in prayer and in speaking to the junior members of the class, and urging upon them the importance of seeking God in early life.

"I have felt the value of religion more than ever during this affliction. If I had had to seek it during the early part of my illness, I should have been unable to do so. Besides, I felt the need of its consolations; and these were neither few nor small. I knew that I had a personal interest in the Saviour, and I could look up to Him and say,

'And Thou wilt deign to call me Thine,

And I will dare to call Thee mine.'

I have also felt the value of association with the Church of Christ, and of the communion of saints. The knowledge that I had the sympathies of God's people, and an interest in their prayers, cheered me on the bed of sickness, and gave vigour and energy to my faith.

"April 13th, 1850.-During the early part of this day my mind was anxious about many things from without, and my sensitive nature was painfully affected by the troubles of others. I felt, however, that I had a Friend to go to who never fails me,-One touched with the feeling of' my 'infirmities,' and to Him I carried my burden. I cried to Him, Lord, help me!' and He heard and delivered me, imparting to me a portion of His own legacy, His own unutterable peace.

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"July 24th, 1850.-To-day I have been much comforted in meditating on Psalm xlvi. 4: There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God,' and particularly in calling to mind the many precious promises of God, as streams flowing from this river. These promises I have long felt to be my support; to me they have been precious food, bringing with them peace, and love, and joy.

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September 4th, 1850.-The past month has been one of severe affliction, and I have been brought near to the gates of death. For the last eight months my physical strength has been declining, and to my own mind there appears considerable doubt as to the ultimate issue. I am striving to say with the Apostle, For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain,' and I have been enabled fully to resign myself to the will of my Heavenly Father. My wife and children lie near my heart, and I sometimes tremble at the thought of lcaving them to struggle alone with the world: at other times I am enabled to trust even these, whom I love so dearly, to the care of Him who has promised to be a 'Father of the fatherless, and a Judge of the widows.'

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February 21st, 1851.-Since the commencement of this year,

my mind and hands have been fully occupied; and I have felt that there was a danger of my becoming worldly-minded, and forgetting, in my anxiety to procure the means of living, the great end of life. I have also felt greater need of watchfulness and of the habit of prayer, because of the important offices I have been called to hold in connection with the Church at this period of agitation and strife. I am more than ever satisfied that, at any time, the position most favourable to growth in grace is that of a private member, and that it is peculiarly so in seasons such as the present. I feel I need 'the wisdom that is from above,' which is alike pure and peaceable. I desire to do all I have to do so as to promote the glory of God, and the best interests of that branch of the Church in which I was brought to a knowledge of my state as a sinner, and in which I was led to Christ as an all-sufficient Saviour. "May 5th, 1851.-During the past few weeks the Lord has been graciously pleased to visit and bless me. The necessity of giving myself unto prayer, and of exercising faith in God as the 'Rewarder of them that diligently seek Him,' has been impressed upon my mind. It has pleased my Heavenly Father to show me that, in time past, I have come short in this matter; that I have not prayed with the constancy and energy and faith with which I ought to have done, for myself, for my family, for the members of my classes, for my ministers, and for the Church of which I am a member; and that I have been 'slow of heart to believe' the promises of God in relation to myself and them. The result of these impressions has been salutary, prompting me more frequently to seek God in prayer, and leading me to a fresh dedication of myself to His service.

"January 15th, 1852.-I have felt somewhat of spiritual deadness of late, arising, I think, in some measure, from that close application to secular matters which is requisite at this season of the year. I have often wished that the commemoration of the birth of our blessed Lord, and the solemn feelings which generally pervade my mind at the close of a year and the commencement of a new one, were not so soon followed by a period of unusual pressure of business and care. May the Spirit quicken and revive me, and enable me to live above the world, so that, while I am not slothful in business,' I may be fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.' It was not my privilege, on the first Sabbath of this year, to renew my covenant with God together with the great congregation, but I have done this in secret, and to-day I feel that I am the Lord's, and He is mine. May I be His more fully!

"December 30th, 1852.-The words, Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might,' have been deeply impressed upon my mind during the past few days; and I have been led

with solemn feelings to review the year, both as to my own experience, and as to those with whom I have been associated in the Church. The year so near its close has been to me one of trial. I have had to mourn in secret because I have done so little for God, because I have seen so little fruit of my labour, because the number of members in my classes has been slightly diminished, and the attendance of some has not been so regular as it was wont to be. O that the Lord would quicken me, that He would show me wherein I have come short, that He would give me a burning zeal for His cause,-a zeal springing from love to Christ and the souls of men,-a zeal that no difficulties can overcome, and that the waters of strife, through which the Church has been called to pass, can never quench! Two of my members, one from each class, have gone home to God during the year. Of this they gave clear testimony; and they are now before the throne, having 'washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.'

"Nov. 17th, 1853.-My religious experience during the past few days has been of a varied character. I have had alternate days of cloud and sunshine. My heart has sometimes been hard and my mind dark; and at other times the candle of the Lord' has shone brightly upon my path, and I have experienced the softening influence of the dew of His heavenly grace. During the days of comparative darkness, the enemy of my soul was more than usually busy with me, especially while engaged in secret prayer. I found it difficult to fix my mind on God, and on the blessings I needed; and worldly thoughts were suggested to my mind in such a way as to render prayer difficult, and frequently to deprive me of its blessings. Yesterday, however, I got the victory; and in my closet in the afternoon, and again at my class in the evening, I was enabled by faith to lay firm hold on my Saviour, and to say, 'I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me.'

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March 6th, 1854.—Yesterday was a blessed Sabbath to my soul. I was much drawn out in prayer in the Sabbath-school for the salvation of the children, and in my family for the salvation of my own. I had great liberty in the afternoon in speaking to the children in the school on Jacob's vision, Jacob's vow, and Jacob's prayer. Many of them seemed much affected, and the teachers pleaded with God very earnestly for their salvation. Truly the Lord is reviving His work, and giving us to see some fruit of our labour!

"October 20th, 1854.-Forty-three years of my life have passed away, how quickly! I scarcely seem to have begun to live. and evil have the days of the years of my life been;' and I

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already feel the shades of evening to be coming on. Lord, help me to devote my few remaining days or years to Thy service! I do this day covenant to be Thine, on Thine own terms. Lord, I am Thine!

"February 8th, 1855.-O Lord, 'so teach me to number my days, that I may apply my heart unto wisdom.' Since the commencement of this year I have been deeply affected by the mysterious dispensations of God's providence. Scarcely had I entered on the new year, when one of the members of my class was suddenly removed by death. Thank God, for some time previous he had evidently been ripening for his change.

"Before I had recovered from the shock occasioned by this circumstance, one of our ministers, the Rev. Dr. Beaumont, while giving out the second verse of the 316th hymn, in Waltham Street chapel, on Sabbath morning, the 21st of January, was summoned to the presence of his Divine Master. One moment he was leading the devotions of God's people on earth; the next (how sudden and glorious the change!) he joined the music of the skies. My heart has been softened and subdued by these dispensations. I have seen the necessity of greater watchfulness and diligence, and of being more in earnest for full salvation, and for the spiritual progress of the members of my class.

"November 29th, 1855.-I feel that God is reviving His work in my heart. I find the means of grace increasingly profitable; and have been greatly blessed in the sanctuary, in my class, in reading and meditating on God's Word, and in secret prayer. My soul is happy in God and happy in His work. May my every act show forth His praise, and my every moment be spent in serving Him! "January 7th, 1857.-Again I have covenanted to be the Lord's. Last Sabbath afternoon, while I did this, I felt my mind unusually solemnized, my Saviour very near and very precious. Since then I have been endeavouring daily to keep in view my covenant engagements.

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"July 29th, 1858.-Yesterday I was present at the opening prayer-meeting of the Conference. My soul was greatly profited, especially while Father Hickling was praying. He is the last surviving minister sent out by Mr. Wesley, and is now in his ninetythird year, with his faculties apparently as vigorous as ever. had looked forward with some degree of anxiety to the Conference, and had almost dreaded the excitement usually attendant on special services; for the ordinary means of grace conducted by our own ministers, and my weekly class-meeting, are to me generally the most profitable; but I have been benefited spiritually by the services of the Conference, and I feel it to be no common privilege to

spend much of my time in the company of two of God's ministers. May God bless the visit of these His servants to me and my family, and the coming up of the Conference, to the whole town!

"June 5th, 1859.-This evening I am alone with God, (my family having gone to His house,) having spent a very happy day in the Sabbath-school. My soul is full of love, full of holy resolutions to give myself to His cause more fully. I trust the labours of this day will be seen in the conversion of some of the children.

"February 8th, 1861.-During the last few weeks, I have passed through a season of heavy trial and bereavement. God, in His inscrutable wisdom, has permitted death for the first time to visit my home, and take away my youngest son. The trial has been to me a severe one, but my confidence in the goodness, as well as the wisdom, of God remains unshaken. He who gave that lovely boy has taken him to Himself; and he now lives in the immediate presence of that Saviour whose name was so precious to him during his affliction. This sorrow has been sanctified to my spiritual good it has made me more earnest in prayer for the salvation of my other children, and I have had much comfort and a stronger faith in God's promises. His word, which liveth and abideth for ever,' has been throughout the trying hour increasingly precious; and that word declares that them who sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.' 'I shall go' to my child, but he shall not return to me.'

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"May 3rd, 1868.-I thank God that I have an increasing desire to be made fully meet' for 'the inheritance of the saints in light.' I sometimes think that my earthly course is nearly run; and that this heart, which so often by its palpitations keeps me waking until long after the midnight hour, will ere long, and it may be suddenly, cease to perform its functions. I am anxious that so long as it continues to beat, its every pulse should beat for Him who has done so much for me. I do love Him. I want to love Him with all my heart and mind and soul and strength. I want to be 'made perfect in love.'

"January 16th, 1864.-Another year of my probation is ended, and I am spared to enter upon the new year in health and peace. The candle of the Lord' has shone on my path. I can look at the past with thankfulness, and say, 'Hitherto hath the Lord helped me;' at the present with a deep sense of God's goodness in permitting me again to put my name in a covenant-relation with His own, and enabling me, with filial confidence, to say, 'Lord, I am Thine:'

Thy son, Thy servant bought with blood.'

"May 6th, 1867.-I am faint, yet pursuing;' feebly, though earnestly, 'reaching forth' the hand of faith to those things which