theological points, and the crude representations of some Calvinists; but having adopted a satisfactory medium-between these two extremes, his mind was fully prepared for the doctrine so successfully pleaded by Mr. Fuller.

and with his accustomed freedom demanded that the two junior ministers, Mr. Carey and his friend, should each propose a question for general discussion. Mr. Carey pleaded several excuses-but a question was imperiously demanded. At length he submitted, Whether the command given to the apostles to "teach all nations," was not obligatory on all succeeding ministers to the end of the world, seeing that the accompany

From his first entering on the work of the ministry, if not from an earlier period, Mr. Carey appears to have been deeply impressed with the state of the heathen world. In reference to this object, he made himself ac-ing promise was of equal extent. quainted with the geography, population, and religion of the various nations of the earth; and with the labours of Christians, both of early and later ages, in propagating the gospel. He also acquired considerable knowledge of various languages, particularly Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, by his own personal application; and all seemed to be directed to the same end.

Hitherto, however, his thoughts had brooded over the subject, without assuming any specific form, or digesting any future plan of operation. The appearance of Mr. Fuller's work, just mentioned, came directly in aid of his inquiries, and fixed his attention more deeply on the subject. The point of contact seems to have been this; Mr. Carey, who cor dially admitted his friend's position, drew from it an inevitable inference:-If it be the duty of all men where the gospel comes, to believe unto salvation; then it is the duty of those who are entrusted with the gospel, to endeavour to make it known among all nations for the obedience of faith.

Before the end of 1786, Mr. Carey, accompanied by another minister, of the same age and standing with himself, went to a minister's meeting at Northampton. Towards the close of the evening, when the public services were ended, and the company engaged in a desultory conversation, Mr. Ryland, senior, entered the room;

The querist was soon told by his interrogator, without waiting for the sense of the company, that certainly nothing could be done before another Pentecost, when an effusion of miraculous gifts, including the gift of tongues, would give effect to the commission as at first, and that he was a most miserable enthusiast for asking such a question! This was the first time Mr. Carey had mentioned the subject openly, and he was greatly abashed and mortified; but he still pondered these things in his heart. Mr. Fuller, at the same time, sympathised with him; offered several encouraging remarks; and recommended it to him to pursue his enquiries.

The annual Association was held at Nottingham, in the spring of 1792, and Mr. Carey appointed to preach. His sermon was founded on Isa. liv. 2, 3. Having observed that the church of God is hare addressed as a desolate widow, dwelling in a little cottage by herself; that the command to enlarge her tent contained an intiImation, that there should be an enlargement in her family; and that to account for so unexpected a change, she was told, that her "Maker was her husband," who should be " called the God of the whole earth;"-he took up what he conceived to be the spirit of the passage in two exhortations; namely, Expect great thingsAttempt great things. The effect

of this discourse was considerable. his arrival was announced. Im

A resolution was passed, That a plan should be prepared against the next ministers' meeting at Kettering, for the purpose of forming a society for propagating the gospel among the heathen. Mr. Carey at the same time generously proposed to devote the profits which might arise from his late publication on the subject, to the use of such a society.

patient to behold his colleague, he entered the room in haste; and Mr. Carey rising from his seat, they fell on each others necks and wept. The Committee, then assembled at Kettering, accepted their joint services, and engaged to do all in their power to provide the means of sending them to India.

The Baptist Mission having The ministers assembled at Ket- thus risen out of the labours and tering, Oct. 2, 1792. After the writings of Mr. Fuller, powerfully public services were over, they seconded and applied by his coretired for prayer, and pledged adjutor, he immediately became themselves most solemnly, to God the life and soul of the undertakand to one another, that they ing; replenishing its resources, would make an attempt to intro- and directing all its movements. duce the gospel amongst the hea- The labours of these eminent men then. At present there were no had a reciprocal influence on each openings for a mission in any par- other; the successful and zealous ticular direction; no missionaries Missionary imparted to the Secreprovided, and no funds to meet tary fresh energies, while the latter the expense. The sum of thirteen provided for the former, the means pounds only was subscribed; and and the hopes of success. Never soon after, seventy pounds were were two minds more congenial, collected by Mr. Pearce at Bir- more powerfully directed towards mingham; but until a more specific one object, or less ambitious of object were proposed, no appeal the honour arising from its attaincould with any propriety be made ment. It was with great propriety to the public. At two subsequent that Mr. Hinton, in his late Sermon meetings, in October and Novem-at the Spafields Chapel, compared ber, Mr. Carey offered himself as the Mission to a chain, of which a missionary, and was accepted. Fuller and Carey were the two While things were thus pro- end links, one of them planted in ceeding, Providence was preparing the east and the other in the the way to India, by the most un-western hemisphere. expected means. Mr. J. Thomas, The pecuniary concerns of the who had formerly been a surgeon Mission involved considerable exin London, and who was totally pense and difficulty; all would unknown to the Society, had been depend on a successful appeal to several years in Bengal, preaching the religious public, and the means the gospel to the natives. On his must be provided by their volunreturn to London, he endeavoured tary contributions. Mr. Fuller howto establish a fund for a mission to ever said, at the commencement of that country, and called on Mr. the undertaking, "Only let us have Abraham Booth for his advice, faith, and we shall not want money;" who immediately communicated and his indefatigable labours verithe information. The Society in-fied the truth of the remark. The vited Mr. Thomas to their meeting sum of five hundred pounds was on Jan. 10, 1793, after having re-required to be raised in the space ceived a satisfactory answer to their of three or four months, for the inquiries; and late in the evening, equipment of the two first missionwhile they were in full deliberation, aries, and more than twice the

amount was readily provided. En-my constant labours, preaching couraged by such an auspicious almost every evening in the week introduction, Mr. Fuller travelled during my journey, my health is and preached in almost all parts singularly good." After his return of the kingdom, collecting for the home, he found that he had tramission, and rousing attention velled nine hundred miles, and to its concerns. During the whole collected full nine hundred pounds. of his career, he kept up a con- In short, the history of Mr. tinual intercourse; presented the Fuller's life for the last twenty subject before the public in every years, was so completely identified variety of form; circulated intelli- with that of the Mission, that all · gence with the utmost celerity; its principal transactions must be conducted all the correspondence referred to his agency. He was of between the Missionaries and the himself a host, and no one man Society; generally made the annual can ever supply his place. The collections in the city; superin- Mission to India was in a great tended all the consignments; and measure his own production; he was in fact the minister both for formed and moulded it with exthe foreign and home department. quisite skill, watched over and diThe concerns of the Mission rected all its movements, and beginning to expand upon a wider seemed to be present in every scale,and demanding larger supplies place wherever its effects were than British benevolence could con- visible. It grew up with him, and veniently furnish, Mr. Fuller made was inwrought into the very elehis first tour into Scotland in 1799. ments and constitution of his mind. Here he met with a reception due He seemed to have no thoughts, no to his talents, his character, and cares, but what related to its inthe magnitude of the object interests. In serving the Mission, which he was engaged. To no he had no idea of sparing himself; class of Christians is the Mission but while his health was constantly more indebted, than to our bre-impaired by the greatness of his thren in the north, whose liberality not only essentially contributed to its prosperity, and gave a powerful stimulus to the activities of its principal agent, but whose multiplied kindnesses made a deep and lasting impression on his heart.

exertions, he persevered in them with unabating ardour to the very last. He appears indeed to have expected that these labours would cost him his life, but it affected him not; and had it not been for the unusual strength and vigour of Writing from Liverpool, on his his constitution, he would have return from the north, Mr. Fuller | fallen a sacrifice much sooner than says, "I have now been out about he did. The sentiments which he thirty days; have travelled about delivered in his sermon at Bedford, eight hundred miles, and collected May 6, 1801, exactly fourteen years as many pounds. I never.saw such before his death, were highly chanumerous congregations as at Edin-racteristic, and premonitory of that burgh and Glasgow. My heart was event.

dismayed at the sight, especially "It is not impossible," said he, on a Lord's day evening. Nearly five thousand people attended; and some thousands it was supposed went away, not being able to get in.-To-morrow I preach here three times, administer the Lord's Supper, and make a collection for the Mission. Considering

"that we may live to see things of which at present we have scarcely any conception: but whether we do or not, Jesus lives, and his kingdom must encrease. And what if while we are scaling the walls of the enemy, we should a few of us lose our lives? We must die some

influence, as much as possible, the I will particularly study to re minutest actions of my life.

I will regard the obedience, sacrifice, mediation, and intercession of Christ, as the only procuring cause of all those spiritual blessings which conduce to that end; as the pardon of sin, peace with God, and the sanctifying influences of his Spirit.

strain all wanderings of the mind, in the public and private exercises of God's worship; to banish, as much as I can, vain and worldly conversation, and vain and worldly thoughts from my mind and lips, on the Lord's day; and to give all my household the time requisite for hallowing it.

I will continually keep in mind I will guard against formality my obligation to walk in Christ's and vanity, especially in family steps, and to be holy as he is holy: worship; and fit myself, by preas one, which if I do not fulfil, Ivious reflection and prayer, for its shall in vain hope to enter heaven; due performance. and I will ever pray for the Spirit of God, in the belief that through his operation alone, can this holy frame be produced.

I will cultivate an habitual sense of God's presence, and of my accountableness to him; of the shortness of time, and of my obligation to improve it.

I will be particularly guarded against the intrusion of impure thoughts. I will turn away my eyes from beholding what might lead to them; shut my ears against polluting conversation, and restrain my tongue from every licentious word; and I will carefully avoid every circumstance which I know to have formerly excited improper feelings, and forbid my thoughts to dwell, for a moment, on past scenes of sensual pleasure.

I will study for the future to appear well, not so much in the sight of man as in that of God; and to that end, will be particularly watchful against the love of human praise or distinction, and the fear of shame; desisting from my purpose when I feel these to be my only motives, and endeavouring by prayer to overcome them when II will seek out proper objects with perceive them to mix with such as are more pure.

I will watch against every rising of covetous desire; and while I carefully repress all tendency to improper expense, or the careless profusion of any of God's gifts,

whom to share those good things of which God has made me the steward, and of which he will require an account. I will ask every night, whose distresses have

I will consider love to God and zeal for his glory as my highest duties, and study to improve daily in these divine affections; and II this day relieved? will judge of my progress in them, not by transient fervours of the mind, but by my habitual tempers, by my punctual performance of the self-denying duties of Christianity, by my cheerful acquiescence in all God's dispensations, and by the love, the humility, and the meekness which I am enabled to exercise to those around me.

I will study to live a life of dependence on Christ, and of faith in his word; making the latter the sole and exclusive rule of my belief and practice.

I will no longer put off to a future day, or leave the business of the present day or hour, but will apply myself to it, deny myself to sloth and the love of ease, and exercise a constant and self-denying attention to what is my proper work.

I will read no book but with attention; and I will read none which tends to inflame the mind, or to excite improper sentiments.

I will be ready to communicate, and also to receive knowledge; and I will be open to conviction,

ever receiving correction and re- I will not chide nor correct my children in passion, nor use peevish language towards them; and previous to correcting them, I will use prayer to God; and I will not

proof meekly and thankfully, never questioning merely for the sake of dispute, nor ever retorting upon

any reprover.

I will watch against all super-be turned aside by false pity, or ciliousness in look or manner, all sourness of mind in dispute, all impatience of contradiction in my intercourse with all, whether common acquaintance or the most intimate relative, as wife, brother, &c.; and I will listen with patience and kindness to the arguments and reasoning of others, however impertinent they may appear at the

moment.

I will also watch against a selfish and exclusive attachment to my own comfort, and study to be equally solicitous for the comfort of others, and to repress every rising of impatience at the trouble which this may occasion to me.

I will endeavour to cultivate a temper of more benignity towards all; and I will attend more to the outward expression of love and kindness, never allowing passion to dictate what I may say, but studying to act by others as I could reasonably wish to be dealt with..

by indolence, from duly correcting their faults, which I will ever remind them to be sins against God. I will never use threatening language, but by way of prevention, and without any mixture of passion: and I will study not to allow my voice to be elevated above its ordinary tone in talking with any.

I will guard against all excess in eating and drinking; never allowing complaisance for any to mar for a moment the clear exercise of my reason, or discompose my quiet, by leading me beyond the bounds of strict moderation.

I will from this time forward, when not hindered by unavoidable circumstances, regularly devote at least one half hour in the morning, and one half hour in the evening, exclusively to those concerns which lie between God and my soul.

I will every day make the attainment of purity, humility, meekness, lowliness of heart, activity, watchfulness, calmness of mind, kindness I will watch particularly against of manner, sincerity, and spiritual all hastiness of spirit towards in-mindedness, being the graces in feriors, and especially those who need my help; but will listen composedly to their representations, and render them all the justice, and all the kindness in my power, consistently with my other duties.

which I conceive myself more particularly defective, the subject of special and earnest application to the throne of God.

I will at least once every day, call to mind, with due solemnity, the innumerable instances of God's I will not only not use railing providential goodness to me, rewords to any, but I will guard collecting with deep self-abaseagainst every circumstance in look ment, what I was in-in-and and manner, which might tend un-in-, and humbly adoring the innecessarily to wound the feelings finite mercy of God, which has

of others.

I will not allow the ill conduct of others towards me, to lessen my kindness and good-will to them.

I will not reprove my servants in anger, but in love; and be more anxious to remind them of their obligations to God than to myself.

VOL. I.

thus far caused me to differ.

I will also call to mind every day my lamentable failures in duty, my many actions whereby God has been dishonoured and my soul injured, even since it has pleased him to convince me of my obligation to love and serve him; and I

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