recover their title to the reward of eternal life, which had been at first conferred as a free gift by God, and was now wholly forfeited by sin: yet that their case was by no means desperate; for we had the glad tidings to tell, that God had made provision for the complete salvation of sinners; that he had appointed his own eternal Son, in the human nature, to procure for sinners the pardon of sin, and a title to glory, by his own obedience and sufferings; that, in conferring these blessings, God acts as the sovereign dispenser of his own gifts, not in consideration of any merit (for there is none) in the person on whom he bestows them; that a conformity of our will to the law of God, which I formerly considered as the ground of our acceptance, was itself a gift bestowed by God, in consequence of his having first justified, accepted, and adopted us to be his children; that in this great salvation wrought out by Christ for sinners, love to God and man, an abhorrence of evil, and a disposition to what is good, were included as essential parts, inseparably connected with the rest; insomuch, that if a man is not renewed in the spirit of his mind, neither are his sins pardoned, nor his person accepted with God. I urged them to attend to what the word of God declared to be their condition; not to be deceived with vain hopes of recommending themselves to his favour by their own exertions; but as humble needy supplicants, to apply to him, through the merits of Christ, for pardon, and the gift of his Spirit to make them serve him with fidelity and delight; to be diligent in studying the word of truth, which alone can make us wise unto salvation; and having obtained grace from God, to practise diligently every active and every self-denying duty, and to abound in good fruit, to their own advancement in holiness and comfort, to the temporal and spiritual benefit of their fellow-creatures, and to the praise of him who had called them out of darkness into his marvellous light. I thought it right often to caution them against judging of their state

by transient impressions or emotions of which they might be conscious; but only by a prevailing habitual preference of God's honour and service to their own gratification, appearing in the uniform tenor of their purposes and actions.

The novelty of the matter, and some change in my manner of preaching, excited attention. People began to think more, and sometimes to talk together, of religious subjects, and of the sermons they heard. But I did not yet know of 'any deep or lasting impressions having been made. The two persons before mentioned as earliest converted, had by this time got clearer views of the gospel, were enabled to derive comfort from the word of salvation, and began to bear their testimony to the grace of God their Saviour. They were in use of visiting occasionslly a poor infirm woman, who had long walked with, God, and who now lived alone in a mean cottage. in the neighbouring village. It was proposed that they should come together to her house at a time appointed, and that I and some of my family should join them, and spend an evening hour or two in reading, conversation, and prayer. In process of time, different persons, who were enquiring after the one thing needful, hearing how we were employed, and believing that God was with us, were at their own request admitted of our party. In this poor woman's little smoky hovel, we continued to hold our weekly meetings, to August 1799, when she was called away to join the general assembly of the first born above. Her growth in grace had been very conspicuous, and her death was triumph

ant.

In summer 1798, the Lord's supper was dispensed in our congregation, at the usual time of the year. For some weeks before, I endeavoured in preaching to explain more fully, and with more application to the conscience, the nature of the ordinance; and the character of those who, under the denomination of disciples, were commanded to keep it. The exhortations and warnings then given, appeared to be accom

panied with a divine blessing. Some of the ordinary communicants, judging themselves to be in an unconverted state, kept back, of their own accord, from partaking of the sacra ment. Others, after conversing with me privately on the subject, took the same resolution. Many of those who might otherwise have applied for admission, forbore to apply. I inferred this from the comparatively small number of persons applying. For some years before, the number of candidates for admission each summer amounted to thirty, forty, and sometimes near fifty. In summer 1798, there were not above twelve; of whom nine were admitted. The sacrament was dispensed the same year again in November, on which occa sion there were only six more new communicants admitted.

Although the number of communicants was thus for the time diminished, yet the number of those who were brought under concern about their eternal interests was increasing. This concern shewed itself chiefly among the younger people under twenty-five or thirty. Their knowledge was yet im. perfect. A natural shyness often hindered them long from discovering to others what they thought or felt. They had as yet no friend or intimate whom they judged able, from experience, to understand their situation, or to give them coun sel. Some of them began to visit one of the two earlier converts formerly mentioned, from whose reading and conversation they derived considerable benefit. By means of this common friend, they were brought more acquainted with each other. One might now observe at church, after divine ser vice, two or three small groups forming themselves round our few more advanced believers, and withdrawing from the crowd into the adjacent fields, to exchange Christian salutations, and hold Christian converse together; while a little cousin, or other young relative, followed as a silent attendant on the party, and listened earnestly to their religious dis

course.

As the sacrament of the Lord's supper had been much

abused, by admitting, without strict examination or special instruction, all candidates who could give a tolerable answer to common questions, and who were free from grosser im moralities; so it must be confessed, that the sacrament of baptism had been still more profaned. Nothing but one kind of scandal was understood to preclude a man from admission to this ordinance. Gross ignorance, or immoral behaviour, only laid a man open to some admonition or reproof; or at most laid him under the necessity of procuring another sponsor; but hardly ever hindered the baptism of his child. Nothing subjects a man to greater disgrace and obloquy among us, than to have his child remain unbaptised. The dominion of custom in this matter is so despotic, that most parents would chuse rather to carry their children a hundred miles to be baptised by a Popish priest, than to be refused baptism when they demand it. The superstitious notions, and other abuses attending our celebration of this sacrament, called loudly for reformation. Last year, I preached a short course of sermons on baptism. At the same time, agreeably to a recent resolution and recommendation of the presbytery to which I belong, I revived the laws of the church which had fallen into disuse, relative to this ordinance, particularly that which prohibits private baptism. Acts of Assembly, 1690, X. Whenever I baptise a child on a week day, whether in the church or elsewhere, I give previous intimation of sermon, and after preaching I administer the ordinance in the presence of the congregation. By these means many have

*

* In process of time, I found that this practice needed some restriction. It was always desirable that both parents should be present at baptism, as being parties peculiarly interested in the solemn transaction. They could rarely attend on the ordinance in church, without risking the health of the new-born infant, and of the mother not yet fully recovered. It was likewise inconvenient for private families, especially in such circumstances, to have a mixed congregation of people assembled at their houses; nor could many be accommodated. Therefore, instead of intimating sermon, I have now been long accustomed to allow the Head of the family to ask such friends or neigh

been brought to understand better the nature of this sacrament, and to attend to it with more reverence. It had been long customary for the parent to give an entertainment, ac◄ cording to his station, to his neighbours and connections, immediately after the baptism; by which means this sacred ordinance, instead of being regarded as a most solemn religious service, had degenerated into an occasion of carnal mirth and festivity. The more religiously disposed amongst us have set the example of discontinuing this practice..

In February 1799, it pleased God to call home my dear wife, after we had been married little more than five years. She too had been growing in grace during the last two years of her life. She laboured for some months under a gradual decline, which impaired her strength, and occasioned sometimes a languor of spirits; but her faith and trust in her Redeemer were on the whole uniform and steady. Her dismission from the body was gentle, without pain or struggle. Her meek and humble behaviour, her growing love to her Saviour, and the joy she expressed at the prospect of being soon with him, were blessed to the edification of our pious neighbours, who often called to visit her.

The following month, March 1799, I began a course of practical sermons on Regeneration, which I continued to the beginning of July following. These were attended with a more general awakening than had yet appeared among us. Seldom a week passed in which we did not see or hear of one, two, or three persons, brought under deep concern about their souls, accompanied with strong convictions of sin, and earnest enquiry after a Saviour. It was a great advantage to these that there were others on the road before them;

bours as he chooses to have present; and I read and expound a portion of Scripture, in presence of the parents and the company assembled. This private exposition and application of the word of God, I have found profitable, as well as the more public preaching of it.Fourth Edition.