of limiting their number as I had been tempted to do before. When I had done my work among them, they contributed largely and cheerfully, and pressed me to repeat my visit frequently.

For several years afterwards, I visited this people at their own request twice every year. I felt a great concern for their spiritual and temporal welfare, for they appeared to me like sheep without an undershepherd. And I had often cause to bless God for bringing me among them. Many a blessing in my own soul have I received there; and the Lord so touched their hearts, that great as were the wants of my large family, they were all amply provided for by their supplies. During the remainder of my residence at Potton, about three years, I found food for both body and soul at Lakenheath.

At a later period, I became sensible of a less favourable spiritual condition in the people,—of a declension from that thriving and blessed state which I have described above. Yet for a long time, my ministry appeared to be blessed there to many of them, and if there was one corner of my heart warmer than another for any congregation upon earth, that people certainly had it.

Among those with whom I walked to the House of God in company, I may mention particularly Mr. John Smith, senior, a deacon of the church, and a blessed man of God. In his early youth he had led a very ungodly life, but the Lord had called him many years before my acquaintance with him commenced. The history of his conversion and his religious experience, was very striking and instructive, and when I knew him there was something patriarchal in his character and position among that people. He was a man favoured to live very near to God, and in the enjoyment of many a little visit from him during the week. His prayers, example,

and advice, were of great value; he conducted their public reading together, and was a kind father among them, especially to the poor and needy, and was a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Some of William Huntington's published letters are addressed to him. Mr. Smith is now gone to his everlasting rest.

His two sons, Francis and John, followed in their father's steps. The former was a man weak in faith, seldom rising to more than a little light, a little hope, a little comfort; but a very valuable person, remarkable for the tenderness of his conscience, and his love. of the Lord's people, and in my opinion he was a precious man of God.

His brother John was a plain, simple, honest soul, but well able to give an account of the Lord's dealings with him. They were both loving and faithful friends to me. I shall have occasion hereafter to return to the history of the two brothers. Besides these, there was also Mr. William Newton, an aged man, but one favoured to walk as closely with God as any spiritual companion I have ever had. He, too, has entered into rest. All those were men whose loss in the church of God is not easily repaired. With these and many others at Lakenheath, I have passed many a pleasant hour, and for the church there in general, I have often felt that I could go through fire and water for them, because they were dear to me. And though they, like ourselves, had their infirmities, yet when the sweet anointing flowed upon them, (and I have often seen their faces shine with it,) they were indeed a blessed people. May the Lord grant them his presence and blessing as in the former days!

darkness? wherefore say my people, We are lords; we will come no more unto thee?" Jer. ii. 31.

The power of God so accompanied these words, that my heart, my state, and my life were laid open. I was at once effectually stopped and reproved, all my rebellious feelings were immediately swept away, and a conviction of the truth, the force, and admirable suitableness of the words to my bad case, laid my soul prostrate, and made me to justify God in all his dealings with me, and wholly and entirely condemn myself and my own ways, all my life through. I was made to feel that I had been guilty throughout of singularly monstrous and aggravated heart-sins against Him; that, as an outcast and refuse of the human race, my rich reward would have been in hell for ever; that the sharpest dealings I had received from the hand of God were in reality sparing mercies; and I blessed and praised Him for his goodness and forbearance to me in these very corrections. Thus Jonah, peevish Jonah, was once more broken down; my sense of self-abasement and my whole feelings might be summed up in one word, "Behold, I am vile."

All this came upon me as gently as the dew comes upon the tender herb, but the Divine influence kept on increasing until it came in like floods upon the dry ground. Wonder, O heavens! and be astonished, O earth! at the goodness displayed to me, a sinner above the most sinful. The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, thus gradually broke in upon my soul, in manifested mercy, Almighty sovereign mercy, and gloriously free! My soul sensibly felt each moment His coming in, and who shall describe it? "Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the Gods? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?" Exod. xv. 11. "Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power; thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces the

enemy.' Exod. xv. 6. "The Lord shall reign for ever and ever." Exod. xv. 18.

Now he filled my cup to overflowing with his heart-softening, heart-breaking mercy. Once more, he showed me that he had cast all my dreadful sins and vile rebellions into the depths of the sea; that in Christ Jesus I was still all fair. Out of heaven my God and Father smiled upon me, and showed that between him and me there was nothing but love and peace. The living waters flowed into my soul. "He poured the water out of his buckets, and showed himself higher than Agag." Numb. xxiv. 7. Here he taught me more than ever I had known before of the precious living influences of the Holy Spirit. I care not who may sneer at these expressions; I know that he does send a plentiful rain, that confirms his inheritance when it is weary. And I do solemnly declare, that from that time more especially, I have dearly prized the Spirit's work upon man's heart, and his sweet and delightful communion in, and with the soul, more than any language of mine can express.

Thus he abundantly watered my soul, and proved really and powerfully that he was my God. And for my own part, I should not mind being reproached, slighted, neglected, and forsaken, by bad or by good men, if the Lord were very often thus to favour me. But this was not all that my gracious Lord did for me on that occasion; as Satan and my own heart had set before me all the dark and gloomy shades of my life's history, so now my God condescended to bring back to me and display in order, the gleams of sunshine of all my paths, from the first dawnings of his heavenly light upon me, until that moment. And he at the same time exhibited to me the shadows and adversities of it in such a light, that I saw they had all been for my good. He showed me that he had loved me from everlasting, that he had picked me up,

darkness? wherefore say my people, We are lords; we will come no more unto thee?" Jer. ii. 31.

The power of God so accompanied these words, that my heart, my state, and my life were laid open. I was at once effectually stopped and reproved, all my rebellious feelings were immediately swept away, and a conviction of the truth, the force, and admirable suitableness of the words to my bad case, laid my soul prostrate, and made me to justify God in all his dealings with me, and wholly and entirely condemn myself and my own ways, all my life through. I was made to feel that I had been guilty throughout of singularly monstrous and aggravated heart-sins against Him; that, as an outcast and refuse of the human race, my rich reward would have been in hell for ever; that the sharpest dealings I had received from the hand of God were in reality sparing mercies; and I blessed and praised Him for his goodness and forbearance to me in these very corrections. Thus Jonah, peevish Jonah, was once more broken down; my sense of self-abasement and my whole feelings might be summed up in one word, " Behold, I am vile."

All this came upon me as gently as the dew comes upon the tender herb, but the Divine influence kept on increasing until it came in like floods upon the dry ground. Wonder, O heavens! and be astonished, O earth! at the goodness displayed to me, a sinner above the most sinful. The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, thus gradually broke in upon my soul, in manifested mercy, Almighty sovereign mercy, and gloriously free! My soul sensibly felt each moment His coming in, and who shall describe it? "Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the Gods? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?" Exod. xv. 11. "Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power; thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces the