honoured the Lord with his substance, assisting the poor by his bounty, and liberally supporting the various benevolent institutions that claimed his help.

At this period, however, and up to the year 1816, he was not a member of any religious society, nor a partaker of experimental salvation. His character was unblemished, his conduct exemplary. He had sittings for himself and his servants in the City-road Chapel, which he attended with becoming regularity. Though not in possession of experimental religion, he practised many of its external duties, and had a profound respect for all its obligations, so far as he understood them; but now the period was drawing near when the good seed sown into his heart by the ministry of the word, and watered by the tears and prayers of a pious mother, should quicken into life and bring forth the fruits of conversion and genuine holiness.

On the 6th of January, 1816, his devout and excellent mother was called to her eternal reward, and this event renewed and deepened his religious impressions. The prayers she had so fervently offered during her life were signally answered shortly after her death; for her Richard became a child of God. Immediately after the loss of his beloved mother, we find him deeply convinced of sin, and for several months he laboured under great distress of mind. He now plainly saw, that neither correct moral conduct, nor almsgiving, nor an outward respect for religious ordinances, could entitle him to the Divine favour-that his heart was depraved, his life guilty, and his condition one of awful condemnation and danger.

In this state of mind he attended every means of grace, hoping to find the Friend of Sinners; and on the 17th of September, 1816, about nine months after his mother's death, he obtained salvation, and received a conscious assurance of the Divine favour. "He was now

so happy," observes one who knew him at the time, "he was now so happy that it was delightful to be near him." The love of God was shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost, and he was filled with peace, consolation, and joy. The holy gratitude and love of his newborn soul now constrained him to ask, "What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits?" And the response was practically furnished by a life of devotedness to God's service, and zealous labours, as well as benevolent sacrifices to advance his glory. Says one who knew him then, "He now began to work in earnest for the Lord who had done so much for him." The death of his mother, too, had left to his possession more abundant pecuniary means, and augmented his resources for doing good both to the souls and bodies of men. additional talents he eagerly employed to honour the God of his salvation.

These

At that period, 1817, Methodism was small and feeble in Islington; indeed, there was neither Methodist chapel nor preaching room in that locality, nor in any place nearer than the City Road Chapel. This state of spiritual destitution moved the heart of Mr. Barford, and he resolved, if possible, to have it supplied. Therefore, associating three or four others with himself, he took a large house in White Lion Street for the double purpose of a Sunday-school and a preaching-room; these devoted men sustaining the entire responsibility of the expense themselves, and labouring to render the place a blessing to the

neighbourhood. Mr. Barford was appointed superintendent and treasurer of the Sunday-school, offices which he held for a number of years; and many will have to praise God through all eternity for his labours in connection with that institution. So signally was the blessing of God imparted to this home missionary enterprise that, in the course of a few years, the place was found too small to accommodate either the children who attended as scholars, or the adults who crowded the place to hear the gospel; and it was absolutely necessary to look out for a site on which to erect a commodious chapel and Sabbath schools. In this juncture Mr. Barford's disinterestedness and generosity were again conspicuous; for, as the only way to obtain a suitable freehold site was to purchase an entire estate in the Liverpool Road, which was then offered for a large sum of money, Mr. Barford, at great personal inconvenience, borrowed the whole amount, and having secured the site, then sold on liberal terms a front portion of the land to trustees for the erection of a suitable chapel. This transpired in or about the year 1824, and thus a handsome place of worship in the Liverpool Road became the home of a large and flourishing church, and the head of a circuit in that locality, arising chiefly from his pious and benevolent exertions.*

Mr. Barford continued connected with that church until the year 1835, labouring earnestly, prayerfully, and generously for the advancement of the cause of God, and had the happiness of seeing much good accomplished. Somewhat prior to this period, however, a great and exciting controversy had arisen in the Wesleyan body on the subject of Conference power and authority. Mr. Barford, though a man of peace and of earnest labour, and caring more for precious souls than for church polity, yet felt it his duty to take his place among the opponents of Conference rule, which he did with his characteristic decision and inflexibility of purpose. When he saw that no change was likely to be effected in the Wesleyan polity, he could not in conscience either continue in the body or unite with those who had resolved to originate the Wesleyan Association. To this course indeed he was opposed on principle; and, as he saw that our own Connexion embodied every element of rational and scriptural liberty, combined with all the doctrines and appliances of Methodism, he felt it a sacred duty to unite with our body. This step he never regretted, but rejoiced in the change he had made. He most cordially approved of every part of our system, and most thoroughly identified himself with all our institutions. He loved our ministry and friends so far as he knew them with fervent affection. He laboured to the utmost of his ability to promote the welfare of the Connexion, and afforded many practical and substantial proofs of his ardent attachment.

There was no field of labour in which Mr. Barford felt more at home than among the young. This was one of his earliest spheres of usefulness, and one of the last which occupied the attention of his sainted spirit before he left earth for the world of glory. It was indeed well adapted to his childlike simplicity, his affectionate disposition, his kind condescending manner, and his remarkable aptitude to

* The first chapel was burnt down after a few years, but it was soon succeeded by the present handsome structure—an ornament to the situation, and a blessing to the neighbourhood.

instruct and impress the youthful mind. It was his custom for a number of years to take with him on the Sabbath afternoon one, two, or three of the elder scholars to tea at his house, in order that he might secure their affection, and find special opportunities for conversing with them on the subject of personal religion. All who knew him bore testimony to his great success in the Sabbath schools. While his pleasing conversational lectures on moral duty, on diligence, and industry, on speaking the truth, on obedience to parents, on searching the Scriptures, and above all, on experimental religion, were exceedingly attractive and interesting to the young, they were deeply impressive and often savingly effectual. Repeatedly has our venerable friend been owned and greeted, as he passed along the streets, by those who appeared for a moment to be strangers to him, but who soon discovered themselves to be his old scholars grown out of his recollection, and who then embraced the opportunity of testifying that his instructions had never been effaced from their memories and hearts, but had followed them until the grace of God had converted their souls; and as the consequence thereof they were now elevated in the scale of society, and were occupying spheres of usefulness. There are at this day Wesleyan ministers, and many others, distinguished as devoted servants of Christ in that body, who ascribe their first religious impressions to his pious efforts in the Sabbath school. Only a short time before his death the Rev. John Hall, the superintendent of the Liverpool-road Circuit, called upon Mr. Barford and made special reference to the gracious fruits of his labours when he was the superintendent of the Wesleyan School in Islington. The teachers and friends of each school in the London Circuit will long remember with gratitude and affection his venerable presence, his simple, touching, and impressive addresses to the young, and his yearning anxiety for their salvation. Indeed he interested himself in the welfare of all the schools in the Connexion, so far as his influence could reach them, for their good. When at home, it was his custom to visit one school each Sabbath day, if health permitted, and when journeying to our Conferences, as he usually did in his own carriage; or when taking his summer's excursion as he was wont to do, occupying several weeks in his tour, it was his custom to visit our Sabbath schools in each town where he stopped, when he would address the scholars in his own simple and affectionate manner, examine them as to their attainments in scriptural knowledge, encourage the teachers in their arduous duties, and often leave behind him a substantial proof of his interest in the funds of the institution. The last Sabbath on which he was able to be out, only a few days prior to his death, he employed an early hour in his usual work, a visit to the Sabbath school.

Our beloved and venerable friend was thoroughly Connexional, and deeply sympathized with all our public as well as local movements. When the beautiful chapel in Britannia Fields was erected, he cheerfully contributed the sum of £500, on condition that his favourite institution the Sabbath school should be included in its erection. The rapid rise and progress of our cause in that place afforded him the highest satisfaction; and he used to say that the £500 he had contributed towards the erection of that chapel was the best laid-out money he had ever

expended; and it must be to us all a source of grateful reflection that he was spared to see the blessed results of his generosity before he was called away to his eternal rest.

Of the Chapel Fund he was a zealous promoter and a generous benefactor, subscribing annually £5 to its support, besides aiding in the counsels of the committee, of which he was for many years the treasurer, and lending his name as security for large sums of money, to raise funds for aiding our various trust estates in the Connexion. In fact, his heart was set upon working effectual relief to all our chapels throughout the denomination, and on rendering their income sources of revenue for aiding our circuits in their local expenditure, and for extending the Connexion to other parts of the kingdom. To this end he gave at one time £300, at another £200 to the Chapel Fund, and in his will we find £700 more left to aid this important institution.

At the late Conference, he felt that increasing years and infirmities rendered it his duty to resign his connection with the chapel committee, and the Conference, on reluctantly accepting his resignation, passed the following resolution :

"The Members of this Conference have heard with deep regret that our beloved and valued friend, Richard Barford, Esq., has been obliged, by increasing infirmities, to retire from his Membership of the Chapel Committee, a place to which he has been elected for many successive years, and which he has filled with so much generosity and advantage to the Connexion; and they cannot but take this opportunity of expressing their sympathy with him in his declining days, and of offering their united and earnest prayers, that if it please God his life may long be spared to us, and that during its continuance the blessings both of providence and grace may abound towards him."

A few years ago, when the Jubilee of the Connexion was held, and a fund was raised to commemorate its celebration by the establishment of several important Connexional objects, our generous friend contributed £500, and afterwards proposed to contribute £500 more if a certain amount could be raised for effectually carrying out the entire scheme as originally contemplated.

To the Paternal Fund he was an annual subscriber, and he remembered it handsomely in his will, leaving it the sum of £1,000. The Beneficent Fund, for supplying an annuity to worn-out ministers, preachers' widows, and orphans, was one which had an especial share in his favourable regard. The heavy demands on that fund having caused the preachers' subscriptions to be greatly increased, and the annuities to be diminished ten per cent. per annum, was a fact which deeply affected his generous and sympathizing heart, and he employed both his influence, his pen, and his purse to get it restored to a state of buoyancy and efficiency; and in promotion of this object he not only subscribed annually, but bequeathed the sum of £1,000. In fact, all Connexional objects had both his cordial sympathy and his generous support. Only a short time prior to his death, on seeing an appeal made for help to erect a few humble dwellings for our missionaries in Canada, he sent to the superintendent the sum of £100. Some of his friends thought he should have done less for general objects and more for local ones; and once when in my presence a friend ventured to express this opinion, he pleasantly replied, "If I complied with your

views, how then could I fulfil that Scripture which commands me to sow besides all waters?'"

The quotation of this Scripture, though made spontaneously and playfully, represents the great practical principle by, which all his gifts as well as his labours were bestowed. He never gave them from caprice, or popularity, or mere persuasion, or external pressure, but from enlightened conviction: he gave on the principle of his accountability to God, making the Bible the sole rule of his life. Whatever he did he did it unto the Lord. He felt that he lived under his immediate inspection had nothing but what he received from him, and held as a steward in trust, to accomplish the will of God in its use. I never knew a man who lived under a deeper sense of his responsibility for the use of wealth, nor one who had a more profound regard for the will of God in all the proceedings of his life.

As he

On this principle it was his rule to deny himself many of those comforts in which others, in his station, freely indulge-the self-denial springing from a desire not to accumulate wealth, but to have more means at his disposal for doing good. Seneca says, Nihil honestius magnificentiusque, quàm pecunias contemnere, si non habeas; si habeas, ad beneficentiam libertatemque conferre. Nothing is more the evidence of a noble and dignified nature than to think lightly of wealth if we have it not; and to devote it to the good of mankind, if we have it in our possession. This disposition actuated the soul of Mr. Barford. He valued wealth as a means of benefiting mankind and spreading the Gospel of the blessed God. prospered in business, he did not hasten to a country villa to enjoy a little millennium in retirement, but built himself, at first, a house of wood, fixed on wheels, so that he could remove it at his convenience, stay among the people where good was to be done, and keep down his personal expenditure that he might have the means of exercising his benevolence. At a later period, when he enjoyed a more substantial residence, it was never embellished by ostentatious, costly superfluities. For ten successive years he had laid aside a sum for procuring a large mirror, but when the time arrived for its purchase, he postponed the indulgence and gave the money to the poor, feeling that their claims were paramount to his own convenience. "Really, Mr. Barford, you will require a new set of Venetian blinds, as these are six inches too narrow for your windows," said his friend, Mr. Webber. "I do not know that," he replied, "for it will just depend upon how much of my help they will require at the next Conference." He was perpetually giving either in large or small amounts, as his income supplied the means. Matthew Henry says, "Money is like manure, good for nothing unless scattered;" and Mr. Barford formed the same estimate and practically exemplified the sentiment. On one occasion, after a brief pause in the demands on his purse, he remarked to a friend, "My cash is beginning to accumulate, but I must find a channel soon to send it abroad."

A preacher once observed, "Mr. Barford, I really think that you have done so much for God's canse, and distributed your substance so liberally in deeds of beneficence, you have a right now to enjoy yourself; you may conscientiously indulge in a few of those comforts and elegancies which you can command." "Really," says he, "do you