SKETCH OF THE AUTHOR'S LIFE. 



ing his pen. in their defence. To the concerns of " the Church Mission.ar3r 

 Society" especially, he devoted himself with the utmost activity and ardour, 

 as a most judicious, learned, and able member of its committee. He sug- 

 gested some useful plans for the instruction of missionaries, and, in certain 

 cases, of their wives, in the general principles of medical science, the 

 nature and operation of the simpler remedies, and in the safe practical 

 application of such knowledge to numerous cases which may obviously 

 occur among the inhabitants of the dark and uncivilized regions in which 

 Christian missionaries most frequently labour. These suggestions were 

 not merely proposed in general terms, in the committee ; but, in many 

 instances, carried into the minutiae of detail, by instructions which Dr. Good 

 gave personally to the missionaries themselves. Nor was the advice thus 

 given confined to professional topics. The stores ol his richly endowed 

 mind were opened to their use on subjects of general literature, biblical 

 criticism, the rules of translation, the principles of geology, botany, zoology, 

 nay, every department of knowledge calculated to lit them thoroughly for 

 their noble and arduous undertaking. Nor, again, were these kind and 

 valuable offices confined to individuals of the Church Missionary Society 

 alone. His soul was too liheral and capacious, and his conviction of the 

 paucity of the labourers too deep, to induce him for a moment to v> ish or 

 to imagine that the glorious object could be accomplished entirely by mis- 

 sionaries of any one persuasion. On different occasions I have introduced 

 to him missionaries and others connected with various religious societies, 

 who were anxious to profit by his advice, on topics respecting which they 

 scarcely knew where else to apply; and, uniformly, the individuals who 

 thus availed themselves of the privilege, have testified in the most lively 

 terms their grateful sense of the affectionate kindness of his demeanour, and / 

 the value of his suggestions." 



His piety exhibited itself in his intercourse with his patients ; for, in pre- 

 scribing for an intricate disease, he was in the habit of praying for Divine 

 direction ; on administering a medicine himself, he was known frequently 

 to utter a short ejaculate ry prayer ; and, in cases where a fatal issue was 

 inevitable, he most scrupulously avoided the cruel delusion too common on 

 such occasions, and with the utmost delicacy and feeling, announced his 

 apprehensions. 



As an evidence of his devotional character, the following, bearing date 

 July 27th, 1823, is here inserted. 



"FORM OF PRAYER, 



" Which I purpose to use, among others, every morning, so long as it 

 may please God that I shall continue in the exercise of my profession ; and 

 which is here copied out, not so much to assist my own meniory, as to give 

 a hint to many who may perhaps feel thankful for it when ] am removed 

 to a state where personal vanity can have no access, and the opinion of the 

 world can be no longer of any importance. I should wish it to close the 

 •subsequent editions of my ' Stody of Medicine.' 



" O thou great Bestower of health, strength, and comfort ! grant thy bless- 

 ing upon the professional duties in which this day I may engage. Give me 



