gentlemen of rank in their respective regiments, favoured him with their company at Bankton, and took a dinner with him. He too well foresaw what might happen, amidst such a variety of tempers and characters: And fearing, lest his conscience might have been insnared by a sinful silence, or that, on the other hand, he might seem to pass the bounds of decency, and infringe upon the laws of hospitality, by animadverting on guests so justly intitled to his regard; he happily determined on the following method of avoiding each of these difficulties. As soon as they were come together, he addressed them with a great deal of respect, and yet at the same time, with a very frank and determined air; and told them, that he had the honour in that district to be a justice of the peace, and consequently that he was sworn to put the laws in execution, and, among the rest, those against swearing: That he could not execute them upon others with any confidence, or by any means approve himself as a man of impartiality and integrity to his own heart, if he suffered them to be broken in his presence by persons of any rank whatsoever: And that therefore he intreated all the gentlemen, who then honoured him with their company, that they would please to be upon their guard; and that if any oath or curse should escape them, he hoped, they would consider his legal animadversion upon it, as a regard to the duties of his office and the dictates of his conscience, and not as owing to any want of deference to them. The commanding officer immediately supported him in this declaration, as entirely becoming the station in which he was, assuring him, that he would be ready to pay the penalty, if he inadvertently transgressed; and when Colonel Gardiner on any occasion stepped out of the room, he himself undertook to be the guardian of the law in his absence; and as one of the inferior officers offended during this time, he informed the Colonel, so that the fine was exacted, and given to the poor,* with the universal approbation of the company. The story spread in the neighbourhood, and was perhaps applauded highly by many, who wanted the courage to go and do likewise. But it may be said of the worthy person, of whom I write, with the utmost propriety, that he feared the face of no man living, where the honour of God was concerned. In all * * It is observable, that the money, which was forfeited on this account by his own officers, whom he never spared, or by any others of his soldiers, who rather chose to pay, than submit to corporal punishment, was, by the Colonel's order, laid by in bank, till some of the private men fell sick; and then was laid out, in providing them with proper help and accommodations in their distress. such cases he might be justly said, in scripture phrase, to set his face like a flint; and I assuredly believe, that, had he been in the presence of a sovereign prince, who had been guilty of this fault, his looks at least would have testified his grief and surprise; if he had apprehended it unfit to have borne his testimony any other way. § 94. Lord Cadogan's regiment of dragoons, during the years I have mentioned, while he was Lieutenant Colonel of it, was quartered in a great variety of places, both in England and Scotland, from many of which I have letters before me; particularly from Hamilton, Air, Carlisle, Hereford, Maidenhead, Leicester, Warwick, Coventry, Stamford, Harborough, Northampton, and several other places, especially in our inland parts. The natural consequence was, that the Colonel, whose character was on many accounts so very remarkable, had a very extensive acquaintance: And, I believe, I may certainly say, that where ever he was known by persons of wisdom and worth, he was proportionably respected, and left behind him traces of unaffected devotion, humility, benevolence, and zeal for the support and advancement of religion and virtue. § 95. The equable tenor of his mind in these respects, is illustrated by his letters from several of these places; and though it is but comparatively a small number of them, which I have now in my hands, yet they will afford some valuable extracts; which I shall therefore here lay before my reader, that he may the better judge as to his real character, in particulars, of which I have already discoursed, or which may hereafter occur. 96. In a letter to his Lady, dated from Carlisle, Nov. 19, 1733, when he was on his journey to Herefordshire, he breathes out his cheerful soul in these words: "I bless God, I was never better in my life time; and I wish I could be so happy, as to hear the same of you; or rather, (in other words), to hear that you had obtained an entire trust in God. That would infallibly keep you in perfect peace; for the God of truth hath promised it. Oh, how ought we to be longing to be with Christ, which is infinitely better than any thing we can propose here! To be there, where all complaints shall be for ever banished; where no mountains shall separate between God and our souls: And I hope, it will be some addition to our happiness, that you and I shall be separated no more; but that as we have joined in singing the praises of our glorious Redeemer here, we shall sing them in a much higher key through an endless eternity. Oh eternity, eternity! what a wonderful thought is eternity!" $97. From Leicester, Aug. 6, 1739, he writes thus to his Lady, "Yesterday I was at the Lord's Table, where you and the children were not forgotten: But how wonderfully was I assisted when I came home, to plead for you all with many tears!" And then, speaking of some intimate friends, who were impatient, as I suppose by the connection, for his return to them, he takes occasion to observe the necessity "of endeavouring to compose our minds, and to say with the Psalmist, My soul, wait thou only upon God." Afterwards, speaking of one of his children, of whom he heard that he made a commendable progress in learning, he expresses his satisfaction in it, and adds, "But how much greater joy would it give me, to hear that he was greatly advanced in the school of Christ? Oh that our children may but be wise to salvation; and may grow in grace, as they do in stature!" $98. These letters, which to so familiar a friend evidently lay open the heart, and shew the ideas and affections which were lodged deepest there, are sometimes taken up with an account of sermons, he had attended, and the impression they had made upon his mind. I shall mention one only, as a specimen of many more, which was dated from a place called Cohorn, April 15. "We had here a minister from Wales, who gave us two excellent discourses on the love of Christ to us, as an argument to engage our love to him. And indeed, next to the greatness of his love to us, methinks there is nothing so astonishing, as the coldness of our love to him. Oh that he would shed abroad his love upon our hearts by his Holy Spirit, that ours might be kindled into a flame! May God enable you to trust in him, and then you will be kept in perfect peace!" § 99. We have met with many traces of that habitual gratitude to the blessed God, as his heavenly Father and constant friend, which made his life probably one of the happiest, that ever was spent on earth. I cannot omit one more, which appears to me the more worthy of notice, as being a short turn in as hasty a letter, as any I remember to have seen, of his, which he wrote from Leicester in June 1739, "I am now under the deepest sense of the many favours, the Almighty has bestowed upon me: surely you will help me to celebrate the praise of our gracious God and kind benefactor." This exuberance of grateful affection, which, while it was almost every hour pouring itself forth before God in the most genuine and emphatical language, felt itself still, as it were, straitened for want of a sufficient vent, and therefore called on others to help him with their concurrent praises, appears to me the most glorious and happy state, in which a human soul can find itself on this side heaven. § 100. Such was the temper which this excellent man appears to have carried along with him through such a variety of places and circumstances; and the whole of his deportment was suitable to these impressions. Strangers were agreeably struck with his first appearance; there was so much of the Christian, the well-bred man, and the universal friend in it; and as they came more intimately to know him, they discovered, more and more, the uniformity and consistency of his whole temper and behaviour; so that, whether he made only a visit for a few days to any place, or continued there for many weeks or months, he was always beloved and esteemed, and spoken of with that honourable testimony from persons of the most different denominations and parties, which nothing but true sterling worth, if I may be allowed the expression, and that in an eminent degree, can secure. §. 101. Of the justice of this testimony, which I had so often heard from a variety of persons, I myself began to be a witness, about the time, when the last mentioned letter was dated. In this view, I believe, I shall never forget that happy day, June 13, 1739, when I first met him at Leicester. I remember, I happened that day to preach a lecture from Psalm cxix. 158. I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved, because they kept not thy law. I was large in describing that mixture of indignation and grief, strongly expressed by the original word there, with which a good man looks on the daring transgressors of the divine law; and in tracing the causes of that grief, as arising from a regard to the divine honour, and the interest of a Redeemer, and a compassionate concern for the misery, such offenders bring on themselves, and for the mischief, they do to the world about them. I little thought, how exactly I was drawing Colonel Gardiner's character under each of those heads; and I have often reflected upon it as a happy providence, which opened a much speedier way, than I could have expected, to the breast of one of the most amiable and useful friends, which I ever expect to find upon earth. We afterwards sung a hymn, which brought over again some of the leading thoughts in the sermon, and struck him so strongly, that on obtaining a copy of it, he committed it to his memory, and used to repeat it with so forcible an accent, as shewed, how much every line expressed of his very soul. In this view, the reader will pardon my inserting it; especially, as I know not, when I may get time to publish a volume of these serious, though artless composures, which I sent him in manuscript some years ago, and to which I have since made very large additions: Arise, my tenderest thoughts, arise, See the short course of vain delight My God, I feel the mournful scene; And snatch the fire-brands from the flame. But feeble my compassion proves, And can but weep where most it loves: And turn these drops of grief to joy! § 102. The Colonel, immediately after the conclusion of the service, met me in the vestry, and embraced me in the most obliging and affectionate manner, as if there had been a long friendship between us; assured me, that he had, for some years, been intimately acquainted with my writings; and desired, that we might concert measures for spending some hours together, before I left the town. I was so happy, as to be able to secure an opportunity of doing it: And I must leave it upon record, that I cannot recollect, I was ever equally edified by any conversation, I remember to have enjoyed. We passed that evening and the next morning together; and it is impossible for me to describe the impression, which the interview left upon my heart. 'I rode alone all the remainder of the day; and it was my unspeakable happiness, that I was alone, since I could be no longer with him; for I can hardly conceive, what other company would not then have been an incumbrance. The views, which he gave me, even then, (for he began to repose a most obliging confidence in me, though he concealed some of the most extraordinary circumstances of the methods, by which he had been recovered to God and happiness), with those cordial sen |