I met with a civil reception from Mr. Claiborne and his family, and we were presently as free and sociable, as if we had been acquainted all our lives. At my desire, notice was sent out for my preaching at Butterwood church, the Sunday following. This was on Friday evening, and on the Sunday, I had the church full, though time for notice was so short. My performances, both in the desk and pulpit, met the hearty approbation of my hearers. Three or four of the vestry were then pre

sent.

The Thursday following was a day of thanksgiving, appointed by authority, for peace between France and England. I appointed to preach at Sappony church on that day-and at Hatcher's run, the Sunday following. I attended those appointments, had large congregations, and still met the approbation of the vestry and people. In the course of that week, at my request, the vestry agreed to meet, on the Monday following. They met accordingly, at the Old Glebe. There were ten or eleven members present. The business of the day was shortly dispatched. All that was said was nearly this. Mr. Claiborne said, "Gentlemen, our business here is to determine, whether Mr. Jarratt shall be received as minister of this parish." The

unanimous voice was, "I have no objection, nor did I ever hear any in the parish say they had any objection." The clerk was immediately ordered to enter it on record, that I was received as minister of Bath parish, on the 29th of August, 1763. This was just ten days from my first coming into the county of Dinwiddie, and commencing any acquaintance in the place.

I was now introduced into a new station in life, which called for new exertions, and I applied myself to the several duties of my office, according to the best of my judgment-But the manner, in which I conducted myself the means I used for the salvation of souls, and the success of my labours, will be the subject of another letter-And indeed, it would appear impious, in me, if I did not stop, a while, in this place, to pour out my soul, in ardent gratitude and praise, to that indulgent Being, who endowed me with such fuculties of body and mind, as I have possest, and still possess-who, at all times, hath given me food to eat and raiment to put on, suited to the various stations and conditions of my life-raised me from the depths of obscurity and the lowest walks of life, to some degree of eminence and usefulness among men-provided friends

82 THE LIFE OF THE REV. D. JARRATT.

for me, both at home and abroad-by sea and land, and on both sides the Atlantic. But above all, am I bound to bless and magnify his goodness and mercy, in bringing me out of a state of darkness, guilt and bondage to sin and satan, to a state of light and knowledge, and set me at liberty from the worst of tyrants, through Jesus Christ-and giving me a good hope, through grace, that, when I have served him, in this generation, according to his will, I shall rest from my labors, in the peaceful regions of everlasting felicity, when time shall be no more.

That this may be the happy lot of you and me, is the prayer of your sincere. friend,

DEVEREUX JARRATT

LETTER II.

Bath, December 1, 1794.

REV. AND DEAR SIR,

I WAS in my 31st year, when I took upon me the pastoral charge of some thousands of souls, in the county of Dinwid die, and parish of Bath. An awful charge! Who is sufficient for these things?

Several ministers had been my predecessors, in the parish; and though there had been no settled pastor, for about nine months, prior to my induction, yet the churches had been constantly supplied by two of the neighboring clergy. But, notwithstanding all this, I found the principles of the gospel-the nature and condition of man—the plan of salvation through Christ -and the nature and necessity of spiritual regeneration, as little known and thought of, as if the people had never a church or heard a sermon in their lives. Yet, as it appeared, they thought themselves a wise

and understanding people, and as religious, as was necessary, or their Maker required them to be. Such being the state of things, every well informed mind will readily conceive, in a measure, the difficulties I had to encounter. I had to encounter gross ignorance of divine things, combined with conceited wisdom and moral rectitude. I had also to engage with strong prejudices, occasioned by their high opinion of the great learning and accomplishments of their former ministers. From these, I suppose, they had heard little else but morality, and smooth harrangues, in no wise calculated to disturb their carnal repose, or awaken any one to a sense of guilt and danger.They could not, therefore, bear a blow at the root, or the self-abasing doctrines of free grace, which I constantly endeavored to preach in a close, plain, searching, pungent, animated manner. Nature would rise, and violently reluctate against such preaching-it was too mortifying for human pride to bear. So that how highly soever they had approved of me before, they as heartily wished, in a little time, Í dare say, they had never seen me; or else, that I would prophecy smoother things. My doctrine was strange and wonderful to them; and their language, one to another,