periodical, "The Christian Miscellany." I also published a Sermon on Scriptural Election and General Redemption, and pamphlets on the "Popery of Protestants," "The Voluntary Question," &c. During these years I laboured heartily in the old Temperance Society, and lectured and preached in the districts all around. In Perth there was a very promising young man, pastor of the Baptist church, Mr. Adams, whose course, though bright, was soon finished. Here were several

highly talented ministers of Christ. The venerable Dr. Pringle, Dr. David Young, and Dr. Newlands. Here for three years my very much loved friend, Robert Thompson, was the Wesleyan minister. He was very popular, and filled the Metho-. dist chapel on Sabbath evenings, but found Presbyterian Calvinism too adamantine for very deep or general impression.

It was while I was a minister in Perth that my acquaintance commenced with our esteemed brother Mathews, the worthy pastor of Boston. He had.then recently returned from Germany, and he, and one of his German brethren, passing through Perth, had the use of our meetinghouse, and greatly edified our friends who assembled on the occasion. The 97th Regiment of Highlanders, stationed in Perth for a considerable period, furnished us with numbers of hearers, and I addresed them also on special occasions in the barracks. It was while on a purposed visit to them, when they removed from Perth to Paisley, that I was among many others who were seriously injured by the boiler explosion of a steam coach that ran between Glasgow and Paisley, and where I was laid up with a broken leg for six weeks in the hospitable home of brother Mathews. By this accident four persons were killed on the spot, and several others severely injured. Mr. Sargeant, of Leicester, was one who suffered fearfully on the occasion.

My residence in Scotland gave me ample opportunity for reading and study, and here I conceived the idea

of my 66 Sketches and Skeletons of

Sermons," for the use of lay brethren,
&c. But in London events were
occurring that were to influence my
future labours and life. A new
chapel had been erected in New
Church Street, Paddington. After
considerable prosperity, a division
occurred, the minister retiring with
three-fourths of the members, and
leaving behind some twenty-one
names on the church book, and
about forty or fifty hearers. At this
crisis one of the chief friends re-
maining, and who had belonged to
the Methodist New Connexion, sug-
gested that I should be invited to
spend a few Sabbaths with them,
and on the 10th of May, 1835, I
preached my first sermon in the
chapel of which I have been pastor
ever since.

I was delighted on my first appearance in this pulpit to see present my much honoured brother, the Rev. John Stevenson, minister of Suffolk Street, his chapel being under repair, and whom I had met at Birmingham several years before. His cordial greeting helped me much in the midst of the desolations that surrounded this congregational wreck. A unanimous invitation followed the few Sundays I supplied, and I returned to Perth to bid adieu to Scotland, and to begin earnest work in my new and adopted sphere. It required no little faith both in God and man to undertake this shattered cause. Small salary only could be given, even though the friends, and one especially, were most liberal ; small chapel, heavy debt of £1,400, twenty-one or two members, but some living at Portsea; my two sons requiring education, with all the expences of London housekeeping, &c. But our first text was the key note of the enterprise, "Arise, Ŏ God, and plead thine own cause"and with this we entered on the

arduous work, and have, by God's help, continued to this day. Mr. Wileman, who had built the chapel, was fully devoted to the cause, and though his prosperous business occupied nearly all his time, yet his promptness, punctuality, earnestness, and generosity, materially helped to keep the machinery of the church in active operation. Our increased attendance, and considerable accessions, cheered our hearts, and strengthened our hands, and God, our own God, did bless us. Our revered brother Wallis, Mr. Stevenson, and myself, often exchanged pulpits, and no root of bitterness ever marred, or interrupted for an hour, our union or intercourse. With regard to the seceding church occupying a small chapel about half a mile away, I had nothing whatever to do, their differences I was not competent to judge of, and my own duties were sufficiently onerous to absorb all my time and attention. Ultimately, however, the church was unable to bear their expenses, and their esteemed minister removed to Nottingham, and the members were dispersed abroad. The odour of these contentions was not inviting, or favourable to our prosperity, and the only thing we could do was to live, and work it down. We were in the midst of a dense population, ever increasing, and to keep the gospel net at work was our obvious duty, and God succeeded the labour of our hands, and graciously sent us prosperity.

I had been a constant reader of the Repository, and was acquainted with "Taylor's History of the Connexion," and had corresponded with the worthy writer while resident in Perth, and now I was in personal contact with the ministers and institutions of the denomination.

We had then a London Conference, and our visits to Wendover, Chesham, and Berkhampstead, were not without interest. So also we had to do with the churches at Sevenoaks, Smarden, &c., but in London itself

we could do little with our connexionalism. Our congregations

66

were largely composed of persons who had never heard of the General Baptists, and therefore knew nothing of the differences of "Old" and 'New," of General or Particular. This was specially applicable to us as an entirely new church in a district of London where there were few Baptists of any kind whatever.

To reduce our chapel debt I published the second series of "The Christian Sketch Book," and devoted the profits to that object, and for some years managed to produce saleable volumes every few months— "The Christian Daily Portion," or exercises on the person, and work, and glories of Christ-"Christian Philosophy"-" Mothers of the Wise and Good"-the Sketches and Skeletons of Sermons, in four volumes"Pulpit Cyclopædia"; and besides I edited the "London Temperance Weekly Journal" for about seven years. I also established and conducted "The Preacher's Magazine" during the six years of its publication; and to fill up the crannies of spare time, wrote "Life of Mrs. Fletcher" "Youthful Piety" "Youthful Christian" - and then added eight volumes more of "Sketches and Skeletons of Sermons," and about a dozen of smaller books, of which, most happily, none have had to go to the butter shop or trunk makers. For several years I published also a "Sunday Scholars' Annual," which was largely circulated. Of course my London pastorate was favourable to authorship, and it brought me into close contact with the chief editors and conductors of our religious periodicals. these I may make mention of Dr. Morrison, Dr. Styles, and Mr. Groser.

Of

In my second year's pastorate (1836) I united myself with the new temperance movement, known under the name of teetotalism; and I believe that my physical health and mental vigour have been greatly

promoted by avoiding stimulating drinks, and the fact of only one Sabbath's absence through illness from pulpit duties in nearly thirtyfive years, I think, speaks conclusively on that subject. We felt thirty years ago that it was desirable to have a sacramental wine free from alcohol, and though some stumbled at it, yet that step has given us unmixed satisfaction, besides placing more than £100 additional aid for the relief of the poor members of the church. On all accounts we rejoice in our vestry and chapel being entirely free from the presence of intoxicants of any and every kind. Teetotal work of necessity greatly added to my labours, but it gave additional opportunities of usefulness both in our church and out.

I must, however, not overlook my introduction to our ministers and brethren at the first Association I attended in 1836 at Bourne. My coach companion to that gathering was our brother Carey Pike, then a student at Stepney. Being an entire stranger to nearly all the Connexion. I was indebted to brother Stevenson and one or two others for an introduction to the ministers and representatives assembled.

This my first Association visit. was in some things unfortunate. Mr. Beardsall had been lecturing and discussing both teetotalism and the "wine question," and a controversy had been waging in the Repository, in which no little spiciness and acrimony had been exhibited. The Association Letter had been prepared under the influences then agitating the Connexion, and of course was dead set against the new wine innovation. The venerable writer of the letter was too feeble to read it, and it was therefore placed in the hands of the Rev. J. Goadby, of Leicester, who read it with his usual masterly and commanding manner, to the unutterable delight of the anti-teetotallers, and the dismay of brother

Beardsall, myself, and a very few others. The conclusion of the letter ended in a warm demonstration in its favour, and when Mr. Beardsall wished to reply, he was simply clamoured down. A sturdy representative from the Stoney Street church now tried to have a say, but he was kindly told to sit down, which he felt it difficult to do. I was so astonished with this peculiar way of doing religious business, that for a while I was confounded. At length I ventured to rise and expostulate, and concluded with a request that at least for five or ten minutes Mr. Beardsall should be permitted to speak. This was earnestly supported by John Stevenson, and the waves that had threatened to swallow us up respectably retired, and the favour was conceded. Of course the "letter" had to be criticised, and I was told that my free remarks would certainly entail on me the abiding displeasure of the venerable writer. But I found then, as I have ever found, that an open and outspoken line of procedure will never give abiding offence to any one, whose friendship is worth having. I met dear Mr. Jarrom in London a short time before he crossed the mortal river, and his warm shake of the hand and hearty good will were most fervently manifested.

But how many persons of that my first Association are gone: the chairman, Mr. Ingham; moderators, Mr. Goadby, senior, and Mr. Bissill; the secretary, Mr. J. Goadby; the tutor of the College, Mr. Jarrom. Besides these, the then pillars of the denomination-Pickering, Stevenson, Pike, Cameron, Pegg, Hobbs, Butler, Wigg, Winks, with many others,all gone. I can scarcely realize that Thomas Stevenson, and his brother John, and myself, and T. W. Mathews, are among the oldest pastors in the Connexion. But so it is. The generation of 1835 has passed away, and another generation of brethren has risen up. How altered

the severest sanctity is a thousand fold more divine as well as human when it brilliantly reflects the mirth of the "happy God."

Cheerfulness is never out of place. Home joys luxuriate in its smile like plants in tropical climes, and social life revels in its effusions. Parents feel younger as they see it in their children, and children leap with gladness as they recognise its welcome in a father's word and a mother's caress. Affliction itself is encircled with a halo of glory when borne with a spirit of placid resignation, and the tears of sorrow twinkle like stars, when lit up with the radiance of a joyful hope. Care takes to itself wings and flies away as it sees "delight in the Lord" offering its stores of satisfaction to the heart, and piety becomes more purifying and ennobling as it rises from peace, on through tribulation and patience, up to "joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have received the atonement." Three sights on earth transport us with their pleasures: the exuberant, innocent mirth of a child prattling of God and His home as if it had just come from a seat beside His throne; the serene and subdued gladness of an aged saint already within hearing of the music of heaven, and eagerly listening to the angel-harpers while waiting with patient expectation the coming of the Lord; and last, but not least, the ever-brightening cheerfulness of a worker for God who pours out of his well-stored heart the treasures of sympathy, prayer, and enthusiasm for the enriching of all who need.

As a pioneer in serving the Lord, cheerfulness is most efficient, preparing the way to minds that otherwise would not open, just as the morning sun coaxes the flower to unfold its leaves, and receive his blessing in its very heart. As a servant, such is its success, that it often eclipses the glory of its master,

d steals unwittingly the praise

which is justly due to him. More credit is sometimes given to it than is due, but yet we cannot part with its aid without seriously injuring the usefulness of our service. The pastor whose spirit is bathed with the joy of the Lord is better able to lead the people to pastures fresh and new, and will not rarely discover paths of righteousness that unbending Genius cannot see. The Sunday school teacher will fare very ill if he does not meet the glad hearts of his children with a frank, full, and genial response; for the nearest way to the soul of a child is through its love of pleasure. And who shall visit the sick, if not such as can speak comfortable words, and pour the balm of Christian sympathy into wounded hearts without stint? We must be cheerful if we would go about doing good.

No one can tell the good a cheerful Christian does. He fills the atmosphere with vitalizing power, and you can no more trace his influence in all its far-extending results than you follow out in all its consequences the shining of the sun for a single day. As the air of mountain heights braces the wearied traveller and makes him forget his burdens, so the goodly fellowship of the glad strips us of the dark robes of despondency, gives the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. We feel

that there are exhilarating currents of life about us, and confess that we are made happy in spite of ourselves. Cheerful men 66 carry blessings of which they are themselves as unconscious as the lamp is of its shining. They move on human life as stars move on dark seas to bewildered mariners, as the sun wheels along, bringing all the seasons with him from the south." They shine

"With rays of love divine Through darkest nooks of this dull earth, Pouring, in stormy times, their glow of 'quiet mirth.""

An enemy hath said that there are Christians of a very gloomy order