeks before in the veftry, giving them religious tracts, which he alfo diftributed at other times, very liberally to those who stood in need of them. He drew up, for the ufe of his parishioners, that admirable courfe of lectures, on the Church Catechifm, which was published after his death, and may be pronounced a complete body of doctrinal and practical divinity.

The fermons which he compofed were truly excellent and original. His faculties were now in their full vigour, and he had an audience to address, that rendered the utmost exertion of them indifpenfible. He did not, however, feek to gratify the higher part, by amusing them with refined speculations,

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or ingenious effays, unintelligible to the lower orders, and unprofitable to both; but he laid before them all, with equal freedom and plainnefs, the great Chriftian duties belonging to their respective stations, and reproved the follies and vices of every rank amongst them, without distinction or palliation. He ftudied human nature thoroughly, and knew what arguments would have moft influence with every clafs of men. He brought the fubje&t home to their bofoms, and did not appear to be merely faying useful things in their prefence, but addreffed himself perfonally to every one of his hearers. Few ever poffeffed, in a higher degree, the talent of touching the most delicate fubjects with the niceft propriety, of faying the most familiar things, without being low; the plaineft, without being feeble; and the boldeft, without giving offence. He could defcend with fuch ease and felicity into the minuteft concerns of common life, could Jay open, with fuch addrefs, the various workings, artifices, and evafions of the mind, that his hearers often thought their own particular cafes were attended to; and heard with furprize their private fentiments and feelings, reasonings and principles, exactly stated and minutely defcribed. His preaching was, at the fame time, highly rational and truly evangelical. He explained with perfpicuity, and afferted with dignity, the peculiar doctrines of the gofpel. He inculcated the utility and neceffity of them, not as fpeculative truths, but as the inftruments of moral goodness, tending to purify the hearts, and regulate the lives of men; and thus, by God's gracious appointment, as well as by the infeparable connection between true faith and right practice, leading them to falvation.

These important truths he taught with the authority, tendernefs, and familiarity of a parent inftructing his children. Though he neither poffeffed nor affected the artificial elo quence of an orator, who wants only to amuse or to mislead, yet he had that of an honeft man, who wants to convince, and of a Chriftian preacher, who wishes to reform and fave his hearers. Solid argument, manly fense, useful directions, fhort, and ftriking fentences, awakening questions, frequent and appofite applications of Scripture; all following each other in quick fucceffion, and coming from the speaker's heart, enforced by his elocution, figure, and action, and above all, by the fanctity of his life, ftamped conviction on the minds of his hearers, and sent them home with impreffions not easily effaced.

(To be concluded in our next.)

Mifcellanies.

LETTERS to a YOUNG GENTLEMAN, &c,

LETTER III.

The clerical a personal office.-Some confiderations of im. portance recommended for a right discharge of it.-Introduction to the duty in the reading-defk.

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man can make a good minifter, who is not firft a good chriftian. Be the latter, my dear brother, and I will anfwer for it, you will be the former. You will then never think your profeffion gives you licence to indulge lucrative or felf-pleafing views; you will never think yourself allowed to live as you lift; to enjoy the emoluments, and to discharge none of the duties of your preferments: but convinced, that yours is a perfonal office, and can be fulfilled only by the man himfelf, who takes it upon him, you will not, with cafuiftical nicenefs, inquire into the quantity of refidence, and fo on, which may be immediately neceffary: but will make it your continual ftudy and delight, to dif charge the minifterial function, and to acquit yourself as a fervant and meffenger of that redeemer, who will one day call you to an account, for the truft repofed in you.

I intend not to infinuate any thing here concerning pluralities, non-refidence, and the like: these are matters which concern not our prefent inquiry: but let the determination refpecting them be what it will, this certainly is as clear as the light, that " every man, who takes upon himself the office of a minifter of the gofpel of Jefus Chrift, is abfolutely and indifpenfably obliged to a perfonal discharge of that office, fome where or other."-And from fuch a difcharge, no laws or human confiderations whatever, can acquit or abfolve him; and they who do not, or are refolved not to difcharge that duty, had far better abjure their profeffion, if they would avoid the terrible condemnation, which they

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