practice which cannot be too warmly recommended to ministers; for it is the natural result of eminent religion employed in the work of the ministry. To an unsuccessful minister it might suggest such reflections, and prompt to such conduct, as might save him from being thrown aside by an indignant God as à vessel in which he has no pleasure. To those who have succeeded, like Risdon Darracott, it must be unnecessary to recommend such days of review; they have already been tried and sufficiently recommended themselves by numerous benefits and by such exquisite pleasures as Mr. Darracott here expressed.

"O what thankfulness and joy has it raised in my heart to-day, to look over a list of so many seals given to my worthless labours: I have been praising God for one hundred and twelve souls since this day six years added to the church; the far greater part of whom have been begotten again in Christ Jesus under my ministry, and of all I have good hope. A list of names which I would not part with for the joys of the whole earth."

The following letter to his sister in law, gives so full an account of his success at this time, that it will form the best continuation of the narrative which it may seem to interrupt.

"Wellington, Feb.10, 1746-7.

"My dear sister,

"I am now set down to give you some account of things here and I think there never was at one time a greater work going on than there is just now. Ever since my refusal of Petherton, there hath been a fresh work here among us. The first who were awakened, and I believe are now effectually converted, were Alexander Swine and his wife; and there is this remarkable in it, that though he had been two years under my ministry, and about the beginning of it was taken very ill and given over, at which time I attended him often and prayed with him; yet 'till about three months ago, when I went down to see him and his wife, and talked with them about their souls, and spent some time in prayer, he hath declared to me since, that he was never before once affected, nor ever prayed in all his life; but then he felt a mighty power going forth with my discourse and prayer, and from that time is so enlightened and wonderfully changed as surprises himself and all that intimately knew him and now behold he prays, so that his very neighbours take notice of it. He was taken into the church the first of January, to the full satisfaction of all. And his wife, who was always brought up among the dissenters, and for many years had been under convictions,

and laboured hard to bring over her husband to the meeting; yet never felt the work to be deep in her soul till that very day. So that they were both as it were born again at the same time, and under the same means, though she was taken into the church the month before her husband; they now live together sweetly in the fear of God, and their house is become the house of prayer. The next remarkable work was by two sermons I preached; one in the evening of the old year, from those words Rev. x. 5, 6. "And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea, and upon the earth, lifted up his hand to heaven and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever that there should be time no longer." And the other on the new year's day morning, froin Moses's invitation to his brother in law, Numb. x. 29. "We are journeying unto the place of which the Lord said, I will give it you. Come thou with us, and we will do thee good for the Lord God hath spoken good concerning Israel." Under both which sermons many were awakened, and still continue to give good hopes. Among the rest Miss Gifford, to whom I wrote a letter the new year's day after the sermon, and sent it her by Miss Haine, which was much blessed, so that she immediately came to me, and with many tears thanked me. I hope the Lord will soon add her to the church. She was that evening with the women's

society. Her brother James is under great con cern, and I have wrote a letter to send him, may God make it as successful as his sister's was. One Mr. Oland, a farmer, (whom I believe you knew) hath been more than ordinarily concerned of late about his soul. He hath always been a moral man, but for some Sabbaths past he hath been much affected under the word; and in my last address from the Lord's table to the spectators, was so struck that he was obliged to lay down his head. I have this week sent him a letter, and am waiting the success. Here are several others under great concern whom you don't know, and some of them that I myself was never acquainted with till their concern they were under brought them to me. A set of sermons I have been some time preaching, on our lost and undone state by nature, and recovery by the Lord Jesus Christ, are much blessed. On Lord's-day I was told that a company of boys met together to pray, and are much alter'd in their temper. I am to meet them next Saturday night at the house of one of the boy's father's. There is one instance more of the Lord's work I must be sure to tell you, as perhaps the most remarkable of all; and that is the bringing in one at the eleventh hour. His name is Fry, a farmer, one of the oldest in the congregation, being four score years old at Candlemas. Though

he hath been a constant attendant on the worship of God for so many years, yet he owns he was never any way awakened till I came hither, and never so much as of late. He came to me before our last preparation, and with tears told me, he could not die satisfied 'till he had given up his soul to Christ in his own ordinance. And from what conversation I then had with him I had encouragement then to propose him, and am since more satisfied. So that I believe he will be taken in next time. Thus can we sing to the glory of our dear Redeemer,

Wide as the reach of Satan's rage,
Doth thy salvation flow;

"Tis not confin'd to sex or age,
The lofty or the low.

"Oh my dear sister, when you read this, go and bless God on our behalf. Shout with us the praises of free grace. I see more every day that the grace of God is free; and for this reason it will be adored by all the happy subjects of it to all eternity. It passes by whom it will, and chooses whom it pleases. The place, the person, and the instrument of the work is all owing to the free grace of God. Else why is Wellington so favoured, when larger better places are not so distinguished? such and such in this place mark'd out, when others are left? Why is so weak, so worthless a creature made use of, and others who