Page images
PDF
EPUB

MEMOIRS

OF THE LATE

REVEREND DR. PHILIP DODDRIDGE.

CHAP. I.

Dr. Doddridge's Birth, Education, early Diligence and Piety. I CANNOT trace the family from which Dr. Doddridge sprung very far back ;* nor is it material. Wise and good men lay very little stress on any hereditary honours, but those which arise from the piety and usefulness of their ancestors. Of what profession his great grandfather was I cannot learn; but he had a brother, John Doddridge, who was bred to the law, and made a considerable figure in the reign of king James I. by whom he was knighted and made one of the judges of the court of king's bench. He wrote several learned treatises in his professiont. He left an estate of about two

The family from which Dr. Doddridge descended, appears to have been originally settled in Devonshire.-K.

He was born at or near Barnstable, in Devonshire, and educated at Exeter College, in Oxford; from whence he removed to the Middle Temple, where he became so eminent in the practice of the common law, that he was first made serjeant at law to Prince Henry, then solicitor-general to king James I; after that, principal serjeant at law to the said king in 1607, and knighted the next year. In 1612 he was constituted one of the justices of the common pleas, and afterwards second judge of the king's bench, where he spent the rest of his days, being 17 years. He was so general a scholar, that it is hard to say, whether he were a better artist, philosopher, divine, common or civil lawyer. He had likewise the character of a person of great integrity and courage, being perfectly proof against interest and fear. He died at Forsters, near Egham, in Surrey, Sept. 13, 1628, about the 73d year of his age; and according to his desire, was interred in the Lady-Chapel of ExeterCathedral, where there is a handsome monument erected to his memory, on which his effigies is lively pourtrayed in alabaster, in his scarlet gown and robes, and a court-roll in his hand. In an escutcheon are his arms, sc. argent, two pales wavy, azure, between nine cross croslets, gules; with this epitaph inscribed,

Learning, adieu; for Doderidge is gone

To fix his earthly to a heavenly throne:
Rich urn of learned dust! scarce can be found
More worth inshrined in six foot of ground.

NVnC oblIt DoDerIgVs JV DeX.

Izacke's Antiquities of Exeter, p. 151, 152. Fuller's Worthies, and Athen, Oxon, where a list of his works may be seen.

thousand pounds per annum, whether hereditary or acquired I cannot learn; but it was lost out of the family in the time of the civil wars. The Doctor's father, as eldest surviving branch of the family, was heir at law to it, and often urged by his friends to attempt to regain it; but through an apprehension of the great hazard and expence attending the attempt, he chose to decline it. The Doctor sometimes acknowledged the good providence of God, in so ordering events, that the estate never came into his father's possession; as it would then have descended to him at a time of life, when, through the natural warmth and gaiety of his temper, it might have been his ruin.

The Doctor's grandfather was John Doddridge, who was educated for the ministry at the university of Oxford. He was minister of Shepperton in Middlesex, and was ejected from thence August 24, 1662, by the act of uniformity. Dr. Calamy, in his Account of the Ejected Ministers, gives him this character, that "he was an ingenious man and a scholar, an acceptable preacher, and a very peaceable divine.*" Some of his sermons, which I have seen, shew him to have been a judicious and serious preacher. This his grandson, in a letter to a friend, saith of him, "he had a family of ten children unprovided for; but he quitted his living, which was worth to him about two hundred pounds per annum, rather than he would violate his conscience, in the manner he must have done, by submitting to the subscriptions and declarations required, and the usages imposed, by the act of uniformity, contrived by some wicked politicians to serve their own interest, and most effectually to humble those, who had been most active in that general struggle for public liberty, in which the family of the Stuarts had fallen." His funeral sermon was preached by one Mr. Marriot, September 8, 1689; from thence it appears that he had preached to a congregation at or near Brentford, that he died suddenly, and was much respected and beloved by his people.

The Doctor's father, Daniel Doddridge, was brought up to trade, and was an oil-man in London; he had a very large family, all of which died young, but one daughter+, and the

*Vol. ii. p. 664.

+She married Mr. John Nettleton, a dissenting minister at Ongar, in Essex, and died in the year 1734. She was a lady of distinguished good sense and piety, and bore some heavy afflictions with great patience and tranquility; under which her brother behaved to her with the greatest tenderness, and even while at the academy, and in his first settlement, generously contributed all he could spare out of his small stock for her assistance.

Doctor, who was the twentieth and last child of his father's marriage. His mother was the daughter of the reverend Mr. John Bauman, of Prague, in Bohemia. This worthy confessor, foreseeing the troubles, which so soon followed the expulsion of Frederick, Elector-Palatine, left his native country about the year 1626. He was then but just come to age, and quitted a considerable estate, and all his friends, for liberty of conscience. He withdrew in the habit of a peasant, on foot, carrying with him nothing but a hundred broad pieces of gold, plaited in a leathern girdle*, and a Bible of Luther's translation, which the Doctor had. He spent some time at Saxe-Gotha, and other parts of Germany, and came to England, in what year is uncertain, with ample testimonials from many of the principal divines in Germany. He was made master of the free school at Kingston upon Thames. He died about the year 1668, and left one daughter, afterwards Mrs. Doddridge, then a little child. The Doctor thought it a great honour to be descended from these suffering servants of Christ, who had made such sacrifices to conscience and liberty. The care of providence over them and their families was remarkable: For though none of their descendants were rich and great, yet they were all comfortably and honourably supported.

Dr. Doddridge was born in London, June 26, 1702. At his birth he shewed so little sign of life, that he was thrown aside as dead. But one of the attendants, thinking she perceived some motion or breath, took that necessary care of him, upon which, in those tender circumstances, the feeble flame of life depended, which was so near expiring, as soon as it was kindled. He had from his infancy an infirm constitution, and a thin consumptive habit, which made him, and his friends apprehensive, that his life would be very short: And therefore

* It is observable, that he unhappily left his girdle behind him at the inn in which he lay, the first night after the commencement of his journey; and, not being used to such a cincture, did not miss it, till he came to his inn the next evening. He immediately went back to his former lodgings, with the united painful apprehensions of being met by pursuers, and unable to recover his substance. When he arrived at the inn, he enquired of the chamber-maid, if she had seen a girdle, he had left in his chamber? She told him she saw it, but imagining it of no value, she had thrown it away and could not recollect where. After having told her, that he had a great value for his old belt, that it would be very useful to him in the long journey he had before him, and promised her a reward if she found it, she searched diligently, and at length found it in a hole under the stairs, where the family used to throw their worn-out useless furniture. The good man received his girdle with great joy, and pursued his journey with thankfulness to providence for its recovery, and often spoke of it to his friends, as a wonderful and seasonable mercy.

[blocks in formation]

I find him frequently, especially on the returns of his Birthday, expressing his wonder and thankfulness that he was so long preserved. He was brought up in the early knowledge of religion by his pious parents, who were, in their character, yery worthy their birth and education. I have heard him relate, that his mother taught him the history of the Old and New Testament, before he could read, by the assistance of some Dutch Tiles in the chimney of the Room, where they commonly sat: And her wise and pious reflections upon the stories there represented, were the means of making some good impressions upon his heart, which never wore out: And therefore this method of instruction he frequently recommended to parents.He was first initiated in the elements of the learned languages under one Mr. Stott, a minister, who taught a private school in London. In the year 1712 he was removed to Kingstonupon-Thames, to the school, which his grandfather Bauman, had taught, and continued there till the year 1715. During this period he was remarkable for piety and diligent application to learning. His father died July 17, 1715, upon which he made this reflection, "God is an immortal Father. My soul rejoiceth in him. He has hitherto helped me and provided for me. May it be my study to approve myself a more affectionate, grateful, dutiful child!" That his mother likewise died when he was young, appears from a passage in his sermon to young people, intitled, The Orphan's Hope, "I am under some peculiar obligations to desire and attempt the relief of orphans, as I know the heart of an orphan; having been deprived of both my parents at an age, in which it might reasonably be supposed a child should be most sensible of such a loss*.'

[ocr errors]

About the time of his Father's death he was removed to a private school at St Albans, under the care of a worthy and learned master, Mr. Nathaniel Wood. Here he was so happy as to commence his first acquaintance with Mr. (afterwards Dr.) Samuel Clark, minister of the dissenting congregation there; to whom, under God, he owed his capacities and opportunities of service in the church. For, while he continued at St. Albans, the person, into whose hands the care of his affairs fell after his father's death, proved so imprudent, as to waste the whole of his own and Mr. Doddridge's substance. Dr. Clark was an entire stranger to him; but, with that condescension and benevolence, for which he was remarkable, he took notice of him, and when he heard of his necessities, diligence and seriousness, stood in the place

* Sermon v.

of a Father to him. Had not providence raised him up such a generous friend, he could not have been carried on in the course of his studies. And I hope the wonderful kindness of God to him in this respect, will be considered by orphans as an encouragement to commit themselves to that ever-gracious being, in whom the fatherless findeth mercy.

During his residence at St. Albans he began to keep a diary of his life, in the year 1716: From thence it appears, that he kept an exact account how he spent his time, took great pains to improve his understanding, and make himself master of the several lectures and books, which he was taught. He likewise set himself to do good to his school-fellows, by assisting them in their studies, introducing religious discourse, strengthening any good dispositions, which he saw in them, and encouraging and assisting at social meetings for prayer, especially on the Lord's-day. When he was walking alone in the fields, he either read, or reflected upon what he had read; and would sometimes, in his walks, call upon poor ignorant persons at their houses, give them a little money out of his own small allowance, converse seriously with them, read to them and lend them books. He often mentions the great satisfaction he felt in his own mind in consequence of these attempts to serve them, especially in their best interest, and some instances, in which he had reason to hope they had not been vain.-As he had then the ministry in view, besides his application to the languages, he read portions of the scriptures every morning and evening, with some commentary upon them; and this was seldom neglected, whatever were his school-business, avocations or amusements. He recorded the substance and design of the sermons he heard, what impression they made upon his heart, what resolutions he formed in consequence of them, and what in the preacher he was most desirous of imitating. It was his signal felicity to have so kind and experienced a friend as Dr. Clark, to direct him in these important concerns.

pre

On February 1, 1718-19, he was admitted to the Lord'ssupper with the church under Dr. Clark's care, who had taken much pains to give him right notions of that ordinance, and pare him for it. His own reflections upon it will shew the seriousness of his Spirit in that early part of life; and I hope, be an encouragement to young christians to make a solemn dedication of themselves to the Lord in that ordinance. "I rose early this morning, read that part of Mr. Henry's book on the Lord's supper, which treats of due approach to it. I endeavoured to excite in myself

« PreviousContinue »