lecture, which have amounted to 401. or better, but may probably be 20. or 30%. The living is but small, 701. per annum, and the house; and the incumbent is very old. I mention these things because, as relations, you will probably wish to hear of them otherwise, they are to me very unimportant. I have this day finished my thirty-fourth year. I lived without God in the world for nearly twenty-eight: then he did not starve me, nay, he provided well for me, though I knew him not, asked him not, thanked him not. I have now in some measure trusted, and poorly served him the other six years, or nearly, and he has not failed me. Sometimes he has proved my faith, and made me ready to question whether he would provide for me or not, at least in that plentiful manner I had been accustomed to; but he has always in the end made me ashamed of my suspicions. Mercy and goodness have followed me all the days of my life, and the same Jehovah is still my Shepherd; therefore I shall not want. I do not therefore embrace this offer, as if I were either dissatisfied, or distrustful, or avaricious. I trust the Lord knows

these are not my motives. The advance of income (if it be any,) is not at all a leading object with me; but, the situation being offered, I verily judged it, upon the most deliberate consideration, I trust in the spirit of prayer, my bounden duty to accept it; because the vicar of Ravenstone's life is very precarious, and his death would probably have been followed with my removal to a greater distance from the place of my present abode, and from the people to whom I have been made useful, and whom I dearly love; who will now be near, within reach of me, and I of them:

because I hope the Lord hath some good work to do by me at Olney:--and because many good people there have been this last year as sheep not having a shepherd. At the same time I am aware that I am about to be plunged into the midst of difficulties and trials, and shall have to regret the loss of many of my present comforts; that I shall need vastly more wisdom, patience, and meekness, than I have hitherto attained to. But he who sends me will support me, supply me, stand by me, and carry me through. And indeed I am not to expect that the Lord Jesus has enlisted me into his army, and commissioned me as an officer, and given me a complete suit of armour, and directions, and encouragement for the fight, and assurance of victory, for nothing. He bids me endure hardships, fight the good fight, carry war into Satan's dominion, down with his strong holds, spoil his goods; and resistance, and conflict, and wrestlings, I must expect. Now for the fight, by and by the victory, and then the conqueror's rest. He has, I trust, also enlisted you be not discouraged at the number and rage of your enemies. Your captain leads you forth to conquest and a crown.' He will cover your head in the day of battle, heal all your wounds, renew your strength, and at last crown you more than conqueror.

"Indeed Olney is, I apprehend, as difficult a charge for a minister as can well be imagined, and I greatly feel my insufficiency; but if I look to Jesus I cannot be discouraged his strength shall be perfected in my weakness, and his wisdom in my foolishness. I must, however, enjoin you to pray for me: I have prayed for you long and often, and I trust the Lord has heard, and taught you to pray: now pay

me in kind. I need this return, and shall much

value it. "Mr. (the last minister of Olney,) having set Olney in a flame by his contentious behaviour, is to succeed me at Ravenstone, which is a sensible afflic tion to me; but the Lord knows better than I do, and there I leave it. It will probably prevent my future usefulness at Ravenstone. This Satan doubtless intends, but I hope the Lord will turn his coun sel into foolishness."

To the same person he wrote July 4th following: "You desire me to inform you how I like Olney: but it is impossible. I trust the Lord is with me, and I love his presence, and the light of his countenance, which entirely reconciles me to the numerous disagreeables that otherwise I do and must expect to encounter. I am satisfied that the Lord will not leave me to be needlessly discouraged; and, further, that I shall learn many a profitable lesson from the things I meet with: and, if I acquire humility, meekness, patience, prudence, experience in this school, though it be not pleasing to the flesh, the spirit will rejoice.-As to the people, they are pretty much as I expected: rather more divided. But I cannot tell how things will issue. I have taken a farm, which is a good deal out of heart: I am breaking up the fallow ground, ploughing, and harrowing, and sowing: but what sort of a crop I shall have, harvest time will best show. Only I am sure I shall reap in due season if I faint not. I do not, however, repent coming."

Indications have already appeared of the spiritual happiness which my father enjoyed after the settle

ment of his religious views. Several passages also in the Force of Truth, and in the Discourse on Repentance, demonstrate the same state of mind. This continued for some years, but was afterwards succeeded, as by scenes of greater effort, so also by more internal conflict. He always looked back upon the seven years which followed his first cordial reception of scriptural truth, as those of greatest personal enjoyment. The following passages of letters to his younger sister, Mrs. Ford, may be added to those which contain intimations of this kind; and they, at the same time, continue the history of his intercourse with that branch of his family.

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January 29, 1782. To see you as happy in that peace of God which passeth understanding, and which, through Jesus Christ, keepeth the heart and mind, as I feel myself, is my ardent wish, and frequent, fervent prayer.... On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, I am at your service; but I preach on the other evenings.... You may likewise depend upon it, that I will not make your continuance at Olney disagreeable by religious disputes: for the Lord has almost spoiled me for a disputant. Waiting and praying are the weapons of my warfare, which I trust will in due time prove mighty, through God, for the pulling down of all strong holds, which hinder Christ's entering into, and dwelling in your heart by faith, and bringing every thought into captivity to obedience to himself.... One expression in your letter encourages me to hope that we shall, before many more years have elapsed, be like-minded; namely, where you seem to entertain a doubt of your being right, and do offer a prayer to God to set you

right. Thus I began in this I persevered, and do persevere, and have no more doubt, that it is God who taught me what I now believe and preach, as to the great outlines, than I have that God is faithful

and hears prayer. . . . You wonder at my condemning

you unheard, and think I have a worse opinion of you than you deserve. I will promise you I have not so bad an opinion of you as I have of myself. But the Bible condemns us all, moral and immoral, great sinners and little sinners, (if there be such a thing,) that every mouth may be stopped, Rom. iii. 19, and following. Let me beg of you to read without a comment, to meditate. upon, and pray over this scripture, especially that humbling text, For there is no difference, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. No difference: all are guilty, all condemned malefactors: all must be saved in a way of grace, by faith, through Christ.”

"June 25, 1782. Two things have concurred together to render it not easy for me to write, namely, many engagements and much indisposition.... If the Lord be pleased to give us, (for he is the alone giver,) in the way of honest industry in some lawful calling, the necessaries and ordinary conveniencies of life, just above the pinchings of poverty, and beneath the numberless temptations of affluence, we are then

the most favourable station for real happiness, so far as attainable in this world, that we can be; and we want nothing more but a contented mind: such a contented mind as springs from a consciousness, that of all the numberless blessings we enjoy we deserve not one, having forfeited all, and our souls too by sin;—from a consideration of the poverty, and afflic