Again, we say, the love and the reverence with which Jesus is honoured by so large a portion of the foremost nations of the earth are no mistake,—no accident. They are the natural result of His worth and excellency. They are the natural response of the generous heart of humanity, to its wisest Teacher and its greatest Benefactor. The devoutest love, the liveliest gratitude, the richest honours, the costliest offerings,-He deserved them all. And His name shall remain, and His fame shall spread, as long as the sun and moon endure. "All nations love and adore the good. Men will even die for them. What wonder then that Jesus should be

so loved? What wonder that so many tongues should praise Him, so many hearts adore Him, and so many nations bow before Him, and accept Him as their Lord? For He devoted Himself to the service, not of a class or nation, but of the world. The sick, the poor, the ignorant, the fallen; the little innocent children, the wronged and outcast woman, the aged Samaritan, the despised Pagan, the obnoxious publican, the youthful prodigal, the dying penitent, the cruel persecutor, all shared His love, His pity, and His prayers. He lived, He taught, He died for all."

20. The first Christians that invited me to preach were the Methodist Reformers of Wolverhampton. The next were the Primitive Methodists of Bilston and Tunstall. The Primitive Methodists at Tunstall invited me to join their community, and as soon as I consistently could, I did so. I was afterwards accepted as a local preacher. My labours as a preacher and lecturer have been mostly in connection with that community. I was specially struck with the zeal, the labours, and the usefulness of the Primitive Methodists while on my way from the wilds of error; and my intercourse with its ministers and members since I became a Christian has proved to me an unspeakable comfort and blessing. I have received from them the greatest kindness; and I pray God that I may prove a comfort and a blessing to them in

return.

21. I had great sacrifices to make when I renounced my connection with the unbelievers, and became a Christian, and for some time I and my family had ex

perience of severe trials. We had given up our old business, and it seemed impossible to obtain a new one, and for a time we were threatened with the bitterness of want. We were unwilling to ask a favour of any Christian party, lest our motives for embracing Christianity should be suspected; and at times I felt perplexed and sad. One day my eldest son, seeing I was depressed, said, "Father, dear, don't be troubled. We must trust in God now. I do trust in Him and I am so happy to think that we are all Christians, that I can bear anything." God bless his dear good soul. We did trust in God, and He sustained us. He supplied our wants. He overruled all things for our good. We can now say, "The lines have fallen to us in pleasant places; we have a goodly heritage."

22. I have met with some unpleasantnesses since my return to Christ; but I am not sure that they are worth naming; and for the present they shall remain unnamed. I have met with many things of a very pleasant character. Several that followed me into doubt have come back with me to Christianity. Several that were sinking, were saved by my conversion. Some unbelievers that were not led into doubt through me, have been redeemed from their wretchedness through my example and labours. Some young ministers have been kept from rash and ruinous steps by the story of my experience. Many believers have been strengthened in their faith and encouraged in their Christian labours under my sermons and lectures. Many have been benefited by my publications. My family has been greatly comforted and blessed. The power of the infidel class has been diminished. I have myself enjoyed a kind and a degree of happiness that I never enjoyed while the slave of doubt and unbelief. It is a great consolation to think that I was brought to God while in my health and strength, and that I have been permitted to spend over six years in the work of Christ. Another great comfort is, that my circumstances are such as to enable me to give some proof of my devotion to the cause of Christ ;of my infinite preference of the religion of Christ, both to the miserable philosophy of unbelief, and the wretched fictions of ignorant or anti-Christian divines.

Books that proved of use to me.

23. I had sunk below the level of ancient Paganism, and the books which I read on my first awakening to a consciousness that I was wrong, were Pagan works. I read much in Plato and Aristotle, Cicero and Seneca, for a time, and then in Plutarch, M. A. Antonine, and Epictetus. The works of Epictetus, with the comments of Simplicius, proved exceedingly profitable. I then read the writings of Theodore Parker, Dr. Channing, and some of the works of Dr. Priestley, and got good from all. They all helped to inspire me with a horror of Atheism, and to strengthen my faith in God, and in His boundless and eternal love. I next read a number of my own works, beginning with those that were somewhat sceptical, and reading backwards to those which were Christian. I then read freely in Hooker, Baxter, and Howe; in Jeremy Taylor, William Law, and Bishop Butler. I read Shakespeare freely, and Pope; and then Thompson, and Goldsmith, and Young, and Cowper, and Tennyson, and several others of our poets. Then came the writings of Burke, and Penn, and Wesley; of Robert Hall, and of Dr. Cooke, and of Mr. Newton; with Carlyle, and Paley, and Grotius. I also read Guizot's History of Civilisation, and those portions of Dr. Henry's History of England that referred to the Church of Christianity. Still later I read Augustine's Confessions, Montalembert's Monks of the West, and everything I could find to illustrate the history of Christianity.

I was delighted, transported, with many of Wesley's hymns. I found in them an amount of truth, and beauty, and richness of good feeling, I had never found in them before. I read many of the hymns of Watts with great pleasure, as well as several collections of hymns and poetry by Roundell Palmer and others. I also read the writings of Chalmers, Whewell, and Lord Brougham on natural theology, and the works of several other authors on that subject.

At a later period I read something in Neander, Lange, and others on the life of Christ. Still later I read Young's Christ of History with Renan and Ecce Homo." Renan tried me very much. He seemed to write in the scoffing spirit of Voltaire, and I laid the book aside before

I got to the end. Ecce Homo delighted me exceedingly. I read it a dozen times. I studied it, and it did me a great deal of good. It both strengthened my faith in Christ, and increased my love to Him. Still later I read Ecce Deus with much pleasure and profit.

The book, however, that did me most good was the Bible. I came to it continually, as to an everflowing fountain, and drank of its waters with ever-increasing delight.

24. I began to preach before I was fit; but I never might have been fit if I had not begun. I became fit by working while unfit. And my imperfect labours proved a blessing to many.

25. There was much prejudice against me at first; but not more than I had reason to expect; and it gradually gave place to confidence and kind feeling. Some said I ought to remain silent a few years; but as I did not know what a few years or even a few days might bring forth, I thought it best to speak at once. I had spoken freely enough on the wrong side, and I saw no reason why I should not speak as freely and at once on the right side. Nor do I regret the course I took. It was the best. Some that thought otherwise at first, think as I do now. For instance, when Mr. E. first heard that some of his friends had invited me to preach for them, he was very angry, and said I ought never to speak or show my face again in public as long as I lived. In less than four years he came to hear me, was much affected, shook me by the hand, thanked me, invited me to his house, showed me his library and museum, offered me a home, and was as kind as a father.

I never quarrelled with people for regarding me with fear or distrust, though I often checked my over-zealous friends, who were disposed to quarrel with all who did not regard me with the same amount of love and confidence as themselves.

I have never defended myself against slanderers, either by word or writing, except when justice to my friends has seemed to require it.

I have never complained of any disadvantages under which I have laboured. It is right that a man who has erred as I have, should have something unpleasant in his lot to remind him of his error, and render him more

N

careful and prayerful for the time to come: and there is a pleasure in penance.

26. I have never thrown the whole blame of my errors on others, nor have I ever seen reason to take the whole to myself. God alone is able to distribute praise and blame, rewards and punishments, according to men's deserts, and to Him I leave the task. At first I was disposed to be very severe towards myself: but two years' experience of a kind of treatment resembling that of my early days, satisfied me that I ought to judge myself a little more leniently. I would not however be unduly severe towards others. I cannot tell, when a man does me wrong, how far he may be under the influence of unavoidable error, and how far he may be under the influence of a wicked will. I may be able to measure the injustice of the act, but not the wickedness of the actor. God alone can do that. A man's treatment of me may satisfy me that I ought not to place myself in his power; but cannot justify me in saying of him that he deserves the damnation of hell. The rule with regard to men's deserts is, "Judge not, that ye be not judged."

27. When I have made the most liberal allowances for myself, even when I have satisfied myself that in my investigations my object was the discovery of truth, and that my errors were wholly unintentional, I must still feel ashamed and mortified at the thought that I was so weak as to be capable of such grievous errors. Even when I take into account the imperfection of my education, and the disadvantages of my situation, and all the temptations by which I was assailed, I am still ashamed and humbled, and feel that my place is in the dust. But if, while prostrate, God says to me, "Arise!" shall I resist the call? If in the exercise of His love He restores to me the joys of His salvation, bids me speak and labour in His cause, shall I not thankfully obey the heavenly voice? Shall I carry my humility to the extreme of rebellion? Shall I not rather arise, and, with a cheerful and joyous heart, do my Saviour what service I can ? I will not presume to usurp the prerogative of God, even to judge and punish myself. I will leave myself to Him, the merciful and all-knowing, and He shall do with me what He sees best. I will not reject His mercy. I will