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CHAPTER II.

He leaves his master before the expiration of his apprenticeship-is providentially directed to a suitable situation, and commences business for himself-his marriage -his benevolence-death of his wife's mother-is alarmed by a dream-obtains mercy-suddenness of his conversion-its fruits-his zeal-answer to prayer, and effects of his expostulation with a landlady-summary of the evidence of his conversion.

Ir has been quaintly, but significantly observed, in reference to the providential lot of human beings, that "Every peg has its hole.” Whatever may have been the primary design of the remark, it is certainly applicable to the notions of personal comfort and probable usefulness; the former effected by the adaptation of the pin to the place and of the place to the pin, and the latter by its projectiongoing beyond itself so to speak-affording an opportunity both to friends and strangers, of suspending upon its form whatever they may desire, whether from inclination or necessity. And the man who permits his Maker to "choose" his "inheritance" for him, will rarely be placed in a situation in which it will be impossible for some of his fellow-creatures to hang upon him their hopes, their weaknesses, and their wants. This will apply with equal propriety to persons in humble life, as to persons in the more elevated ranks of society. We are taught the doctrine of a wise and bountiful Providence in the fall of a "sparrow," and in the adornings of the "lilies,”—of a Providence which is both permissive and active in its operations-directing in the outset, and entering into the minutest circumstances of human life. General observation would almost warrant the belief that there is a starting-point for every man, later or earlier in life, subject to his own choice and in proportion as he proceeds along the line, or deviates from it, will be the amount of his success or adversity-connecting with the situation, in the person that holds it, industry, economy, and integrity. The principal difficulty is in the choice. Religiously to determine this, we ought never to lose sight of the circumstances of the case, personal competency, and general usefulness. Several of these remarks will apply to the subject of this memoir.

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Though Samuel had acted in the capacity of a faithful servant to his master for some years, a circumstance took place which led to a separation before the expiration of his apprenticeship. His master's daughter conceived an attachment to him, which was returned,

though not to the same extent, by Samuel. This naturally led to certain domestic attentions, in which the young woman contributed to his comfort; and having a little money at command, she occasionally assisted him, with a view to give strength to the bond which subsisted. His master coming down stairs one morning, a little earlier than usual, found him seated with Miss Derby on his knee. He instantly returned, and told his wife, whom he had left in bed; and after unveiling the circumstance, said, "I believe she is as fond of the lad as ever cow was of a calf." On again descending the stairs, he chided them both, and signified his disapprobation of their attachment. The day passed on with evident indications that the master was brooding on the subject; and at length he ordered Samuel, with a good deal of angry feeling, to leave his house and his service. The dismissal having been given at an evening hour, Samuel requested permission to remain till next day, which was granted. To prevent any matrimonial connection from taking place between them, the father, on Samuel's removal, contrived to form a union between his daughter and a person of some property, but much her senior, offering as an inducement a handsome dowry. Miss D. wrote to Samuel the day previous to her marriage, requesting him to meet her at a specified time and place, and pledged herself to him for ever, as the sole object of her first affection. Poor Samuel was placed in circumstances at the time from which it was impossible to escape; and the fitful moment glided away from both, without improvement, to their inexpressible grief. As this was a compulsory measure, the bride gave her hand without her heart; her spirits shortly afterwards became depressed, and confirmed insanity ensued. Samuel was sent for by her friends-he obeyed the summons-the sight of him increased her malady, and added to the poignancy of his own feelings-he hastily withdrew, and she died soon after. As an affair of honour, it may be said, "In all this" Samuel " sinned not."* Abandoned, however, as he was by his master, the Lord directed him by his providence.

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Without giving the West Yorkshire dialect, which he wrote as well as spoke, and which it would be as difficult for persons in the southern counties of England to read and to understand without a glossary, as the Lancashire Dialect," the substance of his relation, when "entering upon the world"-to employ a familiar phrase-is clear, simple, and touching. "When I was one and twenty years of age," he states, "there was a shop at liberty, at Micklefield, and my father

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* Old Mrs. Derby, who survived Samuel, and was living at Healaugh, in 1831, in the 90th year of her age, was very partial to him, always styling him "Our Sam; and Mr. D., on seeing his daughter's distress, was heard to say, "O that I had let Sammy have my lass! Samuel paid occasional visits to his old mistress to the end

of his days.

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took it for me. I here began business for myself; and when I had paid for my tools, I was left without a penny in my pocket, or a bit of bread to eat. But I was strong and in good health, and laboured hard; and that God who sent the ravens to feed his servant, fed me. One day, while at work, a man came into my shop, who told me that his wife had fed the pig so fat, as to render it useless to the family, and that he would sell me the one-half of it very cheap. I told him that I wished it were in my power to make the purchase that I was much in need--but that I was without money. He replied, he would trust me; and I agreed to take it. I mentioned the circumstance to a neighbour, who offered to lend me five pounds, which I accepted: and out of this I paid the man for what I had bought. I continued to labour hard, and the Lord, in his abundant goodness, supplied all my wants." From this it would seem, that he had not been anxiously looking in every direction for a situation, and, on finding every providential door shut, had not sat down to quarrel with the dispensations of God, or made some hazardous attempts to force an opening: nor was the situation at first either perceived by himself, or the door-to proceed with the allusion-but slightly turned upon its hinges, leaving the possibility or propriety of entrance still problematical. It was thrown open by the Hand that regulates all human affairs-circumstances invited the father to the spot-he took his survey-Samuel having been released from his connection with his master, found the occurrence seasonable-poverty was his portion, but no capital was requisite for the purchase of stock-previous industry and economy prepared him to meet the expense of tools-his father led him up to the door which his Maker had opened-labour was instantly furnished, and the "daily bread" for which he was commanded to pray, was supplied-the confidence and kindness of friends encouraged him to proceed-and there he continued, succeeded, and was afterwards useful. Providence appeared to meet him at every turn, and, as in a piece of wedge-work, adapted its movements to all the peculiarities of his case.

After having been established in business for the space of eighteen months, without apparently elevating his mind above the drudgery of the day, he meditated a change in his domestic circumstances. "The Lord," he observes, "saw that I wanted a helpmeet"—he knew the character that would "suit me best"-and was so "kind" as to furnish me with "one of his own choosing." From the form of expression employed, it should seem that there was an allusion to his first attachment, which he might be led to consider as not of God, from the circumstance of his having been thwarted in his purpose. His courtship, in its commencement and termination, preserves the singularity which distinguished most of the leading transactions of

his life. His partiality to singing led him to unite himself to the choir that attended Aberford Church, which union continued for the space of ten years. Here he became acquainted with her who was destined to be his bride, and to survive him as his widow. The first time he saw her, which was during divine service, it was powerfully impressed upon his mind, that she should one day become his wife. Under such impressions, and in great simplicity, he walked up to her immediately on leaving the church, and unbosomed his feelings and thoughts on the subject. She heard his first lispings with surprise, and felt their force; for from that period they delighted in each other's society, and were finally united in holy matrimony in Spofford Church. She was six years older than himself. On leaving the hymeneal altar, and reaching the church door, a number of poor widows pressed around him to solicit alms. His heart was touched; the tear was in his eye; I began the world," said he to himself "without money, and I will again begin it straight." The thought was no sooner conceived, and the generous impulse felt, than the hand, which emptied the pocket, scattered the last pence of which he was possessed among the craving applicants. The bride being entitled to some property, and work pouring in upon him, his exhausted stores were soon recruited: and believing that a blessing followed the donation, he appended to a narrative of the event, in a tone of triumph, "The Lord gave me a good wife, and I have never wanted money since that day."

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The fine glow of devotional feeling occasionally experienced in his youth, had for some time become extinct; and he had not in his situation, been brought into contact with any decidedly religious character, to revive it, except the mother of his wife, who was a member of the Wesleyan Connexion. He complained, that at this period, his wife and himself were "both strangers to saving grace that the "parish" could not boast of a single Methodist-and that there was not "one" of his "own family that knew the Lord." His mother-in-law, who, it would seem, did not reside in the same parish with himself, often spoke to him on the subject of religion, and interceded with God both for him and his partner. Example, exhortation, and prayer, were ineffectual. The appeal was to be made to the passions; and through these was the entrance to be made which would effect his deliverance from the thraldom of Satan. His motherin-law sickened and died. The happiness she experienced in her last hours, softened the heart and re-awakened the attention of Samuel to the concerns of his soul. This, however, but for what he denomi nated a “vision," had been "as the early dew that passeth away."

Three days after her dissolution, he dreamed that she appeared to him arrayed in white, took him by the hand, and affectionately warned him to flee from the wrath to come; stating, that if he did

not repent he could never meet her in the paradise of God. At the close of the address, the visionary form vanished; conviction, while he slumbered, seized his spirit; he awoke in terror, and to use his own language, "jumped out of bed "—thus furnishing another exposition of the language of the man in the land of Uz--“ When I say, my bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint; then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions." This sudden spring from the bed, roused his wife; his groans and distress alarmed her; and supposing him to have been suddenly seized with some complaint that threatened his life, she was proceeding to awaken the neighbours, and to call them to her assistance, when she was arrested in her course, in the midst of the darkness with which she was surrounded, with a sentence wrung from the depths of his agonised spirit, and uttered in sobs-"I want Jesus— Jesus to pardon all my sins." It was sufficient for her to know that he was not in immediate danger from affliction; her fears were therefore quickly dissipated, but she could afford him no consolation. This he seemed to feel, and observed, "I had no Paul to say to me, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved;' nor any praying wife to pray for me." It was the midnight of desolation; and the only light by which the way of mercy could be discovered, was from within. The flood of day which was poured upon his mind, was as strong as it was sudden; and differing in degree from that with which he was visited under the ministry of Mr. Wesley, he now beheld both sides of his case—not only the absence of all good, but the presence of real evil. "My eyes," said he, were opened-I saw all the sins I had committed through the whole course of my life-I was like the Psalmist-I cried out like the gaoler." He added with considerable emphasis, "I did say my prayers, as I never did before; " meaning that he had only SAID them previously to this period. He further observed, that it might be said of him, as of Saul, "Behold, he prayeth!”

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The ministerial instruction which he had at different periods received, led him, in the midst of much ignorance on other subjects, to adopt the proper means, and to look to the true source of happiness, in order to its attainment. He had heard of one Jesus of Nazareth, like Saul; and though that Jesus had not before been experimentally revealed to him, yet such was the strength of the light he received, that it enabled him to recognise in HIM from whom it proceeded, the face of a Saviour and a Friend. The Sun of Righteousness, like the orb of day, discovers himself by his own shining. It is in his light, that we see light; Samuel was in the light, in the midst of natural darkness: and though he could not hear the prayers of a wife, he had confidence in the intercession of a

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