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Article CHARACTER OF BERNARD GILPIN, ← Page 3 of 5 →
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Character Of Bernard Gilpin,
claim he would not indulge ; but as long as he had streno-th sufficient persevered in the laborious practice of such methods . of instruction as he imagined might most benefit those under his care . Of popular applause he was quite regardless so far as mere reputation was concerned : but as the favour of the multitude was one step towards gaining their attentionin that li ght he valued it .
—Here-, proved vice , wherever he observed it , with the utmost freedom . As he was contented in his station , and superior to all dependance , he avoided the danger of being tempted to any unbecoming compliance ; and whether he reproved in public or private , his unblameable lifeand the seriousness with" which he spoke , gave an irresistible weight to what he said . —He studied the low capacities of the le
peopamong whom he lived , and knew how to adapt his arguments to their apprehensions . Plence the effects that his preaching had upon them are said to have been often very surprising . In particular it is related , that as he was once recommending honesty in a part of the country notoriously addicted to thieving , a man , struck with the warmth and
earnestness with-which he spoke , stood up in the midst of a large congregation , and freely confessed his dishonesty , and how heartily he repented of it . ' With regard to bis benevolence , never certainl y had any man more disinterested views , or made the common good more the study of his life , which was indeed the best comment upon the great Christian
principle of universal charity . He called nothing his own ; there was nothing he could not readily part with for the service of others . In his charitable distributions he had no measure but the bounds of his income , of which the least portion was always laid out on himself .- — Nor did he give as if he was granting a favour , but as if he was paying a debt ; all obsequious service the generosity of his heart
disdained . —He was the more particularly careful to give away in his lifetime whatever he could save for the poor , as he had often seen and regretted the abuse of posthumous charities . It is my design at my departure ( says he , writing to a friend ) to leave ' no more behind me than to bury me and pay my debts . What little he did leave he left wholly to the poor , deducting a few sli ght tokens of remembrance that he bequeathed to his friends . How vain it was for those who
were not in real want to expect any thing from him , he plainly shewed by his own behaviour ; for when a legacy was left him , he returned it to such of the relations of the 'legatee as stood in most need of it . Such instances of benevolence gained him the title of The Father of the Poor , and made his memory revered long afterwards in the country where he lived . But no part of his character was more conspicuous than his pietyIt hath been largelshewn
. y with what temper , sincerity , and earnestness , he examined the controverted points of religion , and settled his own persuasion . He thought religion his principal concern ; and of course made the attainment of just notions in it his principal study . To what was matter of mere speculation he paid no regard ; such opinions as in ^ fluenced practice he thought only concerned him . He knew no
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Character Of Bernard Gilpin,
claim he would not indulge ; but as long as he had streno-th sufficient persevered in the laborious practice of such methods . of instruction as he imagined might most benefit those under his care . Of popular applause he was quite regardless so far as mere reputation was concerned : but as the favour of the multitude was one step towards gaining their attentionin that li ght he valued it .
—Here-, proved vice , wherever he observed it , with the utmost freedom . As he was contented in his station , and superior to all dependance , he avoided the danger of being tempted to any unbecoming compliance ; and whether he reproved in public or private , his unblameable lifeand the seriousness with" which he spoke , gave an irresistible weight to what he said . —He studied the low capacities of the le
peopamong whom he lived , and knew how to adapt his arguments to their apprehensions . Plence the effects that his preaching had upon them are said to have been often very surprising . In particular it is related , that as he was once recommending honesty in a part of the country notoriously addicted to thieving , a man , struck with the warmth and
earnestness with-which he spoke , stood up in the midst of a large congregation , and freely confessed his dishonesty , and how heartily he repented of it . ' With regard to bis benevolence , never certainl y had any man more disinterested views , or made the common good more the study of his life , which was indeed the best comment upon the great Christian
principle of universal charity . He called nothing his own ; there was nothing he could not readily part with for the service of others . In his charitable distributions he had no measure but the bounds of his income , of which the least portion was always laid out on himself .- — Nor did he give as if he was granting a favour , but as if he was paying a debt ; all obsequious service the generosity of his heart
disdained . —He was the more particularly careful to give away in his lifetime whatever he could save for the poor , as he had often seen and regretted the abuse of posthumous charities . It is my design at my departure ( says he , writing to a friend ) to leave ' no more behind me than to bury me and pay my debts . What little he did leave he left wholly to the poor , deducting a few sli ght tokens of remembrance that he bequeathed to his friends . How vain it was for those who
were not in real want to expect any thing from him , he plainly shewed by his own behaviour ; for when a legacy was left him , he returned it to such of the relations of the 'legatee as stood in most need of it . Such instances of benevolence gained him the title of The Father of the Poor , and made his memory revered long afterwards in the country where he lived . But no part of his character was more conspicuous than his pietyIt hath been largelshewn
. y with what temper , sincerity , and earnestness , he examined the controverted points of religion , and settled his own persuasion . He thought religion his principal concern ; and of course made the attainment of just notions in it his principal study . To what was matter of mere speculation he paid no regard ; such opinions as in ^ fluenced practice he thought only concerned him . He knew no