oftener. Returning home in November, he says, "I have been enabled to collect as much as two thousand pounds in the course of six weeks, after a journey of twelve hundred miles. God be praised for all his goodness, and for the abundant kindness shown towards me, and towards the mission."

In February and March, 1813, Mr. Fuller renewed his visits to London, to promote the interests of the mission. Accompanied with two other ministers, he obtained an interview with several noblemen, to solicit their influence in making some provisions in the new Charter of the East India Company, for the toleration of Christian missionaries. These applications were followed with petitions to parliament, from the general body of dissenters; and both the government and the legislature did themselves the honour to become the patrons of christianity in India.

In the summer of this year Mr. Fuller paid his fifth and last visit to Scotland, where he was assisted by the arrival of two of his brethren from England. Besides his usual labours, he sometimes preached to a large concourse of people in the open air, in places where the doors of the kirk were closed against him; but though in tolerable health, he was scarcely equal to such exertions. He nevertheless continued his career with unabated ardour, was every where hailed as the agent for the mission and translations in India, and met with good success. The kindness he received at Glasgow "was almost overwhelming," and he took his final leave of Scotland with sentiments of the most grateful affection and esteem.

Up to the last year of his life, his labours were continued with very little intermission. In a letter dated, May 11, 1814, he says, I have much journeying before me, first, to Olney and Bedford next week; then to the Association at Leicester, in Whitsun-week; then into Essex, on June 6th, where I must be at a missionary meeting, of that county, at Bocking, on June 8th; and collect what I can between that and our London annual meeting, which I suppose is on June 22. I must then return, and be at Kettering by the 26th, which is our Lord's supper day. Then I must set off and be out all July in the north of England :— the first Sabbath at Liverpool, the second at Manchester, third at Leeds, fourth at Newcastle, and fifth at Hull. May the Lord strengthen me for these labours."

In short, the history of Mr. Fuller's life for the last three and twenty years, was so completely identified with that of the mission, that all its principal transactions must be referred to his agency. It was in great measure his own production; he formed and moulded it with exquisite skill, watched over and directed all its movements, and seemed to be present in every place wherever its effects were visible. It grew up with him, and was inwrought into the very elements and constitution of his mind; he seemed to have no thoughts, no cares, but what related to its interests. It may even be doubted, whether, after the commencement of this great undertaking, he wrote a single letter to any of his numerous correspondents, that did not bear some reference to that subject. In serving the mission, he had no idea of sparing himself; but while his health was constantly impaired by the greatness of his exertions, he persevered in them with unabating ardour to the very last. He appears, indeed, to have expected that these labours would cost him his life, but it affected him not; and had it not been for the unusual strength and vigour of his constitution, he would have fallen a sacrifice much sooner than he did. The sentiments which he delivered in his Sermon at Bedford, May 6, 1801, exactly fourteen years before his death, were highly characteristic and premonitory of that event.

"It is not impossible," said he, "that we may live to see things of which at present we have scarcely any conception but whether we do or not, Jesus lives, and his kingdom must increase. And what, if while we are scaling the walls of the enemy, we should a few of us lose our lives? We must die some way; and can we desire to die in a better cause? Probably many of the Israelites, who went up with Joshua to possess the land, perished in the attempt; yet this was no objection to a perseverance in the cause. In carrying the glad tidings of eternal life to Jews and Gentiles, Stephen and James, with many others, fell sacrifices at an early period: yet no one was discouraged on this account, but rather stimulated to follow the example."

CHAPTER VI.

EXTRACTS FROM HIS DIARY, AND NARRATIVE of the DEATH OF HIS CHILD.

The following select extracts, from a very copious diary of Mr. Fuller, to which Mr. Morris had not access, are here inserted to increase the value of the present edition. It has not been thought necessary to preserve the respective dates. Each day's entry is distinguished by commencing with a dash.

O that I might feel more of the power of religion, and know more of the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge! I think I see divine excellence in such a life. O that thou wouldst bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast! I am going, God willing, to visit a friend to-day. O that a spirit of watchfulness, savour, and fellowship with Christ, may attend me!

“—I see what a strait course it is to steer between legality and libertinism. I have been for some time, trying to walk more closely with God; and now I find the sparks of self-righteous pride begin to kindle. I have been thinking to-day of Isaiah ii. Il. I have reason to be humbled for having so little humility: yet I think I have tasted a sweetness in that plan of redemption which stains the pride of all flesh.

Have found my heart tenderly affected several times, especially to-night, in prayer respecting my critical situation. Oh! Providence, how intricate! If rough roads are marked out for me, may my shoes be iron and brass! I found, to-day, a peculiar sympathy towards poor people under trying providences; thinking I may have to go that road. Teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God: thy Spirit is good, lead me into the land of uprightness !'

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It is good to visit the poor, that we may know their cases, exercise sympathy and charity towards them, and learn gratitude, and many a lesson in the doctrine of providence. O what a horrid depth of pride and hypocrisy do I find in my heart! Surely I am unfit for any company. If I am with a superior, how will my heart court his praise, by speaking diminutively of myself, not forgetting to urge the disadvantages under which I have laboured to excuse my inferiority; and here is a large vacancy left, in hope he

he will fill it up with something like this- Well, you must have made good improvement of what advantages you have enjoyed.' On the other hand, when in company with an inferior, how full of self am I! While I seem to be instructing him by communicating my observations, how prone to lose sight of his edification, and every thing but my own self-importance; aiming more to discover my own knowledge, than to increase his!

"While I make these observations, I feel the truth of them. A thought has been suggested to write them, not as having been working in my heart to-day, but only as discovered to-day. Oh horridly deceitful and desperately wicked heart! Surely I have little else in my religious exercises but these workings. I am afraid of being deceived at last. If I am saved, what must the Son of God have endured!

"I had an affecting time to-night, in going a road, where, about twelve or thirteen years ago, I had many a season of sorrow and joy. O here I saw myself lost, there I had a sight of the Saviour; here I went bowed down with fear and despair, there I was sweetly cheered with a view of the faithfulness of God; in this place I mourned my desolate state, in that the state of the church lay heavily upon me; yonder my hopes respecting the church were excited, by thinking of Psa. cxxii. 1, 2, 8, 9. O what strange events since! by the help of God I have continued to this day. When my soul is cast down within me, may I 'remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites from the hill Mizar.'

"Surely I do not sufficiently study the cases of the people, in my preaching! 1 find, by conversation to-day, with one seemingly in dying circumstances, that but little of my preaching has been suited to her case. Visiting the sick, and conversing sometimes even with the unconverted part of my hearers, about their souls, and especially with the godly, would have a tendency to make my preaching more experimental.

"Religion appeared to me to be full of greatness. A great God, possessed of great excellencies, whence arise great obligations; hence the great evil of sin; and hence the need of a Saviour, and a great one. All in religion is great. O that I had a great sense of the importance of divine things! Lord, increase my faith!

"Thought, to-day, on account of family circumstances, what a matter of importance is the birth of a child. Here

its life begins, but where shall it end? Ah! no end to its existence! But, O that God would accept of my new-born child, and let its end be to glorify God, and enjoy him forever.'

- Thought what an awful day will that be, when God searches Jerusalem, as with candles! O how many will then appear to have been religious through custom, shame, pride, or something short of the fear of God! Alas! how many have proved hypocrites, by the breaking up of a church! When the restraints of church communion have been taken off them, how have they turned out! O to walk as in the sight of God! That is a spirit which would teach us to be holy, though there were no creature upon earth to watch us.

"Observed our proneness to think of ourselves as others speak of us. For example, if I am praised at any particular place as a preacher, how prone am I, at that place, to keep pace with their esteem, if not to outgo it, in the estimation of myself! On the other hand, at such places where I have felt myself embarrassed, how prone to despair and so to take no delight in the work! O how much of self have I in me! how far from that excellent character, of being dead to the smiles and frowns of men!

I think I have never yet entered into the true idea of the work of the ministry. If I had, surely I should be like Aaron, running between the dead and the living. I think I am in the ministry, as I was in my life as a Christian, before I read Edwards on the Affections. I had never entered into the spirit of a great many important things. O for some such penetrating, edifying writer on this subject! or, O rather that the Holy Spirit would open my eyes, and let me see into the things that I have never yet seen!

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A pulpit seems an awful place. An opportunity for addressing a company of immortals on their eternal interests-O how important! We preach for eternity. We, in a sense are set for the rising and falling of many in Israel. And our own rise or fall is equally therein involved.

"I think, when we are in company and address ourselves to any one in particular, it too often happens, that the applause of the company, rather than the edification of the person or ourselves, is the object. Hence, witticisms, and such sayings as sting the party addressed, are introduced. Pride, how pernicious!