hand, shunned every thing controversial as much as possible, and filled his letters with the most useful and least offensive instructions; except that now and then he dropped his hints concerning the necessity, the true nature, and the efficacy of faith, and the manner in which it was to be sought and obtained, and concerning some other matters, suited, as he judged, to help me forward in my inquiry after truth. But they much offended my prejudices, afforded me matter of disputa tion, and, at that time, were of little use to me.

"When I had made this little progress in seeking the truth, my acquaintance with Mr Newton was resumed. From the conclusion of our correspondence in December 1775, till April 1777, it had been almost wholly dropped. To speak plainly, I did not care for his company: I did not mean to make any use of him as an instructor, and I was unwilling the world should think us in any way connected. But, under discouraging circumstances, I had occasion to call upon him; and his discourse so comforted and edified me, that my heart, being by his means relieved from its burden, became susceptible of affection for him. From that time I was inwardly pleased to have him for my friend, though not, as now, rejoiced to call him so. I had, however, even at that time, no thoughts of learning doctrinal truth from him, and was ashamed to be detected in his company; but I sometimes stole away to spend an hour with him. About the same period I once heard him preach; but still it was foolishness to me, his sermon being principally upon the believer's experience, in some particulars with which I was unacquainted; so that, though I loved and valued him, I considered him as a person misled by enthusiastical notions, and strenuously

insisted that we should never think alike till we met in heaven."

Mr Scott, after going on to particularise his progress in the discovery of truth, and the character of Mr Newton as its minister, afterwards adds:

"The pride of reasoning and the conceit of superior discernment had all along accompanied me, and though somewhat broken, had yet considerable influence. Hitherto, therefore, I had not thought of hearing any person preach; because I did not think any one in the circle of my acquaintance capable of giving me such information as I wanted. But being at length convinced that Mr Newton had been right, and that I had been mistaken, in the several particulars in which we had differed, it occurred to me, that, having preached those doctrines so long, he must understand many things concerning them to which I was a stranger. Now, therefore, though not without much remaining prejudice, and not less in the character of a judge than of a scholar, I condescended to be his hearer, and occasionally to attend his preaching, and that of some other ministers. I soon perceived the benefit; for from time to time the secrets of my heart were discovered to me, far beyond what I had hitherto noticed; and I seldom returned from hearing a sermon without having conceived a meaner opinion of myself without having attained to a further acquaintance with my deficiencies, weaknesses, corruptions, and wants—or without being supplied with fresh matter for prayer, and directed to greater watchfulness. I likewise learned the use of experience in preaching; and was convinced that the readiest way to reach the hearts and consciences of others was to speak from my own. short, I gradually saw more and more my need of in

In

struction, and was at length brought to consider myself as a very novice in religious matters. Thus I began xperimentally to perceive our Lord's meaning, when he says, 'Except ye receive the kingdom of heaven as a little child, ye shall in no wise enter therein.””

If I have seemed to digress in dwelling so long on these three characters, Mr Cowper, Mr Thornton, and Mr Scott, let the reader consider the importance of the facts-their intimate connection with Mr Newton's history-and let me inform him, that the author has something much nearer his heart than that of precision in setting forth the history of an individual,namely, that of exhibiting the nature and importance of vital and experimental religion: he, therefore, gladly brings forward any fact found in his way which may tend to illustrate it.

CHAPTER XI.

Incidents at Olney-Removal to London.

BUT to return to the more immediate subject of these Memoirs. In the year 1776, Mr Newton was afflicted with a tumour; and on account of its growing more troublesome, he resolved to undergo the experiment of extirpation. This obliged him to go to London for the operation, which was successfully performed, October 10th, by the late Mr Warner, of Guy's Hospital. I remember hearing him speak several years afterwards of this trying occasion; but the trial did not seem to have affected him as a painful operation, so much as a critical opportunity in which he might fail in demonstrating the patience of a Christian under pain. "I felt," said he, "that being enabled to bear a very sharp operation with tolerable calmness and confidence was a greater favour granted to me than the deliverance from my malady."*

* His reflections upon the occasion in his diary are as follow:"Thou didst support me, and make this operation very tolerable. The cure, by Thy blessing, was happily expedited; so that, on Sunday the 27th, I was enabled to go to church and hear Mr F, and the Sunday following to preach for him. The tenderness and attention of Dr and Mrs F. with whom we were, I cannot sufficiently describe; nor, indeed, the kindness of many other friends. To them

While Mr Newton thus continued faithfully discharging the duties of his station, and watching for the temporal and eternal welfare of his flock, a dreadful fire broke out at Olney, October 1777. Mr Newton took an active part in comforting and relieving the sufferers. He collected upwards of £200 for them; a considerable sum of money, when the poverty and late calamity of the place are regarded. Such instances of benevolence towards the people, with the constant assistance he afforded the poor, by the help of Mr Thornton, naturally led him to expect that he should have so much influence as to restrain gross licentiousness on particular occasions. But, to use his own expression, he had "lived to bury the old crop on which any dependence could be placed." He preached a weekly lecture, which occurred that year on the 5th of November; and, as he feared that the usual way of celebrating it at Olney might endanger his hearers in their attendance at the church, he exerted himself to preserve some degree of quiet on that evening: Instead, however, of hearkening to his entreaties, the looser sort exceeded their former extravagance, drunkenness, and rioting, and even obliged him to send out money, to preserve his house from violence. This happened but a year before he finally left Olney. When he related this occurrence to me, he added, that he believed he should never have left the

I would be thankful, my Lord, but especially to thee; for what are creatures but instruments in thy hand, fulfilling thy pleasure? At home all was preserved quiet, and I met with no incident to distress or disturb me while absent. The last fortnight I preached often, and was hurried about in seeing my friends. But though I had little leisure or opportunity for retirement, and my heart, alas! as usual, sadly reluctant and dull in secret, yet in public thou wert pleased to favour me with liberty."