TO THE

Evangelical Magazine,

FOR 1801.

MEMOIR OF MR. RUMSEY.

IT is a common remark, and perhaps a true one, that the medical profeffion affords but few examples of diftin guifhed piety. There are, however, fome happy exceptions to this general remark both in the prefent and preceding ages. Although the Gofpel is often rejected by those whofe minds are deeply engaged in philofophical and fcientific pursuits (for not many wife men after the flesh are called) yet we find fome of the most eminent characters in the annals of medicine, whofe piety was as decided as their profeffional fkill was great. Sydenham, Boerhaave, and Baron Haller, who had juftly acquired very diftinguifhed celebrity in phyfic, appear to have been men who feared God, and were not afhamed of the Gospel of Chrift*. The fubject

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*Of Sydenham's religious principles, we have not fo particular an account as of the other two; but a vein of piety may be traced throughout his writings. Boerhaave was a man of a very devotional fpirit. Notwithtanding his extenfive pactice, and the great variety of other engagements, he was conftant in his private devotion, morning and evening, and through his whole life confecrated the first hour every morning to prayer and meditation; and not only declared he thence derived vigour and aptitude for bufinefs, but recommended the fame practice to others. (See Harman's Life of Boerhaave). Of Baron Haller we meet with a very interefting account, in a letter from the pious Mr. Fletcher, late Vicar of Madely, to a nobleman, dated Nyon, December 15, 1779.

Laft year faw the death of three great men of these parts, Rouffeau, Voltaire, and Baron Haller, a fenator of Berne. The laft, who is not much known I think in England, was a great philofopher, a profound politician, and an agreeable poct; but he was particularly famous for his kill in botany, anatomy, and phyfic. This truly great man has given another proof of the truth of Lord Bacon's affertion, that, "although fmatterers in philofophy are often impious, true philofophers are always religious." I have met with an old pious apoftolic clergyman, who was intimate with the Baron, and used to accompany him over the Alps in his rambles after the wonders of nature. "With what pleafure," faid the minifter, "did we admire and adore the wisdom of the God of nature, anti fanctify our researches by the sweet praifes of the God of grace!"-When VOL. IX.

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of the following Memoir, though he moved within a more humble fphere, has left an example well worthy the notice of his profeffional brethren: and a sketch of his life, with a particular account of his laft illness, will be acceptable, it is prefumed, to the readers of the Evangelical Magazine.

Mr. R. was born at Crickowell, in Brecknockshire, in the year 1721, of very refpectable parents; and received his education at an academy in Abergavenny, where he acquired a good claffical knowledge, for which he retained a tafte through life. At how early a period he felt a ferious concern for the state of his foul, we cannot exa&ly fay; but it appears from hints which he occafionally dropped, that he was nearly grown up before he was brought to a knowledge of the way of falvation, through faith in Chrift; although he had previously been regular and moral in his deportment. He conftantly fpake of his being firft awakened under the preaching of the Methodists in Bristol, where he ferved his apprenticeship to an Apothecary (his uncle by his mother's fide, one of the people called Quakers) and lived fome years after.

From the year 1746, when Mr. R. left Bristol, to 1751, he refided in London and its neighbourhood, where he had frequent opportunities of hearing the Gofpel, and of cultivating an acquaintance with perfons of piety, particularly Mr. J. Wefley and Mr. Whitefield. Thefe fcenes he often recalled to his mind in his old age, and spoke of them with evident marks of pleafure. He ufed particularly to mention the fatisfaction which he had enjoyed in hearing Mr. John Cennick, who was at that time a popular preacher in Mr. Whitefield's connexion.

In the year 1751, Mr. R. fettled at Chefham; where he spent the remainder of his life. Although, by the confiftency the Emperor paffed this way, he stabbed Voltaire to the heart, by not paying him a vifit; but he waited on Haller, was two hours with him, and heard from him fuch pious talk as he never heard from half the philofophers of the age. The Baron was then ill of the ditorder which afterwards carried him off. Upon his death-bed he went through fore conflicts about his intereft in Chrift; and fent to the old minifter, requesting his moft fervent prayers, and wifhing him to find the way through the dark valley imoother than he found it himself. However, in his laft moments, he expreffed a renewed confidence in God's mercy, through Chrift, and died in peace. The old clergyman added that he thought the Baren went through this conflict to humble him thoroughly, and, perhaps to chaftife him for having fometimes given way to a degree of felf-complacence at the thought of his "amazing parts, and of the refpect they procured him from the learned world. He was obliged to become laft in his own eyes, that he might become first, and truly great, in the fight of the Lord.""

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of his conduct, he might be faid eventually to live down reproach, yet he had at firft much oppofition to endure, on account of his religious profeffion. His experience convinced him of the truth of the apostle's words, that "all who will live godly in Chrift Jefus, muft fuffer perfecution;" and he was determined to take his lot with the people of God. In fpeaking of his religious fentiments, we may fay that he was not driven about by every wind of doctrine. He maintained a steady attachment to the doctrines of grace. By is obfervation on mankind, and by the experience of his own heart, but above all, by diligently examining the oracles of truth, he was fully convinced of the doctrines of the fall; of the recovery of man from this lapfed and ruined condition by the atonement of Jefus Chrift; of the neceffity of the influences of the Holy Spirit, to purify the affections, and to enable us to lead holy lives; thefe were truths which he cordially embraced. In points of lefs moment, fuch as modes of worship, and forins of church government, the fource in many ages of fo much bitter contention among chriftians; as alfo in thofe doctrines which are not effential to falvation, he held his opinions with modefty and candour; poffeffing a mind fuperior to bigotry or narrow prejudice, his heart glowed with warm affection towards the people of God of every denomination; for party-diftinctions had very little weight with him. But although Mr. R. evinced a truly catholic fpirit, he certainly felt a predilection for the church of England, in whose communion he lived more than half a century, and conti nued to the end of his days.

Mr. R's love of the truth was alfo evinced by his manner of hearing. He heard with a fingle eye to edification. If the preacher manifefted a zeal for the glory of God and the good of fouls, and declared the truth as it is in Jefus, he was by no means inclined to criticize his style or manner. In converfation with a religious friend, a few weeks before his death, he obferved, "I love the plain Gofpel; and whether it comes from a filver trumpet or a ram's horn, it is indifferent to me." Many hearers are apt to take offence when the minifter endeavours to prefs on the confcience the neceffity of holiness of heart and life; but Mr. R. preferred faithful preaching; and used to say, "I am never afraid of a minifter's being too clofe."- His religion was an inward active principle implanted in his heart by divine grace, productive of good works. His manners were mild, and his general difpofition and deportment modest and unaffuming

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affuming and at the fame time that he was eminent for his piety, he was not lefs remarkable for an even and cheerful flow of fpirits. A love of peace, difinterefted benevolence, humility and integrity, formed very prominent features in his character; and he was kind, tender-hearted, and forgiving. When acts of ingratitude or unkindness were met with, the obfervation he often made was, "I never knew any good arife from indulging a spirit of retaliation."

Although Mr. R. was immediately called upon to cure the body, yet he was not backward in admir fftering fpiritual advice to the foul. And when he obferved the children of God weighed down by affliction, or haraffed by doubts and fears, he often comforted their minds by droping a word in feafon. Having his affections fet on things above, his defire for worldly poffeffions was moderate. Neither fenfual indulgence, the accumulation of riches, nor the acquifition of fame, were the predominant pafhors of his mind on the contrary, his chief concern was to be useful in his generation, to fecure the falvation of his foul, and to live to the glory of God. Perfection, however, is not to be expected in this imperfect ftate, "The very beft of men are but men at the beft." The impartiality of the inspired biographers in recording the blemishes, as well as excellen¬ cies, of the faints, was a circumftance Mr.R. very frequently noticed; and were it poffible to feel uneafy fenfations in paradife, it would grieve his happy spirit if he knew that the life he spent on earth were reprefented as finlefs. The writer therefore feels it his duty to observe, that Mr. R. difcovered through life too great a warmth and irritability of temper; which might be called the fin which moft eafily befet him. The real chriftian, inftead of palliating his conftitutional fins, or lightly attributing them to the common infirmities of nature, feels them his greatest burthen, and confeffes them before his Maker with unfeigned contrition. And fuch was truly the cafe with Mr. R.

An attention to relative duties procured him the esteem of his whole family. To the character of a tender husband, an affectionate parent, and kind mafter, he added that of a prieft in his own family; adopting the noble refolution of Jofhua," As for me and my houfe, we will ferve the Lord." He accordingly made it a rule to obferve, familyprayers, morning and evening. From the very uncertain nature of his profeffional engagements, this order was frequently infringed upon; but he never felt himself so com fortable as when he could begin and end the day with

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