mention some respectable names of persons, wholly unknown to me when I came to town, who became my liberal friends; and of some who, though they always disapproved my ministry, and avowed their disapprobation, yet contributed to my support."

I confess it is with some reluctance that I admit these details of the straitened and dependent provision made for my father, in each successive place to which he removed: not that I feel as if any personal degradation attended the circumstance, but lest it should seem to be obtruding upon notice private affairs, which have now passed away. Still I conceive there may be sufficient reasons for not withholding them. They present one part of those "struggles through life" which make up his history. To some they may surely afford occasion of gratitude: they are, at least, comparatively rich. Others may derive encouragement from knowing that my father always lived comfortably, though literally he did little more than receive" day by day his daily bread." All may justly be stimulated, while they see that such narrow circumstances were never any check to his unwearied and disinterested labours to be useful. And, finally, I must insist upon it, that such circumstances, borne as he bore them, ennobled his character. Dr. Franklin has remarked, that it is "hard to make an empty bag stand upright:" but, however empty, my father always stood upright-not with the uprightness of integrity only, but of independence: I do not mean the pride which refuses to receive or to acknowledge an obligation, but that firm rectitude which will not gacrifice judgment and principle to any consideration

whatever. This has in some degree appeared already, and it will appear still further in what is to follow.We turn to his labours at the Lock.

"There was a weekly lecture at the Lock chapel, on the Wednesday evening, which the evening preacher and I were to take alternately. All circumstances considered, I did not expect much usefulness from this service. I therefore intreated the acting governors to allow me, in addition to it, to preach a lecture on the Friday evenings; the service to be altogether my own. This, after some hesitation, was conceded. The congregation, which might be expected to attend, I was aware, was decidedly Calvinistic: but I was fully determined to bring forward at this lecture (which indeed I had desired almost exclusively for that purpose,) every thing, in the most particular manner, relative to the Christian temper and conduct. With this view I formed, as I foolishly thought, a very sagacious plan. I gave notice that I would lecture, in an expository manner, on the Epistle to the Ephesians, in order. At first I was very well attended, my congregation generally consisting of more than three hundred persons. This continued while I was going through the more doctrinal part of the Epistle; though I applied the doctrine very plainly to practical purposes, and often intimated my hope, that I should be favoured with equal attention, when I came to speak more particularly on Christian tempers and the relative duties. But the Lord took the wise in his own craftiness. When I arrived at the latter part of the fourth chapter, the alarm was spread; though I stamped every exhortation strongly with an evangelical seal. But

at length, when I preached from the fifth chapter, on the words, See that ye walk circumspectly, &c. the charge was every where circulated, that I had changed my principles, and was become an Arminian: and, at once, I irrecoverably lost much above half my audience. The Sunday morning congregation also greatly decreased: dissatisfaction was manifested in the looks and language of all the acting governors, even such as had been most friendly: and I seemed to have no alternative, but that of either receding voluntarily from my situation, or being disgracefully dismissed.

"I had, however, no place to which to retire: every door seemed to be shut against me. On this emergency, amidst very many interruptions, and under inexpressible discouragement, I wrote in the course of a week, and preached on the Sunday morning following, (November 26, 1786,) my sermon on Election and Final Perseverance. By the next week it was printed and ready for sale: and a thousand copies were sold in about three days. A second edition was printed: but the public were saturated, and few copies were disposed of.

"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 dis

senters excepted, no one offered any thing sufficient to show 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 favour 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 honourable 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 persons, 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 obvious, with respect to many of the numbers who were " irrecoverably" driven

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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. (1 Kings, xxii. 13, 14.) 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 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..

you

Various plans were devised to counteract the declension of the congregation, consequent on my