At this time, in consequence of his manifest love of study, and his ardent desire for usefulness, his mother entertained many fears, that she should soon be deprived of the object of her affections, by his removal from her: but her fears, so far as she herself was concerned, were groundless; for she was called to her rest, the year before he left home for the Academy. Thus she neither felt the pain of his anticipated absence, nor rejoiced in the participation of his subsequent honours. On entering Hoxton Academy, January, 1803, I found that Mr. Morrison had arrived a few days before me; and as we both regularly attended, with our friends, the ministry of that eminent servant of God, the Rev. A. (afterwards Dr.) Waugh, we were very soon intimately acquainted with each other: the result was an indissoluble friendship of nearly thirty-two years, during the whole of which period, we frequently interchanged our joys and our sorrows, and reciprocated our congratulations and our sympathies; while fidelity and affection mutually tendered, when necessary, admonition and reproof. His character was even then distinguished by those qualities which subsequently rendered him so illustrious--the most ardent piety, indefatigable diligence, and devoted zeal. His natural disposition was grave and thoughtful; so that, as his mind was often the subject of anxious and desponding views, especially of _himself and his attainments_, he probably occasionally appeared to some as gloomy and melancholy. But those who knew him best were fully convinced, that most of his anxieties arose from his deep sense of the importance of the work for which he was preparing, of his own utter incompetency for its faithful discharge, and of the consequent obligation under which he was laid, to exert himself to the utmost, to secure the _full benefit_ of every advantage placed within his reach. Hence he was a most exemplary student, and always aimed at distinction, even in some branches of study for which he appeared very little adapted. But his chief reliance to secure success, was not on any effort of his _own_, however diligently and constantly exerted--but on the divine blessing. Hence few ever entered more fully into the great Luther's favourite axiom, _to pray well is to study well_; for of him it may be very justly said, that prayer was the element in which his soul delighted to breathe.