A Good Example of liberality was given by one Mr. Thornton, of Clapham,
a noble-hearted Christian merchant. One morning, when he had received
news of a failure that involved him in the loss of no less than a
hundred thousand pounds, a minister from the country called at his
counting-house to ask a subscription for an important object. Hearing
that Mr. Thornton had suffered that loss, he apologized for having
called. But Mr. Thornton took him kindly by the hand and said: "My dear
sir, the wealth I have is not mine, but the Lord's. It may be that He
is going to take it out of my hands, and give it to another; and if so,
this is a good reason why I should make a good use of what is left." He
then doubled the subscription he intended to give.
The recently deceased and much lamented Philip Cazenove was for
thirty years a parishioner, residing on Battersea Rise, whose name
was a Synonym for kindness and Christian charity concerning whom we
feel that we cannot pass a better eulogium than that recorded in _St.
Mary's, Battersea, Parish Magazine_ for February, 1880. "He has been a
benefactor such as a parish rarely numbers amongst its church folk. The
magnificent Girls' School in Green Lane was added to Miss Champion's
benefaction, almost at Mr. Cazenove's sole cost. To every church
building scheme, to Battersea College, to new schools, to the proposed
Hospital, to every good work he was a munificent contributor. And what
he did in Battersea, he did in all parts of East and South London,
indeed in all parts of the metropolis and in the country. And he sought
no thanks for his donations, but with a rare self-forgetfulness he
seemed to avoid the acknowledgments of gratitude. His liberality, great
as it was, by no means represented all that he did for good works. In
our parish he took a personal interest in our Schools of all grades.
He always had words of kind encouragement for the teachers. He was
always ready to preside at any meeting, or to act on any committee. And
as his alms deeds went far beyond his own parish so did his personal
service. There was no more familiar face than his in the Board-rooms
of the great Church Societies, for some of the chief of which, as the
Gospel Propagation Society, he acted as Treasurer. He was an active
member of the governing bodies of Guy's Hospital, and other like
institutions, and everywhere he freely gave his sunny sympathy and the
ripe counsels of his long experience. He was indeed a notable instance
of an open-handed, simple-hearted Churchman, some would add 'of the old
school,' and we would say, may God of His mercy put it into the hearts
of others to perpetuate such a 'school' for truly they are a blessing
and a stay to all around them. Our venerated friend was stricken with
illness in the beginning of last year, and it seemed as if he would
then have succumbed to the physical weakness of the action of that
great loving heart. But he rallied somewhat, and during the summer
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