The Life and Letters of the Rev. George Mortimer, M.A.: Rector of Thornhill, in the Diocese of Toronto, Canada WestArmstrong, John
Religion
The Life and Letters of the Rev. George Mortimer, M.A.: Rector of Thornhill, in the Diocese of Toronto, Canada West
Armstrong, John
Mortimer, George, 1784-1844
Mr. Osier preached a most excellent funeral sermon from this appropriate
text, “Blessed are those servants, whom their Lord, when he cometh, shall
find watching.” My dear father was employed to the very last in doing
his Lord’s work: his three last days were spent entirely in parochial
visiting, contrary to his usual practice of spending the greater portion
of each day in his study, and two or three hours in his drives and in
visiting his people. Some of those whom he visited on these days,
afterwards told a young friend, that he talked to them principally about
preparation for death. The man-servant also has spoken with much feeling
of his conversation during those drives, and he mentioned also, that each
day, when they reached home, he said, “Once more, Stephen, God has
brought us home in safety.” My beloved father’s consistency of conduct
won for him the respect and esteem of all who knew him, even of those who
differed from him, sometimes widely, in religious opinions. Such was the
case with the bishop, who however not only respected him, but entertained
very kind feelings towards him, which he evinced by coming from Toronto,
though with great inconvenience, and unsolicited, to pay the last mark of
respect to his remains. The public testimony which was borne to the
excellence of my dear father’s character, in a resolution of the Central
Board of the Church Society, of which body he was a member, was so
gratifying, that I cannot refrain from copying a part of it. He is
spoken of in the resolution as one “who for warm yet humble piety,
enlarged and Christian charity, a self-denying course of life, and a holy
devotedness to his Heavenly Master’s cause, was surpassed by none of
those who have been commissioned to feed the flock of Christ in this
diocese.”
One of the features of character alluded to in this resolution had been
especially observed by a young clerical friend, who, when speaking with
much warmth of the high estimation he entertained of my dear father’s
character, particularly mentioned his _great humility_. As an instance
of this, he told us, that, when he had gone with my father into the
vestry after preaching what Mr. D. considered a most excellent sermon, he
had spoken of it as furnishing cause for fresh humiliation, and a
stimulus to greater exertions and more earnest prayers for the future.
Mr. D., on the same occasion, alluded to the peculiar facility with which
he constantly introduced religious remarks in conversation, which, he
said, he had particularly noticed on the few occasions on which he had
met him in company. In answer to an observation, that my dear father had
often deplored the want of this very gift, Mr. D. remarked, that this
circumstance afforded a fresh proof of his humility.
* * * * * * * * *
Believe me, my dear Aunt,
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