meditation of him was sweet, and he gave me songs in the night season. I had sweet, melting views of his special goodness, and of my own utter unworthiness. The united sense of these two, keeps the soul in an even balance. I am then happiest, as well as safest, when my very exaltations lay me lowest.

Wednesday, 31. Writing, this afternoon, to Mrs. Browne, of Bath, I could not help enumerating some of God's chief mercies to me, both in a way of providence and grace, since I saw her last. Among other things, I observed as follows: "God has also given me, in general, a much greater portion of health and strength, than usual; and crowned his other mercies, by enabling me to dispense his gospel, for the most part, with a liveliness and fervour, which I have seldom experienced for so long a time together. I sing, and ought to sing, of mercy and loving kindness. I can indeed set up my Ebenezer; erect a monument of thankfulness; and inscribe every separate blessing with David's motto, This hath God done. May his grace lay me low at his footstool, as a Christian; and his almighty Spirit command success on my unworthy labours, as a minister!-The Lord go on to make you, madam, happy in his love, and an instrument of extensive good to his people below. In the exercise of the grace he has given you, and in the discharge of the duties he has allotted to you, may your joy and peace flourish as the lily, and your comforts cast forth the root as Lebanon. Amid all your bodily complaints, may his strength be perfected in your weakness, and his right hand sustain you; until, by the blood of atonement, and the faithful guidance of his Spirit, he has brought you to that land of light and rest and joy, where the glorified inhabitant shall no more, in any sense whatever, say, I am sick. I purpose, if providence permit, to set out

VOL. I.

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for London, the latter end of September; where I hope to spend the ensuing winter with my honoured mother: happy should I be, in the mean while, to hear, that your health is at least no worse than usual. -I rejoice to find, from several gentlemen of Dorsetshire, that Mr. 's health is greatly improved. I have not taken the liberty of writing to him, since last March was twelvemonth; one reason of which is, lest he should think I had any interested views to serve: which, I am sure, is very far from being the case; my present living being vastly more eligible than any, of which my honoured friend is patron. When you send next to Frampton, you will oblige me in condescending to mention my name, and tendering my most respectful compliments. My affectionate remembrance, and best wishes, attend the three young gentlemen, your nephews: nor can I give a sincerer proof of both, than by praying, that they may flourish as olive branches in the courts of the Lord's house; be made wise unto salvation, by his Spirit; and increase with the increase of God.-Mr. and Mrs. Derham have my affectionate compliments: they may wonder, perhaps, that I have not done myself the pleasure of writing to them; but dear Mrs. D. deserves only a scolding letter (if I could find in my heart to send her such an one), for leaving London, last autumn, without seeing me, though she knew I was then in town and the friend, at whose house she was, and who informed me afterwards of these particulars, was engaged to drink tea with me the very day Mrs. Derham set out for Bath.”

Friday, September 2. Received, this morning, a letter from a gospel friend; informing me, that Mr. Morris, of the county of Wexford, in Ireland (whose ministry was, a little turned of twelve years ago, blest to my conversion), is waxing cold in the work of the Lord. Upon which, I thought it a

debt due to friendship, and to the cause of God, to write him a letter *.

Saturday, 3. God was graciously pleased, this night, to give me an assurance of his blessing on the public work of to-morrow. How tenderly and bountifully does the Father of consolations deal with his sinful messenger! Surely, doubting is doubly a sin in me!

Sunday, 4. In the morning, rode to Sheldon; where I was enabled to read prayers, and preach, with great comfort to myself, and, I have reason to hope, with power to them that heard. On my return, being part of the way over Hembercombe (more properly, Hembury Common), a most violent storm of rain obliged me to turn back, and take shelter at Richard Lane's. After half an hour's stop there, I returned to Broad-Hembury; where, in the afternoon, I read prayers, and preached, with the greatest freedom and fervour, to a most attentive and (in appearance) affected congregation. Wet as the afternoon has proved, a great number of strangers were at church; and, I verily think, the presence and power of God was amongst us.-After service, good old Mrs. Hutchings, and Joan Venn, drank coffee with me at the vicarage. Our conversation was, for the most part, savory and comfortable.

Was rejoiced to hear, that the word of God from my lips has been greatly blest of late, to those two persons; to farmer Copp, and his eldest son; to old Mr. Thomas Granger, farmer Smith, and several other of my parishioners.-Since I came down last into Devonshire, from London (i. e. not quite a twelvemonth ago), God has owned my ministry more than ever particularly, at Harpford, and here. Blessed Lord, the work is thine alone. Go on, I

*This affecting pathetic epistle, is the second in the Collection of Letters, vol. vi. p. 139. of Mr. Toplady's Works.

most humbly beseech thee, to speak to the hearts of sinners, by the meanest mouth that ever blew the trumpet in Zion!-At night, I was much comforted in spirit, in reading bishop Beveridge's Private Thoughts.

Monday, 5. Had some sweet, refreshing intercourse with God, several times to-day.-Upon a review of my experience during the former part of last year, and occasionally in the course of the present, I cannot help observing, that great humiliations are, often, the best preparatives for ministerial usefulness.

Saturday, 10. God refreshed and satisfied my soul to-night, with a Saturday's-assurance. " I have blest thee, and will bless thee again," was the answer I received.

Sunday, 11. In reading prayers, and in preaching, the Lord was signally with me, both parts of the day. In the afternoon, especially, the word, I verily trust, went forth with power and was glorified.

Saturday, 17. Received some satisfactory and comfortable intimations of a Sabbath-day's blessing to-morrow. Surely, the Lord is indeed good to them that wait for him, and to the soul that seeketh him!

Sunday, 18. Read prayers, and preached, morning and afternoon, with very great fervour, strength, and enlargement. That God is doing his work of grace upon the hearts of some, I have all the proof, both public and private, that the nature of the case will admit of. The Lord hath been to my soul, this day, both in my study, and in the temple, a place of broad rivers and streams.

This evening, I met with a paragraph from archbishop Usher, which well deserves to be entered here. "I must tell you," says the excellent prelate, as my author relates it, "that we do not well understand

what sanctification and the new creature are: It is no less than for a man to be brought to an entire resignation of his will to the will of God; and to live in the offering up of his soul continually, in the flames of love, as a whole burnt-offering to Christ." I trust, I have experienced and do frequently experience, something of this blessed work, in myself: Lord, make the little one become a thousand!

Saturday, 24. Dined at Ottery, to-day, at Mr. Dare's. Our conversation turned partly on historical, partly on religious subjects. We talked particularly on the nature of regeneration: and I took occasion, among other things, to observe, that the whole process of the new birth seems included in that threefold conviction, mentioned by our Lord, and declared by him to be the office of the Holy Ghost: namely, Conviction of Sin, or of our total depravity by nature and practice; of the impossibility of our being justified by works; of our liableness to the whole curse of the law; and our absolute inability to help, save, or recover ourselves, whether in whole or in part 2. Conviction of Righteousness, i. e. of the perfection, necessity, and efficacy of Christ's righteousness, in order to justification before God: 3. Conviction of Judgment, or that act of the holy Spirit on the soul, whereby "the prince of this world is judged; brought, as it were, to the bar; found guilty of usurpation; and dethroned: from which happy moment, the sinner is brought into sweet subjection to God, his lawful sovereign, sin is weakened as to its dominion (in order to its final extirpation), and the regenerate soul is more and more conformed to the image of God's holiness. that, I suppose, conviction of sin is only another name for evangelical repentance; conviction of righteousness, for true faith in Christ; and conviction of judgment, a periphrasis for sanctification: which three capital graces are the constituents of regeneration. -Toward evening, returned to Broad-Hembury.

So