recovered his former tone of cheerfulness. In common with many other eminently wise and holy men, he seems to have entertained a belief in the communion of departed spirits; and on one occasion he thought it was, in his own case, actually realized. "This afternoon," says he, under the date of May 2, 1821, "while engaged in reading Mrs. Fletcher's Life, page 252, where she is described as having said to her husband in a dream, 'My dear, do you visit me sometimes?' and he answered, 'Many times a day,' I felt a strange but delightful consciousness, that the angel-spirit of my dear, dear Ann, was present with me. My emotions were delightful. Tears of delight flowed down my cheeks; and, at length, I was enabled to say, 'Thank God for this also;' and my heart rose in gratitude to him."

For some time after the date above mentioned, excepting some interesting gleanings of circumstances connected with his late wife's affliction and departure, his diary contains comparatively few remarks. Indeed, for some months after that event took place, a part of the time which he had formerly been accustomed to devote to his diary seems to have been given to another book, in which he wrote all that had been in his heart, in reference to his late amiable partner, in a style of peculiar elegance and tenderness; but to which, in consequence of a restriction imposed by the writer when on his death-bed, nothing more than this general allusion can here be made. This occupation of his leisure moments may be considered by some persons to have been a weakness; but, if so, it was not an unpardonable one; nor was it altogether barren of spiritual profit. To use an expression of his own, his mind was often "relieved by discharging its grief and uneasiness on paper;" and the review which he was led

to take of a portion of his life which had been so deeply interesting to him, was the occasion of his being excited to higher sentiments of gratitude to God; and to a more diligent attention to his own personal salvation, and the important duties of his holy calling.

Toward the close of his second year in the Edinburgh circuit, (that is, in June, 1822,) in obedience to the direction of the preceding conference, he took an excursion to the Shetland Islands, for the purpose of ascertaining, by personal examination and inquiry, whether, or not, a missionary might be usefully and advantageously employed there. Of this excursion he has left a very copious journal, which is inserted in this volume.

Having declined the unanimous and cordial invitation of the Edinburgh quarterly meeting to continue a third year, he was appointed to North Shields. Here his mind seems to have recovered its former tone. Time, and the grace of God, had healed the stroke of his wound, and he sung of mercy as well as of judgment. December 24, 1822, being a few months after his entrance on that circuit, he writes as follows:

"At the close of the year, it is proper to dwell on the events of it, and to inquire how matters stand between God and my soul. It would argue more ingratitude than humility, if I were not to acknowledge that this last quarter has been one of considerable spiritual profit; and though I am yet far beneath the average of sincere Christians-much farther beneath eminent ones-yet I have had more spiritual mindedness and established peace than has formerly been the case. I have looked into my heart, and I see many marks of inbred corruption yet to be effaced, and many marks of the Saviour's work yet to be deepened. In me, that is, in my flesh,

dwelleth no good thing; for my sufficiency to think a right thought is of God. But what cannot God do? Again and again have I been enabled to say,

'I the chief of sinners am,
But Jesus died for me.'

I must seek for more divine grace, that I be not moved to impatience, or severity of speech: mine ought to be sound speech, such as cannot be blamed. A stream of mercy hath followed me throughout all this year, like the waters from the smitten rock; and that rock was Christ.' I have, as yet, had no return of that indisposition under which I laboured in the spring. Let my lips and my heart praise thee for this thy goodness to thy dust and ashes! It hath appeared, and more especially since I left the place, that even in Dalkeith my labours were not in vain, as the correspondence of Mr. and Mrs. and that of Mrs. , goes to prove. I trust that in this place and neighbourhood much good will be done. Our places of worship are crowded with attentive audiences. O that many an arrow may be lodged in many a heart!"

In the spring of 1823 he was united in marriage to the eldest daughter of the late Dr. Taft; a union respecting which the writer of this memoir believes it may be truly said, it was as happy as the former. This renewal of his earthly comforts appears to have been connected with a correspondent increase of spiritual peace and heavenly-mindedness, though his cup was by no means an unmingled one.

August 2, he writes, "A fortnight or three weeks ago Mary became indisposed, and my mind was severely exercised: the iron entered into my soul. I was enabled to look up to God through Christ; and I shall not

soon forget the exceeding goodness of my God to me on this occasion. 'Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits! I seemed to have some near glimpses of the state of those who are entirely sanctified. My mind dwelt much on the subject, and on the benefit of sanctified affliction. My discourses were owned of God, and believers were comforted and edified together."

The propriety of the remark at the close of the preceding extract appears from the testimony which is borne by many of those who had the privilege of sitting under his ministry. His entrance on the North Shields circuit had occurred under circumstances peculiarly discouraging, the society in that place being in a state of considerable distraction and disorder. But soon after himself and his colleagues had entered on their work, a brighter day began to dawn, the flock which had been partially divided and scattered abroad was restored to the fold, and peace and unanimity again prevailed. During the whole time of his continuance at this station, the divine blessing manifestly accompanied his ministrations, both in the town of Shields and in the circuit. "Never," says a friend, who was intimately acquainted with him at that time," was any man more generally acceptable. For, as a minister of Jesus Christ, his talent was of the first order, and he was indefatigable in the discharge of those duties which devolved upon him; while the ingenuousness of his mind, and the dignified and noble frankness which characterized his whole deportment, united to a disposition naturally amiable, and all sanctified by divine grace, conspired to give a living and practical recommendation of that religion of which he was a minister. Anxious to do good in every possible way, he felt the force of that injunction, 'Go ye into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in ;'

and, acting in the spirit of this injunction, he was successful in rescuing from the world a number of persons whom he formed into a class, and over whom he continued to watch with anxious solicitude. His visits to the sick were eminently interesting and instructive, and, in many cases, were rendered a special blessing."

This statement will sufficiently account for the estimation in which he was generally held, and for the anxiety which was manifested by the friends of Methodism in Shields for his continuance among them. The doctor having been appointed to the circuit as a single man, and having married in the course of his first year, as above stated, the regulations of the conference, and the circumstances of the circuit, (which was under no obligation, by rule of conference, to provide for him as a married man,) required that he should not be appointed to that circuit for a second year. But, in order to ensure his stay, the friends in that circuit generously offered to supply what was needful for the maintenance of an additional family, and thus, for the sake of his labours, undertook a charge which would not otherwise have come upon them until three years afterward. And when the time came for his being invited to remain a third year, there was but one voice, and the most urgent entreaties were employed to induce him to continue; but his affectionate solicitude for his beloved partner, whose health appeared to be suffering from the sea air, induced him to decline in favour of an inland circuit"A decision," says the friend just referred to, "regretted by all who knew him in this place and in the neighbourhood, and which extorted the common exclamation, "We ne'er shall look upon his like again!"

Having, therefore, remained in North Shields only two years, he was appointed, at the conference of 1824,