family. The forenoon we spent in prayer. Eliezer * prayed first, very sensibly though short. John prayed a long time, and exceeding pertinently and affectionately, weeping mnch: I wondered at it. God helped our maid, my wife, and myself wonderfully. O what a melting duty was it! In the afternoon I prayed, and preached to a considerable number of people. Blessed be God for this day; he will hear."

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Such happy seasons encouraged Mr. H. to continue waiting on God in private, and emboldened him in the persecuted ways of Nonconformity. Aug. 27th," he says, "I preached at home as usual, had a numerous assembly, and God helped. Two bailiffs of Bradford were at a neighbour's house, and took a man; but God either hid us from them, or chained them up: blessed be his name. Sept.-, I went to keep a fast at Mr. Sharp's, Little Horton. Mr. Sales preached, Mr. Sharp,† Mr. Waterhouse, ‡ Mr. Boys, and I prayed. I was much straitened in prayer; God is wise. Perhaps I was conceited of myself, and others expected too much from me. I have not felt my spirits so out of frame, this long time; but God made amends, for I had wonderful meltings of heart when another was engaged in duty. It is welcome; let me be ashamed, so that God may be glorified and my heart bettered.

* Eliezer was only fourteen, and John fifteen years of age at this time.

+ A long and familiar acquaintance was preserved between Mr. H. and the family at Little Horton. Mr. Sharp was related to the archbishop of the same name, and became the minister of the congregation at Mill-Hill in Leeds, where he died, Lord's day, Aug. 27, 1793, aged 60. He was a man of very superior abilities, and his death was much lamented.

Mr. Waterhouse was ejected from Bradford, after which he lived privately, occasionally preaching in his own house. He was à learned man and much esteemed.

There was a considerable number present of different persuasions. It was a good day. Sept. 13, we had a private day of fasting and prayer, and I preached. It was such a day as I never had in all my life, that I remember. My heart was exceedingly drawn out for myself, my family, congregation, and country, with such a measure of feeling, weeping, and elocution, as if I had been taking leave of my people and the world.— Lord's day, Jan. 14th, 1672, I preached at home, and there was a great assembly, because there was no preacher at the chapel. About one o'clock, tidings were brought to me, that S. Ellis had obtained a warrant, and was resolved to come and break us up, which occasioned me to dismiss the people. The rest of the day, Captain Hodgson and I spent in prayer. God made that providence work much good."

When Mr. Heywood was prevented from proclaiming the truths of the gospel as publicly as he desired by preaching, he was resolved to edify his people, and bless the church in future days by employing his pen. It was in this period of his life, he completed his publications entitled Heart Treasure-Closet PrayerSure Mercies of David. These compositions, as may be naturally supposed, have some relation to the times in which they were written,* and contain a compendium of the divine truths that mostly occupied his attention,

In his preface to the last of these, dated June 1670, he evidently refers to the spoiling of goods which he and many of his fellow-sufferers endured about this time: "The tyrant's rage cannot pluck sure mercies out of your hearts and hands. This consideration is of singular use in a losing time. Men may take away our estates, liberties, and privileges, but they cannot take away our spiritual mercies. They may degrade us, and remove us from our functions and offices, but cannot dissettle our souls from relation to Christ, or a state of grace, or from blessed influences of grace."

and comforted his mind in this season of trial and persecution.

The various circumstances recorded in this chapter, show how diligently Mr. H. was employed in promoting the spiritual welfare of others, and the following passages prove he was equally careful of the life of religion in his own soul: "This day, July 31st, 1671, having the opportunity of solitariness, all my family being from home, I set myself solemnly to religious exercises. I first read the 139th Psalm concerning God's omniscience and omnipresence, with tears in my eyes, commenting upon it and applying it to myself. I accordingly set myself as in the presence of God, desiring to deal truly and faithfully with my own soul in self-examination, and to lay open all my known sins. I fell down upon my knees, and for about an hour the Lord helped me to open my heart before him, to confess my iniquities with grief, sorrow, and shame, so far as I could call them to mind, and to cry to God with many tears for pardon of, and power against my sins. God brought my bitterest enemies to my thoughts, and helped me seriously to beg mercy for their souls, for my relations, for the congregation at Coley, for all other congregations, for my native land, and some other objects. The Lord hath given me some secret intimations of pardon and acceptance, and did communicate himself graciously to my heart. These things being considered, I am pressed in spirit to renew my covenant with my God in writing, as I have been doing it on my knees. O that God would help me to plain dealing in this case, that I may not deal falsely either in making or keeping covenant with him. So far as I know any thing of this treacherous heart, I desire to be upright and downright in this business; for none is privy to these things but God and my own conscience and I

do this the rather, because I have found my own heart inconstant, that I may bind myself under my own hand-writing, taking my warrant from Isa. xliv. 5."

"Dreadful Jehovah, I am thy poor creature, and a grievous sinner, a transgressor from the womb, and a wanderer all my days to this moment; lying under the guilt of the first man's first sin, and following such ruinous steps in various actual transgressions. I am by nature a child of wrath, a slave to Satan, under thy curse, and liable to hell torments; but thou hast, of thy own infinite mercy, spared my life, and preserved me in the world above forty years. Thou broughtest me up under religious parents, gavest me thy good word to read and hear preached, didst touch my heart with remorse for sin and cause workings of heart, before I was twelve years of age; and though I backslided fearfully into great sins and a course of security, yet thy Spirit hath several times fetched me home again, and thy grace hath indulgently received me. Still I find a deceitful, backsliding heart withdrawing from the living God; and, having tried prayers, tears, vows, and fastings, still my heart gives me the slip, and grows formal, distracted, and secure. I here call thee, my God, to witness, that it is the desire of my soul to cleave to thee with full purpose of heart. I do therefore acquiesce in, and admire thy glorious design of saving lost mankind by thy blessed Son, my precious Saviour, Jesus Christ, being Godman, the only Mediator between an offended and righteous God, and guilty, condemned sinners. I thankfully accept of him as my only Prophet, to teach me by his word and Spirit the way of life; as my Priest, to make satisfaction to thy justice for my sin, and intercede for my soul; as my Lord and Sovereign, to rule and govern me. And, though thou hast helped

me to preach many a sermon, to put up many a prayer, and to distribute spiritual and bodily alms, I renounce all as if I had done nothing, and rely only upon thy grace and the merits of thy Son for my justification; and if ever thou accept me here or save me hereafter, I must put all to the account of free grace alone. I do also here give up myself to thee, body and soul, all that I am, have, or can do, or shall be, to thy service and use, looking upon myself henceforth no more as my own, but the Lord's, entreating thee to sanctify my whole soul, and spirit, and body, resolving by thy grace to spend and be spent for thee. If thou hast given any faculties of soul, gifts of mind, strength of body, or opportunity of service, I resolve, and hereby promise to employ all, in the way of my duty, to thy glory, depending only upon thee for strength and assistance. I do also unfeignedly bind myself, under every obligation, to fight against Satan's temptations, to mortify my most beloved lusts and corruptions, to avoid all appearance and occasions of sin, and to this end, to study thy holy word, to perform all the duties thou requirest of me, and to walk all my days in obedience to thy revealed will, to love mine enemies, deny myself, bear the cross thou layest upon me, and follow the Lord Jesus, what way soever he shall be pleased to lead me. If, at any time, through the weakness of my flesh and the strength of temptation, I be overcome, my desire and design are, by the assistance of thy grace, to rise again by repentance, to confess my sins, to make fresh application to the blood of Christ for pardon, to renew my engagements to sin no more, to be more watchful over my own heart, humbly hoping for mercy according to the covenant of thy grace, desiring thee not to leave me at any time to myself, but to hold me in thy hand that my footsteps