while, from a lively faith in the promises, flowed the animating hope of the friendship of Jehovah, and of eternal blessedness. This delightful anticipation of heaven he had the felicity for many years to enjoy.

The salvation of his children lay near his heart; and to train them up in the knowledge and practice of religion was his assiduous care, while his instructions received a tenfold force from a holy life, pecu-. liarly exemplified in public, domestic, and secret devotion. To find his labours crowned with success was' his enviable reward. In his latter years it pleased God to afflict him with blindness; and though to a man who, like him, wished to do good by personal exertions, its long continuance must have been peculiarly distressing, he was enabled to bear it with exemplary patience, and was never heard to complain or murmur. He died in the hope of heaven, at a very advanced age, in 1718. The text chosen for his funeral sermon, strikingly described his spirit and character, Phil. i. 21...

To do good was, early in life, a ruling principle in the heart of Thomas Hollis, and one of the grand ends for which he considered himself to be called into existence. While but a youth, he laid aside a part of his earnings for pious and benevolent purposes; and as his property increased, his charity increased still more. That he might be the more extensively useful, he lived in the most economical manner. How honourable is frugality, when the design is to feed the hungry, and to convey the knowledge of salvation to the perishing soul! There is a dignity in it beyond all the splendour of worldly greatness. An immense quantity of good books was distributed by his hands. A lover of the house of God, and feel

ing the pleasure and benefit of public worship, besides contributing with an open hand in a multitude of instances to the building of meeting-houses, he erected two at his own expense, one at Doncaster and the other at Rotheram, with schools attached to them, and permanent benefactions for their support. Sheffield derived advantage from being the place of his birth; for, besides assisting his townsmen in the erecting of a place of worship, he founded almshouses for the residence of sixteen poor persons, with some additional support.

In sentiments, Mr. Hollis was a baptist; but he was for sixty years member of a pædobaptist church at Pinner's-hall, under the pastoral care of Anthony Palmer, Richard Wavell, and Dr. Jeremiah Hunt,

THOMAS HOLLIS JUNIOR.

He was the eldest son of the person just described, and inherited not only the piety but the public spirit of his father. He too, though a baptist, was a member of the same pædobaptist church. Early in life he made a profession of his faith in Christ; and from the benefit of it to his own mind, he used to recommend it earnestly to others. The advancement of the divine life in the soul, was the object of his peculiar solicitude; and diligent attention to every ordinance of religion was a distinguishing characteristic of the man.

When in business, he was so good a manager of his time, that a portion of it was daily redeemed for mental improvement. In the choice of books he was See Dr. Hunt's funeral sermon for T. Hollis.

exceedingly careful, and would often say, that the little leisure he could command made this absolutely necessary for him. When he advanced in years, he laid aside those which were more difficult and abstruse, and selected such treatises as were plain and practical and of a devotional strain. His respect to ministers for their works sake was uncommonly great and such was his moderation towards those whom he did not approve, that when the preacher did not please him, he never used words more severe than these," I would not chuse to sit constantly under that minister."

The public spirit which he inherited from his father, shone forth in him with still superior lustre. To do good was his delight; and his benevolence was not confined within the limits of a sect. To the baptists he was a most generous friend. The society of independents with which he communicated, received distinguished tokens of his bounty. But still more substantial marks of his liberality were conferred on Harvard college, in the Massachusets. By his donations to this American institution, he displayed not only the benevolence of his heart, but the soundness of his judgment and the comprehensiveness of of his views; for what can so extensively promote the happiness of mankind as piety and learning united in the breasts of public teachers"? Still higher praise

d Dr. Wadsworth, the president of Harvard college, thus describes their obligations to Mr. Hollis. He founded two professorships in it, one for divinity, the other for mathematics and natural and experimental philosophy. Out of the income, or interest of his donations, he ordered fourscore pounds per annum in our money to each of his professors, and ten pounds a-piece per annum to poor scholars, of a laudable character, designed for the work of the gospel ministry, as an help to defray the charge of their

is due to Mr. Hollis for those noble principles which gave a preference to that school: it was because it did not, like many of the colleges and universities of Europe, confine its benefits to a privileged sect; but opened wide its doors to all, bade all welcome to its literary advantages, and placed all on a level as candidates for its honours aud degrees.

After being half a century a member of the same church as his father, he died in 1731, in the seventy. second year of his age.

John Hollis, his brother, was from his youth equally eminent as a Christian for his devotional spirit, and his exemplary conduct in every relation. He possessed too the public spirit of the family. He died in 1736, and from his funeral sermon being preached by Dr. Hunt, it appears that he was a member of his church. Three such men confer a glory on a Christian society.

If any of the posterity of Thomas Hollis the elder still remain, under what obligations do they lye to be followers of their excellent progenitors!

education; and twenty pounds per annum to the treasurer of the college for the time being, to reward him for his care and trouble for managing the donations he has sent us. Besides these things, he has given us a curious apparatus for mathematical and philosophical experiments. By this means we have Hebrew and Greek types to be used in printing; and he has at sundry times augmented our college library, with very valuable books, partly of his own gift, and partly by procurement from friends. Indeed his heart was extensively engaged in doing good; in essays to promote God's glory and the welfare of mankind."

e See his funeral sermon by Dr. Hunt, and Crosby's History of Baptists, vol. IV. p. 229.

10

DANIEL DEFOE.

This remarkable man, the author of Robinson Crusoe, was born in London, in 1638. His father whose name was James Foe, being a dissenter, sent his son for education to Mr. Morton's academy at Newington-green, and he was no dishonour to his tutor. Daniel, not liking his paternal name (and certainly it has not a Christian sound) prefixed the syllable De, to give it greater dignity. He entered early iuto business as a hose factor, but was not successful: though unable, however, to satisfy the demands of his creditors, he was acknowledged to have acted in an honourable manner. From 1692, when this reverse in his circumstances took place, during the reign of William and the former part of that of queen Anne, he was in various employments under govern ment. When the union between England and Scotland was in agitation, he was sent down to Edinburgh, where he rendered considerable service in forwarding the important measure. After the accession of the house of Hanover, he was not in any public situation, but subsisted by his pen as a man of letters, which has perhaps in fewer instances than any other employment, been the road to opulence. After seventeen years of literary labour for his support, he died in low circumstances, leaving a numerous family. Mr. Defoe had a soul of peculiar ardour which was constantly engaged in some enterprize, and at times hurried him into excess; but he was a very able and good man, and

He had attained such facility in composition, that he onee wrote two shilling pamphlets in one day; and what was a shilling pamphlet in those days would now cost half-a-crown,