"While I was preparing this sermon, I dined with rather a large party, many of the company governors of the Lock, and zealous, in their way, for Calvinism. In the evening it was proposed, according to custom, to discuss some religious subject: and, being really desirous of information, I proposed a question concerning the precise boundaries between Calvinism and Arminianism, respecting which so much prejudice against my ministry had been excited. But in conference they added nothing unto me: and, two dissenters excepted, no one offered any thing sufficient to shew that he understood the subject. So that, when I concluded with my own remarks, it was allowed that I was more decidedly Calvinistic than the rest of the company!This was suited in one way to gratify me: but it was still more calculated to convince me, that I was placed in a most unpromising situation."

I well remember the utter astonishment which my father expressed on returning from the party here alluded to He had not conceived it possible, that men, known in the religious world, could have allowed themselves boldly to take a side, and to talk loudly in favor of a system, of which they scarcely knew the outlines, and the grounds of which they were not able to explain, still less to defend.—It is much to be hoped, that so instructive a record, as we are now considering, will not have been written in vain. That some, at least, will allow themselves to be put on their guard against being scared by the terror of a mere name; and will be induced, after the honorable example of the Bereans, to "search the scriptures" concerning what they hear, and to ask, not by what distinctive appellation it may be described, but whether it is "according to the oracles of God" or not. It is to be hoped, also, that some person, immersed, perhaps, in secular business, from Monday morning till Saturday night, may be induced to doubt whether they are quite so well qualified to decide upon difficult theological questions, as they may have taken it for granted that they were.

I fear it is but too obvicus, with respect to many of the numbers who were "irrecoverably" driven from the Lock, when my father proceeded to unfold and apply the parts of St. Paul's writings which treat of "Christian tempers and relative duties," that their real objection was not to Arminianism, (of which they very probably scarcely knew the meaning,) but to half, or more than half, the word of God.

They had been accustomed to overlook it. themselves and could not bear to have it pressed upon their notice by another.

My father continues: "I had at this time many instructors as to my style of preaching: and some at the Lock board assumed rather a high tone of authority: while others were disposed to counsel me as the messengers of Ahab did Michaiah.* But I disposed of the dictating instruction very shortly. 'Gentlemen,' I said, 'you possess authority sufficient to change me for another preacher, whenever you please; but you have no power to change me into another preacher. If you do not convince my understanding that I am in an error, you can never induce me to alter my method of preaching.'

"The vexations, however, which I continually experienced, often overcame for a time my patience and fortitude. On one occasion they led me to say to my wife, 'Whatever be the consequence, I will quit this situation; for I shall never have any peace in it.' She promptly answered: "Take heed what you do: if you leave your station in this spirit, you will perhaps soon be with Jonah in the whale's belly.' The check was seasonable, and procured my acquiescence.

"Various plans were devised to counteract the declension of the congregation, consequent on my increasing unpopularity. Among others, a preacher of some name offered, when in town, to take the Sunday morning sermon gratuitously; and this was proposed to me with assurances that my income should suffer no diminution. I answered, 'Gentlemen, I came hither for the work, and not for the wages; and if you take that from me, I will certainly go and seek employment elsewhere.' This disconcerted the plan; which was, however, abandoned chiefly through the interposition of the Earl of Dartmouth (a constant attendant on the morning service at the Lock,) who remarked, "That he thought it would be better for the gentleman in question to reside on his living, and attend to his own flock, than to intermeddle with other men's labors: and that, if the present preachers in the chapel were incompetent, it might be proper to dismiss them, but not in so disgraceful a manner to supersede either the one or the other of them.'

* 1 Kings xxii, 13, 14.

"Every thing, however, conduced to render me more and more unpopular; not only at the Lock, but in every part of London; and numbers, who never heard me preach, were fully possessed with the idea, that there was something very wrong, both in my preaching, and in my spirit. Much defect, especially as to manner, I am fully conscious of: but I am equally conscious, that I did not give way to anger in my ministry; but that my most distinguishing reprehensions of those, who perverted the doctrines of the Gospel to antinomian purposes, and my most awful warnings, were the language of compassionate love, and were accompanied by many tears and prayers. My most respectable and constant hearers, who often expressed dissatisfaction with my manner, and with my dwelling disproportionately on certain points in debate; or being too severely pointed in exposing the religious deficiencies of persons of fair moral character; never imputed to me a harsh and angry spirit in the pulpit: the charge of scolding was brought against me, precisely as had been the case at Olney, either by those who seldom or never heard me, or by those very practical antinomians, whose awful and pernicious delusion I endeavored to expose.

"During this time, almost my whole comfort, as a minister, arose from my labors in the hospital, which, with all the disgusting circumstances of the service, were far more pleasing and encouraging to me, than preaching in the chapel. I constantly attended twice in the week; each time preaching first in the women's wards, and then in the men's. I took the plainest portions of scripture, and spoke in a strain of close address to the conscience, and altogether in a manner, which I could never equal in any other place; and so as always to fix the attention, and often greatly to affect the hearts, of my poor profligate auditors. I concluded each address with an appropriate prayer. I was restricted by no rules: indeed I could not have acted to my own satisfaction, had any been prescribed: but I did the very best that I could.

"I soon perceived the plan, and indeed the institution itself, to be utterly incomplete, as far as the female patients were concerned: as they had, in general, on leaving the hospital, no other alternative open before them but returning to their former course of life, (which, in the great ma jority of instances, was that of prostitution;) or encountering hardships which it could not be supposed they would

have resolution to endure. Direct starving, indeed, cannot in this country be a frequent danger: but to prefer the frowns and reproaches of the parish officer, and the restraints and grievances of a workhouse, under the most unfavorable circumstances possible, to the ruinous indeed, but for the moment jovial and self-indulgent life to which she has been accustomed, is more than can reasonably be expected of a female patient just discharged from the Lock Hospital!*-It could not then, be hoped that these women, so situate, would do otherwise than close their ears against all instruction, and every admonition which called them to so severe a trial.

"Amidst all my difficulties, therefore, I formed the plan of an asylum, into which such of these unhappy objects, as desired it, might be admitted on their leaving the hospital. I wrote a pamphlet on the subject, and read it in manuscript to Lord Dartmouth, Sir Charles Middleton, (since Lord Barham) and some others. Being encouraged by them, I printed it, proposing, at the same time, a meeting to be held for the purpose of taking the subject into consideration: and, putting it under cover as a letter, I left it myself at the doors of most of the nobility and principal gentry in town. Being so left, it was generally read; and the result is known. A meeting was held, (April 18, 1787,) the Duke of Manchester taking the chair; and, with much difficulty, an asylum was formed, on a very small scale. It often appeared to me that it must be given up, for want of money to defray the expenses. For a long time the only return I met with for my assiduity was censure, even from quarters from which I least expected it: but I trust several immortal souls have been, and will be saved by means of the institution.--I cannot doubt that the very opposition at first made to it by some friends of the Magdalen, who afterwards favored it, occasioned some important improvements in the management of that charity: and institutions on the same general principal have since been formed at Dublin, Bristol, Hull, and some other places, (not to mention the London Penitentiary,) in respect of which, the letters I received fully shewed, that my little attempt had in some measure suggested the idea to those who founded them."

It would be to require of them "the faith and constancy of a martyr (in steadily preferring the greatest hardships to a ready relief by sin,) in the very first ouset of a reformation." My father's Pamphlet, 1787.

The reflecting reader will not fail to be struck with the wonted zeal and energy of my father's mind, as displayed on this occasion, in forming and carrying into effect such a design, while he was yet an obscure stranger in London, and in other respects very disadvantageously situate.-During the whole term of his continuance in town he acted as chaplain to the new institution, and took the principal share in the management of its concerns. For several years he attended daily (without any remuneration,) to conduct family worship, and give religious instruction in the house; and he constantly had a servant in his family taken from the asylum. The reports, drawn up by him, detail many instances of those who were not only reclaimed and restored to society, but evidently converted to God by the means thus used; and who shewed this by a long course of consistent conduct,-terminating, in several cases, in a Christian and happy death.

It might be observed, that my father printed an abridg ment of his discourse on Repentance, (forty or fifty pages) and gave a copy to each patient discharged from the hospital, who chose to apply for it. He also published a little tract, entitled, "Hints to Patients in hospitals," not adapted exclusively to the case of those amongst whom he labored.

An extract of a letter written by him in May, 1789, may be properly introduced in this connexion. It may both display the strength of his feeling upon such subjects, and convey an useful hint to more than one description of persons. It should be remembered that it comes from one, who had ample opportunity of knowing the truth of what he asserts. "By no means let come to London, if you can help it. I look upon the young women who come to London for places, (a few prudent and very clever ones excepted,) just in the light I do upon the cattle that come to Smithfield market; they come to be a prey to the inhabitants. I wonder any of those who have not very prudent and friendly connexions escape prostitution. . . . At every offence, girls are turned out of doors with a month's wages, often in the evening, and at an hour's warning. They have lodgings to seek: a set of wretches let lodgings, who make it their study to betray them into situations from which few escape. Often their clothes are stolen: if not, they are pawned for money to pay expenses, and in a few weeks they are thus stripped of apparel, and can go to no place at all. In short, dangers are innumerable, and the number that, without