Part 2 (1/2)
Almighty G.o.d, by whose protection we were preserved the night pa.s.sed, and are here before Thee this morning in health and safety; we dedicate this day, and all the days we have to live to Thy service; resolving, that we will abstain from all evil, that we will take heed to the thing that is right in all our actions, and endeavour to do our duty in that state of life in which Thy Providence has placed us. We would remind ourselves that we are always, wherever we may go, in Thy presence. We would be always in Thy fear; and we beg the continuance of Thy merciful protection, and that Thou would'st guide and keep us in all our ways through Jesus Christ our Lord.
EVENING PRAYER,
Almighty G.o.d, whose continued providence ordereth all things both in Heaven and Earth; Who never slumberest nor sleepest; but hast divided the light from the darkness, and made the day for employment and the night for rest to Thy creatures the inhabitants of the earth: we acknowledge with all thankfulness Thy merciful preservation of us this day, by which we are brought in safety to the evening of it. We implore Thy forgiveness of all the offences which we have been guilty of in it, whether in thought, word, or deed; and desire to have a due sense of Thy goodness in keeping us out of the way of those temptations by which we might have fallen into greater sins, and in preserving us from those misfortunes and sad accidents, common to every day, and which must have befallen many others. We humbly commit ourselves to the same good providence this night, that we may sleep in quiet under Thy protection, and wake, if it be Thy will, in the morning in renewed life and strength.
And we beg the a.s.sistance of Thy grace to live in such a manner, that when the few days and nights which thou shalt allot us in this world be pa.s.sed away, we may die in peace, and finally obtain the resurrection unto eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Almighty G.o.d, Whose tender mercies are over all Thy works, who feedest the fowls of the air and the beasts of the field, and hast given unto us all things that pertain unto life and G.o.dliness, we desire to have our souls possessed with a due sense of Thy blessings, and to show forth our thankfulness by moderation and temperance in the use of them, by being kind and compa.s.sionate to those who are in distress, and by all those good works which Thou hast appointed us to walk in. And we humbly hope we shall at last experience all Thy goodness to us consummate in that future state, which Thou hast prepared for them that love and fear Thee through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
EXTRACT FROM THE MS. COLLECTIONS
_From the MS. Collections of the Rev. W. Cole_, _now in the Library at the British Museum_. _Vol._ 10, _p._ 92, _taken at Bristol in the year_ 1746.
Having done with what is in the Cathedral, let us just step into the Bishop's Palace on the south side of it: and here we cannot help observing the generous Temper of the present worthy prelate; who in a poor Bishop.r.i.c.k of about 500 pounds per ann. has already laid out on building an entire new Palace in the room of the old one which was gone to decay, above 3000 pounds. The small Chapel belonging to the old one is standing; but entirely new fitted up, furnished in an elegant Taste and newly wainscoted and a Tribune from one of his Lords.h.i.+p's rooms to look into it at the west end, over the door which is entirely new. The altar piece is of black marble inlaid with a milk white cross of white marble; which is plain and has a good effect. In the East window over it is a small Crucifix with the B. Virgin and St. John under the Cross weeping, of old gla.s.s; and not very curious. Over the new Door into the Chapel from the Hall, in a void s.p.a.ce made on purpose, is a very old Coat of Gla.s.s of the Arms of Berkly ensigned with a mitre: and this is another reason to make one think that the old Abbey of Bristol gave these arms to their Founder, for their own Coat. I was pleased to find the present Bishop paid such a regard to the memory of the Ancient Abbey and its Founders, as to preserve this old memorial of them with so much care and precaution. A pattern worthy to be imitated in an age, that to my knowledge, in certain places, has not only had such marks of their benefactors taken away in order to get up modern crown gla.s.s; but has also given away and destroyed such memorials of them, as the care of their predecessors for 3 or 400 years have with the utmost grat.i.tude and veneration preserved.
Over the hall chimney-piece, which is preserved with equal care by his Lords.h.i.+p, are the arms of Bishop Wright impaled by his See, and a mitre over them, and R. W. on each side of them; as also Wright impaling per Pale unde six martlets countercharged for Fleetwood.
I don't see his Lords.h.i.+p's Arms in any part of the Palace, which has so just a t.i.tle to have them in every part of it; but however, I shall give them a place here in grat.i.tude to his memory who so well deserves of this place, which, though I have no concern in, nor no acquaintance with his Lords.h.i.+p, yet one always has a value for a grateful and benevolent mind.
The arms of Joseph Butler, Lord Bishop of Bristol and Dean of St. Paul's, are: A. three covered Cups on Bend S, inter two Bendlets engrailed G.
His Lords.h.i.+p was, on the decease of the late Lord Bishop of Hereford, by his Majesty appointed Clerk of the Royal Closet; and it is said that he has also a promise, on the next vacancy, of a translation to the rich See of Durham, which will be well bestowed on a person of his Lords.h.i.+p's large and universal benevolence.
From the same.
Dr. Freeman, speaking of the chapel in the palace at Bristol, told me that he was mentioning the neatness and elegance of it to Bishop Young at Therfield, who told him, that however he might admire the decency and elegance of it, yet upon his waiting, upon some occasion or other, on my Lord Hardwick, his Lords.h.i.+p spoke to him of it, and asked him whether he had not a design of pulling down the cross of marble over the Altar, which he thought was offensive; to which the Bishop replied, that it was probable that he should not have set it up there, but that he should not choose to have it said that Bishop Young had pulled down what Bishop Butler had erected.
STATEMENT CONCERNING THE CHURCH AT KINGSWOOD.
From a MS. in the British Museum. [Add. 9815.]
When the late Lord Bishop of Durham first intended to have a place of Divine Wors.h.i.+p erected in Kings Wood, his Scheme was,--To solicit Subscriptions for building a Chapel, and to give 400 pounds towards the Endowment of it, in order to get the like Sum from the Governors of Q.
Ann's Bounty. And he was pleased to lay his Commands upon me to make Application to persons the most likely to contribute to that good Work.
The report I brought him in Consequence of such Application, was to this Effect, that they highly approved of the pious and charitable design, but disliked the particular Scheme of erecting a Chapel of Ease to the Church of St. Philip and Jacob, as this would not answer the good purposes his Lords.h.i.+p intended; and therefore proposed a Division of the Parish, and the Erection of a new Parish and parish Church.
His observations on this Proposal were the following,--That the intended Chapel in Kings Wood would not have been a Chapel of Ease to Saint Philip and Jacob, but distinct from it, as the Inc.u.mbent would have had nothing farther to do with the Chapel, or the income of it, but barely to nominate the Curate, who from thence forward would have been independent of him: However he thought the Scheme of erecting a new Parish to be much preferable in itself, but was attended with more difficulties; and therefore gave up his own Scheme with pleasure, if the Parties concerned would join their Endeavours to Execute the other.
Upon this occasion He not only permitted, but _ordered_ me to say to all Persons, and in all Companies, that he had allotted a Benefaction of 400 pounds for that Use. And when some of the princ.i.p.al Paris.h.i.+oners had fixed upon the Boundaries of their new intended Parish, and had presented a kind of Pet.i.tion or Memorial to him, To have those limits specified in the intended Act of Parliament, they used the following expressions.
”Whereas it hath been made known unto Us,--That your Lords.h.i.+p hath proposed to endeavour to obtain an Act of Parliament for Dividing the said Parish of St. Philip and Jacob, and for erecting and endowing a Church for the said Paris.h.i.+oners,--And that _you have been pleased to offer a large Subscription thereto_, We therefore with grateful Hearts humbly take this opportunity of tendering you our hearty thanks for this your pious and charitable Intention, and being very desirous that the same may be executed, beg leave to a.s.sure your Lords.h.i.+p, that we will use our best Endeavours for promoting the same, &c.”