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Memoir of the rev. Richard Adams, of the New forest
Memoir of the rev Richard Adams of the New forest Author:Thomas Mann Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. SKETCHES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. Aware that in the character of his friend there were unusual points, the writer was anxious that the views of other... more »s should be fairly brought into comparison and contrast with his own ; and is therefore deeply obliged by the able papers which have reached his hands. Some communications to the venerable man himself, and to others concerning him—as they reflect the impressions made by his character on rather diversified classes, and somewhat differently constituted minds—may also help to bring him before the reader. That such variety of testimony should have been given, concerning so apparently obscure a person, is remarkable, and suggestive. Yes! Richard Adams was somebody! Singular, self- neglecting, solitary, smiled at, pitied, houseless, eccentric, bachelor, as he was ; by the intrinsic value of some quality or other, he was not only a man wondered at, but one who must haveevinced moral, spiritual, or intellectual features worthy of remembrance. He may be seen in various attitudes in the following papers. From the Diary of Jiis brother, (afterwards the Rev. Thomas Adams.) "April 5, 1804. Was present at the ordination of my beloved brother Kichard to the work of the ministry, that brother whom once I despised, but now love more than any one (I think) in the world. He has, I trust, been the means of my salvation, by first bringing me to think seriously, and to attend the word preached; and by his example as well as precept. " My dear brother, in a most affecting way, delivered the outlines of his deep experience, mentioning his being on his knees, sometimes, in an agony, for two, three, and four hours together, praying and examining himself—striving all the while to establish a righteousness of his own—till God brought ...« less