blishment; and, whenever I did, I got no more fatisfaction in hearing the diffenters than the minifter I attended in the church, for in both places there was a famine, for want of the bread of life. My diftrefs was great, feeling the loft and perifhing condition I was in; and what I wanted to hear was, how fuch an one as I could be faved; but Chrift was not set forth as the Saviour of the loft, so that what I heard oftener increased my burden than lightened it, for fuch legal preaching only makes the heart of the righteous fad, by putting darkness for light, and light for darkness. There was no cafting up, nor preparing the way, nor removing the ftumbling-blocks, as God hath commanded, Ifa. lvii. 14. I was like the woman with the iffue of blood, who had fuffered many things of many phyficians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, Mark v. 26. When I heard a text read I frequently thought there was fomething contained in the words fuitable to me; and, if it was expreffive of diftrefs and trouble, then my expectations were raised very high, hoping to hear fomething to do me good; as I was waiting to step in if the waters were troubled, Jer. v. 7; but, alas! alas! my expectations were cut off, and I was left finking in my troubles far enough below any thing that I heard touched upon. Sometimes I returned home quarrelling with the minifter, being vexed in my spirit; at other times

"Can that

I came away diftreffed beyond measure, writing bitter things against myself, and thought furely the fault was altogether in me; and I was finking under a burden almoft too heavy for me to bear, for truly it was grievous, a long ftring of duties being pointed out, but no leading of the mind to Christ, upon whom help is laid, and where alone strength is to be found. These things bowed down my foul; for all that was faid in general feemed to make against me, and nothing was brought forth that I could take hold of, or that gave me any help in the way. which is unfavoury be eaten without falt?" Job vi. 6; "Or doth the wild afs bray when he hath grafs; or loweth the ox over his fodder?" Job vi. 5. No; the gospel trumpet is to be blown, and the promise is, that they fhall come who are ready to perish. It is the outcafts which are to be gathered in; and none are capable of inviting these guests but they who are appointed to it by God himself. It is a faithful witnefs that delivers fouls, and "the teftimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy;" therefore he that is deftitute of thefe things is not made inftrumental in bringing fouls to Chrift. There is no life, therefore no power; it is the spirit that quickeneth; " To the law and to the teftimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them," Ifa. viii. 20; I long spent money for that which was not bread, and my labour for that which fa

tisfieth not, Ifa. lv. 2; but this has been, and ftill is, of great ufe to me; for by it God fhewed me the infufficiency of a form of godliness without the power, and he threw down all my fandy foundations upon which I was wont to build; and himself led me in a right way, that he might bring me to a city of habitation. And, as foon as it pleased God to bring me to hear the truth, I forfook them altogether, having had enough of it. The wife man tells us, "to forfake the foolish and live, and go in the way of underftanding," Prov. ix. 6. And Chrift fays, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; but a ftranger will they not follow, but will flee from him, for they know not the voice of strangers," Jer. x. 15. And fo I have found it many times, when I have gone to hear different minifters, for the gospel which I had received was not like what they taught; therefore what I have gone through has been of great ufe to me in this refpect, that I can now fee the foundation upon which numbers build, and where they ftand; and I know that they are refting short of the promise; for what God has taught me has been to bring me off from fuch a religion as they are in poffeffion of. And it has grieved me much, when I have gone at times to hear what is called the gospel, to see whole congregations fet down fhort of the kingdom; and I have thought of the Saviour's words, "Wo unto

you, for ye are as graves that appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them," Luke xi. 44. And I know that they are not aware of the deception, for I have seen many elevated with a discourse which has grieved me to the heart. But I have always found that, if a word be spoken against such preaching, the people are angry, and fuch refufe to come in; "The prophets prophefy faisely, and the priests bear rule by their means, and my people love to have it fo; and what will ye do in the end thereof? Jer. v. 31. Why our Lord fays, "If the blind lead the blind, both fhall fall into the ditch," Matt. xv. 14. God is a fovereign; and the fcriptures inform us that with him is ftrength and wisdom; "the deceived and the deceiver are his," Job xii. 16.

A few months before I was out of my time I was one day standing at my work, very difconfolate and much cast down, being in great distress about my eternal state, and thinking that I should foon be removed from the fituation I was then in, but to what part of the world I should be toffed I knew not; but I pictured things out to myself as dreadful as my imagination could paint them and, whilft I ftood pondering over this gloomy fubject, this fcripture came upon my mind as powerfully as though a voice had spoken it to me, And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goeft,

and will bring thee again, into this land, for I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of," Gen xxviii. 15. I found fuch a change in my feelings, and fuch an heavy burden was taken from me, that I knew not what to think of it; I was like the child Samuel. It is faid of him, "Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him," 1 Sam. iii. 7; I felt the power, though, like Peter, I "wift not that it was true which was done by the angel," Aets xii. 9. But I felt very comfortable, and was much relieved from my diftress; and this kind promise has been fulfilled to me, as will be fhewn as I proceed with the narrative. When I was out of my apprenticeship I wished much to go to London, having a great defire to hear you: but I had no profpect of being able to accomplish this. Afterwards I engaged myself to a gentleman in the country, who did not immediately want me; fo that a door feemed now open in providence for me to go to town, where I ftayed for two months. "The defire of the righteous fhall be granted," Prov. x. 24; and the Lord was with me as he had promifed. I came to Providence Chapel on the Sunday morning, and you preached from these words, "If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham," Jer. viii. 39. The works you spoke of were fuch as I had never heard from any pulpit,