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the eve of departure; and therefore the good man of the house called us together into the hall, in order to receive his parting blessing.

MOTTOS.

IT is my uniform custom," (said the Interpreter) "when Christian friends are about to "leave my house, to give them, by way of "token, a written motto, consisting of some "particular passage of God's word, which, by "wearing it in their bosoms, may serve at once,

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through Divine grace, to bring to their re"membrance the instructions which they have "received from me; and also furnish them "with somewhat of consolation suited to the ❝ peculiar frame and constitution of their own "minds." In saying this, he presented to a poor man who stood near me, and whose appearance, indicated that the glass of his life was nearly run out to the last sand, a piece of paper, on which was written Jeremiah xlix. 11. Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; and let thy widows trust in Me. And within this paper there was another folded piece, bearing this inscription, Isaiah liv. 5. For thy Maker is thine husband, the Lord of Hosts is His name; and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: the God of the whole earth shall He be called. And within this also a third, with this motto, Psalm xxvii. 10. When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take

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me up. As the Interpreter presented this paper to the poor man, he said, "You have heard "all that I have said to you, my brother, on "the subject of your own everlasting welfare : " and I am much pleased to see, from the evi"dences which appear in your experience of "the renewed life, that a work of grace is "wrought in your heart, and that your hopes "are well founded. But as I know that the "several claims of nature in your family have a strong hold upon your feelings, I beg you frequently to have recourse to these sweet covenant-promises. The first is for yourself. "The second for the beloved partner of your "heart. And the third for your children."

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To another, who stood also near me, and whose anxiety had been very greatly exercised respecting the deceitfulness of his heart, and who feared lest, after all, his religion should be found to be nothing more than a cloak of hypocrisy, the Interpreter presented a paper with this motto; Search me, O GOD, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts. And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Ps. cxxxix. 23, 24. And, as he presented it, he said, "Take "this, my friend, and make it the subject of

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your daily inquiry before GOD. See whether

you can pray with the same earnest desire as "David did; or appeal to the Great Searcher "of hearts, as Paul did, God is my witness, "whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of

"His Son, Rom. i. 9. If the approbation of "GOD, and not the applause of man, be the "desire of the heart; if the mind hates sin as sin, and not for its consequences; if you "can bless a taking GOD, as well as a giving "GOD; if you feel soul humbled with a your "sense of unworthiness, while God is showering "down the abundance of His grace; upon you "if JESUS be loved for His own sake, more "than for His gifts: these are all so many marks "and touchstones of character, which never "can belong to hypocrisy, and therefore may "be considered by you as evidences of a well"founded hope."

"Young man," (said the Interpreter, to a very hopeful and promising youth that was in the circle)" the best motto I can present you "with is the declaration which the LORD com"manded the prophet to make in the ears of "Jerusalem; Thus saith the LORD, I remember "thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of "thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in "the wilderness in a land that was not sown, "Jeremiah ii. 2. Keep this precious text of Scripture in your bosom, as an infallible antidote against all the poisonous influence with "which you may be surrounded in the long pilgrimage through which you have yet to

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pass. The man that hath many days to count, "hath many wintry dispensations to be exer"cised with. Nothing can serve more effec

tually, through Divine grace, to bear up the

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“mind under all its pressures, than the recol"lection of early notices of GOD and from "GOD; and so sweet a promise of being re“membered through all."

"And as for you, my brother," (the good man said, addressing himself to me) "there is

no passage of Scripture more suited to your "case and circumstances, than that which is "contained in the prayer of the Lord JESUS, "in the conclusion of His ministry upon earth "(John xvii. 11.) Holy Father, keep through "Thine own name those whom thou hast given "Me. Originally given, as all the faithful are, "by the Father to the Lord JESUS, before the "Redeemer manifests the Father's name unto "them; evidently the property of the Father "at the time of the donation, for Thine they "were, and Thou gavest them to Me; fully "proved to be redeemed by JESUS, by having "the Father's name manifested unto them, and "having kept His word; strongly and power

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fully recommended to the Father's keeping,, "by One whom the Father heareth always, "and whose joint interest in the believer is one "and the same with the Father's, for all Mine

are Thine, and Thine are Mine: how is it "possible that such can ever perish, or that any "should pluck them out of His Almighty hand? Keep this sweet Scripture therefore, I charge you, always in your bosom, and carry it about "with you whithersoever you go; that its in"fluence may be perpetual, and that the wilt

"of the Redeemer, corresponding with the "gift and grace of the Father, may never ❝ escape your recollection; Father, I will that σε they also whom Thou hast given Me be with "Me where I am, that they may behold the "glory which Thou hast given Me." John

xvii. 24.

The Interpreter conducted me to the door, and as I stepped over the threshold, I turned about once more to express my thankful acknowledgment of the affectionate manner in which I had been entertained

Since we part,

Adieu kind friend, Interpreter from God,
Sent from whose Sov'reign goodness I adore.
Gentle to me, and affable, hath been

Thy condescension, and shall be ever honor'd
With grateful mem'ry,

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But it was an event, which the coincidence of circumstances in a Pilgrim's life, like mine, could only produce, that soon after I left the house of the Interpreter, I met the poor man, of whom such honorable testimony is made by me in the former part of these memoirs, accompanied with my moral neighbour, at whose instance I attended the elegant preacher's sermon, who is also mentioned in the first days of my inquiry for the way to Zion. Struck with astonishment at what I saw, that such an one should come on pilgrimage, I was going to express my surprise; when he anticipated all my inquiries, by accounting for the change.

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