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"You see, my darling, that I have filled up the paper; it shows you how much pleased I am with your present progress. May the Lord bless and keep you.

"Your affectionate Father."

Such a parent was a peculiar blessing to his children. Around his fireside, harmony and love always reigned. The religion of the Gospel was exalted to its due place in his domestic arrangements. Piety unfeigned and undoubted governed his most private concerns. And he has departed with every reasonable ground of hope, not only that his memory, example, and influence shall live after him, but that they whom God gave him, shall be guided also to walk in the same steps.

In connexion with Dr. Bedell's private character, we ought not to omit a notice of his love and his talents for music. This contributed in a high degree to his enjoyment and to the happiness of others in his house. Mr. Henderson has so well described this power in his friend in the following extract of a letter from him to the editor, that it may be unnecessary to do more than to present his language as a description of what he had himself for so long a time seen and known.

"Dr. Bedell, it is well known, was remarkably fond of music. It formed indeed the principal recreation of his leisure hours. Being in possession of a very superior parlour organ, he was able at all times to indulge his taste. But in this, as in every thing else, his aim was to glorify his Father in heaven. Music he ever regarded as the hand-maid of religion. No one regretted more

deeply its unholy alliance with the vanities of a sinful world, as it appeared in many of the fashionable songs of the day: and it was ever an important object with him to sever this unnatural union.

"As evidence of the interest that he felt on this subject, it may be observed that he conceived, and with the assistance of Mr. Thomas Loud, the organist of his Church, executed to some extent, a plan, the direct tendency of which was to correct the evil so much deplored. Under their auspices a work was issued, called Lyricæ Sacræ,' which was designed to contain the most popular airs, arranged for the piano forte, and adapted to words, if not strictly sacred, yet calculated to excite no other emotions than such as were accordant with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Several numbers of this work were issued, and are now well known to the religious public. In one of them is contained a parody on Heber's celebrated verses, 'I see them on their winding way,' written by Dr. B. himself.

"It were natural also to suppose that music, as connected with the public worship of God, would engross a considerable share of his attention, and accordingly we find him actively engaged in endeavours to bring it here to the utmost possible perfection. It was his custom to meet with the choir, on which occasions I have sometimes accompanied him, and by his presence, advice, and active participation, he promoted the objects of their meeting, always closing the exercises himself by asking for them in prayer the blessing of God. It was customary also with Dr. Bedell, for many years, to associate music in a very delightful manner with the devotional exercises of his family. Frequently, while an inmate of his family, the first sound I have heard after awaking in the morning, was the swelling tones of the organ, under his touch, as a prelude to the exercises of family worship. It was, I believe, originally for such occasions that he composed several airs, adapted to the hymns of the Church, that found their way afterwards to the public, and have already been sung in several Churches. I have been induced to insert the following from

the interesting circumstance with which it was connected. Sometime prior to Dr. Bedell's visit to Newark, he had, at the request of my sister, sent her a copy of the air, and it had been used on several occasions by the choir of the Church. On the occasion of his visit, it was sung immediately after the sermon, to his evident surprise and gratification, and produced, as might well be imagined the author being generally known-a most powerful effect upon the audience. Immediately after the service, when he had returned to my house, and was reclining upon the sofa, some remark was casually made in regard to the manner of its performance-he observed, that there had been a slight mistake, and rose at once to play it upon a piano forte in the room. The feeling and expression with which he then played, I have never heard excelled. It was the last time.

"The words to which he adapted the air were those of that beautiful hymn,

Rock of ages, cleft for me,

Let me hide myself in thee.

"The music, as corrected by himself, I here subjoin, persuaded that it will be acceptable to the religious public.

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"Connected with Dr. B.'s extraordinary taste and fondness for music, is a circumstance, which, though trivial in itself, is yet calculated strikingly to illustrate the noble integrity of his Christian character. He had taken an active interest in the operations of the Society attached to the Musical Fund Hall, and had frequently attended its Concerts of Sacred Music with satisfaction and delight. His presence there, however, gave offence to some of his religious connexions. The circumstance reached the ears of Dr. B. His resolution was taken at once, and upon a suitable occasion soon after, it was publicly avowed. He stated what he had heard, and what were his own views, and concluded by declaring his decided purpose never to enter again with similar intent the walls of that building, quoting in his own peculiar and emphatic manner the language of the Apostle, (1 Cor. viii. 13.) 'Wherefore if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth.' Thus did he become all things to all men, that he might by all means save some.'"

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For a few of the first years during which Dr. Bedell ministered in Philadelphia, his health was comparatively good; though when contrasted with most other men, he was even then weak and infirm. He had been delicate in his constitution from his

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