heart. To his care and infinite grace and love I commend you, my very dear friend, begging to be remembered by you, as an unworthy but needy sinner, and as such, a proper object of the Saviour's compassion ; and in every situation, with sincere affection, yours, "W. G."

At Wells, Lady Glenorchy and her friend, Miss Hill, paid a visit to Mrs Tudway, the lady of Clemant Tudway, Esq. who was many sessions member of Parliament for that city. Here she received an account of the decision of the Synod of Lothian and Tweeddale with respect to her chapel. She had written a letter to Dr Webster, requesting him to inform the Presbytery, that she intended to give them no further trouble with respect to Mr Balfour's settlement in her chapel, as he had determined to remain at Lecropt. This intimation was received by the Presbytery without remark, and ordered to be inserted in their minutes. In these circumstances, the friends of the chapel concluded, that as the occasion of complaint to the Synod was thus taken away, the complaint itself would consequently be withdrawn, and under this impression some of them did not attend the meeting of Synod. The complainants, however, collected their friends on the occasion, all of whom together did not amount to nearly the number of the members of the Presbytery of Edinburgh, who were excluded from judging in the question, being parties. After much discussion, the Synod, without a vote, on the motion of Dr Carlyle, minister of the parish of Inveresk, pronounced a sentence reversing that of the Presbytery of Edinburgh, and discharging all the ministers and probationers within their bounds from officiating in the said chapel; and further discharging the ministers

of this church, to employ any minister of the said chapel to officiate for them; a sentence which was considered both extraordinary and extrajudicial.

Against this judgment, Dr Erskine, Mr Walker, and Mr Johnston, (minister of the parish of North Leith), protested and appealed to the ensuing General Assembly, and on the day following Dr Webster joined in this protest and appeal, which, at the next Presbytery, these ministers were appointed to support at the bar of the General Assembly.

On the last day of November, Lady Glenorchy and her fellow-traveller proceeded westward, literally as Abraham, not knowing whither they went, but like Abraham also, walking before God towards the inheritance which fadeth not away, and both receiving and scattering blessings as they went along. At Exeter, she met with Mr Holmes, a gentleman of a congenial spirit to her own. He had been, in his youth, a merchant trading to Lisbon, and early in life had acquired an ample fortune: he had now, however, retired from business, and was the kind and generous friend of every good man who happened to be brought within the sphere of his notice, and the munificent patron of every work of piety and charity. His house was made by him and his excellent lady, the welcome home of every approved minister of the gospel who passed through their city, where they found every thing which could delight a well informed and well disposed mind. For the space of two years and a half, the writer of these pages resided at Plymouth Dock, as assistant to an aged minister in that place; during which period, many weeks never elapsed without his visiting their hospitable roof. In the beginning of December, he accompanied a young gentleman of rank and fortune in the west of England, from Plymouth to Exeter, and on entering Mr Holmes'

house, they were met by him, and informed that Lady Glenorchy and Miss Hill were expected in a few minutes to dine there. His companion had seen Lady Glenorchy before, but this was the writer's first introduction to her Ladyship.

When she went away, she requested him to conduct the family worship at her lodgings that evening and the next morning, which he accordingly did. She then made many inquiries about Plymouth and its environs.

In ten days or a fortnight afterwards, she came to Plymouth Dock, and during the six weeks she remained there, he officiated morning and evening in her family as domestic chaplain.

Exmouth is well known as a place to which invalids resort, on account of the warmth of the climate, and the salubrity of the air. Thither Lady Glenorchy went, and having a preacher with her who was distinguished for his popularity and zeal, a congregation was collected. She procured She procured a house, and formed it into a chapel in this place, which has been eminently useful, and continues to be so to the present time.

How often does God bring good out of evil! Had it not been that Lady Glenorchy was forced from home by ill health and vexation, as we have seen, it is, according to human views, more than probable that the rude inhabitants of Exmouth might have been left without the gospel to this day, and many who in that place have slept in Jesus, might have died in their ignorance and their sins. The writer of this book, too, had possibly otherwise never crossed the Tweed, and most assuredly had never attained to the place of comfort, respectability, and usefulness which he has so long enjoyed. Lady Glenorchy's own account of this her pilgrimage to the west of England, and of the

interesting circumstances which attended it, will be given from her Diary, and by an extract of a letter to Lady Maxwell.

December 1.-We spent one Lord's day at Taunton, got acquainted with Mr Reader, who informed me of Mr Holmes' character at Exeter. Next day we arrived there, and went to Mr Holmes, who fully answered the character we had got of him.

3d of December we went to Exmouth, where we remained some days. Mr began preaching there in the long room on the 6th, and we continued three days there, my chaplain preaching in different places to crowded auditories, some of whom seemed impressed by the word. Here we met with much opposition from a neighbouring Justice, who sent a press-gang to the long room to disturb the congregation, and ordered the landlord to give no more admission to such preachers, on pain of taking away his license. This made me wish much to have a house licensed in the town, large enough to contain the people who were willing to hear. This desire increased in proportion as I saw the eagerness of the people to hear and receive the gospel. I mentioned it to Mr Holmes, but he seemed to think Exmouth so wicked a place, that it would be in vain to attempt any thing there. The thought, however, never left me, and some weeks afterwards I wrote to Mr Holmes, to look out for a house in the town which I might purchase, which accordingly he did, and found one, which I bought, and repaired and fitted up for a place of worship, and in which a congregation of some hundreds has been gathered, and is now (in 1783) in a very flourishing

state.

From Exmouth we went to Teignmouth, but could not stay long, on account of the damps which prevail there in the winter.

December 15.—We had the privilege this day of joining with the church at Plymouth Dock in celebrating the Lord's supper. It was a good day to my soul, -truly a refreshing season. I could hear of no comfortable lodgings;—at length a good man offered to quit his house in order to accommodate us. This I accepted of, and sent immediately to hire a womanservant. Providentially, one came that morning from the country to seek a place. My maid liked her appearance, and hired her.

It pleased the Lord to make this circumstance the means of bringing this woman to the knowledge, belief, and obedience of the gospel. And the day before I left Plymouth, being uneasy about parting with her, her father, whose house she had left in consequence of some family dispute, sent a message to her, requesting her to return home, his mind being changed at the critical moment, and the hand of the Lord was made visibly apparent in the whole affair. I cannot but note here another remarkable incident: A female servant belonging to the master of the house, had scoffed at my young woman's profession of religion. I therefore, when about to depart, sent for her, and set before her the evil of her conduct, and the danger to which it exposed her, and urged her to seek the Lord, as she should answer for it on the day when we should meet before the judgment-seat of God.

The admonition was blessed, as I afterwards learnt, for from that time this poor girl gave good evidence of being a new creature. After having experienced deep convictions of sin, and being brought to the