be the most blessed day I ever saw; I hope I could rejoice more therein than in the gain of the whole world. How weary am I of myself, and being in the world, because of sin! God knows, and this conscience can witness, and some rooms where I have been can bear testimony, that no affliction that ever befell me hath rested so sadly on my spirit, as my sins, and rather than commit them again against my gracious Lord, I thought I should be content to be on a rack, yea, to endure infernal torments. Hath not my God found me many a time on my face, uttering my sad complaints for those sins the world hath known nothing of, and for spiritual wickednesses? Have I not inquired into scripture ways of mortification of sensual affections? Have I not watched against occasions of sin? Hath not my soul been striking at the root of sin, and making fresh applications by faith to the death of Christ for crucifying the flesh and its lusts? And hath my spiritual combat been altogether without success? Hath not my heavenly Joshua sometimes caused me to set my feet on the necks of these Canaanitish kings? Surely, my soul can say, thanks be to God who hath given me the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Well then, my soul can truly answer, that though I have a corrupt heart and much sin, yet I do not willingly allow myself in any guile; that sin reigns not, that there is sincere opposition made to it, and that integrity and uprightness shall preserve me; that though I be not a glorified saint in heaven, I am an upright Christian on earth; that although sin be stirring in me, I am not a slave to it; that though I have too much hypocrisy, I am not a hypocrite. This soul of mine can say with Job, Thou knowest I am not wicked;' and with David, 'I have not wickedly departed from my God.'"

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Seventhly, My soul, thou mayest be upright in avoiding sin, and not willingly allow the gratification of any sensual appetite; but what is all this to the purpose, seeing thou art daily sinning? Do not the scriptures say, 'Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them? What art thou then better for thy fighting against and mourning for sin, seeing thou art daily overtaken by it? Canst thou truly say thou committest any sin against thy will? and if thou couldst, what will that advantage thee before the pure and holy God? Will thy honest mind give him satisfaction for violating his laws? Will thy purpose to sin no more, procure a dispensation to sin again, or absolution for past offences? Will thy repentings and conflicts appease God's wrath, justify thy person, or save thy soul? Ans. I know that when I have done all, if that were possible, I am still an unprofitable servant; it would be but duty, and doing duty will pay no debt; whatsoever I may do or suffer will bear no proportion to infinite justice wronged by my sins. What I do, and the strength whereby I act is not my own, but my Lord's; by the grace of God I am what I am, and do what I do; yea, my exertions for God, and strivings against sin and Satan are defective and mixed with abundance of vanity. The graces of the Spirit, as exercised by me, are too short a garment to cover my naked soul, and are as filthy rags that need cleansing, and therefore cannot cleanse me. Woe is me! I am a man of unclean lips, and nothing I do is free from pollution; if I justify myself my own mouth will condemn me. If my goodness were perfect it would be finite, and could bear no proportion to infinite justice. The righteousness by which a sinner is justified, must be

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commensurate with the infinite holiness and justice of the great God; and this is what God hath provided in his gospel. Christ is become the Lord our righteousness;' and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which we could not be justified by the law of Moses;' for God hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.""

The treatment experienced by the Nonconformists after the calling in of the licenses, varied at different times and in different parts of the country. Sometimes a disposition was manifested by those in power, to attempt their comprehension within the pale of the establishment by concessions on both sides; but these measures invariably proved abortive. At other times, there appeared a determination in the magistracy to enforce the penal laws with their utmost rigour. Occasionally the Parliament appeared disposed to show lenity towards their dissenting brethren, and some leading men in the House of Commons spoke in their favour, but were not able to bring any thing to maturity. In some parts of the country, ill-natured persons were on the alert to disturb, if not prevent, their fellow subjects in the peaceable exercise of their religious rights. "Lord's day, April 13th, 1679," says Mr. Heywood, "I rode to Shaw chapel, and preached there to a numerous and attentive congregation without any disturbance. But at night, I was apprehended by Mr. Thos. Baskervil, high constable, and carried before Mr. Entwistle, of Ormskirk, justice of the peace, who treated me very roughly. Lord, sanctify this trial to me, and do me good by it! I was required to give security for my appearance at Manchester the next Quarter Sessions, which being done, I was set at li

berty. I attended at the Sessions accordingly, was called upon and examined, but God in his good providence working for me, I was honourably acquitted."

"This month, I took a long journey into Nottinghamshire, visited many friends, preached often in different places, and to large audiences. I was admitted into the church at J-, and preached before Sir Ralph Knight, from these words: Whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple.' God graciously helped me through the whole of what I had to do, and gave me a prosperous journey. Part of my business was to visit my son Eliezer, whom Providence has fixed in that part of the country."

Oct. 16th in this year, was observed by Mr. H. as a day of thanksgiving, not on account of any remarkable occurrence, but for the general mercies enjoyed by him and his family, when he indulged himself in the following pious meditations: "I have now waited on God as a Christian many years, and as a preacher near thirty years, with many tears, temptations, wants, and weaknesses. I was engaged to the people of Coley in 1650, and having taken a review of many events during this long period, it has made a strong impression on my mind, so that I have observed this day, as a day of thanksgiving, with above thirty of my special friends in my house at Northowram; and on the evening of this solemn day, I am bound in spirit to make a recognition of God's singular favours to me during my four apprenticeships with this my dearly beloved people. It is true I am conscious of many sins in all this time, for which my soul hath been grieved, and which, I humbly hope, God hath pardoned through the blood of the Mediator, my dear Saviour. I shall only go over some remarkable providences, as a landscape, the

review of which is pleasant to me, and may support my faith and promote my gratitude.”

"1. With grateful recollection I look back on the unanimous invitation I received, when I commenced my stated ministry, notwithstanding the numerous imperfections which must have been visible in such a stripling as I then was. 2. The diposition which led me to accept that invitation must have come from above, for previously I had no inclination to take up my residence in this district. 3. God found me a convenient residence, where I had many opportunities of gaining experience both by religious society and otherwise, by seeing the beauty of holiness and the evil of sin, and both were of great use to me. 4. I had some aged christian friends, from whose converse I received much advantage, who were careful of me and faithful to me, for which I have cause to bless God while I have a day to live. 5. God inclined my heart in a year or two to seek a regular admission into the ministerial office by solemn ordination and imposition of the hands of the Presbytery. This was so affectingly carried on by fasting and prayer, that it convinced some at the time, and hath assured me since, that it was God's way. 6. The Lord raised me up out of a dangerous fever, when I imagined I was in the very pangs of death; but God restored me from death to life that I might show forth his praise, and proclaim his will in the land of the living. 7. My dear Lord did graciously prevent temptations, and deliver from falling into gross and scandalous sins, thereby preventing a reproach on the gospel, a stain on my reputation, and a stumbling block in my way of doing good. 8. God knows in what chambers and fields I waited on him, what ejaculations, self-communings, prayers and tears attended my retirement. 9. God helped me to study