oracles to which they appealed, the deeper was his conviction of the accuracy of the doctrines they taught, and the necessity of an experimental knowledge of them. A fresh impulse was given to his religious feelings: from a dubious and suspicious hearer, he became a steady adherent, and ready advocate of those, whom popular clamour had denominated the false prophets; and, regardless of the odium he might incur, he was one of the first in Cheshire, to give his name as a member of the Methodist Society, and continued to be such to the end of his life. So precious in those days was the word of the Lord, and so eager was he to avail himself of an opportunity of hearing it, that he frequently, after a hard day's labour, travelled fifteen, or twenty miles to hear a sermon.

Of the early life of MR. RICHARD WILLIAMS the Father of Mrs. Warren, it is not now practicable to give a particular statement; nor of the precise time when he first became the subject of serious concern for the salvation of his soul. Accustomed as he had been to be present, and to bear a part in the religious services of his father's house, and to hear the preaching of the word, he cannot be supposed to have been otherwise than conversant with religious topics. But, as it is never the custom for the Wesleyan Societies to be continued or increased by the membership of the children of Methodists, merely as such;

into whose service he now entered, was of the Presbyterian persuasion. Here he had the privilege of attending public worship, and the regular devotion of the family these, accompanied as they were by a consistent and exemplary conduct on the part of his employer, made an impression on his mind favourable to religion. He betook himself to a careful reading of the Holy Scriptures, and became deeply impressed with the necessity of the religion of the heart. This he made the constant subject of his prayers to the God of all grace, and devoutly waited to see his salvation. In the order of Providence he next removed into Cheshire, about the time that the Wesleyan Methodists first visited that part of the country. As they were then, like the Christians of former times, a "sect every where spoken against," it was with extreme caution that he first ventured to hear them. Being, however, tolerably conversant with the word of God, and accustomed to hear the truth as preached among the Presbyterians, he thought himself competent to detect any material errors in the doctrines of the new sect; and judged it unfair and unmanly to entertain a prejudice against them, without a fair hearing; especially, when he adverted to the ignorance and irreligion of those who were most forward to condemn, and readiest to persecute.

The more he attended to the truths they delivered, and the more carefully he examined the sacred

6

unatees nowwhics the ameed, the deeper was ha ONITECMOL 0.14: (ACouncy of the doctrines they taugint, and ta necessity of an experimental knowledge of then a trest ampulse was gives to in religions seelings from a dubious and cuspaciou. forcer, became & steady adherent, and reac! ativesse a tuge.. winn pryder cianour bat mommasta te false prophes, and registics. flough: mour, he was one of the first. Chretine, a gret dus name as a member of 1: Methods Society, and continued to be such to :” end of life. So precious in those days was i work of the Lord, and so eager was he to avalan self of an opportunity of hearing 11. tha: 2. quently, after a hard day » Jabami.

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but only by those who become members from prín→ ciple, and cordial attachment; no notice has been preserved of his early days, previous to those decided religious convictions which led him to unite in the same community: except, that from his youth, he feared the Lord greatly.

His enquiries after true religion seem to have been considerably promoted by the following incident. Being one day in a Smith's shop at Tattenhall, while he was a boy, one of the neighbours asked him in a jeering manner, whether his Father now went to pray dark prayers with Dr. Smith. This Mr. Smith was one of the first Local Preachers in Mr. Wesley's connexion in that neighbourhood, whom Mr. Bruce, the neighbour in question, affected to despise for want of a classical education. The expression "dark prayers," excited his curiosity. One day as he was passing a cock-pit, he observed a great concourse of people surrounding it upon their knees, shouting forth their oaths and curses. Surely, thought he, this must be what Mr. Bruce meant by praying dark prayers. By this circumstance, however, his father was furnished with an occasion of teaching him a lesson upon the subject of praying in the Holy Ghost, which he never forgot. Nor is it unworthy of recording, that much as Mr. Bruce had expressed his contempt of the pious labours of Mr. Smith, God was pleased to employ that very person as the instrument

of his conversion. For, on one occasion, when it was expected that Mr. Wesley was to preach in the neighbourhood, the brother of Mr. Bruce, who was a Clergyman of the Church of England, prevailed upon him to go and hear for himself. He accordingly went, but instead of Mr. Wesley, who had been unavoidably prevented coming, Mr. Smith, the man he so much despised, was supplying his place. So powerfully, however, was his attention arrested by the sacred truths which he delivered, and such was the conviction with which the Holy Spirit accompanied them to his heart, that from that very time he began most earnestly to enquire what he must do to be saved; nor was it long before he obtained a scriptural sense of peace with God, and became a most decided and useful Christian.

Whilst Mr. Williams's mind was under religious concern, he was, by the solicitation of some of his acquaintances, prevailed upon to accompany them to the Chester Races. Instead, however, of finding any pleasure in the sports of the day, the profane merriment, dissipation, and wickedness of every kind with which he was surrounded, formed so frightful a contrast with the state of his mind, that he was miserable during the whole time he was on the Race Course; and resolved, in the fear of the Lord, that as soon as he could make his escape from such employment, and such company, he would never be