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with a compassionate regard to those who are without; and who, to all appearance must lie and perish in their sins, unless we help them in our respective places."

From the close of the year 1757, may be dated the termination of Mr. Darracott's most distinguished success; for though he continued to preach nearly a year afterwards with marks of divine approbation, his health began to decline, and his labours were necessarily abridged.

"Wellington, Jan. 8, 1757.

"I have not seen that success the past year 'which I have known in some former years, but I hope something was done; and at the conclusion a sweet young creature about seventeen was proposed to our communion, which gave me great delight, and may attract others. I have also had some certain accounts of my little books being blessed. Some of them are in Newgate, and have been useful to some poor condemned malefactors there, who are thought to have obtained mercy of the Lord. Mr. Walker writes last week from Truro thus: My dear friend will rejoice with me in the new field of usefulness which the Lord has opened to me, by the coming of two hundred soldiers into the town. My heart was greatly stirred up towards them, and so were many of my dear society; and the Spirit has been wonderfully poured out upon these poar

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creatures, insomuch that no less than one hundred of them have been awakened, and this in about three weeks. The work has been deep with many of them, insomuch that twenty of them are so promising that I shall put them together in a society."

"Wellington, July 8, 1757. After an attack of illness he wrote "I hope my return to life has been in mercy, especially to some persons in Broadway, where I have lately bestowed a little labour that seems to be attended with a remarkable blessing. I went, by appointment, last Sunday evening to give them a lecture: many seemed affected: but in conversation and religious exercises at the house where I lodged it was a more affecting season still. They desired me to stay and preach the following evening, and I was not very reluctant as I saw some impression made: a greater number were gathered together and the word still more blessed. Many again followed me to my lodgings, where we had another affecting season. I was called upon next morning to visit a person that was under great distress by the word he had heard the night before: talking and praying with him greatly affected me, and I left them with much satisfaction in what I saw."

"Dec. 24, 1757.

In another letter he says, "I have found more

ardent desires to be useful, and my dear people have been more prayerful for a blessing. And I do think more has been done in a way of awakening in two or three weeks than I recollect for this twelvemonth. It is principally too among the young women. I had more than twenty such with me last Sabbath evening: they meet and pray together. My dear daughter is one of them, and fills my heart with joy. I cheerfully hope the impressions will not all be like the early dew or morning cloud, though I must own I have seen so much of impressions dying away, that I cannot be so sanguine as I have been."

He had now increased the number of his communicants from twenty-eight to nearly three hundred. Several hundreds more had been deeply impressed by his preaching, but some of them had been removed by Providence; the religion of others proved like the morning cloud and the early dew that hasteth away. The place of worship, though it had been enlarged, was still too small, for numbers stood at the doors. The country around saw with astonishment multitudes flock into the town eager to hear the word which they formerly despised.

But this success was chiefly among the poor, for the greater part of the rich, whether among the original members of his own congregation, the inhabitants of the town, or the residents in

the adjacent villages, despised his preaching as mere enthusiasm. He was, however, in the highest degree a rational preacher, for he carefully sought to ascertain the sentiments of the divine mind, the source of reason, and preached them with the fervour whieh they should excite in all reasonable minds. The purity of Mr. Darracott's motives was seen by the satisfaction he felt in his success among the poor, amidst all the contempt of the rich. His own mind was formed for more elevated society, and his manners procured him a respectful welcome among some select friends of rank and title. But he laboured, like his Master, to preach glad tidings to the poor, and was satisfied with being able, like him, to rejoice and say," I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them to babes; even so Father for so it seemeth good in thy sight."

The time now drew near that this faithful servant should return to give up his account to him that sent him. He was therefore previously tried to see whether he could suffer as nobly as he had laboured for God; and the concluding scene exhibits an example of passive religion, even more eminent than the specimen of active devotion which his life has afforded. If ministers have already been taught how to live, Christians may now come and learn how to die.

CHAP. IV.

MR. DARRACOTT'S LAST ILLNESS AND DEATH.

THE first attack of the disorder which removed Mr. Darracott from this world, was in the year 1757, but from this he recovered. His head, however, was so severely affected by the complaint, that his labours, which were the delight of his heart, were much impeded. In the middle of the following year the attacks became more violent. Four times in eight days he was seized in an alarming manner. The first time was on the morning of the Lord's day, which distressed him with the apprehension of not being able to feed his flock. He went through the services of the day, however, with more than ordinary solemnity, if with less than his usual animation. His audience were much affected; for he told them he felt all the solemn awe of a man about to put off this tabernacle.

The last of these repeated attacks was in the pulpit, on the following Friday, when he was a second time led out of the congregation by some of his afflicted flock. He recovered again so far as to preach on the following Lord's-day, on the the words which afforded him peculiar consola

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