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yet I knew they were the things I had long
wanted to hear: and, though fome things made
against me, yet there were others that were fuit-
able; and I felt my heart move in affection to-
wards you
in fuch a way as I never had done be-
fore to any preacher living. I was quite amazed,
and marvelled greatly, to hear you bring forth my
feelings as you did; I was like Manoah and his
wife when the angel appeared to them; " and
the angel did wonderously, and Manoah and his
wife looked on," Judges xiii. 19. I attended
every time you preached, both at Providence and
Monkwell Street meeting, and often heard things
which I did not understand, as the experience you
brought forth was far beyond any thing which I
had attained to. But, when you spake of trouble
and diftrefs, I understood that part, and many
times got a help by the way; fo that, as Paul
fays to the Corinthians, I acknowledged you in
part, 2 Cor. i. 14; and I believe I fhall acknow-
ledge you even to the end. For some weeks after
I first heard you I was forely diftreffed, for you
ftript me of a good deal of my religion, as I had
plenty about me of what the prophet calls un-
tempered morter; and your preaching difcovered
to me the worthleffnefs of the greatest part of my
profeffion. I had been daubed over with untem-
pered morter, and the Lord made use of your
miniftry to throw down this work. One night,
as I was hearing you preach at Monkwell Street,

God rent this wall, as himself hath faid, "I will rend it with a stormy wind in my fury," Ezek. xiii. 13; and down I went, and from the Tuesday evening until the Sunday following was diftreffed indeed. "So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered morter, and bring it down to the ground, fo that the foundation thereof fhall be difcovered, and it fhall fall," Ezek. xiii. 14: and fo it was with me; and the Lord fulfilled his own word, which fays, "Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered morter, and will fay unto you, the wall is no more, neither they that daubed it," Ezek. xiii. 15. And fo it came to pafs; for on the Sunday morning I came to Chapel, bowed down with an expectation that I fhould moft furely be cut off: but oh no! this ftorm was not intended to deftroy, but to ftrip me of that which was better loft than found. You preached that morning from these words, "And, though the Lord give you the bread of adverfity, and the water of affliction, yet fhall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes fhall fee thy teachers, and thine ears fhall hear a word behind thee, faying, this is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left," Ifa. xxx. 20, 21. On hearing the words my heart revived; and as you went on speaking from them it was much bleffed

to me, for I understood what you faid upon the bread of adverfity and water of affliction, and God opened my eyes to fee my teacher, and my ears to hear his word, according to the promise, "Thy teachers shall not be removed into a corner any more:" and, bleffed be his name, they have not; for mine eyes have seen my teachers from that day to this. After hearing you I went no more among profeffors of any defcription; but, as God has enabled me, I have abode fast by the truth, and gone according to that light and judgment which he has given me to this day. It was about two or three Sundays after this that I heard you preach from Pfalm xci. 3; when I received that comfort I have before mentioned, refpecting my not having committed the unpardonable fin. During my ftay in town I heard you preach feveral other discourses, from which I received a good deal of encouragement. "My word," faith the Lord," fhall not return void."

My time being expired, I was obliged to return to my fituation in the country, though very reluctantly. During my stay at that place I spent my fabbath's alone, for the profeffors were of that fort with whom I felt no union; therefore I wifhed for no confederacy, but stood aloof from all, waiting upon God, and reading the fcriptures and fome part of your books; and I found the prefence of the Lord with me. After I had been at this place about eight months I was obliged to leave

it, the perfon in whofe employment I was having no further occafion for me. This man pretended a great deal of friendship towards me; "His words were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart," Pfalm lv. 21; for fecretly he did me all the injury he could; and I think I may say of him what Joseph faid to his brethren, "But, as for you, ye thought evil againft me, but God meant it unto good," Gen. 1. 20; and fo it proved. I very foon obtained another fituation, and at the time appointed went to it; the morning I fet off I had twenty-five miles to walk, and in my way was greatly fatigued in body, much caft down in mind, and was in great bitterness of foul; for the adversary set before me all things in as gloomy a light as poffible, and provoked me fore and made me to fret, 1 Sam. i. 6. In this dilemma I turned afide into a field, and fat down under a hedge, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept fore, 1 Sam. i. 10. Whilft I fat down I took some refreshment, bleffed the Lord for what I had, and thanked him that he had helped me thus far. Whilft I fat in this place I felt a melting, foftening frame come over me, and was very much relieved from my diftrefs: I think I may fay of this field as Jacob did when he was going to Padan-aram, and lighted upon a certain place, where he tarried all night, and God appeared to him in a dream, and when he awoke he said,

Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it

not," Gen. xxviii. 16. I rofe up from my place, thanked God for his mercies, and then journeyed forward but the fituation in which I was now placed was by no means agreeable to me in this my diftreffed ftate of mind, therefore I foon returned to Leicester, where I had a great defire to ftop, if it was the will of God; and I was the more anxious, because a few people met together for prayer, the reading of the fcriptures and your works, with whom I felt union of heart; and the thoughts of being separated from them grieved me much. After waiting for fome time, however, and no way opening for me to refide there, at length I engaged myfelf to go more than thirty miles diftant: this I did with very great reluctance, as the thoughts of being removed troubled me not a little. Peing one morning in great diftress about it, I went in prayer to the Lord, and poured out my complaint before him, fhewing him all my trouble, Pfalm cxlii. 2; and making all my request known; and I humbly entreated of him this favour,-that, if it was his moft bleffed will, I might not be removed from hence, but that he would be pleased to provide for me in the way that seemed good unto him; as he knew my heart, and that the only reafon why I defired. to stay was, that I might have an opportunity of meeting with those who feared his name, (which I had long been deprived of) and how much I had fuffered in other places on that account. The