SERMONS,

BY THE LATE

REV. BENJAMIN SCOTT, M. A.

VICAR OF BIDFORD AND PRIOR'S SALFORD,
WARWICKSHIRE.

EDITED

BY THE REV. THOMAS SCOTT, M. A,

PERPETUAL CURATE OF GAWCOTT,

BUCKS.

BUCKINGHAM,

PRINTED AND SOLD BY R. CHANDLER;

SOLD ALSO BY MESSRS. SEELEY, 169, FLEET-STREET;
AND MESSRS. HATCHARD, PICCADILLY.

MDCCCXXXI.

588.

PREFACE BY THE EDITOR.

MY lamented brother, the writer of the following sermons, was the youngest son of the late Rev. Thomas Scott, Rector of Aston Sandford, Bucks, well known as a commentator on the Holy Scriptures, and as the author of many other theological works. My brother was born April 29, 1788. Having received his education first under his excellent father, and subsequently at Queen's College, Cambridge, he entered the ministry as assistant to the Rev. Edward Burn, at St. Mary's, Birmingham. He afterwards removed to Redditch, and from thence to Great Harborough, a small village near Rugby in Warwickshire. During twelve years' residence on this curacy, he received many tokens of the most kind and liberal regard from the Dowager Lady Skipwith, of Newbold Hall, in the adjoining parish, by

whom, in the latter part of the year 1828, he was presented to the vicarages of Bidford and Prior's Salford.

He had scarcely entered on the duties of these populous and interesting parishes, when he was visited with a most overwhelming affliction, in the death of his beloved wife, which happened immediately after the birth of her seventh child. Her bereaved husband was left with this large family, in a state of the deepest distress, aggravated by the circumstance of two of the children being subjects of hopeless mental imbecility; the new-born infant also soon shewing but too certain indications that it would be a sharer in the same calamity. Though no murmuring, or repining language escaped the lips of my afflicted brother, under this accumulation of sorrows, yet his heart was evidently wounded within him; he had received a stroke from which it was feared, by his most intimate friends, it would be long before he sufficiently recovered to attend to the concerns either of his family or his parish. It was therefore with much satisfaction they learned that he was forming, (perhaps in some degree at their suggestion) in the early part of the year 1830, a second matrimonial alliance, in every respect suited to promote his own comfort and usefulness, as well as the best interests of his family and people.

But how mysterious are the ways of Providence! Just rising from these depths of depression, and recovering his natural spirits, my brother and his new and excellent associate

were engaging with delight, in various plans for the temporal and spiritual good of his parishioners; an employment rendered peculiarly pleasing by the affection with which he was hailed by his people, and the cordial support they gave to all he attempted and no doubt many were the cheering hopes which were at that time presented to his view. But we "know not what a day may bring forth!" In the beginning of the month of August, he was suddenly taken ill, in a manner which at first excited some apprehensions, but the disease seeming readily to yield to medicine, all alarm subsided; and as nothing apparently remained but debility, he was advised to take an excursion to the sea coast. Accordingly, on Monday, August 23d, he left home in an open chaise, for Aberys, with, accompanied by Mrs. Scott and a man servant.

He arrived on the afternoon of the following Thursday, among the bleak hills of Radnorshire. Hitherto the effects of his journey appeared to be highly beneficial, and he had been just remarking to Mrs. Scott, that he seemed to improve in health every mile, when he was seized with violent sickness and agonizing pain in his stomach. His own impression was that he was dying; and it was with much difficulty that he could be carried forward to a small inn in the little village of Llandegley, between New Radnor and Pen-y-bont. Though the violence of the first symptoms in some degree abated, he was fully aware that the disease was sent to remove him from this present world. The thought, however, produced no