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their piety as they have been distinguished by their intelligence, ability, and professional attainments. An array of names might be presented, if this were the proper place to do so, carrying uninterruptedly, through each successive generation, the stream of those who have thus honored their nature by rendering honor to their God. It is no violation of propriety to record the fact that Dr. James was, in the strictest sense of the word, and in an eminent degree, a Christian man. Having been made sensible, by personal experience, of the necessities of his nature, he investigated carefully the relations of man to his Creator, and accepted, with the full assurance of intelligent faith, the offers of the Gospel as the only ground on which man can rest his acceptance with God. Not satisfied with this, he scrutinized with diligence the various diversities which mark the profession of this faith, and recognizing the common foundation of them all, in an active belief in the merits of a divine Saviour and the atonement of the Son of God, he clung to this as his own hope through life; and most truly did he adorn the doctrine, by his effort to imitate the character of Christ. It would be impossible to catalogue and arrange his virtues for display, or to analyze them for investigation. They may be summed up in the language of inspiration. He had "his fruit unto holiness." His philanthropy was extensive, embracing in its affections all the various. human interests which claim the sympathy of man. Yet was

it limited in its application by that discretion which is necessary to give practical value to what, without it, becomes a mere fruitless sentiment; or, what is worse, an erratic misapplication of power. He bestowed his pecuniary means with an unsparing hand. We may not raise the veil which he himself gathered in careful folds over the ceaseless daily operations of his charity, which, as a living principle, was ever renewed in its inexhaustible supply, and diffused daily its gentle and refreshing streams, causing joy and gladness to follow in his path.

There was no relation, as husband, father, brother, friend,

citizen, or man, which he did not adorn by the active virtues appropriate to each.

Such was he in life; and when that life drew to its close, it was with the mellowed light and rich drapery of the departing day, perfect in its beauty, awful in its majesty, sublime in its truthful simplicity.

After years of feeble health, borne with the patience of a Christian man, and some weeks of active disease, the sure precursor of dissolution, he called to his bedside those medical friends who had ministered, as best they could, to his necessities, and, with calm composure addressed to them his sincere thanks for what he was pleased to call their skilful and assiduous care; and then, recognizing the steady and near approach of the end of the relation which thus subsisted between them and himself, expressed his desire that they should sustain him in the hour of dissolution, adding, "It is a fearful thing, a very fearful thing, to change this state of existence, but my trust is not in works of righteousness that I have done, but in the mercy of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

Thus with characteristic abnegation of all personal merit, and with firm faith in his Redeemer, he passed from a world, each inhabitant of which might safely adopt the language: "Sit anima mea cum illo."

CASPAR MORRIS

1785
65

PHILIP SYNG PHYSICK.

1768-1837.

PHILIP SYNG PHYSICK was born in Philadelphia on the 7th of July, 1768; and died in his native city on the 15th of December, 1837, in the seventieth year of his age. Such is the brief and sole record of millions of human beings who arrive at and disappear from this earth, and of whom nothing else is cared to be known or remembered; and even this is, ere long, forgotten, as if it had been written on the sandy beach or traced out in rapid curves on the sea itself. The memories of a few are kept for a while by "storied urn or animated bust," while the deeds of others how small in number compared with the multitudes. of the unknown and forgotten-are handed down from age to age in the pages of history. Of these, some figure as destroyers of their species, conquerors as they are called; others, upturners of the social fabric,-nearly all creatures of insane ambition. Mixed up with these turbulent groups we meet with a few, a select few, the real benefactors of their kind, who quietly and unobtrusively, often with great labor and at a sacrifice of their own comfort, and sometimes of life itself, try their utmost to improve and elevate human nature, while administering the balsam, which carries with it health and peace. Some of this small, select class are physicians of the body, others of the mind; all are intent on good works, whether for the prevention or mitigation of pestilence, the substitution of knowledge and refinement for ignorance and barbarism, or of plenty for barrenness. Of this chosen number is the subject of the present biography, a man who in his day and generation did much to allay

and remove the sufferings, and thereby increase the happiness. of his fellow-citizens, and whose fame will live after him in the pages of the history of the exploits of peace.

Edmund Physick, the father of Philip Syng, was an Englishman, possessed of considerable strength of mind, and noted for his strict integrity. He held office in the colonial government as Keeper of its Great Seal, and, after the Revolution, he became agent of the Penn family, and was intrusted with the charge of its estates. His wife, Miss Syng, and mother of Philip Syng, was the daughter of a silversmith: she was characterized by strength of intellect, correct judgment and decision. The son ever retained a lively and grateful recollection of the excellent qualities of his parents; and he was undoubtedly correct in attributing to their early lessons and example whatever was most estimable in his own character. A plant from a good stock and receiving proper culture can hardly fail to bear good fruit. It was by such an inheritance that young Physick, so soon as his calling in life was chosen or indicated for him, evinced that steadiness of aim and intentness of purpose, which, within the limits of reasonable ambition, seldom fail to insure success. Wanting them, the richest gifts of genius are of little avail, even if they do not actually mislead their possessor into erratic courses and by paths, in which the energies are weakened, and fail to produce the desired effect at the critical moment of struggle for the prize. Some of the chosen few may, indeed, like Byron, awake some morning and find themselves famous. Some, from an unusual and unexpected concatenation of circumstances, such as family influence, popular whim, and a lucky chance, may have fame thrust upon them; but it is only the fame of the hour, which serves them in no better stead for obtaining future confidence or abiding reputation, than did the effort of the "single speech Hamilton" in the House of Commons. It was his first and his last, and as such was more noticed, perhaps more noticeable. But no single speech or single act ever made a man a great orator or a great leader either at the council-board or in the field. Once on the topmost round a man becomes suddenly more conspicuous

than before; but to have attained that eminence was the work of time and of patient and laborious effort, of which, during its progress, the world does not always take the trouble to inform itself.

The father of young Physick was not prevented by his painstaking habits of business, and the accumulation of riches. consequent on their exercise, from a watchful regard for the proper education of his son, or a liberal bestowment of money for the purpose. This would seem, indeed, to be the first duty and one of the chief pleasures of a parent solicitous for the welfare of his child; but it is not always so regarded, and we every now and then find that a liberal and even lavish expenditure in matters of household and personal adornment is not deemed to be at all incompatible with the closest economy, if not positive niggardness, in making a pecuniary return, we cannot say requital, to the teacher. Edmund Physick thought and acted differently; and believing the ordinary charges for tuition to be too low, he gave double the customary remuneration to the teacher of his son Philip, who was placed under the care of Robert Proud, the historian, principal of the Friends' Academy in Fourth Street, near Chestnut. As Mr. Physick resided in the country, seven miles from Philadelphia, on the banks of the Schuylkill, his son was introduced, as a boarder, into the family of Mr. John Todd, father-in-law of the lady who, as widow Todd, became the wife of James Madison, at the time a member of Congress, and afterwards President of the United States. Philip was allowed by his teacher to visit his parents every Saturday, and to remain with them until the following Monday morning; and in availing himself of this permission, he never failed to return in time to be present at the opening of the school, although sometimes his walk back to town was in very inclement weather. Thus early the boy evinced a punctuality which soon became a confirmed habit, forming, in after-life, one of the distinguishing traits of the man. It is but natural for us to infer that the scholar went through his lessons in the same methodical manner in which he performed his weekly visits to his parents and

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