Another observes

"I am thankful to God that I met with such a friend

as you.

A third writes

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M. H."

"GLOSTER COUNTY, Virginia, May 18th. "My Friend and Brother :-I wish much to communicate freely with you concerning my spiritual warfare. Oh! it is a great blessing to have a brother in Christ to help me on in my Christian course. I shall be so strengthened by your advice, as well as edified. My Jesus, Master, is ever present with me, and very precious to my soul, but yet we must bear each other's burdens. I was, from a selfish motive, somewhat grieved to hear you had left this State. I hoped, while labouring in our part of our Lord's vineyard, I might be blest with meeting you, but have now given up all thoughts of it. But blessed be God, we shall, I hope, meet in our Heavenly Father's Kingdom, where we shall sing hallelujah to God and the Lamb, that sitteth upon the throne for ever and ever. At this very time twelve months, I was sitting under your preaching, and felt much spiritual happiness. Oh, that was a glorious season! I wish I could partake of the droppings of the Sanctuary at this time.

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E. P."

The following extracts are from his clerical brethren— August 24th, 1822. "I hope you will find it convenient ere long to visit that part of the country in which your labours were so much blessed, and where there are so many Churches, monuments of your zeal."

The same person again writes to him

"March 4th, 1823.

"Rev. and Dear Sir:-Knowing with what great success, by the grace of God, you laboured in Jefferson and

Berkeley, for the advancement of religion and our Church, I have thought that you might, by epistle, give me such advice in divers matters connected with the discharge of my duties, as would prove to me of considerable advantage. "That the Lord may bless your labours, and make you eminently useful in your present situation, is the prayer of your brother in the ministry,

CHARLES H. PAGE."

Relative to the Missionary Society, which he laboured so much to promote in Virginia, he receives the following

"WINCHESTER, November 14th, 1822.

"Dear Brother :-I must tell you the good news of our little valley Missionary Society. Mr. Page has been to the western part of the State, under its auspices, for three months. During this time, he travelled about eighteen hundred miles, preached about eighty times, and baptized about fifty children."- "The statements were made at our late Association, where attended brothers Smith, Meade, Bryan, Lippitt, and Page. A part of the services were at Mill Creek, where you continue to be affectionately remembered. Indeed, the monuments you have left in all this part of the country will effectually prevent your memory from speedily fading."-"Believe me sincerely your friend and brother in Christ,

J. J. ROBERTSON."

His successor in Virginia writes—

"October 11th.

"Dear Brother :-As I fail in supplying your place in all respects, so do I especially, I fear, in a want of active exertion in the promotion of Societies and public Institutions.

BENJ'N. B. SMITH.”

268

MEMOIR OF REV. BENJAMIN ALLEN.

Another brother writes

"December 2d.

"It gives me pleasure, my dear brother, to see that you are not wearied with well doing. I see you very plainly in many of the operations now going on in Philadelphia. May God prosper you in every thing, is the prayer of your friend and brother, WILLIAM MEADE."

"NEW-YORK, March 2d, 1822.

"Rev. and Dear Sir:-I am very happy to hear, from more quarters than one, of your good prospects in St. Paul's, and pray God that the blossomings of which you speak, may result in much good fruit.

"New Churches, you say, are contemplated-I rejoice to hear it, and wish they may be instrumental in promoting the cause of vital religion."- -"God grant that you may all be richly rewarded in the fruits of a faithful ministry here, and in the blessedness of his kingdom of glory hereafter.

Your's, affectionately,

J. MILNOR."

CHAPTER XVII.

HE PUBLISHES A VOLUME OF SERMONS-LIVING MANNERSSECOND AND THIRD EDITION OF THE REFORMATION-ALSO THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH-EXTRACTS.

My brother appeared to be truly anxious that no means should be left untried for the promotion of the benefit of those around him. Soon after his settlement in Philadelphia, we find him frequently resorting to the press, that powerful instrument of good. And when we consider the multiplicity of his other engagements-the overwhelming concerns continually crowding upon his path, it is indeed matter of astonishment that so many volumes should be given by him to the public, within a few years.

An individual having imbibed very erroneous sentiments on the subject of the Trinity, my brother laboured much to convince him of his error. His mind, thus especially directed to that important subject, he was induced to deliver a course of sermons to his people. These he afterwards presented to the public in a duodecimo volume of one hundred and twenty pages, under the following title

"Jesus Christ and Him Crucified; being a view of the Trinity, the Divinity of Christ, the Atonement, and the character and influence of the Holy Spirit; together with references to the great body of texts used by Magee, Simpson, and Jones. By the Rev. Benjamin Allen, Rector of St. Paul's Church, Philadelphia.”

да

In the preface, he observes—

"This tract, for it is no more, is not designed for those who have leisure and ability to search larger volumes. It is merely intended as an aid to the humble believer, who wishes to know what are the plain words of the Bible concerning Him in whom it is his delight to trust.

"Men of study may find the references, which are subjoined, convenient, inasmuch as they point out nearly all the texts used by Magee, Simpson, Jones, and others, in discussing the essential truths treated of in this little Manual.

"May the Spirit of the Most High descend upon all who read.

The following extracts, I trust, will prove acceptable. At the head of the first discourse he has this text

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Nay, but O man who art thou that repliest against God? Rom. ix. 20.

"There is a disposition in man to cavil at every thing that opposes his darling lusts; hence the difficulty in receiving the doctrine of the Trinity. Those who believe that God was incarnate as an atonement for sin, must believe that sin is awfully malignant in its nature, and, by consequence, that they themselves are utterly vile. Those who believe it necessary that God, as a Spirit, should renew our natures, must believe that they are altogether depraved and there are no two points of belief more humbling to the pride of the heart, or more opposed to the indulgence of transgression. It is, therefore, not at all surprising that some, rather than bow themselves in the dust, with the patriarch Job, and the prophet Daniel, rise up in their loftiness, and deny the Divinity of the Redeemer and the Sanctifier.