the place: it was—“Cast out the bond woman and her son.” I had heard the text taken by the good man once before, and I thought we were going to have another controversial sermon on the moral law—bring tired of that subject, I was fearful I should lose my comfortable frame; but I was happily disappointed, for the minister opened the subject in such a clear and glorious manner, by describing the liberty of the children of God, that I was fully confirmed in the work of God on my soul; the remembrance of this is still sweet and precious. My joy was full, and at the close of the sermon I fled from every one, lest I should see any one I knew; I wanted to speak to no living creature, but to enjoy fellowship with the Saviour. I have often thought how much I should like to have gone home to glory at that time; but, alas! many sorrows of body, soul, and circumstances, were my destined lot; which has often made me ask, in fits of rebellion— “Are these the blessings we expect, Is this the lot of thine elect?” This heavenly frame subsided, but it left a sweet confidence behind, which I have never fully lost, as my faith and confidence was often fed by the Word of God; and, indeed, faith can feast upon nothing else. I now began to read and hear, as it were, with new eyes and ears. The doctrines of the gospel were now precious to my soul. I admired them before, but I ate them now: as Jeremiah words it—“Thy words were found, and I did eat them, and they were the rejoicing of my heart.” And I must speak it to the honour of God, that, although he has favored me with many blessed tokens of his love, many precious promises, enlargements, and views, but none so powerful as the first; yet there was enough power in them to bring me to the Saviour, and to prove the reality of the work of God on my soul. My grand business was now to gain all the spiritual knowledge I could; and the Lord soon after this led me into my public work, which I thought would be attended with a great increase of holiness of nature and life, of devotedness to God, and of an opportunity of studying his word; but I found, instead of an increase of holiness of nature an increase of sin. Not that I was more sinful, but had greater discoveries of it; and, instead of getting stronger in the service of God, I felt my strength perfect weakness. Popularity, noise, company, and bustle, stripped me of all my savouriness, and I was long left to struggle with my old sin again. Yet the Lord gave testimony to the word of his grace, and gave me liberty of speech, to the wonder of many, who knew my origin, and the scantiness of my education. The Lord never left me a moment, in my public work, to confusion, but was with me in some way or other, every time I stood up; and when I have gone to my work in the pulpit, frequently in bondage, darkness, and sorrow, my nervous system weak, and satan permitted to harrass me sorely, to the giving out my