at that time, of the persons usually distinguished by the latter name. Once, at a meeting of some clergymen, his character being thus rudely treated, he met with a singular defender in an old fox-hunting clergyman :—“ Hush!" said he; "I feel a great respect for such men as Mr. Venn, and wish there were more of the kind! They are the salt of our order, and keep it from putrefaction. If the whole body of the clergy were like ourselves, the world would see that we were of no use, and take away our tithes; but a few of these pious ones redeem our credit, and save for us our livings."

While he continued curate of Horsley, he had an opportunity of shewing a very remarkable instance of disinterestedness. Sir John Evelyn was patron of the living of Wotton, in that neighbourhood; a living then worth between £200 and £300 a year. He was a gentleman very anxious to keep up the due knowledge and worship of God in his parish, and used to maintain the most friendly intercourse with the clergyman of that and the neighbouring parish (to which he also presented ;) being accustomed to drink tea with them, alternately, on a stated day in the week. It was an object; therefore, of importance to him to have at Wotton a clergyman of exemplary character, and a man of knowledge and learning. As soon as the living was vacant, the Squire of Horsley, unknown to Mr. Venn, applied earnestly in his favour, for the living, to Sir John; assuring him, that he was the very kind of clergyman who would suit his views: and Sir John himself seemed already disposed to accede to his wishes. The only reason which made him hesitate was the dilapidated state of the parsonage, which, he thought, would require a person of some private fortune to put and keep in proper repair. Mr. Venn having learnt these circumstances, while the patron's mind was still wavering, turned the scale against himself. Having long been acquainted with Mr. Bryan Broughton, Secretary to the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, and having a high respect for his virtues, he considered him as exactly the kind of man who would suit Sir John; and, judging that he stood more in need of the preferment than himself, he wrote an anonymous letter to Sir John, giving a full and faithful account of his friend's character, and recommending him to the living: and Sir John, after making inquiry into Mr. Broughton's character, presented him; nor had he ever reason to repent of following the advice of his anonymous correspondent.

Whilst he lived in this retirement, his books and his devotions afforded him a fund of never-ceasing pleasure. He was accustomed to ride upon the fine Downs in that neighbourhood, and to chant to himself the Te Deum; and in this devotional exercise he used to be carried far above terrestrial objects. His plan of life was very methodical, realizing, as far as he was able, that laid down by Mr. Law, in his "Christian Perfection." Mr. Law was, indeed, now his favourite author; and, from attachment to him, he was in great danger of imbibing the tenets of the mystical writers, whose sentiments Mr. Law had adopted in the latter periods of his life. Many writings of this

class discover, indeed, such traces of genuine and deep piety, that it is not at all wonderful that a person of exalted devotional feelings should admire them.

From a too fond attachment, however, to Mr. Law's tenets, he was recalled by the writings of Mr. Law himself. When Mr. Law's Spirit of Love," or " Spirit of Prayer," (it is not certain which) was about to be published, no miser, waiting for the account of a rich inheritance devolving on him, was ever more eager than he was to receive a book from which he expected to derive so much knowledge and improvement. The bookseller had been importuned to send him the first copy published. At length, the long-desired work was received, one evening; and he set himself to peruse it with the utmost avidity. He read till he came to a passage wherein Mr. Law seemed to represent the blood of Christ as of no more avail, in procuring our salvation, than the excellence of his moral character. "What!" he exclaimed, "does Mr. Law thus degrade the death of Christ, which the apostles represent as a sacrifice for sins, and to which they ascribe the highest efficacy in procuring our salvation! Then, farewell. such a guide! Henceforth I will call no man master!" From that moment he laid aside his overweening esteem for human productions, and applied himself chiefly to the study of the sacred writers.

His preaching was, however, still of the strictest kind. He required (according to the ideas which he had imbibed from the mystical writers) a measure almost of perfection in man; and exalted the standard of holiness to a degree to which it was scarcely possible that the frail children of men could ever reach.

It is true, he was himself striving, with the utmost assiduity, to reach that point. He kept a diary, in which he endeavoured to record the very slightest alienation of thought from the love or fear of God-every rising of irregular desires and passions-every thought which seemed to be contrary to the spirit of our holy religion. This he deeply lamented before God, and, with fervent prayer, requested that every thought of his heart might be brought into captivity to the law of Christ.

Still, however, as must be the case where a man cannot attain the object he has proposed to himself, he was not happy: he did not overcome sin in the degree in which he had hoped; and, as he was conscious of no deficiency of endeavour on his part, he began to feel religion to be a hard service, rather than one which was perfect freedom: he deeply felt for the rest of the world, who neither did, nor, generally speaking, could, make such exertions as himself: and the question often forcibly occurred to him in the pulpit, "Why do you impose upon others a standard, to which you are conscious you have not yourself attained?"

Such reflections induced him to study the scriptures more attentively: and then he began to perceive that his attachment to mystical writers had hitherto led him to overlook the particular provision which is made for fallen and sinful man in the gospel of our blessed Lord

and Saviour Jesus Christ. He now saw that it was not upon the perfection of our obedience, but upon the all-sufficient merits and the infinite mercies of a Redeemer, that we are to rely for our justification. He saw that sinners are brought, through the gospel, into a new state -a state of reconciliation to our heavenly Father—a state of adoption into his family—a state of grace and mercy. Hence the religion of Christ now became to him a religion of hope, and peace, and joy: he saw that our sins are taken away by the blood of Christ, and that, being justified by faith in Him, we have peace towards God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, and joy also in God, by whom we have received the atonement. He beheld with wonder the infinite tenderness, compassion, and love of the Saviour; upon whose care and providence he now relied, to sanctify him by his Spirit, and to make him meet for the kingdom of glory above. The desire of his heart had been already towards holiness; but it was with a view to render himself acceptable to a holy God by his own excellence. He now felt the same desire: but it sprang from a different motive: it was an earnest wish to show forth the praises of Him who had called him out of darkness into his marvellous light. He did not conceive himself, any more than formerly, at liberty to sin against God; but that which before had been a servile fear was changed into a spirit of filial attachment to his heavenly Father. Love to God, and to the greatest of all benefactors, his blessed Saviour and Redeemer, now became the ruling principle of all his devotion and all his conduct; and he entered fully into the meaning of the apostle, when he exclaimed, O God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ!" "I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord;—that I may win Christ, and be found in him; not having my own righteousness, which is of the law,—but the righteousness which is of God, by faith.”

This essential change in his views produced an important change in his feelings and in his preaching. He now enjoyed a peace and cheerfulness of mind, which he had not done before; which he could not do whilst he looked chiefly to himself and his own qualifications for heaven. His preaching, also, set forth a new object, and took a new direction. He now more fully explained to his hearers "the unsearchable riches of Christ;" he set before them the love of God, in making “Him, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." He entreated them in the name of Christ, to be reconciled to God; assuring the penitent of a gracious reception, and urging him to flee to the hope set before him -to that Great Deliverer, who would supply all things needful for him; who would impart to him the sanctifying influence of the Spirit; who would bless him with His grace here, and conduct him to glory hereafter. The effect of his preaching became now much more manifest. The view of so great a salvation, offered so freely to mankind, filled the hearts of many with fervent love to their Saviour, and with

earnest desire to be numbered among His disciples. From that time his preaching became highly useful to many, who gladly devoted themselves to the service of a Saviour, by whom they expected the burden of their sins to be removed, and from whom they hoped to derive grace to help in time of need, comfort in the hour of affliction, peace in the midst of an evil and turbulent world, support in the season of death, and a holy preparation for the life to come.

It is observable, that this change of his sentiments was not to be ascribed to an intercourse with others: it was the steady progress of his mind, in consequence of a faithful and diligent application to the holy scriptures, unbiased by an attachment to human systems. It was not till some years afterwards that he became acquainted with any of those preachers who are usually known by the name of Evangelical; though his own views now agreed with theirs, and were strictly, and in a proper sense, evangelical; that is, in conformity with the motives and hopes held out to us in the gospel of Christ.

In 1754, he accepted the curacy of Clapham, in Surrey, where he resided five years; officiating at the same time, during the week, in three different churches in London, where he held Lectureships. At Clapham he became intimately acquainted with the late John Thornton, esq., of that place, who was then a young man of deep piety, and whose views of divine truth soon became congenial with his own. Between them was formed a friendship of the strictest kind, which continued till Mr. Thornton's death. Here also he became intimate with Sir John Barnard,* who was spending the latter days of his life in that village; and of whom he published some interesting memoirs. Here he first began to experience, from those who disliked the restraints of religion, and from those who wished to be satisfied with a merely formal profession, that opposition which every preacher of vital christianity must expect. On the other hand, however, he met with many persons to whom his preaching was highly acceptable and useful.

In 1756, he laboured under a severe illness, which incapacitated him for duty, for more than eight months. This however, was a most useful season to him. He had time to reflect upon his principles and his conduct; and he used to observe, that after that period he was no longer able to preach the sermons which he had previously composed. His views of eternal things had now become clearer, his meditations on the attributes of God more profound, his views of the greatness of the salvation of Christ more distinct; and the whole of his religion had received that tincture of more elevated devotion which rendered his conversation and his preaching doubly instructive.

In May, 1757, he married Miss Bishop, daughter of the Rev. Thomas Bishop, D.D., minister of the Tower Church in Ipswich, a gentleman of high eminence as a scholar and a divine, who preached the sermons in St. Paul's, for Lady Moyer's Lecture, in 1724-25, which were afterwards published, together with some other valuable * Sir J. Barnard represented the city of London, in seven successive Parliaments; and was also Lord Mayor in the year 1737.

Theological Treatises. In this lady Mr. Venn found a mind congenial with his own; the most sincere and exalted piety, directed by a sound judgment, and enriched by a sweetness of disposition and animation, which rendered her particularly interesting, as a companion and a friend.

In 1759, he accepted the vicarage of Huddersfield, in Yorkshire, the grand scene of his labours in the church. He was induced to accept this living, not from any desire of increasing his income; for, in fact, his income was diminished by it materially; the living of Huddersfield not amounting to £100 per annum, and the collection of the income (consisting chiefly of the smallest sums) being made in a way the most disagreeable to his feelings. But he conceived that he should be far more extensively useful in a parish, the population of which consisted of many thousand souls, than in that of Clapham, where he had not experienced the success of his labours in the degree that he had hoped.

As soon as he began to preach at Huddersfield, the church became crowded, to such an extent, that many were not able to procure admission. Numbers became deeply impressed with concern about their immortal souls; persons flocked from the distant bamlets, inquiring what they must do to be saved. He found them, in general, utterly ignorant of their state by nature, and of the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. His bowels yearned over his flock; and he was never satisfied with his labours among them, though they were continued to a degree ruinous to his health. On the Sunday, he would often address the congregation from the desk, briefly explaining and enforcing the Psalms and the Lessons. He would frequently begin the Service with a solemn and most impressive address, exhorting them to consider themselves as in the presence of the great God of heaven, whose eye was in a particular manner upon them, whilst they drew nigh to Him, in His own house. His whole soul was engaged in preaching: and, as at this time he only used short notes in the pulpit, ample room was left to indulge the feelings of compassion, of tenderness, and of love, with which his heart overflowed towards his people. In the week, he statedly visited the different hamlets in his extensive parish; and, collecting some of the inhabitants at a private house, he addressed them with a kindness and earnestness which moved every heart. Opposition, however, followed him here: for, what integrity of mind, what excellence of conduct, what purity of zeal, can shield a man from it, when our blessed Lord, immaculate as he was, and his apostles endued with his spirit, were not exempted from it? He was assailed with the old and slanderous insinuation, that he preached the doctrine of faith alone, and neglected to enforce works; though his whole life was a practical confutation of such a falsehood; and the lives of those who received the doctrines he preached became so strict and exemplary, that they were immediately accused of carrying holiness to an unnecessary length.

But, whilst he was thus listened to by the most crowded audib