A biographical memoir of the late Dr. Joseph Thackeray, of Bedford.

Date:
[1832?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A biographical memoir of the late Dr. Joseph Thackeray, of Bedford. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    dance in tlieir sicknesses, but whatever he thought necessary for them, if he had only any idea that they could not obtain it without difficulty and sacrifices, he invariably supplied their wants from his own purse and his own stores.” Another friend who had every opportunity of witnessing Dr. Thackeray’s daily habits, thus expresses himself. 44 His charity knew no bounds, and many have been the families that ex¬ perienced relief at his hands, without their knowing from whom the bounty flowed.” After all that has been recorded in the foregoing pages, it would be superfluous to offer any remark on the genuine piety and pure Christian charity which distinguished this excellent man. The master passion of his mind was benevolence, but its exercise was guided and governed by those pure principles which Christian charity alone supplies. While his inward feelings impelled him to do good to others, and re¬ compensed him for the exercise of humanity, to which his life was devoted, he had a still higher aim by which to steer his course in the deeply felt and earnest desire to render this acceptable to his Saviour and his God. The humility with which he regarded all his endeavours, was manifested in his dying hours, when on being reminded of his manifold charities and acts of beneficence, his reply was, 44 they are no ground of acceptance; my trust is in the merits of Jesus, who died for all mankind.” In literary tastes Dr. Thackeray wtis, by his course of education, well qualified to indulge, and in his hours of relaxation, he drew freely on his classical recollections. The impulse, however given by his benevolence, forced him on exertions and occupations which left no leisure for literary research; and it does not appear that he devoted much time either to general literature or general science. The same causes militated against his cultivating even the