tainly did not distinctly understand, nor was I at all persuaded of the truth of many propositions contained in it. Yet I do not remember that I had any scruples about subscribing it as the confession of my faith, or about declaring my assent to it solemnly, in the presence of that congregation whereof I was about to take the pastoral charge.

While I was yet ignorant of the truth, and unacquainted with Christian experience, two persons, under conviction of sin and terrors of conscience, applied to me for advice. They supposed that one in the office of the ministry must of course be a man of God, and skilled in administering reme◄ dies for the diseases of the soul. They were widely mista◄ ken in their judgment of me; for I had learned less of the practice than of the theory of pastoral duty. I said something to them in the way of advice, but it afforded them no relief. They were, however, under the care of the good Physician. He applied his own balm to their wounded spirits, and " healed, and bade them live." Being progressively and effectually taught of God, they are both now established, judicious Christians. These are the first that ap pear to have been converted since my incumbency, but they cannot be reckoned the fruits of my ministry.

The Lord was now preparing to gather to himself a fuller' harvest in this place. He might have removed me as an useless incumbrance, or rather an intervening cbstacle, out of the way, and subjected me to the doom of the unprofitable servant; but he was graciously pleased to spare me, and visit me in mercy, and even to employ me as one of his instruments in carrying on his own work. Glory to his name, who commanded light to shine out of darkness!—The writings of pious men, which were put into my hands by one or another Christian friend, were made the means of bringing me acquainted with the truths of the gospel. Among these. I may mention the works of the Rev. John Newton and Thomas Scott, as eminently useful to me. I was slow in

receiving and embracing the doctrines maintained by these writers. By degrees, however, I was persuaded that they were agreeable to Scripture, and that no doubt they must be admitted as true. I therefore durst not preach any thing which I conceived to be directly contrary to these doctrines; but I brought them forward rarely, incorrectly, and with awkward hesitation, The trumpet was sounded, but it gave an "uncertain sound." My preaching now consisted of a mixed kind of doctrine. I taught that human nature is corrupt, and needs to be purified; that righteousness cannot come by the law; that we cannot be justified in the sight of God by our own works; that we can be justified only by the righteous, ness of Christ, imputed to us, and received by faith. But in explaining the nature of saving faith, I conceived it as including many of its effects; not only a cordial acceptance of the plan of redemption by a Mediator, but also ardent gratitude to God our Saviour on account of that redemption, devotedness to his service, good-will to our brethren of mankind; in a word, every pious and benevolent disposition of heart. I thought and taught, that, on our possessing this faith, we should, in consideration of it, have an interest in the redemption purchased by Christ, and consequently be accepted by God, and rewarded as righteous persons. Thus, by a short circuit, I arrived at the same point from which I had set out; still resting a sinner's acceptance with God on the conformity of his will to the divine law, or, in other words, on the merit of his good dispositions, and thus endeavouring to establish a human righteousness under the name of faith in Jesus Christ. It was plain, indeed, that this conformity of the will to the divine law could be but imperfect in this life; yet, imperfect as it was, it must, in my apprehension, be the ground of our justification and acceptance with God. Here I stumbled on that stumbling-stone of sincere obedience, in substance at least, if not in so many words; imagining, like many in whose writings I have since met with

*

that opinion, that the great favour procured to men by Christ's sufferings and mediation, was a relaxation of the divine law; and that an imperfect obedience, dignified with the name of sincere, was all that was now required. This was "" another gospel," which could never be owned by God as the gospel of his Son, nor accompanied by that sanctifying power which belongs exclusively to the truth. If it set any of my people on thinking, it only bewildered and misled them. They remained, as before, unenlightened and unchanged.

The biographical sketches in the Evangelical Magazine were principal means of impressing my heart, of opening my

As one specimen, I transcribe the following extract from the printed sermons of a clergyman deceased. "Religion, though it enjoins universal purity, an uniform obedience to its laws, and grants no licence to sin, does not yet require a total exemption from all such failings as strict justice might pronounce faulty; does not expect in us such perfection, as never to suffer ourselves to be surprised into actions which, upon a review, may appear censurable. For if this were the duty, these the terms prescribed by religion, who could comply or live up to such unsinning purity? There is not a just man that liveth upon the earth, and sinneth not. God alone is absolute, immutable holiness. He is indeed pure, unclouded light; and in him is no darkness at all; no shades or spots in his nature. But the brightest human virtue is shaded with imperfections, and blotted with various defects. Our supreme Lawgiver, therefore, does not expect absolute perfec tion, but accepts us on the much lower condition of sincerity, i. e. of a predominant purpose and inclination to obey him, appearing in the habitual virtues of a good life. This is all the obedience that human frailty can pay, and all that the divine mercy exacts. This it is to keep innocence, and take heed to the thing that is right; and that this will bring peace to the mind, both in this life and in the next, is a doctrine which this discourse is meant to illustrate."-Carr's Sermons, vol. iii. Serm. 13.

If one wished to expose the vanity of the scheme of acceptance with God on account of an obedience confessedly defective, one could scarcely contrive a statement which should exhibit its inconsistency and ab. surdity more clearly, than that which is here given by a professed advocate of that illusive and pernicious theory. Yet this is a favourite scheme with numbers who are reckoned thinking men, men of sense and understanding, and knowledge of the world. So readily does even a thinking man, who would not easily be imposed upon in the affairs of life, content himself with any religious scheme, however inconsistent with scripture and reason, which flatters his natural self-estimation, his worldly spirit, and lamentable indifference about the concerns of eternity.

eyes to perceive the truth, of exciting a love to godliness, and a desire after usefulness. The power of divine grace appeared illustrious in the composure, the joy, the triumph, with which many pious Christians left the world. I saw their triumphant hope supported, not by a complacent re flection on a well-spent life, but by a confidence in the unmerited love of Christ, and in his power and willingness to save even the chief of sinners. I was particularly struck

with the account of ministers who had laboured with much diligence and success, and had died at an early period of life, full of good fruits; while I, who had already lived longer, and been longer in the ministry than they, could not say that I had taken any pains with my people, nor that I had been the means of reclaiming one sinner from the error of his way, or of saving one soul from death. The conver sation and example of some persons of a truly spiritual mind, to whose acquaintance I was admitted, and who exhibited to my view what I found only described in written memoirs, conduced much to impress on my mind the truths with which I was gradually becoming more acquainted. I cannot omit mentioning, in this connection, the blessing I enjoyed in the preaching, the prayers, and the conversation, of that much-favoured servant of Christ, the Rev. Charles Simeon, of King's College, Cambridge. He was a man sent from. God to me, was my guest for two days in June 1796, preached in my church, and left a savour of the things of God, which has remained with us ever since.

From that time, I began to teach and preach Jesus Christ, with some degree of knowledge and confidence. From August 1797 to January 1798, I preached a course of sermons on the fundamental doctrines of Christianity; following, for the most part, the selection and order of texts in the tract entitled "Short Sermons."* I was now enabled to shew,

The texts in the above named pamphlet are as follows: Matt. xvi. 26. What is a man profited, if he gain the whole world,

from Scripture, that all men are by nature enemies to God, disobedient to his law, and on that account exposed to his just indignation and curse. I therefore addressed them, not as persons who were already, from education, birth-right, or local situation, possessed of saving faith and other Christian graces, but as sinners, under sentence of death, and who had "not as yet obtained mercy." I did not, as before, merely reprove them for particular faults or vices, and urge them to the practice of particular virtues; but told them, that the whole of their affections and inclinations needed to be pointed in a new direction, and even their virtues to be new modelled. I shewed, that this, supposing it done, could not atone however for past offences, nor wipe away guilt already contracted; and that sin could not be remitted without satisfaction made to the broken law of God; that neither could purity of heart, and constant obedience in future,

and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

1 John iii. 4. Sin is the transgression of the law.

Rom. iii. 23. All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Gal. iii. 10. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them.

Rom. vi. 23. The wages of sin is death.

Acts xvi. 30. What shall I do to be saved?

Mark i. 15. Repent ye, and believe the gospel.

1 Tim. i. 15. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all accepta. tion, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

John vi. 37. Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out. Rom. v. 1. Being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Peter ii. 7. Unto you which believe he is precious.

Heb. xii. 14. Follow holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.

Tit. ii. 13. Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Luke xi. 13. If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Heb. xii. 27. It is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment.

Heb. ii. 3. How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?