Yardley, July 11, 1826.
My dear Brother,
You will be glad to hear that dear Cooper has expressed a wish to succeed
me at Madeley; and, in consequence, an application has been made by
myself and the parishioners on his behalf, which has been most favourably
received, and Mr. Burton has nominated him to succeed me. Most truly
thankful do I feel that it has pleased God to give to the dear people
such a man. May he long be continued to them, and may very blessed days
be still in reserve for that honoured spot.
My visit among them was highly gratifying to myself, and I hope I may say
not unacceptable to them. I never witnessed in them such overflowings of
kindest feelings, and, what I hardly anticipated, while they manifested
affectionate regrets, I do not recollect a single instance in which they
censured or chode; but, on the contrary, seemed to think that the step,
though painful, was necessary.
Our own plans are still somewhat uncertain. We think, however, of moving
towards Bristol, and of fixing somewhere within a mile or two of the
city, and have written to George Yate to engage us a ready-furnished
house for about a month. We expect to leave this place the 30th of
August.
But I have said nothing of dear Mr. Butterworth’s removal, on which your
last letter principally dwelt. I felt surprised and pained beyond my
ordinary feelings on such occasions; for almost all that I possess
spiritually, I owe, under God, to him. But after all, he is not lost to
me, for I trust I shall rejoin him ere long; and, even during the short
interval of apparent separation, who can tell how near he may still be to
me, and how materially he may still be permitted to help me? But,
however this may be, Jesus remains the same, and I trust that the removal
of every endeared medium of good may be the means of uniting me more
fully to Him.
Our kindest love to yourself and family, to my dear mother, Eliza, &c.;
and I remain,
Your ever affectionate Brother,
GEORGE.
* * * * *
The _letter_ from which the following extract is made, is chiefly in
reference to the providing means for an assistant-curate at Madeley;
towards which, Mr. Mortimer proposed to furnish £10 per annum, and also a
further sum of £10 per annum to aid the Curate’s Poor Fund, for relieving
the sick and distressed poor of the populous parish of Madeley; and it is
due to Mr. M.’s kindness and benevolence to state, that during the period
of his friend’s curacy, he generously contributed each year the proposed
amount for the poor; and for three years (during which time only an
assistant curate was employed), the like sum towards the other object
named.