esteemed and beloved by the body of our society, at least, the more serious part of them. My joy is still increased by the daily accession of joy he inspires into the breast of my dear other self, and Miss Molly Darracott, yea, and into every

servant.

"Nor can I imagine that an angel from heaven, should one of the shining host deign, in a visible form, to visit my habitation, could be so agreeable a guest, for he would rather terrify than cheer me by his presence, whereas this dear man diffuses a constant serenity and joy all around him. Before he came, my joy was full, and not a little increased by my dear Theodosia, heaven's last best gift; but now indeed I have, to use our blessed Saviour's words, good measure, pressed down, and running over, given into my bosom.

"I am led hereby to think--O what will the society of heaven be! No doubt the love and favour of God, the smiles of the glorious Emanuel will be the heaven of heaven, and yet the society of glorious angels, and perfected spirits of just men, affords a delicious prospect. O what will it be to be called unto the marriagesupper of the Lamb! What will it be to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, with Moses, David, Paul, Peter, John, Baxter, Doddridge, the general assembly, and church of the

first-born in the kingdom of our Father! There my dear Darracott, my late dear Phebe, my present dear Jane, and you and I, and numbers of our dearest friends who are gone before, or will follow after, shall enjoy one another's company in such a manner, and to such advantage, as in the present state we neither can conceive nor sustain. Haste that dear day when there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor any more pain!

But my time is filled up before my paper. May these find you, dear madam, walking in the comforts of the Holy Ghost, who are daily walking in the fear of the Lord. May that heavenly guest abundantly make up the sweetness and joy the absence of your dearest earthly comforter must needs substract. May, his presence and soft whispers cheer you night and day, and guardian angels make you and yours their daily care. Above, or amidst all, may the grace of him that hung on the tree be with your spirit. In him I am with tenders of dear respect, and under manifold obligations, dear madam, your obliged humble servant,

"Joseph Williams.".

The laborious application of mind which it requires, to preach incessantly to the same people, made it necessary for Mr. Darracott to seek the relaxation produced by a change of scene,

E

which admitted of preaching the sermons already composed, to an audience to whom they would be new. But the relaxation of Mr. Darracott was not idleness. He passed his time at Kidderminster, not in festive entertainments, which afford fewer pleasures than regrets, but in more abundant and diversified labours for the welfare of his fellow-men, which made his appear "like angel visits short and far between." This visit to Kidderminster was eminently useful, and on his return home, he adopted several of the plans, of which he had seen the success in the congregation of his friend.

In the autumn of this year, the pressing invitation of the church at South Petherton excited more serious consideration, in consequence of the straightened circumstances of his increasing family. It appears that he consulted a lay friend, who wrote him the following letter, after having freely expressed his opinion concerning the proposed removal.

"London, Dec. 14, 1751.

"Reverend and dear Sir,

"It gives me a sensible pleasure that you took so kindly what I wrote, though in a stronger light than I intended it, for I am fully persuaded you have not so learned Christ, but, nevertheless, it is ordained they that preach the gospel should live by the gospel; and where a

large family has not a sufficient provision, it cannot fail to oppress a poor minister's spirits, and create him numberless anxieties to harass his mind, and weaken his hands, in his Master's work; and as I feared this was the case with you, I proposed the remedy which you so modestly refuse; but if you fall under any difficulties, pray don't be guilty of a culpable modesty in concealing it from me.

"Oh sir! you have been used to such a plentiful harvest, you cannot tell how to bear a scanty crop; many, very many churches may say to you as Gideon did of the Ephraimites, "is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?" Be not, therefore, discouraged, for that would be as when a standard bearer fainteth, but pursue the excellent method you are in, even plying the throne of grace, and God has promised at evening time it shall be light.

"Your ardent breathings after the conversion of souls is certainly not only lawful, but laudable, and may what you have heard of your success at Kidderminster be only as the earnest of what you are still to be favoured with.

"I am in no apprehension that you can part with, or be indifferent about, the great truths of the gospel, which you have tasted the sweetness of, and felt their power in your own soul; but I

know sometimes the sweetness of temper you are possessed of, may, in such a manner, sheath your zeal as to make a rejecter of the truth, flatter himself you are not so sensible as you really are of its importance; and therefore you will forgive me, that I gave you the caution: what you did say I never heard; but a person who is both an arminian and arian admired your charity, both in and out of the pulpit: and not to have given you a hint of it would have been unfaithful to our common Lord, and you his faithful minister.

66

Nothing is more abused than the word charity, nor more violently forced into the service of error; whenever, therefore, I hear it used by persons that oppose the truths of the gospel, I esteem it as a watch-word to put me on my guard: no wonder, then, I gave you the alarm. You really have warmed my heart with the sweet, judicious, and savory model of your preaching, which you exhibit in your last, writ like a man who feels every sentiment of the freeness and riches of divine grace, in such a manner as to feast his very soul, and so effectually to raise him above all the frowns and discouragements a carnal world or lifeless profesfessors can cast upon him: may you every day be more and more invigorated by an abundant increase of such spiritual sensations;