leagues in two successive years, 1830-1. Here he was led to see and feel his need of entire sanctification.

"November 11, 1830.-My mind is this morning excited by the subject of sanctification. From what I have read from Mr. Bramwell on this subject, I learn that (1) simple faith in its attainability, (2) diligent use of the means, and (3) constant expectation for it, are necessary. Also, that those who seek for it are (1) kept from lukewarmness and actual sin, and are made useful; (2) meet with conflicts from the enemy; (3) are misrepresented by others. Conclusions (1) I am persuaded that the thing is gloriously possible; (2) I am determined to seek for it; (3) Have been living far beneath my privileges; (4) Have neglected to urge this upon my family, congregation, and myself. The Lord forgive me, and help me to seek for all his perfect will, and let me be amongst the sanctified." He was also much impressed by the perusal of the memoir of Mrs. Clough, the wife of an excellent missionary, and by tidings of the decease of two Manchester friends-Mr. Hassall and Mrs. Brookes. He esteemed them very highly, and keenly felt their loss. Thus--"One by one love's links are broken,

One by one our friends depart:

Voices that have kindly spoken,

Heart that throbbed to kindred heart."

Now he will have greeted them in our Father's house of many mansions. What glorious reunions in heaven! On March 25, 1831, he records the death, on the 19th current, of the Rev. D. Barker, "much lamented." My father dearly loved him. Often have I heard him speak of him in terms of highest respect and tenderest affection, and joyous would be their meeting before the Throne. The time drew near for his leaving Sheffield; but while he mourns over great unfaithfulness as he reviews his ministry there, yet his labour was not in vain in the Lord. He notes the reception of a beautiful present from Mr. E. Wilson, of Meadow Street, Sheffield, in acknowledgment of the spiritual good received from a sermon he preached in Scotland Street Chapel, on Acts xi. 26: "The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch." He also refers, in terms of high commendation, to a lecture delivered in the Music Hall, by James Silk Buckingham, Esq., on the East India Monopoly. And in another record gives us an illustration of itinerant duty in 1831 :—

"August 27.-Had to travel to Doncaster, to walk eight miles, ride on horseback ten miles; this wearied me much. On the Sabbath preached three times, and administered the sacrament; was quite fatigued. On Monday rode eighteen miles on horseback; fatigued. On Tuesday set out for Derbyshire, nineteen miles. Returned home on Thursday, quite spent." Obviously those were not railway days. Another illustration will confirm this :

"May 29, 1832.—I have travelled to Altrincham since Thursday last, to supply for Mr. Burrows. The road through Oughty Bridge, Deep Carr, Woodhead, &c., Stalybridge, Ashton, was very pleasant. Returned on Monday, through Stockport; Distry is a pretty place. The valley leading to the New Mills is very delightful. Castleton is very pleasant; the ruins of the castle and the subterranean passage a curiosity; the shivering mountain is a novel object. This route

from Manchester to Sheffield is, in my opinion, very pleasant." The impression made upon his mind by one of our early missionary meetings is thus described : "We had a very interesting, instructive, and profitable missionary meeting in South Street Chapel last night (May 28, 1832). The speeches delivered by the Revs. Messrs. Berry, Burrows, and Cooke were very lucid, animated, and animating."

At the Conferences of 1832-3 he was appointed alone to Birminghamn. Here, while narrating his varied religious experiences, he refers to the solemnizing influence the recent deaths of Dr. A. Clarke, Richard Watson, and Robert Hall had had upon his mind, and also to the privilege of meeting with the late eminent Dr. McAll, at a ministerial breakfast, in September, 1833, at the vestry of the well-known Carr's Lane Chapel, fragrant with the memory of John Angell James. It was Thursday morning. "On the previous afternoon a missionary meeting had been held at Ebenezer Chapel, Steelhouse Lane, Mr. Lowe, the Treasurer, in the chair. The chapel was crowded to overflowing. The speeches were good, all spiritual, calculated to lead the people to God. Mr. Ray and Mr. Hill, missionaries, spoke to the point. Mr. Hill said that he was in company with an infidel in Russia, who, on being asked if he believed there was a God, said, 'A God, sir-have you seen God?' 'No, sir,' said Mr. Hill, but I have seen man, and in man I see God.' Dr. McAll took up the thought, 'I have seen man,' stating that we had not seen man. Not the body but the spirit is man; see him in all his own consciousness, in the unseen world, in all relationships of being, seen in the image of God. The speech was a brilliant one. On the evening of the same day, Dr. McAll preached at Carr's Lane Chapel from these words: Where there is no vision the people perish.' I. Our FAITH must be vision. II. The FACT, 'the people perish.' What it is to perish-might some part of us perish hopes, associations, anticipations, thoughts, but this faint; all perish; all our hopes, &c. You have seen a sinner die-how ? If this for ever, how awful! Much more than this, the people-numbers perish. III. The PRINCIPLES involved. (1) How does this comport with God's justice? Not beholden to any, all deserved to perish. (2) With wisdom? In providing vision when necessary; in the adaptation of the means to those who needed vision, so that all are left without excuse who shut their eyes. (3) With goodness? In providing vision at all; in working through human agency. IV. PRACTICAL USES. (1) We should gratefully accept and employ the vision. (2) Make it known. (3) Assist in sending it to other parts, where the people perish for lack of knowledge.

"On Thursday morning, took breakfast with the ministers at the vestry." They met at 8.30 a.m., separated at 1 p.m. Most of the Nonconformist ministers of the town were there. They spent the time in singing, prayer, religious conversation, &c. Dr. McAll spoke very frankly of his religious experience, and of what he had found to be the main hindrances to his progress in the Divine life. Others followed, expressing their faith in Jesus. Christian saintliness was the theme; redeeming love was the song. The resolutions they reached were:"1. Must live near to God. 2. Love all men. 3. Keep eye single. 4. Keep the end in view. A profitable time!"

No wonder! One cannot help wishing that such meetings could be revived in our day. We greatly need them. This is certainly a pleasing reminiscence of what we may unhesitatingly call "the good old times."

My father seems to have been very comfortable in Birmingham, and often speaks of the Lichfield society with affection.

The Conference of 1834 appointed the Revs. T. Waterhouse, H. Watts, G. Hallatt, and W. Reynolds, to Leeds Circuit. My dear father resided at Ripon, in the cathedral-yard of which beautiful little city he laid to rest, until the morning of the resurrection, the wife of his youth. He was left with four living children, while an additional one-a twin-was buried in the grave of its mother, who expired in giving it birth. The surviving twin-named Eliza, after the beloved departed-was kindly nurtured for many years by the family of Thomas Williamson, Esq., of Borage House, Ripon. This was an act of Christian love which merits and commands the most grateful recognition. Never was my revered father happier in his work, or more popular with the public, than at Ripon. He revelled, with holy enthusiasm, in the work of the Lord. There was also great excitement about that time respecting the new Reform Bill, and he heartily threw himself into the arena on the popular side. The result of this was an accession of respectable families to our church there, many of whom remain to this day. He formed strong attachments to Ripon, and it is not too much to say that, in that city, his "name is still as ointment poured forth." How often in Christian experience is it found that highest joys come in closest proximity to deepest sorrows! Ripon always had a halo of glory about it to him, but its penumbra was of densest darkness. Life is thus marked by contrasts. In his second year in the Leeds Circuit the Rev. A. Jackson was his superintendent, and the Rev. G. Orme his junior colleague.

In 1836-7 he travelled in the Halifax Circuit. Towards the close of his sojourn here, he met with his second wife, Miss Susannah Walsh, an excellent woman and a kind stepmother. The Conferences of 1838-9 appointed him to the Dudley Circuit, and to reside at Tipton. Here, again, God gave him favour in the sight of the people, and success in winning souls to Christ. The sainted Goodall, whom he loved as his own soul, was the superintendent. Those were days of power and great glory. There was an increase (I am told) of about 500 to the membership. On his dying bed he exclaimed, "The memory of those days is precious still." His journal records an interesting trip that occurred while in this circuit :

"June 17, 1839.-On March 4th I went with brethren Gilton, Turnock, and Chapman to Old Swinford, a sweet village, rural church, good mansion. From thence to Pedmore, across the fields. The walk most pleasing. Pedmore Church, a most interesting object; the age not ascertained, but supposed to have been occupied long by the Catholics, then the Independents during the Commonwealth, and now by the Episcopalians. The ivy climbs her walls; the grey hairs mark her antiquity; and the sombre shades around remind one of the world of departed spirits. Saw Hagley Park, spacious, surrounded by Clent Hill, stocked with deer, a good mansion, rural church, quiet

lanes, and a good literary family. Her ladyship parted with her carriage to give her son a good education. Clent Chapel excited feelings of devotion. There John Thomas was spiritually born. The eighty-seventh Psalm was read by myself at the request of Mr. Chapman. We thought of God, of souls, of eternity, till our spirits rejoiced in God our Saviour. Thankful I am that God has put me into the ministry. May I be faithful! We partook of Mr. Griffith's hospitality, prayed, and passed away to Hagley to see the family of Thomas, the missionary. We inspected the curiosities sent from Tongatabee, prayed, and returned home to a good dinner at Mr. Gilton's hospitable house." Another reminiscence this of "the good old times." A trip of similar character had been taken, at an earlier date, to Kidderminster. It is thus recorded :

"About the 10th of May, 1839, Mrs. W., myself, Mr. and Mrs. Gilton, and Mr. Turnock, took phaeton from Stourbridge for Kidderminster. Many reflections passed through our minds while viewing the church, and the supposed grave of the venerable Baxter. He is gone, with former days and generations. There were giants in those days.' Still the church is going on. The lovely Spencer had a call to this church, but God led him to Liverpool. In returning home we visited Wolverley, a picturesque, rural, cottage-adorned village; fairy bridges run across the stream at the foot of the wooded rock on which the church is built. The pathway from the village is cut through the rock up to the church. To the right, on an abrupt elevation from the canal, stands a house where the monastery once stood. So time changes scenes, places, persons, and things, but God remains the same."'

Many other deeply interesting incidents could be recorded, did space permit, respecting localities in, or adjacent to, this circuit, the very names of which, though anything but euphonious in themselves, are full of music to the present writer, on account of tender and sacred associations.

In 1840 he was appointed to the superintendency of Macclesfield Circuit Here, in conjunction with his colleagues, the Revs. T. Boycott and J. Taylor, he spent two happy years. He held the friends in high esteem, and left behind him "the savour of a good name,"

Our

In 1842 he commenced a three years' ministry at Shrewsbury. He liked this beautiful town, with its romantic walks on the banks of the Severn, its magnificent quarry promenade, its fine churches, its rich surrounding country, with sylvan scenery, fine old mansions, &c. All this suited his tastes, led him to higher mental culture, developed greater pulpit power, and fired his soul with sacred ardour to be a public blessing and an honour to the Connexion. church there contained some highly respectable families, at the time of his pastorate, who were warmly attached to him; and the beautiful chapel was well filled every Sabbath day. Our cause was in a very flourishing condition, and gave promise of enlarged prosperity in the future. He would willingly have lived and died with the church at Shrewsbury. The names of Brocas, Bickerton, Hicks, Davis, Wilkes, Marston, Coggin, and many others, were held by him in affectionate remembrance.

Then, in succession, he was appointed to Gateshead in 1845-6,

to Boston in 1847-8-9, in both which circuits, while he had to contend with difficulties, he found many friends and enjoyed a measure of success. In Boston he was brought to the very verge of the grave by a severe illness, and while he was resident there his eldest son left him for the Canadian missionary field. This separation he felt very keenly, and yet he always regarded it as an honour to have a child of his employed in so good a cause.

In 1850 he resided at Stafford, and in 1851-2 he was at Staleybridge; and in 1853-4 he was appointed to the romantic island of Guernsey. Being then in a distant land, and the journal failing me, I can give no information concerning these appointments, save that any reference to Guernsey called forth expressions of warmest attachment to our society there. Always passionately fond of the picturesque and antique, he could not but like Guernsey; while the courtesy and sociability and unbounded kindness of the people, endeared them greatly to him. His health, which had been gradually failing him, was greatly improved by his residence in that lovely island.

In 1855-6 he travelled at Burslem, and in the second year of his stay there, at the Conference of 1856, he was honoured by his brethren by being entrusted with the highest office the Connexion can bestow-that of President of Conference. I know that he aimed to discharge the responsible duties of his high position to the best of his ability, in the fear of God, and for the furtherance of the best interests of the community. In 1857-8 he gladly accepted an appointment to the scene of his former labours, Oldbury and Tipton. Here death again invaded his happy home, and his second wife found her last resting-place at Oldbury. She had long been ill, and was a great sufferer; but she bore her severe affliction with Christian patience. She was a good woman, universally and deservedly beloved. Peace be to her memory! In 1859-60 he took the London First Circuit, where he laboured with considerable acceptance, as is proved by the handsome testimonials presented to him and the family on leaving. Before entering upon this circuit he married a third time, his choice falling on Miss Ludlow, of Birmingham, who still lives to mourn her loss. By her devoted affection and earnest piety, she was his joy and stay in his last days. Never was man more happy in his conjugal relations than my dear departed father. In 1861 he was stationed at Hull, but this was his last circuit in the full work, for, health failing him, he became a supernumerary at the Conference of 1862, and retired to Chester. There he began his ministerial work, and it seemed probable that, by a singular coincidence, he would close it there. But his health being slightly recruited by a residence in that beautiful and quiet city, and by his freedom from pastoral responsibilities, he was induced to accept an invitation to take partial work at Liverpool. There he ministered the Word of Life until within a few months of the close of his earthly career. He had the special charge of Chatham Place Chapel. The great, almost unbounded kindness of the Liverpool friends did much to protract his life, and make his last days comfortable. The Robinsons, the Tilstons, the Burrowes, the Bumphreys, and many others— surely they will have their reward for their Christian attention to a