A regard for the welfare of the congregation, an object ever near his heart, did not permit him to comply. Besides his prevailing aversion to engagements of this kind, his habitual infirmities rendered it nearly impracticable for him to sustain the exertion and fatigue that would be required, and the feebleness of his voice rendered it equally impossible for him to make himself audible to the multitudes that would be congregated in the cities of the north. He also alleged, that had ability been given, he could not incur so long an additional absence from his flock as this journey would require, especially after having been so recently laid aside by illness for nearly five weeks.

Mr. Hall was very much disconcerted by the unexpected appearance of his portrait in one of the periodicals for May; and though upon the whole a spirited likeness, taken apparently from a small model which had been made by an artist at Leicester, he conceived that it was intended as a burlesque. His hearers however, and people in general, thought so well of the design, that the magazine was bought up with great avidity for the sake of the print, to the no small annoyance of him whose image and superscription it evidently bore. But though Mr. Hall at all times retired with disgust from every thing like a showy and ostentatious popularity, he sometimes permitted his likeness to be taken, at the particular request of a friend, on condition only of its being kept in a private apartment. In truth he had as much

taste for drawings and portraits as persons in general have, but could seldom bear the sight of his own majestic countenance, on account of some glaring defect which he imagined it displayed, and was often known to turn away from the mirror with expressions of horror and disgust.

In June he preached a missionary sermon at Loughborough, but said he was so dissatisfied with it that he must stop another evening and preach a second sermon by way of "make-weight," to the no small gratification of the people. He returned home with a cold and hoarseness, but was not laid aside from preaching; at the same time every slight accession of disorder awakened the apprehension of his friends.

This was followed, in the month of August, with two spasmodic attacks in the chest of an alarming character, which obliged him for a little time to suspend his usual labours. His spirits were much depressed, and considerable languor pervaded the whole system. Mr. Hall himself scarcely expected to recover, but thought himself a dying man. A physician having given it as his opinion that the disorder in the back, from which he had long and severely suffered, was now removed to the stomach, he very calmly said to a friend, "I shall be gone now, if that opinion be right." His pious father died of spasm in the chest, after sustaining various attacks of the disorder for upwards of four years. Mr. Hall soon afterwards added, "On a review of my ministerial

labours during my whole life, I have but one consolation. So far as I know I have not shunned to declare the whole counsel of God; no preconceived system, no fear of man, no influence of example, has biased my judgment, or fettered me in any respect; my aim has been to include the whole system of revelation, and to exclude from it everything extraneous. But when I reflect on the manner in which I have fulfilled my ministry, I am overwhelmed with shame and confusion of face; and should die in despair, were it not for the atonement of Christ Jesus my Lord and Saviour. That precious text, the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin,' is worth a thousand volumes of divinity." He then added, "I never in all my life saw so fully into the necessity of justification by faith alone, as I do at this moment. I should perish without it-utterly perish."

SECTION XVII.

A. D. 1816.

THE fame of Mr. Hall's writings having reached the United States, and excited the attention of their literary men, brought one of them on a visit to Leicester; and since that time many other of the Americans have spent a sabbath under his ministry, whenever they have visited this country. Rev. Dr. Mason, of New York, well known in the religious world, was advised by his physicians to undertake a voyage for the benefit of his health. Though born in America he was educated in Scotland, and paid his first visit there on landing on our shores; but having contemplated a tour of the continent, he determined on taking Leicester in his way to London, for the pleasure of seeing and hearing Mr. Hall.

Arriving on saturday evening, Nov. 2nd 1816, he stopped at an inn, and went next morning to Harvey-Lane meeting as an entire stranger. It was the day for administering the Lord's supper, and twelve persons were baptised and added to the church. Mr. Hall preached a discourse appropriate to the occasion, from Luke ix. 26, though

scarcely with his usual freedom and animation. In the administration of the baptismal rite he was singularly happy and impressive. Dr. Mason, though unknown, was observed to make unusual efforts to get near enough to view the ceremony, and stood leaning over the baptistry, close to the elbow of the administrator.

At the close of the service Dr. Mason retired to the inn, and afterwards attended the evening lecture. When public worship was ended he went into the vestry, and made himself known to Mr. Hall, who was of course not a little surprised to find who had been his auditor, and not a little mortified that he had not enjoyed some of his official assistance, which the stranger however from ill health was not able to afford.

When it became known who the mysterious person was that attended on the sabbath, a friend remarked to Mr. Hall that his sermons that day were scarcely equal to those he usually delivered, and expressed some regret that a popular minister from another quarter of the world had not come at a more auspicious period. His reply was replete with that diffidence and humility for which he was so remarkable. It has frequently been the case, said he, when any distinguished person has come from a distance, though totally unknown to me at the time, that I have not preached with any freedom or energy; and they must have gone away much disappointed. Well, he added, I am thankful in some respects that it is so. He who knows

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