sidered their importance as being such, that I felt very desirous that others should benefit from them as well as myself; and I conceived that their extensive circulation would best be promoted, by endeavouring to interweave the narrative of the four Evangelists, into one connected history in their own words; placing the Notes at the bottom of the page, and dividing the whole into sections; adding at the end of each, such reflections as might arise in my own mind, from a careful and serious perusal of each section. My first design was to publish the work in quarto, placing the book, chapter, and verse, from which the narratives were taken, in columns, by the side of the history; but not being able to take the whole risk of the expense of publishing upon myself, I was dissuaded by my bookseller from this attempt, and advised to publish in octavo; merely placing the name of the book, chapter, and verse, at the head of each section; and this was done accordingly, and the book was published in April, 1809.

When I considered the important light thrown upon various parts of the sacred Volume, and particularly on many of the conversations of our divine Master, by these Notes-the result of many a year of serious and patient investigation, on the part of one, whose single object was the developement of scriptural truth; whose early youth and declining age, were alike devoted to the careful study of the Scriptures in the original languages, under the deepest sense of their unspeakable importance; of one, whose

investigations bore always the stamp of profound thought of deep piety, and of original genius— I was led to flatter myself that their acceptableness would be great, and their circulation wide and extensive.-When however, I stepped out of' my closet, and took but a transient survey of the busy world around me-of the fears, the prejudices, and the enthusiasm of many; the indifference, if not absolute scepticism of more, and especially of a great portion of the literary public, for whose use these Notes were principally calculated; when I looked into the popular histories of such eloquent, specious writers as Gibbon and Hume, and many others, and saw how their genius, and erudition, conforming to the false philosophy, careless habits, and dissipated manners of the age, had insensibly undermined all desire of religious knowledge and improvement, I was led to anticipate what has actually happened, that many would not look into the book, and that of the few who did, the greater part would not give themselves the trouble of reading it. The periodical publications of the day, are in general, a pretty good criterion of the popularity of the subject treated, and here the indication was most unfavourable; for with the exception of an article in the Monthly Repository for May, 1810, written in a high strain of praise, and duly appreciating the value and importance of the Notes; and of one in the Eclectic Review for 1810, speaking highly of the Reflections, hardly any notice has been taken of the publication. Thus discouraged, I shall not attempt

in my lifetime, to bring forward another edition; but perhaps I may endeavour, if I should be able, being fully persuaded of its real, intrinsic value, to prepare a quarto edition for the press, on the plan originally proposed; which my executors may publish hereafter, if they should think it likely to get into circulation.* The light thrown upon many difficult passages in these Notes, is surely invaluable; particularly on the celebrated conversation of our Lord with Nicodemus,with the woman of Samaria, and many others. Of the Reflections it may not become me to speak; yet as this will not appear before the public, whilst the writer can have any interest in its approbation or censure, I may be allowed to say, that on a careful re-perusal, I think they can hardly be attentively read, without exciting additional interest in the character of Him, who, to adopt his own energetic, but highly figurative language, was indeed, "the Way, the Truth, and the Life."

*The Author abandoned this design; but at the time of her death, was engaged in reprinting the Reflections in a cheap form, chiefly for the use of the Tract Societies.Ed.

CHAPTER 46.

Distressed state of the Berwick Female Benefit Club....Efforts for its restoration....Ultimate success....Attempt to establish a Female Benefit Club at Long Preston....Imperfect success....A neglected parish....The Author visits the Lakes. Unable to witness the beautiful scenery....A new edition of the Discourses on Providence....An interesting visit to Green-Hill, near Manchester....To Liverpool.... Establishment of an Auxiliary British and Foreign Bible Society....Its great importance....Benefits arising from the habit of reading the Bible....Death of Mrs. Lindsey ....Her Memoir.

IN the spring of 1810, having heard repeatedly that the Female Benefit Club, at Berwick-inElmet, which I had some agency in establishing, in conjunction with my late friend, Mrs. Eamonson of Lazencroft, in the year 1774, was not well conducted, all the original honorary members being dead or removed, and none having succeeded to supply their places; I determined to visit them once more, and to attend their Annual Meeting on Whit-Tuesday. I had been absent so many years, that I did not expect to see a face I knew, among these poor people; but to my astonishment, twenty-nine, or thirty of the original members were still living, but generally transformed from being stout, healthy and robust, to the feebleness and decrepitude of old age. They lamented exceedingly their being now so entirely deserted, having no one to care for them, or to manage their affairs; and I endeavoured to

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console them as much as it was in my power, with the faint hope that some of the neighbouring ladies, might again be induced to interest themselves in their behalf. An event, however, took place, in the course of the summer, which although at first apparently unfortunate for them, has eventually done them great service. Their Rector and Treasurer, although seemingly in good health, died suddenly, and insolvent; notwithstanding the living is nearly two thousand pounds per annum. The money belonging to the Society, being vested in the Funds in his name, great alarm was excited lest it should be lost, and their Institution of course, entirely ruined. Fortunately however, the Society was registered; and they could therefore, avail themselves of the protection of the Act of Parliament for the security of these Societies, which provides for their being paid whatever may be due to them, prior to the claims of any other creditor. The business was very troublesome, but at length their money was transferred into the name of Dr. Mansel, Bishop of Bristol, who succeeded to the living of Berwick, and kindly consented to be their Treasurer, along with three other gentlemen of this city. My friend Mrs. Gray, and myself, took lodgings there that summer, for some days, in order to investigate the state of their accounts from the first establishment of the Institution to the present time; yet we should not have been able completely to have succeeded, without the kind assistance, and professional knowledge of Mr. Gray.

Soon after my visit at Berwick, I went to Long