Sidebilder
PDF
ePub

treasure is in heaven,-there confequently should our hearts be also: -Dearly beloved, faith the apoftle,-I befeech you, as ftrangers, and pilgrims here upon earth, abstain from every worldly defire that is inconfiftent with fuch a condition,-every thing that may encumber you in your progress towards that place :—or as certain of our own poets has well expreffed the sentiment.

Ah, pilgrim turn!-thy cares forego;

For earth-born cares are wrong:

Man wants but little here below;

Nor wants that little long.

DR. GOLDSMITH.

If then we would act wifely,—or in any degree suitably to our prefent condition; if we would follow the things that make unto our peace; we must leave the world and its important concerns at proper diftance ;-purfue our true intereft-the intereft of eternal life; and when we have once taught ourselves to thirft for living waters, and heavenly food, our most natural and neceffary viaticum in the fpiritual journey, we shall then, with hearts, filled with the warmest gratitude, recollect the great obligation we lie under to those that heretofore were properly attentive to these wants:-those that first felt the famine of hearing God's words, and adverted to the means which providence fet before them; whereby not only their own immediate wants were relieved, but fome provifion was fecured for the benefit of future ages.

And here justice demands that we fhould place in the foremost rank of thefe, the then inhabitants of this hamlet.-Their numbers were few ;-but their zeal was ardent.-It was certainly a great and generous undertaking for fo fmall a community, not only to build an elegant church by their own voluntary contributions, but to settle a decent support for a minifter. The papers and writings

relative

relative to this chapelry have at times been in fo many various hands, that notwithstanding there are perfons yet living who may remember its first erection; yet, in many particulars, our best and most certain information must be taken from the uninterrupted practice of the last thirty or forty years only.-The PEWS were, perhaps, the only original endowment, which, by the best information we could ever procure, have not been encreased in their rents fince their first institution. In the body of the church, they are equal to any establishment of its kind in this neighbourhood; and confequently, when first rated, confidering the then comparatively fcarcity of money, were a generous valuation. We cannot give you a better idea of the fense these our worthy predeceffors entertained of the famine of hearing the words of the Lord,-than by an extract from the warrant given at the court at Kensington, the 28th day of June, 1712.

66

[ocr errors]

ANNA REGINA.

"Whereas many of our good fubjects inhabitants of the hamlet "of KEW, within the parish of Kingston upon Thames, in our County of Surrey, have by their petition humbly represented unto "us, that by reafon of their very great diftance from their faid parish-church, they are hindered from reforting so frequently as they ought to the public worship of God, which they esteemed a "most grievous calamity;-they have therefore most humbly prayed, inasmuch as they have begun, and by the bleffing of God on their endeavours, with great fuccefs carried on a fubfcription for erecting a chapel, &c. -That we would be graciously pleased, to grant them our leave to erect and build the faid chapel on the "fouth fide of KEW GREEN."

[ocr errors]

These faithful stewards of the Lord were not only folicitous for their own times but prudentially took care that their work should not fail through the inattention or lukewarmness of fucceffors.

VOL. III.

C c

They

1

They purchased therefore certain woodlands, which were conveyed to them in trust.-In the first place, to fupport, uphold, and keep. in good repair the chapel fo erected; and until the faid chapel should stand in need of fuch repair, the produce of the faid lands. hould be received, taken and enjoyed by the curate of the faid. chapel, towards his fupport and maintenance. The names of the Trustees, as appears by an engraved plate, which has been carefully. preferved, were SIR CHARLES EYRE, TREASURER, JOHN LELY, ESQ. CHRISTOPHER APPLEBY, ESQ. MR. EDWARD MOUNTNEY,. MR. JEREMIAH MURDEN, and others the inhabitants of KewGreen." O Lord, hear the fupplication of thy people, and grant " that the zeal which these thy fervants departed have fo well expreffed towards thy ordinances, and thy holy temple may be had. "in everlasting remembrance."

The ground on which this church is built was graciously given: by that eminently pious perfonage. QUEEN ANNE;-a Queen, whofe virtues were as exalted as her ftation; whofe affection for the established church of this land will remain recorded to her honour to latest posterity.What a glorious inftance of royal mugificence was her grant of the revenues of the firft-fruits and tenths for the perpetual augmentation of fmall livings.-True it is, in this opulent neighbourhood, where christian benevolence delights. to hold her feat-inftances of real diftrefs among the clergy is peradventure scarcely to be found; but were we able to defcribe the miferies and diftreffes that attend the lower clergy in other parts of the kingdom, we should prefent a picture to your imagination, too gloomy and too affecting for your tender natures to bear. Were they to pass in review before you, what numbers would behold finking by flow and infenfible degrees into defpondency and. defpair? Scoffed at, despised, and trampled upon by persons every way their inferiors, but in one article; defrauded of half that fcanty pittance by perverfe and litigious men, and compelled to

you:

facrifice

[ocr errors]

facrifice a part of their legal rights; or the whole of their much dearer peace and tranquility.-With what joy and gratitude then must these men regard the memory of that good Queen, when perhaps the only part of their poor income they can receive, without obloquy and reproach, is what they derive from her judicious. bounty. With ftrict propriety this.circumftance is now mentioned, for we of this chapelry are already greatly benefitted by that bounty, and are capable of demanding two benefactions more for the perpetual use of the incumbents of this church.-As we cannot be fufpected of any improper influence from a deceafed monarch, we may therefore be indulged fo fmall a tribute to gratitude as claiming your attention to a fhort character of our

ROYAL BENEFACTRESS.

OF ANNE, QUEEN OF GREAT BRITAIN, it is univerfally allowed, that though her prefence was by no means wanting in dignity, yet was it more engaging than majestick. Her understanding, naturally elevated, was yet eclipfed by the virtues of her heart; which were fo very confpicuous, that the rude voice of flander, even in the most tempeftuous times, never called them in queftion. She was a pattern of conjugal affection and fidelity— A TENDER MOTHER, A WARM FRIEND, AN INDULGENT MISTRESS, A MUNIFICENT PATRON,-A MILD AND MERCIFUL PRINCESS, during whofe reign not one fubject's blood was ever shed for treason.-She was zealously attached to the church of England, a friend to its poor minifters, and confequently to the parishes to which they belonged.-She was unaffectedly pious, juft, charitable and compaffionate. She felt a parental fondness for her people, by whom he was univerfally beloved with a warmth of affection, which even the violence of party could not ftifle.In a word, he was certainly one of the best and most unblemished of fovereigns, and well deferved the expreffive, though fimple epithet and character of the GOOD QUEEN ANNE; a nurfing mo

[blocks in formation]

ther of the church, by whofe liberality and unwearied folicitude thousands were plentifully provided for when the fpiritual famine was in the land.

Let your light fo fhine before men, that they may fee your good works, is a chriftian precept, to celebrate thofe who have been eminently ftudious to perform this duty a chriftian practice. It excites an active spirit of emulation which has a natural tendency to advance the happiness of fociety, and confequently of glorifying our Father which is in heaven.

By the last will and teftament of LADY CAPELL, another most liberal benefactress to this place, this generous and exalted fentiment is expreffed in a manner that cannot fail to engage our gratitude and esteem.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

"The inhabitants, fays fhe, of Kew-Green, having ever fince "the confecration of the faid chapel, in a very commendable man"ner annually folemnifed the twelfth day of May, being the day on which it was confecrated, by resorting thither to hear divine "fervice, and a charity fermon preached before them; which good custom it is to be hoped will be forever obferved by the "faid inhabitants, &c."-In another part of her will, fhe refumes the matter by the words following: "I have appointed this diftribution, meaning the rents of Parry-Court, in manner aforefaid, with an intent to animate the inhabitants of Kew-Green duly to obferve the faid day of confecration of the faid chapel; as also in hopes that fuch a general meeting of the faid Trustees "and Treasurers may be a means to promote and encourage the "faid charity-schools; fo I hope that as many of the faid Trea"furers and Trustees as can, and particularly fuch of them as are contiguous to Kew-Green aforefaid, will give their attendance "chearfully on this occafion, &c."

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Alterations arifing from times and fituation, may render the best defigns defective; but ftill the original intentions of pious bene

factors,

« ForrigeFortsett »