ture, and pretends not to answer objections to the doctrines but while I have endeavoured strongly to expose Mr. P.'s disingenuousness, and ignorance of his subject, I hope I have been kept from a harsh spirit, and from retorting his revilings."

On reprinting the work in 1798, the author made retrenchments," as well as alterations, thinking it "no longer necessary to squabble" with his antagonist, "where he advances objections peculiar to himself," though he did not wish to have the answers to more general objections out of print."

The last separate publication of my father's life was a new and abridged edition of this work, at the beginning of the year 1820, accommodated to the change of times which had taken place. As he had entirely re-written it, and, "while he greatly abridged it, added much new matter, and several striking quotations, especially from Bishop Watson," he says, "it may, indeed, more properly be considered as a new publication on the subject, at the close of his life and labours, than merely as an abridgment.

The " Essays on the most Important Subjects in Religion," twenty-five in number, were published in the years 1793, 1794; "Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress with Original Notes," in 1794, 1795; the twenty-one "Sermons on Select Subjects," with some Prayers for families annexed to them, in 1796; " The Warrant and Nature of Faith in Christ Considered," in 1797; and " Four Sermons on Repentance unto Life-The Evil of Sin-The Love of Christ-and The Promise of the Holy Spirit," in 1802.-In all these works the author's aim was to explain and illustrate the

great truths of Christianity, and to point out their holy tendency. They have all been repeatedly printed; particularly the Essays eight or nine times in England, besides American editions. This appears to have been, very justly, a favourite production, both with the author and the public. It, as well as the Pilgrim's Progress, was first published in numbers: each Essay forming a separate number, price one penny; and the period of publication being once a fortnight. March 14, 1798, the author writes, "I compute that I have printed nearly one hundred and twenty thousand numbers: about one hundred and five thousand I have sold: the rest I have dispersed "—that is, given away, or scattered in his walks and journeys; for in this way he was always a considerable distributor of tracts. One of these Essays, on the Ten Commandments," is also on the list of the Religious Tract Society, and is widely circulated through that channel.

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The Sermons were undertaken at the instance of Mr. Wilberforce and the late Mr. Henry Thornton, and were published by subscription.-The "Treatise on Faith" was composed, as the titlepage expresses, "with reference to various controversies on the subject." In a letter written at the time (Dec. 29, 1796,) the author says: "I am about to write a pamphlet on the sinner's warrant to believe in Christ, and the nature of justifying faith, by the desire of several of my brethren; as the American divines, especially Hopkins, with those who hold the negative of the modern question, have run into one extreme, and many others into the contrary, particularly Mr. Abraham Booth in a late publication entitled "Glad

Tidings." I do not mean to engage in controversy; but to state what I think the scriptural view of the subject, clearing it from objections, and guarding against abuses, or answering arguments, without taking notice of the individuals who have urged them.”

The modern question here mentioned, but happily unknown in many parts of the kingdom, is no other than this, whether it is the duty of a sinner to believe in Christ, or to yield any spiritual obedience to the calls of God's word! and consequently whether he is to be exhorted to any such obedience!

In the year 1798, several clergymen in the metropolis, impressed with the serious aspect of our affairs as a nation," agreed together to preach, in rotation, weekly lectures in each other's churches and chapels," bearing upon the subject: and in the following year my father drew up at their request, and published with their approbation, "Observations on the Signs

and Duties of the Present Times." These lectures were continued till 1802, when the peace of Amiens was concluded, and my father then closed them by preaching and printing a sermon on Psalm cxvi. 2, "Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live." Besides these, he published fast sermons in 1793 and 1794, and a thanksgiving sermon in 1798; and sermons of the same description were included in the volume already noticed.

One sermon may deserve to be more particularly mentioned, because of the occasion which produced it. In the year 1800 was formed "The Society for Missions to Africa and the East, instituted by Members of the Established Church;" which designation has been

since exchanged for that of " The Church Missionary Society for Africa and the East." The prosperity to which this institution has attained; the extent of its operations; and the divine blessing which has so evidently rested on its labours; cause it now to draw the attention of the Christian world, and dispose us to inquire, with feelings of interest, into its origin. The honour of giving it birth belongs to my father in common with several dear friends, with whom he esteemed it one of the chief blessings of his life to be associated. Among these (to mention no surviving ones,) were the Rev. Messrs. Newton, Foster, Cecil, Venn, Goode, and that distinguished layman, Mr. Henry Thornton. Mr. Venn, indeed, has been pronounced the father of the Society: and, if to have taken a very active and zealous part in its first formation; to have had, perhaps, the principal share in organizing and moulding it into shape, and in conducting it through certain delicate and difficult intricacies which it had to encounter at its outset; entitles him to this appellation, it certainly belongs to him. But, if to have been one of the first and most urgent in pressing upon his brethren the dutyand necessity of forming some such institution, as well as among the most active in carrying the design into effect, establishes a right to such a distinction, then must my father be allowed to share it with him. And accordingly he was thus commemorated in the Report of the Society made at its last anniversary. The fact, I believe, is this: the London Missionary Society, then recently formed, had attracted great public notice, and excited much discussion. Among other places, this was the case in a private society of

clergymen meeting once a fortnight for friendly discussion; and the ground which my father, whose mind had always been peculiarly alive to such subjects, there took was this--that it was their bounden duty to attempt somewhat more than they had done, either by joining the Missionary Society just mentioned, or, which was much to be preferred, if practicable, by forming a new one among members of the establishment: and from these discussions sprang the Church Missionary Society. My father says of it, in a letter dated Oct. 29, 1800: "I had a considerable share in setting this business in motion, and I should wish to try what can be done: but I am apt to fear, that, like most of my plans, it will come to little." It is needless to say with what joy and gratitude he lived to see these fears dispersed, and all his expectations exceeded. So long as he continued in London, he acted as the secretary of the Society; and, in the country, at a subsequent period, (as we shall hereafter have occasion to relate,) he became the tutor of its missionaries. At the anniversary, Whit-Tuesday, 1801, he was called upon to preach the first sermon before the Society; which was published with the Report.

I shall here insert the commemoration of his services above alluded to, as made at the anniversary meeting of the Society in 1821, a few weeks after his death.

"In recording the gratitude of the Society to its living and active friends, the committee are reminded of the departure to his eternal rest of one who may be justly denominated a father of the Society. The late Reverend Thomas Scott, with his once active coad