CHAPTER III.

Derry Hill.

AT this period the Diary ceases, and was not regularly resumed until January, 1844. In the interval many changes naturally occurred.

In April, 1840, he left Gatcombe. He was led to this step by the impossibility of finding a dwelling, in even the smallest cottage, in the village; and my husband had set his heart on residing amongst his people.

The Bishop of Winchester expressed a wish that so valuable a clergyman should not leave his Diocese; but, after vainly seeking for a suitable Curacy, and having for a few weeks taken the charge of St. John's, Guernsey, he turned his steps towards Wiltshire, in which county, by the providence of God, he was to end his earthly career.

In the October of this year my husband was appointed by the Rev. John Guthrie, Vicar of Calne, to the Incumbency of Christ's Church, Derry Hill: a new district which had been recently formed from five neighbouring parishes. The church was consecrated on Oct. 27th, 1840, as the following entry in the Diary records :

"On October 27, 1840, Christ Church, Derry Hill, was consecrated by the Bishop of Salisbury, who preached an excellent discourse, on the duty of spiritual intercourse between a pastor and his flock. May God write it deeply on the heart of His poor servant, who has been appointed to this charge; and may a blessing come to a multitude by my words. Lord, help me; quicken Thy servant. May the grace of Christ abound in me, with all wisdom. bold, make me full of hearty love for my Redeemer." Schools and a Parsonage were already contemplated, but

Make me

for some months we resided in Calne. It was during this period that my husband, having much leisure time after his daily visit to Derry Hill, wrote a small work on the fore-knowledge of God, and His Sovereign disposal of all, in connection with the free agency and responsibility of men; it was entitled "Truth on both Sides," and had for its object "to lead man to bow before the wisdom of God, and to receive every revealed doctrine, without prying into things which are not seen." This little publication was never widely known.

The late Bishop of Salisbury (Dr. Denison) kindly permitted the volume to be dedicated to himself, and, in acknowledging a copy sent, wrote as follows:

Having read the book you were kind enough to send me, I am better able to thank you for it, and to say that I see nothing to make me regret the permission I gave you to connect my name with it; on the contrary, I have derived much gratification from its scriptural faithfulness, and from the candour and piety with which you aim at vindicating the truths of the Divine Word, while you admit that the reason of man is not able fully to explain, or reconcile, them."

The district of Derry Hill contained a population of 1500. The people had been neglected, and pastoral visiting was unknown. The Sundays were sadly desecrated, and the general state of morals so depraved that nothing but a Church, with a resident Minister, could give hope for a better condition of things. The late Lady Lansdowne was the only person who had cared for the sick and aged.

Even by this people the opening of "Our new Church" was looked forward to with pleasure; the adding of stone to stone had given them an interest in that building, and when the time for consecration arrived, the inhabitants of the district gladly availed themselves of the opportunity afforded to them of worshipping in the House of God.

My husband divided his district into five portions, and his habit was daily to visit in one or other of them, from house to house, including in his visits all classes amongst his parishioners.

The demoralised and vicious naturally objected to these visits, and, in the early period of his ministry, it was usual in such cases to find the door locked, and to see the inhabitants peering out of the windows and watching his movements; but this feeling lasted only for a season; a fire in part of the district, a very severe winter, and, above all, the gentle kindness of my husband's manner, soon won their confidence, and long before he left Derry Hill many of the families who had carefully avoided his visits, were amongst the number of those who most eagerly welcomed him to their homes. At his suggestion, family prayer was generally adopted, and the most careless and profane testified their respect for his warnings, by appearing at church when personally urged to do so.

The late Rev. George Majendie, being Rural Dean, was appointed to institute my husband to Derry Hill, a part of whose character it was to connect the outward form with the principle from which it proceeded. I think it probable that the seriousness of his manner attracted Mr. Majendie's attention; be this as it may, from that time an affectionate intercourse existed between the two till death divided them.

This friendship materially influenced my husband's views on doctrinal points. An entry in the Diary, dated June 2nd, refers to this change; and, from this period, his faith became more settled, his life more holy, and his peace more abiding.

This friendship, which mutually yielded so much comfort and joy, was shortly, as far as this life is concerned, to terminate. Mr. Majendie, in the prime of life, surrounded by a happy domestic circle, blessed with ample means,

which he used to the glory of God, and with a chastened and well cultivated mind, was verging on eternity: the angel of death was hovering over him. He left his home, to preach in Salisbury Cathedral, and never returned to it again. The summons, although sudden and unexpected, found Mr. Majendie prepared; and in his dying hour, he gave a touching proof of his love to my husband, by requesting Mrs. Majendie to contribute, in his name, £50 towards the building of a school at Derry Hill.

The following letters were written to Mrs. Majendie : the first, on hearing of the death of her husband; the second, on receiving the account of his loving act towards Derry Hill schools:

"My dear Friend,

"I must write you a line, though I scarcely know how to do so.

6

"Our only reasoning is Thy will be done.' The Christian is not dead, but sleepeth.

"He has slept in Jesus. He will rest in the bosom of Abraham, till the morning of the resurrection, when he will wake, and live, and we all shall die no more for ever. The early Christians denied themselves in sorrow, lest others should say they practically doubted the resurrection. The dear departed is still spiritually as alive as ever; dead, truly, to this world, but alive unto God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

"And this world is a shadow; and in Paradise he is with Christ. His state alone is altered; when he was present with us, he was absent from the Lord; and now that he is absent from us, he is present with the Lord. And yet, even now, is he spiritually united to us, for we have come, by faith, to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the spirits of just men made perfect.' For you, my friend, may God console you. He has pledged himself to be a God

We are wedded to Christ immortal Father. Hang He can do everything.

of the widow and the fatherless. Who ever liveth; we have an upon God. Cling to Christ. When you feel weakest, look to Jesus, and you shall be able to say, 'I can do all things, through Christ which strengtheneth me.' If we can feel so strongly for you, what can Christ, of whom the Scripture says, 'In all our afflictions He was afflicted.' My beloved wife's affectionate sympathy and regard.

"Ever your friend,

"STAFFORD BROWN."

The following extract is from the second of the two letters to which I have referred::

"This noble benefaction of your husband comes most opportunely, and enables me to make an immediate beginning. Thus hath God prospered us. When we see the schools, if we are spared to see them, what a standing monument shall be here, close to our house and the house of God, to remind us of our friend's munificence, though indeed we could never have forgotten him. I consider him our friend as much as ever. Life or death makes no difference in Christian friendship. He is still alive to God, and a living member of the fellowship of saints. I have just given thanks, at my morning prayers, for God's great mercy, in putting it into the heart of our friend thus to help us in our difficulties.

"How delightful, that one of his last acts was one, not only of friendship and love, but which we may earnestly trust shall be to the Divine glory, and to the benefit of souls.

"What a sweet account you give of his death bed-one which truly warms my heart, when I read of his perfect peace, and of his ardent love. I am to minister to his flock at Heddington next Sunday afternoon; when I was going to minister to it some time ago, he said, 'I shall be